Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge(大杂烩) of environmental claims made by household products, according to a “green labeling” study published by Consumers International Friday.
Among the report’s more unacceptalbe findings – a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”; a brand of flour said it was “non-polluting” and a British toilet paper claimed to be “environmentally friendlier”.
The study was written and researched by Britain’s National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumers International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.
“While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear that there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impacts they buy,” said Consumers International director, Anna Fielder.
The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average.
The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent (洗涤剂), insect sprays and some garden products. It did not test claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999. Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.
“Many products had specially designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,” said report researcher Philip Page.
“Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading,” he said.
The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as “environmentally friendly” and “non-polluting” cannot be verified. “What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO,” said Page.According to the passage, the NCC found it unacceptable that _______.
| A．all the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards |
| B．the claims made by products are often unclear and deceiving |
| C．consumers would believe many of the manufacturers’ claims |
| D．few products actually prove to be environment friendly |
As indicated in this passage, with so many good claims, the consumers _______.
| A．are becoming more cautious about the products they are going to buy |
| B．are still not willing to pay more for products with green labeling |
| C．are becoming more aware of the effects different products have on the environment |
| D．still do not know the exact impact of different products on the environment |
It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to _______.
| A．make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements |
| B．see all household products meet environmental standards |
| C．warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products |
| D．verify the effects of non-polluting products |
Xu Hui is very excited. The Senior 1 student in a middle school in Beijing will go to South Korea with his parents during the Spring Festival.
“Overseas touring has always been a dream for me,” he said happily.
Nowadays, Chinese people enjoy longer holidays, such as the three “Golden Week Holidays”(the Spring Festival, May Day and National Day). They have more time to travel. Rising incomes also make travelling abroad realistic for ordinary Chinese people.
Nearly 7 million Chinese travelled overseas in 2001, according to the National Tourism Administration(国家旅游局). The most common problem travellers face is how to choose the best routes.
By the end of 2002, Chinese citizens were allowed to travel to 19 foreign countries and regions at their own expense.
The top 10 places included Hong Kong, Macao and Thailand. European countries are also becoming increasingly popular.
“More and more Chinese people have shown interest in travelling to Europe, particularly France and Finland,” said Tan Wen, a general manager of China Youth Travel Service. “Sooner or later, there will be a peak(高峰) in European tours.”
Another consideration is choosing the right travel agencies and finding the best price. The China Consumers’ Association(CCA, 中国消费者协会) offered tips to consumers on choosing the right travel agencies to help prevent a relaxing vacation from turning into a costly disaster.
“Price should not be the single most important factor in choosing a travel agency,” said Zhang Yuanchao, CCA vice-secretary general. Consumers are advised to choose large State travel agencies with good reputations(名声) and official approval to organize overseas tour groups.
Zhang’s association dealt with more than 5, 000 complaints about travel agencies last year. And the majority of the complaints were about random changes in travel routes, bad tour guides, and forced shopping.
Travellers were warned to look carefully at their contracts(合同) with agencies and to buy travel insurance(保险). How many reasons are given in the article as to why ordinary Chinese people are traveling abroad more today?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
According to the passage, what is the biggest problem Chinese travelers face when going overseas?
| A．Choosing the best travel agent. |
| B．Deciding the best way to get to the places they want to go to. |
| C．Traveling to Europe. |
| D．Cost. |
According to the passage, what seems to be the most common result of choosing a bad travel agency?
| A．People buy more souvenirs than they had planned to. |
| B．People spend more money than they had planned to. |
| C．People go to different places than they had planned to. |
| D．People complained more than they had planned to. |
The underlined part “random changes” probably means that _______.
| A．the travelers agreed with the changes. |
| B．the travel agency didn’t make any changes. |
| C．the travel agency refused to changes the routes. |
| D．the travel agency changed the routes or time without following the original plan. |
It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple’s case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator(参议员) Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
“We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”
On Sunday, Mr. Schumer said that he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light. Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
“It worries people to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission,” Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. “If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion, then surely technology exists to close it, and that’s exactly what must happen.”
