Time to appreciate food
Food is a necessity for human beings to survive and thrive. But it’s a lot more than that. As Mariette DiChristina of Scientific American wrote: “The most intimate relationship we will ever have is not with any fellow human being. Instead, it is between our bodies and our food.”
Nowadays, for most people in the world’s
Take Kenya for example. This African nation
So what can we do on World Food Day? One good way to spend it would be to feel humble and appreciate what we have.
| A.kill B.connection C.powered D.manufacturer E. potential F.expected G.catch H.developed I. reported J. react K.measured |
Love it or hate it, flying is necessary if we want to get to a faraway destination (目的地). For those of us who love to read e-books or listen to music on our phone to
This is because Chinese airlines didn’t allow smartphones to be
During the study, Kenny Kirchoff, a Boeing engineer,
Many Chinese airlines are now
3 . In recent days, a netizen left a comment on the official website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, urging the relevant authorities to issue a statement to encourage residents to not be influenced by superstition and continue with their marriage plans as usual during the Year of the Dragon.
The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs promptly responded, stating that they would pay attention to this issue. The department explained that there is a year in the lunar calendar that does not have the beginning of spring solar term (节气), which occurs approximately once every two to three years.
The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month each year. However, its date on the Gregorian calendar (公历) varies from year to year. Start of Spring, which is the first of the 24 solar terms, is considered the official beginning of spring.
Why did the ancients think that “no spring year” was not suitable for marriage? As the weather warms up and spring arrives, the earth awakes from its winter hibernation. The rain falls, the thunder surges, and everything in the world comes alive once again. At such a good time, they usually associated the beginning of spring with fertility. If spring does not come, reproduction will not be prosperous. “No spring” means “no child”, and getting married is the most taboo. Superstitions about this time of year often focus on avoiding marriage or other important events because it is believed to be unlucky.
The Social Affairs Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs emphasized that these superstitions, which mean false beliefs without scientific evidence, should not have the final say about people's decisions about their marriages or other important life events. They encouraged residents to continue with their plans as usual during this period and not be influenced by superstition.
The department also reminded the public that marriage is a personal decision that should be based on love, mutual respect, and consideration for each other’s future. They emphasized that the government will continue to provide support and assistance to ensure that all citizens can enjoy a stable and happy life.
1. What was the reason behind the netizen’s comment on the Ministry of Civil Affairs’ website?| A．To request detailed information about the spring solar term this Year of the Dragon. |
| B．To express dissatisfaction with the government policies to issue a ban on marriage this year. |
| C．To motivate inhabitants to resist the impact of unscientific beliefs in the Year of the Dragon. |
| D．To criticize the Ministry of Civil Affairs for their delayed response. |
| A．Due to unfavorable weather conditions in the “no spring” solar term. |
| B．Because it was believed to bring bad luck and misfortune. |
| C．As a result of scientific evidence proving it was unlucky. |
| D．To avoid conflicts with traditional customs and the wedding ceremonies. |
| A．Encouraging residents to follow traditional superstitions by getting married as planned. |
| B．Discouraging people from getting married during the Year of the Dragon. |
| C．Emphasizing that unscientific beliefs should not have an impact on marriage decisions. |
| D．Urging the public to protest against the complicated traditional Spring Festival celebrations. |
4 . Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children. It primarily focuses on learning through playing to encourage children’s different kinds of development.
Studies with Head Start programs throughout the United States have shown some evidence that there are quite a few advantages to early childhood education, which can produce significant gains in children’s learning and development. Compared with a child who does not attend pre-school, children completing their early education programs are found to be better at math and reading skills. They are excited to learn and have the tools to do so.
