【推荐1】Thousands of teenagers will be able to transfer to a new wave of “studio schools” at the age of 14 to improve their chances of finding a job in UK. A dozen new-style schools are designed to act as a bridge to the workplace and cut the number of NEETs--young people not in education, employment or training.
Under plans, schools will operate longer days and work outside standard academic terms.
Each pupil will be expected to spend between four hours and two days a week on work placements with businesses linked to the school and teenagers will be assigned a personal coach to act as an academic “line manager”.
The reforms are put forward due to the fears that too many teenagers are now finishing full-time education lacking the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. According to a recent report, more than two-thirds of employers believe school and college leavers lack important “employability skills” such as customer awareness, while 55 per cent say they are unable to manage their time or daily tasks. And the number of NEETs has hit a record high, with almost one-in-five young people being left without a job or training place.
The Department for Education will announce the establishment of 12 studio schools -- meeting the need of around 3,600 teenagers -- in areas such as Liverpool, Stevenage, Stoke-on-Trent and Fulham, west London. Each one, opening in 2012, will be linked to a series of local employers. Under plans, pupils will be able to transfer out of ordinary schools to attend them between the age of 14 and 19.
The Government said all subjects would be taught “through projects, often designed with employers” -- with disciplines such as science being linked directly to local engineering firms or hospitals. Schools will operate a longer day to give pupils a better understanding of the demands of the workplace. Along with their studies, pupils will carry out work placements for four hours a week, rising to two days a week of paid work for those aged 16 to 19. They will also get the chance to take professional qualifications linked directly to the needs of local employers.
1. According to the passage, the NEETs are referred to those who ________.

A．often miss classes from school

B．refuse to take any kind of part-time jobs after school

C．depend on their parents to find jobs after they graduate

D．have no jobs without accepting education and work training

2. Compared to ordinary schools, studio schools will offer the young more ________.

A．interesting and lovely cartoons to make study easier

B．chances to get future jobs with expert job training

C．possibilities to make friends without going outside

D．lessons helping them to be admitted to universities

3. What makes the government decide to found studio schools?

A．The determination to solve the problem of lacking workers.

B．The doubt about whether full-time education is perfect.

C．The worry about educated people lacking working skills.

D．The increasing number of teens who drop out early.

4. What may most probably attract senior high school students at studio school?

A．They can find suitable jobs earlier with good qualification.

B．They will be admitted to top companies with received training.

C．They needn’t go to university thanks to received training here.

D．They may have more free time to find part-time jobs after school.

【推荐2】If businesses are to get workers back into the office during the epidemic(疫情) period, finding ways to maintain social distancing will be key. An Israeli company thinks it can help, using smart sensors mounted on workplace ceilings(天花板).

PointGrab developed its technology before the epidemic to help workspace managers optimize(优化)how employees use office space. About the size of smoke alarm, the sensors can record the exact number and location of people in buildings including offices, hotels and restaurants.

One of the company's first customers was Deloitte, which installed the system at its flagship London office last year. PointGrab's sensors were connected to screens in the building to show the availability of desks and shared areas in real time. PointGrab CEO Doron Shachar says it was one of a range of innovations that helped Deloitte fit 30% more people into 3% less space.

Now PointGrab has adapted the technology so the sensors can also monitor social distancing by keeping track of how far apart people are, and whether they're traveling in one direction around a building.

Workspace managers can set up warnings for when two people are closer than two meters for more than 30 seconds, for example.

The sensors have been included in the “six feet office” concept created by real estate(房地产) services company Cushman and Wakefield to encourage employees to practice social distancing. They are currently being used in this way at a university in the Netherlands, and at an innovation hub in Belgium.

While the social distancing innovation is new, PointGrab has deployed ( 部署)more than 10,000 sensors for workspace optimization, including in the offices of Coca-Cola, Facebook and Dell.

Workers might not like the idea of being monitored, but PointGrab says no images or identifying features are recorded. Instead, each employee is represented as an anonymous(无名的)dot on a dashboard.

