“Which is the right bin for my garbage?” This may be the most-asked question in Shanghai since it started a new garbage-sorting program on July 1, 2019. When learning about the four types of garbage — wet, dry, recyclable and harmful — many people might be confused about how to properly sort it.
To help people figure this out, China’s tech companies are giving a hand. For example, if you want to know which bin your wet wipes (湿巾) should go in, you can just open a mini app (小程序) in WeChat or Alipay and look for “wet wipes”. The app will give you the answer right away. Soon, you might do it in an easier way. Maybe you can just take a photo of the garbage and then be told where it should go.
This kind of technology is called image recognition (图像识别). It uses artificial intelligence (AI, 人工智能). Many companies around the world are making garbage-sorting robots that use this technology. For example, AMP Robotics in the US has made a robot that can sort food and drink packages . By “seeing” pictures on the packaging, the robot will pick up the trash and put it in the right place.
The future of garbage-sorting looks good. But it’s not the best way. The best thing we can do is to make less garbage in the first place.
Four kinds of garbage in Shanghai
1.Why is the question “Which is the right bin for my garbage?” the most asked one in Shanghai?
A.Because Shanghai has the most garbage in China.
B.Because Shanghai started a new garbage-sorting program in 2019.
C.Because people in Shanghai are fond of asking questions.
D.Because people in Shanghai don’t know about garbage.
2.Which of the following is true?
A.Dog waste and paper are wet garbage.
B.Peel and batteries are harmful garbage.
C.Lamp and plastics are recyclable.
D.Clothes and glass bottles are recyclable.
3.If you are confused about how to sort garbage properly, you may ________.
A.Go to China’s high tech companies and ask for help.
B.Take a photo of it and send it to the high-tech company.
C.Open a mini app in WeChat or Alipay and look for answers
D.Buy a robot and ask him to do it for you.
4.According to the writer, the best way to deal with the garbage problem is ________.
A.to make less garbage
B.to sort garbage in a proper way
C.to educate people to know the types of garbage
D.to develop high technology to sort garbage
Gift-giving, table manners: what’s acceptable at home doesn’t necessarily apply in other countries. Here are 8 distinctive customs to use as your passport to new experiences and friendships.
Avoid giving certain flowers in Russia Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business associate in Russia. Yellow blooms signify deceit(欺骗) or a relationship break-up. Skip red carnations, too. Traditionally, red carnation are placed on the grave of the dead. |
Don’t expect a “Thank You” card for these gifts in China Clocks, straw sandals(草鞋) are all associated with death and funerals in China. Deemed inappropriate and morbid, you’ll risk damaging relationship if you present these gifts-for any occasion-to someone in China. |
Skip the salt in Egypt When tucking into a meal in Egypt, by-pass the saltshaker. It’s insulting(侮辱的) to your host to sprinkle salt on your food. If you have to season your plate, it means that you find the meal’s taste disgusting. |
Don’t show up on time in Venezuela Here’s one place where being early or on time is viewed as being rude. In Venezuela if you are invited to someone’s home for a meal, it’s recommended that you arrive 10-15 minutes later than the requested time. Early or on time guests are viewed as being too eager, even greedy(贪婪的). |
Always use a knife and fork in Norway In Norway, table manners are extremely important. Most meals, including sandwiches, are eaten using utensils(餐具). |
Be “blunt” in the Netherlands Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience. When selecting a present for someone in the Netherland, don’t purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors. Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky. |
Red equals dead in Korea Writing a lot of cards or notes while visiting South Korea? Be mindful of your pen’s ink color. Scrawling(潦草地写) a person’s name in red ink traditionally signifies that the person is deceased, which means dead. |
Stick to the sauna(桑拿浴) in Finland In Finland, saunas are a preferred way to relax and socialize with family and friends. Don’t be surprised if your business meeting is followed up with an invite to let off some steam in a local sauna. If you receive such a request, rest assured that your business meeting went well. |
1.Being on time can be seen as a merit in many countries, but in __________, it can be considered as rude.
