阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　There is a forgotten player in the global efforts to limit CO₂ emissions：the consumer．Households consume one-third of the final energy used in the European Union and produce around two-thirds of city waste．Moreover, food, housing, and private transport account for almost 80％ of environmental pressures．So consumers can make a real difference when it comes to fighting climate change．

　　Several factors can direct consumers towards more environmentally-friendly behavior．To achieve this, we need clear and simple information to guide consumption decisions。Indeed．Two thirds of consumers find it difficult to understand which products are better for the environment when shopping．

　　With 58％ of Europeans believing that many companies pretend to be green in order to charge higher prices, industry has a long way to go in helping consumers feel confident when making green choices．They should give consumers more information about the carbon footprint of their products, and promote more sustainable behavior among their customers．

　　To be sure, companies are increasingly creating product labels that help consumers make responsible choices-for instance, reminding users of products made from materials that are recycled, renewable, and/or less carbon-intensive．Even so, only, 20％ of Europeans believe that companies are doing enough to promote environmentally friendly options．

　　In times of crisis, consumers prefer high-quality products that will last long and won't go out of style．Durable products might sometimes cost more, but they don't need to be replaced as frequently．In this way, companies that create durable or recyclable products enable consumers to think differently about their purchases, which can help users behave more responsibly, and thus may help end our “throw-way” culture．

　　However, it is not enough to inform consumers of the environmental features of products．We also need to provide consumers with guidance to establish a practical lifestyle model to follow．This cannot be brought about by regulations alone, but by good business communities that would create a loyal group of “sustainable consumers”．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　In a society, such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism-the difference among people．Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special．The educational systems in these countries show these values．Students don't memorize information．Instead, they work individually and find answers themselves．There is often discussion in the classroom．At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions．

　　In most Asian societies, by contrast, people have the same language, history, and culture．Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of Asia reflects society's belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism．Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another in assignments．In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very formal．The teacher lectures, and the students listen．There is not much discussion．Instead, the students recite rules of information that they have memorized．

　　There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education．For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that there is much more math and science than American students learn by the end of high school．They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do．The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control．There is, however, a disadvantage．Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized．

　　The advantage of the educational system in North American, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves．The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas．There is, however, a disadvantage．When students graduate from high school, they haven't memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Ray Charles Robinson, a blind musician in America, was famous for his recordings of jazz, rock ’n’ roll, blues and country music．But the world knew him better as Ray Charles．He had a huge influence on American popular music．

　　The song Let's Go Get Stoned is an example of Ray Charles’ own kind of music-his own sound．He worked hard for several years to create that sound．No one ever tried it before．He mixed black church music, blues and rock ’n’ roll．The sound was extremely successful．In the nineteen fifties, his records began to sell millions of copies．At the same time, Ray Charles recorded jazz music．Those records sold well, too．Critics said they were new and exciting．Listen to his jazz song, Sweet Sixteen Bars．

　　Ray Charles became famous because he could play blues, rock and jazz．He also liked other kinds of music．He told record company officials that he wanted to record an album(专辑)of country-and-western music．

　　The president of the record company told him it would be a mistake．He said Ray's fans would not buy the album．Charles disagreed．He said he believed he would gain many new fans to replace the few he might lose．He produced the album and it was an immediate success．

　　The album was called Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music．Many of the songs were major hits．One of the most popular was I Can't Stop Loving You．It is a country-and-western song with Ray Charles’ sound of blues and black church music．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　The British aren't having as many children as they used to．One reason is that people are having children much older than before, meaning they have fewer years in which they can have them．After years at university, they need a few years of work experience before they can get the job they want．They might then get married, but it's incredibly expensive to buy a house in the UK．

　　The above explains why young British people now don't move out of their parents’ home until they are around 30 years old on average．It is not until they are 30 that they can afford their own home．Increasingly, it is not until that age that they can afford to get married and start a new life in a new home．It's only after this age that many young people start thinking about having a child．

　　So a British person manages to get a job, get a home and get married．Why isn't he or she then having at least two children on average? The main reason is that it is quite expensive to bring up a child in the UK．Why is it expensive? Well, these days, both parents need to work just to pay for their home and living expenses．Because both parents are at work, that means they then need to pay someone to look after their child during the day．Paying for this childcare is nearly always expensive．

　　The recent financial crisis is making things even harder for families, since unemployment is rising and even fewer people can afford to have children．With so much pressure on families, is it any surprise that the divorce rate is so high?

