The common Chinese greeting of “Ni chi le ma?” may soon be replaced by a new greeting: “Have you cleaned your plate?”
Over the Spring Festival holiday there was a big effort to get people to curb their habit of ordering too much food in restaurants because a lot of that food ended up being wasted. Holiday eaters were urged to “clean their plates” and were asked to take leftover food home in “doggy bags.”
The impetus behind the campaign was the startling government statistic that over 200 billion yuan is spent every year on food that ends up in the garbage bin. And in the midst of all this waste, statistics show that 128 million people are living below the poverty line and going hungry.
The “clean your plate” campaign is part of a worldwide effort to stop precious food from being wasted. The United Nations estimates that $1trillion (yes, that’s a very big number) worth of food is wasted each year. Most of that is lost during food production and transportation, but a significant percentage is attributed to waste by consumers. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) has launched a campaign called “Think. Eat. Save.” to make people aware of the problem.
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing is an ambassador for UNEP and she encouraged people to upload pictures of their “clean plates” to show their support for the program. Thousands of people responded and demonstrated that they had a clear conscience to go along with their full stomachs.
Xi Jinping, the incoming Chinese president, is also urging people to be less wasteful and he told Party members to cut back on extravagant holiday banquets and to be more careful when spending the people’s money.
For some, though, Xi Jinping’s and Fan Bingbing’s admonitions don’t go far enough. Yuan Longping, an agricultural scientist, caused a stir by saying that wasting food should be treated as a crime. (Jail time for leftover chicken feet!?)
If not a crime, wasting food is certainly a sin and it goes against what Xi Jinping calls, “the Chinese tradition of being diligent and thrifty.” Having a “clean plate” is just a traditional and responsible thing to do. Which statement is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Over 200 billion yuan is wasted every year on food around China. |
| B．It’s quite common for Chinese people to order more food than they need in restaurants. |
| C．It’s universally acknowledged that wasting food is a crime. |
| D．Fan did something to promote people’s awareness of saving food. |
What’ the best title for the passage?
| A．Food is important. | B．Have you cleaned your plate? |
| C．Jail time for leftover chicken feet!? | D．Wasting food is crime. |
We’ve been covering standing desks for a long time now because experts agree that sitting all day is killing us. We want to be productive while also keeping our bodies healthy. Over the years, there have been several solutions to this from fixed standing desks to adjustable ones, portable desks to ones that change into shelves.
However, the most high tech and elegant solution has to be this new smart desk called The Stir Kinetic Desk. The desk learns your daily behaviors and moves between a sitting and standing height regularly throughout the day to keep you moving without interrupting your work flow.
You can program specific sitting and standing intervals or let the desk set the schedule. If you tend to sit while returning emails in the morning, but always want to stand during that afternoon conference call, the desk will learn those regular habits and adjust the schedule to fit them. Of course, the desk can always be manually lowered or raised by using the touch screen on the lower left comer of the desk.
When switching positions, the desk gently dips and rises to let you know that a change is coming up. If you’re not ready to switch positions at that time, you can tap the touchscreen to stay sitting or standing for a while longer.
The built-in touchscreen also keeps track of your daily sitting and standing times and tells you how many calories you’ve burned. You can even set goals for how long or often you want to stand. The desk also works with fitness devices like the FitBit to track your movements.
All of that smart tech doesn’t come cheap though. The M1 desk, which is the everyday model, runs a steep $2,990, while the more executive model with added features, the F1, goes for$4,190.
While expensive, it’s worth thinking of how much time we spend at our desks. Much like a good mattress(床垫), a good desk that works with you is worth the investment. Hopefully in a few years these smart, integrated desks will be more common and less expensive.
The Stir Kinetic Desk has been designed to_______.
| A．help users with their work |
| B．keep users moving all the time |
| C．get users to exercise while working |
| D．remind users of their working schedule |
Which is the feature of the touchscreen of the desk?
| A．It can tell users when to change positions. |
| B．It can track users’ changes of positions. |
| C．It can keep users in a fixed position. |
| D．It can detect users’ health condition. |
Which of the following can best describe the desk?
| A．Productive but challenging. |
| B．Convenient but unaffordable. |
| C．Complex and impractical. |
| D．Multi-functional and intelligent. |
What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
| A．To spend money on such a desk is rewarding. |
| B．We should get such a desk as soon as possible. |
| C．It won’t be long before the desk is widely used. |
| D．Desks play a very important role in our daily life. |
The world’s richest man might seem to have it all, but Bill Gates has one regret. The self-made billionaire said he felt stupid for not knowing any foreign languages.
Speaking in his third Ask Me Anything question-and-answer session for online forum Reddit(红迪网), the Microsoft founder said that he wished he spoke French, Arabic or Chinese.
