Being eco-conscious (生态意识) doesn't have to stress you out or expand your budget. Learn how to be kind to the earth while also enjoying life. Here are some small but significant steps you can take.
Go LED with your lighting. There are several benefits of switching to energy-saving light bulbs(灯泡). 1.Though the upfront cost might be more than traditional bulbs, the average savings on LED bulbs is $ 75 a year. Plus, you won't be spending nearly as much time changing burnt - -out bulbs as you used to: LED bulbs can last years or even decades, depending on the type you buy.
2. On those days when you' re out of patience and low on time, don' t blame yourself if you have to use paper plates and cups instead of your dishwasher- -especially if you ’re hosting a large crowd. After all, Americans waste too much of water every year. Generally, dishwashers are required to design to use no more than 5 gallons of water per cycle and 307 kwh/ year. 3. So in this point, using recyclable paper plates can save more.
Turn off water when you are not using it. Every drop does count when it comes to water usage. 4. Don't ignore this little time. If everyone does in this way, we can save a lot of water every day. There is also great low -flow equipment for showers and toilets. But if you don't want to change them, you can just switch them off when you' re not using them. 5.
A.Don't always use paper plates.
B.One of them is saving money.
C.This is a good way to save water.
D.Don't feel guilty about using paper plates.
E.Besides, a good dishwasher can save more electricity.
F.That includes the two minutes you spend brushing your teeth.
G.That's still quite a lot of water and energy to use every day.
When you donate to a charity, do you ever wonder where your money is actually going, and who it' s helping? Do you worry that the organization isn’t accurately reflecting your values, or isn't totally transparent?
A new app, called Sparrow, promises to take the guesswork out of giving and ensure donors make a meaningful influence. They' re doing this by allowing donors to choose a specific “rule” and tie it to their giving. For example, you can set it up so that every time you fill up your gas tank, a small part of the sale goes to an environmental nonprofit of your choice. You can set a cap on your donation and choose how long you want the app to track it. And, the app doesn't take a cut of your donation, meaning that every dollar you give is passed through to the charities you want to support.
Dan Ariely, one of the founders, is a world' s leading expert in decision-making and analyzing. He's developed apps and invented card games. He writes for the Wall Street Journal and has made many TED talks. CEOs of Amazon, American Express, McDonald's have Ariely on speed dial, hoping to pick his brain about human behavior and what motivates consumers.
To use Sparrow, users first set up “giving rules” - choosing things you do or events happening in the world and pairing them with an automatic donation to one of the company' s chosen collections of evidence-based charities. Then, as you go about your life, some of your activities will cause the rules to function and the donations are automatically transferred to the nonprofits from your bank account.
New York Times bestselling author A. J. Jacobs said, “I' m a huge fan and I hope it takes off and floods evidence-based charities with funds.”
And Ariely said, “By taking evidence-based approaches to building the evidence-based movement, I believe we can do even more good.
1.What advantage does the app have?
A.It is transparent and easy to use. B.It makes your giving more personal.
C.It helps track whatever interests you. D.It saves money as you fill your gas tank.
2.Which of the following can best describe Dan Ariely?
A.Optimistic. B.Careful. C.Intelligent. D.Modest.
3.What should people do to use the app?
A.Have a bank account. B.Apply for a job in a company.
C.Find out enough evidence. D.Get in touch with charities.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.The procedure of donation. B.People’s attitude to giving.
C.Ways to donate through apps. D.Dan Ariely's new invention.
Colorado' s grays peak(山顶)rises 14,278 feet above sea level, high enough that trees can't grow toward the top, though there are plenty of bushes and rocks. It was in this unforgiving area that Bev Wedelstedt was unlucky enough to have her left knee broken.
It was August 2018, and Wedelstedt, 56, was on her way back down the path with three friends. A storm was coming, and they were anxious to get off the mountain. When they approached a rocky drop of a couple of feet, Wedelstedt decided to jump over it. She landed on her left leg. Then she heard the snap (咔嚓声).
Every step after that was great pain. Before long, she had to stop. As one friend ran down to get help, a number of other hikers, all strangers, attempted to help Wedelstedt down the narrow path by walking on either side of her to support her weight, but that proved slow and dangerous.
Finally, one hiker, Matt, asked her, “How do you feel about a fireman's carry?” Before she knew it, he had lifted her over his shoulder. “Now, I' m not tiny,” says Wedelstedt, a former college basketball star. Matt clearly couldn't carry her all the way down by himself. So six hikers and one of her friends took turns carrying her while she tried to make light of a difficult situation. Three hours and two rock –strewn (遍布) miles later, this human conveyor belt finally met the doctors, who took Wedelstedt to the hospital.
