In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The ___ is that countries around the world have growing mountains of ___ because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.
How did we ___ a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to ___ an object than to spend time and money to repair it. ___ modern manufacturing(制造业)and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and ___.
Another cause is our ___of disposable(一次性的)products. As ___ people, we are always looking for ___ to save time and make our lives easier. Companies ____ thousands of different kinds of disposable products:paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.
Our appetite for new products also ____ to the problem. We are ____ buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that ____ is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we ____ useful possessions to make room for new ones.
All around the world, we can see the ____ of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To ____ the amount of rubbish and to protect the ____, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. ____, this is not enough to solve(解决)our problem.
Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions ____ throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about ____. Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.
1.A. key B. reason C. project D. problem
2.A. gifts B. rubbish C. debt D. products
3.A. face B. become C. observe D. change
4.A. hide B. control C. replace D. withdraw
5.A. Thanks to B. As to C. Except for D. Regardless of
6.A. safe B. funny C. cheap D. powerful
7.A. love B. lack C. prevention D. division
8.A. sensitive B. kind C. brave D. busy
9.A. ways B. places C. jobs D. friends
10.A. donate B. receive C. produce D. preserve
11.A. adapts B. returns C. responds D. contributes
12.A. tired of B. addicted to C. worried about D. ashamed for
13.A. newer B. stronger C. higher D. larger
14.A. pick up B. pay for C. hold onto D. throw away
15.A. advantages B. purposes C. functions D. consequences
16.A. show B. record C. decrease D. measure
17.A. technology B. environment C. consumers D. brands
18.A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Meanwhile
19.A. by B. in favour of C. after D. instead of
20.A. spending B. collecting C. repairing D. advertising
In the 1960s, Douglas McGregor, one of the key thinkers in the art of management, developed the now famous Theory X and Theory Y. Theory X is the idea that people instinctively _____ work and will do anything to avoid it. Theory Y is the view that everyone has the potential to find satisfaction in work.
In any case, despite so much evidence to the _____, many managers still agree to Theory X. They believe, ___________, that their employees need constant supervision if they are to work effectively, or that decisions must be imposed from _____ without consultation. This, of course, makes for authoritarian (专制的) managers.
Different cultures have different ways of _____ people. Unlike authoritarian management, some cultures, particularly in Asia, are well known for the consultative nature of decision-making — all members of the department or work group are asked to _____ to this process. This is management by the collective opinion. Many western companies have tried to imitate such Asian ways of doing things, which are based on general _____. Some experts say that women will become more effective managers than men because they have the power to reach common goals in a way that traditional _____ managers cannot.
A recent trend has been to encourage employees to use their own initiative, to make decisions on their own without _____ managers first. This empowerment (授权) has been part of the trend towards downsizing:_____ the number of management layers in companies. After de-layering in this way, a company may be ______ with just a top level of senior managers, front-line managers and employees with direct contact with the public. Empowerment takes the idea of delegation (委托) much further than has ______ been the case. Empowerment and delegation mean new forms of management control to ______ that the overall business plan is being followed, and that operations become more profitable under the new organization, rather than less.
Another trend is off-site or ______ management, where teams of people linked by e-mail and the Internet work on projects from their own houses. Project managers evaluate the ______ of the team members in terms of what they produce for projects, rather than the amount of time they spend on them.
1.A. desire B. seek C. lose D. dislike
2.A. contrary B. expectation C. degree D. extreme
3.A. vice versa B. for example C. however D. otherwise
4.A. outside B. inside C. below D. above
5.A. replacing B. assessing C. managing D. encouraging
6.A. refer B. contribute C. object D. apply
7.A. agreement B. practice C. election D. impression
8.A. bossy B. experienced C. western D. male
9.A. asking B. training C. warning D. firing
10.A. doubling B. maintaining C. reducing D. estimating
11.A. honored B. left C. crowded D. compared
12.A. economically B. traditionally C. inadequately D. occasionally
13.A. deny B. admit C. assume D. ensure
14.A. virtual B. ineffective C. day-to-day D. on-the-scene
15.A. opinion B. risk C. performance D. attractiveness
The small town of Rjukan in Norway is situated between several mountains and does not get direct sunlight from late September to mid-March- _______ six months out of the year.
