When I was growing up in the suburbs of New York, our first local Earth Day was organized around a drive to a town field where families were urged to empty items from their basements for recycling rather than dropping them in the dustbin. It was an eye opening idea for a kid in 1970. But as an environmental reporter, I'm bored of the large amount of deals and promotions that arrive by email or in my office or home mailbox on Earth Day. Like Valentine's Day, Earth Day has become a huge marketing opportunity--a way to promote consumption. In fact, Earth Day is such a good sales opportunity that some shops, like Target, have expanded Earth Day into Earth Month. There isn't time to give you a variety of the Earth Day shopping opportunities I was informed of this past week. They included deals on buying bottled water and earth-friendly wipes. My award for the silliest promotion: a plan to gift 25 of the most environmentally conscious stars with unique, useful and "green" products and services, including skin care products, cheese-cake and artwork. My guess is most of the stuff will end up in celebrities' garbage. Is buying and selling a good way to celebrate and protect the environment? I would argue that Earth Day might be an occasion to consider giving up purchases or habits that are environmentally questionable or that we could happily do without. How about not buying bottled water, but refilling a water bottle? How about not buying foods--even "organic" foods--that are packed in non-recyclable plastic? Don't get me wrong. The company of Bridgestone is celebrating Earth Day by promising to repurpose a spent tire for every tire that it sells. Verizon will plant a tree for each cell phone you trade in. Some coffee stores will even refill reusable cups at no charge. Target is giving out free reusable carrier bags without requiring a purchase. But few shopkeepers are taking the next step-charging a fee at the cash register for disposable plastic bags, a common practice in Europe-to encourage customers to use those... It could be inferred from the text that Bridgestone and Verizon _ . A) are likely to misunderstand the author B) have a good way to celebrate Earth Day C) are devoted to making money on Earth Day D) make wrong promotion plans on Earth Day
B
When I was in elementary school, my teachers would always complain about my behavior in class. There was no doubt that I had a great deal of energy, and therefore I was always talking with my classmates and not paying attention to the lessons, which my teacher _ to see. If you don't believe me, the comments on my report cards every year can tell the story. In my third year in elementary school, my teacher wrote, " Neil should tend to have a more serious attitude towards his schoolwork." And in my fifth year in elementary school, my teacher wrote, " Neil is not a bit strict with his work, his compositions as well as his notebook and so on. He has to be encouraged and urged by his parents or teachers." After only a few months, my sixth-grade teacher wrote, " Less social involvement and more academic diligence is in order." Later that same school year, my sixth-grade teacher noticed that all my book reports were about the universe. Knowing that I had a lot of extra energy, she recommended that I should take advanced after-school classes about the universe at the Hayden Planetarium. From then on, my love of the universe became stronger and stronger. Instead of killing my time in class, I focused my extra energy on the subject that would be bound to become my career. Between the ages of eleven and seventeen, I took about eight courses on the universe. For each one, I received an attractive certificate of completion, signed by both the teacher and the head of the Hayden Planetarium. We still offer these classes today. And we still give out certificates of completion, which are signed by the teacher and, of course, the head --- me. I am the head of the Hayden Planetarium. And I am also the head of a associate of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. Both of them are in New York City. Welcome to take extra classes here. What do we know about the Hayden Planetarium from the passage? A) It is part of the American Museum of Natural History. B) It offers various courses to hopeless students. C) The author has got his career there. D) The author is the teacher of it.
C
Q: East Corner Wonton,70 East Broadway,343-9896 If you come too late,they may have run out of roast duck and chicken,but you can always count on fresh supplies of eggs or rice,noodles and pork-filled dumplings. Evergreen,63 Matt St.571-3339 Shanghai-style rice dishes,hot and sour soup,chicken with peanuts,and eggplant or cucumber($5 95)won't _ and this often-crowded and always-reliable place. Sheng Wang,27 Eldridge St.,nr.Canal St,9250805 The pulled noodles are made fresh as we watch and put into boiling water.They have a new noodle man here,and he's really good. Joe's Shanghai,9 Pell St.,732-6973 You can enjoy tasty soup dumplings,fresh vegetables and whole yellow fish(the Chinese believe fish,cooked whole,means richness). Hunan Garden,1 Mott St.(across from Chatham Square),732-7270 Have a New Year menu and enjoy the dancing lions. Sweet n' Tart, 20 Mott St.(between Chatham Square and Pell St.),964-0380 Strangers seated together have a Chinese New Year menu with a multi-course dinner for $25 per person. Which of the following is wrong? A) You can order your dinner in Joe's Shanghai. B) Fish is cooked whole to save trouble. C) Roast duck and chicken sell well. D) Chicken is served with peanuts in Evergreen
A: B
(Q).
Movies coming soon The Croods Length of time:1 hour 32 minutes Style: Family, Action Release date : November 22, 2014 Directors: Kirk De Micco, Chris Sanders Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds Summary A prehistoric family are forced to flee their cave after it's destroyed by a disaster that threatens to change their lives forever in this animated film featuring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Emma Stone.As a protective caveman father leads his family out of harm's way, the clan crosses paths with a clever teen named Guy (voice of Ryan Reynolds), who offers to help them reach a distant land where they will be safe from a terrible disaster that will soon change the entire world. Admission Length of time: 1 hour 47 minutes Style: Comedy Release date: November 22, 2014 Director: Paul Weitz Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Nat Wolff Summary Tina Fey and Paul Rudd star in director Paul Weitz's comedy about an honest Princeton admissions officer.The officer meets a teenager who may be her long-lost son while recruiting students from an alternative high school.Years ago, Portia Nathan(Fey) quietly gave her newborn son up for adoption.Now she's got a great career recruiting students for Princeton university.Then, one day, she receives an unexpected call from her close college classmate _ , who runs an alternative high school that is home to some very gifted students.One such student is Jeremiah(Nat Wolff), who John believes could be the son that Portia gave up for adoption back in her youth.Meanwhile, as Portia puts her career in danger by changing Jeremiah's transcript , an unexpected love story begins to happen. In the movie The Croods, the escaping family is led by _ . A) Ryan Reynolds B) a smart teen C) the father D) the mother
(A).
C