These days it’s cheaper to throw that broken DVD player, cell-phone or TV out and buy a new one. This “ replace-rather-than-repair” mentality is polluting the planet with electronic waste. According to the UN Environment Program, we are throwing away an estimated 50 million metric tonnes of electronics waste (e-waste) per year. But this is not ordinary garbage. Our electronics leak harmful heavy metals — such as mercury and arsenic — along with equally poisonous chemicals that end up in our soil and eventually our water.
You’ve probably participated in a community recycling event and left feeling good about shipping off that old computer to be recycled. Chances are it was shipped overseas where it’s polluting someone else’community.
Guiyu city in Southeastern China has become known as the e-waste city where low-paid workers use whatever means available to remove electronics in hopes of recovering the copper, microchips, aluminum, gold and silver and plastic that can be resold. Any leftover waste is simply thrown into the nearby river or piled up high in the streets, poisoning the children growing up here.
So what can you do with your e-waste? Robert Houghton, President and founder of Redemtech, an asset management and recovery firm, recommends you vote with your dollar. Buy from companies who have a take-back program that guarantees your discarde electronics are handled proper.
“ Consumers want to do business with companies who are demonstrably good with corporate responsibility and dealing with e-waste, ” said Houghton.
There are plenty of charitable organizations that will take your used electronics and donate them for charitable causes:
• Electronic Recycling Association (Canada) (ERA) collects old computers for donation to libraries and other organizations across Canada.
• eBay’s Rethink Initiative pairs up consumers with businesses that refurbish (再磨光)old computers for donation.
• TechSoup has a thorough listing of resources for those who would like to donate or recycle hardware，buy recycled hardware or find a refurbisher.
• The Charitable Recycling Program accepts all cell-phones and has a listing of charities it helps with its program.
• Call2 Recycle has set up drop off points across Canada in a number of stores. You can drop off your cell-phone and also your rechargeable batteries from handheld electronic products.When there is something wrong with electronics, what is a popular trend among people nowadays?
| A．To keep a DIY way. | B．To put them away themselves. |
| C．To purchase what they like. | D．To donate them to charities. |
Guiyu city in Southeastern China is mentioned here to show us ____.
| A．there is an ideal place in the world for e-waste |
| B．there is a good example in the world for recycling |
| C．the recycling events in Canada benefit people overseas |
| D．people should find a scientific and thorough way to recycle |
In the writer’s opinion, who can first shoulder the great responsibility to guarantee e-waste is handled proper in the future?
| A．The UN Environment Program. |
| B．Consumers who buy electronics. |
| C．President and founder of Redemtech. |
| D．Guiyu city in Southeastern China. |
In Canada, which charity organization will most possibly take all your unwanted electronics?
| A．Call2 Recycle. | B．TechSoup. |
| C．eBay’s Rethink Initiative. | D．Electronic Recycling Association. |
With rising temperatures there’s concern for some freshwater fish. If the water gets too warm , then it can change their living activities .For some species in UK the river water needs to stay below 20℃. The problem is as the climate gets warmer so do the streams and rivers .The problem is particularly of concern for the smaller streams and rivers which respond to air temperature changes much more than the deeper and larger rivers .
The method to keep the temperatures of rivers down could be as simple as planting woodlands along the river course .Research has shown that trees cover lowland streams can keep water temperatures 5 ℃ lower than streams running through treeless environments .That 5 ℃ can make the difference between the water temperature being habitable for fish or being too warm for their living .
While it looks like a good method to a problem , there are things that need to be considered . We need to remember that trees are not the favorite habitat of all animals . Some of the habitats need open countryside . Trees can also bring their own problems .A nutrient poor stream has its own life . Plant trees alongside it and leaves fall in the stream. Falling leaves can change the nutritional makeup of the stream , which will affect the stream and local species of the stream . You have to be careful with this type of management, but his method does offer a real chance to help freshwater living things against climate changes and increasing temperatures.It can be inferred from the text that some freshwater fish ______.
| A．have to live in the small streams and rivers |
| B．never need to change their living activities |
| C．are threatened by increasing temperature s |
| D．are becoming rare and expensive in the UK. |
An easy method to protect freshwater fish is to ________ .
| A．develop more different fish species |
| B．explore lots of fish protection areas |
| C．make streams run into the deeper rivers |
| D．plant trees around the streams and rivers |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the method ?
