In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge money on beverage (饮料) containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw material for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound end up buried in landfills (垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.

Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded (被丢弃的) plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence post, paint brushes, etc.

As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard until somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life value. Without enough markets to take in materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually reduce prices for used materials.

Fewer landfill space and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management choice. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal (清除，处理), which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and reduces the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a better raw material.

What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?

A. A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.

B. Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.

C. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them.

D. Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.

The returned plastic bottles in New York used to         .

A.    be turned into raw materials

B.    be separated from other rubbish

C.    have a second-life value

D.    end up somewhere underground

The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is         .

A.    how to reduce their recycling costs

B.    to sell them at a profitable price

C.    how to turn them into useful things

D.    to lower the prices for used materials

Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because         .

A.    recycling causes little pollution

B.    other methods are more expensive

C.    recycling has great appeal for the jobless

D.    local governments find it easy to manage

It can be concluded from the passage that         .

A.    recycling is to be suggested both economically and environmentally

B.    local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recycling

C.    rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials

D.    landfills will still be widely used for waste disposal

“Why should I care about the environment?” some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children.

What is “being eco-conscious”?

Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, “Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair.” However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, “Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?”

How can I be eco-conscious?

You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life.

When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can.

You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home.

You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling.

You can eat less chewing gum.

You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants.

You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins.

You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden.

You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV.

You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use.

You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%.

Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference.

1.Human beings should care about the environment because _________ .

A．if we make the earth unlivable, we’ll have to live in space

B．it can help our children live better

C．if we don’t, the earth will become a garbage dump

D．it will help to make the world a good living place

2.If your deskmate is an eco-conscious person, he should __________.

A．be aware of the importance of protecting the environment

B．use plastic bags when he buys something

C．know nothing about CFCs

D．turn his air conditioner to a higher degree

3.If you want to help the environment, you should do all the following EXCEPT ________.

A．share a car with your colleagues

B．use paper bags instead of plastic bags

C．use hairspray containing CFCs

D．use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials

4.It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

A．it’s very hard for human beings to keep the earth clean and comfortable

B．protecting the environment is the duty of everybody

C．we should protect the environment together, as it’s no use doing it individually

D．it’s very easy to be eco-conscious

5.According to the author, which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Being eco-conscious means you should know much about the environment.

B．The more we care, the better the environment will be.

C．If each of us just does a little, we can’t make any difference.

D．If we treat the earth badly, we’ll make a lot of trouble for ourselves.

III. 阅读  (共两节，满分40分)
第一节：阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (="drink)" containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw material for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound end up buried in landfills(垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.
Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence post, paint brushes, etc.
As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard unti1 somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life va1ue.Without adequate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materials.
Shrinking landfill space and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and reduces the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material.
1. What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?
A. A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.
B. Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.
C. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them.
D. Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.
2. The returned plastic bottles in New York used to        .
A. be turned into raw rnateria1s
B. be separated from other rubbish
C. have a second-life value
D. end up somewhere underground
3. The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is         .
A. how to reduce their recycling costs
B. to sell them at a profitable price
C. how to turn them into useful things
D. to lower the prices for used materials
4. Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because         .
A. recycling causes litt1e pollution
B. other methods are more expensive
C. recycling has great appeal for the jobless
D. local governments find it easy to manage
5. It can be concluded from the passage that          .
A.    recycling is to be recommended both economically and environmentally
B. local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recycling
C. rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials
D. landfills will sti1l be widely used for waste disposal

“Why should I care about the environment?” some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children.
What is “being eco-conscious”?
Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, “Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair.” However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, “Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?”
How can I be eco-conscious?
You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life.
When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can.
You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home.
You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling.
You can eat less chewing gum.
You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants.
You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins.
You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden.
You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV.
You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use.
You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%.
Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference.
【小题1】Human beings should care about the environment because _________ .

III. 阅读  (共两节，满分40分)

第一节：阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (="drink)" containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw material for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it wound end up buried in landfills(垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.

Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence post, paint brushes, etc.

As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard unti1 somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life va1ue.Without adequate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materials.

Shrinking landfill space and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and reduces the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material.

1. What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?

A. A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.

B. Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.

C. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them.

D. Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.

2. The returned plastic bottles in New York used to        .

A. be turned into raw rnateria1s

B. be separated from other rubbish

C. have a second-life value

D. end up somewhere underground

3. The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is         .

A. how to reduce their recycling costs

B. to sell them at a profitable price

C. how to turn them into useful things

D. to lower the prices for used materials

4. Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because         .

A. recycling causes litt1e pollution

B. other methods are more expensive

C. recycling has great appeal for the jobless

D. local governments find it easy to manage

5. It can be concluded from the passage that          .

A.    recycling is to be recommended both economically and environmentally

B. local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recycling

C. rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials

D. landfills will sti1l be widely used for waste disposal