Live Earth Announces 2010 Global Event!
This is the web version of the October 15, 2009 Live Earth email to members. Click here to join and receive bi-weekly updates from Live Earth.
Live Earth is pleased to announce the largest worldwide water initiative(倡议)in history to help fight the global water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water—to take place on April 18, 2010—will consist of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day t
o get water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities, raising awareness and funds to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher will lend their names and their time in support of this global event.
Water shortage is a major issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people doesn’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. Communities in Africa, Latin America and Asia suffer 1.8 million deaths every year from diarrheal(腹泻）diseases and the death of 5,000 children each day due to inadequate water infrastructure(基础设施). In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to get water that is likely unsuitable for drinking. However, the water crisis is not only limited to developing nations. Adding to these existing issues, the effects of climate change are increasingly impacting both supply and quality of available fresh water throughout the world.
In 60% of European cities with populations greater than 100,000, groundwater is being used faster than it can be replenished(补充). By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions.
You can help solve the water crisis by participating in the April 18th event. Run/walk registration is now officially open! Sign up now at http://liveearth.org/run.
Thanks and be sure to visit liveearth.org for the latest on The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, conservation tips, and more!
Follow Live Earth on：
52. Which of the following activities will the Dow Live Earth organize on April 18, 2010?
A. Receiving the latest news Live Earth.
B. Putting on musical performances.
C. Calling on pop stars to walk 6 km to get water.
D. Lending names and time to support the event.
53. According to the passage, which of the statements is true?
A. You can turn to http://liveearth.org for water protection tips.
B. Jessica Biel can’t take part in the event even if she signs up.
C. The information on Live Earth is updated every month.
D. Every year 1.8 million people in the world die from the disease related to dirty water.
54. We can learn from the passage that __________.
A. by 2010, two-thirds of the world’s population will be short of water
B. we can solve the water crisis by taking part in the April 18th event
C. seven-eighths of the people in Asia can have access to safe, clean drinking water
D. there are different channels for people to get access to Live Earth
MetroPocketGuide
Metrorail (地铁)
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out. Up to two children under age five may travel free with a paying customer.
Farecard machines are in every station. Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the stations and farecard machines only provide up to $5 in change. Get one ticket of unlimited Metrorail rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a.m, until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays.
Hours of service
Open: 5a.m Mon.-Fri. 7a.m Sat.-Sun.
Close: midnight Sun.-Thurs. 3 a.m Fri.-Sat. nights
Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in stations.
Metrobus
When paying with exact charge, the fare is $1.35. When paying with a SmarTrip card, the fare is 1.25.
Fares for senior/ disabled customers
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare.
On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or Smar/Trip card. For more information about buying senior/disabled farecard, SmarTrip card and passes, please visit MetroOpensDoors.com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-962-1100.
Travel tips (提示)
Avoid riding during weekday rush periods –before 9:30 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m. If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost &Found at 202-962-1195.What should you know about farecard machines?
| A．They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m. |
| B．They are connected to change machines. |
| C．They offer special service to the elderly. |
| D．They make change for no more than $5. |
At what time does Metrorail stop service on Saturday?
| A．At midnight. | B．At 3 a.m. |
| C．At 5 a.m. | D．At 7 p.m. |
What is good about a SmarTrip card ?
| A．It is convenient for old people. |
| B．It saves money for its users. |
| C．It can be bought at any time. |
| D．It is sold on the Internet. |
Which number should you call if you lose something on the Metro?
| A．202-962-1195. | B．202-962-1100. |
| C．202-637-7000. | D．202-637-8000. |
Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money. Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.
| A．￡800 | B．￡500 | C．￡4500 | D．5000 |
If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.
| A．sign an agreement with the government |
| B．pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment |
| C．sell the roof to some energy companies |
| D．keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years |
For whom the text most probably written?
| A．Lodgers. | B．Advertisers. |
| C．House owners. | D．Online companies |
Three-quarters of a million tourists flock to the white beaches every year，but this booming industry has come at a price．Poisonous smoke rising from open fires，rubbish made up of plastic bottles，packets…it’s a far cry from the white sands，clear waters and palm trees that we associate with the Maldives(马尔代夫)，the paradise island holiday destination set in the Indian Ocean．
Of its 200 inhabited islands，which are spread across an area of 35，000 square miles，99 are good resorts(旅游胜地)．So many tourists come every year，more than double the local population．Of these，over l 00，000 travel from the U K．The capital，Malé，is four times more densely populated than London．Given these facts，it’s hardly surprising that the Maldives has a waste disposal problem．
Years ago，when the tourists left，the government had to deal with a stream of rubbish．Their solution was to turn one of the islands into a dumping ground．Four miles west of Malé is the country’s dumping ground，Thilafushi．What you are seeing here is a view of the Maldives on which no honeymooners will ever clap eyes．Each visitor produces 3.5 kg of waste per day．The country dumps more than 330 tons of rubbish on the island every day．
Now，since many waste boats，fed up with waiting seven hours or more，directly offload their goods into the sea，the government of the Maldives has banned the dumping of waste on the island．So，the waste boats ship the rubbish to India instead．The underlined part can probably be replaced by ___________.