| A．It brings problems if the water grows warmer |
| B．It needs little management . |
| C．It has its advantages and disadvantages |
| D．It is green but costs a great deal of money |
What’s the main purpose of the text ?
| A．To help people know more about freshwater fish |
| B．To introduce a method to protect freshwater fish |
| C．To explain why freshwater fish lost their habitat |
| D．To show how the weather affects freshwater fish . |
People often say that the Englishman’s home is his castle. They mean that the home is very important and personal to him. Most people in Britain live in houses rather than flats, and many people own their homes. This means that they can make them individual; they can paint them, and change them in any way they like. Most houses have a garden, even if it is a very small one, and the garden is usually loved. The house and the garden are the private space of the individual.
People usually like to mark their space. Are you sitting now in your home or on a train? Have you marked the space around yourself as yours ? If you are on the train you may put your coat or small bag on the seat beside you. If you share a flat you may have one corner or chair which is your own.
Once I was traveling on a train to London. I was in a section for four people and there was a table between us .The man on the space on my side of the table at all. I was angry. Maybe he thought that he owned the whole table .I had read a book about non-verbal communication, so I took various papers out of my bag and put them on his briefcase! When I did this he stiffened and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. I had invaded his space! A few minutes later I took my papers off his case in order to read them. He immediately moved his case to his side of the table. Of course, it is possible that he just wanted to be helpful to me!
If you are visiting another country you may feel that you don’t have any private space. Hotel rooms look much the same in every country in the world. All day long ,you share public spaces with other people. You see the local people in their private spaces and you feel lonely and “outside”. Local people can create their private spaces by talking about things you don’t know about .And you even feel that they like you to be outside them so that they will enjoy being inside even more! This is one of the difficulties of being a traveler !But if you understand it then it helps you .Haven’t you enjoyed being part of a group and “owning” a bit of space?The writer was angry as he was traveling on a train to London because______.
| A．he had no place to sit |
| B．someone had invaded his “space” |
| C．too many people shared a section with him |
| D．some other people talked about things he didn’t know about |
“… you feel lonely and ‘outside’” in paragraph 4 means that_______.
| A．you are alone outside the house |
| B．you feel lonely because you travel on your own |
| C．you are alone and therefore you go outside to have some fun |
| D．you feel lonely and you don’t belong to that place or that group of people |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．British people dislike marking their space. |
| B．You always feel at home in another country. |
| C．Most British people prefer living in houses to flats. |
| D．You can’t mark your private space in a foreign country. |
Tha main purpose of the passage is to tell readers to _______.
| A．own private spaces by living in houses |
| B．have one corner of their own in public places |
| C．realize the importance of “space” in communication |
| D．create their private spaces by talking with local people |
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
MatthewThe boy looked forward to meeting the author because _________.
| A．he was also good at weight lifting |
| B．he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal |
| C．he was one of the author’s fans |
| D．he admired the author very much |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that _______.
| A．the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease |
| B．the boy never complained about not being able to go to school |
| C．the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before |
| D．the boy never complained about not getting a medal |
From the passage we learn that _________.
| A．Matthew was an athlete |
| B．Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy |
| C．The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had |
| D．Matthew became a champion before he died |
Matthew didn’t accept the author’s medal because _________.
| A．he thought it was too expensive |
| B．he was sure that he could win one in the future |
| C．he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon |
| D．he would not be pitied by others |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A sick boy. | B．A special friend. |
| C．A real champion. | D．A famous athlete. |
The concept of health holds different meanings for different people and groups. These meanings have also changed over time. This change is no more evident than in Western society today, when notions of health and health promotion are being challenged and expanded in new ways.
For much of recent Western history, health has been viewed in the physical sense only. That is, good health has been connected to the smooth mechanical operation of the body, while ill health has been attributed to a breakdown in this machine. Health in this sense has been defined as the absence of disease or illness and is seen in medical terms.
In the late 1940s the World Health Organization challenged this physically and medically oriented (导向的) view of health. They stated that health is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and is not merely the absence of disease (WHO, 1946). Health and the person were seen more holistically (mind / body / spirit) and not just in physical terms.
