In their book Time to Eat the Dog:The Real Guide to Sustainable Living,Robert and Brenda
Vale say keeping a mediumsized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 km a year
in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.
"We"re not actually saying it is time to eat the dog.We"re just saying that we need to think about
and know the ecological impact of some of the things we do and that we take for granted."
Constructing and driving the jeep for a year requires 0.41 hectares of land,while growing and
manufacturing a dog"s food takes about 0.84 hectares-or 1.1 hectares in the case of a large dog
such as a German shepherd.
Convincing flesheating cats and dogs to go vegetarian for the sake of the planet is a nonstarter,
the Vales say.Instead they recommend keeping "greener",smaller,and more sustainable pets,such as
goldfish,chickens or rabbits.
The book"s playful title,and serious suggestion that pet animals may be usefully"recycled",by
being eaten by their owners or turned into pet food when they die,may not appeal to animal fans.
Annoying as the idea may be,the question is valid given the planet"s growing population and limited
resources,Robert Vale said.
"Issues about sustainability are increasingly becoming things that are going to require us to make
choices which are as difficult as eating your dog.It"s not just about changing your light bulbs or taking
a cloth bag to the supermarket,"he said.
"It"s about much more challenging and difficult issues," he added.
B．create a vivid image
C．show writing skills
D．arouse people"s concern
B．the neglected ecological impact
C．some familiar examples
D．some actual figures
B．Drivers.
C．Animal fans.
D．The authorities.
B．Inspiring.
C．Inviting.
D．Touching.
Greeks named this large animal "hippopotamus, " which means "river horse." But hippos are not related
to horses.
Found only in Africa, hippos come in two varieties.The small pygmy hippo lives in rain forests.And the
large common hippo lives mostly in grassland around rivers and lakes.
The common hippo is the third largest land mammal in the world.It is lighter than the largest of the
white rhinos and the elephant, the heaviest land animal.The elephant is almost twice as heavy as the
common hippo.
In the past, the hippo has been killed for meat, for sport, and for its tough skin.But today, in
preserves only, the common hippo has increased in number.The hippo has few predators(天敌) other
than lions and leopards that sometimes catch young hippos.There were many hippos killed by man during
the last half of the 19th century, when Africa was being explored and settled.And a great many hippos
and other animals were killed by poachers(偷猎者) during the fighting in Uganda in the 1970s.The hippo
is strong, though.It resists disease and has a long lifetime, living 20 to 40 years in the wild.
Hippos spend most of their time in the water, only moving onto land at night to eat.By feeding at night, their skin is protected from the sun and the dry air that can cause a serious loss of moisture(水分).
Because of its large body, the common hippo may appear awkward on land, but it can move very
fast and is considered by many to be the most dangerous animal in Africa.By spending their days in the
water and their nights on land, hippos make it difficult for scientists to study them, so there is still much to
be learned about hippos.The huge hippos, with their big mouths and tiny ears, have always fascinated
humans.As scientists learn more about them, they become even more fascinating.
1. We can learn from the passage that hippos ________.
A. have no connection with horses
B. can be found all over the world
C. are goodlooking animals
D. live mostly in rain forests
2. Which of the following may threaten the lives of hippos?
A. Rhinos.
B. Water.
C. Lions.
D. Elephants.
3. Why do hippos feed themselves at night?
A. It is cooler at night.
B. The air at night is fresher.
C. They try to avoid their predators.
D. The poachers don"t come out at night.
4. Why is it difficult for scientists to study the hippo?
A. It can move fast.
B. Its number is decreasing.
C. It is the most dangerous animal.
D. It doesn"t appear on land during the day.
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety.In Panama,it is said that medicine
made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people.A Chinese company had identified it as
diethylamide glycol(乙二醇),a lowcost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze(防冻剂)．
Some countries have banned Chinesemade toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol.China has now
told companies to discontinue its use,even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical,
melamine,was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America.Thousands of dogs and cats
became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned
substance.And questions have been raised about other products,including children"s toys covered with lead
paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union,the biggest trading partner,with detailed
reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva,commissioner(理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China
should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare.And it dismissed
the former head of its food and drug administration.He was found guilty of corruption(腐败)for approving
unsafe drugs.This week,a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the
supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers,
greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in
China.They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes.Next week,American
and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
B. Five.
C. Four.
D. Three.
B. The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C. More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B.
