Imagine a store where you could buy what you need using your plastic garbage. Not just food or household items but valuable goods such as minutes for your cellphone, WiFi and even health insurance.
This isn’t imagination for the future, or a strange society that uses trash for cash. It’s the idea behind Plastic Bank, a company formed in 2013 by David Katz and Shaun Frankson. As a diver, Katz was upset—and thus inspired to act—after he saw the shocking amount of plastic trash in the ocean when he travelled to other countries to dive.
Although important, simply cleaning up the oceans wasn’t enough, he decided. “To understand why, imagine walking into a kitchen to find the sink（洗碗池）overflowing and water pouring onto the floor. What would you do first? Turn off the tap.”says Katz. And he believes we need to turn off the tap for plastic junk and stop it from getting into the sea in the first place.
With Plastic Bank, people in parts of Haiti, the Philippines and Brazil can transform plastic trash into cash, goods or services. Collectors gather the plastic and bring it to a collection center to be weighed. In exchange, they’re paid in the form of cash, items from the store, or points that can be used at any store or recycling center that uses the Plastic Bank app; in some places, the points can also be exchanged for mobile money.
A collector can earn up to the equivalent of ＄ 5 a day, according to Plastic Bank. This can double or triple people’s real incomes. In Haiti, for example, the majority of the population earns below ＄ 2.41 a day.
After the collectors turn in their plastic, it is sent to a recycling center, where it’s sold to companies that use it in their products. Many businesses pay a premium（额外费用）for recycled plastic, in part to meet their social responsibility goals. But it can also benefit their bottom line-they’re able to tell consumers that by buying goods made with what Katz calls “social plastic”, their purchase（购买）benefits both the environment and people's livelihood.
1.What was the main reason for David Katz to set up Plastic Bank?
A.To recycle plastic garbage.
B.To make money by running a company.
C.To increase the income of local people.
D.To protect the ocean from plastic pollution.
2.What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 4?
A.The main products of plastic.
B.How plastic garbage is produced.
C.The Plastic Bank’s operation process.
D.The main function of the Plastic Bank.
3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A.To introduce a recycling company
B.To introduce the effects of plastic.
C.To tell us how to recycle the natural resources.
D.To introduce a new way to protect the ocean environment.
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A.Science fiction.
B.A science report.
C.An advertisement.
D.News of environmental protection.
It is interesting to see that the force of only 6 or 7 people pushing in the same direction can cause up to 1,000 pounds of force—enough to break brick walls. During a fatal stampede (蜂拥), people can even die standing up. People die when pressure is put to their bodies in a front to back direction, causing them not to be able to breathe.
If you are in a crowd, the first and most important thing is to make yourself familiar with your surroundings and find different exits. No matter where you are, make sure you always know how to get out.
Make yourself aware of the type of the ground you are standing on, and know that in a crowd of moving people wet ground can cause you to fall.
When in danger, a few seconds can make a difference, giving you the possibility of making use of your escaping route. Always stay closer to the escape route. If you find yourself in the middle of a moving crowd, do not fight against the pressure and do not stand still or sit down, because you can easily get trampled (踩踏). Instead, move in the same direction of the crowd; make use of any space that may open up to move sideways to the crowd movement where the flow is weaker.
Keep your hands up by your chest, like a boxer—it gives you movement and protects your chest. If you fall, get up quickly. If you can’t get up because you are injured, get someone to pull you up. If you have kids, lift them up. If you fall and cannot get up, keep moving in the same direction of the crowd, or if that is not possible, then cover your head with your arms; do not lie on your stomach or back.
1.Why may people in a stampede die standing up?
A.They can’t breathe freely.
B.They push in the same direction.
C.They are not able to get up.
D.They aren’t familiar with the surroundings.
2.What does the underlined word n fatal” mean in the first paragraph?
A.Harmful. B.Shocking.
C.Deadly. D.Hateful.
3.What should we do to make a difference when in danger?
A.Fight against the pressure.
B.Stand still where you are.
C.Sit down covering your head.
D.Move along the escape route.
4.What does the writer mainly want to tell us in the passage?
A.How to stay far away from a crowd.
B.What to do when you are in a crowd.
C.Where to go when you are in danger.
D.How to get along with a big crowd.
Scientists in Colombia have trained a team of rats to help remove land mines from the countryside. Land mines are small bombs hidden in the ground and designed to explode(爆炸) when someone steps on them. When trained, the rats can smell special metals in the mines and then signal(发信号) to their human team. Then why use rats for such an important job?
In the past, dogs have been used to find bombs. Rats have a good sense of smell and can respond to orders, just like dogs do. But rats are much lighter than dogs. They stand less of a chance of setting off the mines, which explode under a certain amount of weight. What’s more, the best rats are cheaper to keep than dogs. It costs about the same amount of money to take care of one dog as it does 70 rats.
The rats have already been used in Tanzania, an African country with many land mines. Luisa Fernanda Méndez and her team in Colombia are training the even lighter Wistar rats. These are the white rats with red eyes that scientists often use in laboratory experiments. “They even train their babies to perform their jobs, which saves us a lot of time, ” Méndez said.
Colombia has the second-highest rate(比率) of deaths from land mine accidents in the world. Last year, land mines killed 695 people — 56 of whom were children. A criminal group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, as well as other organizations, have placed the mines. FARC are strongly against Colombia’s government. The group has placed mines all around its own bases and in many places in the countryside.
