Making greener choices and encouraging healthy lifestyles can promote your health and benefit the environment．Here are some guidelines to follow:
Choose foods thoughtfully
Americans have never had such a variety or abundance of food to choose from．Besides so many choice
s, we now hear about our "food print", the amount of land needed to supply o
ne person's nutritional needs for a year．Do we buy cherry tomatoes from Mexico or tomatoes grown locally in a hothouse? Do．we get the Granny Smiths from the fanners' market or the supermarket? Is organic produce healthier for us and the planet?
These are very complex issues that require analysis of many criteria, including the energy used in producing and transporting the food, as well as the type of soil and methods of raising the food．
Despite the complexities, there are some general guidelines you can follow．For instance, eat less meat or eat low on the food chain．Your doctor may have recommended you to restrict your consume red meat because of its too much fat content．Beyond that, there are environmental reasons, too. Raise food animals contributes substantially to climate change because a meat-based diet requires more land, energy and water than a plant - based one．
Drinking plenty of fluids is significant during hot weather or when exercising．But is bottled water the way to go? You may not think so when seeing the true costs．Based on a survey, manufacturing the 30 - plus billion plastic water bottles can produce more than 2．5 million tons of carbon dioxide and use here times the amount of water in the bottle．Adding in transportation, the energy used comes to over 50 million barrels of oil equiv
alent （等价物）．Consequently, skip the bottled water and drink tap water, both at home and at restaurants．Additionally, bottled water is not necessarily cleaner than tap.In Paragraph 2 the author puts forward three questions mainly _____．
| A．to prove Americans have less food to choose from |
| B．to show us the shopping habits of most Americans |
| C．to indicate Americans tend to buy food from abroad |
| D．to remind people to reconsider their food purchase |
The doctor recommends eating less red meat partly because _____．
| A．it contains too much fat | B．it costs a lot in transportation |
| C．it is too low on the food chain | D．it isn't related to climate change |
According to the text, which of the following is true?
| A．Americans all prefer to buy cherry tomatoes from Mexico． |
| B．The plant - based diet is responsible for the climate change． |
| C．Americans have a variety of food to choose from． |
| D．Organic produce is the only choice for Americans． |
Based on the last paragraph, we know that _____．
| A．bottled water is cleaner than tap water |
| B．tap water is economical as well as eco - friendly |
| C．bottled water is more available than tap water |
| D．tap water uses one - third the cost of bottled water |
What is the best subtitle for the last paragraph?
| A．Skip bottled water, carry tap | B．Drink bottled water |
| C．Produce plastic water bottles | D．Save water resources |
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan — a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi, Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a productive writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.
The awarding ceremony has been held on December 10. The winner has won a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million. How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
| A．Excited and proud. | B．Worried and cautious |
| C．Uncertain and shocked. | D．Happy and surprised |
One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he ________.
| A．focuses on social problems in the country |
| B．writes about topics he is familiar with |
| C．describes his characters in a unique way |
| D．explains difficult matters in simple words |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature |
| B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| C．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize |
| D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |
In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a “bucket list” ------ a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.
THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT
On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise (乘船游览). From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.
www.exotiktours.com 416-646-3347
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA
One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420.
www.gowaytravel.com 416-322-1034
THE GREAT WALL, CHINA
If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.
www.toureastholidays.com 416-929-0888
THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL
And on to the Himalayas. Talk about something truly majestic (壮丽的). See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.
www.gapadventures.com 416-260-0999The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ____.
| A．come to life | B．play a game |
| C．list interesting places | D．pass away |
According to the passage, where can you enjoy a view of the whole Taj Mahal?
| A．In Sherpa village. | B．Near the Forbidden City |
| C．At Oberoi AmarVilas | D．Through Egypt Express |
If you take on the Everest Adventure tour, you should be aware that ____.
| A．it is a tiring trip |
| B．the sights may not be so good. |
| C．you may not be used to the food there |
| D．it is an expensive trip |
Which of the following websites may offer you more information about Agra?
| A．www.exotiktours.com | B．www.gowaytravel.com |
| C．www.gapadventures.com | D．www.toureastholidays.com |
Taking exams in a large group setting can be stressful for students and for the staff members who are watching over them. When classrooms are crowded and desks are close together, cheating might be tempting.
One university in Thailand came up with an anti-cheating hat that makes it almost impossible for students to see other students’ papers. A photo of the students wearing the anti-cheating hats made its way to the internet, and the university was criticized for making students wear those ridiculous looking homemade hats. The hats were made by stapling two pieces of paper onto a headband, one to each side of the head.
