When was the last time you used plastic plates? Next time, why not try some edible ones? You’ll help the environment and your guests won’t go hungry.
“I used to work in school catering and saw a lot of money being thrown away. I thought that was criminal, so I decided to do something about it,” said Italian school chef Tiziano Vicentini.
Now, Vicentini has an amazing range of edible plates for schools. The plates are made out of bread dough, so you can eat them afterwards. “These dishes cost a few pennies each and are either eaten by the kids, or go into recycling bins for animal food,” explained Vicentini, 50, of Milan.
But now other companies are developing edible plates, too. The Edible Plate Company offers edible plates, bowls, trays and cups. Their products are environmentally-friendly, 100% biodegradable and can be used for all types of catering and home use. And they’re made from a natural plant. After use, they can be fed to animals or left to degrade naturally. They also have a range of cutlery (餐具）made from corn and potato starch (淀粉).
These plates will also help reduce the amount of plastic we create. Waste from plastic causes damage to the environment, costing governments millions in waste management. Plastic bags often end up in landfill sites. And the burning of plastic waste causes toxic gases that pollute the air.
In response to this, governments around the world are introducing tough recycling regulations. And many shops are offering biodegradable plastic bags and eco-safe packaging on their products. To help matters, the International Organization for Standardization (the ISO) has also developed a system to evaluate the biodegradability of products, with a certification and logo scheme. Meanwhile, how about a nice plate for lunch?
1.Which of the following is not the advantage of edible plates?
A. They are expensive. B. They can degrade naturally.
C. They are environmentally-friendly. D. They are made from natural plant.
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Tiziano is from Germany.
B. Edible plates are only used for school catering,
C. Corn and potato starch can be used to make cutlery.
D. The Edible Plate Company doesn’t produce edible bowls.
3.What does the underlined word “this” refer to?
A. The air pollution.
B. The edible cutlery.
C. The toxic gases caused by the burning of plastic.
D. The damage to the environment caused by plastic waste.
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The measures to stop the pollution.
B. The ways to reduce the plastic waste.
C. How to make edible plates from natural plants.
D. The plate solution to eating and environmental problem.
A new family moved in next door and I got to meet the mother of the family, Lydia.
Lydia is Korean, and her family moved to our city so her husband could go to graduate school. We started talking, and she was apologetic about how bad her English was, but I didn’t care. I knew how hard it was to learn a second language. I enjoyed chatting with Lydia as we watched our kids play.
It was what came next that challenged me: Lydia asked if I’d be willing to help her with her English.
Now, I am not a teacher. I admire teachers, and I’m grateful for teachers, and it’s because I admire what they do so much that I was very, very sure that I couldn’t do it myself.
But Lydia was sure that she wanted my help. I was doubtful. I wasn’t sure my “help” was even worth being called by that name.
But because she asked me, I said “yes.”
And that was the beginning of 过 friendship. Lydia and I spent afternoons sitting together and reading the newspaper, and as we did, she asked me questions when she had them — questions about language, yes, but also questions about the new culture she found herself in.
In turn, I asked my own questions, growing curious about her home country and culture. We bonded over our shared faith and our struggles as mothers of kids with special needs. When I complimented (恭维)her cooking, she began to teach me about Korean food, eventually leading to a shared trip to explore the Korean grocery stores in our city.
Because of Lydia, I learned more about my own hometown than I ever could have learned by myself.
I’m still not sure that I’m any good as a teacher. But I’m grateful I said “yes” when my neighbor asked me to help her with her English. That meant spending extra time with my neighbor, and that extra time meant she didn’t remain just my neighbor. She became my friend.
1.What was Lydia sorry about?
A. Her bad English. B. Her carelessness.
C. Nobody teaching her English. D. Her poor life in a new place.
2.What can be concluded from the fourth paragraph?
A. The author admired teachers.
B. The author wanted to be a teacher.
C. The author didn’t want to help Lydia.
D. The author was not confident in helping Lydia.
3.Why was the author grateful at the last paragraph?