Early childhood education gives most children a jump-start on education for their kindergarten and primary school years. It is clear that early childhood education do a lot of good to children.
| A．The long-term influence of early education is significant as well. |
| B．They can benefit greatly from encouragement in their early childhood. |
| C．Yet its quality must be assessed to see what kind of benefits it actually provides. |
| D．They are also able to relate to others in a superior way and that improves their social skills. |
| E．Many experts of education, however, are concerned about what early childhood education means today. |
| F．It consists of activities that serve children in the pre-school years and is designed to improve later school performance. |
5 . Britain has a complete network of public libraries, administered by local library authorities: These libraries have a’ total collection of some 115 million books.
About one-third of the total population are members of public libraries. This leading and reference library service is, with some limitations, free.
Public libraries not only lend books, music scores, and records, but also provide libraries for children, patients in hospital and prisoners in jails, among others. They engage in many other kinds of activities as well, such as organizing play readings, lectures, films shows and musical circles. They also help to promote and develop adult education.
The greatest and most famous library in Britain is that of the British Museum (now part of the British Library created in 1973), which possesses over six million books. A copy of every book, magazines, newspaper, etc. , published in Great Britain must be sent to the British Museum. The Reading Room of the Museum is famous for the number of scholars and notables who have studied in it. The British Museum Library is not a lending library.
The second best-known library in Britain is the Boldeian Library at Oxford (over two million volumes). The National Library of Scotland (about two million volumes) and the National Library of Wales (more than one and a quarter million volumes) are also famous, and may claim a copy of every new work published in Britain. There is also a National Library for the Blind, with over three hundred thousand volumes in a specially embossed type.
1. The services public libraries offer are .| A．only lending books, music scores and records |
| B．organizing play reading, stage performances and film shows |
| C．providing libraries for some groups of people |
| D．helping to promote and develop school education |
| A．the number of famous readers |
| B．its long history |
| C．more than six million books |
| D．the rare books, magazines and newspapers |
| A．is the second best-known library | B．possesses over two million volumes |
| C．is not a lending library | D．possesses volumes in a special type |
| A．The British Museum | B．Public Libraries in Britain |
| C．The Kinds of Libraries | D．The Services of Libraries |
| A．In the 1690s. | B．In the 1860s. | C．In the 1890s. | D．In the 1960s. |
| A．To be paid more than their male colleagues. |
| B．To be given the same chance to succeed. |
| C．To win respect from their male colleagues. |
| D．To get promoted more quickly than their male colleagues. |
| A．Women’s ability to do important jobs. |
| B．How to have more freedom. |
| C．Concrete issues as well as attitudes and beliefs. |
| D．How to contribute to the communities. |
7 . It’s never easy to admit the mistakes you make, but doing so is an important step toward moving forward. National Geographic magazine recently published an article with the title “For decades, our coverage was racist. To rise above our past, we must acknowledge it.” It was written by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg, the first woman and first Jewish person to hold the position. National geographic has acknowledged that its coverage of black and minority ethnic people in America and the wider world has been historically racist, frequently promoting caricatures (讽刺画) of the “nobel savage (野蛮人)” and barely featuring the US’ minority ethnic population.
According to Goldberg, the 130-year-old publication’s April issue “explores how race defines, separates and unites us”. In honor of 50 years since the killing of Martin Luther King, who is known for fighting racial inequality in the US, the issue is devoted to race.
The publication republished a number of examples of historical racism in its coverage. One 1916 article about Australia included a photo of two Indigenous Australians with the caption (说明文字): “South Australian Black fellows: These savages rank lowest in the intelligence of all human beings.”
To review its previous coverage of race, Goldberg asked University of Virginia historian John Edwin Mason to look back at the magazine’s text, choice of subjects, and photography of people of color from the US and abroad. “Until the 1970s, National Geographic all but ignored people of color who lived in the United States, rarely acknowledging them beyond laborer or domestic workers,” Goldberg wrote about Mason’s findings. “Meanwhile, it pictured ‘natives’ elsewhere as exotics, famously and frequently unclothed, happy hunters, noble savages.”
Mason also found that the magazine often ran photos of “uncivilized” natives amazed by “civilized” Western technology.
