U.S. Bottled Water Sales Are Booming Again Despite Opposition
Despite organized anti-bottled-water campaigns across the country and a noisy debate about bottled water’s environmental impact, Americans are buying more bottled water than ever.
Why do so many people seem to think they should have any input on what other American’s choose to buy or do?
If they want to buy bottled water, let them.
If they want to eat fast food, let them.
If they want to smoke pot, let them.
— Barackalypse
People just get tired of paying for others’ bad behavior. If many people eat excessive fast food, you pay higher insurance premiums. If many people frequently buy bottled water, your trash bills go up and landfills fill up quickly.www.zxxk.com
It’s about personal responsibility, which really should be a cornerstone of libertarianism.
— Bdbr
So? This is the price you pay to live in a free society. You want to control the life of another just so you can save a few bucks? What would you say when someone do the same to you?
— Norman619
Defend selfish pricks all you like; I’m just glad there are still people who still believe personal responsibility is a good and decent thing. We make your life cheaper and less bothersome.
— Yoyo
What a waste of money! It’s fine when you’re on the road and you need a cold drink, but people who buy cases of bottled water for home are completely crazy.
— Agmlauncher
I wish we all can find a way to improve things and benefit from this. The environment needs a lot of help but businesses will always work on what people would need and demand. Is this part of the balance? Hope we can find better ways.
— Skipweis

  1. 1.

    What can we know about bottled water in America?

    1. A.
      Americans are consuming more bottled water than tap
    2. B.
      US bottled water sales have increased for the first time
    3. C.
      Activists in several regions have been fighting against it
    4. D.
      Some people worry about its bad effect on the environment
  2. 2.

    Who would agree with Barackalypse on this matter?

    1. A.
      Bdbr
    2. B.
      Norman619
    3. C.
      Yoyo
    4. D.
      Agmlauncher
  3. 3.

    According to the text, Agmlauncher is _____ bottled water

    1. A.
      partly supportive of
    2. B.
      extremely against
    3. C.
      strongly in favor of
    4. D.
      not concerned about
  4. 4.

    Which of the following statements goes with Skipweis’ opinion?

    1. A.
      The environment is emphasized too much
    2. B.
      It’s impossible for people to find a better way
    3. C.
      Business is not totally responsible for the problem
    4. D.
      At present we can’t benefit from bottled water at all

1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.
Handel’s father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn’t think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel smuggled a quiet piano into the house so that he could practice in secret.
One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke’s organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel’s father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose.
Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel (决斗) over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince.
Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he’d heard that there weren’t nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera.
After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany.
In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper.
If you ever go to London, look for Handel’s grave in Westminster Abbey, where there’s a wonderful monument to him

  1. 1.

    How did Handel begin to learn to compose?

    1. A.
      His father was sure of his future success
    2. B.
      His performance impressed a duke
    3. C.
      He begged his father to send him to Italy
    4. D.
      He practiced hard and taught himself music
  2. 2.

    What does the underlined word “smuggled” mean in the passage?

    1. A.
      bought secretly
    2. B.
      took secretly
    3. C.
      carried in advance
    4. D.
      possessed personally
  3. 3.

    Why did Handel later settle down in Britain instead of Germany?

    1. A.
      Because he could find better jobs in London
    2. B.
      Because he enjoyed greater fame in London
    3. C.
      Because his boss became King of Britain and brought him along
    4. D.
      Because London was a wonderful place to learn about opera
  4. 4.

    Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe Handel, as shown in the passage?

    1. A.
      bad-tempered
    2. B.
      talented
    3. C.
      enthusiastic
    4. D.
      optimistic
  5. 5.

    Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?

    1. A.
      Handel was born in the same year with Bach
    2. B.
      Many people worked both as a barber and a surgeon
    3. C.
      Handel quit his job to learn about opera in Italy
    4. D.
      Handel was buried in London and was built a monument

The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Bananas 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira.” He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill. He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry. He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us. I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What’s up?” I asked him. “I … I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills. “Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. “Thank you, sir,” he said．“Thank you very much!”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for schoolbooks. What if he’s a swindler? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive. When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.
“Oh, gosh! Long time.”
“Are you in school now?” I asked. He nodded. “That’s good,” I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. “Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill. “Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s a gift.” He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shone with sweat. He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”

  1. 1.

