Think about what you had for lunch: Was it a hamburger? A chicken sandwich? Barbecue? What about vegetables? Would it surprise you to learn that what you eat can affect the whole planet?

It can—in a big way. New studies show how food and its production affect the globe and its warming climate. You’ve probably heard of global warming : The temperature is on the rise because humankind has been releasing amounts of gases into the atmosphere. One of these greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide.

What does this have to do with food ? A big part of the carbon dioxide that we put in the atmosphere every year comes from the process of making and eating food. The production of meat contributes a lot of that carbon diode. And much of meat’s contribution comes from beef , which is responsible for releasing even more warming gases into the atmosphere.

The process of making a hamburger ,for example, requires a lot of energy. A cow has to be fed and raised on farmland, and cow waste is a major source of methane (沼气) — an especially powerful greenhouse gas. The cow has to be killed. The meat has to be processed and shipped to a shop, which takes fuel . Most of the cow won’t even be used for meat that people eat. By the time a hamburger finally lands on a dinner plate, it has made a heavy effect on the environment.

We can reduce the production of global-warming gases by eating less beef .Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do less harm to the environment—at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released. 

All kinds of meat are harder on the planet than vegetables. To grow and eat a pound of potatoes, for example, sends less than one-quarter pound of carbon dioxide into the air. So changing our diet to less meat and more vegetables, as it turns out, may do the world some good.

21.The questions asked in the first paragraph are used to _____.

  A. show the author’s concern about food safety

  B. express the author’s puzzlement at what to eat

  C. introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage

  D. remind readers of something delicious to eat for lunch

22. What is the bad news for meat-eaters?

   A. Most cows are raised not for people to eat

   B. Meat producing contributes to global warming

   C. There is a lot of carbon dioxide in the meat we eat

   D. Animals begin to die off because of global warming

23. The author wrote the passage in order to ______.

   A. explain the importance of eating meat

   B. encourage people to choose a greener diet

   C. advise people to keep a balanced diet

   D. introduce some healthy foods to people

1234 PENS is your No. 1 source for promotional pens, advertising pens, and logo pens. We have been in business since 1976, so you can be confident that you’re dealing with a trusted name in the industry.

Everyone loves a free pen, and by providing your customers with a pen featuring your company name, logo, or message, you can be sure that your company name will always be on their mind! Our custom imprinting service comes at no extra charge, so the price you see is the price you pay for the personalized pens.

★ Do you need pens fast? In a RUSH for trade shows or a corporate events? Try our 48 hour promotional pens rush service free of charge. We present you with many styles and types of printed pen. Let us know which promotional pen you like and within 48 hours you will have the pens.

★ Want to use the traditional method of promotional pens to reach out to customers, but don’t want to cause more damage to the environment? 1234 PENS now offers eco-friendly advertising pens to suit any company’s promotional needs. 1234 PENS can confidently offer products which are made from eco-friendly materials, including paper, cardboard, cornstarch, pine, bamboo and even recycled plastic water bottles. 1234 PENS offers a selection of eco-friendly retractable and stick-type ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils and highlighters, all for less than $2.00 each. Imprinting of logos and corporate information is available in sixteen different colors. Each pen has the universal recycling symbol printed on it, showing clients the company’s commitment to the environment.

Feel free to call us at 8447367 or email us info@1234PENS.com if you have any questions.

24. What do we know about 1234 PENS?

A. It has a history of over 30 years.

B. It has built up a large pen market.      

C. It has its name printed on each pen.

D. It charges a low price for extra service.

25. What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?

A. The different types of the products.

B. The high quality of the products.

C. The trade shows of 1234 PENS.

D. The quick service of 1234 PENS.

26. What is special about the pens produced in 1234 PENS?

A. They are designed in 16 styles.

B. They come in 48 different colors.

C. Their material is less harmful to the earth.

D. Their price is much lower in the pen market.

27. The main purpose of the passage is to　　　　.

A. persuade people to order the products

B. explain the process of making logo pens

C. show people how to choose different pens

D. introduce the different services of 1234 PENS

   Self-control can make you happier not only in the long-run, but also in the moment.

   The research showed that self-control isn’t about giving up desires, but more about managing conflicting goals. Since most people consider highly self-controlled ones as being more task-centered, the scientists decided to find out the connection between self-control and people’s happiness to determine if being self-disciplined leaves people feel less joyful.

Through a set of tests-including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and another that randomly interviewed volunteers on their smart phones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and satisfaction.

The smart phone experiment also showed how self-control may improve mood. Those who showed the greatest self-control reported more good moods and fewer bad ones. But this didn’t appear to be linked to being more able to resist temptation—it was because they exposed themselves to fewer situations that might inspire desires in the first place. They were doing a number of things that bring them happiness and avoiding problematic desires and conflicts.

That became clear in the study’s last experiment, which looked into how self-control affects the way people handle goals that conflict with one another. In particular, the researchers were interested in how self-disciplined and less-disciplined people differed when it came to choosing among “virtues” and “vices” like the pleasure of eating sugar cookie vs. the pain of gaining weight. Participants were asked to list three important goal conflicts they experienced regularly and were also questioned on how they managed to balance the goals.