“The sensor does respect people's privacy,” Shachar says. “This is extremely important the workspace.”

1. Which world can replace “mounted” in the first paragraph?

A．adapted

B．connected

C．fixed

D．included

2. The technology was first used by Deloitte to           .

A．make the best of employees' office space

B．keep track of how far apart employees are

C．encourage employees to practice social distancing

D．monitor people's privacy

3. Which of the following is NOT right?

A．Smart sensors can help save more space.

B．People will be warned when they are too closer.

C．Smart sensors will be installed in the offices of Facebook.

D．People's privacy can be recorded clearly.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Smart sensors will help maintain social distancing.

B．Getting workers back into the office is not easy.

C．How an Israeli company develop smart sensors.

D．Social distancing is extremely important in the workspace.

【推荐3】Before age thirty-four, I was a stay-at-home mom. Then, things changed and I had to find a job. I stumbled along with low-paying jobs, stress and self-doubt.

Three years later, while working at a community college, I became friends with the president’s secretary. She encouraged me to take classes and get a teaching degree. I wrestled with the idea for several months and finally enrolled in one class that fall. To my amazement, I loved school. I loved learning. So, in the spring, I enrolled in two classes while working full-time. I doubled up on classes, even going in the summer months. I won’t say it was easy. I still had all the responsibility for two teenage daughters, making my house a home, preparing meals, planning social events, making sure their homework was done, and finding time to do my own homework.

In one of my low moments, as I questioned whether to continue with my education, my fifteen-year-old daughter strolled into the room. “Whatcha doin’?” she asked casually. “Trying to decide if I want to pursue my education and get a degree or not,” I replied despondently (苦恼地). “Why are you wondering?” she asked. “Well, I’ll be forty by the time I finally get my degree.” “You’ll be forty anyway,” she said matter-of-factly. “Do you wanna be forty with a degree or forty without a degree?” And then she walked out of the room. I stared after her incredulously (表示怀疑地). Out of the mouth of babes! In that moment, my life changed. I wanted to be forty with a college degree!

I don’t know what got me to the finish line, but four months after my fortieth birthday, I walked proudly across the stage to receive my Bachelor’s in Education. Three years later, I received my Master’s in English. At the age of sixty-five, I retired from teaching high-school English. That one decision I made so many years ago opened doors to new worlds that I had never dreamed of before. It changed my life in the most beautiful way, filling it with joy, happiness, laughter and fun. And that made all the difference.

1. What inspired the author to pursue her education and get a teaching degree?

A．Advice from a friend at work.	B．A desire to change her career path.
C．A conversation with the college’s president.	D．Encouragement from her teenage daughters.

2. According to paragraph 2, which of the following made the author’s road to her degree tough?

A．Lack of her daughters’ support.	B．Overwhelming household chores.
C．Financial crisis caused by low-paying jobs.	D．Strict requirements from teachers.

3. What was the turning point that motivated the author to carry on with her education?

A．Promotion at work.	B．A new realization about her age.
C．A new-found love for learning.	D．A conversation with her friend.

4. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Ambitious and curious.	B．Honest and adventurous.
C．Diligent and determined.	D．Courageous and considerate.

【推荐1】I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations: I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how may of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about
1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

A．She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.

B．She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.

C．She is not good at telling stories of the kind.

D．She finds space research more important.

2. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the author’s failures to ________.

A．the very fact that she is a woman

B．her involvement in gender politics

C．her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist

D．the burden she bears in a male-dominated society

3. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?

A．Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.

B．Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.

C．People’s stereotyped attitude toward female scientists.

D．Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.

4. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

A．Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.

B．Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence.

C．Her female students can do just as well as male students.

D．More female students are pursuing science than before.

5. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?

A．Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.

B．Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

C．Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

D．Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.

【推荐3】More than one in five species of maple trees faces extinction, a shocking new report has revealed.

