There is a very long list of rules for the New York City subway. Don’t put your feet on a seat, don’t carry open cups of coffee or soda, don’t take more than one seat... Those are just a few of the rules. There are hundreds more.
With so many rules, why is it still unpleasant to ride the subway?
Some people think that the problem is that no one enforces the rules. Other passengers sometimes try to enforce rules. But you can’t rely on them because New Yorkers have unwritten rules against talking to strangers and making eye contact with strangers. How can you tell someone to take her shopping bags off the seat and throw away her Coke without talking to her or looking at her? It is difficult.
There are other New Yorkers who think that the subway is unpleasant because there are not enough rules. One rider wrote a letter to The New York Times a couple of weeks ago suggesting a few more subway rules. Here are some of the rules that she would like to see:
-Don’t lean on the poles. You prevent other people from holding on. They can fall down.
-Talk quietly. The trains are already too noisy.
-Give your seat to elderly passengers or to parents with small children.
If those unwritten rules of etiquette are written down, will the rude people be more likely to follow them? It doesn’t make sense to make more rules that no one will enforce.
The real problem is that we are forgetting how to be nice to each other. It is embarrassing that we need a rule to tell us to give our seat to elderly passengers. Nobody should need to be reminded to do that.
I say we stop talking about the rules and try to remember our manners. Let’s be nice to each other not because a police officer might tell us to get off the train, but because it is the right thing to do. Then New York City would be more civilized -both above ground and below.
1.Don’t make eye contact and don’t talk to strangers are examples of________.
A.New York subway rules B.personal preferences on the subway
C.behavioral habits in New York City D.unpleasant experiences on the subway
2.In the writer’s opinion, what measures should be taken?
A.The authority should set stricter rules.
B.The government should employ more police.
C.The citizens should ride the subway less.
D.Everyone should take better care of their behavior.
3.The underlined word “etiquette” is closest in meaning to____.
A.manners B.phenomena C.festivals D.moods
4.The author wrote this article in order to____.
A.introduce an unwritten rule for New Yorkers
B.describe an unpleasant ride on the subway.
C.present a real problem of disorder in the New York City.
D.give a civilized suggestion on improving the riding environment.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the French explorer, once pointed out, “Population growth is the primary source of environmental damage.” Many experts are calling the growing problem of global waste a worldwide health crisis in that pollution from trash is not only harming the world’s oceans, air and soil but also endangering people’s health as well as the livelihood of all living creatures.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Such a dilemma raises the question, is there a more responsible way of dealing with trash? Fortunately, there is. Living a zero-waste lifestyle is the way to go. One example of this is what’s often called the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. Reducing the use of plastic containers as well as reusing and recycling bottles and cans decreases the amount of garbage being sent to landfills. As a result, less money is spent on waste management, and countries’ financial burdens are significantly relieved. Such positive effects on an economy is known as a circular economy.
Circular economy
Traditionally, manufacturers would make a product to be used and disposed of by consumers. This linear model of production offered no help in the fight against global waste. Alternatively, a circular economy was introduced. Once a product’s value is exhausted, the materials are recycled and returned to manufacturers. The outcome is less waste. One large-scale example of this is happening on the island of Taiwan.
4-in-1 Recycling Program
In 1997, Taiwan established its signature 4-in-1 Recycling Program, consisting of communities, recycling companies, government cleaning teams and the Recycling Fund. Residents separate their recyclable waste. The local government collection teams collect it. Recycling companies buy waste materials from them to make profits. Importers and manufacturers who are responsible for the recyclable products pay a fee into the Recycling Fund. The Recycling Fund is an essential aspect of the program used to subsidize(补贴) the recycling disposal system, support education and research and development as well as finance recycling efforts in the future.
Turning garbage into gold
By following a circular system, more products than ever are being manufactured using recycled materials. Environmentally-friendly decisions like these help to conserve natural resources, reduce pollution, save landfill space and even create new job opportunities. Recycling can truly turn garbage into gold.
1.According to the passage, the biggest challenge facing the world today is________ .
A.the rapid growth of population B.the overdeveloped manufacture
C.the world’s large amount of trash D.inappropriate use of plastic products
2.What is the aim of bringing in circular economy?
A.To save land and create wealth.
B.To minimize waste and restore used materials.
C.To support research and speed development.
D.To rid poor habits and encourage a new lifestyle.
3.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.Zero-Waste, Full Recycle B.Circular Economy In Action
C.The World’s Recycling Companies D.A Worldsize Environmental Crisis
For years, I have advocated the importance of hard work, determination, persistence, and practice as key ingredients of success. Malcolm Gladwell, who has written The Story of Success, seems to support my theory. He says it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to attain true expertise.
“The people at the very top don’t just work harder than everyone else,” Gladwell writes. “They work much, much harder.” Achievement, he says, is talent plus preparation. Preparation seems to play a bigger role.
For example, he describes the Beatles: They had been together seven years before their famous arrival in America. They spent a lot of time playing in clubs, sometimes for as long as eight hours a night. Overnight success? Not exactly. Estimates are that the band performed 1,200 times before their big success in 1964. By comparison, most bands don’t perform 1,200 times in their careers.
Neurologist Daniel Levitin has studied the formula for success extensively and shares this finding: “The emerging picture from such studies is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, the number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems it takes the brain a long time to digest all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.”
Two computer giants, Bill Joy, who co-founded Sun Microsystems, and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, also were proof of the 10,000-hour theory.
The abilities these people possessed were far-ranging, yet the formula for success was the same: hard work and lots of it. Some people just make it look easy. Of course, you probably didn’t see the first 9,999 hours of hard work.
1.According to the passage, what made Beatles different from most other bands?
A.Their great talent. B.Their persistent effort.
C.Their charming looks. D.Their outstanding achievements.
2.How does the author support the theme of the text?
A.By stating arguments. B.By giving examples.
C.By providing statistical data. D.By making comparisons.
3.According to the passage, the opinions that Malcolm Gladwell may agree with include the following EXCEPT that____ .
A.life is full of ups and downs
B.work transforms talent into genius
C.success takes hard work and devotion
D.the way to learn to do things is to do things
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When will the first half of the course be delivered?
A.On Tuesdays and Thursdays.
B.On Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
C.On Wednesdays and Thursdays.
2.How often will the class meet in the research lab?
A.Twice a week. B.Once a month. C.Twice a month.
3.What might NOT be closely related to one’s grades according to the passage?
A.Classroom tests. B.Attendance rate. C.Research papers.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman most probably doing?
A.She’s looking around a house for rent.
B.She’s viewing the house she wants to buy.
C.She is talking about the loan with the bank staff.
2.What does the woman like best in the kitchen?
A.The wine storage area.
B.The advanced equipment.
C.The relaxing colors of the wall.
3.What does the woman think of the man’s offer on the house at first?
A.It’s unreasonable. B.It’s unexpected. C.It’s acceptable.
4.What does the woman imply in the end?
A.She’ll buy the house.
B.She’ll reconsider the price.
C.She’ll discuss with her husband.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is Sue’s suggestion for people with difficulties?
A.Believing in themselves. B.Challenging their life. C.Asking for help.
2.How does Sue explain her job to kids?
A.She makes children’s programs.
B.She gets involved in legal decisions.
C.She explains the function of the law in simple words.
3.What does Sue think happiness is?
A.Sharing things with others. B.Solving problems. C.Having her opinions heard.
