What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道）.
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job: after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job.What is John Harrison’s job?
| A．An official. | B．An ice-cream taster. |
| C．A chemist. | D．An ice-cream manufacturer. |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.
| A．keep a diary of work | B．have a degree in chemistry |
| C．have new ideas every day | D．find out new flavors each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
| A．He stirs the ice cream. |
| B．He examines the color of the ice cream. |
| C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. |
| D．He lets the ice cream cool down. |
Beijing's broadened ban on smoking in public places took effect Thursday, adding force to the effort to hold a smoke-free Olympics.
The new rules extend existing anti-smoking regulations to more places, including fitness centers, cultural relic sites, offices, meeting rooms, dining halls, toilets and lifts. Restaurants, Internet cafes, parks, and waiting halls at airports, railway stations and coach stations are required to set up smoking areas. Hotels will have to offer smoke-free rooms or floors, but the regulations do not specify a proportion.
However, some restaurant owners have complained that it would be difficult to have a separate smoking room as required by the new regulations. "We plan to issue specific rules to solve this problem as soon as possible," Rao Yingsheng, vice-director of the Beijing Committee for Patriotic Public Health Campaign, was quoted by the Beijing News as saying Thursday. He said small restaurants without a separate room should set aside at least 70 percent of their area for non-smokers. He also said customers and restaurant owners would be asked for their thoughts on the new rule.
Local authorities dispatched about 100,000 inspectors to make sure the ban was being enforced Thursday. Everyone has the right to dissuade people from smoking in public places, Liu Zejun, who works for the Beijing committee, said. "Citizens are encouraged to expose those who refuse to obey the rule by calling the free telephone line 12320," Liu said.
People caught smoking in forbidden areas will be fined 10 yuan ($1.40), while enterprises and institutions that violate(违反) the ban will face fines of between 1,000 yuan and 5,000 yuan. Smoking was forbidden in hospitals, kindergartens, schools, museums, sports venues and other places before the new regulations took effect. From Oct 1 last year, the city also banned smoking in its 66,000 cabs, and imposed fines of 100 yuan to 200 yuan on drivers caught smoking in taxis.
China has pledged a cigarette-free, green Olympics. This year's event will be the first non-smoking Olympic Games since the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), of which China is a signatory(签名人), went into effect in 2005. The passage mainly tells us _____.
| A．There will be more places where smoking is forbidden. |
| B．More people should give up smoking. |
| C．Broadened ban on smoking in public places took effect in order to set up a non-smoking Olympic Games. |
| D．Those who smoke at public places will be fined. |
Smoking is _____ at airports, railway stations or coach stations etc.
| A．forbidden | B．allowed |
| C．allowed at it’s smoking areas | D．we don’t know |
Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
| A．Hotels will have to offer smoke-free rooms. |
| B．Smoking is not allowed in most restaurants. |
| C．12320 is a free telephone line to expose those who smoke at public places. |
| D．People caught smoking in forbidden areas will be fined. |
If a taxi driver smokes in his cab, he will probably be fined _____ .
| A．10 yuan | B．50 yuan | C．120 yuan | D．1000 yuan |
It's time to be water efficient!
As populations increase across Australia and the rest of the world, demand for water will also increase. If we don’t reduce each individual’s demand for water (both directly and through embodied water) the water situation will become dire.
It is obvious that we cannot increase demands for water much more without detrimental(有害的) effects to the environment, society and the economy.
It’s all too easy to blame someone else for the water situation –“if 70% of water is used for agriculture then that’s what we should target” – but it’s not that easy. We all depend on the food and resources that agriculture provides, and while there are definitely opportunities to increase water efficiency on the farm, the solution will take more than that.
We each share responsibility for the sustainable management of our water resources, which means using less water at home, in the workplace, at school, on holidays, on the farm, … everyone, everywhere, every time.
It's time to become water efficient! This involves reassessing our relationship with water, and learning to use it more sparingly. On the most basic level, it requires a behavioural（行动的） change, and assigning a value to water that truly reflects its worth.
We can also unlock economic benefits of being water efficient. There are many real world examples given in the case studies on this site.
Everybody has a responsibility to save water, if future generations are to enjoy a similar standard of living to the one we enjoy now. In fact, many of the impacts associated with water use are likely to have an effect on our own lives!
www.savewater.com.au has been designed to help you respond to the challenge to become water efficient. It acts as a central repository for relevant information and further advice, so that you can actually achieve significant savings. It also showcases those companies with products that will assist you in your goal. Can you infer where this passage is from?
| A．newspaper | B．TV programme | C．Radio broadcast | D．Internet |
What can we do to save water?
| A．find more water resources |
| B．use less water everywhere, every time |
| C．realize the importance of saving water |
| D．unlock economic benefits of being water efficient |
What is not the reason to save water?
| A．There are more and more people in the world. |
| B．The water resources are limited. |
| C．Agriculture needs more water. |
| D．The water is very important for us. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Water is very important for the human. |
| B．Everybody has a responsibility to save water. |
| C．It's time to be water efficient. |
| D．Let’s save water for our future generations. |
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered. What is the average housing price per square meter in China?
| A．8,000 yuan | B．10,000 yuan | C．7,000 yuan | D．It’s not mentioned here |
Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
| A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
| B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
| C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. |
| D．There are more people who need houses in China. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it. |
| B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market |
| C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States |
| D．Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. |
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
| A．Four | B．Three | C．Five | D．Two |
Vienna－In spite of Iraq’s decision to stop oil deliveries, the 11- nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries（OPEC）will not increase production to make up the shortfall, ministers decided Tuesday in Vienna.
