In 1996, John Tierney suggested in the New York Times Magazine article that "recycling is garbage." He wrote, "The money spent on recycling programs should have been spent on real social and environmental problems. Recycling programs not only increase energy use and pollution, but also cost more money than the disposal of plain old garbage. Recycling may be the most wasteful activity in modern America." Environmental groups were quick to express their disagreement. They wrote reports on how recycling programs in cities can reduce pollution and cost less than regular garbage pickup and disposal. Michael Shapiro, an official of the US Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), said that "recycling can be good value for money, although there's still room for improvements." But in 2002, New York City, a pioneer of recycling, found that its recycling program was losing money, so it stopped glass and plastic recycling. Other major cities watched closely to see how New York was dealing with its remaining program (the city never stopped paper recycling). But then it closed its last landfill , and private companies out of New York raised prices due to the increased workload of carrying away and disposing New York's garbage. As a result, glass and plastic recycling became profitable for the city again, and New York brought the program back. According to Cecil Adams of The Chicago Reader, the lessons learned by New York are relevant everywhere. He believes that, if managed correctly, recycling programs should cost cities less than garbage disposal. Even though the benefits of recycling over disposal are many, keep in mind that it better serves the environment to "reduce and reuse" before recycling is even considered as a choice. Which of the following would the author most probably recommend? A) Always bring your own shopping bag when you go shopping. B) Always put your shopping bag into the dustbin after use. C) Never go shopping where shopping bags are offered for free. D) Never use a shopping bag which is not recycled.
A
(Question)
A scientist turns out to be able to see the future by offering each of some four-year-olds a piece of candy and watching how he or she deals with it. Some children reach eagerly for the treat they see. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait until the last moment. By the time the children reach high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey found that those who as four-year-olds had enough self-control to hold out generally grew up to be more popular, adventurous, confident and dependable. The children who gave in to temptation early were more likely to be lonely, easily frustrated and inflexible . Actually, the ability to delay reward is a sign of emotional intelligence which doesn't show up on an IQ test. The hardware of the brain and the software of the mind have long been scientists' concerns. But brain theory can't explain what we wonder about most, like the question why some people remain _ in the face of troubles that would sink a less resistant soul. Here comes the theory of Daniel Goleman, writer of Emotional Intelligence: when it comes to predicting people's success, brain ability measured by IQ may actually matter less than the qualities of mind once thought of as "character". EQ is not the opposite of IQ. What researchers have been trying to understand is how they work together; how one's ability to handle stress, for instance, affects the ability to concentrate and put intelligence to use. Among the ingredients for success, researchers now generally agree that IQ counts for about 20%; the rest depends on everything from social class to luck. While many researchers in this relatively new field are glad to see emotional issues finally taken seriously, some few fear EQ invites misuse. The experiment with the four-year-olds makes it clear that _ . A) the age of 4 is a proper time for scientific experiment B) emotional intelligence won't show up until adolescence C) the ability of self-control plays a role in personal success D) candy can be used to measure a person's emotional intelligence
(Answer)
C
Ques: Have you ever used Facebook? Many people are being lured onto it with the promise of a fun,free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information.Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages. Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening.Even if they know what the company is up to,they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth. The biggest problem,however,is that the company keeps changing the rules.Early on,you keep everything private.That was the great thing about Facebook -- you could create your own little private network.Last year,the company changed its privacy rules so that many things -- your city,your photo,your friends' names--were set,by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet. According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage,the company is simply making changes to improve its service,and if people don't share information,they have a "less satisfying experience". Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money.Its original business model,which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page,totally failed.Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends? The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington.In April,Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy.He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites."I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them," Schrage admits. I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning,which is why I'm considering deactivating my account.Facebook is a handy site,but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't... Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account? A) He is dissatisfied with its current service. B) He finds many of its users untrustworthy. C) He doesn't want his personal data abused. D) He is upset by its frequent rule changes.
Ans: C
Question: I will never forget the day--- September 10th2009, when my class went on a field trip to the beach and I had so much fun.When we returned to school, my teacher told me to go to the headmaster's office.When I got into the office, I saw a police officer.Suddenly, I realized something was wrong.The police officer told me what had happened and we went to pick my sister up.After that, we went to the hospital and waiteD. Time went slowly.Finally, we got to see our mother.It was terrible. On the next day, the headmaster came and told my two teachers what had happeneD. I was taking a test that day.I knew it had something to do with my mother.I kept thinking that she either died or had gotten better.How I wished that she had gotten better.When my teacher took me outside, my sister ran up to me.She started crying, "She's gone, Terresa, mommy's gone.She's deaD. " I couldn't believe it.We jumped into the car and drove straight to the hospital.Most of my family were there.The silence was terrible.I knew I had to say goodbye. Today when I look back, I still miss my mother very much, but I know that I will live.My mother was a strong mother, who had the biggest heart.She was an angel walking on the earth.I will always remember her as a living.When someone is asked who their hero is, they usually say someone famous, like Michael Jordan or Britney Spears.When someone asks me who my hero is, I tell them, my mother.My mother lives everyday.That is what makes her a true hero. Where was the writer when she learned her mother was sick? A) On the beach. B) At the hospital. C) At school. D) At home.
Answer:
C