Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.

    The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household's waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.

    Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.

    But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.

    There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary material we are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.

    Why is life worth living?

    "Why is life worth living?" If you ask this question, you will get different answers. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} But we have put together a few reasons from different people as to why life is worth living.

    Learning. This is the reason we heard from school and college-going kids.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Right from studies to games, the eagerness(渴望) to do better and learn more makes their lives worth living.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} When we speak to a few office workers and professionals, this is the reason they give. The ability to create things, be it a weekly report or a new document or a painting or composing a new song seems to make life worthwhile for many.

    New Opportunities. This is another reason that is put forth by people in different professions. Both professionally and personally, these people look forward to moving ahead and getting appreciation. They like to catch the new opportunities life throws at them which can make their lives worth living.

    Exploring. Some people just like to say that they want to explore more and discover new horizons. Touring around the world, learning about the world history and visiting the most famous places do make life worth for many people.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Love. Well, this reason is an evergreen one. Life is worth living for the loved ones around, be it a wife/husband, children or friends.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Being able to love someone and being loved back can certainly makes life worth living.

A. People all look forward to knowing, learning and finding out more about everything.

B. Creating.

C. There is no definite(明确的) or right answer in this case.

D. Get together and share special moments.

E. Such relationships make life worth everything.

F. Getting wiser makes life worth living for many.

G. Exploring religious and spiritual boundaries also seems to be another reason.

    We've all been there: in a lift, in line at the bank or on an airplane, surrounded by people who are, like us, deeply focused on their smartphones or, worse, struggling with the uncomfortable silence.

    What's the problem? It's possible that we all have compromised conversational intelligence. It's more likely that none of us start a conversation because it's awkward and challenging, or we think it's annoying and unnecessary. But the next time you find yourself among strangers, consider that small talk is worth the trouble. Experts say it's an invaluable social practice that results in big benefits.

    Dismissing small talk as unimportant is easy, but we can't forget that deep relationships wouldn't even exist if it weren't for casual conversation. Small talk is the grease(润滑剂) for social communication, says Bernardo Carducci, director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast. "Almost every great love story and each big business deal begins with small talk," he explains. "The key to successful small talk is learning how to connect with others, not just communicate with them."

    In a 2014 study, Elizabeth Dunn, associate professor of psychology at UBC, invited people on their way into a coffee shop. One group was asked to seek out an interaction with its waiter; the other, to speak only when necessary. The results showed that those who chatted with their server reported significantly higher positive feelings and a better coffee shop experience. "It's not that talking to the waiter is better than talking to your husband," says Dunn. "But interactions with peripheral(边缘的) members of our social network matter for our well-being also."

    Dunn believes that people who reach out to strangers feel a significantly greater sense of belonging, a bond with others. Carducci believes developing such a sense of belonging starts with small talk. "Small talk is the basis of good manners," he says.

Winning an Oscar isn't all about acting ability

    While the awards claim they recognize the top performances from around the world, a new study has found that you're more likely to win an Oscar if you're an American acting in a film that portrays American culture.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}British actors are more likely to take home an award.

    Researchers say the trend suggests viewers are more likely to perceive a performance as "truly brilliant" if they are members of the same social group as the actor. It can be seen, perhaps most famously, in the case of Leonardo DiCaprio, who finally won a long-awaited Oscar in the 88th Academy Awards for his role in The Revenant, which follows the story of an American frontiersman.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}In 2014, Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, and Jennifer Lawrence took an award home in 2013 for Silver Linings Playbook{#blank#}3{#/blank#}The findings come from a new study published in the British Journal of Psychology. The team investigated a total of 908 merit prize winners: 97 winners and 383 nominees for the Oscars, and 97 winners and 331 nominees for the BAFTAs. Overall, they found that US actors dominated the awards, claiming over 50 percent of the prizes across the Oscars and BAFTAs.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}When the performer and judge shared membership within a particular social group-for example, being American-the actor was more likely to win. As a result, American actors were found to win 52 percent of all BAFTAs, and 69 percent of all Oscars. While British actors won just 18 percent of all Oscars, and 34 percent of BAFTAs.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}In the Oscars, Americans who performed in films about non-US culture accounted for just 26 percent of the award winners. But, those who performed in films about American culture made up 88 percent of the winners.

A. In recent years, many actors have cast themselves as frontiersmen.

B. Subject matter played a role, too, according to the researchers.

C. And, the same applies to London's BAFTAs.

D. But they also noted a trend within social groups.

E. But the trend also stretches back throughout the years.

F. Things are different in Britain.

G. Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar in 2008 for his role in There Will be Blood.

    Universities and colleges in the United States are trying new programs for international students to increase enrollment and income. Some universities are experimenting with bringing international high school students to their campuses. These programs permit students to complete their high school diploma while earning college credit at the same time.

    One example of this model is at the University of Southern Maine, or USM. The program is called the "International Academy". The school is expecting its first class of international high school students this fall. Joanna Evans is the director for the academy. The program is officially a "boarding school on a university campus" that serves 11th and 12th grade international high school students only.

    The students will take classes at the University of Southern Maine to complete their high school diploma. However, because the classes are university-level, the students will receive college credit at the same time.

    According to Evans, the students they admit will have to be very strong. Their course schedule will be the same as taking only advanced-placement courses. The goal is that, by the time they complete their high school diploma at the academy, they will be ready to start college as a third-year college student.

    Their English language skills also must be strong. The Academy looks for students with a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL score of 79,or a 6.5 on the International English Testing System, or EELTS. However, there are classes available to provide additional English language training when the students arrive if they need it.

    All incoming students at the academy are required to take a college writing class in their first term. If English is not their first language, they will take a class taught by teachers with a background in teaching students who speak English as a foreign language.

    Although they are only high school students, the expectations are the same as college students. "Students need to be ready to take university classes, and that is the deal" Evans said.

Hope is the most powerful motivational force that helps people to overcome adversities. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}, you need a guiding force to keep you moving toward your goals. Hope keeps you on your feet and makes you much stronger. 

Hope is your strength and inner faith in the battle of your life. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}, you lose everything. You do hard work and make a great effort to succeed in life but fail. That makes you upset and depressed. You do not know what to do. At that time hope comes to your rescue and gives you encouragement. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

Hope increases the productivity, efficiency and creativity in people. A hopeful person who stays positive and enthusiastic can succeed in any field of his choice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. The best service we can do to people is giving hope to the hopeless. 

{#blank#}5{#/blank#}? Yes, hope gives meaning to life as without hope there is no reason to live. Give hope to people and they will become more creative and more productive. Hope is vital to the life of every person. Besides, hope is necessary not only for life but also for living a healthy life. Hope is the best medicine that keeps away miserable tension, depression, high blood pressure and other health problems. I had two big heart attacks and while at the edge of death, I had hope that I would survive. And the hope of getting well kept me alive.

A. A hopeless person is a failed person who can never succeed in life

B. Have you ever lost hope and felt sorry for yourself

C. Since you're full of hope for the future

D. You try one more time and succeed

E. In the ups and downs of life

F. Is hope necessary for life

G. If you lose hope