1 . It can be hard to convince homeowners to use less water on their lawns (草坪), particularly during a hot and dry summer. But tell them it’s a competition for the ugliest lawn, and suddenly they may be more willing to give up using the sprinkler(洒水器).
This clever strategy was employed by the government of Gotland, Sweden’s largest island located in the Baltic Sea. Gotland sees its population double during the summer months as tourists arrive. This puts pressure on the island’s already-limited water supply, which is projected to decrease by 13% between 2021 and 2050, as demand is expected to rise by 40% by 2045.
The campaign, called “Gotland’s Ugliest Lawn”, urged homeowners to compete for the saddest, deadest and brownest yard. They were asked to avoid watering for an entire season, then post a photo of the lawn using a label that linked it to the campaign.
Mimmi Gibson, the acting marketing and brand manager at Region Gotland, said that “the ugliest lawn contest would remind the islanders not to waste water, and to talk about ways they can adapt their gardens to suit the existing conditions and the climate crisis”.
The winner for this year was announced in mid-August, and it’s Marcus Norstrom, who did not water his lawn once throughout the entire summer. His photo shows a large brown space with some sparse yellow grasses sticking out——the kind of yard in which you would not want to walk barefoot (赤脚地)for risk of hurting your feet. The government must be feeling pleased ; its strategy has worked.
It’s an interesting strategy which attempts to normalize and even celebrate dead grass. It is reasonable to assume that the more people see it around their communities, the more acceptable it will become. They may also grow curious when they realize there are other ways to create and maintain an attractive-looking yard, even without irrigation(灌溉).
1. What’s the aim of the competition for the ugliest lawn?| A．To reduce the waste of water. | B．To limit the growth of local lawns. |
| C．To strengthen citizens’ friendship. | D．To enhance citizens, health awareness. |
| A．Gotland is rich in water resources. |
| B．People will have no water to drink in 2050. |
| C．Gotland is faced with serious lack of water. |
| D．The population of Gotland grows faster and faster. |
| A．Unconcerned. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear. | D．Positive. |
| A．To explain the success of the strategy. |
| B．To tell citizens the danger of the ugliest lawn. |
| C．To discuss why it’s dangerous to waste water. |
| D．To show citizens what the ugliest lawn looks like. |
2 . In the United States, farmers who are trying to earn money find the situation difficult to deal with. The United States Department of Agriculture found that more than half of the small farms in California do not make money. But the United Nations reported at least one third of the food is wasted by not selling it out in time.
One California farm family is using social media to change the situation and reduce wasted food. Nick Papadopoulos is the manager of Bloomfield Farms in Sonoma County. He was sad and worried to watch his employees returning from some weekend farmers’ markets with top quality unsold products.
Mr. Papadopoulos said he would find boxes of leaf greens and carrots left in a storehouse. The vegetables would go bad before the next market day. One night, he began thinking about the matter of wasted food when he didn’t know how to deal with 32 cases of broccoli (西兰花). Usually he would give it to chickens and use the rest to make fertilizer (肥料). He thought he shouldn’t let the farm products go to waste.
Then his daughter showed him a book she bought online. Suddenly it hit him that he could offer the food at a low price by advertising it on the farm’s Facebook page on Sunday nights. The deals were open to anyone using the social media website. In the first week, some neighbors came to his home to buy the vegetables. Another week, the buyers were a group of friends. And now many people wait to buy his cheap products.
After his success, Mr. Papadopoulos helped to set up a website called cropmobster. com, which is a place where people deal with food production at low prices, feeding the hungry. Since March, the website has stopped more than 20, 000 kilograms of food from going to waste.