The 11 oil ministers decided to meet again on July 3 to discuss the effects of the Iraq temporary stop. The organization’s president, Charkid Kheria of Algeria, said after the meeting that stocks were high and prices were stable, so quota increases were not necessary.
The E.U. Commission has expressed concern about Iraq’s output stop. A speaker said OPEC had to take all possible measures to keep or lower the oil price.
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Ali Al-Nuaimi had earlier said there would not be any shortfall of oil in the market. The organization had already taken steps to fill the gap, he said. OPEC Secretary General Ali Rodriguez added that the period of Iraq’s output stop was not known, so other exporters were not going to lift quotas yet. If the market was destabilized (使……动摇), a suitable response could be made.
Iraq on Monday stopped shipments of crude oil to protest against the U.N. Security Council’s decision to extend the oil-for-food programme by only a month, instead of the normal six-month renewal. Just before the Vienna meeting, oil prices had gone up, with a barrel of OPEC crude oil selling for 27.05 dollars, up from 26.81 dollars last Friday. North Sea oil was at 29.26 dollars Monday evening.
OPEC wants the oil price to stay within a margin of 22 to 28 dollars and achieved that with cuts in January and March that reduced 2.5 million barrels per day off quotas(配额).Iraq made the decision to stop oil deliveries because ___________.
| A．oil price is too low in international market. |
| B．The U.N. Secretary Council has decided to shorten the time of extension of the oil-for-food programme |
| C．Many oil wells were destroyed during the war in the late 1980s |
| D．It couldn’t get enough money to develop its economy |
The attitude the E.U. Commission took towards Iraq’s output stop is ________.
| A．active | B．concerned | C．cold | D．surprised |
The 11 oil ministers decided to meet on July 3 so that _________.
| A．they can persuade Iraq to continue oil production |
| B．they can have a talk with the U.N. Security Council |
| C．they can have a discussion about the effects of Iraq’s temporary output stop |
| D．they can make up their minds to increase oil production |
The main idea of the passage is ________.
| A．the oil prices in the world were stable though Iraq has stopped oil deliveries |
| B．OPEC has controlled the oil price to stay within a margin of 22 to 28 dollars |
| C．OPEC will not increase oil production to make up the shortfall that caused by Iraq |
| D．Oil is connected with people’s daily life |
It's killed at least two dozen people, damaged hundreds of homes, cost some 22 billion Yuan in direct economic losses so far and has left thousands of family-bound travelers stranded. The massive snow and ice storm that has swept through the southern part of China has put this country into full disaster management mode. Tens of thousands of soldiers have been activated and the government has already provided 126 million Yuan in aide to six provinces in the south slammed by the unexpected winter blast. But is enough being done? And what else can be done to ensure that the effects of natural disasters like the one in southern China are minimized in the future?
“Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. In this edition of the show, we'll be talking about the southern China snow and ice storm. So let's get started.
First, let's get a Chinese perspective of how well the ice and snow storm in southern China is being handled from a logistical point of view. For this we're joined on the line by Professor Peng Xizhe, Dean of the School of Social Development and Public Policy at Fudan University in Shanghai.
(Dialogue with Peng)
And after a short break, we'll talk about the broader view of disaster management.”
“Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. I'm Paul James in Beijing. In this edition of the show, we're talking about the massive winter storm that has ravaged southern China. For a broader look at disaster management, we're joined on the line now by Mr. Aloysius Rego and Ms. Jiang Lingling, both with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Thailand.
(Dialogue with Jiang and Rego)
And with that we close out this edition of People In the Know, online at www.crienglish.com here on China Radio International. Though it may seem small consolation now for the thousands who remain stranded because of the storm, it's important to remember that as long as patience prevails, you will get home. Questions or comments for us can be sent to crieng@crifm.com. For Executive Director Wang Lei and Producers Yang Jingjie and Xu Yang, I'm Paul James in Beijing. Take care.”What style does this passage according to?
| A．说明文 | B．议论文 | C．描写文 | D．新闻报道 |
What’s the main idea of this article?
| A．Tell the stories about the snow storm in the southern part of China |
| B．Tell us some facts about the people in the disaster. |
| C．What have been done or will be done to rescue the people in the disaster. |
| D．Let’s know the measures about the disaster. |
How many people died from the snow disaster before this report?
| A．more than 30 | B．more than 24 | C．many | D．50 |