题目内容
To get a chocolate out of a box requires a considerable amount of unpacking: the box has to be taken out of the paper bag in which it arrived, the cellophane wrapper has to be torn off, the lid opened and the paper removed, the chocolate itself then has to be unwrapped from its own piece of paper. But this overuse of wrapping is not confined to luxuries. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to buy anything that is not done up in beautiful wrapping. The package itself is of no interest to the shopper, who usually throws it away immediately. Useless wrapping accounts for much of the refuse put out by the average London household each week. So why is it done Some of it, like the cellophane on meat, is necessary, but most of the rest is simply competitive selling. This is absurd. Packaging is using up scarce energy and resources and messing up the environment. Recycling is already happening with milk bottles which are returned to the dairies, washed out, and refilled. But both glass and paper are being threatened by the growing use of plastic. More dairies are experimenting with plastic bottles. The trouble with plastic is that it does not rot. Some environmentalists argue that the only solution to the problem of ever increasing plastic containers is to do away with plastic altogether in the shops, a suggestion unacceptable to many manufactures who say there is no alternative to their handy plastic packs. It is evident that more research is needed into the recovery and re-use of various materials and into the cost of collecting and recycling containers as opposed to producing new ones. Unnecessary packaging, intended to be used just once, and make things look better so more people will buy them, is clearly becoming increasingly absurd. But it is not so much a question of doing away with packaging as using it sensibly. What is needed now is a more advanced approach to using scarce resources for what is, after all, a relatively unimportant function. "This overuse of wrapping is not confined to luxuries" (line 4, paragraph 1) means ______.
查看答案
搜索结果不匹配？点我反馈
更多问题
In common with many countries, Britain has serious environmental problems. In 1952, more than 4,000 people died in London because of the smog. The government (26) new laws to stop smog from coal fires and factories and the (27) improved a lot. Today, London is much cleaner (28) there is a new problem: smog from cars. In December 1991, there was very (29) wind in London and pollution (30) a lot, which led to 160 deaths in just four days. (31) of the problem is the new "out of town" shopping centers. In the past, people often (32) to shops near their home or went by bus. Today, many people drive to the new shopping centers. (33) , the small shops have (34) and more people have to go a long way to (35) their shopping. Critics say that Britain needs better and cheaper public (36) . Many people are trying to (37) the use of cars in Britain. Some cities now have special bicycle (38) and many people ride to work. Some people also (39) to work together in one car to reduce the pollution and the (40) . Sometimes people take "direct (41) ." In 1995, for example, many people wanted to (42) a new road near Newbury. They built houses (43) trees and lived there for many months. It (44) a long time to force the people out of the trees (45) work on the road could continue.
Caroline Hartman: Thanks for the terrific article on U2’s Bono and his efforts to save Africa from financial ruin. He’s not a saint. He is a hard-working, real man, using his gifts to inspire us in song and make a difference in the world. Some issues are so serious that most of us don’t even try to fix them. Bono can’t save the world by himself, but like others who have shown the way, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, he is proving that one man can make a difference. Molly Leuschel: Bono may be smarter, better informed and more committed than other stars, but Africa’s problems are larger than his ambition. After living in Africa nearly six years, I returned to the U.S. with more questions than answers. Debt relief is a noble idea, but most foreign aid does little to enrich the life of the average African. Amanda Adichie: I am a 24-year-old Nigerian and have often viewed stars "concern" for Africa with resentment. My reaction to Bono was different: I was impressed. He is right in recommending not only debt relief but the lowering of trade restrictions on African countries. What Africa needs is not gifts of fish but fair access to the fishing pond. Malini Ranganathan: Your story on the smartest superstar on the planet was brilliant. I felt like I was right there with him, there to nod my head in approval and to believe in the potential of his African-debt-relief campaign, there to appreciate the peculiar, stubborn, witty and human sides to a guy who seems too famous to be real. Hats off to you for capturing these features so aptly and for making Bono’s personality so real, his cause so true. Lynne Pereira: I loved your article on Bono, but why the annoying wording on your cover: "Don’t laugh — the planet’s biggest rock star is on a mission to make a difference" Who would want to laugh Bono has proved that he’s willing and able to do what plenty of world leaders can’t or won’t do: put his money where his mouth is and make a difference. Statements[A] Competition on an equal footing is vital to Africa.[B] Bono should save himself from himself.[C] One man’s power, though limited, is significant.[D] Africa’s problems are insolvable.[E] You have presented a real image of Bono.[F] Africa is faced with other issues besides debts.[G] Bono’s cause is a serious business. Caroline Hartman
Catherine’s attitude towards the insulation of homes is ______.
