2 . The new garbage sorting regulation has taken effect in Shanghai starting from July 1. Many citizens are still confused about the classification of the four different types of trash. Thankfully, authorities have released an official guideline to explain the new rules.

The guideline, published by the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau, provides a rather clear definition on the four kinds of waste: recyclable waste, harmful waste, household food waste and residual (剩余的) waste.

Harmful waste, as the name suggests, includes various poisonous materials like used batteries, light bulbs, out-of-date medicines, paint and pesticides.

Household food waste — which is translated to “wet trash” in Chinese — refers to food leftovers, rotten food, pet food, fruit peels, remains of TCM herbs (中药) and flowers.

Paper, plastic, glass, metal and textiles (纺织品) are counted as recyclable waste.

The definition of residual waste is a little confusing. Anything that is not listed above belongs to this category.

As specific as the new guideline is, residents still have a hard time sorting trash correctly and are finding it challenging to memorize them all. For instance, both plastic bottles and bubble tea or coffee cups are plastic materials. However, the former falls to the category of recyclable waste and the latter belongs to residual waste. To save the hassle, some netizens have come up with their own way to sort trash.

“We should do this from a pig’s angle,” commented one netizen. “Those edible (可食用的) for pigs are household food waste. Those even pigs don’t want to eat are residual waste. If a pig consumes something and dies of it, then something must be harmful waste. Those that can be sold and the money we gain can be used to purchase pigs are recyclable waste.”

The new regulation came into effect on July 1. Those who do not sort their trash properly will be fined RMB 200.

1. What do the old coats that you want to throw away belong to?

A．Harmful waste.	B．Wet trash.
C．Recyclable waste.	D．Residual waste.

2. What is the common point of “wet trash”？

A．They can be broken down easily.	B．They all come from plants.
C．They all have bad smells.	D．They all have poisonous materials.

3. What is the tone of the netizen like?

A．Serious.	B．Humorous.
C．Delightful.	D．Uncertain.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The four sorts of garbage are forbidden in Shanghai.

B．Shanghai garbage sorting enforcement begins.

C．People are still confused about garbage sorting.

D．The netizens in Shanghai support the garbage sorting policy.

3 . Almost one in five drivers had dozed off behind the wheel, a shocking news report had showed. Of those who were dozing off, 29% have done so with their cars speeding at 70 miles per hour. The report also found a quarter of men have fallen asleep while driving, making it almost twice as many as women.

The Safety on Wheel Report, by Post Office Insurance, also looked at how often tiredness or a lack of concentration caused accidents. Three in ten drivers have experienced an accident, from passing a walker crossing to hitting another vehicle, because of a lack of concentration. Meanwhile, almost half (49%) of UK drivers have driven when they do not concentrate.

Paul Havenhand, head of insurance at Post Office, said, “ When tiredness strikes, drivers should avoid the roads.” There is no measurement for tired driving, unlike driving under the influence of alcohol, yet it could result in an equally dangerous accident.

Drivers are advised to take a 15-minute break from driving every two hours. However, a third (36%) are so eager to reach their destination that they will ignore feelings of tiredness. What’s more, almost one in five (18%) will drive for longer than four hours without a break, while 6% carry on for up to 6 hours. Just over a quarter (27%) choose a quick stop to buy a cup of coffee, which is a very popular way for drivers to get rid of tiredness, and only 17% stop to have a rest until they feel energetic again. Mr. Havenhand added, “Drivers should plan ahead and rest before starting a long journey; besides, they can take regular breaks to recharge their batteries while on road; in some cases, if they do feel too tired to concentrate on the roads, they could consider an alternative means of transport.”

1. Which suggestion is NOT put forward by Mr. Havenhand?

A．Preparing well for a long journey and taking a complete rest before it.

B．Having breaks regularly in order to feel refreshed.

C．Choosing another method of transport instead.

D．Choosing a quick stop to grab something to eat.

2. What does the underlined phrase “recharge their batteries” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Put a new supply of electricity into their batteries.

B．Get back their energy by resting for a while.

C．Accuse them of stealing batteries.

D．Pay twice more money for their batteries.

