A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the " what-I-can-do-environmentally".
On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) to ban（禁止） outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.
So far, only three states have laws to protect clotheslines. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that they should be removed.
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. " Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters in their own hands," says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.
North Carolina lawmakers say that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, "The clothesline is beautiful. " Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.
1. One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that________.| A．clothes dryers are cheaper |
| B．clothesline drying reduces home value |
| C．clothes dryers are energy-saving |
| D．clothesline drying is not allowed in all of the US states |
| A．He is a warm-hearted man. | B．He is a cruel man. |
| C．He is an inexperienced gardener. | D．He is a man of social responsibility. |
| A．Housing businesses. | B．Environmentalists. |
| C．Homeowners Associations. | D．Reek's dissatisfied neighbors. |
| A．Clothesline drying: a way to save time and money. |
| B．Clothesline drying: a lost art to be used. |
| C．Opposite opinions on clothesline drying. |
| D．Different varieties of clotheslines. |
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【推荐1】With the rising cost of living, a growing number of adult children are moving back in with their parents. While lots of parents will enjoy the chance to spend more time with their grown-up children, having them move back in can also cause some problems.
Sit down and talk
While the situation is clearly hard for the parents, Counselling Directory member Octavia Landy advises them to take a step back. “
When things get heated, it can be easy to just storm off and not really hear each other out. But every effort needs to be made, on both sides, to properly listen. “As parents, you need a cool head,” suggests Landy. “Bring the conversation back to the matter at hand, and listen to your kids.”
Set clear boundaries (界限)
“Boundaries and communication lie at the heart of this difficult situation,” says Landy. “At the moment, it feels as if no boundaries will lead to a sense of anger on your part. Consider what your boundaries look like.
Ask yourself what you need to feel happy in your home
Landy suggests parents ask themselves what they need to feel happy and safe in their home—and the answer might be a difficult one to come to terms with. “It might mean that you need to ask your kids to leave,” she says. “
| A．So, what can parents do |
| B．Put everything in good order |
| C．Be prepared to listen patiently |
| D．Are they cheered by the news from home |
| E．You’d better set a proper time for a family meeting |
| F．Work together to set basic rules and a timeline to be reviewed |
| G．If you fear your kids get homeless, then address these fears directly |
【推荐2】Few people knew about online food delivery apps ten years ago, but today, many would find it hard to live without them. In China alone, over 400 million people use such apps. For better or for worse, online food delivery services have changed the way we eat, and they are also having a huge impact on our society.
These services have no doubt brought us many benefits. They provide jobs for millions of people and help restaurants find more customers. Since the apps are very convenient, they also benefit consumers: we can now have meals delivered at any time of day, despite bad weather or busy schedules. This is especially important for people who work long hours, since they might not have time to cook. Not only do these apps save time, they also provide us with a wide variety of restaurants to choose from. They have proved to be useful for retired people as well: seniors who live far away from restaurants and supermarkets can now get hold of meals and groceries more easily.
However, we must not forget the drawbacks of online food delivery services. For one thing, they make it even easier to order unhealthy food, high in sugar, fat and salt. Food safety is another problem: it can be hard to establish where the food actually comes from, and whether the owner is legally permitted to run a restaurant. As couriers need to deliver the orders as quickly as possible, some pay little regard to traffic rules. In recent years, there have been a number of terrible traffic accidents because of this. Moreover, the industry is creating unbelievable amounts of packaging waste: over a million tons of online food delivery boxes are thrown away every year. Experts assume that this number will continue to grow in the future, and this will have a negative impact on the environment.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Many people knew about online food delivery apps ten years ago. |
| B．The online food delivery apps are wildly welcomed now. |
| C．Chinese people don't speak highly of the online food delivery apps. |
| D．The online food delivery apps are having a positive impact on us. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．Bosses. | B．Consumers. | C．Policemen. | D．Deliverymen. |
| A．Objective. | B．Opposed. | C．Supportive. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐3】The fear of the novel corona virus has turned into discrimination against certain groups of people, including people from Wuhan, Chinese people or Asians in general. However, the outbreak of the disease can’t be an excuse to isolate these groups. What we should do is get rid of discrimination and show sympathy instead.
