题干

   Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not bring so much material home in the first place.

The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.

Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.

But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.

There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary material we are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.

【小题1】What does the underlined word “over-consumption” refer to?
A.Using too much packaging.
B.Recycling too much waste.
C.Making more products than necessary.
D.Having more material than is needed.
【小题2】The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show ________.
A.the tendency of cutting household waste
B.the increase of packaging recycling
C.the rapid growth of supermarkets
D.the fact of packaging overuse
【小题3】What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A.Unpackaged products are of bad quality.
B.Supermarkets care more about packaging.
C.It is improper to judge quality by packaging.
D.Other products are better packaged than food.
【小题4】What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.Fighting wastefulness is difficult.
B.Needless material is mostly recycled.
C.People like collecting recyclable waste.
D.The author is proud of his consumer culture.
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同类题2

   Green Consumer Day is observed worldwide every year on September 28. The_______is to purchase only eco-friendly products as a way to________the impact consumerism has on the environment.

But we should NOT consume products even on Green Consumer Day.

Creating any product_______the use of energy; let's not_________climate change. For the most part, that energy is going to come from fossil fuels-coal, oil and natural gas._______coal or drilling for oil and natural gas creates environmental nightmares, while burning fossil fuels is the biggest_______of climate change. Unless a product is made using 100 percent_______energy, it will have a carbon footprint. We all know how_______the planet is heating up, so our goal should be to shrink our footprints, rather than expand them.

Manufacturing_______uses a lot of water. No matter how______a product is, water will be needed to clean the materials and clean it again_________the product is made. Many parts of the world are suffering from________ We can help conserve our precious water resources by buying fewer products, even if they're_____

Most products will still_________in trash. We don't need more solid waste! Even if the eco-product we buy is not disposable, the packaging it comes in will get thrown away.

Why go shopping when you could be out_________nature? Shopping can be a pretty stressful way to spend an hour or two. Wouldn't you rather take a walk, have a picnic or otherwise have fun with friends and family?

Buying more stuff adds to our_______and doesn't make us any happier. Most of us_______to have even more things than we can use. Adding to the load just increases the________of the mess we need to address. Plus most people________that spending time with family and friends makes them much happier than acquiring_________, even if it's green.

【小题1】
A.dateB.ideaC.ruleD.solution
【小题2】
A.emphasizeB.strengthenC.recordD.observe
【小题3】
A.forcesB.influencesC.requiresD.improves
【小题4】
A.lead toB.depend onC.add toD.look on
【小题5】
A.ExploringB.ConsumingC.TransportingD.Mining
【小题6】
A.causeB.threatC.barrierD.consequence
【小题7】
A.effectiveB.renewableC.naturalD.precious
【小题8】
A.normalB.toughlyC.fastD.rarely
【小题9】
A.onlyB.hardlyC.alsoD.ever
【小题10】
A.simpleB.high-techC.advancedD.eco-friendly
【小题11】
A.afterB.unlessC.thoughD.since
【小题12】
A.pollutionB.povertyC.droughtD.starvation
【小题13】
A.diverseB.greenC.cheapD.useful
【小题14】
A.fade awayB.rot offC.run outD.end up
【小题15】
A.enjoyingB.researchingC.approachingD.missing
【小题16】
A.messB.burdenC.leisureD.resistance
【小题17】
A.agreeB.tendC.hateD.pretend
【小题18】
A.qualityB.priceC.quantityD.usage
【小题19】
A.admitB.proposeC.explainD.prove
【小题20】
A.convenienceB.experienceC.promotionD.stuff

同类题3

   Most artists have a favorite material they like to work with. For Kristen Alyce, it happens to be trash (废物). The eco-conscious designer uses her talent to transform garbage like empty drink bottles and Skittles wrappers into wonderful outfits (全套服装) that sell for thousands of dollars.

Kristen says the idea came to her after she saw how much waste she and her three college roommates produced on a daily basis. The Fine Arts student began to dream about transforming the bags and packages into beautiful clothes. Her first dress made of plastic bags and rolled magazines was unusual, funny and even fascinating. However, she only made it to test how she could create a beautiful dress with trash.

