When sorting through the apples at the grocery store, you see an ugly, strange-looking apple. Whether it’s a strange color, has spots, or is a strange shape, you wonder how it made it onto the shelves. Who would buy and eat this? Most people would not buy ugly produce. That is why it is rare to see ugly-shaped fruit or off-colored vegetables. So what happens to this produce?
Data have shown that 20%—40% of fruits and vegetables are rejected even before they reach grocery stores. And even more are rejected on site, because grocery stores and companies have incredibly high standards for what their produce should look like. That includes color, shape, size, weight, and length. And the food that doesn’t meet these standards is thrown away. There are incredibly strict laws about food donation that actually makes it illegal to donate food that doesn’t meet standards that are similar to those of the grocery store as well as laws that restrict this food from being used as animal feed.
Besides, 10% of rich countries greenhouse gas emissions come from food that was grown and never eaten. Food waste not only contributes to climate change, but also food insecurity and extreme poverty. As stated above, in the greatest food wasting countries, there are laws that confine produce from being donated to people in need.
By reducing food waste, a third of the world’s entire food supply could be saved. That’s enough to feed 3 billion people. Also, by reducing food waste, farmers all over the world could sell more of their produce and inspire their rural, agricultural economies. There are many ways to get involved in ending food waste! You can participate in advocacy events hosted nearby like with Feedback Global, who hosts an event called “Feeding the 5000” where they seek to feed 5000 people with food that would have otherwise been wasted. Encourage your local grocer to sell ugly produce. Food is food!
1. Why is ugly-shaped fruit rarely seen at the grocery store?| A．It is not tasty or nutritious. | B．Farmers would not plant it. |
| C．Most people are not fond of it. | D．Few people choose to purchase it. |
| A．They are consumed. | B．They are donated. |
| C．They are wasted. | D．They are buried. |
| A．Refuse. | B．Restrict. | C．Contact. | D．Protect. |
| A．Ugly fruit could lead to a prettier world |
| B．Food waste makes 3 billion people in poverty |
| C．Feedback Global is seeking to feed 5000 people |
| D．More people should get involved in ending food waste |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The Best Chinese Restaurants in Soho
Soho, envelopes London’s Chinatown so naturally the neighborhood is full of Chinese restaurants. You’ll find various Chinese cuisines in Soho.
Yauatcha Soho($$$)
Yauatcha is a stylish all-day dim sum restaurant from the Hakkasan Group. And the Soho site is extremely stylish indeed with its dark tables and long blue-lit fish tank. The food is similarly beautiful, from the delicate crystal dumplings to the spicy steamed seabass, a kind of sea fish. You certainly pay for the pleasure of eating at Yauatcha. For a luxury occasion it really hits the spot.
Beijing Dumpling($$)
It may have dumpling in the name but that’s not all this little spot turns out. You can watch the chefs make the dumplings by hand in the window and they come pan-fried, steamed or soupy in the form of xiaolongbao. If you need more there are a variety of classic Chinese dishes and spicy hot pot.
Little Four Seasons($)
It’s not hard to locate Little Four Seasons which is famed for its roast duck. You can get this signature dish at Little Four Seasons but the specialty of this house is hot pot with the pork belly and chicken with black pepper, the spicy chicken and the spicy and sour fish being particular favourites.
Barshu($$)
Sichuan cuisine is famous for its spiciness and that’s exactly what you get at Barshu. Sichuan pepper and chillies feature across the menu, in everything from deep fried frogs legs to dry wok(锅)duck tongues to hot and sour tofu. It’s slightly pricier than your average Chinatown restaurant but you’ll struggle to find regional food of the same quality elsewhere. Just be prepared for the heat.