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he said. “If it’s not changed, then we’ll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn’t work then we’ll consider legislative approach.”
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be more vigilant(警醒的) in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy.The senators spoke with officials at both Apple and Google___________.
| A．to urge them not to invade consumers’ privacy. |
| B．to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information. |
| C．to stop them from developing the technology of taking photos. |
| D．to keep them from obtaining the location information for each photo. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Privacy invasion from Apple has existed for a long time. |
| B．Mr. Schumer takes the privacy concerns caused by Apple and Google seriously. |
| C．Privacy invasion from Google has existed for a long time. |
| D．Apple and Google have decided to make a change. |
Mr. Schumer’s letter to the F.T.C. mainly shows that the technology to open the door to privacy invasion___________.
A. causes privacy invasion to happen frequently.
B. can be used if permitted.
C. causes people to worry about the safety of their personal information .
D. causes personal information to be posted online without permission.If the privacy concerns can’t be solved with the help of the F.T.C., ___________.
A. The senators will force the companies not to invade privacy.
B. The companies will be closed.
C. The companies will be fined.
D. The senators will turn to legislation.Where can we read about the passage?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a magazine |
| C．In a science report. | D．In a textbook. |
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 |
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. |
Sports News of the Week
Bolt regains 100m title in Moscow
Last updated: Mon, Aug-12-2013, 08:54
USAIN BOLT of Jamaica won the men's 100 meters final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow on Sunday．
Usain Bolt was made to look human by a combination of a Russian rainstorm and a fired-up Justin Gatlin on Sunday but the Jamaican superstar was still good enough to regain his world 100 meters title in a surging 9．77 seconds．
With former world and Olympic champion and twice-banned doper Gatlin leading at halfway, Bolt was forced to race a rival, rather than the clock．
Jason Dufner wins PGA Championship
Last Updated: Monday, August 12, 2013, 10:38
Jason Dufner won his first major title at the 95th PGA Championship, the top U．S． golf competition, seizing an early lead on Sunday at Oak Hill, Texas and holding on for victory despite a bogey-bogey finish．
The 36-year-old American, who squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in losing the 2011 PGA Championship, fired a final-round two-under par 68 to finish on 10-under par 270 for 72 holes．
Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia at Moscow worlds
Last updated: WeD．August 14, 2013, 10:35
Russia's "pole vault queen" Elena Isinbaeva ignited the Luzhniki stadium as she claimed her third world title on the fourth day of the 2013 IAAF World Championships here on Tuesday, which saw host Russia harvested two gold and one silver medals in seven finals,
Ireland's Heffernan wins world walk title at 35
Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14,2013,15:15
Ireland's Robert Heffernan won the world championship 50km walk title on Wednesday as the 35-year-old finally tasted glory after 13 years of heartbreak and near-misses．
Heffernan, fourth in the 2012 Olympic 50km and fourth in both walks at last year's European championships, broke clear of Mikhail Ryzhov after 35km to deny Russia a clean sweep of the walks after they took gold in both 20km events earlier in the week．When did Bolt regain the men's 100 meters final?
| A．August 11． | B．August 12 |
| C．August 13． | D．August 14 |
Where is the PGA held?
A．JamaicA． B．RussiA
C．AmericA． D．Ireland______ won the world championship at last after trying hard for 13 years．
| A．Jason | B．Bolt |
| C．Isinbaeva | D．Heffernan |
A victim of climate change
A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the animal’s death.The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it． However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July．
The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals.
"From his lying position in death the bear appears to simply have starved and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone．"
Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals． That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April．
Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change．
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species．How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?
| A．By the food he ate |
| B．By doing further experiments |
| C．By observing other polar bears |
| D．By his lying position in death |
The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____
| A．easily hurt | B．difficult to hunt |
| C．dangerous | D．amazing |
What is the author's attitude to the incident?
| A．Favorable． | B．Uncaring |
| C．Doubtful． | D．Concerned |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A novel． | B．A guidebook |
| C．A news report． | D．An advertisement |
Tensions have erupted over some barren rocks in the Pacific that you may never have heard of, but stay tuned—this is a boundary dispute(争端) that could get ugly and some day have far-reaching consequences for China, Japan, Taiwan and the United States.