1. According to the United Nations, much food is wasted mainly because .| A．there is too much food | B．the food can’t be sold out |
| C．the food isn’t of good quality | D．the prices of the food are high |
| A．On weekend markets. | B．On a food website. |
| C．In the supermarkets. | D．Beside his farms. |
| A．Gave them to the poor. |
| B．Sold them at lower prices. |
| C．Put them in a storehouse for the next chance. |
| D．Gave them to chickens and turned them into fertilizer |
| A．Improving the farm products. |
| B．Improving the farmers’ incomes. |
| C．Providing cheap food for the poor. |
| D．Helping farmers sell out farm products. |
3 . Apples, oranges and other fruit should be kept in the fridge to last long, new supermarket labels (标签) will say, in a move which could tell the end of the traditional fruit bowl. The labels will form part of the government-backed guidance to help customers bring down the amount of food they throw by changing advice on packs of supermarket food.
Under the plan supermarkets will introduce a new “Little Blue Fridge” sign for food which should be kept chilled (冷藏), or benefit from being kept in the fridge to prevent it going off. The sign will appear on much food which is not usually kept in the fridge. For example, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) pointed out that apples, oranges and pear, which are usually kept in a fruit bowl, should in fact be stored in the fridge.
Dr. Andrew Parry, a Special Advisor at WRAP, said, “Most fresh fruit and vegetables will keep fresher for longer if kept in their packaging and in the fridge. Generally a good way to manage fruit at home is to take out enough into the fruit bowl-if you prefer it at room temperature, but use your fridge as cold storage for the rest. This will give you more time to enjoy your food, and help cut down on waste.”
Environment Minister Therese Coffey said, “We know that confusing labels can lead to food waste by suggesting that esculent items need to be thrown away sooner. This new guidance will make packaging much clearer for customers, saving them money and cutting waste. I encourage all food businesses, large and small, to use this guidance to help them put the right date mark on food and help to guide people on the freezing products, which are key to cutting down on the amount of eatable food thrown away.”
Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency, said, “I think this clear guidance can help deal with food waste, without damaging the safety of food. It will help businesses supply food that is properly described and stored, and safely provided to consumers.”
1. Which is in line with the goal of the government-backed guidance?| A．Encouraging business. | B．Lowering goods prices. |
| C．Cutting down on waste. | D．Improving product quality. |
| A．Eatable. | B．Bad. | C．Fresh. | D．Packaged. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Tolerant. | C．Positive. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．The Clearer Label Plan to Reduce Food Waste. |
| B．The Disadvantages of Confusing Labels on the Food. |
| C．The New Ways to Keep Fruit and Vegetables Fresh. |
| D．The End of the Traditional Fruit Bowl. |
4 . There was a time in the past when, if you had surplus(多余的）food in your fridge, you may have knocked on a neighbor's door to see if they wanted it. Now, unfortunately, giving away food may cause embarrassment, so uneaten food often ends up being thrown in the trash.
Olio hopes to change that. This smart food-sharing app allows people with extra food to post a picture online and anyone who wants it can respond and pick it up, usually within minutes or hours of it being posted. No money is exchanged. It's straightforward gift of surplus food to someone who can prevent it from going to waste. You might even make a new friend in the process!
The app was created in 2015 by two businesswomen, Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One , in England. Since then it has grown rapidly with nearly 3.5 million people using it in 50 countries. The app saw even more people join in throughout 2020, when food insecurity increased due to the pandemic(疫情).
Clarke told the Guardian that, in the United Kingdom, about a third of all food is thrown away - half of it in people's homes.“Each family throws away an average of 730 of food each year,” she said. Olio managed to fix this in a simple way. “The app connects people with others who have surplus food but don't have anyone to give it to because so many people are disconnected from their communities.”
It's a great idea that will hopefully continue to expand around the world as people realize the benefits of sharing food, rather than throwing it away.
1. What is Olio intended to do?| A．Exchange money. | B．Stop wasting food. | C．Entertain people. | D．Protect the environment. |
| A．People were much busier than before. | B．People got much closer to their neighbors. |
| C．People were more worried about food safety. | D．Olio was improved and became easier to use. |
| A．It will be thrown away. | B．It will be more popular. |
| C．It will be more expensive. | D．It will be replaced by other apps. |
| A．Order Food through the Internet | B．Never Waste Food in Your Fridge |
| C．Create Peaceful Communities to Do Charity | D．Share Surplus Food Using the Olio App |
