55.　 We can conclude from the passage that the writer ______.

　　　 A. encourages people to wash plastic bottles to better recycle them

　　　 B. calls for all social class’s contribution to collecting and recycling garbage

　　　 C. wants people to drink more tap water than bottled water

　　　　 D. criticizes grocery and drink industry for their irresponsibility to recycle plastic bottles

54.　 We can infer from the passage that _____.

　　　 A. Americans will consume more than seven billion gallons of water each year

　　　 B. consumers of bottled water in California will get some money back if they return their plastic bottles to grocery store

　　　 C. new laws have been set up to encourage plastic bottle recycling

　　　 D. government should buy recycled garbage from people

53.　 The underlined word “redeemed” in the third Paragraph probably means ______.

　　　 A. changed into an amount of money　 B. returned　 C. collected　 D. recycled

52.　 What is a possible cause of low recycling rates of plastic water bottles?

　　　 A. Plastic water bottles have little recycling value.

　　　 B. In some public places, not enough dustbins are set up to collect bottles.

　　　 C. The recycling industry will cost much to recycle bottles.

　　　 D. Consumers of bottled water are not willing to have their bottles recycled.

51.　　 What is the writer’s attitude towards bottled water?

　　　 A. It is completely unnecessary.

　　　 B. It will make people fat easily because it contains calories.

　　　 C. Producing bottled water will worsen global warming.

　　　 D. It is less tasty than tapping water.

50.　　 What do you think would probably be the result if the hostess got angry and scolded the son?

　 　 A. It would make the embarrassing situation worse

　　　 B. The son would refuse to serve the guests any more

　　　 C. The son would talk back and make the mother all the more angry

　　　 D. The guests would leave before the dinner was over

C

Not long ago, we argued in this space that because America has some of the best tap water available, it is time to start thinking twice about drinking commercially bottled water. One big reason is that a lot of petroleum is required to manufacture and transport the plastic bottles, thus adding to global warming and other environmental problems. Of course, in certain circumstances bottled water is necessary. It is essential during emergencies - think Katrina - and it is certainly a better alternative when the only other drinks come loaded with calories.

What the rising use of bottled water leaves us with, however, is a huge recycling problem. Of the mountain of individual plastic water bottles created by Americans each year - enough to hold more than seven billion gallons of water - less than one-fourth are sent to the recycling industry for a second round. That makes absolutely no sense for the environment or for the economy.

The recycling industry sees plastic water bottles as a major commodity because they can be turned into anything from fleece jackets to a very durable set of luggage. One reason so few water bottles are recycled is that except in a very few states, they cannot be redeemed at the local grocery store.

But recycling rates are significantly higher in the 11 states that pay customers a nickel (and in some cases a dime) if they return their bottle. But only three of these states - California, Hawaii and Maine - include water bottles. Passing new bottle laws or expanding old laws to include plastic bottles should be an easy call for most Legislatures. But the grocery and drink industry have been able to use their clout, and campaign funds, to keep that from happening. That needs to change.

There are other ways to encourage recycling. At many public places - ballgames or city parks, for example - it is often much easier to buy a bottle of water than to find a recycling bin to throw it away. And in some areas, like parts of Philadelphia, officials are experimenting with ways to pay homeowners by the pound for recycled trash, a trend definitely worth watching.

Of course, for most people, the simplest recycling solution of all might be to wash a plastic bottle out and refill it with fresh water from the tap.

49.　　 By saying“… and bring in the other one,” the hostess meant that_______.

　　　 A. the son had to cook another turkey for the guests

　　　 B. she already had made more than one turkey ready for the dinner.

　　　 C. some other dish would be served instead of a turkey

　　　 D. the son could serve the same turkey after it was cleaned

48.　　 What caused the roast turkey to drop onto the floor?

　　　 A. The backward movement of the door.　 　　　 B. The son’s hasty behavior.

　　　 C. Someone happened to be at the door.　 D. The bird raised by the family.

47.　　 Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?

　　 A. Comedians on TV are believed to have done a lot in making people more tolerant of racial and religious differences.

　　　 B. To make up differences, humor is a most acceptable as well as a most effective means.

　 C. People often turn to humorous ways when meeting with difficult situations because of its effectiveness.

　　　 D. Only by adopting the means of humor can one succeed in some jobs.

46.　　 What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Humor is the key to success in our work and our lives.

B. Humor enables us to cope with difficult situation effectively.

C. Humor is the only best way to criticize someone without losing his face.

D. Humor makes fun of any difficult situations.