A.China B.Russia C.Norway D.Venezuela
2.The word “blunt” means ________.
A.钝的 B.坦率的 C.精致的 D.锋利的
3.If you are offered a sauna in Finland after a business meeting, it means ________.
A.The business goes well.
B.You will have trouble in doing business.
C.The owner thinks that you should clean yourself.
D.You must do business in another place.
4.Which of the following is true?
A.Sending yellow flowers or carnation is proper in Russia.
B.In Egypt, put salt on your food in front of our host means you like the food very much.
C.If you are Chinese, you’ll be happy to receive a clock as a gift.
D.You should avoid writing people’s name in red ink in a gift card in Korea.
“Mosquitoes are more likely to bite people with type O blood (O型血).” Have you heard someone say this before? It’s not true!
I’m not very picky (挑剔的) about blood types. In fact, I cannot tell which blood type you are. Only doctors can do that. So how do I choose who to bite?
I can smell the carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) on people’s breath. The more you breathe out, the more easily I can find you. This means larger and fatter people are more likely to get my “kiss”.
I can also find food by smelling. You play outside and start sweating (出汗) all over. I can smell the lactic acid (乳酸) in your sweat. So yummy!
I also use my eyes to find food. But my eyesight (视力) is not very good. If you are trying to avoid me, do not wear colors such as black, red or dark blue.
It’s only females who have a taste for blood. They need it for their eggs. Male mosquitoes do not bite. For a proud mosquito mother, not just any blood will do.
1.Mosquitoes cannot _____
A.smell anything B.tell blood types C.see anything D.breathe
2.Mosquitoes are more likely to bite people _____.
A.who wear white clothes B.who are short and thin
C.who just finished exercising D.who smell sweet
3.What do we know about mosquitoes?
A.Male mosquitoes live on carbon dioxide.
B.Mosquitoes like strong and sweet smells.
C.Mosquitoes drink all types of blood.
D.Only male mosquitoes bite people.
4.What can we learn from the text?
a. Why male mosquitoes bite.
b. How to kill mosquitoes.
c. Who mosquitoes like to bite.
d. What mosquitoes can smell.
A.a. b B.c. d C.a. c D.b. d
It’s one of the greatest sitcoms(情景喜剧) ever made, loved by millions of fans all over the world.
In fact, ever since Friends ended its 10-year run in 2004, the world has been dying for a reunion. But now, it may be the time. The Hollywood Reporter reported that the six cast members and the show’s creators were now in talks to reunite on HBO Max last month.
The news generated excitement. “It’s been nearly 25 years ... but the fascination (魅力) and universal appeal (吸引力) of the hit TV series lives on with fans of all ages,” Peter van Roden, a US Emmy-award winning producer, told Entertainment Weekly.
But why has a show with 10 years of episodes become one of the most re-watched TV programs ever?
Writing at CS Monitor, critic Cathaleen Chen said Friends was special for its “lighthearted pleasantries (轻松愉快)”.
In the show, the six characters spend most of their free time in the now iconic (标志性的) Central Perk coffee shop. Instead of zany (搞笑的) storylines, the characters often make us laugh through their natural conversation. With six different personalities, it’s natural that there will be fights and arguments, but they usually reunite and help each other.
Indeed, many viewers love the show for its relaxing nature. “Friends was nothing more than a very funny, anxiety-free sitcom,” Salon’s Willa Paskin wrote on the 20th anniversary of the show in 2014. “The pure pleasure-giving sitcom has never been a rare thing.”
It’s about more than just pleasure, though. Friends also reflected (反映) the realities faced by young people entering adulthood.
Watching the show feels like reading the story of a young person’s life, said British lecturer Brett Mills.
“It’s about people working out how they are going to live their lives – what kind of relationships they are going to have, what kind of job, and the difficulties of settling down,” Mills told the Daily Mail. “You’ve asked all those questions about escaping from your family, becoming an adult and working out what you want to be.”
1.What do we know about Friends after reading the first two paragraphs?
A.Its six main actors will have a reunion.
