Imagine being a business that regularly takes huge quantities of your own products worth millions of pounds and burns them up. Your stock literally goes up in smoke. It sounds crazy, but the practice is common for some of the world's biggest clothing manufacturers .They argue that it is the most cost-effective way of maintaining their brand's exclusivity （独特性）.
The clothes that are burned are those that do not sell at a high enough price. Rather than watch them go on sale, the companies would set fire to them and regain a small amount of energy.
Nobody knows exactly how much unsold stock is burnt annually by those fashion houses, but burning clothes has various negative impacts on the environment. For example, burning clothes made from artificial fibers may release plastic microfibers into the atmosphere, which worsens global warming. A U.K. parliamentary committee report on sustainability and the fashion industry advises the government to ban the burning of unsold stock if it can be reused or recycled.
Actually, there are other approaches. What if those companies had a section tasked with taking back unsold clothes, redesigning them into new products, and shipping out the new products to the market once again?
There is also now an opportunity to focus on biodegradable （可生物降解的）fabrics. Clothes that break down faster might not have to be burned. They would also appeal to those who care about the environmental impact of their own wardrobes.
Additionally, we have an over-production problem. According to the World Bank, while clothing sales have risen steadily since 2000, clothing utilization has fallen at roughly the same rate. For every extra T-shirt that is sold, it will be worn roughly half as much as it would have been 20 years ago. That means better forecasting market trends would in theory result in less waste.
Burning clothes won't happen simply through fashion firms. The scale of fashion production has to change. And it's important to recognize that these consumer-focused brands will only go where the market takes them. If protecting the environment really matters to the public, they have to make clear that they want more sustainable clothing in the first place. Without consumers demanding that, it won't change.
1.Paragraph 3 mainly talks about .
A. how important the U.K. parliamentary committee report is
B. why fashion firms should end burning unsold stock
C. why fashion firms burn unsold clothes in large numbers every year
D. how artificial fabrics will contribute to global warming
2.The underlined expression "clothing utilization" in the 6th paragraph means .
A. how long clothing lasts B. how well clothing sells
C. how often clothing is used D. how clothing is designed
3.All the following possible solutions are mentioned in the passage to deal with unsold clothes except
A. Making consumers feel better about their purchases.
B. Redesigning and making them into new clothes.
C. Conducting research on market demand before production.
D. Making clothes out of environmentally-friendly materials.
4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Burning clothes is a better option for every fashion firm.
B. Consumers play a key role in stopping burning clothes.
C. The secret that some fashion firms burn clothes is well kept.
D. Today's clothes are better than those two decades ago.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
On every measure, Britain is an expensive place to study. Tuition fees(学费) in the UK have now reached £ 9,250 a year and students also face some of the highest living costs in the world. Fortunately there are a number of countries where universities offer degree programmes entirely in English, along with the chance to learn the local language while you live there. Here are three of the options broken down in detail.
University of Amsterdam
The Dutch capital is not a cheap city to live in, but standard tuition fees of £ 1,800 a year make it significantly cheaper than a British degree at £ 37,400 for three years all in. There are 14 bachelor’s degrees on offer that are taught in English, including Political Science, Economics & Business Economics and Actuarial Science. Nearly all Dutch people speak English, making it an easy country to get by in.
Tianjin University
Moving to China is not for the faint-hearted. Undergraduate degree courses at Tianjin last four years,
but the total cost, at £ 28,800, is still around half the cost of a three-year degree in Britain. Living costs are only around £ 400 a month and tuition fees are £ 2,300 a year. Flights will cost £ 3,600 over the four years. Tianjin is one of the world’s latest cities and is only a half-hour train ride from Beijing. Three undergraduate programmes are offered in English：Chemical Engineering, Environment & Energy and Pharmaceutical Science.
University of Milan
The University of Milan’s fees range from £ 140 to £3,650 a year. The one bachelor’s degree offered entirely in English--Political Sciences--is a three-year course. While living costs in Milan are high, the significantly lower fees make it a cheaper option than a British university.
1.What may be the annual living cost in Tianjin University?
A.£ 400. B.£ 2300.
C.£3600. D.£ 4800.
2.Where can you major in Political Science?
A.London and Tianjin. B.Amsterdam and London.
C.Amsterdam and Milan. D.Tianjin and Milan.
3.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To encourage people to study abroad. B.To introduce some affordable universities.