The islands in dispute are called the Senkaku chain by Japan, the Diaoyu islands by China, and the Diaoyutai by Taiwan. All three claim the islands, which are really just five small islands and three barren rocks northeast of Taiwan, 200 miles off the Chinese coast.
The latest conflict occurred when a Chinese fishing boat collided(碰撞) with two Japanese naval ships trying to stop it near the islands. The Japanese prevented the Chinese captain from leaving the place for questioning and the two countries have been exchanging angry protests.
The reason to worry is that nationalists in both China and Taiwan see the islands as unquestionably theirs and think that their government has been weak in claiming this authority.
So far, wiser heads have generally won the argument on each side, but at some point a weakened Chinese leader might try to gain the legal right with the public by pushing the issue and recovering the islands. It would be a dangerous game and would have a disastrous impact on China-Japan relations, but if successful it would raise the popularity of the Chinese government.
In reality, of course, there is zero chance that the U.S. will honor its treaty(条约) with Japan over a few barren rocks. We're not going to risk a nuclear conflict with China over some islands that may well be China's. But if we don't help, our security relationship with Japan will be at the breaking point.
So which country has a better claim to the islands? My feeling is that it's China, although the answer isn't clear-cut. Chinese navigational records show the islands as Chinese for many centuries, and a 1783 Japanese map shows them as Chinese as well. Japan purported to “discover” the islands only in 1884 and took control of them by force only in 1895 when it also grabbed Taiwan.
The best approach would be for China and Japan to agree to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice, but realistically that won't happen. And since some believe that the area is rich with oil and gas reserves, the claims from each side have become more insistent.
As Chinese nationalism grows, as China's navy and ability to project power in the ocean gains, we could see some military conflicts over the islands.
Taken from NewYork TimesThe underlined word “purported” (in Para.7) is closest in meaning to “_____”.
| A．happened | B．claimed | C．pretended | D．intended |
The latest conflict referred to in the passage occurred because _____.
| A．the Japanese government has bought the Diaoyu Islands from the Liyuans |
| B．two Japanese naval ships sailed in the Chinese sea around the Diaoyu Islands |
| C．the Japanese kept the captain of a fishing boat from returning for questioning |
| D．a fishing boat collided with two Japanese naval ships by design in the Japanese sea |
Which of the following is the author's personal idea?
| A．It is the two Japanese naval ships that are to blame for the conflict. |
| B．It is the Chinese captain of a fishing boat that is to blame for the conflict. |
| C．It is the U.S. that will honor its treaty with Japan over a few barren rocks. |
| D．It is China that has a better claim to the islands because of its navigational records. |
What can be inferred according to the passage?
| A．The claim from both sides has become more insistent. |
| B．Japan has navy and ability to power the Diaoyu Islands. |
| C．China is developing so quickly that it will declare a war on Japan. |
| D．The dispute between China and Japan has put the U.S. in a dilemma. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast．Diagnosed with diabetes（糖尿病）, Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin（胰岛素） three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death．And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance．
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he’d better find a way to fight back．He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics(糖尿病患者) and their loved ones ---- a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources．
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six．Father and son visit the online children’s forums（论坛） together most evenings．“Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over,” says Swencki, one of the site’s volunteers. “They know what he’s going through, so he doesn't feel alone.”
Kody is anything but alone. Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases．And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages．
These days, Thomas’s main focus is his charity, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people ---- 225 to date ---- who can’t afford a diabetic’s huge expenses．Fight-it org has raised about $23,000 ---- in products and in cash．In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean．
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables．“Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure,” says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar’s original members. “But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now.”Diabeticrockstar.com was created for ____．
| A．diabetics to communicate |
| B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves |
| D．rock stars to share resources |
According to the text, Kody ____．
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties． |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year． |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics． |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website． |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ____．
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．manages to find a cure for diabetes |
Chinese writer Mo Yan’s Nobel Prize for Literature might ignite an explosion of global interest in Chinese literature and lead to more titles translated into English, European experts say.