In recent years, however, the magazine has improved. For example, in a 2015 project, National Geographic gave cameras to young people in the Caribbean country of Haiti and asked them to shoot pictures of their everyday lives.
The coverage wasn’t right before, because it was told from a white American point of view, and I think it speaks to exactly why we needed a diversity of storytellers,” Goldberg told the Associated Press.
National Geographic’s look at its past also inspired other media organizations to revisit their own historical coverage of race. The New York Times admitted that most of its obituaries (讣告) were about the lives of white men, and has started publishing obituaries of famous women in a special section titled “Overlooked”. After all recognizing overlooked mistakes is what makes us grow.
1. What is special about the April issue of National Geographic magazine?| A．It is devoted to race in memory of Martin Luther King. |
| B．It is released to mark National Geographic’s 130th anniversary. |
| C．It is the first issue since Susan Goldberg became the editor-in-chief. |
| D．It is in this issue that readers can see Mason’s investigation report. |
| A．It often pictured colored people with decent jobs. |
| B．Natives were often pictured as unclothed happy hunters. |
| C．It asked ordinary people to shoot pictures of their daily lives. |
| D．It only featured minority groups in America but overlooked others. |
| A．It used to tell stories from the perspective of a white Jewish woman. |
| B．The overall image of natives in it was brave, intelligent but uncivilized. |
| C．It pushed other media organizations to reflect on their coverage of race. |
| D．Its texts and choice of subjects were diverse and had no racial prejudice. |
| A．affect the image of the world famous magazine |
| B．eliminate racial discrimination around the world |
| C．help the magazine to move forward and grow better |
| D．discourage the editors from reporting bravely and honestly |
8 . In recent years, the food industry has increased its use of labels. Whether the labels say “non-GMO” or “no sugar,” or “zero carbohydrates”, consumers are increasingly demanding more information about what’s in their food. One report found that 39 percent of consumers would switch from the brands they currently buy to others that provide clearer, more accurate product information. Food manufacturers are responding to the report with new labels to meet that demand, and they’re doing so with an eye towards giving their products an advantage over the competition, and bolstering profits.
This strategy makes intuitive sense. If consumers say they want transparency, tell them exactly what is in your product. That is simply supplying a certain demand. But the marketing strategy in response to this consumer demand has gone beyond articulating what is in a product, to labeling what is NOT in the food. These labels are known as “absence claims” labels, and they represent an emerging labeling trend that is detrimental both to the consumers who purchase the products and the industry that supplies them.
For example, Hunt’s put a “non-GMO” label on its canned crushed tomatoes a few years ago — despite the fact that at the time there was no such thing as a GMO tomato on the market. Some dairy companies are using the “non-GMO” label on their milk, despite the fact that all milk is naturally GMO-free, another label that creates unnecessary fear around food.
While creating labels that play on consumer fears and misconceptions about their food may give a company a temporary marketing advantage over competing products on the grocery aisle, in the long term this strategy will have just the opposite effect: by injecting fear into the discourse about our food, we run the risk of eroding consumer trust in not just a single product, but the entire food business.
Eventually, it becomes a question in consumers, minds: Were these foods ever safe? By purchasing and consuming these types of products, have I already done some kind of harm to my family or the planet?
For food manufacturers, it will mean damaged consumer trust and lower sales for everyone. And this isn’t just supposition. A recent study found that absence claims labels can create a stigma around foods even when there is no scientific evidence that they cause harm.
It’s clear that food manufacturers must tread carefully when it comes to using absence claims. In addition to the likely negative long-term impact on sales, this verbal trick sends a message that innovations in farming and food processing are unwelcome, eventually leading to less efficiency, fewer choices for consumers, and ultimately, more costly food products. If we allow this kind of labeling to continue, we will all lose.