    It can be inferred from the first paragraph that _________

    1. A.
      the boy was greedy
    2. B.
      the boy had suffered a lot
    3. C.
      the boy was in bad need of money
    4. D.
      the boy was good at bargaining
  2. 2.

    The second time the author met the boy, the boy _________

    1. A.
      told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts
    2. B.
      wanted to express his thanks
    3. C.
      asked him for money for his schoolbooks
    4. D.
      tried to take advantage of him
  3. 3.

    The author gave his money to the boy because _________

    1. A.
      he wanted to make himself feel better
    2. B.
      he had learnt to help others since childhood
    3. C.
      he held a higher position in the society
    4. D.
      his parents asked him to do so
  4. 4.

    What does the underlined word “swindler” mean?

    1. A.
      troublemaker
    2. B.
      beggar
    3. C.
      thief
    4. D.
      cheat
  5. 5.

    Which of the following best describes the boy?

    1. A.
      Brave and polite．
    2. B.
      Kind and smart
    3. C.
      Honest and thankful．
    4. D.
      Shy and nervous

There are some topics that readers never grow bored with, and the search for a suitable partner（伴侣） is one of them. Pride and Prejudice（傲慢与偏见）by Jane Austen, first published in 1813, tells the story of five young women, all of whom are looking for a husband. In order to fully understand the novel, the readers must know that at the time when Jane Austen was writing, if a family was not rich, the daughters needed to marry well in order to live a comfortable, independent life. That is the reason why Mrs Bennet, the mother of the five girls, is so eager to have her daughters married.
The heroine of the story is Elizabeth Bennet, and as in all good romantic novels, she and Darcy, the man she finally marries, remain separate until the very end of the story. The wealthy Darcy is a proud, unsociable man, and when Elizabeth hears that he has insulted（侮辱） both her and her family, she dislikes him very much. Poor Darcy then falls head over heels in love with Elizabeth, and has to work terribly hard to persuade her to change her mind about him. He succeeds of course, and they live happily ever after. 
Set at the turn of the 19th century, the novel is still attractive to modern readers. It has become one of the most popular novels and receives great attention from literary scholars（学者）.Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramas（戏剧）and a lot of novels and stories modeling(模仿) after Austen’s memorable (难忘的)characters or themes. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.
Jane Austen is rightly famous for her style. Her sentences have a wonderful rhythm（韵律）, and she makes such clever, true comments about people. It is not surprising that Pride and Prejudice has lasted

  1. 1.

    In the 19th century, a poor girl in Britain was often encouraged to          

    1. A.
      master the skills of writing
    2. B.
      marry the one she loved
    3. C.
      change her life by marrying rich
    4. D.
      obey her parents
  2. 2.

    What do we know about Elizabeth and Darcy?

    1. A.
      They both come from poor families and wish to marry rich
    2. B.
      They’ve experienced ups and downs but get married in the end
    3. C.
      They get separated from each other shortly after being married
    4. D.
      Darcy falls over and gets hurt but Elizabeth still loves him
  3. 3.

    According to the passage, Pride and Prejudice _________

    1. A.
      inspired many other novels and many plays have been produced based on it
    2. B.
      was first published in 1813 and sold 20 million copies soon
    3. C.
      tells a sad love story which moves generations of readers
    4. D.
      is set at the turn of the 19th century and not well received worldwide

Poetry is an interesting form of writing. It is very free, has few restrictions and can be a great way to express feelings. Writing a poem is all about observing the world within you or around you.
To write a poem, first you should begin with an idea or inspiration. Inspiration may come at any time unexpectedly. It may be a specific person, place or thing that causes some sort of strong emotion. It may be more of an abstract idea or release of emotion.
After getting the idea, you can write down everything that comes to mind. Don’t think much and let all feelings pour out. Remember everything can be thrown out later.
Then, you can think about its form and begin to organize thoughts. Poetry comes in many forms, from epic poetry that has a story to dramatic poetry intended to be performed. Try them all out. One will come naturally. Maybe different poems fit different forms. When you write a poem, think about both meter (韵律) and rhythm carefully, which are equally important in poetry. Meter is the fixed pattern of the poem, while rhythm refers to the sound when it is spoken. It is also important to use a lot of descriptive words. Create imagery (意象) with words, trying to make them attractive to all the senses. For auditory (听觉的) interest, try repeating of similar sounds in a sentence or phrase. All of this adds life and interest to a poem.
After you finish your work, don’t be afraid to share your work with others. When others point out your weakness, accept and grow from it

  1. 1.