“Hopefully, the award means more people will read Chinese literature and more works will get translated,” says Michel Hocks, professor of the Languages and Cultures of China and Inner Asia from University of London. “Many very good Chinese writers have been accepted globally for a long time already. Mo Yan is probably the most translated Chinese writer alive, with at least five of his novels made available in English over the past 20 years.”
Jonathan Ruppin,web editor of bookseller Foyles,says Mo’s win coincides with growing interest in Chinese literature and recognizes the talents of a distinctive and visionary（富于幻想的）writer.We are very excited by the fact that English translations of more of his books should now become available,”Ruppin says.He made the comment after Mo became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in it’s century-long history.
As East-West cultural exchange has been booming, Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention in recent years. Hocks explains, “It’s mainly because there are many more opportunities for Chinese writers to visit other countries, to publish their works outside China and to interact with readers abroad. At the same time, more and more people globally are learning Chinese and taking an interest in the Chinese language and culture.”
University of Oxford lecturer in modern Chinese literature Margaret Hillenbrand says, “The obvious reason for the growing global presence of Chinese literature is the growing global presence of China itself. People have come to realize that there is a serious knowledge deficit between China and its international counterparts — in particular, China knows incomparably more about Europe and America than the other way round — and reading Chinese literature is an effective, simple means of solving that gap.”The underlined word “ignite” in Paragraph 1 probably means “________”.
| A．start out | B．set off | C．burn up | D．appeal to |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．In the past, no Chinese writers were accepted outside China. |
| B．Chinese literature has spread with the development of China. |
| C．The Nobel Prize for Literature has a history of hundreds of years. |
| D．Foreigners know about China mainly by reading Mo Yan’s works. |
Chinese literature has been attracting growing attention mainly because __________.
| A．the Chinese government attaches great importance to literature |
| B．Chinese writers have been writing more and more books in English |
| C．the Chinese language has become the most widely used language in the world |
| D．the cultural communication between China and western countries has developed |
How do you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
| A．China knows more about Europe and America than before. |
| B．Compared with America, China knows more about Europe. |
| C．China, Europe and America know one another more than before. |
| D．China knows more about Europe and America than they know about China. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone."
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A． He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B． He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C． He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D． He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate |
| B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves |
| D．rock stars to share resources |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
Have you heard of the scandal that happened in one of Great Britain’s biggest supermarket chains called Tesco? The British love Tesco as it sells very cheap products and it can be found on almost every corner of a British city or town.
On January 15th 2013 food inspectors discovered 30 % horsemeat in a certain brand of frozen beefburgers that were mostly sold by Tesco in the UK and Ireland.
In times of social media like Facebook and Twitter the news has spread fast and customers have been very concerned about what the food they buy actually contains. Tesco said it had taken away the burgers from the shop shelves immediately, and apologized to their customers. They also promised that they would find out what exactly happened and that they would work harder than ever so this would never happen again. Customers are also able to return the beefburgers and get a refund, that is, their money back.
However, it will be hard for Tesco to get the people’s trust back. Just imagine buying lovely beefburgers that you fry at home and suddenly you find out that you have actually eaten horsemeat! In this case not only horse lovers will be upset!
By the way, why are British people so shocked about eating horsemeat? In history, horses have played great roles as working animals and as an important means of transport. When Britons of today think of horses, they think of majestic animals or cute pets rather than meat.
