BERLIN (Reuters)—Germany’s postal service has announced plans to explore improved service and help protect the environment by getting “fetch friends”—ordinary people traveling across cities—to deliver parcels on their way.
It is hoped that the move, which will be tested in the coming months, might lessen traffic in inner cities and reduce CO2 emissions(排放). This should help DHL, a division of the German postal service, reach its target of improving the company’s carbon efficiency by 30 percent before 2020.
“As the world’s biggest logistics(物流) provider, we recognize a special responsibility to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, in a statement referring to a variety of measures being considered.
The “fetch friends” find out online about parcels that need delivering to people who live or work along the way that they are planning to travel through the city. They then select the ones that they want to take.
Codes(编码) sent to their mobile phones tell the volunteers where to pick the packages up. Parcels can be taken part of the way or passed on to another volunteer but all volunteers need to have the right code on their mobile phone so the track and trace system can be updated.
Logistics companies will be responsible for looking after the operation to make sure that the privacy of post is respected.
It’s hoped that this could be done using mobile phones but DHL says it recognizes that some security issues remain to be worked out. According to the passage, the “fetch friend” program ________.
| A．has been tested for months |
| B．aims to reduce the cost of the service |
| C．employs environmentalists to help with deliveries |
| D．encourages ordinary people to help cut the carbon footprint |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of DHL?
| A．It belongs to the Germany’s postal service. |
| B．It has the most up-to-date tracking system in Germany. |
| C．It has succeeded in improving its carbon efficiency by 30%. |
| D．It has designed many measures to improve its service speed. |
What may be a problem with the new service according to the article?
| A．Volunteers’ not allowing to select parcels. |
| B．The wrong codes in the mobile phones. |
| C．The possibility that parcels could be opened on the way. |
| D．Parcels’ being taken to the destination by a single volunteer. |
What might be the best Title for the best passage?
| A．New Challenges for the Postal Service |
| B．A Greener Way to Deliver Parcels |
| C．Solutions for Global Warming |
| D．Statements from DHL |
This US competition is for camping related（有关的）articles in which you share your tips, advice, experience, etc.
Closing: When we’ve received 100 articles — so you’d better be quick.
Prizes: $100,$75,$25 — all in VISA Gift Cards.
How to enter our writing competition
In your own words, write an article on a camping topic such as: how to’s, reviews, tips and advice, or any topic camping related.The best articles will include useful information about camping, in an interesting and well-written way.Remember that it should be no less than 200 words.
Other requirements
1.Fill in all the information required, including your article, on our webpage CampTrip.com and then submit（提交）it.
2.You must be 16 years old or over to take part in the competition.
3.You must be a student who is now studying in the US.
And what’s in it for you?
We are giving out a VISA Gift Card for first, second and third best articles.Simply share your experience with others and try to win a VISA cash card.The writing competition is limited to 100 articles which gives you a better chance of writing.So why don’t you take up this chance?What can we learn about the competition?
| A．Articles must be less than 200 words. |
| B．Articles on any topics will be welcome. |
| C．It will be closed when it has 100 articles. |
| D．It has only one kind of prize for the winners. |
If you want to enter for the competition,________.
| A．you should write something useful |
| B．you must be a US student who is under 16 |
| C．you’d better write a short introduction of yourself |
| D．you must send your information to an e-mail address |
It can be learned from the text that______.
| A．the place of the camp must be included in the article |
| B．the words in the article should be as easy as possible |
| C．the articles should be submitted through the given website |
| D．everyone entering for the competition will get a VISA Gift Card |
Who will most probably be interested in the competition?
| A．Teachers. | B．Students. |
| C．Writers. | D．Parents. |
I grew up in a traditional peanut butter and jelly（果冻） household.Sandwiches were made on bread and cut neatly（整齐地）into pieces.
When I was around ten or eleven, I was at my best friend’s house during lunch time.We dug through the kitchen searching for the best offerings.I really want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I said.She set out the peanut butter and the jelly and opened the bread box only to find it empty.I think we have hot dog buns（面包）, she suggested.I felt frightened.Hot dog buns? Those were for hot dogs.“Jill”, she said, “they are bread.The same bread that you would usually have, they are just in a different shape.I’m not suggesting you eat an actual hot dog with your peanut butter and jelly.” But, I wasn’t sure.This was the girl who mixed her playschool people with her Barbie dolls and put her Lego’s in my doll house.Something was wrong with that way of thinking.I turned down the sandwich, so she made one for herself, saying just how delicious it was while I sat, hungry, counting down until dinner time.
Thirty years later, we were out of bread for Ben’s daily peanut butter and jelly sandwich one day.I suddenly remembered that day and offered him with a peanut butter and jelly on a hot dog roll.He ate the entire thing quickly.
From that day on, I’ve made almost all his sandwiches on hot dog buns.It’s neater with no messy jelly drips from the sides and it’s easier.Besides, it’s just more fun than a regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich.The purpose of the first paragraph is to ______ .
| A．teach how to keep peanut butter well |
| B．tell the author was brought up in a careful way |
| C．introduce the correct way of making sandwiches |
| D．show she was used to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches |
The author refused her friend’s hot dog buns because ______ .
| A．they were for dogs |
| B．she wasn’t hungry at all |
| C．she couldn’t accept the idea |
| D．her friend wasn’t a good cook |
Compared with（和……比较）peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sandwiches on hot dog buns ______ .
| A．need less jelly | B．save much trouble |
| C．taste more delicious | D．seem less fun to make |
How does Jill feel about refusing her friend’s sandwich?
| A．Proud. | B．Satisfied. |
| C．Regretful. | D．Angry. |
There are some strange driving laws in different countries.