C.To advertise some degree programs. D.To compare tuition fees and living cost
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Digital technology—email and smart phones especially—have vastly improved workers' ability to be productive outside of a traditional office. Even so, most white-collar work still happens in an office. One reason is that, according to findings of a new survey of office workers conducted by Wakefield Research for the IT company Citrix, most bosses are doubtful about remote working. Half of the workers say their boss doesn't accept it, and only 35 percent say it's tolerated.
Skeptical bosses will likely have their doubts reinforced by the same survey, which shows that 43 percent of workers say they've watched TV or a movie while “working” remotely, while 35 percent have done housework, and 28 percent have cooked dinner.
It is true, however, that working at home makes people much more efficient, because it allows workers to take care of annoying housework while still getting their jobs done. It's much faster, for example, to shop for groceries at a quarter to three than to stand in line during the after-work rush.
The fact that such practices remain officially unaccepted reflects how far we haven't come as a society from the days when we expected every full-time worker to be supported by a full-time homemaker.
More broadly the Wakefield survey suggests that employers may be missing a low-cost way to give workers something of value. Sixty-four percent of those survey participants who haven't worked remotely would rather give up some bonus in order to get even one day a week working from home. Under such circumstances, smart firms need to find ways to let their employees have enough flexibility to manage their time efficiently.
1.What does digital technology contribute to?
A.Promoting production． B.Hiring more white-collar workers．
C.Conducting a new research． D.Removing bosses' doubt．
2.What seems to be most workers' attitude toward remote working?
A.Doubtful. B.Favorable.
C.Reserved. D.Disapproving.
3.What does the author suggest smart firms do?
A.Shorten their office hours. B.Give employees a pay raise.
C.Adopt flexible work patterns. D.Reduce their staff’s workload.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项多余选项。
Feeling Phone-overwhelmed?
Many people are feeling “phone-overwhelmed”, longing for a “simpler time” when smart -phones didn’t exist. Actually you don’t necessarily need to flush your brand-new iPhone down the toilet or vow to never, ever tweet again. Things don’t have to be that black or white.1.Here are a few simple steps.
Make a plan. To earn a college degree, you select specific classes happening at specific times and you attend them. This keeps you on track, moving steadily towards your goal.2. Choose specific times to check texts, social media updates, and so on, and then do your best to stick to the plan. Create phone-routines that help you to create the kind of day (and life) that you want.
Enjoy the sound of silence to the fullest. If your phone is continually bleeping and pinging every time “something happens,” it’s going to be tough for you to stay focused- you’ll be tempted to check in and see what's up! It may seem obvious to turn off those noisy notifications.3. You can also create a “call filter” so that certain people's calls come through even if your phone is on “silent. ” That way you can rest easy, knowing you won't miss something truly urgent.
4.. For many couples and families, dinnertime is the only time of the day when everyone is gathered together in one place Make dinner a special, sacred time without techie distractions. No phones at the table. If people get restless or bored, strike up an interesting conversation by playing a question game.
Ask yourself, What am I desiring right now? “When you feel the urge to check your phone, and you don’t really “need” to, pause for moment.5.Do you seek out company, entertainment or inspiration? Whatever you want, see if you can find a non-phone-related way to satisfy yourself Go for a jog, listen to music or pop by a friend’s house to say "hi "Feeding your spirit in the “real world”, you may discover that the “phone world” just isn't that appealing anymore.
A.Take some phone- free time
B.Make dinnertime a phone-free zone
C.Check in with yourself and see what you want.
D.See how it feels to move freely without your phone.
E.You can apply that same logic to your smartphone usage
F.You can take specific steps to create healthier, more balanced relations of technology
G.Better yet, turn the volume on your phone down to zero or power down your phone complete
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Thanks to the power of the Internet, many people have become superstars overnight. Their _______ is felt online in catchphrases（流行语）, photos and videos that _______ around the Internet. They have gotten famous _______ the unique luck of becoming an Internet celebrity(网红).
This global phenomenon has certainly caught on in the US, and American high school students are no _______. Alex is one of their _______.
Alex? A few months ago, he was a high school student living a _______ life. He lived in Texas in the US.
He woke up at 7 am for school. He had 144 followers on Twitter. But now everybody on social media knows him. How?
You must have had this experience. You were waiting in line for the _______ in a store when you _______ that your cashier was smoking hot (很酷) . Well, that's exactly what happened to someone who saw Alex. He was working in a chain store one weekend and a teen girl took his photo and posted it on the Internet.
She _______ a caption (文字说明) naming the store, writing, "This is Alex from Target," and teen girls soon began ________ the picture on every social media platform.
Alex, who worked in the Target store all day, had no idea that he had become a celebrity. He only felt ________ when he noticed his checkout line had gotten ________ long. Then his Target manager showed him the online photo.