| A．it’s quite similar to | B．it’s a long distance from |
| C．it’s a loud shout from | D．it’s totally different from |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．It is much more crowded in Malé than in London. |
| B．Another island will be used as a dumpling ground. |
| C．No honeymooners are willing to visit the Maldives. |
| D．Waste on islands will be offloaded directly into the sea. |
What’s the author’s purpose in writing the text?
| A．To attract more tourists to the Maldives. |
| B．To state the waste disposal problem in the Maldives. |
| C．To call on us to protect the environment. |
| D．To explain the causes of pollution in the Maldives. |
Well, parents, surprise! Lots of us are using Twitter and Facebook to find rides, and not just to school. It’s awkward to be refused when you call a friend and ask for a ride. But with Twitter, you just tweet (贴子,留言) and look for other people heading the same way.
It may sound risky, but many teens stay within their own social circles to find rides, and don’t branch out beyond friends when asking on Twitter just like me, but to some young people, especially those taking longer trips, stranger danger is less of a concern.
“I think the digital connection of young people is really key, because younger generations grew up sharing things online, sharing files, photos, music, etc, so they have been very used to sharing,” said Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College.
The sharing economy got big during the recession（经济衰退）, allowing people to access more goods and services using technology and even to share cost. And that technology, for me, is what the car was for my mom, a gateway to more freedom.
According to the researchers at the University of Michigan, 30 years ago, eight in ten American 18-year-olds had a driver’s license compared to six in ten today. So it’s not that surprising that on my 16th birthday I wasn’t rushing to get a license but an iPhone.
“Driving, for young people, does mean they have to disconnect from their technology, and that’s a negative. So if they could sit in the passenger side and still be connected, that’s going to be a plus,” Schor continued.
To me, another plus is that ridesharing represents something, something much bigger than trying to save money. I see it as evidence that people still depend on each other. My generation shares their cars and apartments the way neighbors used to share cups of sugar. For the system to work, some of us still need our own cars. But until I get my own version of the silver Super Beetle, you can find me on Twitter.The American teens like me, prefer to possess an iPhone as a birthday gift because ______.
| A．it is most fashionable and cool |
| B．they are bored with driving cars |
| C．they are fond of being connected |
| D．it is much cheaper than a car |
Professor Juliet would agree that _______.
| A．young people will sit waiting to be contacted by reading a passage |
| B．sharing economy is bound to be responsible for the recession |
| C．young people tend to share a car with strangers by means of Twitter |
| D．being connected via technology comes first for young people |
The best title for the passage is probably _______.
| A．Twitter, an Awesome Website |
| B．Cars or iPhone |
| C．Teens Use Twitter to Thumb Rides |
| D．Cool Teens on the Go |
An African-born British scientist received an environment research prize for showing how bees can be used to reduce conflict between people and elephants. Lucy King's work proved that beehive (蜂房）"fences" can keep elephants out of African farmers’ fields. The animals are scared of bees, which can bite them inside their long noses, and flee when they hear buzzing (蜂鸣声).
Dr King's work offers an intelligent solution to an age-old challenge, while providing further confirmation of the importance of bees to people and a really clever way of preserving the world's largest land animal for current and future generations. Working in Kenya, Dr King and her team showed that more than 90% of elephants will flee when they hear the sounds of buzzing bees. Afterwards, they also found that elephants produce a special sound to warn their fellows of the danger. They used the findings to construct barriers where beehives are woven into a fence, keeping the elephants away from places where people live and grow food.
A two-year project involving 34 farms showed that elephants trying to go through the fences would shake them, disturbing the bees. Later, the fences were adopted by farming communities in three Kenyan districts , who also made increased amounts of money from selling honey.
As Africa's population grows, competition for space between people and elephants is becoming more serious, and there are fatalities on both sides. The same is true in parts of Asia. Sri Lanka alone sees the deaths of an estimated 60 people and 200 elephants each year from conflict.
Lucy King now wants to see whether the Kenyan technique will work in other parts of Africa and perhaps, eventually, in Asia.Dr King's solution is described as “intelligent” because_____________.
| A．it successfully keeps elephants out of African farmers' fields |
| B．the fences were adopted by farming communities in three Kenyan districts |
| C．more than 90％ of elephants flee when they hear the sounds of buzzing bees |
| D．it protects crops, produces honey and preserves the elephant at the same time |
Which of the following orders of events correctly shows how Dr King’s project works?
①Beehive fences are built around a farm.
②Elephants hear the buzzing and run away.
③Bees are disturbed and fly out of the beehives.
④Elephants trying to enter the farm shake the fences.
| A．①→②→③→④ | B．①→④→③→② |
| C．④→③→②→① | D．①→②→④→③ |
The underlined word “fatalities” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to__________.
| A．deaths | B．communities |
| C．population | D．fences |