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 need to 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 is 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 realise just how much unnecessary material are collecting．We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb．
(1)
What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
[ ]
A．
Using too much packaging．
B．
Recycling too many wastes．
C．
Making more products than necessary．
D．
Having more material than is needed．
(2)
The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show ________．
Roy wasn't the only one to receive his call-up(入伍)papers．Stephen Napier's call-up came at the beginnning of February and he was pleased to find that he would be going into the Royal Air Force(RAF)．
His father was not so pleased and made his feelings known as he and Stephen were on their daily walk．It was the first step in his plans for Stephen to take over the estate(地产)when the time came, and although Stephen was well aware of this, he could think of no reason not to accompany him．
“Thought you’d forgotten that nonsense．Still, I dare say I could pull a few strings to get you to the Army…”
“No, Father! I have told you I want to learn to fly．What chance would I have to do that in the Army? I'd be better off in the Navy－at least they’ve got the Fleet Air Arm．But I have been put in the RAF and that’s where I want to be, so let’s leave it at that．His face went red．Sent to his father’s school and then to Cambridge, much to his satisfaction, he had never had to defend his own desires and his father was a hard man to oppose．
The father glared at Stephen, "No, I won't leave it at that．I want to know what other ridiculous ideas are in your head．For a start, what's all this about America?”
“America?”
“Yes．All those books I saw in your room the other day．Brochures about emigration(移民)．”
The big, silvered head lowered, like that of a bull about to charge．“Don't trouble to deny it．”
“I won’t, Father．Some men at Cambridge have been talking about it．They want people like us here, mathematicians and scientists, for all kinds of research----the sort of research I could do．It would be a worthwhile life for me．”
The father responded exactly as his son had known he would．“You’ve got a worthwhile life here！You’ve got an estate to run！”
“No, Father．You’ve got an estate to run．I never asked for it．Why not ask Baden to do this stuff? He perhaps can make a good job of it, but I…”
“If he were here, I might think about this silly idea of yours－only think about it, mind you but…”
(1)
If Father wanted Stephen to take over the estate, the first thing he did he would ________．
[ ]
A．
take a walk with Stephen as usual
B．
wait till his son graduated from Cambridge
C．
persuade Stephen not to go into RAF
D．
send Stephen to the Army instead of RAF
(2)
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
Stephen preferred to go into the Navy rather than the Army．
B．
Stephen also received his call-up papers as Roy．
C．
The father didn't like Stephen's idea of going to America．
D．
Stephen was eventually forced to stay to run the estate．
(3)
After reading this passage, we can infer that ________．
[ ]
A．
Stephen had never had to defend his desires before
B．
Baden might be one of Stephen's family members
C．
Stephen wanted to fly in RAF and become a pilot in America
D．
if somebody took over the estate, Stephen could realize his dream
(4)
What do we learn from the underlined sentence?
[ ]
A．
It looked as if the father was angry when mentioning the brochures．
B．
The father was very angry and wanted to beat his son Stephen．
C．
Stephen was annoyed when his father referred to the brochures．
发散思维新课堂系列答案