1 . Nowadays, the food that you buy comes from many different countries. Have a look in your fridge, cupboard, and fruit bowl and check the origins (来源) of the food. Perhaps there are apples from California, lamb from New Zealand, or potatoes from Egypt? You will probably be surprised how far food travels to get to your plate. This journey, from “field to plate”, is called “food miles”. A food mile is the distance that food travels from the farmer’s field to the person who buys the food. Nowadays, food often travels thousands of miles to get to the consumer. Why is this, and what are the effects of these long distances?
Traditionally, farmers sold their food in the local market so the food didn’t have to travel very far. The consumers also did not travel very far, because they went to their local market to buy the food. This was a good system for farmers and consumers. However, there were some disadvantages. For example, consumers could only buy food that farmers produced locally. In addition, they could only get food that was in season. Now, because of modern technology, food comes from all over the world. We do not have to wait for spring or summer to buy strawberries or tomatoes. They are available in winter if we want.
Some countries have to import most of their food. This is because they have difficult climates. The United Arab Emirates(UAE), for example, gets 85% of its food from other countries. Even food made in the UAE often uses imported materials.
What’s wrong with “food miles”? Is this not a good way of increasing international trade? I believe these miles are worrying for a number of reasons. First of all, because food travels such long distances. We need more planes, lorries, and ships to move the food. This means we use more oil or petrol, so there is more pollution and more global warming. In addition, food that travels a long way is not fresh and usually not very tasty. Tomatoes, for example, are picked early and stored for their long journey. For this reason, they are usually tasteless when they get to the consumer. Local food has a better taste, and it also reduces the amount of global pollution. We need to buy more local food.
1. What is called “food miles” according to this passage?| A．The origins of the food. | B．The effects of long distances. |
| C．The journey from field to plate. | D．The disadvantages of imported food. |
| A．easy to get | B．not busy |
| C．willing to talk | D．impossible to get |
| A．long distances | B．difficult climates |
| C．fresh and tasty food | D．modern technology |
| A．how local food travels from field to plate |
| B．what “food miles” is and its effects |
| C．how some countries import their food |
| D．where different kinds of food come from |
Accent reduction classes have been around for years, but experts say．"As our workforce becomes more and more global, these classes are becoming more and more popular．" Private tutors said they answer calls almost daily from students, when just a few years ago the phones rang only occasionally．Author Amy Gillett said that sales of her book and CD set, "Speak English Like an American", have increased three times in the last few years．Judy Ravin, President of the Accent Reduction Institute, said she has hundreds of students who follow her program, "Lose Your Accent in 28 Days"．
Though there is a general tolerance for diversity, experts said, reality has made some immigrants who sound different feel unwelcome．If someone speaks with an accent associated with an Asian language, they may work as engineers or computer scientists．If someone speaks with certain Spanish accents, people may think they are recent immigrants working in landscaping or the hospitality industry （招待性行业）．A French accent gives images of romance．An Australian accent brings to mind adventure and fun．
Accent reduction students said they are aware of how they sound and whether their accents limit their job opportunities or spoil their social lives．Jennie Lo, aged 43, said her accent has been an embarrassment．Sometimes people couldn't even understand her when she said her name．While in college in Oklahoma, Lo said she didn't make many friends, tearing that no one could make out her words．Lo is now taking accent reduction classes and hopes to apply for a manager position at work．"I just want to feel good about myself," she said．"If I really work hard, if I practice every day, I can't be perfect．But I can be better．"
1. In the whole passage, the first paragraph serves as a（n） _____．
| A．introduction | B．comment |
| C．explanation | D．background |
| A．The effect that popular accent reduction classes have． |
| B．The fact that accent reduction classes become popular． |
| C．The steps how accent reduction classes become popular． |
| D．The reasons why accent reduction classes become popular． |
| A．they are romantic | B．they are hospitality workers |
| C．they are computer scientists | D．they love adventure and fun |
| A．Confident． | B．Helpless． |
| C．Proud． | D．Anxious． |
