To be clear, plastic bags are rightly thought of as a threat that's harmful to human health. According to the National Resources Defense Council, over a decade ago, the average American family took home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year, filling our cabinets, kitchen drawers, and landfills (垃圾填埋场). Today the numbers are slightly better: According to National Geographic, as of 2018, shoppers in the United States use almost one plastic bag per resident per day.
This is not a story on the evil of plastics, but on whether the reusable bag can justify its existence. Although more environmentally friendly than traditional single-use plastic bags, reusable bags, depending on what they are made of, are more energy-intensive (耗能) to recycle.
According to a report by the United Nations Environment Program, “depending on what they are made of, reusable bags might have to be deconstructed in a costly recycling process to separate the different materials. As a result, in many cases, reusable bags are not recycled." That means despite the best intentions, millions of reusable bags designed to replace the need for traditional plastic shopping bags, will also end up in landfills.
Another point to consider, not all reusable bags are equal in terms of their recyclability. There are a wide range of reusable bag options on the market, and reusable bags tend to be made of more than one material to give the bag added reinforcement (耐用) and added street fashion. On a life cycle basis, stronger, heavier bags-no matter what material they are made of-will have a more severe environmental effect. That's because heavier bags use more resources to produce as well as distribute.
Just like plastic bags did, reusable bags multiply rapidly. Used for promotional (促销的)purposes and marketing of all kinds, reusable bags' growing popularity means bags that have been used very little (or not at all) can be found piled in streets, in garbage cans in city parks, and basically everywhere. Therefore, consumers have come to see them as disposable, defeating their very purpose.
In the end, the best practice for reusable bags is to have no half measures: Either use them all the time or don't use them at all. Using a reusable bag once or twice, and then throwing it away, doesn't do the environment any favors.
1.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Plastic bags are refused by environmentalists.
B.Shops in America have limited the use of plastic bags.
C.The need of strong and fashionable reusable bags is more than the supply.
D.Reusable bags demand more resources to produce and recycle than expected.
2.The words “very purpose" in Paragraph 6 refer to the intention of __________.
A.being left in landfills
B.being used as much as possible
C.replacing plastic bags
D.promoting goods on the market
3.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.How to Recycle Reusable Bags
B.Disadvantages of Plastic Bags
C.Reusable Bags? Think Twice!
D.Plastic Bags, Less Popular?
4.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
I: Introduction CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
A.
B.
C.
D.
During his school's “College Colours Day”, a fourth-grade boy in Florida, who dreams to become a student of the University of Tennessee, wanted to wear a shirt of the university, but he didn't have one. His teacher, Laura Snyder, suggested that he should wear an orange shirt to show his spirit.
When the day finally arrived, the boy was so excited to show his shirt-an orange one with a piece of paper attached to it, on which was his homemade design of the UT logo.
But by lunch time, the spirited fan was in tears. Some girls bullied (霸凌) him and made fun of his design that he had pinned to his shirt. Back to Snyder 's room, he put his head on desk and was crying, devastated.
In hopes of raising the boy's spirits, Snyder planned on buying him an official University of Tennessee T-shirt, and asked friends online if they had contacts with the university who could “make it a little extra special for him.”
The post immediately went viral and Snyder was contacted by the University of Tennessee informing her that they wanted to send the boy a care package of swag and apparel(服装) in support of him.
The story, however, didn't end here. The University of Tennessee said it was turning his “U.T.” design into an official T-shirt and had pre-sold more than 50,000 shirts online. The university won't profit from the shirts: It is donating the money to a charity dedicated to (致力于) getting rid of bullying of all forms.
“When I told him that his design was being made into a real shirt and people wanted to wear it, his jaw dropped," said Snyder. “He had a big smile on his face, walked taller, and I could tell his confidence grew!”
In recognition of the fourth-grader's spirit, the university has also extended an offer of honorary admission for him to join the Class of 2032. In addition, he has been awarded a four-year scholarship if he decides to attend UT in 2028 and meets admission requirements.
1.How did the boy react to his school's “College Colours Day”?
A.He prepared for it with a creative design.
B.He dreamed of winning a prize on the day.
C.He was afraid of being laughed at on the day.
D.He was shy of joining it without a university shirt.
2.How did the boy probably feel after lunch on the “College Colour Day”?
A.Excited and thankful. B.Confident and happy.
C.Shocked and sad. D.Nervous and worried.
3.What Snyder did for the boy shows that _________.
A.a strong will is vital to success
B.a promise will change one's life
C.the youth should be treated equally
D.caring love can make a big difference
Get a taste of the amazing world of engineering
Do you want to help shape the future of everything from entertainment and transport to sport and the environment? Then you might want to think about the fascinating world of engineering. Tomorrow's Engineers Week is running 4-8 February 2020, and is the perfect time to get an idea of what engineering is all about.
Engineers are the people who use scientific knowledge, ranging from long-established scientific laws to cutting-edge discoveries, to solve problems and improve life for all of us. Tomorrow's Engineers Week aims to get young people interested in this exciting career. It also wants to change the way we think about engineers.
