Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary materials are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
| A．Using too much packaging. |
| B．Recycling too many wastes. |
| C．Making more products than necessary. |
| D．Having more material than is needed. |
The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
| A．the tendency of cutting household waste |
| B．the increase of packaging recycling |
| C．the rapid growth of super markets |
| D．the fact of packaging overuse |
According to the text, recycling ______.
| A．helps control the greenhouse effect |
| B．means burning packaging for energy |
| C．is the solution to gas shortage |
| D．leads to a waste of land |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality. |
| B．Supermarkets care more about packaging. |
| C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging. |
| D．Other products are better packaged than food. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult. |
| B．Needless material is mostly recycled. |
| C．People like collecting recyclable waste. |
| D．The author is proud of their consumer culture. |
There has been a large increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is believed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in thefuture. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat (威胁)of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 31 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not solved
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property(财产）in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed（安装）in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
About 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption（消耗）. China depends heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.What problem should be settled now in London?
| A．How to protect the city’s property |
| B．Where to build its flood defences |
| C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city |
| D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences |
Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?
| A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo. |
| B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. |
| C．Forbidding the city to build “Flower Tower”. |
| D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings. |
The major threats to Shanghai are __________.
| A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations |
| B．rising sea levels and typhoons |
| C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels |
| D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons |
The purpose of the passage is __________.
| A．to tell us how to protect the big cities |
| B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters |
| C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves |
| D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities |
He is talent and charm(魅力) have made him the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.
Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.
Lang Lang’s charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent（代表）China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.
Now in China children are learning Chopin(肖邦) and Western orchestras are touring Chinese cities, but can China ever export（出口）its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.
Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No.1 Chinese classical artist in the world?
| A．He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer. |
| B．He has as many as 5 billions fans in China. |
| C．He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras. |
| D．He plays the piano so well and has a good international image. |
The underlined word “debut” in the second paragraph probably means____.
| A．first class | B．first performance | C．first plan | D．first choice |
Which of the following statements about Lang is true?
| A．He has 36 million Chinese students in China. |
| B．He is touring China giving concerts. |
| C．He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries. |
| D．He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra. |
From the last paragraph we can infer _____.
| A．Lang didn’t like his father when he was little |
| B．he was happy to practice the piano everyday |
| C．his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood |
| D．he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago |
In countries around the world, food has been used to celebrate at our holidays, our rituals and our family gatherings. The food eaten at holiday time has made the deepest impact on our culture and memories. Different holidays bring different types of food. Much of the food we eat during the holidays comes from old traditions handed down for hundreds of years.
New Year's Eve always brings parties and get-togethers, but where you live in the world may determine what food graces your table. In the southern US, partiers eat black eyed peas, which are thought to bring good luck and prosperity(繁荣). The Japanese also eat food for good luck on New Year's, but their choice is red snapper, the color red being considered good luck in Japan. The Jewish celebrate New Year by eating apples dipped in honey and in Madrid, Spain the last minutes of the New Year are counted down with the popping of grapes into the mouth. A pet is a cake prepared by the Greek with a coin baked into it. The person who gets the slice of cake with the coin in it should have good luck in the upcoming year.
In the United States, a typical Christmas feast can contain a variety of foods ranging from turkey to chicken, from ham to goose, but other countries celebrate this holiday differently. Perhaps these choices have been taken from the traditions of our heritage(遗产). In Denmark, a traditional Christmas meal is roast goose, Greece, leg of lamb. Traditionally, Italians keep their Christmas Eve meal meatless. The traditional Christmas dinner in New Zealand is a picnic eaten on the beach.
Though holidays around the world are celebrated in different ways, it is food, feast and family that bring us together.According to the passage, in different holidays people usually ______.
| A．have different kinds of food to eat |
| B．recall the interesting life when they were young |
| C．have a wide variety of parties. |
| D．get together to play games. |
All the following can bring people good luck except_____.
| A．a cake with a coin |
| B．red snapper |
| C．black eyed peas |
| D．apples dipped in honey. |
We can know from the third paragraph that ______.
| A．roast goose is American’s favorite food during Christmas |
| B．people in Denmark and Greece share the same food during Christmas |
| C．Italians don’t have meat during Christmas |
| D．people in New Zealand like playing games on the beach |
Which of the following can be the main idea of the passage?
| A．Holiday foods vary from culture to culture. |
| B．Different countries have different cultures. |
| C．People have a good appetite during holiday. |
| D．Different foods are served during Christmas. |
At 21，Ricardo Semler became boss of his father's business in Brazil，Semco，which sold parts for ships. Semler Junior worked like a mad man，from 7：30 am，until midnight every day. One afternoon，while touring a factory in New York，he broke down. The doctor who treated him said，"There's nothing wrong with you. But if you continue like this, you'll find a new home in our hospital. "Semler got the message. He changed the way he worked. In fact，he changed the ways his employees worked too.
He let his workers take more responsibility so that they would be the ones worrying when things went wrong. He allowed them to set their own salaries，and he cut all the jobs he thought were unnecessary，like receptionists and secretaries. This saved money and brought more equality(平等）to the company. "Everyone at Semco，even top managers，meets guests in reception，does the photocopying，sends faxes，types letters and dials the phone."
He completely reorganized the office：instead of walls，they have plants at Semco，so bosses can't shut themselves away from everyone else. And the workers are free to decorate their workspace as they want. As for uniforms，some people wear suits and others wear T-shirts.
Semco has flexible （灵活的）working hours：the employees decide when they need to arrive at work. Also，Semco lets its workers use the company's machines for their own projects，and makes them take holidays for at least thirty days a year.
It sounds perfect，but does it work? The answer is in the numbers：in the last six years，Semco's revenues （收入）have gone from $35 million to $212 million. The company has grown from eight hundred employees to 3，000. Why?
Semler says it's because of "peer pressure". Peer pressure makes employees work hard for everyone else. If someone isn't doing his job well，the other workers will not allow the situation to continue. In other words，Ricardo Semler treats his workers like adults rather than children, and expects them to act like responsible adults. And they do.Why did Semler change the way he and his employees worked?
| A．Because he went crazy because of overwork. |
| B．Because he had to receive treatment in hospital. |
| C．Because his father asked him to. |
| D．Because the doctor warned him of the danger of overwork. |
Semler made a variety of changes in his company Except that__________.
| A．the number of the employees is reduced to save money |
| B．the employees can take only 30 days off for holiday every year. |
| C．flexible working hours were introduced |
| D．the employees enjoyed a lot of freedom |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph five?
| A．Ricardo Semler’s new management method succeeded. |
| B．Ricardo Semler’s idea sounded perfect but not practical. |
| C．The company earned a lot of money. |
| D．The reason for his success. |
In his company, what does Ricardo Semler value most?
| A．freedom | B．rules | C．responsibility | D．hard work |
For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.” Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who ______.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches | B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem | D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that ______.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusics. |