But this is not the only reason for the protest: Customers also want to be sure that the products they buy contain what it says on the label. Hopefully, supermarkets can avoid mistakes like that in the future. Maybe there should be stricter regulations and more controls of our food? Otherwise we will soon find ourselves eating panda meat instead of pork and parrot instead of chicken. So the next time you are in a supermarket maybe check the ingredients of your food before you buy it or you could get a nasty surprise …What is the scandal?
| A．Tesco’s products were much more expensive than they are supposed to be. |
| B．Tesco didn’t react immediately to a food quality issue. |
| C．Tesco sold expired food. |
| D．Horsemeat was found in burgers sold in Tesco. |
What didn’t Tesco do in response to the scandal?
| A．It withdrew the beefburgers. |
| B．It made an apology to the public. |
| C．It investigated and found out the cause and effect of the scandal. |
| D．It returned money to customers who bought the beefburgers. |
Which statement isn’t among the reasons why customers are furious?
| A．People trusted Tesco so much that they never expected a scandal like this. |
| B．Everyone can call himself or herself a horse lover in the UK. |
| C．Sellers shouldn’t cheat customers. |
| D．The horse is humans’ friend. |
The 115-year-old prestigious (有名望的)Oxford Dictionary will now include popular new Chinese terms like“shanzhai” “youtiao” and “fangnu”, as part of the modern Chinese language．
As China plays a more and more important role in the world economy, the Chinese language is forever developing, attracting more attention from people who want to understand this ancient yet lively language．
For instance, the word “shanzhai” is used to describe the countless knockoffs（名牌仿制品）of iPhones or designer bags imprinted with Louis Vuitton logos．
Another new term in the new edition is the word “fangnu”, or a “mortgage slave”—a term used to describe the phenomenon in large cities where well-educated youth complain of a miserable existence due to the heavy burden of a home mortgage．
All these new or often fashionable terms can be found in the new Oxford English –Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary that was unveiled(公布于众的)in the recently concluded Beijing International Book Fair last week．
The dictionary now is available for retail sales since the beginning of this month．This dictionary is the largest single volume English-Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary and contains 670,000 words and phrases after five years of preparation．Sixty editors from the Oxford University Press and its partner in China—the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press—worked together on the project．According to Julie Kleeman, the dictionary’s chief editor, most of the firm’s editors were Chinese, while about one fourth were native-English speakers．
“We don’t want to make it florid（绚丽的）, we want it to be modern and conversational．．．many of the words in the present dictionary are no longer in use,” said Kleeman．“The need for studying Chinese by foreigners today is totally different from decades ago．．．Precise, native and practical—that is our main advantage,” she said．
Kleeman said newer publications updates will be available only for the online version as language often changes too quickly for book versions to keep pace．The online version will also offer a Chinese phonetic pronunciation guide．The online version, allowing access via different platforms from the PC to the iPad, will be ready “as soon as possible”, Kleeman said．According to the above passage, we learn that ________
| A．knockoffs can be found in China but not very often. |
| B．the Oxford University Press made the dictionary without outside aid. |
| C．most Chinese editors are also native speakers of English. |
| D．well-educated youth in China’s big cities have difficulty buying houses. |
The possible reason why newer publications updates are not available for book versions is that ________．
| A．book versions can’t keep up with the changes of language. |
| B．the computer network is available everywhere. |
| C．book versions can’t offer a Chinese phonetic pronunciation guide. |
| D．computer technology like the PC and the iPad keeps pace with language. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．New Chinese terms like “shanzhai” and “fangnu” have got into Oxford Dictionary． |
| B．The latest Oxford English-Chinese, Chinese-English Dictionary is on the market． |
| C．Oxford Dictionary has become more fashionable due to the Chinese language． |
| D．Beijing International Book Fair was where the new Oxford Dictionary was published． |
Hundreds of students from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. They came to present their ideas for using technology to solve world problems.
Microsoft education director Suzi Levine says the nine-year-old program began mainly as a competition to create technology.
SUZI LEVINE: "When we realized that students really actually want to have a purpose for what they're creating, we introduced the idea of inspiring them with the UN Millennium Development Goals and suggesting that they use those for their muse(灵感). "This past year we also rolled out something called the Imagine Cup Solve This library（创新杯求解计划知识库）, where IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits can submit some of the technical challenges that they would like students to consider for their solutions."
Microsoft says over 350，000 high school and college students registered for this year's competition. Judges chose more than four hundred of them to attend the finals.
