Do you drink water that's been left sitting out overnight or even for another day? Have you noticed it tastes different?

Tap water that has been left to sit out slowly begins to acquire an off taste. Many people think that this is because of microorganisms(微生物). But that's not what makes old water taste not fresh. For that we can thank carbon dioxide. After about 12 hours, tap water starts to go flat as carbon dioxide in the air starts to mix with the water in the glass, lowering its pH and giving it an off taste. But it's most likely safe to drink.

However, back to those microorganisms. If you use a dirty glass day after day, there is more of a chance of bacteria making themselves known; a risk that increases if you share the glass with another mouth as well. But assuming you use a fresh glass every few days, you probably won't have a problem unless the glass has been touched by dirty fingers, and especially if those dirty fingers went unwashed after using the bathroom.

As for plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car, step away from the bottle, warns Dr. Kellogg Schwab, director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute. "A chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, along with other things used to make plastic can leach(过滤) into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun," he explains. BPA, as you probably know, has been linked to everything from heart disease to cancer.Schwab also adds that plastic used for commercial bottled water isn't meant to be washed or refilled, so use only one time and recycle. Or don't buy them at all; use refillable water bottles instead.

1.Tap water begin to acquire an off taste because of .

A. BPA B. the glass

C. the microorganism D. carbon dioxide

2. According to Paragragh 2 , tap water that's been left sitting out for 12 hours____.

A. tastes better B. is still safe to drink

C. contains few microorganisms D. is most likely undrinkable

3. What should we do with plastic water bottles that have been left out in the sun or in the car?

A. Throw them away. B. Refill them with fresh water.

C. Use them after they cool down. D. Clean them and use them again.

4.Which of the following is true about BPA?

A. It is safe for people to use.

B. It is a kind of new material.

C. It can cause great harm to people.

D. It is the main material to make plastic.

Soup on my nose, a nearly spilled glass of wine and chocolate down my white blouse, as blind dates suggest, this was a really messy one. I have never made so much noise with plates and glasses, nor had I dined with a never-before-met companion. This blind date was quite different: we could see nothing. "Put your left hand on my shoulder, and then we'll take small steps forward," said Michael, the visually impaired(视力障碍的) server, in an East London accent. We three felt our way carefully bumping past heavy curtains before being arranged at the dining table, where we would eat and drink three completely secret and unseen courses.

Welcome to Alchemy in the Dark, Hong Kong's first full-time restaurant in total darkness. Upon arrival, diners briefly tell the chef on their allergies(过敏性反应), lock away their mobile phones and enter the windowless restaurant, which can seat 25. When the meal is over, the contents of the delicious menu are shown --- often to the diners' surprise. "This is definitely duck," my friend said, while eating chicken. "This soup," I declared, "is carrot and coriander." Even the too-close smell did not reveal the real tomato and cumin flavors. Dining in the dark changes everything: the sense of smell is heightened, manners go out of the window ----using your hands to feel around the plate becomes normal--- and there is a strange thrill in being able to ignore your facial expressions. Best of all? You don't have to spend hours beforehand(事先) wondering what to wear.

Alchemy in the Dark is at 16 Arbuthnot Road, Central, (tel: 6821 2801) and is open Monday to Saturday, from 7pm to 11pm. Reservations are required. A three-course meal with wine pairing costs HK$700 per person. Five per cent of all profits go to the Hong Kong Society for the Blind.

1.How did the author and her companion arrive at their dining table?

A. By using a map

B. By being led

C. By feeling their way.

D. By finding it by themselves

2.According to passage, which of the following is true?

A. The diners might eat what they are allergic to.

B. The author enjoyed a special lunch at Alchemy in the Dark.

C. The restaurant donated some money to the H. K Society for the Blind.

D. The diners aren’t allowed to take phones to the restaurant at any time.

3.From the passage we can learn that the author ___________.

A. had the table booked

B. shared the meal with a friend.

C. practiced how to eat in total darkness.

D. chose her clothes in advance for the meal.

4.The last paragraph is intended to ____________.

A. present some facts about eating in the dark.

B. inform what to do at Alchemy in the Dark

C. conclude the experience of eating at Alchemy in the Dark.

D. provide some information about Alchemy in the Dark.

It was once common to regard Britain as a society with class distinction. Each class had unique characteristics.

