_________ by the superstars on television, the young athletes trained hard and played intensely.
A. Imitated B. Imposed C. Insured D. Inspired
He is _________ about his chances of winning a gold medal in the Olympics next year.
A. optimistic B. optional C. optimal D. obsessed
1.这家公司决定开展一个全国性的广告活动来推广自己的产品。（campaign）
2.在任何情况下我们都不能以牺牲环境为代价来发展经济。(倒装)
3.每个市民都应该尽自己的一份力来抵制在动物身上进行试验。（do one’s part）
4.画廊老板根据自己的经验断言这个年轻人提供的油画是一个赝品。（maintain）
A. What are SIGs?
B. What types of memberships are available?
C. Who can join IATEFL China?
D. What and where is IATEFL China?
E. What links does IATEFL China have?
F. What happens at the Annual Conference?
1.
IATEFL China is the International Association of English Language Teachers of English as a Foreign Language, China Branch. Its mother organization IATEFL was founded in the UK in 1967; it now has over 3,500 members in more than 100 countries throughout the world.
IATEFL China core activities are managed by the Secretariat headed by the President. The others include, Volunteer activities, SIG Coordinators, and the Publication Committee.
It is based in Tonghua City, Jilin Province of the People’s Republic of China and is managed by the President of the association. Other office staff include the General Secretary, the International Affairs Administrator, the Membership Secretary, the Newsletter Distribution, and the General Assistant.
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You can join as a full member and receive the association’s newsletter six times per year, two free publications, free membership to one SIG (Special Interest Group), discounts on publications, reduced conference registration fees, and voting rights.
There are also special membership packages for institutional members and for members of IATEFL China’s associates (basic members).
By the end of this year, members of IATEFL China can benefit from the special rights provided by the mother organization (IATEFL) at some rate.
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This is the most important event in the association’s calendar and takes place each year in August somewhere in China. It is attended by around 800 delegates each year and includes plenary sessions by eminent practitioners, a large number of workshops, talks and round table discussions given by able speakers, as ELT Exhibition and Pre-Conference Events organized by Special Interest Groups.
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Members can join any number of the 10 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) including: FLT Teaching & Learning Policy; FLT Curriculum & Syllabus Study; Coherence Research on Primary-secondary School and Secondary-Tertiary Transition; Primary School Classroom Instruction Model; Secondary School Classroom Instruction Model; Modern IT in FLT; Applied Linquistics; FL Learning Strategies; FL Teacher Development and Training; FL Textbook, Materials and Teaching Aids Design.
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IATEFL China has associate agreements with other teachers’ associations throughout the world. Among other things, there are usual agreements to exchange newsletters and to provide a speaker to attend each other’s conference at least once every year. More so, committee members from IATEFL China are willing to attend the conferences, meetings, etc. of related associations upon invitation.
Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge(大杂烩) of environmental claims made by household products, according to a “green labeling” study published by Consumers International Friday.
Among the report’s more unacceptalbe findings – a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”; a brand of flour said it was “non-polluting” and a British toilet paper claimed to be “environmentally friendlier”.
The study was written and researched by Britain’s National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumers International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.
“While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear that there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impacts they buy,” said Consumers International director, Anna Fielder.
The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average.
The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent (洗涤剂), insect sprays and some garden products. It did not test claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999. Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.
“Many products had specially designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,” said report researcher Philip Page.
“Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading,” he said.
The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as “environmentally friendly” and “non-polluting” cannot be verified. “What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO,” said Page.
1.According to the passage, the NCC found it unacceptable that _______.
A. all the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards
B. the claims made by products are often unclear and deceiving
C. consumers would believe many of the manufacturers’ claims
D. few products actually prove to be environment friendly
2.As indicated in this passage, with so many good claims, the consumers _______.
A. are becoming more cautious about the products they are going to buy
B. are still not willing to pay more for products with green labeling
C. are becoming more aware of the effects different products have on the environment
D. still do not know the exact impact of different products on the environment
3.It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to _______.
A. make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements
B. see all household products meet environmental standards
C. warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products
D. verify the effects of non-polluting products
Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (肌腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection.
Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle (脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical. It could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement (侵犯). Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties (版税). In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
1.Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because __________.
A. people did not know how to put out the fire
B. Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention
C. the sewing machines couldn’t work finally
D. workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire
2.Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elias Howe a lifetime of royalties?
A. Because the judge was against Singer for his unfriendly attitude.
B. Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer.
C. Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it.
D. Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine.
3.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
B. The Case between Howe and Singer
C. Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine
D. The Early History of the Sewing Machine