The young designer did not consider starting a commercial business until she spent a week working at Couture Fashion Week in New York City. There she observed the excitement caused by new looks and decided to see if her unusual idea would result in as much enthusiasm. She began by creating a line of 12 garbage-inspired dresses. They were a big success and Garbage Gone Glam was born!

Today the company produces a wide variety of outfits that range from cocktail dresses to ballgowns. Kristen, of course, doesn’t search for trash cans as her material any more. Since the designer can work with anything from brochures to yellow pages, from directory pages to candy wrappers, finding “trash” is never a problem.

However, if you think the garbage-inspired women dresses come cheap, think again. The price for ready made creations sold on the company’s site varies from $500 to $1,500. Those seeking custom (定制的) dresses have to pay as much as $2,000. Though those may appear expensive, the designer says that she has no shortage of customers. In fact thanks to so many requests she now even has trash-inspired outfits for men that include jackets, ties, trousers and even board shorts! While most of the outfits are hard enough to bear various wearing methods, whether they can be cleaned is a little unclear.

【小题1】What was the purpose of Kristen’s first dress made of trash?
A.To earn money.B.To recycle trash.
C.To test her creativity.D.To amuse others.
【小题2】We can learn from the passage that Garbage Gone Glam (Paragraph 3) is the name of ______.
A.a companyB.a model
C.a dressD.a school
【小题3】What do we know about Garbage Gone Glam according to the passage?
A.Its creations sell well at cheap prices online.
B.It was founded by Kristen and her college roommates.
C.It has little difficulty in finding the material for its products.
D.It produces various clothes only for women at present.
【小题4】Which of the following words can best describe Kristen Alyce?
A.Generous and creative.
B.Enthusiastic and sensitive.
C.Considerate and eco-friendly.
D.Creative and eco-friendly.

同类题5

The hottest“green”toy in Germany isn't made of organic or recycled materials.This one has a solar panel and only runs if kids remember to insert bright red “energy stones”that power the space station.Germany,a pioneer in many renewable energy initiatives,is also at the forefront of creating environment­friendly toys aimed at making kids think about where energy comes from and how much of it they can use,raising awareness through play.A number of high­tech green toys are on display at this year's Nuremberg toy fair,which runs through Sunday.
Among them,there are hydroelectric­powered(水电动力的)toy cars,and doll houses with wind turbines and rainwater catchers.The bright green “Future Planet”space station features an inner atrium(中庭)with a fan that is powered by a functioning solar cell.Its aim is to get kids to use their imagination about how energy will be created in the future.
Makers and retailers believe such toys will play an increasingly important role in their future—and that of our kids.“Energy is the question of the future and we are definitely thinking about this as we move ahead,”said Judith Schweinitz,a spokeswoman for Playmobil,maker of the solar panel­fitted space station.“It is increasingly being brought into our play concept.”Green toys—which range from those made of sustainable materials to ones like the space station that just raise environmental awareness—make up only a sliver of the $ 84 billion international toy market,but their share is growing,studies indicate.Environmental research firm Earthsense,based in Syracuse,New York,predicts that green toys will account for about $ 1 billion,or 5 percent of U.S.toy sales in the next five years.Parents are smart and they want information about what's in the product.That's what's really driving the market.
【小题1】The hottest “green”toy in Germany is ________.
A.made of rubbish
B.made of organic or recycled materials
C.equipped with a solar panel
D.driven by an advanced motor
【小题2】The purpose of making the green toys is to ________.
A.raise kids' awareness about energy and environment
B.improve kids' imagination
C.give kids the knowledge of technology
D.improve the safety of toys
【小题3】We can infer from the last paragraph that the green toys ________.
A.can help save little energy
B.are not accepted by parents
C.will sell well in the future
D.have not been produced
【小题4】Which of the following BEST describes the opinion of Earthsense about green toys?
A.Doubtful.B.Optimistic.
C.Disappointed.D.Proud.