A. She managed to learn English well.
B. She made friends with her neighbor.
C. She learned how to cook Korean food.
D. She realized her dream of being a teacher.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. No pains, no gains.
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. To help others is to help ourselves.
D. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Bus Tours in Washington DC
The Lights Night Tour in Washington DC
Duration: 3 hours $56.33
Highest-rated Night Tour in DC! The ONLY DC Night Tour where the Tour Guides HOP OFF with you at each stop and tell you about each monument and attraction. Hop aboard the The Lights Night Tour! The best time to take a tour of Washington DC is at night.
Best Mount Vernon & Arlington Cemetery Tour from Washington DC
Duration: 6 hours $78.96
See Arlington Cemetery, Old Town Alexandria and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate on this small group bus tour from Washington DC. Your tour guide will accompany you through Mount Vernon, telling you about all of the attractions there and the history of George Washington’s home on the Potomac River.
The Best Minibus Tour in Washington DC
Duration: 3 hours $46.92
See all the key attractions DC has to offer in a 3-hour format. You will learn all about the history and trivia that surrounds Washington and visit the major monuments and attractions DC has to offer.
Please Note: Rates for this tour vary by day of the week. When you choose your specific date on the availability calendar, the rates for that date will be displayed.
The Blossoms Tour in Washington DC
Duration:3 hours $56.99
BEST WAY to Experience the Cherry Blossoms! Each year from mid March to mid April, see the beautiful Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC and get great photos because you’ll be led to all the best spots by the best guides. The annual spring bloom in DC is a magical time and this tour promises to provide the very best tour opportunity for you!
1.Which tour would provide you with a sightseeing boat?
A. The Lights Night Tour
B. Best Mount Vernon & Arlington Cemetery Tour
C. The Best Minibus Tour
D. The Blossoms Tour
2.What is special about The Best Minibus Tour?
A. Its price is not fixed. B. The best time to take it is at night.
C. The tour guide accompanies you. D. You can get great photos of cherry.
3.Which date suits The Blossoms Tour most?
A. July 4 B. August 15
C. March 27 D. October 8
假定你是班长李华， 你班将为几名插班的英国交换生举办一个欢送会(a farewell party)，请你在班会课用英语发表一则口头通知。要点如下:
活动时间和地点；
活动内容:唱歌、跳舞、游戏；
活动要求:准备礼品, 准时参加
注意:
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3.开头语已写好，不计入总字数。
Boys and girls,
May I have your attention, please? I have something important to announce.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That’s all. Thank you !
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
When I was young, I was terribly poor in the Chinese. Be afraid of expressing myself was one of the reasons that I rarely did well in school. Once I failed in a mid-term exam. When I got the papers, I realized things could have been better if I listened to the teacher much more attentive. So I turned to my teacher for helps and he told me, “Where there is a will, there is a way. If we are devoted to learning Chinese, you’ll make it.” I couldn’t agree much. From then on, I began to work harder. Out of my expect, I made great progress soon. Today, Chinese is where my strength lies. And I’m grateful for my Chinese teacher.
Undoubtedly, Britain is a nation of hat wearers. From taking off hats 1. launching mortar boards (学位帽) in the air, hats have long been associated with ceremonies and practices. Even the history of the country can 2.(tell) through hats.
3. (date) back to medieval England, the flat cap became a symbol of working class culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Edwardian Era was 4. golden age of hats, when the decorations became even more delicate, ranging from flowers, birds to fruits. The pork pie hat, starting in the middle 19th century, was the 5.(choose) for many well-dressed Victorian citizens. Decades later it 6.(gradual) became a key feature of London street style. By the 1960s, though, hats faded out of people’s sight because of the rise of private cars. It was the Royal Wedding 7.(hold) in 2011 that contributed to the return of hat wearing. For example, Stockport Hat Works Museum— the only museum in the country featured in hats and hat making — is 8.(popular) than ever, with a distinct increase on its visitors.
9. marks Britain out on the world stage is the large number of hats of different shapes and colors. The variety of hats in Britain 10. (reflect) its multicultural background and rich cultural heritage.
