In cities with rent control, the city government sets the maximum rent that a landlord (房东) can charge for an apartment. Supporters of rent control argue that it protects people who are living in apartment. Their rent cannot increase; therefore, they are not in danger of losing their homes. However, the critics say that after a long time, rent control may have negative effects. Landlords know that they cannot increase their profits. Therefore, they invest in other businesses where they can increase their profits. They do not invest in new buildings which would also be rent-controlled. As a result, new apartments are not built. Many people who need apartments cannot find any. According to the critics, the end result of rent control is a shortage of apartments in the city.

    Some experts argue that the minimum wage law can cause problems in the same way. The federal government sets the minimum that an employer must pay workers. The minimum helps people who generally look for unskilled, low-paying jobs. However, if the minimum is high, employers may hire fewer workers. They will replace workers with machinery. Therefore, other things being equal, the number of workers that employers want decreases. Thus, critics hold the opinion that an increase in the minimum wage may cause unemployment. Some poor people may find themselves without jobs instead of with jobs at the minimum wage.

    Supporters of the minimum wage say that it helps people keep their dignity. Because of the law, workers cannot sell their services for less than the minimum. Furthermore, employers cannot force workers to accept jobs at unfair wages.

    Economic theory predicts the results of economic decision, such as decisions about farm production, rent control, and the minimum wage. The predictions may be corrected only if “other things are equal”. Economists do not agree on some of the predictions. They also do not agree on the value of different decisions. Some economists support a particular decision while others criticize it. Economists do agree, however, that there are no simple answers to economic questions.

Eight days for just ￥12,000

Departs：May, October 2017

Includes：

●Return flights from 6 China's airports to Naples

●Return airport to hotel transport

●Seven nights' accommodation at the 3-star Hotel Nice

●Breakfast

●The service of guides

●Government taxes

    Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of the Europe's most wonderful corners—Naples in Italy if you want to have a nice time in a beautiful small quiet place. The ancient Romans called the city “happy land” with attractive coastline, colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea. Your best choice for a truly memorable holiday!

    Choose between the peaceful traditional villages of Sant' Agata, set on a hillside six miles away from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples.

    Breathtaking scenery, famous sights and European restaurants everywhere. From the mysterious Isle of Capri to the hunting ruins of Pompeii, and from the unforgettable “Amalfi Drive” to the delightful resorts of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, the area is a feast for the eyes! Join us, and you won't be disappointed!

    Price based on two tourists sharing a double room at the Hotel Nice. A single room, another ￥2,000. A group of ten college students, ￥10,000 for each.

    Like to know more? Telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on : 0845—226—7788（All calls charged at local rates）.

    China's boss of table tennis Liu Guoliang was shocked at his first sight of Japanese teenager Miu Hirano who beat three top-ranked Chinese to claim a sensational victory of the women's singles at the Asian Table Tennis Championships.

    "She's much better than I had imagined," said Liu, on the conclusion of the continental tournament（锦标赛）. "When she came out the winner of last year's World Cup, I thought maybe she took advantage of the absence of the Chinese women paddlers. However, I changed my mind when I saw her play here. She's strong enough technically and mentally, and capable of beating any one in the world," added Liu.

    Hirano, who just turned 17 years old on Friday, stunned China's world No. 1 Ding Ning 3-2 in the quarterfinals before second-ranked Zhu Yuling 3-0 and finally seeing off world No. 5 Chen Meng, also 3-0, to smash the Chinese dominance（统治）of the tournament.

    "She's so young and has so many possibilities in the future," said Liu. "That makes her success more intimidating to our women's team."

    In Liu's opinion, the difficulties that China faced in these Asian championships reflected the changes of table tennis world map in recent years.

    "It's not just recently that Japan wants to beat China," he said. "By the end of the day, their efforts finally worked out."