    What does the underlined word “restriction” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?_______

    1. A.
      Change
    2. B.
      Order
    3. C.
      Limitation
    4. D.
      Organization
  2. 2.

    When you begin to write a poem, you should first 　　　

    1. A.
      begin with some specific persons
    2. B.
      come up with an idea
    3. C.
      describe a famous place
    4. D.
      organize your thoughts
  3. 3.

    We can infer from the text that 　　　

    1. A.
      writing poems needs imagination and the ability to use language well
    2. B.
      people can get more ideas if they often share their poems with others
    3. C.
      people should first learn to write epic poetry, then dramatic poetry
    4. D.
      people need to write down every feeling they want to release at a time
  4. 4.

    What’s the purpose of the text?_________

    1. A.
      To tell readers how to write a poem
    2. B.
      To encourage more people to write poems
    3. C.
      To show what quality a good poem should have
    4. D.
      To teach people how to appreciate poems

March Break Leadership Camp
The aim of this FREE program is to develop an awareness of race relations, diversity, an equal issue for students in Grades 6-8.
Place: The Central Library Room
Time: March 16&17, 2009 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Pick up and hand in registration forms(报名表) at the Central Library. All forms must be handed in by March 6th. Space is limited.
Please send any questions related to the program to Becky George, the Public Library 905-831-6265 ext 6230 or email: pickering-younity@hotmail.com
Free Your Space……Free Your Mind
At the Central Library: Wednesday, May 13th from7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
This time management course will help you to create more balance and time in your life. In today’s increasingly stressful times, it is becoming more difficult to spend quality time with family and friends. This course will provide positive solutions and strategies (策略) to achieve peace.
Book Club for Teens
At the Central Library: Every 2nd Thursday at 7:00 pm
Do you enjoy reading? Part of the pleasure of reading comes from meeting with others to discuss characters, plots or style. Come to trade ideas and questions, and make new friends.
This program is currently full but for more information, please call 905-831-6265 ext 6232.
Computer Training
Group computer classes for teens will be provided at the Central Library in March, April, and May. Registration starts at 9:30 am on Friday, March 6th for the March session; Friday, March 27th for the April session; and Friday, April 24th for the May session.
A valid(有效的) Public Library card is required for all computer training sessions. Call the Central Library for more information or to register, 905-831-6265 ext 6243.
Limit 10 participants(参加者) per class

  1. 1.

    What do these four programs have in common?

    1. A.
      They are held in the same place
    2. B.
      They are held at the same month
    3. C.
      All of them are free of charge
    4. D.
      All of them limit the number of participants
  2. 2.

    John is always in a hurry and not good at arranging his time. He should attend_________

    1. A.
      Computer Training
    2. B.
      Free Your Space …..Free Your Mind
    3. C.
      March Break Leadership Camp
    4. D.
      Book Club for teens
  3. 3.

    If you want to do computer studies, you need to ______

    1. A.
      register for each session a month in advance
    2. B.
      find other students to form a group
    3. C.
      go to the library to register by yourself
    4. D.
      own a valid Public Library card

