1 . “What kind of rubbish are you?” This question might normally cause anger, but in Shanghai it has brought about complains over the past week. On July 1st, the city introduced strict trash-sorting regulations(垃圾分类制度) that are expected to be used as a model for our country. Residents must divide their waste into four separate categories and throw it into specific public bins at scheduled times.
Violators(违规者) face the possibility 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 examine carefully 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.
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, 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 throw it by hand. Most annoying are the short windows for dumping trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors(监控) at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out. After all, no one wants to look bad.
1. Why does the author mention the question “What kind of rubbish are you?” in the first paragraph?| A．To blame the new rules. |
| B．To advocate a good rule. |
| C．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| D．To tell us people’s complains in Shanghai. |
| A．The massive traffic. | B．The increasing garbage. |
| C．Lack of a recycling system. | D．Lack of trash pickers |
| A．Short scheduled time for throwing the trash. |
| B．Being fined when blamed due to improper behavior. |
| C．Being observed by monitors when throwing the garbage. |
| D．Complex distinction among the four categories of trash. |
| A．How To Sort Out Trash In Our Life. |
| B．People In Shanghai Meet New Challenge. |
| C．Shanghai Authorities Solved An Environmental Problem. |
| D．Different Attitudes Towards The Trash-sorting Regulations. |
2 . Imagine on your way out of class today you trip (绊倒) on a loose piece of carpet and twist your ankle. As a result of the injury, you lose your place in the local sports team, and have to miss an important job interview. Bad luck? Or an opportunity to get rich quick?
Perhaps it's not surprising that Roslyn Darch of Houston, Texas, USA felt annoyed when she tripped over a toddler (学步的儿童) running around a furniture store, and broke her ankle. But a few months later, she was $780,000 richer after she successfully sued (起诉) the shop. The owners were clearly surprised at the size of Roslyn's payout, particularly since the toddler she tripped over was her own son.
And it's not only claims for physical injuries that are keeping the lawyers busy. A group of overweight New York teenagers sued a giant fast-food company claiming that they had not had enough warning that a diet of burgers, fries and milk shakes would make them fat. The parents of one nineteen-year-old English schoolgirl successfully sued her school for 42,000 compensation when she failed to get a top grade in a university entrance exam. Sandra York received $113,000 from a Washington D.C. restaurant after slipping on a spilt soft drink.
Who knows where it will end? Some say there should be penalties (处罚) for excessive (过度的) claims, or that there should be a limit on payouts. But one thing's for sure—in the end, the only certain winner is the lawyer!
1. Roslyn sued a furniture store because ________| A．she tripped over by furniture in the store. | B．she bought chairs of poor quality. |
| C．she was affected by the compensation culture. | D．she tripped over her son. |
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
| A．supportive | B．neutral | C．disapproving | D．unconcerned |
| A．To Sue or Not to Sue? | B．The Best Way to Get Rich. |
| C．The Decline of the Compensation Culture. | D．Who Wins in the Lawsuits(诉讼)? |
A student, Evalthus, heard of this famous teacher and asked him to give him lessons. However, Evalthus didn’t want to pay for his lessons at once, and after some discussion it was finally agreed between them that Evalthus should pay only if he won his first case in the court. For if he won, it would prove that he had been taught well.
The lessons began and Evalthus proved himself to be a good student. But he refused to pay Protagoras anything at the end of his studies.
Protagoras therefore took Evalthus to the court and told the judges that he wanted his money. He explained that he must be paid whether he won or lost the case. “Whatever you decide,” he declared(宣称)to the judges, “ I must be paid. For if you decide in my fovor , then I win the case, and so I must be paid . But If you decide against me, then Evalthus has won his first case in the court; according to our agreement, he must pay his lessons. Therefore I shall get my money whatever happens.”
The Athenian judges found no fault in it, so they asked Evalthus to reply.
“No, it’s quite clear,” said Evalthus, “ that I need not pay. If the judged decide in my favor, then I have won the case, and I need not to pay. But if Protagoras wins, then I have lost my first case. Therefore, according to our agreement, I do not have to pay. So I need not pay in any event.”
As both arguments appeared to be faultless, the judges were unable to come to a decision. They therefore ordered the two men to appear before them again one hundred years later.
1. Evalthus would pay Protagoras _______________.
| A．before he started his lessons |
| B．after he finished his lessons |
| C．after the court decided against him |
| D．after the court proved that he was taught well |
| A．He won the judges’ favor in the end and got his money. |
| B．He was probably the first teacher to accept money for his lessons. |
| C．He didn’t teach Evalthus well because Evalthus didn’t pay. |
| D．He was not confident of his winning the case in the court. |
| A．They couldn’t make a decision. |
| B．They needed to think it over again. |
| C．They wanted to make fun of them. |
| D．They wanted more money from them. |
| A．A Smart Student---- Evalthus |
| B．A Great Teacher---Protagoras |
| C．Come Here One Hundred Years Later |
| D．A Fight Between Teacher and Student |
