一、正如科学家所预言的那样，全球污染成了人类面临的最严重的问题之一。

1.人类：mam, human, mankind, humankind, race, the human race

2.面对：be faced with

3.严重的：serious, severe

As the prediction by scientists, global pollution has become one of the most serious problems humans are faced with.

二、谋求这些职位的竞争很激烈——今年的求职者是去年的五倍。

1.激烈的：fierce, tough

2.……是……的五倍：five times as…as…

Competition for these positions is very fierce–there are five times as many applicants this year as last.

三、正如事实表明的那样，教育大纲应当符合国家的经济发展计划。

1.表明：show, indicate, demonstrate

2.教育大纲：education program, educational program

3.国家的经济发展计划：national plan for economic development

As the facts show, educational programs should fit to national plans for economic development.

四、这辆汽车太费油，而且价钱几乎是我想付的两倍。

1.几乎：almost, nearly, about, roughly, approximately

The car burns too much gas, moreover, the price is almost twice as much as I intend to pay.

五、要了解一起重大的国际事件，我们首先要考虑其历史与政治背景。

1.要做什么：to do something

2.重大的：great, emergent, significant

3.首先：at first, firstly, first of all.

To understand a significant international event, we need to consider the historical and political background of it at first.