One place to find out more about engineers is the website thisisengineering.org.uk, where you can meet 16 young engineers with amazing and different jobs. There's Halvard, who builds farm robots; and Olivia, who uses her chemical engineering skills to create soaps and shampoos kind to the skin and the environment. Alice digs train tunnels deep underground. Michelle builds rides. As a child, she loved these thrilling rides. At the age of 14, she attended a lecture on roller coaster design, and then she realized that engineering was a great way to turn her passion into her career.
If you want to meet some inspirational engineers, ask if your school has signed up to take part in the Big Assembly (大型集会) on 6 February. Don't worry if not, though, you can check it out yourself afterwards on the tomorrowsengineers.org.uk website.
1.The goal of Tomorrow's Engineers Week is to________.
A.introduce young engineers
B.announce the latest discoveries
C.show the future work of engineers
D.attract the youth' s interest in engineering
2.Which of the engineers fancies building roller coasters?
A.Halvard. B.Olivia.
C.Alice. D.Michelle.
3.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To explain what engineering is all about.
B.To advertise Tomorrow's Engineers Week.
C.To encourage schools to sign up for an assembly.
D.To introduce the website thisisengineering.org.uk.
“If you could have any three things, what would you_____?"
Eleven-year-old Ruby Chitsey loves asking that question. Even more_______, she then sets out to realize someone's__________.
Ruby has long been close to older people. Her mother, Amanda Chitsey, is a nurse at a nursing home in Harrison. Ruby often_________her at work after school. “So I feel free to go up to them and ask ____ they need anything," she says.
Last May, Ruby noticed a resident (居住者) named Pearl staring out of a window. She seemed ____ . “What are you looking at? Ruby asked. Pearl, her eyes filling with tears, said she was watching her________being led away by his new owner. Pearl didn't know when she would see him again.
Ruby learnt that Pearl didn't have enough to pay anyone to________ her pet at the nursing home. Ruby and Amanda also asked around and_______ that many nursing home residents are unable to _____ even the smallest luxuries (奢侈品). So Ruby _______ to do something about it.
She started by asking residents what three things they wanted most in the world. Amanda________that they would ask for cars, houses and other things an 11-year-old wouldn't be able to provide. _____, they asked for chocolate bars, McDonald's fries, and even just pants that fit properly.
“It broke me as a human," Amanda says. “We left the nursing home that day and went straight________a store and bought as many items as we could."
Using their own money, the Chitseys granted the wishes of about 100 people in three months. Then they started asking for_________.
People of Harrison responded _______ so much, so that Amanda set up a GoFundMe page, Three Wishes for Ruby 's Residents, hoping to collect $5,000. They_______ their goal in a month. After GoFundMe named Ruby a Kid Hero and______her story internationally this past January, Three Wishes raised $20,000 in 24 hours and more than $250,000 in five months.
Earlier this year, Three Wishes for Ruby 's Residents launched its first nationwide branch. One of its new________ is to set up a communal laptop (平台) in each state. Ruby doesn't plan to stop there. “I consider________ to be my hobby,” she says, “and I'm very good at it."
1.A.want B.make C.use D.offer
2.A.entertaining B.amazing C.convincing D.attracting
3.A.wishes B.promises C.plans D.influences
4.A.asks B.calls C.visits D.attends
5.A.if B.what C.that D.how
6.A.angry B.sad C.bored D.sick
7.A.nurse B.car C.dog D.grandson
8.A.look into B.look at C.look for D.look after
9.A.suspected B.added C.predicted D.discovered
10.A.accept B.approach C.afford D.appreciate
11.A.remembered B.decided C.regretted D.announced
12.A.explained B.concluded C.observed D.worried
13.A.Otherwise B.Therefore C.Instead D.Besides
14.A.across B.at C.on D.to
15.A.donations B.praises C.instruction D.comfort
16.A.peacefully B.gratefully C.enthusiastically D.naturally
17.A.changed B.set C.hit D.kept
18.A.spread B.created C.finished D.heard
19.A.chances B.goals C.battles D.lessons
20.A.bravery B.calmness C.optimism D.kindness
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Think about how much time you spent outside last week. Really “outside.”1. (walk) from the car into the classroom doesn't count. Now think about how much time you spent indoors—playing video games on the Internet or watching TV. Kids spend two fewer hours per week 2.sports and outdoor3.(activity) in the early 2010s than the kids did in the early 1990s. Some kids are staying inside because it's difficult to find a place to go. All kinds of areas are off-limits to tweens and teens. Even when space is available, personal 4. (safe) is an issue.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
The skin is an essential part of your body and the1. (large) organ of it. You have three layers of skin2.act as a barrier against disease, poisons and the sun's harmful rays. The functions of your skin are also very complex: it keeps you warm or cool it prevents your body from3.(lose) too much water; it is where you feel cold, heat or pain and it gives you your sense of touch.