B. the safety of "Made in China" is doubted
C. there are safety problems with one more Chinese products
D. stronger control over Chinese products is in need
B. more controls are taken of Chinese goods
C. overstated problems with Chinese goods
D. China is losing its trade partners
tick bites.Young cows are most at risk；they can die within days.Farmers and herders
can lose up to half or more of their calves to east coast fever.
The disease is widespread in eleven countries.And experts say it now threatens ten
million more animals in new areas including southern Sudan.
Researchers first developed an experimental vaccine against east coast fever thirty
years ago.The vaccine works by a process called "infection and treatment"．The animals
are infected with whole parasites and treated with antibiotics at the same time.This keeps
the disease from developing.
Controlling east coast fever has meant a better life in areas that have gotten the vaccine.
For example,the vaccine has been available for a group of Maasai herders in northern
Tanzania for about seven years.They used to lose threefourths of their newborn calves
each year.Now,most survive.As a result,many people have extra cattle to sell,and use the
money to pay for school for their children.
But making the vaccine more widely available-especially in rural areas-has been difficult.
Farmers have been using supplies produced in the nineteen nineties.Recently there was a
shortage.The International Livestock Research Institute made one million doses at the request
of African officials.But that supply is only temporary.Another problem is that the vaccine
must be kept extremely cold.
Now,the nonprofit Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines is trying to
expand production and lower the cost.GALVmed spokesman Hameed Nuru says mobile
phones have helped lower some barriers to distribution.
HAMEED NURU:"Now,with the advent of cellular technology,most of the people we
do reach,such as the Maasai pastoralists,they all have cell phones.And they now call the
delivery agent who can now come and meet them at a particular place and do the vaccination
for them."
The vaccine is not cheap.But Hameed Nuru says the herders get together to sell a bull
and use the money to vaccinate all their animals.They understand that they are getting value
for their money:A cow is worth nearly twice as much if it is vaccinated.
A goal is to have local people develop businesses supplying the vaccine.
HAMEED NURU:"People are now seeing that they can actually make a business from
supplying this vaccine and getting out to the very rural areas where there is a market for this."
The efforts are supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the British
government.
East Coast Fever
| Features of eastcoast fever | ◆Spread by tick bites ◆__1__young cows easily in a few days ◆Being a __2__to many animals | |
| The measure to prevent the disease from __3__ | Developing a__4__ | |
| The difficultiesin__5__the vaccine | ◆For a__6__of the vaccine ◆Kept at a very low__7__ | |
| The__8__to making the vaccine available | ◆Trying to expand production and make the vaccine__9__ ◆__10__the vaccine to farmers with the help of mobile phones | |
| 阅读理解 | ||
| 1The goal here is to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are closely associated to the big problem of global-warming. Strategy 1: Bring your own cup to Starbucks You’ll get a 10 cent discount, and it’s one less paper cup to end up in a landfill. While you’re there, pick up some free bags of spent coffee grounds to use as ‘‘green’’ fertilizer in your garden. The payoff: 2 Strategy2: Turn off your computer When in standby mode, your PC is still using energy. 3 The payoff: Turning off a monitor for 40 hours a week may only save $ 5 a month, but it reduces CO2 by 750 pounds Strategy 3: Reuse plastic bags Instead of throwing away 100 billion plastic bags a year, try and get a second, third, or tenth use out of them. Better yet, next time you shop, try a reusable bag. The payoff: 4 The amount of oil it would take to make just 14 plastic bags would run your car for one mile. Strategy4: Use recycled paper in the bathroom Most of the toilet paper we use is made from trees found in forests previously untouched by humans. The payoff: If every household replaced one roll of toilet paper with a recycled one, 424000 trees would still be standing. Look for eco paper towels too. Strategy5: Buy energy-efficient appliances（电器）Replace the old fridge with an Energy Star appliance and you’ll use 15 percent less energy. 5 The payoff: If we all used one Energy Star appliance at home, it would be like planting 1. 7 million acres of new trees. | ||
A. You can be proud of yourselves, even if you can only make one or two of these green changes. | ||
| 阅读理解 | ||
The influenza virus(流感病毒) or the flu is spread from person to person in the air when an infected
|