He said: “I took Latin and Greek in high school and got A’s and I guess it helps my vocabulary. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these—probably French because it is the easiest. I did Duolingo for a while but didn’t keep it up.”
Gates, who is worth $79.3 billion, praised Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for surprising an audience in Beijing when he spoke fluent Chinese. “Mark Zuckerberg amazingly leamed Chinese and did a Q&A with Chinese students—unbelievable, isn’t it?” he said.
This isn’t the first time for Gates to admit his regret over language. He also showed his habits at home and personal insights.
Last February, Gates said he likes to do the dishes himself—to his own special standards every night and also told the interviewer that his wife, Melinda, would likely want Samuel L. Jackson to play her husband in a biopic(传记片).
He also admitted that he would pick up a $100 bill if he found it on the street.
As he took the top spot on Forbes(福布斯)28th Annual Billionaires list last year for the fourth time, he said he is pretty basic when it comes to so ending on clothes and food, but that he enjoys investing in shoes and racquets(球拍)when he plays tennis.
When asked a life lesson he had to learn the hard way, the billionaire said staying up too late is a habit he is still trying to break. “Don’t stay up too late even if the book is really exciting. You will regret it in the morning. Pam still working on this problem,” he said. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Interview with Bill Gates |
| B．How Bill Gates Succeeded |
| C．Bill Gates’ Regret |
| D．The Richest Billionaire |
The underlined part in Paragraph 8 may actually mean that_____.
| A．it is important to lay a good foundation of life |
| B．food and clothing are basic needs for people’s life |
| C．he doesn’t spend much money on food and clothes |
| D．he never cares about buying food and clothing |
What advice did Bill Gates give?
| A．Avoid staying up too late. |
| B．Be a good language learner. |
| C．Do the dishes yourself at home. |
| D．Pick up the $100 bills in the streets. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Bill Gates is also the founder of Facebook |
| B．Bill Gates topped the list of Forbes 28 times. |
| C．Bill Gates was good at learning languages in high schoo1. |
| D．Bill Gates’ wife wants Samuel to play a game with Gates. |
The International Painting Contest on Google’s homepage in 2015 may look pretty strange, but it spotlightings a very serious issue: clean water, which is unusual for an 11-year-old from Long Island.
Audrey Zhang, a fifth-grader from Levittown, N.Y, is the winner of this year’s Doodle 4 Google contest, rising to the top of some 100, 000 entries on the theme of “draw one thing to make the world a better place.”
Her piece, titled “Back to Mother Nature,” describes a detailed water-cleaning machine. Zhang worked with a team of artists at Google to animate(使……生动)her drawing.
“To make the world a better place, I came up with a transformative water purifier, a machine used to remove dirty or harmful substances,” Google quoted Zhang as saying. “It takes in dirty and polluted water from rivers, lakes and even oceans, then massively transforms the water into clean, safe and pure water. When humans and animals drink this water, they will live a healthier life.”
She created a whole world around the device—one populated by humans, a whale in a top hat and dragons.
Zhang, s piece is “so vivid and so rich and so full and so complete,’’ Google Doodle team leader Ryan Germick told the Washington Post. “Every leaf seemed to have life in it.”
Along with having her artwork featured on Google’s homepage, Zhang wins a $30,000 college scholarship. In addition, her school will receive a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant, and the company is donating $20,000 in her name to a charity devoted to bringing clean water to schools in Bangladesh.
On Sunday, the night before her work was revealed on net, Zhang told Newsday she was excited by the big win, but said she wouldn’t be awake when her art first went online at midnight.
“I have school-tomorrow, so I can’t stay up late,” she told the paper.
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．The winner and her work in the painting contest. |
| B．The team of artists at Google to animate drawings. |
| C．The painting contest of Google’s homepage in 2015. |
| D．The water-cleaning machine in the painting contest. |
According to the passage, we know that______.
| A．Audrey Zhang is creative and self-disciplined |
| B．a water-cleaning device was made in the contest |
| C．$50, 000 will be donated in Audrey Zhang’s name |
| D．Zhang’s piece was printed in all major newspapers |
The underlined word in Paragraph l probably means “_____”.
| A．put up with | B．1ook for ward to |
| C．breakaway from | D．focus attention on |
October 21 was a very dark day in Texas. Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes, it caused the largest business damage in Texas’s history. The worst thing is Hanna’s destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines. According to Center Point Energy, Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers. Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark. Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents.
Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal. Schools, restaurants, retail stores and gas stations are open. Smiles are back. But harder-hit places, including Galveston, will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing, and coastal towns are a mess. Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas. Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage. Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13. Many school supplies were destroyed.
Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas. This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying. Believe it or not, Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing. When Paula was a girl, she was an orphan, but was taken in by her stepmom, Antonia Flores. Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years. Before the hurricane, Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter. There, she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.What’s the most serious damage caused by Hurricane Hanna?
| A．Hundreds of people are still missing. |
| B．A large number of people are homeless. |
| C．Power facilities are severely destroyed. |
| D．Factories are closed and many people jobless. |
It can be inferred that the residents in Houston________.
| A．have fully recovered from the disaster |
| B．were the most unlucky people in the disaster |
| C．need a long time to bring their life back to normal |
| D．suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston |
Kids in public schools in other areas of Houston will have to stay at home for_______
| A．at least one month |
| B．at least three weeks |
| C．two weeks at most |
| D．nearly half a month |
Paula Reed and her family consider the hurricane a blessing because_______
| A．they had nothing lost after Hurricane Hanna |
| B．they lived a happier life in San Antonio shelter |
| C．Paula was taken good care of in the shelter |
| D．Paula reunited with her stepmother after three decades |
KING LEAR
Part 3
NARRATOR: As soon as Goneril has got all she can from her father, she begins treating him disrespectfully. When Lear wants to speak to her, Goneril tells her servant, Oswald, to say she is sick. She encourages her staff to be disrespectful towards Lear and begins complaining about the hundred soldiers Lear has brought with him. However, King Lear soon has a friend by his side. The Duke of Kent, who Lear ordered to leave Britain, cannot abandon his king. He therefore comes to Lear disguised as a servant called Caius and asks for a job.
(Enter Lear, several of Lear's soldiers and Kent disguised as a servant.)
LEAR: OK, Caius. I'll give you a trial. And if you prove to be good at your job, I'll keep you on as my servant. (Oswald enters.) Hey, you there. Where's my daughter? (Oswald ignores the king and hurries out of the room.) Hey. What's going on? Call him back. Is he deaf? (A Soldier rushes out after Oswald.) It's as though the whole world has gone to sleep. (Soldier reenters.) Where's that servant? Why didn’t he come back when I called?
SOLDIER: Sir, he answered me very rudely and said he would not come back.
LEAR: I don’t believe it!
SOLDIER: Sir, I am sorry, to tell you this, but it seems to me that you are not being treated with the respect due to a king. Everyone here, including your daughter, is behaving very coldly towards you.
LEAR: Mmm. I suspected the same, but I kept telling myself it was my imagination. Please tell my daughter I wish to speak with her. (Soldier bows and leaves. Oswald enters.) Ah, come here my man and answer me. Who am I?
OSWALD: My lady's father.
LEAR: Your lady's father? Is that all I am to you, you dog, you slave! (Lear raises his arm as though to strike Oswald.)
OSWALD: I'll not be hit, my Lord.
KENT: (Kent kicks Oswald's feet out from under him.) And you won't be laid flat on your back either, I suppose. Now get up and get out of here. (Oswald leaves.)
LEAR: My thanks, Caius. I can see you will be a most valuable servant.
(Enter Goneril.) What's up, daughter? You always seem to be frowning lately.
GONERIL: Is it any wonder that I frown when your soldiers are continually drinking and fighting? I thought when I told you about their behavior you would make them behave, but now I hear you have insulted Oswald. I do believe you are encouraging your soldiers in their bad behavior.
LEAR: Is this my daughter scolding me?
GONERIL: I have had enough of your soldiers. They are expensive to keep and you don't need them. Besides, their drunken behavior and bad manners are disgusting. You will send half of them away. And unless you want me to get rid of the rest of them too, I suggest you teach them how to behave properly.
LEAR: That's a lie. My soldiers are good men who know how to behave properly. I won't stay here to be insulted. I still have one more daughter. She'll scratch out your eyes when she hears how you've treated me. Men! Get my horses ready and collect my baggage. I'll leave immediately. I won't stay where I'm not welcome. (Lear and companions leave.)
NARRATOR: Lear sends Kent on ahead to the castle of his other daughter, Regan, to tell her that he will soon be arriving. Goneril sends her servant Oswald to Regan to tell her side of the story.
Who does the underlined “him” probably refer to?
| A．Kent. | B．Oswald. | C．Lear. | D．Soldier. |
Why did the Duke of Kent disguise himself as a servant?
| A．To find a chance to meet Goneril. |
| B．To share some of the king’s wealth. |
| C．To find a job in the court. |
| D．To serve and help his king— Lear. |
From the passage, what is the relationship between Goneril and Regan?
| A．Sisters. | B．Couple. |
| C．Sister and Brother. | D．Brothers. |
Which of the following best describe the character of King Lear in this passage?
| A．A wise king and father. |
| B．A cold-hearted father. |
| C．A cruel and selfish king. |
| D．A stupid and a bit stubborn man. |
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