Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost mention recycling, which is the process (过程) of treating used things, such as paper or steel so that they can be used again. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more things than we need. We are now dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the possible greenest way, but it would be far better if we did not bring so many things home in the first place.

Here is an example. In the UK, the total of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a household’s waste. In many supermarkets, foods are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.

Too much packaging causes serious environmental problems. The UK is running out of different kinds of ways for dealing with this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect (效果). Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The best way of avoiding this problem is to stop producing such unnecessary things in the first place. Food waste is another serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers (消费者) to buy more than they need. They seldom encourage customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue.

But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to connect packaging with quality (质量). We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. Is it true for all the products? In fact, more and more companies realized the importance of protecting the environment. They try to package what really should be packaged, including products in good quality.

As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize how many unnecessary things are being collected. We need to face the waste of our daily life. Although many people have taken action to recycle, we have a high mountain to climb.

1.What does the underlined word “over-consumption” mean?

A．Making the environment green.

B．Recycling as much as possible.

C．Making more products than necessary.

D．Having more things than being needed.

2.What is the main purpose of the second paragraph?

A．To show the facts of over-used packaging.

B．To talk about the possible greenest ways.

C．To teach people how to do recycling at home.

D．To express worries about environmental problems.

3.What can be inferred from the fourth paragraph?

A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality.

B．Other products are better packaged than food.

C．We can’t always connect quality with packaging.

D．Supermarkets should care more about packaging.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Supermarkets should recycle first.

B．Packaging causes serious problems.

C．Needless things are mostly recycled.

D．Recycling should be done in the first place.

 

阅读短文，判断下列句子是否符合短文内容。符合的写“A”，不符合的写“B”。（共5小题，每小题2分）

Water is the most important in our lives. Not Many people understand this but it’s quite true. The human body can go without food for a long time. We’ve got many examples for this. Yet two or three dayswithout water can usually make people die. Man can’t live without water.
Many people don’t understand how much water the human body needs to work well, and many people, especially young people, do not drink enough water, even in very hot weather. About two thirds of our body is water. When we do sports, some of the water will get away from our body. If we don’t drink some water, our body won’t have enough water. And if we don’t have enough water, we’ll feel tired and many of us will get ill. So you know how important water is to us.
But at present we face water crisis(危机). Water is becoming less and less. So， we should protect water resources(资源) and try our best to save water in our daily life. Here are some tips for saving water:
1. Turn off the tap(水龙头) in lime.
2. Take shorter showers.
3. Don’t let water run while washing your face and reuse the water after we finish washing.
4. Encourage your friends and neighbors to join in the action of saving water.
【小题1】Nobody can live without water.
【小题2】About one third of our body is water
【小题3】If one doesn't have enough water, he’ll feel tired and may get ill.
【小题4】We’d better take longer showers and let water run while washing.
【小题5】It’s our duty to protect water resources and save water.