The trees are experiencing a vast decline in habitat, due to urban development, timber harvesting, and agricultural expansion. “Time is running out for the world’s biodiversity,” said Douglas Justice, associate director at the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. “Every recent survey of plants and animals in the wild points to this.” He continued, “This is happening nearly everywhere that rarer maples exist. And because of climate change, the narrow habitats that support species at the tops of mountains are quickly disappearing.”

The trees can be found in sub-tropical and tropical regions, as far south as Indonesia. The only species found in the UK, the field maple is not under threat. Not only are the trees a popular ornamental feature in parks and public spaces, but also they are a key part of the natural ecosystem in woodlands, as well as being an important timber crop in several countries.

China is home to the largest proportion of maples with 92 species. It has seen a number of trees become endangered due to urban expansion. Some 14 of the 23 maple trees at risk of extinction in the country are only found in China and have small populations and limited geographical ranges. “We still have an opportunity to save species from disappearance, but it will take expertise, resources and the cooperative efforts by the world’s botanical gardens to make it work,” Justice added.

One species in Mexico, the Acer binzayedii, is in “desperate need of conversation” despite only being discovered in 2017. “It is at risk from climate change in its cloud forest habitat and threatened by grazing, logging, and forest fires,” the report adds. The report recommends developing conversation plans, monitoring species currently not at risk to ensure populations are maintained, and adding those missing maple species to seed banks and the like.

BGCI(Botanic Gardens Conversation International)is now establishing a conversation program to address the conservation needs of maple species. Maple specialists will work together to develop comprehensive strategies to manage and deliver conservation action points for the species.

1. What is the major reason for maple trees’ extinction?

A．A lack of scientific research.	B．The rarity of the new species.
C．The losses of their habitats.	D．Problems with the distribution.

2. What’s Justice’s attitude to saving maple trees?

A．Hopeful.

B．Skeptical.

C．Reserved.

D．Negative.

3. What are the last two paragraphs intended to tell us?

A．There is no guarantee of maintaining the tree populations.

B．It can never be too late to join hands to protect the species.

C．All maple trees of the species are on the edge of extinction.

D．Effective measures should be taken to conserve maple trees

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Time is running out for maple trees.	B．Maple trees are vital to the ecosystem.
C．Maple trees will stand tall in nature.	D．Climate change puts maple trees at risk.

【推荐1】The idea that richer countries are happier may seem intuitively obvious. However, in 1974, research by economist Richard Easterlin found otherwise, He discovered that while individuals with higher incomes were more likely to be happy, this did not hold at a national level. In the United States, for example, average income per person rose steadily between 1946 and 1970, but reported happiness levels showed no positive long-term trend.; in fact, they declined between 1060 and 1970. These differences between nation-level and individual results gave rise to the term “ Easterlin paradox”: the idea that a higher rate of economic growth does not result in higher long-term happiness.

Having access to additional income seems to only provide a temporary surge in happiness. Since a certain minimum income is needed for basic necessities, it’s possible that the happiness boost from extra cash isn’t that great once you rise above the poverty line. This would explain Easterlin’s findings in the United States and other developed countries. He argued that life satisfaction does rise with average incomes but only in the short term.

Recent research has challenged the Easternlin paradox, however. In2013, sociologists Ruut Veenhoven and Floris Vergunst conducted a study using statistics from the World Database of Happiness. Their analysis revealed a positive correlation between economic growth and happiness. Another study by the University of Michigan found that there is no maximum wealth threshold at which more money ceases to contribute to your happiness: “If there is a satiation point, we are yet to reach it.” The study’s findings suggested that every extra dollar you earn makes you happier. With a much debate about the relationship between money and happiness, it’s clear that happiness itself is a complex concept and depends on many factors.

According to psychologists Selin Kesebir and Shigehiro Oishi, happiness also depends on how your income compares to the people around you. They argue that a country’s economic growth only makes its citizens happier if wealth is evenly distributed. In emerging countries with high income inequality——where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer——average happiness tends to drop because only relatively few people benefit from the economic prosperity. This suggests that governments should consider implementing policies to ensure more equal distribution of wealth. The happier people are, the more productive they are likely to become, thus leading to improved economic outcomes at the individual and national levels.

