Alaska state officials are hosting Walmart executives in the state capital this week in an effort to resolve a months-old argument over Alaskan salmon fisheries’ sustainability qualifications.
The seeds of the quarrel were planted several years ago when several Alaskan fisheries decided to end their relationship with the Marine Stewardship Council—the famous global organization that states and proves the truthfulness of sustainable fishing—to seek out other means assuring customers of their sustainable practices. But last June, Walmart told Alaskan fisheries that it would not be buying salmon sourced from fisheries not certified by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Now Walmart is caught between two forces–Alaska fisheries and “buy American” enthusiasts who think the company’s first responsibility should be to American industry, and environmentalists who think Walmart should make as strong a commitment to environmentally sustainable industry as possible.
But from a broader perspective, this latest noise is an object lesson in why the concept of corporate (公司的) responsibility has shortcomings to begin with. Walmart—like most successful corporations—is pretty good at offering products their customers want at low prices. When it tries to promote broader public goods, like a clean environment, or lower unemployment for veterans, it’s nowhere near as successful. Here’s a few of Walmart’s more notable corporate-responsibility confusion:
The Buy-American Debacle: Walmart’s first major corporate responsibility push was an effort in the 1980s to promote American-made products. But the campaign ran aground (搁浅) after a NBC investigation revealed that the company was actually selling products manufactured in India as “Made American.”
The Going Green Campaign: Walmart launched on a sustainability campaign aimed at making the retail giants operations much more environmentally friendly. Though Walmart and the media have done much to raise visibility of these efforts, the actual results have been lacking. According to a recent report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance (ILSR), Walmart’s sustainability campaign is much more focused on making its operations appear green to customers than stopping doing things that would actually help the environment, like reducing emissions.
In reality, these examples simply show that one can’t realistically expect corporations to behave in a way that is opposite to making profits. But that doesn’t mean that the goal of fishing sustainability isn’t achievable. It’s just that the corporate structure isn’t our best means of achieving them—the government is.
1.What is the function of the Marine Stewardship Council?
A.To advocate sustainable fishing practices.
B.To persuade supermarkets to buy its products.
C.To solve disagreements between fisheries and supermarkets.
D.To guarantee the safety of goods supplied by supermarkets.
2.According to the author, Walmart’s corporate responsibility is ________.
A.confusing B.heavy
C.environmental-friendly D.unsatisfying
3.From Paragraph 5, we know ________.
A.Walmart’s sustainability campaign worked well
B.Walmart might have profited at the cost of the environment
C.ILSR’s report was part of Walmart’s campaign plan
D.Walmart had no intention to protect the environment at all
4.Who should be mainly responsible for achieving the goals of fishing sustainability?
A.The company structure B.Walmart
C.The government D.The Marine Stewardship Council
Cities such as New York, Washington, Boston and San Francisco have launched bike-share programs to ease traffic jam, improve public health, and cut carbon emissions (排放). Cyclists in those cities tend to choose bike-sharing to make their trips to office or home faster, cheaper, and more fun. Last year, U.S. bike-share riders completed nearly 46 million trips—more than twice as many trips from the previous year.
Yet despite these programs’ advantages and popularity, there are still huge challenges. Take, for instance, the distribution (分布) of bikes. The living area face shortages of bicycles in the morning rush, while business districts do not have enough bikes in the evening. What’s more, parking places can be full at certain hours, making it difficult for riders to return the bikes once they’ve reached their destinations.
Solving this problem is not easy. David B. Shmoys and his colleagues set out to develop complex algorithms(算法) and advanced analytics(逻辑法) to solve the challenges of bike-share operations.
One area in which the methods were applied was the Bike Angels program. As part of the program, cyclists can be rewarded with points by renting or returning bikes at certain high-need stations. Today, Bike Angels accounts for roughly 30 percent of bike rebalancing in New York City. It has greatly improved customer satisfaction which, in turn, has more riders. And more importantly, this form of rebalancing comes with a much less carbon emissions, because less box trucks are needed to move the bikes!
David B. Shmoys and his colleagues applied algorithms and analytics to solve other problems, too. However, they can not solve every new transportation problem. They have many limitations, including incomplete information. That is, David B. Shmoys and his colleagues only observe the realized rentals (returns) at stations at which bikes were available, not those that were blocked due to the imbalance of the system.
1.Which is not one of the advantages of bike-share program?