| Countries |
Laws |
Vietnam |
If you’re in Vietnam without a Vietnamese driver’s license, you risk a prison sentence of up to three years. |
Russia |
In Moscow, if your car is dirty enough to draw dust art, you will be fined about 2,000 rubles (about US $55). Worse yet, it’s illegal to wash your car by hand in public places — forcing you to take it to one of the few car wash facilities. |
Thailand |
Drivers —male or female — can’t drive shirtless, whether it’s a car, a bus, or a tuk-tuk cab. |
France |
France requires its drivers to carry a portable breathalyzer(酒精测量仪) at all times when driving a car. The one-time breathalyzer cost around US$5, and if you don’t have one, you will be fined US$15. |
Cyprus |
Raising your hands in the car can get you fined of US$35. The law states a driver can be fined if the person “is in an irregular position inside the car or raises his hand from the steering wheel unnecessarily. |
Where should you go to wash your car when you are in Moscow?
| A．The car wash facilities | B．Any public place |
| C．Your home | D．The forest |
What can get you fined for in Cyprus?
| A．Forgetting to carry a portable breathalyzer |
| B．Not having a Cyprus driver’s license |
| C．Putting your hands above your head when you are driving |
| D．Driving without a shirt |
If you are fined thousands of dollars in Japan, you may have been ____.
| A．in an irregular position in your car |
| B．sitting in a car with a drunk driver |
| C．splashing a person with mud |
| D．impolite to other drivers |
This text can most likely be found in _______.
| A．a law document |
| B．a fashion magazine |
| C．an international newspaper |
| D．a column on interesting cultures |
I log onto a computer at the doctor's office to say I have arrived and then wait until a voice calls me into the examination room.
There, a robotic nurse directs me onto a device and then takes my blood pressure. Some time later, in steps the doctor, who is also a robot. He notes down my symptoms and gives me a prescription (处方). I pay for my visit using a credit card machine and return home without having met another human being.
When I call my dentist's office and actually get a human being on the line, I am thrilled. And when I see the introduction of yet more self-service checkout stations at the grocery store, I feel like shouting, "When it comes to cashiers, make mine human, please!"
After all, human cashiers sometimes give you a store coupon (优惠券) for items you are buying. Even more than that, real-life cashiers often take an interest in particularly cute children, which can brighten a young mother's day. A cashier may also show compassion (同情)for an elderly person struggling to get that last penny out of her purse.
What technological device would do any of this? I don't want to go back to the Stone Age, but I'm also worried about a world run by machines. Sometimes when you're chatting with someone, you discover things you need to know. Maybe a receptionist needs prayers said for a sick child. Maybe a salesperson can offer a bit of encouragement to a customer who is feeling tired.
Machines can be efficient and cost-effective and they often get the job done just fine. But they lack an element so important to everyday life.
Call it the spirit, the soul or the heart. It is something no machine will ever have. It is being human that prompts us to smile at others, which may be what they need at that moment.What's the author's purpose in writing the first two paragraphs?
| A．To indicate high technology can make our future life very easy |
| B．To describe a possible future scene where robots take control of our life |
| C．To warn readers of the possible dangers of robotic nurses and doctors |
| D．To predict how technology can affect the way we see a doctoring the future |
Why does the author prefer being served by humans rather than by robots?
| A．Robots are indifferent and emotionless |
| B．Robots can't provide efficient services |
| C．Robots don't offer to give store coupons |
| D．Robots are unable to do a job as well as humans |
What's the author's attitude towards machines?
| A．He wishes one day they would come to life |
| B．He is absolutely against their existence in his life |
| C．He doesn't like they get involved in his life too much |
| D．He is afraid they would take the place of human beings |
Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve. It’s your hair that reveals what you’re really like.
If you want to show your goal-set side, go for a high ponytail. People with this hairstyle tend to be results-driven and logical, according to Jean Haner, a US expert in face reading who wrote The Wisdom of Your Face. When she first came out as an actress, Li Bingbing’s looks were often described as fragile, partly because of her long locks. But now, her polished high ponytail has convinced everyone that she is unstoppable and will go to any lengths to achieve her goals.
Wavy hair is attractive to many. But if you have curly hair and all you want to do is straighten it, this usually means your life is too chaotic（混乱） and you need to calm down. US singer Taylor Swift is a perfect example of this kind. By making hair straight, she’s controlling its intensity and giving herself a sense of calmness, according to Cosmopolitan magazine. She may have decided to enjoy herself for a moment after all the ups and downs in her love life.
Want to have more fun in your life? Curly hair may give you away. For those who have straight hair that is always curled, it can mean they’re craving for a more interesting life. The theory is that curly hair is more interesting than straight hair and will lead to more exciting experiences. If you don’t believe it, take US singer Beyonce Knowles’ case as an example. Her curly hairdo presents a more positive and fun image to the world.
If you have a super short wash-and-go hairstyle, you must be super confident. Miley Cyrus is one of those types. Long gone are the days when she was the lovely Disney star who had long wavy strands. Now she has a super short wash-and-go hairdo that is as rebellious as her personality. As she told E! Online, by keeping her hair short, she is speaking on behalf of girls everywhere, breaking the stereotype of more traditional hairstyles.How does the author develop the passage?
| A．By giving examples | B．By making comparison |
| C．By making assumption | D．By quoting wise words |
What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase“give you away”in para4？
| A．Stop you having fun | B．Show your inner secret |
| C．Bring more money | D．Attract more fans |
According to the passage, we can infer .
| A．High ponytail means being more logical |
| B．Taylor Swift used to be a lovely Disney star |
| C．US singer Beyonce Knowles likes straight hairstyle |
| D．Li Bingbing experienced ups and downs in her love life |
If you want to show your super confidence, you are advised to have .
| A．a high ponytail | B．a straight hair |
| C．a curly hair | D．a short wash-and-go hairdo |