She has mostly recovered from her hike, but Wedelstedt knows she'll I never shake one thing from that day: the memory of the band of strangers who came to her rescue. “I'm still in awe.” says Wedelstedt.
1.What happened to Wedelstedt while climbing down the mountain?
A.She was caught in a heavy storm. B.She injured her left knee.
C.She was blocked by rocks and bushes. D.She got lost in the mountain.
2.How did Matt help Wedelstedt?
A.By taking her directly to the hospital. B.By calling in firemen.
C.By carrying her down the mountain. D.By giving her first aid.
3.What is Wedelstedt ’s attitude towards the band of strangers?
A.Respectful. B.Ambiguous. C.Sympathetic. D.Tolerant.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Narrow Paths B.Lifelong friendship
C.Dangerous Hikes D.Peak Performance
A new report shows that most American fourth and eighth graders did not do well in math and reading tests. The latest so-called “Nation' s Report Card” was published last week.
There were some exceptions. Students in Washington, D. C. made important gains in both reading and math this year, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress. Students in the state of Mississippi also made major improvements compared to earlier reports.
Nationally, however, America' s eighth graders are falling behind in math and reading. And, math scores among fourth graders also decreased. Only a little more than one-third of eighth graders are proficient in reading and math. About a third of fourth graders are proficient readers. Over 40 percent are considered proficient in math.
U. S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said the overall national results show a student achievement crisis(危机). She also said the problem cannot be fixed by giving more money to public schools. Instead, she called for expanded school choice. This includes her suggestions for greater dependence on privately run schools.
DeVos said last week that American children continue to fall behind students of the same grade in other countries. But with education freedom, American students can compete.
Scott Sargrad is with the Center for American Progress. He writes about education at the kindergarten through 12th grade levels, or K-12. He thinks DeVos is wrong and that “money matters in education.” The falling scores are because of lower spending on education following the Great Recession(经济衰退) of 2008.
1.What does the latest Nation's Report Card tell us about American students?
A.None of the American students do well in math.
B.The majority of eighth graders are poor at reading.
C.Fourth graders in Mississippi fall behind those in other states.
D.Students from Washington, D. C. made no improvements at all.
2.What does the underlined word “proficient” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Poor. B.Skilled. C.Slow. D.Puzzled.
3.Why does Betsy DeVos think the crisis arises?
A.Because of schools’ poor management. B.Because of a lack of money in education.
C.Because of limited educational freedom. D.Because of students ’dependence on schools.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.K-12 is an educational institute.
B.Scott Sargrad is in favor of DeVos’ideas.
C.Spending more money on education is the solution.
D.Many educational problems led to the Great Recession.
Time to make room on the must-read list
This Atmosphere of Love
Franklin Bass Jr.
www. authorhouse. com
Paperback | E-book
$ 12.95 | $ 3.99
This book shares Franklin Bass Jr.’s poetry collection from 2008 to 2012 that speaks about his true feelings and experiences of love.
The Medusa Enigma
Dino Panvini, M. D.
www. xlibris. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$ 29.99 | $19.99 | $3.99
This book takes you deep inside the corruption of the United States’ legal and medical systems; and how it led to the author’s near-death experience and various attempts on his life.
A Deadly Homecoming
Jane Bennett Munro
www. iuniverse. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$23.99 | $13.99 | $3.99
When her mother asks her to look into a friend’s disappearance, Toni Day heads to her hometown to solve a complex murder case that leaves her own life hanging in the balance.
Work Hard, and Don’t Give up
Ian Anttila
www. tmbi. com
Paperback | E-book
$19.99 | $3.99
Ian Anttila, who contracted (感染) blood poisoning in sixth grade, shares his story of working hard to get an education and succeed in spite of medical problems.
1.Which book is your favorite if you are a poetry lover?
A.This Atmosphere of Love. B.The Medusa Enigma.
C.A Deadly Homecoming. D.Work Hard, and Don’t Give up.
2.Who writes the book concerning an inspiring success story?
A.Franklin Bass Jr. B.Dino Panvini, M. D.
C.Jane Bennett Munro. D.Ian Anttila.
3.How much will you pay if you read all the four books online?
A.$ 15. 96. B.$ 24.92. C.$ 50.92. D.$ 66.92.
假设你是李华，前天你收到英国笔友Kathy发来的电子邮件，说她很想报名参加即将在当地举办的“汉语民歌演唱比赛 （Singing Chinese Folk Songs Contest）”活动，但信心不足。请你给她回复一封邮件，内容包括：
鼓励她报名参加；2. 帮助分析参加的意义； 3. 给她提几点建议
注意：1. 字数100字左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已经给出，不计入总字数。
Dear Kathy,
I’m glad to know that _______________________________________________________________________
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Yours,
Li Hua