“Of course, we _______ it when the sun is shining,” says Karin Ro, who works for the town’s tourism office. “We see the sky is _______, but down in the valley it’s darker — it’s like on a _______ day.”
But that _______ when a system of high-tech _______ was introduced to reflect sunlight from neighboring peaks(山峰) into the valley below. Wednesday, residents(居民) of Rjukan _______ their very first ray of winter sunshine: A row of reflective boards on a nearby mountainside were put to _______. The mirrors are controlled by a computer that _______ them to turn along with the sun throughout the ________ and to close during windy weather. They reflect a concentrated beam(束) of light onto the town’s central ________, creating an area of sunlight roughly 600 square meters. When the light ________, Rjukan residents gathered together.
“People have been ________ there and standing there and taking ________ of each other,” Ro says. “The town square was totally ________. I think almost all the people in the town were there.” The 3,500 residents cannot all ________ the sunshine at the same time. ________, the new light feels like more than enough for the town’s ________ residents.
“It’s not very ________,” she says, “but it is enough when we are ________.”
1.A.only B.obviously C.nearly D.precisely
2.A.fear B.believe C.hear D.notice
3.A.empty B.blue C.high D.wide
4.A.cloudy B.normal C.different D.warm
5.A.helped B.changed C.happened D.mattered
6.A.computers B.telescopes C.mirrors D.cameras
7.A.remembered B.forecasted C.received D.imagined
8.A.repair B.risk C.rest D.use
9.A.forbids B.directs C.predicts D.follows
10.A.day B.night C.month D.year
11.A.library B.hall C.square D.street
12.A.appeared B.returned C.faded D.stopped
13.A.driving B.hiding C.camping D.sitting
14.A.pictures B.notes C.care D.hold
15.A.new B.full C.flat D.silent
16.A.block B.avoid C.enjoy D.store
17.A.Instead B.However C.Gradually D.Similarly
18.A.nature-loving B.energy-saving C.weather-beaten D.sun-starved
19.A.big B.clear C.cold D.easy
20.A.trying B.waiting C.watching D.sharing
My kids and I were heading into the supermarket over the weekend. On the way, we spotted a man holding a piece of paper that said, “_______ my job. Family to Feed.”
At this store, a _______ like this is not normal. My 10-year-old noticed him and make a _________ on how bad it must be to have to stand _________ in the cold wind.
In the store, I asked each of my kids to _______ something they thought our “friend” there would _________. They got apples, a sandwich and a bottle of juice. Then my 17-year-old suggested giving him a _________. I thought about it. We were _______ on cash ourselves, but… well, sometimes _______ from our need instead of our abundance is ________ what we need to do! All the kids __________ something they could do away with for the week.
When we handed him the bag of ________, he lit up and thanked us with ________ eyes. When I handed him the gift card, saying he could use it for __________ his family might need, he burst into tears.
This has been a wonderful ________ for our family. For days the kids have been looking for others we can ________! Things would have played out so __________ if I had simply said, “No, we really don’t have __________ to give more.” Stepping out not only helped a brother in ________, it also gave my kids the __________ taste of helping others. It’ll go a long way with them.
1.A.Lost B.Changed C.Quit D.Finished
2.A.condition B.place C.sight D.show
3.A.suggestion B.comment C.decision D.call
4.A.outside B.proudly C.by D.angrily
5.A.draw B.say C.arrange D.pick
6.A.order B.supply C.appreciate D.discover
7.A.dollar B.job C.hot meal D.gift card
8.A.easy B.low C.soft D.loose
9.A.giving B.saving C.spending D.begging
10.A.yet B.even C.still D.just
11.A.declared B.shared C.ignored D.expected
12.A.toys B.medicine C.food D.clothes
13.A.sleepy B.watery C.curious D.sharp
14.A.whoever B.whatever C.whichever D.whenever
15.A.experience B.example C.message D.adventure
16.A.rely on B.respect C.learn from D.help
17.A.suddenly B.vividly C.differently D.perfectly
18.A.time B.power C.patience D.money
19.A.fear B.love C.need D.memory
20.A.strong B.sweet C.strange D.simple
One of the easiest things in the world is to become a fault-finder. However, life can be _______ when you are not busy finding fault with it.