Since the outbreak of novel corona virus pneumonia (NCP), many people have been living in fear. This is normal, as the disease is infectious and dangerous. However, some people turn pale at the mention of “people from Wuhan or Hubei province”, the center of the outbreak.
Ding Baixing, a doctor at Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, has seen this himself. He treated a suspected patient surnamed Chen who traveled from Wuhan to Shanghai. Chen appeared desperate and avoided other patients, as he worried that they would be afraid of him.
Chen is not alone. Chen Xue, an editor working in Beijing, went to Chongli in Hebei for a ski trip on Jan 23. Though her temperature was fine and she hasn’t been to her hometown – Hubei province – since October last year, the hotel she was in told her that it wouldn’t receive Hubei guests from the next day.
However, the real enemy is the virus – not the patients or people from Wuhan or Hubei province. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared this idea in a speech at the Chinese New Year dinner. “Even though the virus started in Wuhan, it doesn’t respect nationality or race. It does not check your passport before it goes into your body. Anybody can be infected,” he said.
It is not the patients’ fault that they have been infected. There is no reason to blame them. If patients didn’t go to the hospital for fear of discrimination, the virus could spread to more people. “Protecting them is just as important as protecting ourselves,” Ding said.
At the CCTV Spring Festival Gala (春节联欢晚会), six hosts read a poem to inspire people across the country. It called for greater respect for medical workers, as well as called on everyone to work together to fight the virus. One of the lines – “we isolate the virus, but we don’t isolate love” – has been widely posted online.
“This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors.This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.”
– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
1. Why do some people treat those from Wuhan or Hubei province unfairly?| A．Because those people look dangerous. |
| B．Because they want to live a normal life. |
| C．Because those people carry the virus. |
| D．Because they are afraid of getting infected. |
| A．get treatment in a hospital |
| B．avoid meeting other patients |
| C．check her temperature three times while skiing |
| D．check out of the hotel she was in the next day |
| A．we shouldn’t be afraid of NCP |
| B．it isn’t safe to stay in other countries |
| C．the real enemy is the virus |
| D．the virus has affected many people |
| A．To call on people to stop discrimination. |
| B．To show how people’s lives are affected by NCP. |
| C．To encourage suspected patients to go to hospitals. |
| D．To find out who to blame for the NCP outbreak. |
【推荐1】Xiao Yu is already quite the traveler, having been to Russia a couple of times. She is just 4 years old. However, Yu is no normal tourist, her visits to the Black Sea coastal resort of Sochi being about much more than rest and recreation, for Yu is autistic (自闭的). And in Sochi she has had encounters (遇见) with a very special kind of specialist (专科医生). That specialist - more exactly two of them- is a dolphin, contact with which is said to be beneficial to children like Yu.
Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social communication. In some severe cases autistic children may have trouble learning to speak or make eye contact. However,many children with autism are able to live normal lives. With the help of professional doctors, the children played games with the dolphins and receive treatment.
Dolphin-assisted treatment is not without controversy, there being no scientific evidence of its benefits, even if it is argued that the communicative experience for the children can be of no harm, and animal welfare activists object to the way animals are forced into their role as therapists (治疗师).However, even if Yu's mother is aware of such objections, she talks enthusiastically of the progress she thinks Yu has made since first traveling to Sochi.
That program, in which Chinese children with autism visit Sochi to receive dolphin-assisted treatment, is supported by the government of Sochi and the China Foundation for Disabled Persons. It was first held last October and again in mid-June to July. More than 10 children from China have now visited Sochi to receive dolphin-assisted treatment and have had very positive results, says Anatoly Pakhomov, the mayor of Sochi.
"We hope the Sochi government and China Foundation for Disabled Persons can establish a more stable long-term partnership, and we will continue to provide the necessary assistance and support," Pakhomov said.
