Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn’t. Even when the bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa Peffers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and storedin refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and drinking up!
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, “Most bottled water is just tap water.” And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America’s desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents’ generation never had bottled water,” says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free. “You don’t need to fetch it home from the store, and it’s cheaper,” she adds.
Bottled water’s role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers “And what’s your drink?” that’s no reason to forget your conviction（信念）. “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’ll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you,” Peffers says. “And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.” suggest that people _______.
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O |
| C．shouldn’t be content with just recycling empty bottles |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottled water |
According to the author, tap water is _______.
| A．as safe as bottled water |
| B．morel likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water |
| D．less convenient than bottled water |
The underlined part “going bottle free” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．abandoning bottled water |
| C．recycling use water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.” Loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow. |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert. |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status. |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public. |
If you know exactly what you want, the best way to get a job is to get specialized training．A recent report shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training．
That’s especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers．At Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement．Large companies especially like a background of formal education coupled with work experience．But in the long run, too much specialization does not pay off．Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval．The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years．
As further evidence of the corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State’s Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices．Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management．This sounds like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts（文科） graduate．Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems．David Birch, manager of the Boston Red Sox, says that he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree．“I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things,” says Birch．
For a liberal – arts degree, students focus on some basic courses that include literature history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior and a computer course or two．With these useful and important courses, you can feel free to specialize, “A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace,” says Scheetz．The job market is in great need of people with ．
| A．special training in special fields | B．a bachelor’s degree in education |
| C．formal schooling and work experience | D．an MBA degree from top universities |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means ．
| A．an MBA degree does not help in future promotion |
| B．MBA programs will not be as popular as they are now |
| C．people will not forget the degree the MBA graduates have got |
| D．most MBA programs fail to provide students with a foundation |
David Birch says that he only hires liberal – arts people because ．
| A．they will follow others’ ways of solving problems |
| B．they can do better in handling changing situations |
| C．they are well trained in a variety of specialized fields |
| D．they have attended special programs in management |
The author supports the idea that ．
| A．on – the – job training is less costly in the long run |
| B．formal schooling is less important than job training |
| C．specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists |
| D．generalists will do better than specialists in management |
On any weekend throughout the year one can spend hours browsing through neighborhood flea （跳蚤） markets．These are very popular for those who are in search of bargains and who have a keen eye for picking through what others have discarded．They hunt and search for something they can reuse．Americans love secondhand merchandise （商品） which can be bought cheaply and restored to its original use．In many cases the condition and the quality are still good, though the style might be outdated．
For some people searching through flea markets is a hobby which reaps rewards．They look for possible antiques among the items for sale or for old furniture which can be restored with a little care and used again．Many wise collectors often find rare items worth much more than their bargained price．Since prices are usually not fixed, if one is persistent a bargain can easily be struck．The owner may be selling a rare collectable and may not even be aware of its value．One of the great pleasures of shopping at such markets is the chance to bargain with the shop owner and settle for a price which one can afford and is willing to pay．
Perhaps even more enjoyable than flea markets are the weekend outdoor garage sales which have now become very much a part of American culture．These are held usually in the spring and fall when the weather is still good．Usually a homeowner, having decided that he would like to clear his residence of accumulated items which are no longer useful to him, advertises in a local paper that he is holding a garage sale．More than likely the goods on display are in good condition and great buys can be found if one has the time and patience to search carefully．The home owner places items for sale on display along the driveway leading to his garage or on his front lawn and waits for people to look at what he has to sell．Old magazines, books, paintings, bicycles, ice-skates, items of clothing and electrical appliances of every sort appear on a regular basis．If the owner is in a position where he must sell his home or plans to move soon, then he may be forced to practically give things away at a price far below their true worth．What do you usually do before holding a garage sale?
