Celebrities like Olivia Munn are among those
The ban is aimed to send
As we know, West Hollywood became the first city in the United States
It
2 . Seattle on Sunday became the first major US city to ban drinking straws(吸管), an environmentally friendly move that leaders hope will spark a nationwide conversation about small, everyday changes that people can make to protect the planet.
A decade ago, the city adopted a law requiring that all one-time-use food-service items be compostable(可分解的) or recyclable. But straws were exempted from that law because there were not many good alternatives. So the straws stayed, along with the environmental problems they cause.
Most plastic straws aren’t heavy enough to make it through industrial recycling sorters, and can ruin an otherwise good load of recycling. Or they end up getting blown out of trash cans and car windows and eventually wind up in the oceans, where they can hurt wildlife.
Strawless Ocean estimates that 71 percent of seabirds and 30 percent of turtles have some kind of plastic in their stomachs. The organization says plastic can increase the death rate of marine life by 50 percent.
Now customers at grocery stores, restaurants, food trucks, even institutional cafeterias have to find another way to get liquid into their mouths. Compostable paper straws are allowed under the ban. People who have a medical need to use a straw are not included.
Failure to obey may result in a US$250 fine, although city leaders said that the purpose of the law is more about raising awareness. In September, 150 businesses participated in Strawless in Seattle, an attempt to reduce the use of plastic straws. In that month alone, Strawless Ocean estimates, 2.3 million plastic straws were removed from the city.
“When you get your iced drink, you’re going to get a straw. When you get your wine, you’re probably going to get a straw,” said Dune Ives, executive director of the Lonely Whale Foundation, which led the campaign. “Imagine a world where we could stop consuming 500 million straws a day, just in America!” the campaign says. “Imagine a world that is less dependent on plastic. That’s change we can start today!”
1. What does the underlined word “exempted” mean in the second paragraph？| A．To make something out of the list. | B．To make something better than before. |
| C．To include something in a special list. | D．To forgive someone who makes mistakes. |
| A．They may make the trash cans dirty. | B．They may destroy American recycling system. |
| C．They may cause much ocean wildlife in danger. | D．They may cause many companies get fined. |
| A．Many people are in favor of it. | B．Many people pay no attention to it. |
| C．Some people are strongly against it. | D．Only the government workers agree with it. |
| A．Seattle becomes first major US city to ban straws. |
| B．Seattle successfully bans people from using straws. |
| C．Seattle has been working hard to protect the environment. |
| D．Imagine a world that is less dependent on plastic. |
3 . Requirements for foreigners to be employed in China
In accordance with relevant Chinese laws and regulations, any foreigners seeking employment in China must meet the following conditions:
(1) be 18 years of age or older and in good health;
(2) have the professional skills and job experience required for the intended employment;
(3) have no criminal record;
(4) propose to work for a clearly-defined employer;
(5) have a valid passport or other international travel document in lieu of a passport.
Procedures for foreigners working in China
(1) Foreigners who want to work in China should first get in touch with a valid Chinese employer who has an employment license for foreigners issued by a labor administrative bureau.
(2) Foreigners with permission to work in China should apply for employment visas at the Chinese embassies.
(3) Employers of foreigners should get work permits for their foreign employees within 15 days after their entry into China by providing related documents.
(4) Foreign employees who have received their work permit should, within 30 days after their entry, apply for a residence permit from their local public security bureau. The term of validity of the residence certificate may be determined in accordance with that of the Work Permit. If a foreigner's residence is canceled for violating Chinese laws or the contract is terminated, his or her employment permit will be canceled.
1. The foreigner ________ cannot be employed in China.| A．with a valid passport | B．with criminal record |
| C．in good health | D．with experiences and skills |
| A．In the local public bureau | B．In a labor administrative bureau |
| C．In the security bureau | D．At the Chinese embassies |
| A．violating Chinese laws | B．lack of money |
| C．staying in China for over five years | D．being short of experience |
4 . “What kind of rubbish are you?” This question might normally cause anger, but in Shanghai it has brought about weary groans over the past week. On July 1st, the city introduced strict trash-sorting regulations that are expected to be used as a model for our country. Residents must divide their waste into four separate categories and toss it into specific public bins. They must do so at scheduled times, when monitors are present to ensure compliance（服从）and to inquire into the nature of one’s rubbish.