B.Its creators wanted it to play again on TV.
C.It will be made into a Hollywood film.
D.It has more fans than ever before.
2.What makes Friends popular with viewers, according to Chen?
A.Its amusing storylines.
B.The personalities of the characters.
C.Its funny and relaxing atmosphere.
D.The fights and arguments between the characters.
3.What can viewers learn from Friends, according to Mills?
A.How to find simple pleasures in everyday life.
B.How young people choose to live their lives.
C.What kind of job is the most suitable for them.
D.How to avoid difficulties the characters have experienced.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A.A ‘Friends’ reunion B.The best sitcoms
C.Viewers love “Friends” D.“Friends” reflects reality
People in Western countries are eating less meat these days, whether for their health or because they want to protect animals. But now they have another reason.
Eating less meat can help to prevent climate change, according to a recent study published in Nature.
Raising livestock (家畜) is bad for the environment. When animals like cows digest (消化) food, their stomachs make greenhouse gases, which are a major cause of global warming. Seventeen percent of greenhouse gas emissions (排放) come from livestock farming, The New York Times reported.
In addition, to raise these livestock, people have to cut down forests and turn them into farms. Forests play a key role in fighting global warming because they absorb greenhouse gases.
Eating less meat according to certain guidelines could cut global food-related emissions by nearly a third by 2050, the study found. Keeping a vegetarian diet in the long term could bring down emissions by 63 percent.
But eating less meat won’t be easy. According to the study, people in Western countries will need to eat 90 percent less meat than they do now in order to have an impact (影响) on our climate. Scientists are now trying to find new foods to replace meat.
Some say that insects could help. A 2013 UN report said that eating insects is healthier and better for the environment. They produce 75 percent less greenhouse gases than livestock.
Some experts are creating lab-grown meat. They make meat in a lab using livestock cells (细胞). In March, US company JUST said people in the US might be able to buy its lab-grown meat by the end of this year
1.How much less meat should people eat to influence the climate?
A.63 percent. B.70 percent. C.75 percent. D.90 percent.
2.Eating less meat can help protect the environment because _____.
A.there will be more animal-related waste
B.less livestock means less greenhouse gas emissions
C.animals are an important part of the environment
D.people will plant more trees around their houses
3.According to the story, eating less meat can help us _____.
a. stay healthy b. reduce waste c. protect animals d. slow down climate change
A.a;b;c B.b;c;d C.a;b;d D.a;c;d
4.What is the main idea of the story?
A.Why Westerners eat less meat these days.
B.What people will eat in the future.
C.How eating less meat influences the environment.
D.What the major cause of global warming is.
I’d heard that there is a cool antique (古董) store in New Jersey which sells old and uncommon things from past generations. And it isn’t _______ , either!
Several days ago, I went to New Jersey. I visited Old Mill Antiques. It is in a quiet suburban area with an old forest all around it. The store really makes you_______ like you’re living in the 1950s.
As soon as I_______ the door, I was surprised to find what was there. This store is like a mini museum of American history. It is _______ with large wooden clocks, jewelry (珠宝), cartoon statues, dog-eared books and fancy hats.
“Oh, records!” I shouted _______ when seeing two full boxes of old records and a phonograph (留声机). I have only seen phonograph machines in movies, _______ in real life!
I went through those records one by one, and saw familiar_______ such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Michael Jackson ... Some records were completely _______ , while others were used.
One of the clerks told me that the prices of the antiques in the store are all quite different _______ the different qualities. Take the wooden clocks for example: some of them are priced as high as $500, while some similar ones________ only $50.
At last, I bought a record by the Beatles for $7. I wonder if I should come again someday and buy a phonograph.
1.A.expensive B.cheap C.attractive
2.A.sound B.smell C.feel
3.A.locked B.opened C.touched
4.A.full B.covered C.filled
5.A.happily B.angrily C.peacefully
6.A.once B.never C.often
7.A.songs B.bands C.names
8.A.broken B.cool C.new
9.A.instead of B.because of C.rather than
10.A.pay B.take C.cost