1. What can be enjoyed in Little Four Seasons?| A．Hot and sour tofu. | B．Spicy steamed seabass. |
| C．The delicate dim sum. | D．Hot pot with black pepper. |
| A．Yauatcha Soho may cost customers the least. |
| B．The cuisines are combined with English flavor. |
| C．Barshu serves Sichuan cuisines of high quality. |
| D．Beijing Dumpling serves mass-produced dumplings. |
| A．Barshu. | B．Yauatcha Soho. |
| C．Beijing Dumpling. | D．Little Four Seasons. |
【推荐2】Sorry,potato people!Although it’s probably no surprise that French fries are among the worst foods you can eat,most of us still don’t believe it.After all，it doesn’t hurt to eat some every once in a while…right?But some people feel guilty(内疚的）to eat French fries and they have a good reason for that.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,people’s guilty feeling may be well-placed.The research,which researched potato eating in 4,400 older people between ages of 45 and 79 over the course of eight years,shows that eating fried potatoes at least twice a week highly increases our risk of death.
But hold up!Before you completely stop eating potatoes,you should know that it is found that eating potatoes overall(even a lot of them)wouldn’t kill you.Instead,it’s the type of potato that makes all the difference between life and death.
Eating fried potatoes like French fries at least twice per week increased the risk of death in the study.On the other hand,potatoes that were not fried,such as boiled and baked potatoes,were less likely to cause death.
Why?Potatoes have healthy levels of fiber(纤维）and vitamins(维生素），so you can partake without feeling bad.But when it comes to the fried food,you might need to think again.French fries usually have lots of fat and added salt,leading to weight growth.Still,when all is said and done，connection isn’t totally equal to causation(因果关系）.More research is needed before certainly concluding that eating French fries alone increases the risk of death.
Luckily,potatoes are still considered as one of your suggested three to five servings of vegetables per day.Just try not to eat the fatty ones,if you can.
1. What’s the text mainly about?| A．People’s reasons for feeling guilty. |
| B．The worst foods that should be avoided. |
| C．A research about potatoes,effects on treating illnesses. |
| D．A study on the relation between French fries and death. |
| A．potatoes aren’t good for everyone |
| B．many foods can mean life and death |
| C．we shouldn’t eat one type of food too much |
| D．how food is cooked is important to our health |
| A．Share. | B．Cook. | C．Eat. | D．Buy. |
| A．Damaged fiber. | B．Bad potatoes. |
| C．Much fat and salt in them. | D．The oil used to fry them. |
【推荐3】As a result of trade, travel and migration, different cuisines have spread across the world. Many recipes, chefs and restaurants try to announce that their food of a country or region is the most authentic (正宗的). But is this a good thing?
People care about authenticity because food traditions are closely linked to identity (身份), particularly for migrant communities. Sociologist and professor of food studies, Krishnendu Ray, explains that home cooking is often the last way that communities can show their identity. British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was accused of trying to take advantage of positive feelings about Jamaica. His ready meal product had a Jamaican name, but was unlike real Jamaican cooking.
However, food consultant Sara Kay asks whether there are problems with the idea of authenticity. She stresses that these ideas often come from the expectations that majority cultures have about minority cultures and their food. These can be restricting (限制的) — restauranteurs have complained that people expect Asian food to be cheaper than that from European cultures. Expectations can also give people a false idea of what is authentic. While large cities are full of eateries representing different countries — China, India, Italy, Mexico and more — these labels can oversimplify the reality of food from these countries. Stephanie Elizondo Greist is surprised by the recognition(认识) that foods in Mexico are more authentic than what she ate growing up as a Mexican-American in Texas, because she feels that both are authentic examples of Mexican food.
A more controversial (有争议的) view of authenticity was stated by American Chef Andrew Zimmern, who claimed that he could bring in Chinese dishes in a more authentic way than existing restaurants — many of which are owned by Chinese-Americans. Writer and food podcaster Ruth Tam points out that while these restaurants altered their menus to suit local tastes, so does Zimmern. So, while food and identity are closely linked, and failure to respect authenticity can cause offence, could there be problems with the whole idea of authenticity?
1. Which of the following factors causes people to care about authenticity?| A．Taste. | B．Tradition. | C．Culture. | D．Identity. |
| A．Eateries in different countries contribute to the authentic problem. |
| B．Expectation about authenticity may cause problems. |
| C．Asian food is cheaper than European food. |
| D．You can enjoy the traditional taste of Mexican food both in Mexico and America. |
| A．There can be only one authentic taste in a country. |
| B．What she eats in Texas means nothing to her. |
| C．Every person can have his or her own recognition of authenticity. |
| D．The regional specialities (特色菜) should be the same in a country. |
| A．changed | B．kept | C．tricked | D．pressed |
【推荐1】
Chen Chen is 8 years old. For the Spring Festival this year he was given an iPad as a present and never goes anywhere without it.