1. What does the author say is manufacturers’ new marketing strategy?| A．Stressing the absence of certain elements in their products. |
| B．Articulating the unique nutritional value of their products. |
| C．Supplying detailed information of their products. |
| D．Designing transparent labels for their products. |
| A．They are increasingly attracting customers’ attention. |
| B．They create lots of trouble for GMO food producers. |
| C．They should be used more for vegetables and milk. |
| D．They cause anxiety about food among consumers. |
| A．Cause changes in their marketing strategies. | B．Help remove stigma around their products. |
| C．Erode consumer trust and reduce sales. | D．Decrease support from food scientists. |
| A．Take measures to lower the cost of food products. |
| B．Exercise caution about the use of absence claims. |
| C．Welcome new innovations in food processing. |
| D．Promote efficiency and increase food variety. |
9 . A happy couple exchange a kiss for the camera, the bride in a white off-the-shoulder dress holding a delicate bouquet (花 束), the groom in matching white suit, standing together on a green lawn lined with pink blossoms. It looks like the perfect wedding memory - except it's not their wedding day. Instead, it is part of a booming industry in China for pre-wedding photos, as young couples spend time and cash lining up glamorous (有魅力的) photo shoots to display on their big day.
But for those who can't afford to travel overseas or to Chinese tourist hotspots in search of suitable backdrops(背景幕布), companies like the Love Story in Rome studio bring a range of backgrounds, costumes, accessories and themes together - all within one Beijing complex (摄影大楼). “It’s really tiring to shoot outside, moving from one place to another place. This wedding shoot center is indoors and it provides everything you want,” said bride Zhao Tianyou, 25, who had been shooting since 8 am.
Rows of couples pose for photographs inside the sprawling ( 杂乱的) complex in Beijing, with settings ranging from tropical gardens to autumn fields, waterfalls to starlit skies. In one carefully stage-managed shot, a bride in a white dress floats half-submerged in water, drinking a glass of wine. “Chinese wedding photography has become more customized,” said general manager Zhao Rongchang. “Chinese people used to love to go on trips for shooting their wedding photos... But now they prefer to shoot indoors and prefer a more personal photography style.”
The value of the wedding industry in China has been booming, with research group ASKCI predicting that by the end of 2019 its value will reach 2.27 trillion yuan ($321.7 billion). Zhao says between 50 and 60 couples come to their center every day on a quest for the perfect snaps.
The enormous building is full of aisles of clothing and accessories in every color, from traditional red Chinese wedding outfits to modern Western-style white gowns and suits. An army of helpers take photographs and manage sets, adjust clothing and add accessories with couples changing outfits multiple times throughout the day. “I love all the styles they've designed for me.” said a bride surnamed Wu, aged 26. “It’s a bit tiring, but I'm very happy.”
1. The underlined word "customized" is closest in meaning to________.| A．full of various costume |
| B．showing different customs |
| C．customer-dependent |
| D．full of various styles |
| A．backgrounds |
| B．plants in tropical gardens |
| C．accessories |
| D．costumes |
| A．Chinese people love to go on trips for shooting their wedding photos. |
| B．Chinese people prefer to take photos outdoors in a more precise photography style |
| C．Indoors wedding shoot are more popular among Chinese new couples than go out nowadays. |
| D．A bride in a white dress floats half-submerged in water to drink a glass of wine. |
| A．Pre-wedding photo industry booms in China. |
| B．Sprawling complex with customized wedding shoot. |
| C．Big days with delicate pre-wedding photos. |
| D．A tiring but happy wedding photo shoot. |
Today, getting information is as easy as browsing a webpage,
Just because I read something doesn’t mean I believe it. You should ask questions and double-check every factoid (令人信以为真的报导) as the reporters do.
Reporters who don’t have much time or motivation may just quote the first scientist they encounter who
Also, some “news” stories are written by organizations that are
What’s more, was the person who had written the story or who had interviewed a given source named? Was this writer a journalist or just someone who had heard about some new claims? Did they describe what made the sources