A.It helps people save money.
B.It helps improve the air quality.
C.It provides more bikes for cyclists.
D.It helps people build up their bodies.
2.What is mainly talked about in paragraph 2?
A.Riders do not want to return the bikes.
B.The distribution of bikes is a big problem.
C.People do not have enough bikes in the morning.
D.The bike-share program is very popular in New York.
3.What do we know about the Bike Angels program?
A.It had more users due to the algorithms.
B.It increased the use of box trucks.
C.It awarded riders cash for renting bikes.
D.It re-balanced all the bikes in New York.
4.What does the underlined word “they” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A.other problems
B.carbon emissions
C.algorithms and analytics
D.Transportation problems
Thailand's southern beaches attract travelers with their clean water and dramatic cliffs (峭壁), but there's more to explore in this Southeast Asian country.
Lopburi for history buffs
Bypass the tour groups at the ancient city of Ayutthaya and head two hours north of the capital, Bangkok, for a peaceful walk through Thai history. Lopburi, one of Thailand's oldest cities, boasts Khmer-era temples and the uncrowded ruins of King Narai's Palace, which was built in the 1600s. It's also known for the monkeys that gather at Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in the center of town.
Ban Krut for beach bums
In Ban Krut, travelers will find one of the cleanest and quietest stretches of white sandy beach within driving distance of Bangkok. This sleepy seaside community, known mostly by locals, is a five-hour drive or six-hour train trip down the Gulf of Thailand. Don't miss the magnificent Wat Tang Sai, a huge, fairy tale castle-like Buddhist temple.
Cave for holiday hikers
Hiking trails, wetlands and forests make Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park a weekend adventure worthy of topping your Thailand to-do list. The park's crown jewel is the extraordinary Phraya Nakhon Cave. Come early to catch the picturesque chamber flooded with morning sunshine that spotlights the royal pavilion that sits inside.
River Kwai for nature lovers
Most visitors come for the beaches, but the rivers and parks in Thailand's Kanchanaburi province have much to offer. Scenic trails and waterfalls abound in Sai Yok and Erawan national parks. Just two hours from Bangkok is the bridge made famous in the book Bridge over the River Kwai by French author, Pierre Boulle, and the 1957 Academy Award-winning 1957 film adaptation of the same name. Stay on the river at one of Kanchanaburi's many floating hotels, where you can travel to your front door.
1.From which of the following can you learn more about Thai history?
A.Ban Krut
B.Kanchanaburi
C.Phraya Nakhon Cave
D.Lopburi
2.What can tourists do in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park?
A.Visit temples.
B.Meet lovely monkeys.
C.Go hiking.
D.Go to the beach.
3.What can we know from the passage?
A.River Kwai was made famous by a book and a film
B.Tourists can stay at the floating hotels on River Kwai.
C.Most visitors visit Thailand for rivers and parks
D.Travellers can find Khmer-era temples in Ban Krut.
假如你是李华，你所在的城市要举行运动会，组委会现征集志愿者。请给组委会负责人王先生写一封信，申请成为一名志愿者。要点如下：
1.个人情况；
2.为什么申请当志愿者；
3.你将如何当好这个志愿者。
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文流畅；
3.开头及结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mr.Wang，
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Yours,
Li Hua
单词拼写
1.The young man decided to find a ___________（临时的）job to support his family.
2.When I walked past him, he stood there, ___________（假装）not to see me.
3.The medical team c___________of over 20 people was sent to that poor area.
4.My mother was satisfied with the coat p___________（购买）from the Internet.
5.Seeing the long snake, the little girl was too t___________to walk any farther.
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
If you get injured in a sport, what should you do? The best way 1.（deal）with sports injuries is to keep them from happening in the first place. Knowing the rules of the game and using the right2.（equip）can help you preventing injuries. If you’ve got injured，pull 3.（you）out the game or stop doing your activity.Let a coach or parent know what4.（happen）in case you need to see a doctor.Serious head and neck injuries happen most often in athletes 5.play sports like football.Keep the injured person still with his or her head 6.（hold）straight while someone calls for medical help.If the person 7.（lie）on the ground, do not try to move him or her.
Your first question after a sports injury will 8.(probable) be, “When can I play again?” This depends on the injury and 9. your doctor tells you. Even if you can’t return to your sport right away,a doctor might have advice on what you can do to stay healthy. Always talk with your doctor10. trying any activity following an injury.