Many children in China are suffering the same problem:
“There are about 30 shortsighted children coming every day,” said Hu Dali, a doctor at Guiyang Aier Eye Hospital. “Half of those children are suffering from reduced vision because they have played with mobile phones and iPads for too long.”
Experts say children’s version is not yet fully developed and their eyes get tired more easily.
The iPad uses a very bright LED backlight. A user’s pupils (瞳孔) have to keep getting used to the new light levels. If children stare at an iPad screen for a long time, their eyes do not have time to rest.
Experts suggest that users should hold their iPad between 40—60 centimeters away from them. The brightness of the screen should be made comfortable for children. Parents should also stop their children from using an iPad for more than one hour every day.
| A．IPad use is damaging their eyesight |
| B．A month later his eyesight has reduced to 300 degrees |
| C．Children go eye bad due to the iPad |
| D．How an iPad influences children |
| E．This will make their eyesight worse over time |
| F．It does harm to their eyesight |
| G．This means the iPad has a greater effect on their eyes |
【推荐2】At present, in many American cities especially, many teachers in the public schools say they are underpaid. They point to jobs such as secretary or truck driver, which often pay more to start than that of a teacher. In many other fields, such as law, medicine, computer science, a beginning worker may make more than a teacher who has taught for several years.
Teaching has never been a profession that attracted people interested in high salaries. It is by history a profession that has provided rewards in addition to money — the satisfactions of sharing knowledge, of influencing others, of guiding young people. But in the past several years, there are more difficulties in teaching, for many, than there are rewards.
Unruly students, especially in big cities, large classes and a lack of support from the public in terms of money and understanding have led many public school teachers to leave the profession.
As a result, many of the best students, who would have chosen teaching as their life career in the past, are going into other fields.
Another reason for this change in teacher candidates is the changing status of women in the United States. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the most popular choices for women was teaching. But as other professions, such as law and medicine opened up to women, women stopped pouring into teacher training programs. Thus, a major pool of excellent candidates for the teaching profession dwindled.
Bit by bit government officials and others realized that the status of the teacher had suffered. They talked about change. But the change in a vast society like the United States is not easy. People’s attitudes have formed over many years, and sometimes change takes many years.
1. What’ s the main idea of paragraph 1?| A．Teachers in public schools are paid less than people in other fields in America. |
| B．Many teachers in the public schools are unemployed. |
| C．Teachers in America are paid less because they don’t teach long enough. |
| D．Many public school teachers in America leave school because of low salaries. |
| A．Too many classes. | B．Heavy teaching burden. |
| C．Disobedient students. | D．Lack of support from parents. |
| A．Expanded. | B．Decreased | C．Changed. | D．Enhanced. |
| A．Government officials are unwilling to change the status of the teachers. |
| B．Government officials have taken measures to change the status of the teachers. |
| C．People’s attitudes towards being a teacher in a vast society can be easily changed. |
| D．It has a long way for the government to go to change the teachers’ present situation. |
【推荐3】Math causes anxiety for kids. It is worsened by the pressure of knowing that math is the gatekeeper to science and technology that drive our society.
When our kids ask why they need to know algebra, we tell them that it will be useful.
Regrettably, the mathematical journey is imagined as a terrifying mountain: The wide base is arithmetic, accessible to everyone. Climbing higher brings us to algebra, geometry, and eventually calculus and beyond.
In reality, math is alive and still advancing, and most of it remains a vast and unexplored countryside.
Here’s one: Can every even number be written as a sum of two prime numbers (质数)? Even numbers such as 8 and 30 can be written as 3+5 and 7+23.
