1 . Each year, the world wastes about one-sixth of the food available to consumers. It is estimated（估计）that the world has lost approximately 931 million metric tons of food so far. That's about an average of 121 kilograms for each man, woman and child on Earth.
What isn't eaten also wastes all of the resources used to make that food. Those resources include the water, energy, money, human labor and more. Wasted food "does not feed people, but it does feed climate change", said Otto, who works for the UN Environment Program (UNEP), during a news conference. Some 690 people go hungry each year. More than 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Meanwhile, the activities that had produced all of the lost and wasted food led to 8 to 10 percent of all global greenhouse-gas emission. Reducing food waste could ease hunger and possibly lower that pollution. That's the conclusion of the Food Waste Index Report 2021, a report issued on March 4.
The report's authors collected data on food-waste from 54 countries. Most food that went uneaten - 61 percent - was thrown out by home cooks and diners. Food services, such as restaurants, accounted for 26% more of the "lost" food. Groceries and other stores were responsible for 13% of the wasted food. Going in, Otto says, "We thought waste was mainly a problem in rich countries." In reality, the new report finds, food waste is a big problem in nations rich and poor.
While the report is the best study of the issue to date, several data gaps remain. The countries surveyed are home to just 75% of the world's population. What happens in other places remains unknown. And only 23 countries provided waste estimates for food losses by restaurants or retail stores. The researchers tried to account for such gaps. To do this, they made estimates based on what they learned in parts of the world that do tally such data.
Otto recommends that countries begin making more efficient use of food a part of their climate strategies and their COVID-19 recovery plans. "Food waste has been largely overlooked in national climate strategies," Otto said. "We know what to do. And we can take action quickly."
1. What is the main problem talked about in the passage?| A．World hunger. | B．Resource shortage. | C．Food losses. | D．Global warming. |
| A．Potential | B．Shocking. | C．Incurable | D．Temporary. |
| A．Climate change is caused by pollution. | B．Waste is a permanent problem. |
| C．No solution to the problem is available. | D．Food waste is a worldwide issue. |
| A．a virtue to be advocated | B．a win-win solution |
| C．a battle unlikely to win | D．a matter of chance |
2 . When you're eating dinner with your family, do your parents ever remind you to finish all the food on your plate? If so, you should know it's not just because they want you to be healthy.
They also want to stop food waste.Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food was wasted around the world, according to the UN.That was about one-third of all food produced each year. We made a survey in 34 countries to see how much food was wasted in different countries. For example, the UAE(阿联酋)wasted the most food, with each person wasting about 1,000 kilos every year on average. However, some countries have worked hard to use their food resources wisely. France wasted the least amount of food, according to the survey. France was the first country to pass laws that banned food waste. It was not allowed to throwaway fresh food. Another law forced French restaurants to provide bags for people's leftovers(剩饭菜) .
China was the 23rd for food waste in the survey. China's food waste was around 18millon tons every year, enough to feed up to 50 million people for one year. Facing this situation，China has been working hard to reduce food waste. In early 2013, a movement to prevent food waste called“empty plate”began. It has become popular among both government officials and general public.
1. How much food was wasted every year around the world according to the passage?| A．1.3 billion tons. | B．5 billion tons. |
| C．2 million tons. | D．4 million tons. |
| A．China. | B．France. | C．The UAE. | D．Japan. |
| A．wasted the most food | B．threw away fresh food |
| C．bought some food from other countries | D．started a movement called“empty plate” |
| A．Stopping food waste | B．Eating up fresh food |
| C．Collecting food waste | D．Providing fresh food |
3 . How much food do you buy each week? Are you someone who stuffs your fridge and cupboards full of foods so that you’ll always have something to eat? Or maybe, you’ re more efficient with your shopping, only buying what you need and using up your leftovers so that you keep food waste to a minimum.
Throwing away unwanted food has become a big issue in the developed world. While some of us throw away unwanted items, people in other parts of world face food shortages and are starving. It’s a shocking fact that a third of the world’s food is wasted each year. The actual figure is 1.3 billion tons of food, which is enough to feed a billion hungry people.
