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 areas for burying 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 realise just how much unnecessary material 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 |
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. |
When John was growing up, other kids felt sorry for him. His parents always had him weeding the garden, carrying out the garbage and delivering newspapers. But when John reached adulthood, he was better off than his childhood playmates. He had more job satisfaction, a better marriage and was healthier. Most of all, he was happier. Far happier.
These are the findings of a 40-year study that followed the lives of 456 teenage boys from Boston. The study showed that those who had worked as boys enjoyed happier and more productive lives than those who had not. "Boys who worked in the home or community gained competence (能力) and came to feel they were worthwhile members of society," said George Vaillant, the psychologist (心理学家) who made the discovery. "And because they felt good about themselves, others felt good about them."
Vaillant's study followed these males in great detail. Interviews were repeated at ages 25, 31 and 47. Under Vaillant, the researchers compared the men's mental-health scores with their boyhood-activity scores with their boyhood-activity scores. Points were awarded for part-time jobs, housework, effort in school, and ability to deal with problems.
The link between what the men had done as boys and how they turned out as adults was surprisingly sharp. Those who had done the most boyhood activities were twice as likely to have warm relations with a wide variety of people, five times as likely to be well paid and 16 times less likely to have been unemployed. The researchers also found that IQ and family social and economic class made no real difference in how the boys turned out. Working----at any age----is important. Childhood activities help a child develop responsibility, independence, confidence and competence---the underpinnings (基础) of emotional health. They also help him understand that people must cooperate and work toward common goals. The most competent adults are those who know how to do this. Yet work isn't everything. As Tolstoy once said, "One can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love, to work for the person one loves and to love one's work."
46. What do we know about John?
| A． |
He enjoyed his career and marriage. |
| B． |
He had few childhood playmates. |
| C． |
He received little love from his family. |
| D． |
He was envied by others in his childhood. |
47. Vaillant's words in Paragraph 2 serve as _____.
| A． |
a description of personal values and social values |
| B． |
an analysis of how work was related to competence |
| C． |
an example for parents' expectations of their children |
| D． |
an explanation why some boys grew into happy men |
48. Vaillant's team obtained their findings by _____.
| A． |
recording the boys' effort in school |
| B． |
evaluating the men's mental health |
| C． |
comparing different sets of scores |
| D． |
measuring the men's problem solving ability |
49. What does the underlined word "sharp" probably mean in Paragraph 4?
| A． |
Quick to react |
| B． |
Having a thin edge |
| C． |
Clear and definite |
| D． |
sudden and rapid |
50. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A． |
competent adults know more about love than work. |
| B． |
Emotional health is essential to a wonderful adult life. |
| C． |
Love brings more joy to people than work does. |
| D． |
Independence is the key to one's success. |
Every man wants his son to be somewhat of a clone, not in features but in footsteps. As he grows you also age, and your ambitions become more unachievable. You begin to realize that your boy, in your footsteps, could probably accomplish what you hoped for. But footsteps can be muddied and they can go off in different directions.
My son Jody has hated school since day one in kindergarten. Science projects waited until the last moment. Book reports weren't written until the final threat.
I've been a newspaperman all my adult life. My daughter is a university graduate working toward her master's degree in English. But Jody? When he entered the tenth grade he became a "vo-tech" student(技校学生). They're called "motorheads" by the rest of the student body.
When a secretary in my office first called him "motorhead", I was shocked. "Hey, he's a good kid," I wanted to say. "And smart, really."
I learned later that motorheads are, indeed, different. They usually have dirty hands and wear dirty work clothes. And they don't often make school honor rolls(光荣榜).
But being the parent of a motorhead is itself an experience in education. We who labor in clean shirts in offices don't have the abilities that motorheads have. I began to learn this when I had my car crashed. The cost to repair it was estimated at ＄800. "Hey, I can fix it," said Jody. I doubted it , but let him go ahead, for I had nothing to lose.
My son ,with other motorheads, fixed the car. They got parts(零件）from a junkyard, non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbours and co-workers trust their car repair to him.
Since that first repair job, a broken air-conditioner, a non-functioning washer and a non-toasting toaster have been fixed. Neighbors and co-workers trust their car repairs to him.
These kids are happiest when doing repairs. They joke and laugh and are living in their own relaxed world. And their minds are bright despite their dirty hands and clothes.
I have learned a lot from my motorhead: publishers need printers, engineers need mechanics, and architects need builders. Most important, I have learned that fathers don't need clones in footsteps or anywhere else.
My son may never make the school honor roll. But he made mine.
41. What used to be the author's hope for his son?
| A． |
To avoid becoming his clone. |
| B． |
To resemble him in appearance. |
| C． |
To develop in a different direction. |
| D． |
To reach the author's unachieved goals. |
42. What can we learn about the author's children?
| A． |
His daughter does better in school. |
| B． |
His daughter has got a master's degree. |
| C． |
His son tried hard to finish homework. |
| D． |
His son couldn't write his book reports. |
43. The author let his son repair the car because he believed that_______.
| A． |
His son had the ability to fix it. |
| B． |
it would save him much time. |
| C． |
it wouldn't cause him any more loss |
| D． |
other motorheads would come to help. |
44. In the author's eyes, motorheads are _______.
| A． |
tidy and hardworking |
| B． |
cheerful and smart |
| C． |
lazy but bright |
| D． |
relaxed but rude |
45. What did the author realize in the end?
| A． |
It is unwise to expect your child to follow your path. |
| B． |
It is important for one to make the honor roll. |
| C． |
Architects play a more important role than builders. |
| D． |
Motorheads have greater ability than office workers. |
A Language Programme for Teenagers
Welcome to Teenagers Abroad! We invite you to join us on an amazing journey of language learning.
