passage 2

Computerized data storage and electronic mail were to have heralded the paperless office. But, contrary to expectations, paper consumption throughout the world shows no sign of abating. In fact, consumption, especially of printing and writing papers, continues to increase. World demand for paper and board is now expected to grow faster than the general economic growth in the next 15 years. Strong demand will be underpinned by the growing industrialization of South-East Asia, the reemergence of paper packaging, greater use of facsimile machines and photocopies, and the popularity of direct-mail advertising. It is possible that by 2007, world paper and board demand will reach 455 million tons, compared with 241 million tons in 1991.The pulp and paper industry has not been badly affected by the electronic technologies that promised a paperless society. But what has radically altered the industry’s structure is pressure from another front-a more environmentally conscious society driving an irreversible move towards cleaner industrial production. The environmental consequences of antiquated pulp mill practices and technologies had marked this industry as one in need of reform. Graphic descriptions of deformed fish and thinning populations, particularly in the Baltic Sea where old pulp mills had discharged untreated effluent for 100 years, have disturbed the international community.Until the 1950s, it was common for pulp mills and other industries to discharge untreated effluent into rivers and seas. The environmental effects were at the time either not understood, or regarded as an acceptable cost of economic prosperity in an increasingly import-oriented world economy. But greater environmental awareness has spurred a fundamental change in attitude in the community, in movement and in industry itself.Since the early 1980s, most of the world-scale pulp mills in the Scandinavia and North America have modernized their operations, outlaying substantial amounts to improve production methods. Changes in mill design and processes have been aimed at minimizing the environmental effects of effluent discharge while at the same time producing pulp with the whiteness and strength demanded by the international market. The environmental impetus is taking this industry even further, with the focus now on developing processes that may even eliminate waste-water discharges. But the ghost of the old mills continues face a flood of environment-related legislation. In Germany, companies are now being held responsible for the waste they create.

39、What has the pulp and paper industry been greatly affected by these days?

40、In the past, what was the probable price that the environmental effects of pulp mill practices had to pay?

41、Why have some paper mills recently modernized their mill design?

Talbot’s buying of J. Jill has helped it to overcome the financial difficulties.

Japan’s Aeon Co. Ltd is a mother company of Aeon (U.S.A.) Inc.

Consumer prices posted their smallest increase in more than 50 years in 2008. A government report today (Friday) said the sagging economy is keeping inflation in check, and slashing demand for energy. Serious U.S. economic problems are at the top of President-elect Barack Obama’s agenda as he tries to rally public support for a plan to stimulate the economy with government spending and tax cuts. Mr. Obama has said he hopes to create half a million jobs with investments in clean energy projects.

Talbot’s major consumers are those women who are younger than 35.

The retail sales dropped for six consecutive months.

From this passage, we can get that the author implies the Asian countries are not so efficient in manufacturing.

When the author argued that to do business in Asia is too expensive, he was only making comparison between doing business in Asia in the past and today.

Passage 2

It’s a brutal time in retail-sales dropped 2. 7% in December, the sixth straight month of declines, and 0. 1% for 2008, the first annual dip on government records dating back to 1992. It was the worst holiday shopping season in 40 years. Name outlets like Circuit City and Linens’ n Things have gone bankrupt. Who’s next? Predicting which companies will go under is a notoriously tricky business, and we won’t try that. But here are five struggling retailers whose futures are definitely cloudy, with a look at how they hope to survive.Talbots, the specialty clothing retailer, which targets women over 35, has run out of steam over the past year. Talbots’ same-store sales were down 13.9% in the third quarter of 2008, and the chain lost $14.8 million during that time. The company’s ill-fated $400 million purchase of women’s apparel shop J. Jill in 2006 burdened its debt load. “What’s hurting them more than anything is that they’ve got lots of debt on their balance sheet,” says Betty Chen, a retail analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. Talbots has shuttered its men’s, kids and U.K. businesses, and is shopping for a buyer for J. Jill. Good luck finding one in today’s market. Earlier this month, investors received some encouragement when the company secured a $150 million credit line from three Japanese banks. In 2008 Talbots also secured a $50 million credit facility from Aeon (U.S.A.) Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan’s Aeon Co. Ltd. and the majority shareholder of Talbots.

The Circuit City and Linens’n Things are very famous chain stores in America before they went bankrupt.

Some manufacturers of the advanced western countries were hesitant about moving to Asia only for there was a shortage of competent managers.

Asian economic growth was primarily based on their cheap exports rather than high-tech innovations.