There is continuing debate about the link between wealth and happiness, with arguments both for and against the notion that richer countries are happier. However, it is clear that wealth alone isn’t enough to make us happy. The effect of income inequality on happiness shows that happiness is a social responsibility. We need to remember the positive effects of generosity, altruism, and building social connections. Perhaps our focus should be less on how m uch money we have, and more on how we use it.

1. According to the passage, Easterlin Paradox refers to______.

A．the fact that the more money, the happier people will feel

B．the suggestion that money should be given the top priority

C．the question how economic outcomes are distributed nationwide

D．the opinion that higher income doesn’t necessarily generate happiness

2. The word “satiation” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “______”.

A．satisfaction

B．controversial

C．central

D．sensitive

3. What is the major reason for people’s unhappiness related to money?

A．Money not enough.	B．Money not fairly dirtributed.
C．Rich people richer	D．Unequal money paid for equal work.

4. Which of the following might be best title of this passage?

A．It’s all relative	B．Easternlin paradox
C．The economic of happiness	D．Rising income, rising happiness

【推荐2】The practice of students endlessly copying letters and sentences from a blackboard is a thing of the past. With the coming of new technologies like computers and smartphones, writing by hand has become something of nostalgic (怀旧的) skill. However, while today’s educators are using more and more technology in their teaching, many believe basic handwriting skills are still necessary for students to be successful—both in school and in life.

Virginia Berninger, professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, says it’s important to continue teaching handwriting and help children acquire the skill of writing by hand.

Berninger and her colleagues conducted a study that looked at the ability of students to complete various writing tasks—both on a computer and by hand. The study, published in 2009, found that when writing with a pen and paper, participants wrote longer essays and more complete sentences and had a faster word production rate.

In a more recent study, Berninger looked at what role spelling plays in a student’s writing skills and found that how well children spell is tied to how well they can write. “Spelling makes some of the thinking parts of the brain active, which helps us access our vocabulary, word meaning and concepts. It is allowing our written language to connect with ideas.” Berninger said.

Spelling helps students translate ideas into words in their mind first and then to transcribe (转换) “those words in the mind written symbols on paper or keyboard and screen,” the study said. Seeing the words in the “_______” helps children not only to turn their ideas into words, says Berninger, but also to spot spelling mistakes when they write the words down and to correct them over time.

“In our computer age, some people believe that we don’t have to teach spelling because we have spell checks,” she said. “But until a child has a functional spelling ability of about a fifth grade level, they won’t have the knowledge to choose the correct spelling among the options given by the computer.”

1. What makes writing by hand a thing of the past?

A．The popular use of smartphones.

B．The absence of blackboard in classrooms.

C．The lack of practice in handwriting.

D．The use of new technologies in teaching.

2. Berninger’s study published in 2009 _________.

A．discussed the importance of writing speed

B．found that good essays are made up of long sentences

C．indicated that students prefer to write with a pen and paper

D．focused on the difference between writing by hand and on a computer

3. What does “mind’s eye” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．Imagination.

B．Soul.

C．Picture.

D．Window.

4. What conclusion could be drawn from the passage?

A．Handwriting still has a place in today’s classrooms.

B．Spell checks can take the place of spelling teaching.

C．Computers can help people with their choice of words.

D．Functional spelling ability develops fast in the fifth grade.

【推荐3】Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made. In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning.

But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early. On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher. So I set out to become a habitual early riser. But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep. Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy.

The most common wrong strategy is this:You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier. It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.

There are two main schools (流派) of thought on sleep patterns. The first is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day. The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up. However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity. If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough. You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep.

If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need. Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times.

The solution for me has been to combine both methods. I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time. So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 am), but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight. Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm.

However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way. If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.

1. According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ________.

A．people who stay up until the next morning

B．people who feel sleepy in the morning

C．people who get up early in the morning

D．people whose productivity is the highest in the morning

2. Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?

A．Because he/she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early.

B．Because he/she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right.

