It was your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift — a smooth silver laptop. You can’t wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop computer. Do you just throw away the monitor and keyboard in the trash? Not anymore!
Three states, that is, California, Maine, and Maryland, recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones. Although they don’t make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned.
It is required that e-waste be placed at special sites rather than usual landfills. Several other states are considering similar laws and California is also pushing for a law banning the application of such dangerous substances.
Government officials are not the only people taking aim at e-waste; environmentalists are also urging people to recycle their outdated equipment.
“It is just a waste … to not recycle,” Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan, “Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible.”
What Can You Do?
Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer.
Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment.
Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group.
1.What’s the best title of this passage?
A.E-waste is being made good use of.
B.E-waste, a big threat to us.
C.E-waste is dangerous to us all the while.
D.Goodbye, e-waste.
2.Why is e-waste harmful and dangerous to human beings?
A.Because they can go off at times and threaten us.
B.Because they can make people sick, as long as people use them.
C.Because they contain poisonous chemical substances.
D.Because they take too much space when placed in trashes.
3.What can we know from Patrick’s words?
A.Waste can’t be recycled.
B.Waste can be made use of by recycling
C.We have to recycle e-waste to protect the environment.
D.Protecting the environment is important.
4.Which of the following is NOT given as a piece of advice to help with e-wastes?
A.Taking care of your electronics so they will last longer.
B.Donating or selling your old high-tech equipment.
C.Contacting a local or state environmental group.
D.Asking fewer people to use electric products.
The early 1900s were very different from today, when toys were still the delight of children everywhere.
Theodore Roosevelt's Presidency marks the beginning of the “Teddy Bear”. In the year 1902,toy bears were named “Teddy” after the president's nickname. The Teddy Bear became known worldwide and it was only a few years later that the Teddy Bears were mass produced.
In 1913,an item called the Erector Set was invented. It was a steel,motorized toy that children could use to build models of anything. Its creator was A.C.Gilbert,a medical doctor.
Charles Pajeau created a similar wooden set called Tinker Toys in the year 1914.Tinker Toys were made for younger children.
Raggedy Ann dolls first came on the scene after newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle reproduced the doll he made for his daughter. That was in 1915.
The following year,an architect's son named John Lloyd Wright,invented Lincoln Logs,which were interlocked to make structures.
Two years after Mickey Mouse was created,stuffed(填塞)Mickey Mouse dolls were made by Charlotte Clark. This was the start of Disney merchandise.
The yoyo became popular in the United States after Donald Duncan bought a yoyo company in 1929.
The ViewMaster,a three dimensional viewer,was developed by a camera enthusiast named William Gruber. The toy became popular when Gruber licensed Disney characters to make still, 3D images from Disney movies and television programs.
Finally,in 1940,model airplanes were mass produced. They started out as a way for manufacturers to sell planes to the military,but later caught on as a toy.
The toys that we know and love today have had their roots from these ancient times. Thanks to all these creative man’s efforts, we know otherwise what we may never know.
1.Why were toy bears named “Teddy”?
A.To be suitable for mass production
B.To be easily pronounced by children.
C.To meet the advertisers' needs.
D.To memorize President Theodore Roosevelt
2.In which aspect do the toys created by Gilbert differ from those by Charles?
A.Shape B.Material used C.Themes D.Price
3.When did the ViewMaster become popular?
A.After William Gruber was born
B.After Gruber licensed Disney characters
C.Two years after Mickey Mouse was created.
D.When Disney merchandise was started
Last week, I took a sales class for female business owners. The 36 thing the instructor did was ask if anyone had been the victim of a 37 sales experience. Every person in the room 38 her hand.
When she knew details, we learned that the 39 situations had one thing in common. It 40 that whenever a class member had a bad sales experience, it involved the 41 promising something he wouldn’t or couldn’t deliver.
The example I 42 with the class was a current one. I bought a summer membership at our community pool 43 because it advertised a lovely baby pool to which I could escape with my active one and four year-olds. However, every time I’ve used the pool this summer, the baby area has been 44 . Too much chlorine(氯气), 45 one manager.
I’m sure the pool director was very apologetic that his 46 had been inconvenienced, and that’s nice, but the 47 is that I did not get what I paid for. When the baby pool was closed, I had to swim with my 48 in the adult pool, which did not 49 me the control I wanted and as such, was quite stressful. I would have rather stayed home.
The pool has 50 a customer. I will not be buying a pass next summer.
In work and in life, it is really important not to 51 something you can’t deliver, because at best, it will improve your 52 . At worse, you could lose your job. 53 , before you assure a co-worker or customer that you can get something done, make sure that your boss or someone higher-up isn’t going to step in and force you to 54 your plan. You are not God, so don’t lead people to believe that you 55 the universe.
1. A.last B.first C.latest D.only
2. A.good B.miserable C.bad D.wonderful
3. A.raised B.rose C.arose D.aroused
4. A.negative B.supportive C.positive D.pessimistic
5. A.appeared B.noticed C.seemed D.presented
6. A.seller B.buyer C.shopper D.assistant
7. A.told B.shared C.held D.spoke
8. A.roughly B.correctly C.naturally D.precisely
9. A.closed B.turned C.switched D.forbidden
10. A.announced B.claimed C.declared D.exclaimed
11. A.colleagues B.fellows C.customers D.children
12. A.point B.subject C.sense D.truth
13. A.friends B.students C.kids D.cousins
14. A.supply B.afford C.provide D.undertake
15. A.gained B.acquired C.hurt D.lost
16. A.promise B.serve C.accommodate D.explain
17. A.mood B.relationships C.feelings D.learning
18. A.However B.Instead C.Therefore D.Besides
19. A.abandon B.continue C.change D.conduct
20. A.command B.demand C.contain D.control
—Did you spend a lot of time looking for the missing child?
—________. It took us a long time, but luckily we found him.
A.My pleasure B.Absolutely C.Not at all D.Don’t mention it
However, at times this balance in nature is disturbed by human activities, _______ a number of possibly unforeseen effects.
A.lying in B.calling in C.taking in D.resulting in
The news that he fought with his coach surprised us, ________?
A.did he B.didn’t it C.didn’t he D.did it