“Slow City” — a recently launched project focused on preserving the traditional quality of life enjoyed in some of Italy’s smaller cities and towns. The project was born from the idea of the “Slow Food” movement — started in Italy in the 1980s — which promotes leisurely eating and the growing of local, healthy products to fight against the American fast-food style.
“The American urban model has invaded our cities, making Italian towns look the same. We want to stop this kind of globalization,” says Paolo Saturnini, an Italian mayor.
The “Slow City” project plans to emphasize the rich, cultural, culinary(厨房的) and artistic local traditions of each community.
Walking areas will be enlarged and squares and parks will be made greener with more plants. Car alarms and other noise that disturbs the peace will be banned, and ugly TV aerials(天线), advertising posters, and signs will be taken down.
City councils will also insist on the use of recycling and renewable energy sources, and will also introduce ecological transport systems. Parking will be made stress-free by creating more public parking areas, and easily accessible walkways and bike lanes will cross the city. But in the “Slow City” way, all improvements will probably come about slowly.
Thirty-two Italian city councils, which joined the “Slow City” program, have decided to take further steps in this direction by increasing the numbers of traditional family-style eating establishments, reducing noise pollution, and concentrating on making their towns friendlier for people to live in.
Organic local produce will be promoted in all restaurants and genetically modified foods(转基因食品) will be banned. “We can’t stop large, fast-food chains from coming here, but we hope that people who come to our towns will not want to eat exactly the same hamburger they can eat in Melbourne, London or Paris, but want something genuine and different,” said Saturnini

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, the “Slow City” project aims at _____

    1. A.
      preventing Italy from being affected by America
    2. B.
      beautifying the environment of small Italian cities and towns
    3. C.
      calling on Italians to enjoy stress-free life
    4. D.
      protecting the traditional Italian lifestyle
  2. 2.

    From Paragraphs 4-5, we can infer that ______

    1. A.
      cars in “Slow City” will have to go slowly
    2. B.
      people can park their cars free of charge in “Slow City”
    3. C.
      “Slow City” will take on an environmentally friendly look
    4. D.
      advertising in “Slow City” will be banned
  3. 3.

    Further measures will be included in the “Slow City” program EXCEPT _____

    1. A.
      cutting down noise pollution
    2. B.
      stop genetically modified foods
    3. C.
      getting more towns involved in the project
    4. D.
      building more family-style restaurants
  4. 4.

    In Saturnini’s opinion, when traveling in “Slow Cities”, visitors_____

    1. A.
      aren’t provided with fast food
    2. B.
      will see few fast-food chains
    3. C.
      can enjoy themselves like in London
    4. D.
      can enjoy real Italian-style healthy food

In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money,” Chou said. That’s how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜). 
“Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow,” he said.
Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age.“Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you’re going to use it,”is Chou’s advice to teenagers.
Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country’s language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.
Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career. He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations.
“So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers,” said Chou, “The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them.”

  1. 1.

    Which of the following about Steve Chou is the correct order?
    a. He made public his work Lovers Genesis.
    b. He passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
    c. He composed lots of hits for the pop music charts.
    d. Few people bought his records

    1. A.
      abcd
    2. B.
      dbca
    3. C.
      acbd
    4. D.
      dacb
  2. 2.

    Why has Chou flown to the UK to learn English?

    1. A.
      Because he wants to live in the UK
    2. B.
      Because his record company asks him to
    3. C.
      Because he wants to sell his album in the UK
    4. D.
      Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career
  3. 3.

    Steve Chou may agree with the following except that __________

    1. A.
      taking trips gives him some ideas of music
    2. B.
      what we really want to follow is the most important
    3. C.
      music is a thing that can bring him fame and money
    4. D.
      in International age, technology itself is not a bad thing
  4. 4.

    What is Steve Chou like according to the passage?

    1. A.
      Kind and helpful
    2. B.
      Proud and confident
    3. C.
      Active and hard-working
    4. D.
      Calm and disappointed