You may think supermarkets are the main contributors to this mountain of food. After all, they do get rid of stuff that’s past its sell-by-date and they often refuse to sell vegetables and fruit that are the wrong shape or look damaged. They’ve also been criticized for encouraging customers to buy more than they need through promotions such as “buy one and get one free”.
But we ourselves are mainly responsible for creating food waste. In Europe an incredible 53% of food waste comes from households, which results in 88 million tonnes of food waste a year. The food waste is buried and left to rot. Unfortunately, this causes greenhouse gases which eventually lead to global warming and climate change.
In Denmark, a woman called Selina Juul has been working hard to solve this problem. She convinced some supermarkets to stop selling their items in bulk (批量) so that people bought only what they needed. She produced a leftovers cookbook and she's set up an education programme in schools. This has helped create a significant 25% reduction in food waste, which shows that something can be done.
Clearly, we need to think twice when we put something in our shopping trolley, and when we’re at home, we should make the most of the food we have—using recipes that use up our leftovers or even sharing our food with our friends and neighbors.
1. What does the author intend to show in paragraph 2?| A．The world hunger. | B．The impact of wasting food. |
| C．The solutions to food shortages. | D．The severe food waste. |
| A．They often change the prices of food. |
| B．They focus more on food's looks than qualities. |
| C．They make people buy more food than they need. |
| D．They often put up false advertisements for food. |
| A．She established an education programme in neighborhoods. |
| B．She persuaded supermarkets to change their ways of sale. |
| C．She convinced supermarkets to sell her leftovers cookbook. |
| D．She encouraged people to share food in communities. |
| A．To advocate healthy eating habits. |
| B．To raise the public’s awareness of saving. |
| C．To draw people's attention to food security. |
| D．To blame the marketing methods of some supermarkets. |
4 . Las Vegas city in Nevada is built in a desert.The city may be known to the outside world for its partying.But officials have found that there are 21 square kilometers of useless grass.The grass is never laid on, played on or even stepped on.The grass is only there to look nice.
Now, the city is asking the Nevada state legislature (立法机构) to ban useless grass.It is trying to become the first place in America to ban that kind of grass often seen between streets, in housing developments and in office parks.
It is estimated that useless grass makes up 40% of all the grass in Las Vegas and it needs a lot of water to survive.Grass needs four times more water than dry climate plants like cactus.By tearing out the grass, the city could reduce yearly water usage by 15%.
In 2003, the Southern Nevada Water Authority banned developers from planting grass in front of new homes.It also offered homeowners $30 for each square meter of grass they tear out.But fewer people are now using the program.Water usage has increased in southern Nevada by 9% since 2019.And last year, Las Vegas set a record of 240 days without major rainfall.The Colorado River provides much of Nevada’s drinking water.The river could lose more water as climate change affects it.
Water officials in other dry cities said water usage needs to be reduced.But they fear the reaction to reforms like the ones in Las Vegas if their communities do not accept them.Cynthia Campbell is the water resources adviser for the city of Phoenix in Arizona.“There might come a point when city restrictions get too severe (苛刻的) for some residents (居民).They’ll say that is the point of no return for them,” Campbell said.“For some people, it’s a pool.For some people, it’s grass.”
1. Why does Las Vegas city try to ban useless grass?| A．To protect the local people. |
| B．To beautify the city. |
| C．To reduce water usage. |
| D．To reduce waste. |
| A．Allowing planting grass before new houses. |
| B．Encouraging the residents to tear out grass. |
| C．Praising those who signed on the program. |
| D．Awarding those who reduced water usage. |
| A．Many residents won’t follow the ban. |
| B．Reaction to the reform will vary personally. |
| C．Other measures should be taken to protect wetter. |
| D．Water officials should take many factors into consideration. |
| A．Las Vegas Plans to Ban Useless Grass |
| B．A Method Is Adopted to Save Las Vegas |
| C．Choices between Beauty and Practice |
| D．Grass Is Important but Useless in Las Vegas |
5 . 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 |
