Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across Americas farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country's farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America's farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No.1 on a list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn't be anything that's more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren't enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture”.
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers' Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new fermers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Fanners of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21 -year-old Best hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics.“Never before have we had the innovations (创新）in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in”
1.What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
A. Fewer and older farmers. B. Higher fuel prices.
C. More natural disasters. D. Lower agricultural output.
2.Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?
A.To draw federal agriculture officials' attention
B.To select qualified agriculture graduates.
C.To clarify a recent blog posting.
D.To talk more students into farming careers
3.According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because__________.
A.the government will cover production costs
B.global food supplies will be even lower
C.investment in agriculture will be profitable
D.America will increase its food export
4.What do the underlined words "to turn around the statistics" in the last paragraph mean?
A.To re-analyze the result of the national census.
B.To increase production.
C.To bring down the average age of farmers.
D.To invest more in agriculture.
Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socializing and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult, normally requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added, "It's not just a sedentary(久坐的) lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said，"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.
1.What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?
A. Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter
B. It doesn't take long to turn white fat into brown.
C. Social excitement helps gain more weight
D. Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat.
2.Which of the following statement does the text support?
A. Levels of brown fat can be increased by socializing.
B. The mice lacking social life lose more weight.
C. The research findings haven't been published so far.
D. Dr Matthew During wasn't convinced of the result.
3.We can conclude from the text that _______.
A. the fat in mice's belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment
B. a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people's social life
C. surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication
D. cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Brown fat is beneficial to people's health.
B. Socializing is unnecessarily important in people's daily life.
C. White fat can be changed into brown fat.
D. Socializing contributes to people's losing weight.
1.What you have just read is a _______.
A. note B. report C. schedule D. poster
2.What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?
A. A party for close friends to meet and have fun
B. A party to celebrate a traditional festival.
C. A big event to welcome a Chinese new year.
D. A social gathering to raise money for wildlife.
3.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School
B. It's unnecessary to take soft drinks with you.
C. Free digital cameras are provided for everybody
D. Festival food will be served without extra charge.
“Whatever",totally tops most annoying word in the poll (民意测验).So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of‘ whatever"’ in conversations. The popular term of indifference (不感兴趣）was found most annoying in conversations by 47 percent of the Americans surveyed in a Marist College poll on Wednesday.
“Whatever"easily beat out “you know",which especially annoyed a quarter of interviewers. The other annoying expressions were "anyway"(at 7 percent), “it is what it is” (11percent) and “at the end of the day(2 percent).
"Whatever" is an expression with staying power It left everyone a deep impression in the song by Nirvana (“oh well, whatever, never mind”）in 1991 and was popularized by the Valley Girls in the film “Clueless”,later that decade. It is still commonly used, often by younger people.
It can be a common argument-ender or a signal of indifference. And it can really be annoying. The poll found "whatever" to be consistently(始终地) disliked by Americans regardless of their race, sex, age, income or where they live.
“It doesn't surprise me because ‘whatever’，is in a special class, probably, said Michael Adams, author of “Slang(俚语)~The People's Poetry" and an associate professor of English at Indiana University. "It's a word that -and it depends on how a speaker uses it -can suggest being not worthy of attention or respect.” Adams, who didn't take part in the poll and is not annoyed by "whatever," points out that its use is not always negative. “It can also be used in place of other neutral(中性的）phrases that have fallen out of favor, like ‘six of one, half dozen of the other’ ” he said. However, he also noted that the negative meaning of the word might explain why “whatever” was judged more annoying than the ever-popular “you know”.
1.Which tops second among the annoying expression according to the passage?'
A. Whatever. B. You know
C. Anyway. D. It is what it is.
2.What can we know about the word "whatever"?
A. It became popular because of Nirvana.
B. It can be commonly used at the beginning of an agreement.
C. Old people like it while young people don't.
D. Almost half of the Americans surveyed disliked it.
3.In Adams' opinion, the reason why “whatever”, was judged more annoying may be that_____.
A. most of the people don't like it
B. it can be used in place of other neutral phrases
C. it carries certain negative meaning sometimes
D. the poor don't like it
4.Which of the following statements is true?
A.Adams is not only a writer but also a professor.
B.“Whatever” is a signal of concern.
C.Adams is angry at the word “whatever”
D."Whatever" will be replaced by "You know”
It’s a sad and familiar sentence from a beggar that we often hear. Usually, when asked “Can you spare some 36 ?” I’ve been struck with a feeling of 37 if I passed by without giving a coin or two.
My conscience was hurt again when I was making a 38 in Venice in 2006. I was sitting in a quiet café. Outside the café on the street was an old woman on her knees, 39 . Steady streams of 40 were walking past her. A young backpacker stood away from the crowd drinking something, but I noticed he was also 41 the woman.
She knelt motionlessly, her head almost touching the ground, a worn blanket providing little protection 42 the cold. The sight was especially 43 when compared with the signs of the 44 city around her.
A tourist group hurried along the street, 45 at the woman and walked on. Another group of tourists arrived, 46 again, walked past her. The backpacker watched. Then, as I prepared to leave, I stopped at the sight of the backpacker 47 and placing some money in the woman’s cup. He did this rather 48 , just before the arrival of another tourist group. I watched 49 the leader of the group stopped and put some money in the cup. With the young man 50 the way, other tourists followed.
The young backpacker 51 this process in front of the next tour party going past. Once again, the subtle peer(同伴) pressure 52 on the tourists, who all added coins to the cup. His work 53 , the young man walked over to the old beggar woman and said, “I hope that helps a bit.”
I placed some money in the woman’s cup and 54 my tour, light-hearted after witnessing such a 55 act of caring.
1.A. time B. effort C. change D. reward
2.A. satisfaction B. guilt C. anger D. pleasure
3.A. lecture B. report C. study D. tour
4.A. crying B. begging C. singing D. dancing
5.A. passengers B. customers C. tourists D. foreigners
6.A. ignoring B. serving C. observing D. following
7.A. against B. for C. with D. in
8.A. frightening B. touching C. fascinating D. interesting
9.A. peaceful B. noisy C. wealthy D. primitive
10.A. glanced B. laughed C. shouted D. stared
11.A. unless B. so C. but D. or
12.A. looking around B. stepping forward C. getting about D. breaking in
13.A. secretly B. carelessly C. deliberately D. eagerly
14.A. since B. before C. after D. as
15.A. showing B. showed C. pointing D. pointed
16.A. stopped B. valued C. made D. repeated
17.A. moved B. replied C. worked D. carried
18.A. done B. was done C. has been done D. had been done
19.A. cancelled B. continued C. started D. delayed
20.A. funny B. smart C. simple D. modest
Don’t blame the worker. He just carried out the order______.
A. as told B. as are told C. as telling D. as they told
