1 . Like most of us, I try to be mindful of food that goes to waste. The arugula (芝麻菜)was to make a nice green salad, rounding out a roast chicken dinner. But I ended up working late. Then friends called with a dinner invitation. I stuck the chicken in the freezer. But as days passed, the arugula went bad. Even worse, I had unthinkingly bought way too much; I could have made six salads with what I threw out.
In a world where nearly 800 million people a year go hungry, “food waste goes against the moral grain,” as Elizabeth Royte writes in this month’s cover story. It’s jaw-dropping how much perfectly good food is thrown away — from “ugly” (but quite eatable) vegetables rejected by grocers to large amounts of uneaten dishes thrown into restaurant garbage cans.
Producing food that no one eats wastes the water, fuel, and other resources used to grow it. That makes food waste an environmental problem. In fact, Royte writes, “if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest producer of greenhouse gases in the world.”
If that’s hard to understand, let’s keep it as simple as the arugula at the back of my refrigerator. Mike Curtin sees my arugula story all the time — but for him, it's more like 12 bones of donated strawberries nearing their last days. Curtin is CEO of DC Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., which recovers food and turns it into healthy meals. Last year it recovered more than 807,500 pounds of food by taking donations and collecting blemished (有瑕疵的) produce that otherwise would have rotted in fields. And the strawberries? Volunteers will wash, cut, and freeze or dry them for use in meals down the road.
Such methods seem obvious, yet so often we just don’t think. “Everyone can play a part in reducing waste, whether by not purchasing more food than necessary in your weekly shopping or by asking restaurants to not include the side dish you won’t eat,” Curtin says.
1. What does the author want to show by telling the arugula story?| A．We pay little attention to food waste. | B．We waste food unintentionally at times. |
| C．We waste more vegetables than meat. | D．We have good reasons for wasting food. |
| A．Moral decline. | B．Environmental harm. |
| C．Energy shortage. | D．Worldwide starvation. |
| A．It produces kitchen equipment. | B．It turns rotten arugula into clean fuel. |
| C．It helps local farmers grow fruits. | D．It makes meals out of unwanted food. |
| A．Buy only what is needed. | B．Reduce food consumption. |
| C．Go shopping once a week. | D．Eat in restaurants less often. |
2 . 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. |