Several years ago I _______ a letter from seventeen-year-old Kerry, who described herself as a world-class fault-finder, almost always _______ by things. People were always doing things that annoyed her, and _______ was ever good enough. She was highly self-critical and also found fault with her friends. She became a really _______ person.
Unfortunately, it took a horrible accident to change her _______. Her best friend was seriously hurt in a car crash. What made it almost _______ to deal with was that the day before the _______, Kerry had visited her friend and had spent the whole time criticizing her _______ of boyfriends, the way she was living, the way she related to her mother, and various other things she felt she needed to ________. It wasn’t until her friend was badly hurt that Kerry became ________ her habit of finding fault. Very quickly, she learned to appreciate life rather than to ________ everything so harshly(刻薄). She was able to transfer her new wisdom to other parts of her ________ as well.
Perhaps most of us aren’t as extreme at fault-finding, ________ when we’re honest, we can be sharply ________ of the world. I’m not suggesting you ________ problems, or that you pretend things are ________ than they are, but simply that you learn to allow things to be as they are — ________ most of the time, and especially when it’s not a really big ________.
Train yourself to ＂bite your tongue＂, and with a little ________, you’ll get really good at letting things go. And when you do, you’ll get back your enthusiasm and love for life.
1.A.lonely B.great C.quiet D.uneasy
2.A.received B.answered C.expected D.rejected
3.A.threatened B.interrupted C.bothered D.spoiled
4.A.anything B.everything C.something D.nothing
5.A.caring B.boring C.interesting D.surprising
6.A.attitude B.plan C.measure D.explanation
7.A.urgent B.unnecessary C.certain D.impossible
8.A.occasion B.event C.accident D.adventure
9.A.memory B.notice C.evidence D.choice
10.A.hear B.contribute C.express D.admit
11.A.aware of B.afraid of C.curious about D.confused about
12.A.discuss B.realize C.judge D.settle
13.A.family B.life C.career D.education
14.A.so B.or C.but D.for
15.A.proud B.sure C.hopeful D.critical
16.A.face B.create C.solve D.ignore
17.A.rarer B.better C.stranger D.worse
18.A.at least B.at last C.by far D.so far
19.A.task B.deal C.result D.duty
20.A.practice B.speech C.rest D.pity
When Alice was sixteen, I was the one who wanted to run away from home. It was____to see the changes coming over her. She skipped school, and refused to communicate. I tried being firm, but it didn‘t____I saw a dark future for my once sweet daughter.
One school day Alice returned home very late. With a quarrel in view. I was surprised to see Alice was____
“I hope I did the right thing, Mom,”“Alice said. I saw a cat, all bloody but alive. I____it to the vet’s(宠物医院), and was asked to make payment____As I couldn’t reach anyone at the phone number on the cat’s tag(标牌), I had to pay the bill.”
In the following days, the owner still couldn’t be____Alice paid the vet to continue treatment. I grew____: what if the family had simply left the cat behind?
A week went by. A woman called to speak to Alice.
“She is at school,” I said.
“You have a____daughter,” she said, apparently in tears.
Her family had just returned from abroad, and got a (n)____from the vet. Their cat was recovering, thanks to Alice’s____“We can’t wait to hug Cuddles again,” she sobbed.
Upon her return home, Alice was filled with____at the news. So was I. I learned through another woman’s eyes that my daughter was still a good person despite her____teenage years. Her warm heart would surely guide her in the right direction.
1.A. pleasant B. painful C. unwise D. inspiring
2.A. remain B. match C. appear D. work
3.A. annoyed B. amused C. worried D. interested
4.A. carried B. followed C. returned D. guided
5.A. monthly B. honestly C. generously D. immediately
6.A. trusted B. contacted C. persuaded D. satisfied
7.A. active B. rude C. anxious D. proud
8.A. pretty B. grateful C. wonderful D. curious
9.A. apology B. invitation C. message D. reply
10.A. suggestion B. donation C. encouragement D. help
11.A. love B. anger C. regret D. joy
12.A. troubled B. long C. boring D. quiet