C．Because he/she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early.

D．Because he/she was told the high relationship between success and rising early.

3. The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ________.

A．asking scholars for advice on sleeping habits	B．getting up early occasionally
C．pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping	D．going to bed after midnight

4. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．how to have good sleep

B．how to become an early riser

C．wrong strategies for getting up early

D．main schools of thought on sleep patterns

【推荐1】There are many online and in-person courses that promise to teach a “native accent”. But is it really necessary to sound exactly like a native speaker? Some experts say it is not. Eusebia V. Mont leads the Accent Modification (修正) Program at the University of Maryland’s Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences. Mont talked about it to reporters.

Students come to the program for one or two school terms. They meet in a group for 90 minutes a week. Each student meets with one other student and a “doctor” for more individual work. Altogether the program amounts to about 60 hours of learning in class. Mont says the rate of progress absolutely depends on the type of accent it is, how long they’ve been speaking English and how often they speak English.

Mont says, “I view accent as the spread of culture; the spread of a person’s individual identity-and I don’t work to remove any part of culture from an individual.”

Students will most probably work in English-speaking environments when they leave school. The program teaches them tools for this. For example, they learn how to give an “elevator pitch”—a short description of an idea-and how to discuss their research. They also practice interviewing and giving presentations at work.

Mont says that there are a few methods for modifying accent, but most have the same basis. One method is called the Compton Method. Arthur J. Compton developed the method for English learners who know English vocabulary and grammar fairly well. It begins with a test to find out how the student’s native language affects different areas of pronunciation. Then learners use practice materials to record their own voice and compare their pronunciation attempts to recordings of a native speaker.

Another method is the Tomatis Method, which uses special headphones and includes listening to electronically modified voices and asks students to find the difference between their pronunciation and the voices they hear. This method is also used to cure children who have mental conditions that can cause difficulty in language learning.

Mont’s final advice to English learners is not to expect to sound exactly like a native speaker. And remember: even native English speakers do not all speak alike!

1. According to the passage, the Accent Modification Program

A．is aimed at helping students get rid of their accent

B．divides students into different classes according to their abilities

C．teaches students how to communicate in English-speaking environments

D．offers students a total of 90 minutes’ study over one or two school terms

2. What does the underlined part “elevator pitch” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Discussing one’s research in brief.

B．Giving presentations in an effective way.

C．Practicing interviewing skills in an elevator.

D． Making others understand an idea in a short time.

3. Both of the Compton Method and the Tomatis Method

A．use the method of comparison

B．require students to take a test first

C．serve students who have mastered English well

D．require students to record their voices with equipment

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Development of the Accent Modification Industry

B．Keep Your Identity While Changing Your Accent

C．The Situation of the Accent Modification Program

D．Ways to Sound like a Native Speaker

【推荐2】The weather was bad during the latter days of the voyage. A northwest wind was blowing all the time. The Rangoon sailed slowly. The captain thought that she would reach Hong Kong twenty hours behind time.

Phileas Fogg stared at rough sea with his habitual calm. He never changed his expression for an instant, though a delay (延迟) of twenty hours, by making him too late for the Yokohama boat—Carnatic. But this man showed neither impatience nor anger, it seemed as if the storm were a part of his programme.

Fix, a detective who had been searching for a bank robber (抢劫犯), viewed the state of things differently. The storm greatly pleased him. Each delay filled him with hope that Fogg had to spend some days in Hong Kong. The weather helped him. Though he felt sea-sick, his spirit was full of great happiness.

Passepartout. Mr. Fogg’s servant, was angry beyond expression about the bad weather. Everything had gone so well till now! Did the bad things come? Passepartout was very worried about his master's bet. He wanted to know exactly how long the storm was going to last. The sailors advised him to refer to the barometer( 晴雨表). He shook it, but with no effect It seemed to have no desire to rise.

On the 4th. the sea became calm. Passepartout cheered up! The sails were spread, and the Rangoon sailed at her full speed. The time lost could not, however, be gained again. Carnatic would, of course, be missed.