In recent years, many writers have begun to speak the ‘decline of class’ and ‘classless society’ in Britain. And in modern day consumer society everyone is considered to be middle class.

But pronouncing the death of class is too early. A recent wide-ranging society of public opinion found 90 percent of people still placing themselves in particular class; 73 percent agreed that class was still a vital part of British society; and 52 percent thought there were still sharp class differences. Thus, class may not be culturally and politically obvious, yet it remains an important part of British society. Britain seems to have a love of stratification.

One unchanging aspect of a British person's class position is accent. The words a person speaks tell her or his class. A study of British accents during 1970s found that a voice sounding like a BBC newsreader was viewed as the most attractive voice. Most people said this accent sounded ‘educated’ and ‘soft’. The accents placed at the bottom in this study, on the other hand, were regional(地区的)city accents. These accents were seen as ‘common’ and ‘ugly’. However, a similar study of British accents in the US turned these results upside down and placed some regional accents as the most attractive and BBC English as the least. This suggests that British attitudes towards accent have deep roots and are based on class prejudice.

In recent years, however, young upper middle-class people in London, have begun to adopt some regional accents, in order to hide their class origins. This is an indication of class becoming unnoticed. However, the 1995 pop song ‘Common People’ puts forward the view that though a middle-class person may ‘want to live like common people' they can never appreciate the reality of a working-class life.

1.A recent study of public opinion shows that in modern Britain ________. A. it is time to end class distinction

B. most people belong to middle class

C. it is easy to recognize a person’s class

D. people regard themselves socially different

2.The word stratification in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.

A. variety B. division C. authority D. qualification

3.British attitudes towards accent _________.

A. have a long tradition

B. are based on regional status

C. are shared by the Americans

D. have changed in recent years

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The middle class is expanding

B. A person’s accent reflects his class

C. Class is a key part of British society

D. Each class has unique characteristics.

How many hours does it take to be fluent in English?

There are plenty of people in the UK for whom even basic English is a problem. According to the survey, 726,000 people in England and Wales said they could not speak English well, and another 138,000 said they did not speak it at all.

Ling, 40,who arrived five years ago from China, found it difficult to learn English. " When I came here l was pregnant and so I was at home for the next three years. It took me longer to learn as l was very busy with the children.” Eventually she was able to begin taking classes and now speaks good conversational English. But even with classes, it can be a long process to pick up the language.

Age is the most important factor in language acquisition, says Mila Vulchanova, professor of linguistics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. "There is a sensitive period in language learning, which is biologically determined, with an onset at birth and a decline around puberty. So the younger the immigrant, the better. Since this decline is only gradual, teenagers are at an advantage over adults.” he says.

There are a number of systems for grading English. The government expects immigrants to reach "ESOL Entry 3" or "B1 level" in Scotland, before they can be granted citizenship. It's equivalent(相当的) to being able to hold a confident conversation and-it might take 360 hours of study to achieve.

George Osborne said in June following the spending review that welfare claimants(申请者)who don't speak English will have their benefits cut if they fail to attend language courses.

Huan Japes, deputy chief executive of English UK, a trade body for language colleges, says a rule of thumb is 360 hours-120 hours for each of three stages-to get to the standard the government expects benefit claimants to reach.

But many of the people who attend courses are visiting students rather than people settling in the UK. Immigrants tend to have very varied levels of education.

" Using 120 hours( for each stage of English fluency) is a rather traditional approach to course book learning," says Dr Elaine Boyd, head of English language at Trinity College London. "If someone is really highly motivated, they can learn really quickly. It's common for children under the age of 11 to be very immersed and be fluent in about six months. "

1.The example of Ling is given to show that _ .

A. it's important to speak fluent English

B. many immigrants attend English classes

C. it's difficult to learn English well

D. many immigrants can't speak English in England

2. What does Mila Vulchanova mainly stress?

A. The necessity of working hard at English.

B. The function of the sensitive period.

C. The advantages of children's learning English.

D. The importance of starting learning English early.

3.What Dr Elaine Boyd says suggests that .

A. 120 hours is a standard that is a little low

B. 120 hours is a standard that is too high

C. English fluency can be easily achieved

D. English fluency can hardly be achieved

4.The author develops the passage mainly by .

A. using survey data

B. using experts' views

C. giving examples of English learners

D. listing the facts of English learning

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