As our kids try to solve this kind of problems, an encouraging truth will appear in their anxious hearts: It’s OK to struggle with math since everyone does. These unsolved puzzles make us realize that we are on the same level as the great mathematicians, all of us staring over the unknown abyss (深渊), looking for a way down into the mystery.
| A．Girls can do as well as boys in math. |
| B．But can this be done for every even number? |
| C．But do we listen to jazz because it is useful? |
| D．Happily, unlocking the pleasure of math is simple. |
| E．But do they really understand the importance of math? |
| F．We believe that new math ideas have been nearly exhausted. |
| G．Fresh ideas are constantly being discovered, opening up new and fascinating puzzles. |
【推荐1】When was the last time you listened to someone? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? I asked people what it meant to be a good listener. The typical response was a blank stare. People had no trouble, however, telling me what it meant to be a bad listener.
Of course, technology plays a role. Social media helps filter out (滤掉) opposing views. People find phone calls disturbing and ignore voice mail, preferring text or wordless emoji. But tech is not the only blame. High schools and colleges rarely, if ever, offer classes or activities that teach careful listening. Traffic noise on city streets and music playing in shops exceed (超过) the volume of normal conversation by as much as 30 decibels (分贝), and can even cause hearing loss.
So how can we reclaim the lost art of listening? After years of studying and consulting, I discovered that listening goes beyond simply hearing what people say. It also involves paying attention to how they say it and what they do while they are saying it, in what context, and how what they say resonates (与. . . 共鸣) within you. It’s not about merely holding your peace while someone holds forth. Quite the opposite. A lot of listening has to do with how you respond — the degree to which you assist in the clear expression of the other person’s thoughts and in the process, express your own.
Good listeners ask good questions. Good questions don’t begin with “Wouldn’t you agree. or “Don’t you think. . . ?” and they definitely don’t end with “right?” The idea is to explore the other person’s point of view, not sway it. You also want to avoid asking people personal and evaluating questions. Instead, ask about people’s interests so that they feel more connected than if they spend time together accomplishing a task.
The reward of good listening will almost certainly be more interesting conversations. Attentive listeners receive more information, related details from the speakers, even when the listeners didn’t ask any questions. We are, each of us, the sum of what we attend to in life. And to listen poorly, selectively or not at all limits your understanding of the world and prevents you from becoming the best you can be.
1. Which is NOT mentioned as a factor that contributes to bad Listening?| A．People prefer text message to phone calls. |
| B．Listening skills are not taught in school. |
| C．The noise around us drowns out our speech. |
| D．Our responses to others while listening is different. |
| A．Listening combines hearing, understanding and responding. |
| B．Listening requires the listener to keep in total silence. |
| C．Listening isn’t just hearing but also predicting questions. |
| D．Listening is to put your thoughts into other person’s mouth. |
| A．Influence. | B．Stop. |
| C．Prove. | D．Complain. |
| A．Good listeners should express themselves bravely. |
| B．Good listening promotes our understanding of the world. |
| C．Good listeners always receive reward from the speakers. |
| D．Good listening develops people’s interest in private life. |
Instead of satellites, Locata uses ground-based equipment to send a radio signal over a localized area that is a million times stronger on arrival than GPS. It can work indoors as well as outdoors, and the makers claim that the receivers can be shrunk(缩小) to fit inside a regular cell phone. Even the US armies, which invented GPS technology, signed a file last month agreeing to a test of Locata at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
“This is one of the most important technology developments for the future of the positioning industry,” says Nunzio Gambale, CEO and co-founder of the firm Locata, based in Griffith, Australia.
As for the Locata’s correctness, Christopher Morin of the US Air Force tested it recently at White Sands, and it worked to within 18cm along any axis(轴). Morin said it should be possible to get the exactitude down to 5cm.
The tests were performed in an open desert where GPS also worked beautifully, but its signal was weak—like a car headlight from 20,000 kilometers away—and easily cut off by solid objects(实心的物体). Locata’s signal was far stronger, though not guaranteed to work in a complex urban environment, said David, speaker of the UK’ s General Lighthouse Authorities.