At six o'clock on the morning of the 6th,the pilot went on board and guided the Rangoon through the channels to the port of Hong Kong. Passepartout still wanted to ask him if Carnatic had left for Yokohama; but he dared not. Mr. Fogg. however, did not hesitate to approach the pilot.

“Do you know when a ship will leave for Yokohama?”

“At high tide tomorrow morning, ”answered the pilot

“What is the ship's name?”

“The‘Carnatic’”.

“Ought she not to have gone yesterday?”

“Yes, sir, but one of her boilers(锅炉)needs repairing.”

Mr Fogg looked calm as usual, but Passepartout held the pilot’s hand firmly, “Pilot, you are the best！”

1. Fix was greatly satisfied with the storm because______.

A．the experience in the storm made him pleased mentally

B．the delay provided him with more days to look into Fogg

C．it wasn't likely that the bank robber got in touch with Fogg

D．he was used to looking at things from different points of view

2. According to Paragraph4, a barometer________.

A．fails to work in a storm	B．rises with a sudden shake
C．makes a storm last longer	D．shows a change in the weather

3. Why could Phileas Fogg and his servant catch Carnatic finally?

A．There was something wrong with a boiler of Carat

B．The pilot had arranged for Carnatic to wait for them

C．They took the storm and the delay into consideration.

D．The weather turned fine and they arrived in advance.

4. When Passepartout spoke highly of him, the pilot was most likely to feel _____.

A．happy	B．anxious
C．puzzled	D．angry

【推荐3】People generally tend to pick out the best-looking fruits and vegetables when shopping for produce, but Canadian supermarket chain Loblaws is attracting customers with badly-shaped and faulty produce at the price of 30% lower than normal-looking ones.

A trial run of the ugly food line, named “Naturally Imperfect”, began with only apples and tomatoes to choose from. Consumer demand has been so huge that Loblaws is going to introduce more unsightly vegetables and fruit options like onions and mushrooms. The line is available at other stores, including Real Canadian Superstore and Your Independent Grocer.

All the produce that will be sold through Naturally Imperfect would otherwise have been used in juices, sauces, or soups, or have not been harvested at all. The director Dan Branson explained that this program benefited both food producers who would otherwise have to let abnormal harvest go to waste, and consumers who could buy fresh produce at low prices. And he was right, given how popular the line has become.

“It really went well beyond our expectation,” Branson said. “I think it really spoke to the fact that Canadians are out there really looking for some options.”

Of course, Canadians know that beauty is more than skin deep, but they also recognize that they can get the same flavor and nutritional benefits in spite of appearances. The positive response to the initial offering of apples and potatoes showed the opportunity to expand the line and offer more options at a greater price to Canadian families.

“If you grow produce in your backyard, there will be a lot of produce that won’t look as pretty as what you will see in a grocery store, said Branson. “And nature doesn't grow everything perfectly. I’d like to think if somebody were to take a No Name Naturally Imperfect apple, put right beside a No.1 apple, close their eyes and eat them, there would be no difference.”

1. Loblaws is different from other supermarkets in that .

A．more fruits are offered at lower prices

B．normal-looking produce is banned there

C．imperfect produce is sold at lower prices there

D．only apples and potatoes are sold every day

2. According to Paragraph 3, Branson's program .

A．prevents people from wasting their food

B．happens to be a win-win arrangement

C．teaches food producers how to grow

D．enables consumers to eat more fresh produce

3. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The ugly food line	B．The food to be wasted
C．The abnormal harvest	D．All the produce

4. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Canadians are used to eating perfect produce.

B．Smart consumers know the importance of ugly produce.

C．Loblaws intends to improve customers’ quality of life.

D．Customers’ support promotes the development of Loblaws.

5. What do Branson’s words in the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．We should eat imperfect apples with our eyes closed.

B．The world is usually full of imperfect things.

C．Imperfect fruits are as tasty and nutritious as perfect ones.

D．The fruits grown by ourselves are more nutritious than those in the store.