Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap?
In America, people will include a case or two of bottled water when buying the week's groceries. When they are going to a soccer game or activity, it's common for them to grab a cold bottle of water out of the fridge with them.In fact, Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world, about 29 billion bottles a year.
But all these plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuels and pollute the environment.In order to make all the 29 billion bottles, producers use 17 million barrels of crude oil, which is enough to keep a million cars going for 12 months.
So why don't people drink water straight from the tap? Some people have a strong belief that bottled water is better than water out of the tap, but that's not necessarily true.In the US, the local governments make sure water from the tap is safe.There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may go into the water.
People love the convenience of bottled water.But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a reusable steel container instead of plastic.
Some argue that plastic bottle recycling can help.Recycled bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or clothing.Unfortunately, only one in six bottles is recycled.The rest make it to landfills(垃圾填埋场)or end as trash in other places.Plastic bottles take hundreds of years for them to disintegrate.
Water is important for you, so keep drinking it.But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change.
And yes, you can make a difference.Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.Why do Americans prefer bottled water?
A.Bottled water is better than water from the tap. |
B.Bottled water is cheaper than water from the tap. |
C.Bottled water contains beneficial chemicals in it. |
D.Bottled water is more convenient than water from the tap. |
What does the underlined word "disintegrate" in the fifth paragraph probably mean_____ .
A.Be well recycled. | B.Become less poisonous. |
C.Break into small pieces. | D.Go down below a surface. |
The author's intention of writing this passage is to recommend Americans_____.
A.drink more water from the tap |
B.send plastic bottles to landfills |
C.use water bottles to power light bulls |
D.buy bottles filled with water from the tap |
We know that sugary sodas aren’t good for our bodies. Now it turns out that they may not be good for our minds, either. A new study of more than 260,000 people has found a link between sweetened soft-drinks and depression, and diet sodas may be making matters worse.
Americans drink far more sodas than people in other countries— as much as 170 liters per person per year. But the impact of this study isn’t limited to the United States. “Sweetened drinks, coffee and tea are commonly consumed worldwide and have important physical consequences. And they may have important mental-health consequences as well,” study author Dr Honglei Chen said in a statement.
The study studied 263,925 people between the ages of 50 and 71. Researchers followed their consumption of drinks like soda, tea coffee, and other soft drinks from 1995 to 1996 and then. 10 years later, asked them if they had been diagnosed with depression since the year 2000. More than 11,3000 of them had.
Participants who drank more than four servings of sodas per day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than participants who did not drink sodas at all. People who stuck with fruit punch(鸡尾酒), had a 38 percent higher risk than people who didn’t drink sweetened drinks. And all that extra sugar isn’t the actual problem. Researchers say that the artificial sweetener aspartame may be to blame.
The study found a link but could not surely determine whether sodas and other sweet soft drinks cause depression. Still, the results “are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be linked to poor health outcomes.”
But there’s a bright side for those who can’t live without their daily sodas. Adults who drank coffee had a 10 percent lower risk of depression compared to people who didn’t drink any coffee, according to the study. “Our research suggests that cutting out or down on sweetened diet drinks or replacing them with unsweetened coffee may naturally help lower your depression risk,” said Chen.What has the new study of more than 260,000 people found?
A.Sugary sodas aren’t good for the physical health of old people. |
B.Americans have a special tooth for sweet foods. |
C.Sweetened soft-drinks may increase the risk of depression. |
D.Sweetened soft-drinks have important physical consequences. |
What do we know about the process of the study?
A.About twenty-six thousand people participated in it. |
B.The oldest participants were below 80 when the study was over. |
C.Most of the participants had depression when the study was over. |
D.The study lasted more than ten years from the beginning to the end. |
We infer that the underlined word “aspartame” in Paragraph 4 refers to something that _____.
A.can reduce the harm of sweetened drinks |
B.is used to reduce the risk of depression |
C.is mainly used to make fruit punch |
D.is used to make something .sweet |
It is implied in the passage that ______.
A.more research is needed to confirm the new findings |
B.the new findings aren’t consistent with any previous findings |
C.cutting one’s sodas intake will surely reduce one’s depression |
D.the new findings won’t have an impact on people’s drinking habits |
What should you drink in order to reduce the risk of depression?
A.Sodas. |
B.Unsweetened coffee. |
C.Sugary coffee. |
D.Fruit punch. |
The China Daily newspaper group is looking for English-language senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, accommodation with furniture paid for 90 percent, medical reimbursement(报销). a seven-day paid leave, eleven -day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence.