Culture helps human societies survive in changing natural environment．For example, the end of the last Ice Age, beginning about 15,000 years ago, brought a big challenge to which humans had to adapt．Before this time, large parts of the northern hemisphere were covered in great sheets of ice that contained much of the earth' s water．In North America, large animals that wandered the vast tundra （冰原） provided people with food and materials for clothing and simple shelters．When the earth became warm, large Ice Age animals disappeared, and many land areas were covered by rising sea levels from melting ice．But people survived, they developed new technologies and learned how to survive on new plant and animal species． Finally some people settled into permanent villages, durable houses and farms．
Cultural adaptation has made humans one of the most successful species on the planet． Through history, major developments in technology, medicine, and nutrition have allowed people to reproduce and survive in ever-increasing numbers．The global population has risen from 8 million during the Ice Age to about 6 billion today．
However, the successes of culture adaptation can also create problems in the long run．Over the last 200 years, people have begun to use large quantities of natural resources and energy and to produce a great amount of material and chemical wastes．The global population now consumes some important natural resources—such as petroleum, wood, and minerals—faster than nature can produce them．Many scientists believe that in the process of burning fuels and producing wastes, people may be changing the global climate in unpredictable and possibly harmful ways．Thus, the adaptive success of the present-day global culture of production and trade may be temporary．

  1. 1.

    What is the first paragraph mainly talking about?

    1. A.
      How the human beings survived in the Ice Age．
    2. B.
      What the situation was like during the Ice Age．
    3. C.
      What caused the Ice Age to come to an end．
    4. D.
      Why the Ice Age was very important．
  2. 2.

    To deal with the problems, human beings should ______according to the passage．

    1. A.
      stop developing any longer
    2. B.
      reduce the overuse of natural resources
    3. C.
      stop the global warming and using natural resources
    4. D.
      save more animals in case they all die out
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is the problem caused by cultural adaptation according to the passage?

    1. A.
      A very developed culture came into being．
    2. B.
      New technologies have been developed．
    3. C.
      Natural resources have been used up．
    4. D.
      Human activities have done damage to the balance of nature．
  4. 4.

    Which of the following can be the best tide of the passage?

    1. A.
      Natural Environment Should Be Protected．
    2. B.
      The Success of Cultural Adaptation Is Not Permanent．
    3. C.
      The Global Population Is Increasing Since Ice Age．
    4. D.
      Human Beings Are Capable of Surviving on Earth

It can’t be true that when in Rome do as the Romans do. So here’s some necessary information for you on what you can talk with the local people in France, Australia and Switzerland, and different customs of these countries.
In France
You’ll find that conversations often turn into heated debates. Give opinions on subjects that you are knowledgeable about. There is rarely a moment of silence, except when the topic under discussion has been exhausting, and nothing new has been introduced.
Food, art ,music and current events or history are welcome topics. The French believe in freedom. You can criticize anyone, but not Napoleon, who is a symbol of French spirit, and never use the standard U.S. opening remark “ What do you do?”
In Australia
Australians tend to be enthusiastic debaters. A wide range of topics may be open to discussion, including religion and politics. The best policy, however, is to wait for Australian companions to bring up subjects: be prepared to hear their arguments.
Sport is a common topic of conversation in Australian and Australians tend to use sporting comparison. Australian like to criticize themselves, but they can’t stand criticism from others.
Don’t talk big. Australians prefer to judge your competence and abilities through your actions. People who show off their education in conversation may be subject to tease.
In Switzerland
The Swiss may seem cold. Once you get close to them, however , you’ll find that they are honest and responsible people, who will be loyal to your interests.
They are good listeners and will remember practically everything you say to them. Sometimes they will even go so far as to take notes while you speak. The Swiss are very private people, so you should avoid asking personal questions. They can be rather serious, so it is advisable to avoid making jokes on them

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, when talking you are advised_______

    1. A.
      to discuss the heated issue with the French
    2. B.
      not to use sporting comparison with Australians
    3. C.
      to have the Australians start a subject
    4. D.
      not to ask people of the three countries personal questions
  2. 2.

    We can learn from the passage that___________

    1. A.
      Australians may not show off their education before others
    2. B.
      Australians like to criticize other people
    3. C.
      you can express your ideas for everything you know little about to the French
    4. D.
      you can criticize anyone in France because you have freedom
  3. 3.

    What is the theme of the passage?

    1. A.
      How to adapt to the life abroad
    2. B.
      What to argue about with foreigners
    3. C.
      How to find better topics
    4. D.
      What to talk about with foreigners
  4. 4.

    Following the passage, the author would most probably tell us_____

    1. A.
      effective communication with foreigners
    2. B.
      customs of the three countries
    3. C.
      his or her own experiences
    4. D.
      how to be a good listener
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