经济学人精读(第二季)教材

1/23经济学人精读（第二期）教材有道考神团队@陈曲Frank2/23致各位亲爱的同学们：大家好，我是有道考神团队的陈曲老师。继暑假7.18-7.23，我们成功了开启第一期经济学人课程后（=xue/list），秋季开学季我们迎来了第二期的课程。感谢大家选择经济学人课程，我们的课程时间持续一周，具体为：9月19日19:00-20:00精讲篇章1–Seizetheday（经济类）9月20日19:00-20:00精讲篇章2–PlanetofthePhones（科技类）9月21日19:00-20:00精讲篇章3–Thewholeworldisgoingtouniversity（教育类）9月22日19:00-20:00精讲篇章4–Spaceandthecity（经济类）9月23日19:00-20:00精讲篇章5–ArtificialIntelligence（科技类）9月26日19:00-20:00精讲篇章6–Theweakersex（社会类）请大家注意以下注意事项：1.讲义以课文为主，请各位同学课前预习课文，查出不认识的单词。2.请各位同学准备好笔记本，授课时做好笔记，微博坚持晒笔记和打卡将有陈曲老师专属的礼品赠送。3.除了课文外，陈曲老师还精心挑选了课后的阅读篇章。供大家研读学习。4.关于这些文章，大家既可以阅读讲义，也可以在群里下载期刊的pdf格式。5.我的新浪微博：@陈曲Frank，微博里会持续有一些更新内容，大家可以借鉴。特别鸣谢eco中文网，讲义中大量的翻译均有其提供！译文仅作参考！大家一起学习一点真正的英语（AuthenticEnglish）！3/23Passage1:SeizethedayJan17th2015|FromtheprinteditionThefallinthepriceofoilandgasprovidesaonce-in-a-generationopportunitytofixbadenergypolicies.MOSTofthetime,economicpolicymakingisabouttinkeringattheedges.Politiciansarguefuriouslyaboutmodestchangestotaxesorspending.Onceinawhile,however,momentousshiftsarepossible.FromDengXiaopingsmarketopeningin1978toPolandsadoptionof“shocktherapy”in1990,boldpoliticianshaveseizedpropitiouscircumstancestopushthroughreformsthattransformedtheircountries.Suchaonce-in-a-generationopportunityexiststoday.Theplungingpriceofoil,coupledwithadvancesincleanenergyandconservation,offerspoliticiansaroundtheworldthechancetorationaliseenergypolicy.Theycangetridofbillionsofdollarsofdistortingsubsidies,especiallyfordirtyfuels,whilstshiftingtaxestowardscarbonuse.Acheaper,greenerandmorereliableenergyfuturecouldbewithinreach.Themostobviousreasonforoptimismistheplungeinenergycosts.Notonlyhasthepriceofoilhalvedinthepastsixmonths,butnaturalgasisthecheapestithasbeeninadecade,barafewpanickedmonthsafterLehmanBrotherscollapsed,whentheworldeconomyappearedtobeimploding.Therearegrowingsignsthatlowpricesareheretostay:therisingchatterofmegamergersintheoilindustryisasuresignthatoilmenarebracingforashake-out.Lessnoticed,thepriceofcleanerformsofenergyisalsofalling,asourspecialreportthisweekexplains.Andnewtechnologyisallowingbettermanagementoftheconsumptionofenergy,especiallyelectricity.Thatshouldhelpcutwasteandthuslowercostsstillfurther.Fordecadesthebigquestionaboutenergywaswhethertheworldcouldproduceenoughofit,inanyformandatanycost.Now,suddenly,thechallengeshouldbeoneofmanagingabundance.CleanupadirtybusinessThatabundanceprovidesthepotentialforreform.Fartoomanyeconomiesarelitteredwiththedetritusofdaftenergypolicies,basedonfearsaboutsupply.EventhoughfrackinghasboostedAmericasoiloutputbytwo-thirdsinjustfouryears,thecountrystillbanstheexportofoilandrestrictsexportsofnaturalgas,alegacyoftheoilshocksofthe1970s—andaboondoggleforAmericanrefinersandpetrochemicalfirms.CongressalsokeepshandingoutmoneytoIowasalreadycoddledcornfarmerstoproduceethanolandhasnotreviewedgeneroussubsidiesfornuclearpowerdespitetheFukushimadisasterandruinouscostover-runsatnewWesternplants.Instead,ithasspentfourlongyearsbickeringaboutwhethertoallowtheproposedKeystoneXLpipelinetoCanadastarsands.InEuropethegiveawaysarealittledifferent—billionshavegonetowindandsolarprojects—butthesamemadnessoftenprevails:GermanysrushedexitfromnuclearpowerendeduphelpingboostAmericancoalandRussiangas.Themoststraightforwardpieceofreform,prettymucheverywhere,issimplytoremoveallthesubsidiesforproducingorconsumingfossilfuels.Lastyeargovernmentsaroundtheworldthrew$550billiondownthatrathole—oneverythingfromholdingdownthepriceofpetrolinpoorcountriestoencouragingcompaniestosearchforoil.Byonecount,suchhandoutsledto4/23extraconsumptionthatwasresponsiblefor36%ofglobalcarbonemissionsin.Fallingpricesprovideanopportunitytorethinkthisnonsense.Cash-strappeddevelopingcountriessuchasIndiaandIndonesiahavebravelybeguntocutfuelsubsidies,freeingupmoneytospendonhospitalsandschools.Butthebigoilexportersinthepoorworld,whichtendtobethemostegregioussubsidisersofdomesticfuelprices,havenotfollowedtheirlead.Venezuelaisclosetodefault,yetpetrolstillcostsafewcentsalitreinCaracas.Andrichcountriesstillunderwritetheproductionofoilandgas.WhyshouldAmericantaxpayerspayforExxontofindhydrocarbons?Allthesesubsidiesshouldbebinned.WhatabetterpolicywouldlooklikeThatshouldbejustthebeginning.Politicians,forthemostpart,haverefusedtoraisetaxesonfossilfuelsinrecentyears,onthegroundsthatmakingdrivingorheatinghomesmoreexpensivewouldnotonlyannoyvotersbutalsohurttheeconomy.Withpetrolandnaturalgasgettingcheaperbytheday,thatexcusehasgone.Highertaxeswouldencourageconservation,dampenfuturepriceswingsandprovideamoresensiblewayforgovernmentstoraisemoney.Anobviousstartingpointistotargetpetrol.Americasfederalgovernmentleviesataxofjust18centsagallon(fivecentsalitre)—afigurethatithasnotdaredchangesince1993.Evenbetterwouldbeataxoncarbon.Burningfossilfuelsharmsthehealthofboththeplanetanditsinhabitants.Taxingcarbonwouldnudgeenergyfirmsandconsumerstowardsusingcleanerfuels.Asfuelpricesfall,acarbontaxisbecominglesspoliticallydaunting.Thatpointstothebiggestblessingcheaperenergybrings:thechancetoinjectsomecoherenceinto