　　So what is Britain doing to try and save the British family? The government is trying to make it cheaper to have children．For example, there have been increases in money families can claim from the state each month．Also, there are increasing government subsidies for nursery schools, so that parents do not need to pay so much for child care．

　　The government is also trying to reduce the number of hours British parents have to work to earn enough money to pay their bills．If parents didn't have to work so many hours, they'd have more time to spend with their children and wouldn't need to spend so much on childcare．On average, a Briton works 49 hours a week, which is the most in Europe．The state is now considering introducing laws to encourage companies to improve their employees’ work-life balance．Let's hope they’re not too late to save the British family．Otherwise, the British will always be too tired, and won't have enough time and money, to have children．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　What if you could fly like a bird just by thinking happy thoughts? Or you could disappear to a faraway land, never grow old and fight pirates every day? For Peter Pan and his friends, the Lost Boys, these dreams come true．

　　More than 100 years after this playful boy was “born”, Peter Pan and his friends are to continue their adventure in a sequel(续集)to J．M．Barrie's original novel．“Peter Pan in Scarlet”(重返梦幻岛), written by British author Geraldine McCaughrean, was published earlier this month．

　　The sequel brings all the original characters back．Peter Pan's friends, the Lost Boys, are now grown up and live in the real world．What's more, at the end of the first book, Peter Pan thinks he has killed his enemy, Captain Hook．But, new readers discover he is not so dead at all．

　　For those who are unfamiliar with the original story, Peter Pan lives in faraway Neverland with a group of orphans．But they are eager for a real mother and Peter Pan flies to London with a fairy(仙女), Tinkerbell, to find one．They visit a young girl, Wendy, who loves to read stories, and bring her and her two brothers back to Neverland to live with them．In Neverland, children never have to grow up, and there are no parents to tell them what to do．

　　Many teenagers dream of a world where they don't have to grow old and take responsibility．But, the author explains such a world is not the paradise(乐园)when it first appears： adventures can be scary and often dangerous, and, though we all sometimes dream of running away, we all need someone to love and look after us too．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　Learn To Speak French With Rocket French!

　　Who Wants to Learn to Speak French Fluently in the Shortest Possible Time?

　　If You Answered “I Do! ” Then Please Read on to Try My FREE 6-Day French Course

　　Why do you want to learn to speak French?

　　Do you live in a French speaking country and want to communicate better?

　　Are you traveling to a French speaking country?

　　Are you a home-schooled student or a parent who wants their children to learn more quickly and easily?

　　Are you a student who wants to get an A in French?

　　Have you learned French before and want a fun refresher course(进修课程)?

　　Or, perhaps you just have an interest in learning the language of love!

　　I’ve designed Rocket French Premium to be the easiest to follow, fastest system for learning how to speak French available．Rocket French Premium is an interactive course that makes you want to study．Also, it's practical．You are going to be able to speak at a restaurant, at an airport, and with new friends!

　　It's a great experience to be able to speak with others in a different language．You will be able to enter into a different culture, a different world! Being bilingual(能说两种语言的)is a very special ability, and it's a gift that we want to give to you．

　　So are you ready to get to know the secret of learning a new language? You’re looking right at it．

　　Try our free six-day course．If you don't, you'll be missing a valuable opportunity to see just how much Rocket French Premium can improve your language level．Thousands of people worldwide have used our unique multimedia course to fast-track their French learning, while having piles of fun in the process．Will you be next?