The 1970s was a time of focusing on the prevention of disease and illness by emphasizing the importance of the lifestyle and behaviour of the individual. Specific behaviours which were seen to increase risk of disease, such as smoking, lack of fitness and unhealthy eating habits, were targeted. Creating health meant providing not only medical health care, but also health promotion programs and policies which would help people maintain healthy behaviours and lifestyles. While this individualistic healthy lifestyle approach to health worked for some (the wealthy members of society), it was of little benefit to people experiencing poverty, unemployment, underemployment or who had little control over the conditions of their daily life.
During the 1980s and 1990s there has been a growing swing away from seeing lifestyle risks as the root cause of poor health. While lifestyle factors still remain important, health is being viewed also in terms of the social, economic and environmental contexts in which people live. This broad approach to health is called the socio-ecological view of health.
At the Ottawa Conference in 1986, a charter was developed which outlined new directions for health promotion based on the socio-ecological view of health. This charter, known as the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, remains as the backbone of health action today. In exploring the scope of health promotion it states that:
Good health is a major resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension (尺度) of the quality of life. Political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioural and biological factors can all favour health or be harmful to it. (WHO, 1986)From the passage, we can infer that _________.
| A．good health means not having any illness |
| B．health has different meanings for different people in different periods |
| C．health has always been viewed in terms of the social, economic and environmental contexts in which people live |
| D．health has always been considered a major resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension of quality of life |
In the late 1940s, if you ___________, that meant you were healthy.
| A．were strong enough |
| B．were strong, optimistic and happy |
| C．had enough money |
| D．had a good lifestyle |
of society benefited most from the healthy lifestyle approach to health.
| A．Rich people | B．Poor people |
| C．Old people | D．Young people |
The socio-ecological view of health includes the following broad areas EXCEPT ________.
| A．the social contexts |
| B．the environmental contexts |
| C．the economic contexts |
| D．the area of personal development |
This passage mainly tells us that .
| A．wealth is health |
| B．health means different things in different periods |
| C．it’s getting harder to be healthy |
| D．people should change their understanding of health over time |
We have all experienced days when everything goes wrong. A day may begin well enough, but suddenly everything seems to get out of control. Sometimes a single unimportant event may cause a number of things to happen. Let us suppose that you are preparing a meal and keeping an eye on the baby at the same time. The telephone rings and this causes your troubles to begin. While you are on the phone, the baby pulls the tablecloth off the table, destroying your half-prepared meal. You hang up hurriedly and attend to your baby. Meanwhile, the meal gets burnt. As if this is not enough to bring you to tears, your husband arrives home, unexpectedly bringing three guests to dinner.
Things can also go wrong on the road. During rush hour one evening two cars collided and the drivers began to argue. The woman driver behind the two cars happened to be a learner. She got into a panic and stopped her car. This forced the driver following her to stop suddenly. This driver’s wife was sitting beside him holding a large cake, and as she was thrown forward, the cake went right through the window and landed on the road. A truck driver seeing a cake flying through the air slammed on the brakes. The truck was carrying empty beer bottles and hundreds of them slid off the back of the truck onto the road, causing a terrible traffic jam. It took the police an hour to get the traffic on the move again. In the meantime, the truck driver had to sweep up hundreds of broken bottles. Only two dogs were enjoying themselves, for they were happily having what was left of the cake.If you want to answer the phone without any trouble, you’d better ___________ .
| A．pull out the telephone line when you are with your baby |
| B．put your baby on the bed and keep an eye on him / her |
| C．not hurry to answer the phone |
| D．make sure your baby is not near the table |
Who is responsible for the accidents that happened on the road?
| A．The two drivers who were arguing. |
| B．It wasn’t mentioned in the passage. |
| C．The woman driver. |
| D．The truck driver. |
From this story we learn that ________.
| A．there are many road accidents every day |
| B．the accidents mentioned in the passage are very strange |
| C．no one knows why this kind of accident happens |
| D．the accidents mentioned in the passage are very common |
The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to ___________.
| A．remind us not to answer the phone when we are busy |
| B．tell us driving is dangerous every day |
| C．remind us not to be nervous when we meet an accident |
| D．remind us not to carry a cake when we are sitting in a car |
The main idea of this passage is that ________.
| A．troubles always come in groups |
| B．accidents may happen anywhere at anytime |
| C．a telephone call may cause great trouble |
| D．anyone may have trouble on their way home |