Locata’s technology will face competition in the race to transform indoor navigation. But it could shine in specific areas, Gambale said. Robots with Locata could easily navigate inside buildings without the complex optical(视觉的) systems they need at the moment. And the process that handles correct location data could not only guide you around a mall, railway station or airport, but also take you to the exact shelf in a shop for the product you want. It would be small and cheap enough for smart phones and it should be available within five years—a similar path to the one GPS took on its way towards the world, he said.
1. The passage is written mainly to ______.
| A．encourage people to buy the Locata |
| B．tell us the disadvantages of the GPS |
| C．introduce a new positioning system Locata |
| D．tell us that Locata will replace GPS one day |
| A．Without the help of the satellites, Locata can tell you where you are. |
| B．Locata will be popular with most people even including the US armies. |
| C．Locata has a better signal than GPS in some bad environments. |
| D．In five years, Locata will take the place of GPS. |
| A．did the experiment at White Sands last month |
| B．believed the Locata would help to develop smart robots’ creation |
| C．doubted whether Locata can work in a complex environment or not |
| D．was worried about the competition the Locata faced |
| A．Accuracy. | B．Speed. |
| C．Determination | D．Length |
| A．Locata is as small as a cell phone. |
| B．GPS is the most practical position system at present. |
| C．Locata will tell you how to get what you want in the future. |
| D．Locata will enter our lives through the cell phone, just like GPS. |
【推荐3】“Free Solo” is a documentary beautifully calculated to literally take your breath away. And it does. The film’s subject, Alex Honnold, is the top-ranking climber of free soloing, the art of climbing dizzyingly steep rock faces with no ropes, no harnesses (安全带), just bare hands and dazzling determination and skill. “There’s no margin for error; you have to do it perfectly,” one climber explains, comparing the endeavor to an Olympic sport where “if you don’t get the gold medal you are going to die.”
“Free Solo” opens with a striking overhead shot, almost too exciting to watch, of Honnold at work, his hands finding narrow gaps that don’t seem to exist, pulling off seeing — is — not — believing moves that are more astonishing than the most ambitious special effect.
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, “Free Solo” lets us in on how much went into the climb on a physical, psychological and emotional level, showing us how meticulously (细致地) even the tiniest move is planned. Vasarhelyi and Chin are the ideal people to tell this story, and not only because they’ve already done another superb mountaineering film, 2015’s “Meru”, which was short-listed for the best documentary Oscar. Chin has been an accomplished climber as well as a photographer and filmmaker, so he’s known Honnold for years and has the kind of friendship with the climber that makes the film possible.
Chin insisted his entire crew, including fellow cinematographers Clair Popkin and Mikey Schaefer, be experienced climbers, and one of the film’s most dramatic aspects is how nervous these extremely knowledgeable folks were about Honnold’s safety. The directors and crew worried that their presence might put too much pressure on Honnold or might lead to acts of what Chin characterizes as “Kodak courage”. More than that, no one wanted to be there shooting film if he made a mistake and died.
A perfectionist since Honnold was a boy, he found his gift for free solo early. One possible reason why Honnold is so good at it, which doctors hypothesized after giving him an MRI, is that his amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates fear, doesn’t react the way it does in most people. Though we inevitably worry about Honnold’ future safety, we’ve come to understand why his mother, Dierdre Wolownick, says that “climbing is when he feels the most alive. How can you take that away from somebody?” Seeing him at the peak of his skill on the biggest screen possible is an experience for everybody to savor (尽情享受).
1. What does it take to free solo?| A．Gift and good fortune. |
| B．Knowledge and experience. |
| C．Strength, determination and skill. |
| D．Ropes, harnesses, a photographer and a filmmaker. |
| A．They’ve ever shot a superb mountaineering documentary. |
| B．They have rich experience and companionship with Honnold. |
| C．They were accomplished climbers, photographers and filmmakers. |
| D．They are physically, psychologically and emotionally well prepared. |
| A．Wild and daring. |
| B．Gifted and vain. |
| C．Demanding and particular. |
| D．Talented and perfectionistic. |
| A．“Kodak courage” is highly expected. |
| B．Too much pressure was put on Honnold. |
| C．Chin and his crew cared much about Honnold’s safety. |
| D．Chin took on knowledgeable folks to shoot the documentary. |
