A food additive (添加剂) is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of “chemicals in food.” The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas. Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat.
The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory-made substances increase the nutritional value of food. Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange. Like “chemical”, “man-made” doesn’t necessarily mean “not fit to eat”.
Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize, thicken, harden, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers.
Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there’s a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives will go through strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects (副作用) from the long-term use of presently approved (批准) food additives are very small.
1.From the passage we can learn that .
A. natural foods are much safer than man-made ones
B. it is right to refuse chemicals in food
C. food additives are harmful to our health
D. all foods have chemical substances
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways.
B. To ensure food safety, the FDA will stop food additives.
C. Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life.
D. Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value.
3.We can infer from the regulation to the food additives by the FDA that .
A. new additives will be approved more easily than before
B. food with common-used additives will be taken off the market
C. food additives will be used in a safer and more scientific way
D. food producers won’t be allowed to use new food additives
4.According to the writer, the food additive is .
A. worrying B. acceptable
C. poisonous D. avoidable
Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, lots of traffic jams (阻塞) and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes (废气). So the city began a scheme (计划) to improve the situation.
Under the Velib scheme (‘Velib’ comes from vélo liberté, or ‘bicycle freedom’) people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour on the bike is free, but if you don’t return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it’s only €1 a day or €29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25 kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations!
Paris is not the first city to have a scheme like this. But not everybody thinks it’s a great idea. One Parisian said, ‘These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won’t use a bicycle — they’ll still use their cars.’
A city spokesman said, “The bicycle scheme won’t solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren’t any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too.”
1.What can we learn about the Velib scheme?
A. Its bikes have no baskets.
B. Its bikes are light and colorful.
C. It aims to make traveling easier.
D. It owns more stations than the subway.
2.If you use a Velib for 1 hour, you should pay _____.
A. €1 B. €30
C. €29 D. no money
3.Why do some people disagree with the Velib scheme?
A. The cost is rather high.
B. It’s hard to find a Velib station.
C. It’s not suitable for a long journey.
D. The distance between two Velib stations is long.
4.What’s the city spokesman’s attitude towards the bicycle scheme?
A. Doubtful. B. Positive. C. Uncaring. D. Worried.
The Children's Groundwater Festival, first organized by the Groundwater Foundation 19 years ago, is celebrated every year in Nebraska, a state of the central United States in the Great Plains. After organizing the festival for 16 years, the foundation passed the program on to the local community of Grand Island, Nebraska. The festival is an annual event for fourth and fifth graders of Nebraska. It is an interesting and energetic day filled with handson education. Water magic, folk singers and musicians, storytellers, and bird shows add to the happy atmosphere during the festival. There are also some educational activities:
Gooey Garbage: Children build a landfill (废物填埋场) and learn how a properlybuilt landfill can protect groundwater.
Water Races: Children learn about water pollution by racing a drop of water through a model.
Well in a Cup: By building a small aquifer (蓄水层) in a cup, children learn about aquifers and drinking water wells.
Taster's Choice: Children drink different types of water, from tap water to bottled water. Then they are taught about the treatment process of each type of water.
There's No New Water: Students are taught to make a special glass container and learn about the water cycle.
The Children's Groundwater Festival not only has a great influence on Nebraska's people. So far, similar festivals have been held in nearly 40 American states, Mexico City, several provinces in Canada, and New Delhi, India. People everywhere are realizing the importance of educating young people to learn and care about groundwater.
For more information about this festival, remember to watch our program tomorrow evening. I'll be waiting for you.
1.We can learn from the passage that the Children's Groundwater Festival ________.
A. was started in 1978 by the Groundwater Foundation
B. is now organized by the Groundwater Foundation
C. is aimed at educating college students to care about groundwater
D. offers both fun and educational activities
2.How long does the Children's Groundwater Festival last？
A. One day. B. Two days.
C. One week. D. Two weeks.
3.Which of the following activities can help children know how bottled water is made drinkable？
A. Gooey Garbage. B. Water Races.
C. Well in a Cup. D. Taster's Choice.
4.The passage is most probably taken from ______.
A. a radio program
B. a TV program
C. one of Nebraska's local newspapers
D. a magazine about environment
A good relationship between students and teachers makes the classroom a very inviting place. When you like your teachers, it’s easier to pay attention to their explanations and improve your marks. When you consider your teachers as friends, you’ll certainly have more respect for them. When your teachers consider you to be a friend, they’ll feel more open in class and that will probably influence the classroom in a positive way. Now here are some tips to develop a friendly relationship with your teachers:
Ask questions. If you have any questions about that subject, ask them. Show them that you’re interested in their subjects. That will make them notice you. But never ask questions that you already know the answers to. If your teachers realize that you are not asking real questions, they might think that you’re not actually trying to learn, but only trying to make an impression.
Talk about non-school subjects. When you see one of your teachers in the hall, greet him/her and ask if he/she is going to that concert or if he/she has seen that movie. That way you’ll show that you consider him/her as a reined. Some teachers don’t like to have friendly relationships with students, but most of them are happy to chat with their students. After a while, they may start to talk with you about non-school subjects in the classroom.
The rest is totally up to you; it is very easy to develop a friendly relationship with any of your teachers. If you want to be friends with your teachers, just treat them as friends, but don’t forget that no matter how good friends you are, they will still be your teachers and deserve your respect.
1.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
A. How to make friends with your teachers in or out of class.
B. How important a good teacher-student relationship is.
C. How to make yourself pay attention to your teachers in class.
D. Some tips for developing a friendly relationship with your teachers.
2.When you ask a teacher questions you already know the answers to, __________.
A. you may make a fool of yourself trying to be smart
B. it means that you should not be above asking questions
C. you are actually trying to make fun of your teachers
D. it shows that you’re trying to pretend to know everything
3.What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. What a good teacher-student relationship is.
B. How to make friends with your classmates at school.
C. How to make the classroom a very inviting place.
D. How to develop a good relationship with your teachers.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why is the speaker usually hungry by lunchtime ?
A. She doesn’t eat biscuits at work ?
B. She only has a drink for breakfast
C. She works very hard
2.When does the speaker end her lunch break ?
A. At about 1:15 B. At about 2:00 C. At about 2:15
3.What does the speaker drink for lunch ?
A. Tea B. Water C. Coffee
4.What does the speaker think of her life ?
A. Stressful B. Enjoyable C. Unhealthy
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where does the conversation probably take place ?
A. At home B. At school C. At a restaurant
2.Who does the girl usually talk to when she is upset ?
A. Her friends B. Her parents C. Her teachers
3.Where would the girl talk with her friend ?
A. In a shopping center B. In a classroom C. In a café
4.What does the man suggest the girl do ?
A. Study hard
B. Shop with her friends
C. Get in touch with her friends often
