New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL -- Country of Origin Labeling(标签).

American congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.

Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods.

The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn’t include restaurants and other food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is really meant for larger grocery stores.

The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.

Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.

The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations(违反) that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1,000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.

Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information.

1.Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?

A. It is economical and provides people with more choices.

B. Foreign food is of higher quality than native food.

C. Americans need more and more food recently.

D. The United States is short of food supply.

2.Consumers are more concerned about where foods come from because________.

A. they are curious about the origin of the food.

B. most of them are particular about the tastes

C. they are concerned about food safety

D. most of them are food safety activists

3.The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect________.

A. right now          B. in a month       C. in three months       D. in half a year

4.Which of the following can be inferred from the text?

A. Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law.

B. The government of America will possibly forbid importing peppers from Mexico.

C. Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to enforce the law.

D. Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the vegetables grown in local places.

 

 

       Though some people have suggested that women should return to housework in order to leave more jobs for men, the idea has been rejected by both women and men in public opinion polls(民意测验).Lately some union officials have suggested that too many women are employed in type of work more suitable for men and that women should step aside to make way for unemployed young men.They argue that women — — especially women in their childbearing years actually delay economic development and result in lower productivity, poor quality and inefficiency.

       To solve the problem, they have suggested that the working women stay at home while their husbands or brothers were given double wages.They argue that under these circumstances ~families would retain their same level of income, and women could run the house and raise children much better.

       The suggestion has been rejected by 9 out of 10 people polled.A hundred persons in a big city were questioned last summer.Out of 50 women, 46 said they were unwilling to leave their jobs, no matter what the situation was.The other 4 said they would like to return home if their jobs could be taken by their sons or daughters.Of 50 men polled, only 6 said they would like to see their wives give up their jobs, if it meant higher wages for themselves.

       Some other people have suggested another way called “phased employment theory ”.The theory suggests that a woman worker take leave from her job when she is seven months pregnant(妊娠) and stay off the job until her baby reaches the age of 3.It suggests that women on leave receive 75 percent of their normal salary and be allowed to return to work after the 3—year period.This will benefit children, women, their families and the society.Some of those polled, both women and men, felt the idea is a good one.It definitely seems to be more acceptable than the suggestion that women return to home forever.

1.Some union officials have suggested that women should return home because _________ 

       A.all of them are employed in unsuitable types of work 

       B.their participation in work has a bad influence on the economic development 

       C.most skilled male workers are now unemployed  

       D.nowadays no one can take care of children except women 

2.Some union officials have suggested that if women leave their jobs.

       A.they should be allowed to attend school to be trained 

       B.their jobs should be taken over by the male members of their families 

       C.their children should also leave their kindergartens 

       D.the male employees in their families should receive double wages  

3.According to the passage, the suggestion that women should return to housework was ________ 

       A.welcomed by women only  

       B.welcomed by men only 

       C.opposed by most men and women 

       D.welcomed by men and women 

4.From the passage we can see “phased employment” means ________  

       A.women are allowed to take leave from their jobs during their childbearing years 

       B.women stay at home on weekdays and go to work on weekends or holidays 

       C.a woman should resign her job forever if she has a child 

       D.two or more women share the same job  

 

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