The Little Prince is a
9 . Millions of highly polluting used cars from rich countries are being" dumped" on developing nations, according to a UN report. Between 2015 and 2018, some 14 million older, poor quality vehicles were exported(出口) from Europe, Japan and the US. Four out of five were sold to poorer countries, with more than half going to Africa.
Experts say that up to 80% failed to meet-minimum safety and environmental standards in exporting countries. As well as causing accidents, these cars make air pollution worse and contribute heavily to climate change. Many of the vehicles have also been tampered with(篡改) to remove valuable parts.
The report, published by the UN Environment Programme (Unep), says that both exporters and importers need to put tougher regulations (rules) in place to stem the flow of these cars. Car ownership is booming(繁荣) all over the world with an estimated 1.4 billion vehicles on the roads, a number that's expected to reach around two billion by 2040. Much of that growth is happening in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
A second study on the issue, by the Netherlands Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate, shows that many cars and vans shipped from Dutch ports to Africa are outdated and contribute to worsening air quality on the continent. According to the authors, these cars are both “dangerous and dirty.” They believe these imports are responsible for increased levels of road accidents in many poorer African and Asian countries.
The growing realization of the dangers posed by these cars has seen several importing countries strengthen their regulations. Morocco only permits cars less than five years old to be imported. Kenya also has an age limit of eight years for imported cars. On a regional level, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), representing15 countries, has set cleaner fuel and vehicle standards from January 2021.
But to really deal with the issue will require action at both ends of the supply chain. "On one hand，I think it's unethical(不道德的) that these developed countries export vehicles that are not roadworthy on their own roads," said Rob de Jong, one author." On the other hand, why have the importing countries been waiting so long to put in place some minimum standards? So I think the responsibility is not only on the exporting country, it's really a joint responsibility."
1. What problems do the "dumped" cars cause to developing countries?| A．Car ownership is booming in these countries. |
| B．These countries are becoming poorer and poorer. |
| C．They worsen the air quality and lead to road accidents. |
| D．These countries have to make rules to handle climate change. |
| A．stop | B．increase | C．lead | D．distract |
| A．importing countries strengthen their regulations |
| B．exporting countries get punished for their behavior |
| C．both exporting and importing countries take action |
| D．limit be set on the age of the imported cars |
| A．Many used cars are exported to poor countries, which calls for action. |
| B．Developing countries are very weak in dealing with the import of used cars. |
| C．It's selfish for developed countries to export vehicles that are not roadworthy on their own roads. |
| D．Used cars contribute heavily to air pollution and climate change in poor countries. |
My 15-year-old son is refusing to take responsibility for anything and, although he's capable, he does not show any interest in his education. I am worried about him and his future.
Sometimes, I feel bad and tell him that he's trying his best, but soon I start feeling concerned again. At other times, I feel angry with him for the way he is behaving. I try to encourage him by amplifying (放大) every little good thing he does, particularly in school, and have tried speaking to him like an adult. I am also worried that his younger siblings, who are doing well, will follow in his footsteps. Do you have any tips on how I can inspire him to change?
An anxious mother
Jogi4 Sep 2020 20:55
We have two older teenaged boys who have both come through it and are doing grand now. I think the ages 14 to 16 are the hardest to navigate with boys, so there may be some comfort in knowing this is likely to be the nadir(worst moment) that you are coming through, and it should hopefully improve soon. Honestly their brains are soup at this age! The single most important thing to actually worry about is this — is he happy in himself? If he is, then the worry is not necessary. A small amount of nagging (抱怨) imbued with love and support should be sufficient, so at least they have been advised correctly, even if they choose not to follow the advice at this time.
A practical thing you can do to help self-esteem (自尊) and passion is to give them some different experiences outside of school. We took ours climbing, biking and to music gigs. One boy couldn't deal with the strictness of school and after a horrific year of failure and challenging behaviour, went to college. He loves college because he is in control of his own time and studying the subjects he likes best and now plans to go to university in a couple more years. After failing to get to school on time for over a year, he now gets himself up at 6 am for the hour long bus journey to college.
The other perfected the art of laziness and non-effort, until he found music at 15, and wanted a music course at university so much. He finally did some work to get the required grades.
Our third teen boy is 13, even lazier than his big brother, and has not found any kind of interest or passion as yet despite having tried a few things, so it’s not clear what shape he will take, but we will not try and force him into a mold he doesn't want to be in. There is plenty of time to learn — he doesn't need to be the finished article in the next four years. As long as he is happy and has been advised of the importance of education and finding a fulfilling career eventually — then we haven't done too badly.
1. Where might this passage come from?| A．A newspaper. | B．A website. | C．A magazine. | D．A school brochure. |
| A．Her son is not interested in study. |
| B．Her son will set a bad example to her other children. |
| C．Her son's future might be negatively influenced. |
| D．Her son doesn't behave like an adult. |
| A．He just leaves them alone and lets them develop at their own pace. |
| B．He complains about them and forces them to follow his advice. |
| C．He takes them to participate in some out-of-school activities. |
| D．He orders them to get up early to make preparations for college. |
| A．Parents don't need to do anything as long as their children are happy. |
| B．Children will naturally find their interest sometime in their life. |
| C．Parents should be helpful and patient during their children's growth. |
| D．All the children will eventually find a satisfying career whatever their attitude. |