| A．Put on an advertisement in a local newspaper． |
| B．Display your goods in front of the garage． |
| C．Find rare items and fix their prices． |
| D．Clear your garage and front lawn． |
The underlined word “discarded” in Paragraph 1 probably means ________．
| A．distributed | B．rejected |
| C．discovered | D．stored |
When people shop at a flea market, how can they settle on a price?
| A．They can bargain on a price acceptable to both． |
| B．They can question their value． |
| C．They can expect a 50% discount． |
| D．They can compare with the other sellers． |
What do we know about the garage sale?
| A．It is only held in the spring of the year． |
| B．The goods on display are totally useless． |
| C．Garage sales are popular with Americans． |
| D．All the goods are selling far below their real value． |
Nations plan next steps to end global warming
On December 3，more than 10,000 scientists, environmental activists and government officials from 187 countries met in Bali, Indonesia, which is the largest global warming conference ever held.
One of the main goals of the two-week meeting is to develop a replacement for the international treaty called the Kyoto Protocol, which has been signed by 174, countries, calling for limits on the emission of greenhouse gases.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, nations were legally bound to reduce greenhouse gases, but since it was signed in 2005, they have continued to increase worldwide. Of the largest greenhouse gas emitters, only Russia and Japan have agreed to follow me rules. China and India－second and sixth on the list－are making efforts to make cuts.
The U.S signed the treaty in 1997 but has not yet agreed to follow the strict rules, which require that greenhouse gas release be reduced by 10% by 2012. U.S. officials are opposed to these mandatory（强制性的），or required, cuts in emissions. "We’re worrying that it would be too costly and would hurt the U.S. economy. But we're not here to be a roadblock," said Harlan L. Watson, a top U.S. climate official.
Even if greenhouse gases are reduced, scientists say it will take decades or longer to stop the global warming that is already underway. To help poor countries deal with rising temperatures and climate changes, the UN has developed the "Adaptation Fund" to help them improve farming techniques and water systems.
But so far, it has only raised $67 million.
"The money should come from the countries most responsible and most capable," said Kate Raworth, a senior research official from the Oxfam International aid group. She listed the U.S., European Union, Japan, Australia and Canada. The underlined word "they" in Paragraph 3 refers to“_____”.
| A．greenhouse gases |
| B．the countries which have signed the treaty. |
| C．people who are against the treaty |
| D．the measures taken to reduce greenhouse gases |
By saying "But we’re not here to be a roadblock", Harlan L. Watson wants to say that_____．
| A．the U.S will be a roadblock to the global economy |
| B．the U.S has realized that some action must be taken |
| C．the U.S refused to follow the rules of the Kyoto Protocol |
| D．the U.S thinks this conference of no importance |
According to Kate Raworth, the "Adaptation Fund" should come from all the following EXCEPT______．
| A．Japan | B．European Union | C．India | D．Canada |
Why did U.S officials not agree to make effort to reduce greenhouse gases?
| A．Because the greenhouse gases they emitted are not so harmful. |
| B．Because they fear that it would affect the U.S economy. |
| C．Because they shouldn’t be responsible for global warming. |
| D．Because they think these gases won’t cause global warming_____. |
We can learn from the passage that_____.
| A．the conference will last a fortnight |
| B．the U.S hasn’t signed the Kyoto Protocol. |
| C．many manufacturers attended the conference |
| D．the global warming will be stopped as soon as greenhouse gases are reduced |
"Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admit the one-eyed monster into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilized pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, we used to entertain our friends and be entertained by them, we used to go outside for our amusements to theaters, cinemas, restaurants and sporting events. We even used to read books and listen to music and broadcast talk occasionally. All that belongs to the past. Now all our free time is regulated by the "goggle-box". We rush home or gulp down（吞咽）our meals to be in time for this or that program. We have even given up sitting at table and having a leisurely evening meal, exchanging the news of the day. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do-anything providing it doesn't interfere with the program. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a program, he is quickly silenced.