    The head coach, however, refused to stand all by the Japan's side. "We do need to learn from the other associations, including the Japanese, who do an excellent job on youth training," Liu said. "But one failure should not lead to the whole denial to our own team. I think it's a good thing to have competitors who can pose real challenges, which makes our sport more competitive and more healthy," he added.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Copenhagen Destination Guide

    The modern city of Copenhagen combines the best of European cafe culture and Scandinavian architecture. It's charming and compact with lots of local history to dive into. Although spending time in Copenhagen can become expensive, there are many ways to experience the city on a budget as well.

    Attractions

    Copenhagen is one of the world's best cycling cities. To see the city with ease, rent a bike or take a small group tour to see the sights, including the Little Mermaid, the island of Amager and the community of Christiania. You can also take a canal boat tour to see the city from a unique view. The Tivoli Gardens offer a sense of love in the evenings. There are some excellent museums to explore. Be sure to add the Museum of Art and Design to your travel plan.

    Transportation

    Kastrup Airport is the first destination for most visitors. It typically takes less than 15 minutes to get from the airport to the city center by train, so all the visitors prefer this way to travel between the two places. Canal boat tours are the easiest way to see the city's attractions. Cycling is the fastest and most flexible way to get around, and it's a refreshingly pedestrian-friendly city as well.

    Tips

    Find local sandwich shops to eat like the locals do and give your wallet a break.

    Museum lovers should have a Copenhagen Card, which provides free entrance to about 60 museums and many other attractions too.

    Consider visiting Copenhagen in the autumn, when it's a little cold but accommodations become much cheaper than those in the summer.

    Check at www.Save70.com to view price comparisons for flights and hotels before you book.

    Engineers in Upstate New York have invented a folded paper device that looks like a decorated art project. But don't be fooled. This is actually a paper-based battery. No, it doesn't look like any of those metal batteries running flashlights or smartphones. In these systems, the battery can be printed on a page. The battery's power consists of living bacteria.

    Paper electronics are simple to make and inexpensive, notes study leader Seokheun Choi, an engineer at Binghamton University. They need no electrical outlet to recharge. They just need more bacteria, which can be found everywhere — including dirty water.

"Most batteries use chemicals to generate electricity. Substituting bacteria can be an advantage," Choi says. "They are cheap and self-repairing." What paper-based batteries won't do is generate much power. They do, however create enough to run small devices in faraway or dangerous places — such as a battlefield. They might also find use in medicine. For instance, they might power tiny sensors, such as the types used to measure blood sugar.

This invention is based on an observation made more than a century ago — that microbes (微生物) produce electricity as they digest food. Scientists refer to the bio-batteries based on this principle as microbial fuel cells. A fuel cell generates electricity like a regular battery. But a regular battery stops producing electricity when its inner chemical reactions stop. A fuel cell uses fuel that can be refilled. In this case, bacteria serve as the fuel. By refilling more microbes, as needed, scientists can keep these fuel cells running.

    Lab tests have shown that the new battery can produce a current. Now, Choi and his team are looking at ways to increase the power. They're studying different shapes and materials for the anode and cathode (正负极). They're also looking for the best ways to combine batteries for more power. The beauty of the paper devices is that you can simply fold them to connect them. And they surely will be a trend in the near future.

Friends play an important part in our lives, and although we may take friendship for granted, we often don't clearly understand how to make friends. While we get on well with a number of people, we are usually friends with only a very few — for example, the average among students is about 6 per person. In all the cases of friendly relationships, two people like one another and enjoy being together, but beyond that, the degree of intimacy between them and the reasons for their shared interests vary greatly. As we get to know people, we take into account things like age, race, economic condition, social position, and intelligence. Although these factors are not of great importance, it is more difficult to get on with people when there is a marked difference in age and background.

Some friendly relationships can be kept on argument and discussion, but it is usual for close friends to have similar ideas and beliefs, the same opinions and interests — they often talk about "being on the same wavelength". It generally takes time to reach this point. And the more intimately involved people become, the more they depend on one another. People who want to be friends have to learn to put up with annoying habits and to stand differences.

In contrast with marriage, there are no friendship ceremonies to strengthen the association between two people. But the supporting and understanding of each other that results from shared experiences and emotions does seem to create a powerful bond, which can overcome differences in background, and break down barriers of age, class or race.