For much of the 20th century, milk was a simple part of daily life in the U.S, as farmers raised cows, milkmen delivered bottles and children drank it at school. But those days are fading.
America has fallen out of love with drinking milk, as lower-calorie options have increased and people are replacing water bottles with milk cartons. Americans each drink an estimated 146 lb. of fluid milk in 2018, according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. That may sound like a lot, but it’s down by 26% just since 2000.
The downturn has been tough on dairy processors like Borden and Dean, which buy fresh milk from farms and use techniques like pasteurization (巴氏杀菌) to create a consumer-safe drink with a longer shelf life. For the past five years, thanks to technology that increased milk production, fresh-milk prices were relatively low, which meant processors could still earn some money even despite the decreasing demand. But prices began going up again last year, squeezing the processors’ already tight profits. “Declining sales in a thin-profit business is not a good recipe for success,” says Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin.
Milk processors are also facing competition from big retailers, which have set up their own processing plants. In 2018, Walmart opened a milk-processing plant in Indiana to serve hundreds of stores in the Midwest, taking away approximately 95 million gal of milk-processing business from Dean Foods.
On the other end of the supply chain, dairy farms are facing trouble of their own. The low prices left small farmers struggling across the industry. The number of farm bankruptcies (破产) in 2019 was up by 4% from the previous year. “We’re trying our best to hang on,” says Mary Rieckmann, a dairy farmer in Wisconsin whose family has turned to GoFundMe to keep their century-old farm running.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Why some dairy farmers turn to GoFundMe.
B.Why America’s milk industry get into much trouble.
C.Why Americans consume less milk than before.
D.Why big retailers set up their own processing plants.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
A.An American consumes 146 lb fluid milk every year
B.Technology in milk industry improves the production
C.Walmart is probably not a target customer of Dean Foods now
D.2019 witnessed 4% more farm bankruptcies than the previous year
3.In which section of a newspaper may the passage appear?
A.Health B.Technology C.Life D.Economy
Not long ago, “blind box economy” suddenly became popular, winning the heart of large numbers of faithful fans. People simply get interested in it. A couple spent 200 thousand yuan on them. Another sixty-year-old guy spent over 700 thousand yuan in buying blind boxes. Statistics showed that last year 300 thousand hobbyists made deals through a second-hand shopping platform.
The blind boxes usually contain peripheral (周边的) dolls of comics and animation, or film and television, or specially designed ones. A single blind box usually costs about thirty to fifty yuan. But there is no mark on the box, and only after opening it can the buyer see what he has bought. This is rather like buying lottery tickets, for the buyer has to bet on his luck.
However, addiction to blind box is much like that to gambling (赌博). It is highly nontransparent compared with lottery ticket. Nobody knows whether sellers of blind boxes exaggerated (夸大) the winning rate so as to attract people to buy them, thus digging a consumption trap. Besides, it is also unknown whether the objects in the blind boxes are genuine or not. The blind box economy promoted its second-hand trade. The price of some classic dolls or dolls of limited edition have skyrocketed in second-hand trade platforms, and some may reach thirty to forty times. But it is difficult for buyers to judge whether it is the result of real supply and demand, or the consequence of businessmen’s tricks.
The basis of the “blind box economy” is the cultural trend of collection. Many of the target consumers are young people who have scanty experience of life. They are thus attracted by deliberately exaggerated probability of “winning a prize” and constantly throw money to buy blind boxes in order to gain dolls that they desire. Or they may buy at second-hand trade platform high-priced blind box dolls, thinking they can keep value preservation and appreciation, thus falling into the fixed pattern of trap carefully designed by businessmen.
Therefore, it is necessary to remind young people to control their consumption in case they become addicted.
1.A couple and a sixty-year-old guy are mentioned in Para.1 to ________.
A.stress the importance of “blind box economy” to people
B.tell how much money people spend on “blind box economy”
C.show the popularity of “blind box economy” among people
D.prove older people can afford more to buy “blind box economy”
2.Which may NOT be the contributing factor to “blind box economy”?
A.The fondness of gambling to bet on their luck.
B.The high winning rate exaggerated by sellers.
C.The blind faith in the cultural trend of collection
D.The possibility of making a fortune in second-hand trade.
3.The underlined word “scanty” in Para. 4 probably means ________.
A.previous B.inadequate C.personal D.unforgettable
4.What’s the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
A.To inform readers of the “blind box economy”.
B.To promote the products of “blind box economy”.
C.To list the reasons behind the popularity of “blind box economy”.
D.To warn the consumers to think twice before buying blind boxes.
As an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.
Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube inserted (插入) in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were linked to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented (补充的) oxygen to support his breathing.
Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler were amazed at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast that she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.
This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.
A few days before his death, Tyler called me over to his hospital bed and whispered, “I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”
1.From the passage, we can learn that Tyler is _________.
A.courageous and optimistic B.confident and energetic
C.enthusiastic and adventurous D.ambitious and passionate
2.Tyler had to wear his backpack because ________.
A.it contained his favourite toys from his mother
B.it provided oxygen to support his breathing
C.it had the pump supplying medications to his bloodstream
D.it made himself recognized by his mother in the crowd
3.Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Gifts in my life B.Dress me in red C.Never give up D.Live with HIV
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What is the talk mainly about?
A.The plan for the day. B.The courses for the term. C.The history of the school.
2.Where can the listeners learn about the subjects for new students?
A.In the school hall. B.In the science labs. C.In the classrooms.
3.What can students do in the practical education areas?
A.Take science courses. B.See some exhibitions. C.Attend workshops.
4.When are the listeners expected to ask questions?
A.During the lunch hour. B.Before the tour of labs. C.After the welcome speech.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why did the man go to the doctor?
A.He wanted some drops.
B.He needed his glasses repaired.
C.He cannot distinguish certain colors.
2.What does the man think his condition cause difficulties with?
A.Driving his car. B.Using his computer. C.Working from home.
3.What does the man plan to do?
A.Change his phone settings. B.Buy new glasses. C.Get his eyes fixed.
4.What is the topic of the conversation?
A.Paying for treatment. B.An eye condition. C.A specific program.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A.In a car. B.In a train. C.In an airplane.
2.How did the man get the idea to travel using this method?
A.A friend told him a story.
B.A TV show inspired him.
C.A group of strangers recommended it to him.
3.What does the man suggest for their meal?
A.They should order food to their room.
B.They should eat the snacks first.
C.They should eat with other passengers.