The whole generations are growing up addicted to the telly (television). Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The telly is universal pacifier（抚慰者）．It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set.It doesn’t matter that the children will watch rubbishy commercials or violence－so long as they are quiet.
There is little limit to the amount of creative talent available in the world. Television consumes vast quantities of creative work. That is why most of programs are bad: it is impossible to keep pace with the demand and maintain high standards as well. When millions watch the same programs, the whole world becomes a village, and society is reduced to the conditions which obtain in preliterate（无文字的）communities. We become completely dependent on the two most primitive media of communication: pictures and the spoken word.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with secondhand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We got so lazy; we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness, glued to our sets, rather than go out into the world itself. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountain, far away from civilization. In quiet, natural surroundings, we quickly discover how little we miss the repetitive oppression of King Telly.According to this passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．We used to have hobbies and go to theaters and sporting events. |
| B．We have a leisurely evening meal and exchange the news when we watch TV. |
| C．We quickly finish our meals so as to be in time for TV programs. |
| D．We are usually silent and attentive in front of TV. |
The main idea of the second paragraph is to show that_____.
| A．children are very noisy |
| B．TV is full of rubbishy commercials or violence |
| C．television disturbs our sleep |
| D．the whole generations are fascinated with TV |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Television Encourages Passive Enjoyment |
| B．Television Is Doing Irreparable（不能挽回的）harm |
| C．Television Is a Universal Pacifier |
| D．We Can't Live Without TV |
This passage is an article of_____.
| A．narration | B．description |
| C．criticism | D．argumentation |
Time magazine named Russian President Vladimir Putin its "Person of the Year" for 2007 on Wednesday, saying he had returned his country from chaos（混乱）to "the table of world power" though at a cost of democratic principles.
He doesn't care about civil liberties; he doesn't care about free speech; he cares about stability. But Putin, 55, is enormously popular in Russia, presiding over a resurgent economy based on income from oil and natural gas. On the other hand, stability is what Russia needed and that's why Russians adore（爱戴）him.
Time magazine said on its Web site that Putin, the son of a factory worker had led Russia with persistence, a sharp vision and a sense that he showed the spirit of "Mother Russia".
The selection came days after Putin announced a plan to hold onto power after his term ends next year. Putin said on Monday that if his close ally(盟友），Dmitry Medvedev, won the presidency, he would serve as Medvedev’s prime minister. "Putin has put his country back on the map. And he intends to redraw it himself,"Time said. "He will continue to lead his country as its prime minister and attempt to transform it into a new kind of nation, beholden to neither East nor West."
Time said the person of the year distinction, which it has awarded since 1927, is not an endorsement（支持）or a popularity prize but a recognition of the individuals and forces that shape the world. "At significant cost of, the principles and ideas that free nations prize, (Putin) has performed an extraordinary feat of leadership in placing stability on a nation that has rarely known it and brought Russia back to the table of world power. For that reason, Vladimir Putin is Time's 2007 Person of the Year," the magazine said.
Time had earlier selected four other Kremlin leaders for the distinction: Stalin, who was chosen twice, Nikita Khrushchev, Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachev.What does the underlined word "feat" in Para 5 probably mean?
| A．Style. | B．Level. | C．Standard. | D．Achievement. |
What's the major reason why Putin becomes popular in Russia?
| A．His successful economy policy |
| B．His outstanding ability of politics |
| C．His great contributions to Russian economy and social stability. |
| D．His wisdom of changing the world. |
What may be the best title of the passage?
| A．Putin－Time magazine’s person of the year 2007 |
| B．Putin－a world power leader |
| C．Putin－a beloved Russian president |
| D．Putin－an honorable Russian president |
What can we inter from the passage?
| A．Russia, including the former Soviet Union, has been one of the major countries named person of the Year so far. |
| B．Only an individual can be named Person of the Year nowadays. |
| C．Putin played an important role in Russian social and economic troubles. |
| D．Medvedev will certainly be elected Russian President on March 3. |