Violators face the prospect of fines and worse. They could be hit with fines of up to 200 yuan ($29). For repeat violators, the city can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to obtain bank loans or even buy train tickets.
Shanghai authorities are responding to an obvious environmental problem. It generates 9 million tons of garbage a year, more than London’s annual output and rising quickly. But like other cities in China, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on trash pickers to sift through the waste, plucking out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier, fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up. China churns out 80 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks a year.
Many residents appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details. Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry or hazardous（有害的）, the distinctions among which can be confusing, though there are apps to help work it out. Some have complained about the rules surrounding food waste. They must put it straight in the required public bin, forcing them to tear open plastic bags and toss it by hand. Most vexing（令人烦恼的）are the short windows for dumping trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out; no one wants to look bad.
1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the trash-sorting regulations. |
| B．To explain the four categories of the waste. |
| C．To present residents’ complaints about trash dividing. |
| D．To show the goal of trash-sorting regulations. |
| A．People who don’t sort the waste. |
| B．People who argue with the monitors. |
| C．People who don’t throw the trash on time. |
| D．People who are against the regulations. |
| A．The massive traffic. |
| B．The increasing garbage. |
| C．Lack of a recycling system. |
| D．Lack of trash pickers. |
| A．Complex distinction among the four categories of trash. |
| B．Short scheduled time for tossing the trash. |
| C．Being observed by monitors when throwing the garbage. |
| D．Being fined when blamed due to improper behavior. |
| A．A Restart of Trash-sorting |
| B．A Great Change in Tackling Litter |
| C．A New Era of Garbage Classification |
| D．A Craze for Learning Waste Sorting |
When asked to comment on Zhang’s case at a press conference, Yao Hongwen, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission(NHFPC), said “Every citizen is equal before the law and nobody is allowed to have privileges(特权) to give birth to more children than allowed.”
Yao’s comment came after media stories claimed that Zhang had remarried and fathered a total of seven children: one with his former wife, three with his present wife, Chen Ting, and another three from two lovers.
“The NHFPC’s attitude towards citizens’ birth violations(违法) is consistent and clear. Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard the seriousness of laws and regulations.” NHFPC spokesman Yao Hongwen said.
China’s family planning policy, introduced in the late 1970s to slow down the country’s growing population, limits most urban couples to one child and most rural couples to two. The policy was recently relaxed, allowing couples to have two children if one of them is an only child.
Those who break the policy face severe fines. The amount of the fine is generally several times the yearly annual income of the two spouses(配偶). Some media calculations put the fine that Zhang may face at as much as 160 million yuan(over $26 million).
Zhang’s birth case has caused criticism online about famous people who have more children than the policy allows.
In an open letter on December 1, Zhang admitted that the couple has two sons and daughter and they are willing to accept investigation and punishment according to China’s laws and regulations. He apologized to the public.
However, the letter denied that Zhang had lovers and was father to as many as seven children from various mothers.
Zhang, one of the “fifth generation” of Chinese filmmakers, made his first directorial work in 1987 with “Red Sorghum” and has won a number of award worldwide. He was chief director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games.
1. The purpose of the news report is to ______________
| A．inform us that Zhang’s illegal birth case will be dealt with by the government |
| B．claim that Zhang Yimou remarried and fathered a total of seven children |
| C．convince us that Zhang is a famous director and his case will be pardoned |
| D．confirm that Zhang’s illegal birth case has resulted in lots of criticism online |
| A．Zhang will be fined as much as 160 million yuan for his violations. |
| B．Few people have the privileges to give birth to more children than allowed. |
| C．China’s family planning policy has never been relaxed since introduced. |
| D．Every Chinese citizen should obey and safeguard laws and regulations. |
| A．can give birth to two children if one of them is an only child |
| B．will definitely be fined if they have two children nowadays |
| C．can have as many as three children if they live in a rural area |
| D．can only give birth to two children if they live in an urban area |