　　Your e-mail address is required for you to receive the FREE course．You can unsubscribe(注销)any time and your e-mail address will never be given to any third party．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　Have you ever wondered what you would look like if you were an Asian, Middle Eastern, black, white or Indian person? By stepping into the Human Race Machine, you can find out．When you sit inside it, the machine creates a digital image of your face．After pushing certain buttons, the machine uses various photos of people of a certain ethnic group mixed with your own facial features．From this, it can come up with an image showing how you would look as a member of a different race．

　　The machine is part of a traveling retrospective(回顾展)called " Seeing and Believing： The Art of Nancy Burson．" Burson is a famous American photographer and inventor．The show of 100 photos and multimedia works was on view at the Grey Art Gallery in New York on April 20．

　　"It is a strange feeling, just like stepping into someone else's skin．" said Hathy Zajchenko, a museum visitor from Pennsylvania, US．As soon as she sat down, she tried out a range of ethnic groups．"The Middle Eastern image worked pretty well for me, " she said with a smile．

　　According to Burson, the machine is a prayer for unity．It is about seeing through differences to find the things we all share in common．Burson added the database of Middle Eastern faces, both Arab and Jewish, after the terrorist attacks on September 11．"I have always wanted to allow people to see differently．I am a photographer．I am recording the unseen, because what we can not see is so much more interesting than what we can see, " Burson said．

　　For those who missed the show, the Human Race machine will be on view at the New York Hall of Science in the Queens district full-time as of June．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　It is impossible not to make a mistake at some points in your life．We may as well accept that some thing will go wrong and we will be to blame．It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing, and the best way to apologize is by letter．This way you can take care over every work you write-which you can't do if you say sorry to someone in person．

　　We all say or do something that we wish we hadn't said or done．You may say something that accidentally hurts someone, or you may provide a service which doesn't come up to the standards that a client or customer expected．

　　You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn't be avoided．Rather than dwell on the mistake, you should quickly try to remedy(修补)the problem．An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process．

　　For the contents of the letter, just remember TABS-Timing, Action, Brevity, Sincerity．

　　The timing of a letter of apology is essential-it must be sent as soon as possible．Any delay in our sending the letter will only compound(add to)the problem．In this case “Better late than never” is not the best motto! The longer you wait before you wait before writing a letter of apology, the more it will seem that you have been coerced(被迫)into writing it．

　　Although it is important to recognize what has gone before, it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to rectify whatever it was you did wrong．Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received．

　　A letter of apology should be brief and the word “sorry” should appear no more than twice．Indicate that you are aware using it a second time-“once again, I am so sorry for…” or “as I said earlier, I am really sorry about…”．Finally, the tone of the letter has to be sincere．In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect．

　　And don't think that letters are out of date in the email-oriented 21st century．An apology email can be worse than no apology at all!

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　A new weapon is on the way in the fight against smoking in Europe．Soon when smokers buy cigarettes, they might see a shocking photo of a blackened lung or a cancer patient staring back at them from the packet．

　　Some boys may think of smoking as cool and sexy．Their friends won't agree when they see their packets of cigarettes lying on the table．

　　The European Union announced on October 22, that it had chosen 42 photos that showed the damage cigarettes could do to the body．It called on member nations to put these pictures on packets to discourage young smokers．

　　To catch the attention of teenagers, the special packets warn of long-term medical dangers, like cancer．Short-term effects, like bad skin, are also on the list．

　　“The true fact of smoking is disease, death and horror．That is the message we should send to the young, ” said David Byrne, an EU health official．“Hopefully these pictures will shock students out of their love for cigarettes．”

　　The EU head office hoped the pictures would work better than current written warnings on packs of cigarettes．The warning included “smoking kills” and “smoking can lead to a slow and painful death．”

　　So far, Ireland and Belgium have shown interest in the photos．Canada has used similar pictures and warnings on cigarette packs since 2000．The country has recently seen a fall in the number of smokers．

　　According to studies, smoking is the single biggest cause of avoidable death in EU．Every year more than 650, 000 smokers die, more than one person a minute．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　A healthy dose of sunshine may be the secret to staying young, British scientists have disclosed．

　　Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study．

　　Researchers from King's College London studied 2, 160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres-a biological marker of ageing found in DNA．As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they are easy to have illnesses．

　　But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres-a sign of being biologically younger and healthier．

　　The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole．

　　Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said： "These results are exciting because they prove for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D．

　　"This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer．"

　　He said further studies are required to confirm the findings．

　　Professor Tim Spector, head of KCL's twin research unit, and a co-author of the report, added： "Although it might sound absurd(荒谬的), it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process．"

　　Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 per cent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be obtained through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals．

　　Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease．

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