Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of areas for burying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to connect packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material we are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.
1.What does the underlined phrase “that over-consumption” refer to?
A. Using too much packaging.
B. Recycling too many wastes.
C. Making more products than necessary.
D. Having more material than is needed.
2. The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
A. the tendency of cutting household waste
B. the fact of packaging overuse
C. the rapid growth of supermarkets
D. the increase of packaging recycling
3.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A. Unpackaged products are of bad quality.
B. Supermarkets care more about packaging.
C. It is improper to judge quality by packaging.
D. Other products are better packaged than food.
4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Needless material is mostly recycled.
B. Fighting wastefulness is difficult.
C. People like collecting recyclable waste.
D. The author is proud of their consumer culture.
When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple as they can go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet?
A business and international development professor in California, Rose Shuman, found an answer for them: Question Box. Question Box is a service that provides answers---free of charge--- for people who cannot search the Internet directly. The users of Questions Box might be those who might not be able to read, or simply have no access to the Internet.
Question Box began three years ago in India. People used a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to connect a live operator. Rose Schuman explained,” You just need to push a big green button on the box which will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. You can ask them any sort of question you want, and they’ll look it up in English or in Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and translate the answer back for you.”
The service is currently offered in two villages. The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology, and solar panels in case the electrical power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users, “It is very efficient (效率高的). Rather than try to bring a lot of difficulties to them and expect them to spend a lot of time to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use.”
In April 2009, Question Box was introduced to Uganda. Forty community workers with mobile phones connected villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers went around telling people about the service. They wore T-shirts that said “Ask me.” But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server. That way, the researchers in Kampala could quickly search the database for answers.
1. The best title for the passage is __________.
A. Question Box ----taking the place of the Internet
B. Needing an answer? ----asking Question Box
C. Question Box ----A great invention in the world
D. Rose Shuman----- A professor helping the poor
2. In Rose Schuman’s opinion, the greatest advantage of Question Box is that______.
A. It is the most advanced in the world
B. It is more convenient to carry.
C. It is much easier to use
D. it saves much more energy
3.The underlined word “them” in the fourth paragraph refers to______.
A. the users B. the operators
C. the researchers D. Question Box workers
4.What can we know from the passage?
A. Question Box costs the users much less than the Internet.
B. Question Box operators can look for information in any language.
C. Question Box is more efficient in solving problems in underdeveloped areas.
D. Question Box can work without the help of the Internet in Uganda.
In most people’s opinion, the tiger is not an animal that we would ordinarily think of as being chicken. However, one tiger, which lives in an English zoo, turned out to be more cowardly( 胆小的) than his keepers could ever have imagined.
Tanvir, a two-year-old Bengal tiger, got stuck at the top of a new 5m-high activity tower in the zoo, after climbing it for the first time.
The wooden tower had been designed to provide mental exercise for Tanvir by testing his ability of dealing with troublesome situations, but after climbing it in just a few seconds, he lost his courage when it came to coming back down. Tanvir went on to spend nearly two days at the top of the tower trying to collect the courage to attempt to get down.
A spokesperson for the zoo said that several days before Tanvir had taken half an hour to get down a lower tower only 1.5m high, and the taller tower had clearly been too much challenging for him.
“Every time he got to the edge, he looked out, put a paw over, and thought, ‘no, I cannot make it!’”laughed Samantha Cordrey, Tanvir’s keeper. In the end Tanvir’s hunger defeated his fear, and after almost 48 hours he made his way down. Burying himself in a big meal just like a hungry pig, Tanvir seemed to forget such a shameful experience for a while.
It appears that his experience would not be the worst in Tanvir’s life if he continued to act like a chicken. It is not known whether he will take courage to go back up his exercise tower again.
The whole episode(插曲) only serves to show the difficulties faced by zoo staff in creating environments that will improve animals’ living ability in enclosed space.
1.When speaking of Tanvir’s shameful experience, Samantha Cordrey might feel it was_____.
A. funny B. surprising C. exciting D. unbelievable
2.What made Tanvir get down the 5m-high activity tower at last?
A. The coldness of the weather. B. The direction from his keepers.
C. The sufferings of being hungry D. The fear of being alone
3. Why does the author say “this experience would not be the worst in Tanvir’s life if…”(Paragraph 6)?
A. Because Tanvir’s keepers will design more difficult exercise for him.
B. Because Tanvir is so cowardly that he has little courage to meet greater
challenges.
C. Because Tanvir’s bad health will bring him much trouble in practice.
D. Because Tanvir is always careless and often causes trouble by accident.
4. The zoo designed the 5m-high activity tower to______.
A. make Tanvir become brave
B. improve Tanvir’s performance skills
C. let tourists watch Tanvir better
D. improve Tanvir’s living ability
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从第每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项
How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? The mark of a successful person is how 36 he can get back his focus on what is important.
Two years ago I gained the knowledge about the Law of the Garbage Truck. I 37 it in a taxi. I got on a taxi, and we headed for Grand Central Station. We were 38 in the right lane(行车道) when 39 a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stepped on his brakes(刹车)heavily, and 40 the car’s back end by just inches!
The driver almost caused a(n) 41 , saying bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy 42 . So, I said, “This guy almost 43 your car and sent us to the 44 !” On the way to the Grand Central Station, my taxi driver told me what I now 45 “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”
“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of 46 , full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage becomes more, they needed a(n) 47 to dump(扔) it. When someone wants to dump it on you, don’t 48 it. You just smile, wish them well, and focus on important things quickly.
Good leaders know they have to be 49 for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Good 50 and parents know what is 51 for them. The bottom line is that 52 people do not let garbage Trucks take over their day.
Life is too 53 to wake up in the morning with 54 , so take your time and love the people who treat you right. 55 about the ones who don’t. Don’t be regretful for your life.
|
1.. |
A. quickly |
B. hardly |
C. completely |
D. directly |
|
2.. |
A. realized |
B. observed |
C. concluded |
D. learned |
|
3. |
A. walking |
B. driving |
C. running |
D. talking |
|
4. |
A. suddenly |
B. slowly |
C. secretly |
D. finally |
|
5.. |
A. struck |
B. hit |
C. approached |
D. missed |
|
6. |
A. argument |
B. fire |
C. accident |
D. debate |
|
7. |
A. impatiently |
B. friendly |
C. angrily |
D. impolitely |
|
8. |
A. destroyed |
B. stole |
C. burned |
D. caught |
|
9. |
A. station |
B. office |
C. park |
D. hospital |
|
10. |
A. imagine |
B. believe |
C. call |
D. expect |
|
11. |
A. energy |
B. garbage |
C. happiness |
D. possibility |
|
12. |
A. assistant |
B. chance |
C. tool |
D. place |
|
13. |
A. value |
B. refuse |
C. mind |
D. ignore |
|
14. |
A. ready |
B. eager |
C. anxious |
D. suitable |
|
15. |
A. teachers |
B doctors |
C. drivers |
D. leaders |
|
16. |
A. useful |
B. important |
C. necessary |
D. dangerous |
|
17.. |
A. successful |
B. busy |
C. silly |
D. common |
|
18.. |
A. long |
B. hard |
C. short |
D. exciting |
|
19. |
A. aims |
B. dreams |
C. hopes |
D. regrets |
|
20. |
A. Point |
B. Forget |
D. Wonder |
D. Dream |
Generally speaking, the culture and customs of America are like _____ of Canada.
A. that B. the one C. those D. ones
---- Putting on a happy face not only helps us make friends but also makes us feel better.
---- _______.
A.I couldn’t agree with you more. B. I’d love to
C. That’s all right D. It’s my pleasure.
