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【C12】
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Robert Congel, a commercial real-estate developer who lives in upstate New York, has a plan to "change the world." Convinced that it will "produce more benefit for humanity than any one thing that private enterprise has ever done," he is raising $20 billion to make it happen. That's 12 times the yearly budget of the United Nations and more than 25 times Congel's own net worth.
What Congel has in mind is an outsize and extremely unusual mega-mall. Destiny U.S.A., the retail-and-entertainment complex he is building in upstate New York, aspires to be not only the biggest man-made structure on the planet but also the most environmentally friendly. Equal parts Disney World, Las Vegas, Bell Laboratories and Mall of America-- with a splash of Walden Pond m the "retail city" will include the usual shops and restaurants as well as an extensive research facility for testing advanced technologies and a 200-acre recreational biosphere complete with spring-like temperatures and an artificial river for kayaking.
After a false start in 2002, countless changes of plan and a storm of local opposition, Congel is finally breaking ground again, with a projected completion date of 2009. Later this month, bulldozers powered by biodiesel are scheduled to begin leveling the site, a rehabilitated brownfield in Syracuse, Congel's hometown. Whether Congel's firm, the Pyramid Companies, can maintain the cash flow and political support needed to complete the project is a subject of much local debate. Also disputed are Congel's goals of creating 200,000 jobs regionally and making Destiny nothing less than "the No. 1 tourist destination in America."
More mind-boggling than the sheer scope of Destiny is its agenda. Congel emphasizes that renewable energy alone will power the mall, with its 1,000 shops and restaurants, 80,000 hotel rooms, 40,000-seat arena and Broadway-style. theaters. As a result, Congel says, Destiny will jump-start renewable-energy markets nationwide with its investments in solar, wind fuel cells and other alternative-energy sources. But if Congel does manage to erect his El Dorado, will it really help cure our country's addiction to scarce and highly polluting fossil fuel？ Or will it just be a cleverly marketed boondoggle that may create more environmental problems than it solves？
All by itself, the mall would boost America's solar-electric power capacity by nearly 10 percent. "On every level, this project astounds," Senator Hillary Clinton said in April, claiming that the mall could make the area a hub for clean technologies and deliver a shot of adrenaline to upstate New York's ailing economy. To help foot the bill for Congel's project, Clinton and other politicians successfully persuaded Congress to provide financial incentives for mega, scale green development projects. (Destiny, of course, will face little competition to reap those benefits.)
The mall is astounding because______
A．In her room.B．In the restaurant.C．In the hall.D．In the kitchen.
Insurance is supposed to provide protection against financial risks, and while dying too soon is one major risk we face, another risk more and more people fear is outliving their money. As a result, a growing array of life insurance products make it possible to protect against both of those risks.
In many of today's life insurance products, MacDonald notes, "The death benefit portion really has become a commodity type product, so if someone is really concerned about the financial impact of dying young, then they can get a pretty good deal by buying term insurance on a commodity basis--find the cheapest policy and buy it. "But, he says," The other side of the coin is that insurance companies have developed products that can be very creative, and very competitive to other alternatives, including investments. They can fill a very important role in any overall investment plan. "
Diverse and universal policies offer people choices in how much they want to put into their policies and how they want their funds invested. These funds can then be tapped later on to provide a lump sum for purchasing a retirement home or a stream of retirement income. Life insurance is an attractive investment vehicle, because the "inside buildup", the accumulation of funds inside a policy structure , is not subject to taxes, in contrast to other personal investments.
However, MacDonald and others warn against using insurance policies purely as an investment. While there are tax advantages, there are also the costs connected with the insurance coverage, and if you don't need that coverage these can be expensive ways to invest.
Moreover, MacDonald notes that some companies are offering insurance that has a critical illness or long-term care benefit. These policies specify that if someone suffers a heart attack, for example, they will get 25% of the face amount of the insurance policy immediately rather than at death. Or if they must be confined to a nursing home, they will be able to use up to the face amount of the policy to pay the nursing home costs.
Amid the proliferation of insurance product, MacDonald says, "The positive side of it is there are better products--they're cheaper and more flexible. The negative side is that it's more complicated and easier to make a mistake. In the past, it was plain vanilla; everybody was selling the same product and everybody had to find an agent they liked. Now there has been significant changes in product structure and design, and benefits, and so it is worthwhile to shop around. "
The purpose of insurance is to ______.
Most of us trade money for entertainment. Movies, concerts and shows are enjoyable but expensive. (78) If you think that you can't have a good time without spending a lot of money, read on. A little resourcefulness and a few minutes of newspaper - scanning should give you some pleasant surprises.
People may be the most interesting show in a large city. Stroll through busy streets and see what everybody else is doing. (79) You will probably see people from all over the world; you will certainly see people of every age, size, and shape, and you'll get a free fashion show, too. Window - shopping is also a safe sport – if he stores are closed.
Check the listings in your neighborhood paper. Local colleges or schools often welcome the public to hear an interesting speaker or a good debate. The film or concert series at the local public library probably won't cost you a penny. Be sure to check commercial advertisements too. A flea market can provide hours of pleasant browsing. Perhaps you can find a free cooking or crafts demonstration in a department store.
Plan ahead for some activities. It is always more pleasant not to have people in front of you in a museum or at a zoo. You may save some money, too, since these places often set aside one or two free admission days at slow times during the week. Pretend that you are a tourist from time to time, and get to know your city all over again including the indispensable sights that people travel miles to see. If you feel like taking an interesting walk, find a free walking tour, or plan one yourself. You will see your city in a new perspective once you know more about its history or its architectural treasures. With imagination and a spirit of adventure you can quite easily find good entertainment at no cost at all.
Which of the following statements is NOT tree？
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