SUZI LEVINE: "One from Thailand was called NewKrean, where they created a Windows Phone 7 application that allows you to broadcast your location to your social network of friends so that you can be more easily rescued." They named their application Terra.
Suzi Levine says there were also ideas from Egypt inspired by the revolution that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February.
SUZI LEVINE: "One was to use Bluetooth as sort of a Twitter equivalent so that if the government shuts down the Internet, you actually can still have a massive social distribution."
Students competed in nine categories. For example, in software design the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars went to Team Hermes from Ireland. The students developed a device for cars to collect information on road conditions, driving behavior and traffic incidents.
A team from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University won first place in the embedded（内嵌的） development category. They developed a network of wireless devices to help plot the safest escape routes during a fire.
Next year's awards ceremony will take place in Australia. Registration for Imagine Cup twenty-twelve opened Friday. Also, Microsoft announced plans for a three million dollar program to help Imagine Cup winners further develop their projects.Which of the following is true ?
| A．The program is sponsored by Microsoft. |
| B．Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City. |
| C．Any high school or college student can attend the finals. |
| D．The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology. |
What can we infer from the third paragraph?
| A．The UN offers great help to the program. |
| B．Microsoft sets up a library for the students who want to achieve their goals. |
| C．IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits also provide help for the students. |
| D．Microsoft takes effective measures to inspire the students. |
What does the underlined word “overthrew ” in Paragraph 6 mean ?
| A．Abandoned | B．Supported | C．Drove away | D．Overturned |
What can we know from Paragraph 7?
| A．They want to replace Bluetooth with Twitter. |
| B．They want to combine Bluetooth with Twitter. |
| C．They want to replace Twitter with Bluetooth. |
| D．Twitter can still be used without the Internet. |
Taylor Swift，23，US
Unlucky in love as she may be，Swift was lucky at the Billboard Viusic Awards on Sunday night. The singer received the night's top honor,Artist of the Year, as well as Top billboard 20 Artist Top Female Artist，Top country Artist and Top Digital songs Artist. Her album Red topped the billboard 200 and country album categories，and her single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was named Top
Country Song.
Adele，25，UK
Adele has been appointed a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire this week during Queen Elizabeth II's annual Birthday Honors，the BBC reports．The singer was recognized for her service to music．The award is another highlight in a fruitful year for Adele，who，in addition to a Grammy and a Golden Globe，won a Best Original Song for Skyfall in Oscar 2013.
Robert Downey Jr，48，US
The actor, best known for playing the superhero Iron Man, left an 18-month-old fan in floods of tears because he wasn't wearing his character's red and gold suit in public. The heartbreaking meeting happened last Thursday while the actor was out for a walk in the Massachusetts towns of Sunderland and Shelburne Falls. A photo of the crying kid and Downey looking both concerned and awkward quickly made its way into the international news.
Jennifer Aniston，44，US
In the 10 months since her August 2012 engagement（订婚）to Justin Theroux，all eyes have been on Aniston，with fans wondering just when she will become Mrs Theroux. But multiple sources in contact with Aniston and her inner circle say that plans for the much expected wedding appear to be left for the present time. The couple decided to delay the big day because they're both busy with work.On which page of a newspaper can you find the above material？
| A．On the front page. | B．On the entertainment page. |
| C．On the sports page. | D．On the education page. |
2013 has been a fruitful year for Adele for she has won all the following awards EXCEPT_______
| A．the Golden Globe |
| B．the Grammy |
| C．Artist of the Year in Billboard |
| D．Best Original Song in Oscar |
The anecdote about Robert Downey Jr happened_______．
| A．on a casual occasion | B．at a fan meeting |
| C．at a movie promotion | D．at a press conference |
Which of the following is true according to the text？
| A．We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was written for Taylor Swift's country. |
| B．Adele sang on the BBC to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's birthday. |
| C．Robert Downey did not know what to do when the kid started crying. |
| D．Jennifer Aniston is working on her wedding despite her busy schedule. |
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