Our Courses
Regardless of your choice of course, you'll develop your language ability both quickly and effectively.
Our Standard Course guarantees a significant increase in your confidence in a foreign language, with focused teaching in all 4 skill areas----speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Our Intensive Course builds on our Standard Course, with 10 additional lessons per week, guaranteeing the fastest possible language learning (see table below).
|
Course Type |
Days |
Number of Lesson |
Course Timetab le |
|
Standard Course |
Mon－Ｆｒｉ |
２０ ｌｅｓｓｏｎｓ |
９：００－１２：３０ |
|
Intensive Course |
Mon－Ｆｒｉ |
２０ ｌｅｓｓｏｎｓ |
９：００－１２：３０ |
|
１０ ｌｅｓｓｏｎｓ |
１３：００－１４：３０ |
Evaluation
Students are placed into classes according to their current language skills. The majority of them take on online language test before starting their programme. However, if this is not available, students sit the exam on the first Monday of their course.
Learning materials are provided to students throughout their course, and there will never be more than 15 participants in each class.
Arrivals and Transfer
Our programme offers the full package-students are take good care of from the start through to the very end. They are collected from the airport upon arrival and brought to their accommodation in comfort. We require the student's full details at least 4 weeks in advance.
Meals/Allergies( 过敏 )/Special Dietary Requirements
Students are provided with breakfast, dinner and either a cooked or packed lunch(which consists of a sandwich, a drink and a dessert). Snacks outside of mealtimes may be purchased by the student individually.
We ask that you let us know of any allergies or dietary requirements as well as information about any medicines you take. Depending on the type of allergies and/ or dietary requirements, an extra charge may be made for providing special food.
36. How does Intensive Course differ from Standard Course?
| A． |
It is less effective |
| B． |
It focuses on speaking |
| C． |
It includes extra lessons |
| D． |
It give you confidence |
37. When can a student attend Standard Course?
| A． |
13:00-14:30 Monday |
| B． |
9:00-12:30 Tuesday |
| C． |
13:00-14:30 Friday |
| D． |
9:00-12:30 Saturday |
38. Before starting their programme, students are expected to _____.
| A． |
take a language test |
| B． |
have an online interview |
| C． |
prepare learning materials |
| D． |
report their language levels |
39. With the full package, the programme organizer is supposed to_____.
| A． |
inform students of their full flight details |
| B． |
look after students throughout the programme |
| C． |
offer students free sightseeing trips |
| D． |
collect students' luggage in advance |
40. Which of the following may require an extra payment?
| A． |
Cooked dinner. |
| B． |
Mealtime dessert. |
| C． |
Packed lunch. |
| D． |
Special diet. |
A new collection of photos brings an unsuccessful Antarctic voyage back to life.
Frank Hurley's pictures would be outstanding----undoubtedly first-rate photo-journalism---if they had been made last week. In fact, they were shot from 1914 through 1916, most of them after a disastrous shipwreck(海滩), by a cameraman who had no reasonable expectation of survival. Many of the images were stored in an ice chest, under freezing water, in the damaged wooden ship.
The ship was the Endurance, a small, tight, Norwegian-built three-master that was intended to take Sir Ernest Shackleton and a small crew of seamen and scientists, 27 men in all, to the southernmost shore of Antarctica's Weddell Sea. From that point Shackleton wanted to force a passage by dog sled(雪橇) across the continent. The journey was intended to achieve more than what Captain Robert Falcon Scott had done. Captain Scott had reached the South Pole early in 1912 but had died with his four companions on the march back.
As writer Caroline Alexander makes clear in her forceful and well-researched story The Endurance, adventuring was even then a thoroughly commercial effort. Scott's last journey, completed as be lay in a tent dying of cold and hunger, caught the world's imagination, and a film made in his honor drew crowds. Shackleton, a onetime British merchant-navy officer who had got to within 100 miles of the South Pole in 1908, started a business before his 1914 voyage to make money from movie and still photography. Frank Hurley, a confident and gifted Australian photographer who knew the Antarctic, was hired to make the images, most of which have never before been published.
13. What do we know about the photos taken by Hurley?
| A． |
They were made last week |
| B． |
They showed undersea sceneries |
| C． |
They were found by a cameraman |
| D． |
They recorded a disastrous adventure |
14. Who reached the South Pole first according to the text?
| A． |
Frank Hurley |
B． |
Ernest Shackleton |
| C． |
Robert Falcon Scott |
D． |
Caroline Alexander |
15. What does Alexander think was the purpose of the 1914 voyage?
| A． |
Artistic creation |
B． |
Scientific research |
| C． |
Money making |
D． |
Treasure hunting |
Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website BookCrossing.comturns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register the books they own and would like to share. BookCrossing provides an identification number to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson, the managing director of BookCrossing, says, "The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. BookCrossing combines both."
Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.
People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E-mails are then sent to the BookCrossing to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce peterson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.
BookCrossing is part of a trend among people who want to get back to the "real" and not the virtual(虚拟). The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty-five countries.
9. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?
| A． |
To explain what they are. |
| B． |
To introduce BookCrossing. |
| C． |
To stress the importance of reading. |
| D． |
To encourage readers to share their ideas. |
10. What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2refer to?
| A． |
The book. |
B． |
An adventure. |
| C． |
A public place. |
D． |
The identification number. |
11. What will a BookCrosser do with a book after reading it?
| A． |
Meet other readers to discuss it. |
B． |
Keep it safe in his bookcase. |
| C． |
Pass it on to another reader. |
D． |
Mail it back to its owner. |
12. What is the best title for the text?
| A． |
Online Reading: A Virtual Tour |
B． |
Electronic Books: A new Trend |
| C． |
A Book Group Brings Tradition Back |
D． |
A Website Links People through Books |