In the past, the Colombian government hired peasants and poor farmers to find mines. Many of them died trying to find the well-hidden bombs.
Colombian police official Erick Guzmán hopes the team of rats can come to the rescue(援救). “These rats will be a great help,” he said.
1.How do rats help to find land mines?
A.By their special sight. B.By their light weight.
C.By their sense of smell. D.By their excellent hearing.
2.The advantage of rats over dogs in finding bombs is that _____.
A.they are cleverer.
B.they run faster.
C.they have a better sense of smell.
D.they don’t make mines explode as easily.
3.The underlined word “They” may refer to ______.
A.scientists. B.Wistar rats.
C.dogs. D.Méndez and her team.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Specially-trained rats help clear land mines.
B.People in Tanzania are suffering from land mines.
C.Dogs are no longer used to find land mines.
D.Land mines have become a great danger to Colombians.
San Francisco is a great city. Below are some ideas for educational activities and programs in San Francisco for this summer.
The San Francisco School: Summer Programs
There are summer camps for the children from pre-kindergarten through middle school at the San Francisco School. With programs such as “Fearless Writing”, “A Green World” and “Re-Making Clothing”, San Francisco becomes a great place for children to learn and have fun in the summer. Registration starts in the spring. Call 415-749-4550 to know more.
San Francisco Art Institute: Community Education
From children to elders, all people are welcome to sign up for all sorts of art classes all year round, such as “Adult Continuing Education”, “Pre-college Programs” and “A Young Artist”. Check online for schedules, class types, age groups and more or call 415-749-4500.
San Francisco University High School: Summer Program
This is a three-summer commitment and a great program preparing kids for college. It provides language and art classes in the morning and social studies such as sports and history in the afternoon. There are also fun activities such as a field day, a party night, a talent show, ect. 30 to 35 tenth-grade children are chosen each summer, so you have to fill out a form. Call 415-749-4558 to know more.
Rudolf Steiner College: Summer Programs
Rudolf Steiner has summer programs for those who want to take courses such as teaching grade courses 1 to 8. Registration is at the beginning of April. Call 415-749-4560 for more about it.
These activities and programs are usually popular, and if you are interested, get up and join us!
1.What can we know according to paragraph 3?
A.Time for registration is only in summer.
B.Kids can sign up for art classes in any season.
C.The school provides writing lessons for children.
D.Pre-school kids should sign up for classes in spring.
2.Which school offers its timetable on the website?
A.Rudolf Steiner College.
B.The San Francisco School.
C.San Francisco Art Institute.
D.San Francisco University High School.
3.If you want to know more about a talent show, you can call ?
A.415-749-4550. B.415-749-4500
C.415-749-4558. D.415-749-4560.
4.For whom will Rudolf Steiner College provide summer programs?
A.Children from any school.
B.Students from high school.
C.Kids from pre-kindergarten.
D.Those who want to be teachers.
阅读下面短文，根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
A 15yearold boy planned to put a ball covered with petrol into his mouth and set it on fire. He would film the dangerous action and put it on YouTube. And, he hoped to become famous on the Internet. But things didn't go the way he imagined. His clothing caught fire, and he was rushed to the hospital with serious burns on his body.
YouTube hosts millions of videos of people attempting dangerous actions. Many of them are by kids and young adults. Some experts say that by hosting these videos, YouTube encourages young viewers to take deadly risks. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 180，000 Americans die from accidental injuries each year. That's one person every three minutes. More than 14，000 of those killed are kids under the age of 19. Is YouTube to blame?
People have always found it interesting to watch others try risky things. Audiences are mad about these kinds of things. Some of the earliest Greek comedies had characters followed by wild animals and knocking into walls. Now, in the age of the Internet, anyone with a camera and a YouTube account can create this kind of “fun”. Many viewers, especially teenagers, are influenced by what they see and want to try it themselves. “YouTube has taken the playing in the neighborhood to a worldwide level，” says Clair Mellenthin, a researcher from the Centers.
Supporters of YouTube argue that it isn't YouTube's responsibility to examine its content. “Parents should be the ones to make sure that kids are behaving safely，” they say. In fact, YouTube has a rule on content. For example, dangerous activities that have a risk of serious physical harm or death are not allowed. Staff of YouTube, carefully watch the website 24 hours a day, looking for videos that are against their rules. But is this enough?
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假定你是Teens 杂志社“悄悄话(Secret Words)”的栏目编辑David，刚收到李华的一封求助信(信件内容附后)。请阅信后给他回一封信。内容包括:
1. 感谢对方信任，并表明写信目的；
2. 肯定对方的优点；
3. 回应他的困惑。
注意:1. 词数100左右；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear David，
I'm Li Hua, a faithful reader of Teens. I'm writing to ask you for help.
I'm under psychological pressure now. To be honest, I'm a motivated boy, so I always expect myself to be perfect in every aspect. But the truth is that I can't always satisfy myself or meet others' expectations. I feel so tired and helpless. What should I do next? Can you help me?
Looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely，
Li Hua
Dear Li Hua，
I'm glad to hear that you are a faithful reader of Teens.
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Yours sincerely，
David