Alex's life began to ________ He got thousands of followers on Twitter, a social network, within the first 24 hours and his new fans even tried to ________ which Target store he worked at. "I was getting tons of texts,"
Alex said. ________, Alex also paid the ________ for fame when he received criticism and verbal (言语的) ________.
Many have taken to social media to call Alex names. Twitter is full of ________ criticizing his looks.
Alex has tried to ________ the criticism. He says he wants to take what he learned from his days of being bullied and help to ________ teenagers who are experiencing meanness online.
1.A.profession B.potential C.purpose D.presence
2.A.float B.shake C.interrupt D.perform
3.A.regardless of B.free from C.due to D.apart from
4.A.need B.sense C.exception D.reason
5.A.schoolmates B.representatives C.settlers D.citizens
6.A.normal B.colorful C.healthy D.tough
7.A.board B.notice C.shelf D.checkout
8.A.doubted B.realized C.searched D.demanded
9.A.added B.copied C.mixed D.moved
10.A.taking B.editing C.sharing D.drawing
11.A.fortunate B.strange C.thrilled D.upset
12.A.slightly B.commonly C.unnecessarily D.unusually
13.A.change B.recover C.improve D.suffer
14.A.remember B.see to C.figure out D.explain
15.A.Instead B.Therefore C.Otherwise D.However
16.A.price B.note C.rent D.tax
17.A.attacks B.promises C.agreements D.reminders
18.A.rules B.marks C.posts D.bills
19.A.set off B.give off C.brush off D.take off
20.A.attract B.guide C.follow D.consult
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据所给的首字母或中文提示补全下列句子，并在答题卷上写上完整的单词。
1.The headmaster demanded that you should a _______ to her for your rudeness.
2.No one knows when such a custom first came into e _______.
3.When in doubt about the meaning of a word, c______ a dictionary.
4.It is o ______ that he knew nothing about repairing cars.
5.He t_____ her into marrying him by pretending that he was rich.
6.My neighbor is as e______ as a young man and dislikes sitting around doing nothing all day.
7.The novel is too long and I only completed half of it. I have run out of ________(耐心).
8.Shelley would rather read a book at home than ______(漫步) in the street.
9.Success in life doesn’t happen by a _____. It’s the result of devoting your time to what you have set out to do.
10.A CD was a___________ to the front of the magazine to encourage people to buy it.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据句意补全句子。
1.The company has changed some of its working practices in response ______ complaints from the customers.
2.__________ no account should you go to bed with the gas on.
3.Time __________( permit), I will go shopping with you next Monday.
4.You can rely on _________ that they will finish their work ahead of time.
5.With the government’s aid, those ________ (affect) by the earthquake have moved for the new settlements.
6.He is such a man who is always finding fault ____ other people.
7.Along with the letter was his promise ____ he would visit me next month.
8.You ________ return my umbrella now. You can keep it till next week if you like.
9.________( appreciate) by others is something that always makes people happy.
10.I can’t have you _________ (speak) to your mother in a rude manner.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，你家楼下住着一位新搬来的英国人James, 他在你家信箱里留了一封信，抱怨你家维修厨房时产生的噪音。请给他写一封回信，内容主要包括：
1. 表达歉意；
2. 解释原因：父母白天上班，只能晚上维修(refit/do repairs)；不专业，耗时长；……
3. 说明措施：请工人周末白天维修。
注意： 1. 词数 80 左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear James,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Last year at Christmas time, my wife, three children and I were on our way from Paris to Nice. Somehow everything went wrong. Our hotels were “tourist traps” and our rented car broke down. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a dirty hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.
It was raining and cold when we went cut to eat. We found a small restaurant poorly decorated for the holiday. Only five tables in the restaurant were taken. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. They were eating in stony silence except the sailor. He was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face. In the comer a piano player was listlessly (无精打采地) playing Christmas music.
All of us were interrupted by an old French flower woman through the front door. She had a worn overcoat and her old shoes were wet. Carrying her basket of flowers, she went from one table to another. No one bought any. Exhausted and frustrated, she sat down at a table.
The sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman’s table.
“Merry Christmas,” he said, smiling and picking out a handful of flowers. “How much are they?”
“Two francs, sir.”
The sailor put a twenty franc note in the woman’s hand.
“I don’t have change, sir,” she said. “I’ll get some from the waiter.”
“No, ma’am,” said the sailor, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. “This is my Christmas present for you.”
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Then the sailor headed for our table with the flowers in his hand.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
The piano player came alive and pleasant music filled the whole room. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
难度: 中等查看答案及解析