About 1 in 15  households drink bottled water today, spending about $ 4 billion a year on it. Although the reasons for the trend are many,  bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list. Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants(杂质).

     Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap.  Consider that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA. For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead. Granted, bottled water is often filtered(过滤) to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste. But that doesn't make it any safer. In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water. Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride(氟化物) needed to fight cavities. The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it.

     This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water. It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste. The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two.  Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as "pure", "crystal pure" and "premium" on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir. However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters. The miniglossary of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean.

68. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

     A. Most bottled water drinkers buy it for the taste.

     B. Labels on bottled water are used to mislead consumers.

     C. The FDA sets high standards for bottled water.

     D. Only wealthy people can afford bottled water.

69. According to the passage, removing chlorine from water____________

     A. does not make the water safer                B. is required by the FDA

     C. makes the water less expensive               D. is necessary for good health

70. According to the passage, one valid reason for drinking bottled water is the __________.

     A. convenience      B. cost.                       C. minerals                  D. taste

71. What’s the main idea of this passage?

       A. Bottled water may be preferable to tap water in taste.

       B. Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water.

       C. Consumers should consider carefully the reason for buying bottled water.

       D. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the bottled water.

     About 1 in 15  households drink bottled water today, spending about $ 4 billion a year on it. Although the reasons for the trend are many,  bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list. Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants(杂质).

     Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap.  Consider that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA. For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead. Granted, bottled water is often filtered(过滤) to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste. But that doesn't make it any safer. In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water. Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride(氟化物) needed to fight cavities. The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it.

     This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water. It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste. The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two.  Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as "pure", "crystal pure" and "premium" on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir. However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters. The miniglossary of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean.

71. What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

     A. Most bottled water drinkers buy it for the taste.    B. Labels on bottled water are used to mislead consumers.

     C. The FDA sets high standards for bottled water.    D. Only wealthy people can afford bottled water.

72. What does the underlined word "pristine" in the second paragraph mean?

     A. Beautiful.        B. Pure.               C. Popular. D. Inexpensive.

73. According to the passage, removing chlorine from water____________

     A. does not make the water safer           B. is required by the FDA

     C. makes the water less expensive          D. is necessary for good health

74. According to the passage, one valid reason for drinking bottled water is the __________

     A. convenience      B. cost.                C. minerals             D. taste

75. What's the main idea of this passage?

     A. Bottled water may be preferable to tap water in taste.

     B. Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water.

     C. Consumers should consider carefully the reason for buying bottled water.

     D. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the bottled water.

About 1 in 15 households drink bottled water today, spending about $ 4 billion a year on it. Although the reasons for the trend are many, bottled water's health benefits fall near the top of the list. Surveys have found that about 25 percent of bottled water drinkers choose the beverage for health and safety reasons; another quarter believe it is pure and free of contaminants（杂质）.

Regardless of its pristine image, bottled water is not necessarily any purer or more healthful than what flows right out of the tap.  Consider that the Food and Drug Administration （FDA）, the bottled water industry watchdog, does not require that bottled water meet higher standards for quality, such as the maximum level of contaminants, than public water supplies regulated by the EPA. For the most part, the FDA simply follows EPA's regulatory lead. Granted, bottled water is often filtered（过滤）to remove chemicals such as chlorine that may impart a certain taste. But that doesn't make it any safer. In fact, about 25 to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same municipal water supplies as tap water. Furthermore, some bottled waters do not contain any or enough of the fluoride（氟化物）needed to fight cavities. The only way to determine whether a certain water contains the mineral is to check with the company that bottles it.

This is not to say that bottled water is necessarily any better or worse, from a health standpoint, than tap water. It's certainly preferable to tap water for those who like its taste. The problem is that many consumers pay 300 to 1,200 times more per gallon for bottled water than for tap water because they think bottled water is the more healthful of the two.  Bottlers add to the confusion by sprinkling terms such as "pure", "crystal pure" and "premium" on labels illustrated with pictures of glaciers, mountain streams, and waterfalls, even when the water inside comes from a public reservoir. However, the FDA has set forth regulations requiring clear labeling of bottled waters. The mini glossary（词汇）of bottled waters explains what some of the terms used on bottles really mean.

53.  What conclusion can we draw from the passage?

A. Most bottled water drinkers buy it for the taste.

B. Labels on bottled water are used to mislead consumers.

C. The FDA sets high standards for bottled water.

D. Only wealthy people can afford bottled water.

54.  According to the passage, removing chlorine from water______

A. does not make the water safer               B. is required by the FDA

C. makes the water less expensive              D. is necessary for good health

55.  What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Bottled water may be preferable to tap water in taste.

B. Bottled water is always safer to drink than tap water.

C. Consumers should consider carefully the reason for buying bottled water.

D. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for the bottled water.