题目内容
_______, Carolina couldn’t get the door open.
A. As she might try B. Try as she might
C. She might as try D. Might she as try
B
A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I –can do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”
On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.
So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be move.
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighlzir had telephoned them about him clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warming and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.
North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”
【小题1】One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ____.
A.clothes dryers are more efficient | B.clothesline drying reduces home value |
C.clothes dryers are energy-saving | D.clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states |
A.He is a kind-hearted man. | B.He is an impolite man. |
C.He is and experienced gardener. | D.He is a man of social responsibility. |
A.housing businesses. | B.Environmentalists. |
C.Homeowners Associations. | D.Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors. |
A.Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money. |
B.Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered. |
C.Opposite opinions on clothesline drying. |
D.Different varieties of clotheslines. |
Next Hot Language to Study: Chinese
The fourth-graders at Chicago’s McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it’s becoming their third language. They’ve been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it’s now second nature to give a hearty “ni hao” when strangers enter the classroom.
The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture(固定物) in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security—useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them—as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents—has driven a quick growth in the number of programs.
Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It’s true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French.
Advocates (提倡者,拥护者) see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. “This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world’s next superpower,” says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. “Globalization(全球化) has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers… The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust.”
In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. “The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino(拉丁美洲人) and they are succeeding in this, tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages,” says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick.“We want to give our young people opportunities to advance… and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today’s economy,” says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago.
【小题1】The first paragraph is mainly written to _______.
A.show the importance of Chinese learning |
B.introduce the topic to be followed |
C.advise primary schools to teach Chinese |
D.prove it’s easy for children to learn language |
A.Six. | B.Two. |
C.Three. | D.Four. |
A.the competition between Latino and Asian students |
B.the global economy |
C.the interesting way to engage with China |
D.the Chinese learning |
A.Most students at McCormick can speak three languages. |
B.Chinese is gaining its popularity in all schools in Chicago. |
C.French has far more speakers than Chinese does in Chicago. |
D.Globalization in a way makes it necessary to learn Chinese. |
A.The Chinese learning in Chicago. |
B.The ways to learn Chinese. |
C.McCormick Primary School. |
D.Globalization and Chinese learning. |