1. What did Xiao Yu suffer from according to paragraph 1?| A．She had trouble when traveling to Russia. |
| B．She had to have a rest and recreation. |
| C．She had to encounter with a specialist. |
| D．She has a serious disease. |
| A．argument | B．agreement |
| C．encouragement | D．discussion |
| A．Children with autism are sure to live normal lives with the help of dolphins and treatment. |
| B．The communicative experience for the children can be of no harm. |
| C．Animal welfare activists approved of the way animals are forced into their role as therapists. |
| D．The program is supported by both China and Russia. |
| A．supportive | B．disagree |
| C．negative | D．uncaring |
People will compete over anything. Every Christmas, my neighbors and I have a little Christmas light competition. It is heaven for the electric company, but I think we give Will Rogers Airport a scare. It is bright enough to land a plane in our front yards. I admit that last year my neighbors won, but only because they bought every strand of lights Wal-Mart had before I could get there.
Personal competitions are great, but we get a little carried away. I cannot stand to see coaches shout at kids playing sports. Who cares if someone messes up and the other team advances?
I’m tired of people competing just to win. It happens not only in sports, but in music competitions, too. People auditioning（试音）for chair placement in certain bands can get really unfriendly. This year I did not audition for a certain band, but I went to auditions anyway. This was the first time I actually had the opportunity to comprehend the whole picture.
Other times I’ve been the person who was nervous and anxious. This time, I sat back and observed everyone else. I came to the realization that the people who aren’t so good are terrified of the good people, and the good people are scared stiff that the bad people have taken lessons and can now show them up. Unless a person is on the outside looking in, I don’t think anyone realizes this.
Maybe competing is human nature, but we shouldn’t let it influence our judgment. Being disrespectful to opponents（对手）, letting competition become our life, and becoming so involved that we close ourselves off from friends and family is not the meaning of competition.
A little competition is healthy, so it shouldn’t hurt anyone. If it does, someone somewhere needs to back off, find the good thing hidden inside, and try it again. Winning isn’t everything, and losing isn’t the end of the world.
1. The author mentions his competition with his neighbors to __________.
| A．make excuses for his failure |
| B．express his concern about the airport |
| C．imply his neighbor cheated in the competition |
| D．show people really care about the result of competition |
| A．the rules of competition |
| B．competitors’ effort to win |
| C．the influence of competition on life |
| D．the negative attitude to competition |
| A．the author failed the audition |
| B．competitors may be unfriendly to each other |
| C．it is coaches who always mess up the match |
| D．those who observe opponents calmly always win |
| A．Competition for the job is fierce. |
| B．Winning or losing is none of people’s concern. |
| C．Competition is healthy, but it can get out of hand. |
| D．The disadvantages of competition outweigh the benefits. |
【推荐3】Both fresh and processed foods make up vital parts of the food supply. Processed food contributes to both food security （quantity） and nutrition safety （quality）. Nutrition and other professional scientists recognize that fresh, local foods cannot meet all nutritional requirements. Food processing is necessary.
Although nutritional security and food security both depend on food processing, in recent years there has been great public controversy over the nutritional contribution that they make to our diets.
If enrichment were not present, large percentages of the population would have had inadequate vitamins and trace elements（微量元素）in their diets. Thus, processed foods are nutritionally important to our diets. How, then, do we increase the contribution of processed food to nutritional security and food security?
Rather than limiting processed foods in the diet, it may be more productive to encourage the best available food options, namely, those that provide fewer elements to limit and more nutrients to encourage for the calories consumed.
One disadvantage of commercial food processing technique is that they are poorly understood. Commercial food processing involves techniques that are difficult for the general public to grasp and that are out of their control, thus introducing a lack of transparency（透明）and leading to suspicion and concerns about safety in some individuals.
In addition, concerns about the nutritional content and other aspects of the production of processed food have caused criticisms of processed foods as “over- processed” and not compatible（兼容的）with good nutrition. However, the type and extent of processing do not necessarily relate to nutritional content of the product.
1. What causes disagreement over food processing?| A．Food quality. | B．Food options. | C．Food quantity. | D．Food supplies. |
| A．Excitement. | B．Satisfaction. | C．Depression. | D．Doubt. |
| A．It has a positive influence on people’s diets. |
| B．It should be increased significantly. |
| C．It would require further investigation. |
| D．It offers people unnecessary extra nutrition. |