TEXT A "I’m SORRY. "For days that’s been about all Japan has heard from its Olympic athletes. Those were the first words uttered by a young swimmer after competing in the 400-m individual-medley swimming event, a difficult exercise that takes more than 4 1/2 minutes to complete and requires four different strokes. Because her event took place on the opening day of Sydney 2000, her performance was considered especially significant for the fortunes of the nation. But with all of Japan watching, Yasuko Tajima fell short. Never mind that she earned a silver medal. "How disappointing," she said. "Next time I will win the gold." There is a unique form of pressure on Japan’s athletes. Competitors from every country face enormous expectations to win , to make the years of hard work and training pay off, to achieve greatness on the preeminent world stage. American cyclist Lance Armstrong ,winner of two consecutive Tour de France races after surviving a contest with cancer, noted last week that, "If I loses the Olympics, they’ll say, ’I thought he was supposed to be a good cyclist.’" "But whereas failure to win gold might cost Americans a fat endorsement contract, for Japanese a disappointing performance is even more disastrous, as individual failure is somehow wrapped up with a sense of national identity. "For non-Japanese, it’s very peculiar for athletes to say they are sorry. "says Mitsunori Urushibara, a professor of sports philosophy at Shikoku Gakuin University. "Failure is never just an individual matter in Japan. Athletes always face the terror of being excommunicated from the group." Understanding the culture in which Japanese athletes compete makes watching their defeats all the more painful. The agony of gymnast Naoya Tsukahara, whose hopes for an individual all-around medal were dashed last Wednesday when he inexplicably fell off the pommel horse, was obvious as he seemed to sleepwalk through his other events. His body was limp, his expression blank. "I didn’t want to disgrace my nation," he said. Another young swimmer, Tomoko Hagiwara, climbed out of the pool after finishing seventh in her 200-m individual-medley qualifying heat last Monday, her shoulders hanging downward, her head tilted downward. "What was the cause of your poor performance" snapped a reporter for NHK, the national TV network. Hagiwara answered that she didn’t shift smoothly between strokes and that her turns were poor. "Please remember those points and try to do better in the next race," the reporter lectured. "You feel as ff everyone in Japan feels ashamed of you, "former Olympic swimmer Hiroko Nagasaki commented on a Fuji TV broadcast. A memory that still haunts many in Japan is that of Kokichi Tsuburaya, the marathon, runner who finished third at the 1964 Tokyo Games. Four years later, while in training for the Mexico City Olympics, Tsuburaya killed himself by cutting his wrist in his dormitory. He was found holding his bronze medal. "I remember Tsuburaya’ s comments before he committed suicide," follow marathoner Kenji Kimihara told the Nikkan Sports newspaper this year. "He said ’I committed an inexcusable mistake in front of the Japanese people. I have to beg their pardon by running and hoisting the Hinomaru [national flag] in Mexico." The media are partly responsible for the pressure, but they reflect the general attitudes of the population. And the nation’s fans don’t seem to be having much fun. Last week, hundreds of Japanese endured a horrific schedule to watch their team battle Brazil in soccer. They took a nine hour flight from Osaka to Brisbane, traveled by bus to the stadium, dutifully watched the game and left immediately for the airport for the return trip to Osaka. They were home in time for work the next morning. "They got there and acted like the cheering was compulsory," says Urushibara. "They didn’ t seem to really enjoy the game. It is work. It is what members of the group do." Sadly, even when an athlete lives up to expectations, the demanding drum-beat for victory doesn’t cease. On opening day, Tadahiro Nomura won a gold medal in judo in impressive fashion by "dropping" his opponent in just 14 seconds. It was his second Olympic victory, but Nomura had little chance to savor the moment. "What about 2004" a reporter asked seconds after his victory. No one could blame the quiet champion if he felt like folding up his judo jacket and never putting it back on again. What does the last paragraph imply
微信支付 
支付宝支付