Senior Business Editor
You must:
(1) Assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them;
(2) Be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed;
(3) Ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership intends;
(4) Have had at least five years’ editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must:
(1) Work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
(2) Edit or rewrite copy and give smart headlines and captions;
(3) Have had at least two years.’ editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
Copy Editor
You must:
(1) Be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing smart headlines and captions;
(2) Be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
(3) Have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must:
(1) Have excellent skills in information graphics;
(2) Be good at illustrations and freehand drawings;
(3) Be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts;
(4) Have a good sense of typography(活版印刷术);
(5) Have good new judgment;
(6)Be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write to job @chinadaily.com.cn.What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
B.To tell you how to become part of this group. |
C.To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
D.To advertise for employing some good employees. |
What is not required about Graphic Designer?
A.Be expert in Photoshop. |
B.Writing smart headlines and captions. |
C.Have excellent skills in information graphics. |
D.Having a good sense of typography. |
How many positions need editing experience?
A.Two. | B.One. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
A.China Daily: New Employees Wanted |
B.China Daily: Newspaper |
C.China Daily: An International Team |
D.China Daily: The Best Working Condition |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The employees have the right to enjoy eleven-day public holidays. |
B.The workers there can enjoy a seven day-leave without pay. |
C.Free accommodations are available to the workers. |
D.The senior business editor’s only job is to help the business editor to set goals. |
Statuses are wonderful human inventions that enable us to get along with one another and to determine where we "fit" in society. In our everyday lives whenever we meet people, we always try to judge them in terms of their statuses. For example, we must judge whether the person in the library is a reader or a librarian, whether the telephone caller is a friend or a salesman and so on.
Our statuses often vary with the people we meet, and change through life. Most of us can, at very high speed, assume(表现出) the different statuses that various situations require. Much of social communication consists of recognizing and selecting among proper statuses and allowing other people to assume their statuses in relation to us. This means that we fit our actions to those of other people, based on a constant mental process of assessment and understanding. Although some of us find the task more difficult than others, most of us perform it rather easily.
A status has been compared to ready-made clothes. Within certain limits the buyer can choose style and material. But an American is not free to choose the clothes of a Chinese peasant or that of a Hindu prince. We must choose from among the clothing presented by our society.
Furthermore, our choice is limited to a size that will fit, as well as by our wallet. Having made a choice within these limits, we can have certain changes made. But apart from small adjustments, we tend to be limited to what the stores have on their shelves. Statuses too come ready-made, and the range of choice among them is limited.According to the writer, people often assume different statuses______.
A.in order to distinguish themselves from others |
B.in order to better recognize other people |
C.as their mental processes change |
D.as the situation changes |
In the last sentence of the second paragraph, “it” refers to “___”
A.constant mental process |
B.selecting one’s own statuses |
C.recognition of other people’s statuses |
D.fitting our actions to those of other properly |
What can be the best title for this text?
A.Proper Relations. |
B.Limited Choices. |
C.Judgment of Statuses. |
D.Comparison of Clothes. |
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament(证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don’t worry abut their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you’d like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat--this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!
So please treasure your college years--make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & MomWe can read between the lines that________.
A.Dad is very strict with his daughter |
B.Dad has a strong love for his daughter |
C.Dad always worries about his daughter |
D.Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Plan things before you do them. |
B.Self-learning is very important in college. |
C.Follow your passion and what other people say. |
D.Leading a life is just like driving a car. |
The underlined word “destiny” in the passage is the closest in meaning to____________.
A.weight | B.Time | C.position | D.life |
The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to____________.
A.make the most of her college | B.fight till she succeeds |
C.be confident and happy | D.smile to her trouble in 1ife |
Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had—not legs but stumps(残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself get cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror. For the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be—a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room , and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came , he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because ______.
A.he didn’t talk to them |
B.he kept away from them |
C.his arms touched the ground when he moved |
D.he couldn’t use his arms |
It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is ______.
A.an average height for a fully grown person |
B.too tall for an average person |
C.too short for an average person |
D.none of the above |
When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he ______.
A.did everything the other soldiers did |
B.did nothing the other soldiers did |
C.did some of the things the other soldiers did |
D.took some special training |
The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _______.
A.had no friends |
B.never saw himself as different from others |
C.was very shy |
D.was too proud to accept help from others |