    The highly self-controlled showed an obvious difference from those with less discipline over their lives. They tended to avoid creating situations in which their goals would conflict, and reported fewer instances of having to choose between short-term pleasure and long-term pain. As a result, they experienced fewer negative emotions.

And self-control doesn’t always mean self-denial: it may mean saving now to get big payoff later. For dieters, it means making choices to avoid entering a bakery since you are more likely to buy a cupcake. Granted, self-control isn’t the best way to instant satisfaction, but it may bring something even better: long-term contentment.

28. According to the research, the self-controlled people _____.

A. enjoy less pleasure of life

B. focus less on completing their tasks

C. make others feel less delighted

D. are better solving problems and conflicts

29. From the smart phone experiments, the researchers found self-controlled people _____.

A. like to challenge more goals

B. may have more good moods

C. are easier to resist temptation

D. are less satisfied with their life

30. Different from the less-controlled ones, the highly self-controlled people_____.

A. rarely prefer pleasures

B. often create conflicting goals

C. like to put up with pain

D. stay away from negative emotions

31. The underlined word ‘self-denial’ in the last paragraph probably means______.

A. self-sacrifice

B. self-help

C. self-confidence

D. self-improvement

    We’ve been covering standing desks for a long time now because experts agree that sitting all day is killing us. we want to be productive while also keeping our bodies healthy. Over the years, there have been several solutions to this from fixed standing desks to adjustable ones, portable desks to ones that change into shelves.

However, the most high tech and elegant solution has to be this new smart desk called The Stir Kinetic Desk. The desk learns your daily behaviors and moves between a sitting and standing height regularly throughout the day to keep you moving without interrupting your work flow.

You can program specific sitting and standing intervals or let the desk set the schedule. If you tend to sit while returning emails in the morning, but always want to stand during that afternoon conference call, the desk will learn those regular habits and adjust the schedule to fit them. Of course, the desk can always be manually lowered or raised by using the touch screen on the lower left comer of the desk.

When switching positions，the desk gently dips and rises to let you know that a change is coming up. If you’re not ready to switch positions at that time, you can tap the touchscreen to stay sitting or standing for a while longer.

The built-in touchscreen also keeps track of your daily sitting and standing times and tells you how many calories you’ve burned. You can even set goals for how long or often you want to stand. The desk also works with fitness devices like the FitBit to track your movements.

All of that smart tech doesn’t come cheap though. The M1 desk, which is the everyday model, runs a steep $2,990, while the more executive model with added features, the F1, goes for$4,190.

While expensive, it’s worth thinking of how much time we spend at our desks. Much like a good mattress, a good desk that works with you is worth the investment. Hopefully in a few years these smart, integrated desks will be more common and less expensive.

32. The Stir Kinetic Desk has been designed to_______.

A. help users with their work              B. keep users moving all the time

C. get users to exercise while working    D. remind users of their working schedule

33. Which is the feature of the touchscreen of the desk?

A. It can tell users when to change positions    B. It can track users’ changes of positions

C. It can keep users in a fixed position             D. It can detect users’ health condition

34. Which of the following can best describe the desk?

A. Productive but challenging      

B. Convenient but unaffordable

C. Complex and impractical      

D. Multi-functional and intelligent

35. What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A. To spend money on such a desk is rewarding

B. We should get such a desk as soon as possible

C. It won’t be long before the desk is widely used

D. Desks play a very important role in our daily life

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

   E涂为AB    F涂为AC   G涂为BC

Trampolining

   What’s more fun than standing still? Jumping up and down on a springy piece of fabric(织物)! This activity is known as trampolining and it’s seeping the nation.

   The idea of trampolining is ancient. Eskimos have been throwing each other in the air for thousands of years. Firemen began using a life net to catch people jumping from buildings in 1887.   36  

A gymnast named George Nissan and his coach Larry Griswold made the first modern trampoline in 1936. They got the idea by watching swing artists bouncing off of a tight net at the circus. They named their equipment after the Spanish word trampolín, which means diving board.   37   In 1942 they began making trampolines to sell to the public.

___ 38    Experts find that more than 100,000 people hurt themselves while using one each year. Clubs and gyms use large safety nets or other equipment to make it safer. Most trampoline injuries happen at home. Since trampolines are more affordable than ever, injuries are even more common.

These injuries happen for many reasons. People may bounce too high and land off of the trampoline or onto the springs.   39   Perhaps the worst injuries happen when untrained people try to do flips (快速翻转). Landing on your neck or head can cause injuries or even kill you.

But don’t let all that bad news keep you down. There are many things that you can do to practice safe trampolining. Trampolines have been around for a while now. They have brought a lot of joy to many people. They can be a good source of exercise and activity.   40  But they can also be deadly. It is important to follow some professional guidance. Be sure that you are practicing safety while having a good time. Happy bouncing!

A. They can help people improve their balance and moves.

B. Trampolines may be fun, but they can also be dangerous.

C. The men wanted to share their idea with the whole world.

D. Injuries also happen when many people are jumping at the same time.

E. You can surround your trampoline with a net so that people don’t fall off of it. 

F. They found a winner when they performed a piece of spring across a steel frame.

G. And in the early 1900s, circus performers began bouncing off of netting to amuse audiences.