After being criticized, senior academic staff at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, released a statement saying that the hats idea came from students. They said that in a bid to prevent cheating they asked the students for ideas on how to prevent cheating in the upcoming exam, which was being taken by almost one hundred students. Students came up with different ideas, then the paper hat idea was selected by them as the most fit. The university claims that no-one was forced to use the hat, but they all chose to do so. “When wearing the hat during the exam, students felt more relaxed,” Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai, a lecturer at the university said.“It was not meant to indicate that Kasetsart students often cheat on exams. I apologize if the photo makes other people look at my students in a negative way,’ Rungruangkitkrai added.Why was the university criticized on the Internet?
| A．The homemade anti-cheating hat looked too simple. |
| B．Wearing the anti-cheating hat made students look ridiculous. |
| C．Wearing the anti-cheating hats couldn’t prevent students from cheating in the exam. |
| D．The university forced students to wear the anti-cheating hat. |
What’s most of the Kasetsart University students’ attitude towards the cheating hat?
| A．skeptical | B．supportive | C．objective | D．negative |
It can be inferred from the passage that_______.
| A．It’s useless wearing the anti-cheating hat in the exam. |
| B．Kasetsart students are often caught cheating in the exam. |
| C．Wearing the anti-cheating hat is effective in some degree. |
| D．Some students are forced to wear the anti-cheating hat. |
There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight. Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug. I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.
I looked forward to the return journey.The author expected the train trip to be _________.
| A．adventurous | B．pleasant | C．exciting | D．dull |
What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
| A．The friendly country people. |
| B．The mountains along the way. |
| C．The crowds of people in the streets. |
| D．The simple lunch served on the train. |
Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “relish” in the second paragraph?
| A．choose | B．enjoy | C．prepare for | D．carry on |
Where was the writer going?
| A．Johore Baru. | B．The Causeway. | C．Butterworth. | D．Singapore. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Comfort in traveling by train. | B．Pleasure of living in the country. |
| C．Reading gives people delight. | D．Smiles brighten people up. |
Narayana Hrudayalaya, a complex of health centers based in southern India, offers low-cost, high-quality specialty care in a largely poor country of 1.2 billion people. By thinking differently about everything from the unusually high number of patients it treats to the millions for whom it provides insurance, the hospital group is able to continually reduce costs. Narayana Hrudayalaya’s operations include the world’s largest and most productive cardiac (心脏病的) hospital, where the average open-heart surgery runs less than $2,000, a third or less what it costs elsewhere in India.
Narayana Hrudayalaya’s origins date back to 2001, when it built its massive cardiac center on the outskirts （市郊）of Bangalore. But it has expanded since then into what founder Dr. Devi Shetty calls a “health city”, a series of centers specializing in eye, trauma（创伤）, and cancer care, Narayana Hrudayalaya now manages or owns hospitals in 14 other Indian cities.
Expanding access is paired with a ongoing focus on efficiency. Typically, says Shetty, private hospitals in India focus on patients who can easily afford treatment. “We did it the other way around,” he says. “This hospital is for poor people, but we also treat some rich people. We don’t look at people who are shabbily dressed and have trouble paying as outsiders.” Narayana Hrudayalaya’s flagship hospital has 3,000 beds and negotiates for better prices and buys directly from manufacturers, cutting out distributors（分销商）.
In addition to cost-cutting, Narayana Hrudayalaya finds creative ways to make the economics work. The company started a micro-insurance program backed by the government that enables 3 million farmers to have coverage for as little as 22 cents a month in premiums（保险费）. Patients who pay discounted rates are in effect compensated by those who pay full price
Doing something—doing more, actually—is the point. By 2017, Shetty, 58, plans to expand from 5,000 beds throughout India to 30,000. Before becoming one of India’s best-known health-care entrepreneurs, Shetty was its best-known heart surgeon. He was interrupted in surgery one day during the 1990s by a request to make a house call. “I said, ‘I don’t make home visits,’ ” Shetty says, “and the caller said, ‘If you see this patient, the experience may transform your life.’”The request was from Mother Teresa. Inspired by her work with the poor, he then set out to create a hospital to deliver care based on need, not wealth. “One lesson she taught me,” he says, quoting a saying he keeps framed in his office, “is ‘Hands that sew are holier than lips that pray.’”Narayana Hrudayalaya started a micro-insurance to _______.
| A．cut down on the cost of the treatment |
| B．get the support of the government |
| C．make the company run smoothly |
| D．attract more people to its hospital |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．the cost of medicine care in India is very low |
| B．Shetty wouldn’t have succeeded without Mother Teresa |
| C．Shetty and his colleagues are likely to make home visits now |
| D．Shetty has expanded his hospitals to most of other cities in India |
Why did Shetty build the massive cardiac center in 2001?
| A．He wanted to build a health city. |
| B．He was motivated and decided to help more people. |
| C．He intended to develop his career in different areas. |
| D．He meant to help more poor people get free treatment. |
How would you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph ?
| A．It’s doing something and doing more that really matters. |
| B．It’s not easy to take positive action to contribute to society. |
| C．Healthcare workers are the holiest persons in the world. |
| D．Praying alone is of no significance in face of difficult situation. |
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