As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us. Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks. The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem. Sharks, in particular, are "in" these days. Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool. The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction -- up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins. But we have started to _ the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu. In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations. Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years. These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins. Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products. These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life. Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business. The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury goods has become a full-scale war. The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming. Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for high-end products that rely on killing animals. From the passage, we know _ . A) a lot of wild animals have been killed for products B) Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular C) Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks D) the number of African elephants has been increased
A
Mother's Day is coming. It is a time to let Mom know she's special to you. Finding the right for Mom on that day is not always easy. We often want something personal and thoughtful. But how can we make it? These following ideas may help you. Gift of Time Moms just want to spend time with their children so make it a Mother-Daughter/Son day. Spend the whole day with her. Do the things she likes doing with her. Home Video Take your family videos and make them a short home video. She can enjoy it whenever she misses you. Although it may take a lot of time, the process can be great fun and the result is often priceless . Mom Mix Make a CD for her. It's a collection of all the songs that _ her of you and your growing up. Write a Letter Write a letter instead of a simple card. Write about all the good memories you have with her and all the things she has done for you. Flowers People send carnations on Mother's Day. You can easily spend a lot of money on them. If you have flowers in your garden, or can handpick them, it can be a great gift. Dinner Make a dinner and invite her over. You can also take it over to her house and surprise her. Just don't' forget to wash the dishes after the dinner. From the passage we know _ . A) you can buy a big cake for your mom on Mother's day B) writing a letter is better than sending a simple card to your mom on Mother's Day. C) inviting your mom to eat in a restaurant is a good gift for her. D) buying carnations for her is a good way.
B
The man who invented Coca-Cola was not a native Atlanta, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town shut up the shop in honor of him. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Pemberton was a chemist, sometimes known as Doctor, who, during the Civil War, became an officer and led a cavalry troop. He settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began making such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup. In 1885, he registered a trademark for something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant. A few months later, he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and hired an accountant named Frank M. Robinson, who had not only a good head for figures, but, attached to it, so unique a nose that he could judge the ingredients of a batch of syrup merely by sniffing it. In 1886 --- a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Cola officials like to point out, the English writer Conan Doyle made Sherlock Holmes known publicly and France found the truth about the Statue of Liberty --- Pemberton invented a syrup that he called Coca-Cola. It was a change of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a bit of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some cola nut oil and a few other oils, mixing the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar. He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his elegant account's script, instantly designed a label, on which "Coca-Cola" was written in the style which is still employed. Pemberton looked upon his mixture less as a drink than as a headache cure. One morning in 1886, a man suffering from a headache dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a bottle of Coca-Cola. According to usual practice, druggists should pour a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but at that time, the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda... Why do contemporary Coca-Cola officials especially like to mention the year 1886? A) Because Conan Doyle contributed to Pemberton's Coca-Cola invention. B) Because France sent the Statue of Liberty to America and Pemberton loved it. C) Because they are still proud of Pemberton's invention. D) Because Pemberton made more money for the company this year than in any other year.
C