3. It is implied in the last paragraph that for drivers the most popular cure for tiredness is _____.

A．drinking coffee

B．talking with others

C．ignoring feelings of tiredness

D．singing songs

4. What’s the purpose of the writer in writing this passage?

A．To warn people of the danger of tired driving.

B．To tell people to be careful when walking on the street.

C．To inform people of the importance of a good rest.

D．To introduce some dangers while driving on the roads.

4 . Reading is the ability to process text, understand its meaning and to integrate it with what the reader already knows. Of all the reading skills speed-reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and WeChat to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Surrounded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond the intelligent stimulation.

A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike tradition book club, the point of the slow reading club isn’t exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement started by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smartphones.

Slow readers, such as The Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to sympathize. Another study published last year in Science showed that reading novels helps people understand others’ mental states and beliefs, a fundamental skill in building relationships.

Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. Screens have changed our reading patterns from the top-to-right, left-to-right sequence to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information. Reading text punctuated with links leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text. The Internet may have made us stupider, says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian. Because of the Internet, he says, we have become very good at collecting a wide range of interesting news, but we are also gradually forgetting how to sit back, reflect, and relate all these facts to each other.

Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. “Aim for 30 minutes a day,” advises Kelly from The Atlantic. “You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments, you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said. “Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive, and also ensure you’ll never lose your place.”

1. The book club in Wellington mentioned in Paragraph 2 shows____________.

A．the new trend of slow reading	B．the decline of electronic devices
C．the importance of exchanging ideas	D．the increasing number of club readers

2. According to Patrick Kingsley, people are stupider partly because of_____________.

A．a non-stop reading pattern	B．the straight, left-to-right screen
C．a wide range of interesting news	D．the lack of reflection

3. According to the passage, slow reading___________.

A．contributes to understanding among people

B．promotes the current technology advances

C．provides people with a quiet environment

D．cures the memory loss of elderly people

4. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Benefit of Reading Clubs	B．Return of Slow Reading
C．Reading of the Internet Age	D．Influence of Speed Reading

5 . More People Are Leaving the Rat Race for the Simple Life
Time is more precious than money for an increasing number of people who are choosing to live more with less—and liking it.
Kay and Charles Giddens, two lawyers, sold their home to start a B&B hotel. Four years later, the couple dishes out banana pancake breakfast, cleans toilets and serves homemade chocolate chip cookies to guests in a B&B hotel surrounded by trees on a hill known for colorful sunsets.
“Do I miss the freeways? Do I miss the traffic? Do I miss the stress? No,” says Ms. Giddens, “This is a phenomenon that’s fairly widespread. A lot of people are reevaluating their lives and figuring out what they want to do. If their base is being damaged, what’s the payoff?”
Simple living ranges from cutting down on weeknight activities to sharing housing, living closer to work, avoiding shopping malls, borrowing books from the library instead of buying them, and taking a cut in pay to work at a more pleasurable job.
Vicki Robin, a writer, lives on a budget equal to a fifth of what she used to make. “You become conscious about where your money is going and how valuable it is,” Ms. Robin says, “You tend not to use things up. You cook at home rather than eat out…”
Janet Luhrs, a lawyer, quit her job after giving birth and leaving her daughter with a nanny for two weeks. “It was not the way I wanted to raise my kids,” she says, “Simplicity is not just about saving money; it’s about me sitting down every night with my kids to a candlelit dinner with classical music.”
Mrs. Luhrs now edits a magazine, Simple Living, which publishes tips on how to buy recycled furniture and shoes, organize potluck dinners instead of expensive receptions, and generally how to consume less.
“It’s not about poverty,” Mrs. Luhrs explains, “It’s about conscious living and creating the life you want. The less stuff you buy, the less money goes out of the door, and the less money you have to earn.”
1. Kay and Charles Giddens sold their home to ______.

A．pay off the debt

B．start a private hotel

C．cut down expenses

D．buy living necessities

2. Simple living includes ______.

A．building a home library

B．living in the countryside

C．enjoying a colorful night life

D．sharing housing with others

3. It can be learned from the passage that now Janet Luhrs ______.

A．spends more time with her kids

B．has an interest in classical music

C．works as a reporter of a magazine

D．helps people buy recycled clothes

4. How does the author develop the passage?

A．By using figures.

B．By asking questions.

C．By giving examples.

D．By making comparisons.