【推荐1】Since Peter Singer published Animal Liberation in 1975, animal rights activists thought animals should be granted the same rights as humans. Referring to scientific studies showing animals_______“human characteristics”, they argue animals should be protected with the same rights. So why don’t animals have the same legal status (身份) as humans？

The line of reasoning in favor of granting animals equal rights to humans_______the fact that scientists have found characteristics in animals we normally_______with humans. A group of scientists showed monkeys demonstrate self-consciousness at the same level as humans. This has usually served as a justification for human rights, so why don’t we grant equal rights to monkeys？

The truth is,_______convincing scientific evidence, the argument for granting at least some animals the same rights as humans can’t be justified philosophically. An adequate argument for animal rights would require further philosophical inquiry and not just descriptive_______. We can feel pity for animals being treated badly and strive to protect them from such treatment. This,_______, doesn’t mean animals should enjoy the same legal status as humans.

There is a strong reason for_______that rights only apply to humans. While fundamental rights surely are valuable in their nature, they would be worthless without a system to_______them. That is why we expect other people to respect our rights.

The system that defends our rights is the fact that other people are obliged by_______in their behaviors towards us. In our daily life, we experience numerous situations in which bad guys could________from violating (侵犯) our rights. Nevertheless, we see, of course, with some exceptions, that individuals cooperate and respect other people’s rights. Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin, and one cannot________to have certain rights without having to observe the duties.

If it is my claim to live freely on my property without being bothered, my neighbor’s duty prevents him from violating my right to property and life. Suppose, however, he breaks in and damages my property. He will then be held responsible in a court of law, for he has________his duty to respect my rights. This is completely reasonable, but we will certainly face________if my property was violated by an elephant.

If we assume that animals are granted the same legal status as humans,________requires that we now drag he elephant into court. Remember, if an animal were to have such rights, it would logically also have social duties. Therefore, it is now________to the same legal procedures as humans. This raises practical questions: Who will defend the animal in court？And will the animal be able to comprehend what is going on？

【推荐2】When my daughter was very young, she broke my favorite cup. She was moving it aside, and it slipped from her hand and broke on the floor. I loved that cup and was really_________, but of course I didn’t_________her. It was an accident. She didn't mean to drop it. Intentions matter. Or do they?

I can’t help but feel that our modern world doesn’t care for intentions. We are all so ready to find_________with another person and so concerned with our own_________that we don't consider the intentions of others.

There are endless opportunities to be_________these days in the celebrity news cycle, in politics and in our own interpersonal interactions. Every single day, someone is_________on social media for something they have said or done.

A friend of mine says, “It’s not how the message is intended; it’s how it’s received.” He means that we need to be careful when considering our words because they can_________be misinterpreted by the person we are_________.

We all at times express ourselves_________, make errors of__________or have a moment of carelessness when we say the wrong thing. All of us have__________someone at some point in our lives. The Internet is full of people seeking to make things worse. But there are also many decent people who occasionally get things__________or simply do not know better.

I get that there is much to be angry about. The world is full of__________. The actions and words of other people can cause harm; __________, the actions and words of other people matter.

But intention has to matter, too, for us to make sense of the world, and for us to effect change. Understanding intentions can help us to feel better about our fellow humans. When we appreciate intent(意图), it can help to lessen the__________of their message.

【推荐1】Sometimes modern problems require ancient solutions.

A 1,400-year-old Peruvian method of diverting water could supply up to 40,000 Olympic-size swimming pool’s worth of water to Lima each year. It is one _______ of how ancient methods could support existing modern ones in countries without enough water. Man-made reservoirs store rainwater and water overflow for use during dries times. But reservoirs are costly, require years to plan and can still _________ to meet water needs.

Peru’s capital, Lima, depends on water from rivers high in the Andes Mountains. It takes only a few days for water to flow down to the city. So when the dry season begins in the mountains, the water supply quickly disappears. The city _______ this with modern structures such as man-made reservoirs. These reservoirs are not the only solution, _________. Over a thousand years ago, indigenous people developed another way to solve water problems.

Water diverted, _________.

The 1,400-year-old system is designed to increase the water supply during the dry season by diverting and slowing water as it travels down the mountains. This _________-based method is made of special canals that guide water from its source to a series of water bodies and hillsides. The water goes _________ into the ground, then flows downhill through the soil and _______ in water bodies near the community.

Its aim was to increase the water’s travel time from days to months in order to provide water throughout the day season. The researchers _________ how much the system slowed the flow of water by injecting special dye in the highlands and noting when it reappeared in water bodies. The dyed water started to ____________ two weeks later and continued flowing for eight months — a huge ____________ over the hours or days it would normally take.

____________ increase in supply.

The researchers next considered how using a larger version of the system could help Lima. They combined what they learned in Huamantanga with the knowledge of physical ____________ of Lima’s surroundings. The resulting estimates say the system could increase Lima’s dry-season water supply by 7.5 percent overall and up to 33 percent at the start of the dry season.

The system is also ____________ sound. Ochoa-Tocachi, a researcher, estimated that building canals similar to those in Huamantanga would cost 10 times less than building a reservoir of the same size. He also said former highland societies in other parts of the world had methods for diverting and slowing water flow. And, they could use these methods today to support their ____________ modern methods.

【推荐3】There are too many fat people in America, so many Americans are fighting against overweight. But the _________ thing is that the French, who consume rich food, tend to stay thin. Now a _________ by Cornell University points out _________ lifestyle and decisions about _________ may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to stop eating when they feel _________. However, Americans tend to stop when their _________ are empty or their favorite TV show is over. 

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating _________ an important part of their lifestyle. They enjoy food and therefore spend a very _________ time at the table, while Americans see eating as anything to be squeezed in between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans _________ the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and __________ foods for the week. The French, __________, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers’ markets where they have a choice of fresh fruit, vegetables rich in fiber, and eggs as well as high-quality meat for each meal. 

After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, decided to __________ about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid __________. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym. 

In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent lifestyle __________ may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity(肥胖)—or extreme overweight—among adults is only 6%. However, as American fast food gains __________ and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17%—and is growing.