Vegetarian UK

Vegetarians and vegans

    Vegetarians (people who don't eat meat) and vegans (people who don't eat or use any animal products) are becoming increasingly common in UK culture. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} A recent survey showed that three million people were vegetarian. Visit a British supermarket and you will see a wide range of vegetarian ingredients and prepared meals on the shelves, including vegetarian sausages and vegan cheese.

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    So why are Brits cutting out meat? Many are unhappy about the poor treatment of animals and the effects of meat and fish production on the environment. Worries about food safety (for example BES or “mad cow disease”) also play a part. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} According to the Vegetarian Society, a meat-free diet could help reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease, as well as obesity and high blood pressure.

    Organic farming

    Another rising trend is in how UK food is produced. Many people are rejecting GM (genetically modified) food and intensive farming practices. They want their food to be organically produced. Organic farmers use very few or no chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers and organic meat is produced without the use of drugs and antibiotics. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}  

    Organic food

    According to the Soil Association, three out of every four UK households now buy some type of organic food. Some get organic meat, fruit and vegetables from farmers' markets, where products are sold directly to the consumer. Others have a box of organic fruit and vegetables sent to their homes every week. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Although it\s often more expensive, fans of organic food say it tastes much better!

A. A healthy diet

B. A balanced diet

C. Many people buy organic products in their local supermarket.

D. More and more people are deciding not to eat meat or use animal products.

E. A healthy soil reduces disease and helps crops grow strong and healthy.

F. Others choose to change their eating habits to improve their general health.

G. Organically farmed animals also have more living space and more nutritious food.

    Every time we get behind the wheel of a car, we put our lives and the lives of others at risk. Self-driving cars are designed to reduce those risks by letting technology control our vehicles.

    Accident rates for self-driving cars have been much lower than the rate, for human-driven cars. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    As humans, we can make moral choices in avoiding accidents. To avoid hitting a child, for example, human drivers might sharply turn a car away from the child even if others may be injured. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Researchers studied this issue. They have developed the Moral Machine website to help explore the choices self-driving cars should make.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} You are shown two possible traffic situations and you choose between them. An accident will take place. You choose how many living beings would be hurt or killed.

    In one situation there may be a female doctor, a child, two dogs and a homeless person who would be killed. In the other situation, you might have two babies and a cat who would be killed. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The Moral Machine website has many situations and many possible outcomes. When you click on the situation of your choice, it will be highlighted. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At the end of the situation, you are shown the results, based on the choices you made. The results show which character you were most likely to save and which character you were most likely to have die.

    Success seems to find Maya Moore everywhere she goes. But life hasn't been a bed of roses for Maya and her biggest supporter, her mother.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Maya discovered her love of basketball in 1997 at the age of 8. That was the year the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) began holding games. The young girl watched WNBA star Cynthia Cooper play in Olympics.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Three years later her mother, Kathryn, was offered a better job in North Carolina. Kathryn decided to make the move from Missouri because North Carolina provided greater basketball opportunities. Sadly, in under two months the company downsized, and Kathryn lost her job. She remembers, “{#blank#}3{#/blank#}” Maya says the difficulties brought them closer, and she praises her mom. “She's more than a teammate. I know she's going to be on my side.”

    About a year later, mother and daughter moved to Georgia, where Maya continued to play basketball. In high school she had the opportunity to play basketball against some of the nation's best players.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Maya led her team to 125 victories and three state championships. During this time, she was named the national player of the year twice.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Maya and her mother approached the college decision like they did everything. With careful consideration, Maya chose the University of Connecticut.

A. It was a bad time.

B. It really a competitive skill.

C. The competition improved her skills.

D. You can't succeed without too much payment.

E. The path to success required a lot of hard work.

F. Maya dreamed to compete in the Olympics one day.

G. Universities compared to invite her to join their teams.

If you have a dream

    What do you dream about? There have been so many times when I've come back to Thomas Edison's wise words: “When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven't.”

    If there is a dream in your heart, you should dig it and shine a little light on the vision（视野）. This time, instead of looking at it as impossible, start thinking freely:{#blank#}1{#/blank#}?

    If you have a dream…

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Seeing it on paper will help you see the possibility. It will be a daily reminder to work on your dream.

    Tell someone. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. Later on, you'll need someone to poke holes（指出漏洞）in your dream and help you make it into something that makes sense in the real world. But right now, you just need someone who will give you a big hug and tell you not to stop believing.

    Do one thing that will bring you closer to your dream. Read a book about the subject of your dream. Email someone who is living your dream and ask him or her what's the one thing someone just starting out can do to move forward. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    Your dream might sound crazy or impossible, and that's OK. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. 5 or 10 years may sound like forever, but if you were directing some of your resources（资源）towards your dream each day, wouldn't those years be more enjoyable?

A. Ask for help

B. Write it down

C. Start now by doing one thing

D. Can you work hard to make your dream come true

E. The right someone is a loving, kind person you trust

F. It may take some time to make your dream come true

G. What changes could you make in your life to give your dream a chance

为多余选项。

    According to a sales report from askci.com on 2018's Double Eleven, the national shopping day, women's down garments(羽绒服)were among the top 10 hit products. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}It seems the strong warmth provided by down garments has been nationally approved. Especially during a fiercely cold winter, when you tremble in the wind, who cares about being stylish?{#blank#}2{#/blank#}As living standards rise, more expensive garments filled with goose down instead of duck down, have appeared in the market. Goose or duck?

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}First, the down from mature geese is larger and thicker, which makes garments filled with goose down much warmer. Second, goose down is more flexible than that of ducks. The last difference is key for people sensitive to smells: Compared to duck down, goose down has no strange smell.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}These are the advantages that account for the higher prices of garments made with goose down. However, duck down is still a good choice if you live in place where winter is windy, yet not that cold.

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    Although most down garments can make people look big and fat, you could choose longer ones for a slimming look. For colors, metallic colors are more stylish and pair more easily with other street-style outfits.

A. How to be stylish?

B. All you need is warmth.

C. Where to choose your down garment?

D. Not everyone prefers wearing down garments.

E. They have been popular for many years in China.

F. What's the difference between the down from these two creatures?

G. Ducks do not eat clean diet, which could give their feathers a strong smell.

    The first Thursday in May is World Password Day, but don't buy a cake or send cards. Computer chip maker Intel created the event as an annual reminder. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    The purpose of a password is to limit access to information. Having a very common or simple one like "abcdef" or even normal words like "password", is barely any security at all. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. Hackers' password cracking tools take advantage of this lack of creativity and get in our accounts easily. More experienced users would choose a less common password. However, they might still fall victim to cracking software.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}? A secure password is all that stands between us and a cybercriminal. It should be unique and complex which a hacker can't easily guess or crack. The best passwords are supposed to be at least 15 characters long and full of random numbers and letters. However, a long password means a complicated process to log into a website. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}. You may want to write it down, but it is not suggested due to risk.

    Then what should we do? {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. You can choose a phrase such as "I want to go to England." Next, convert it to an abbreviation (缩略语) by using the first letters of each word and changing the word "to" to "2". Then you get following password phrase: iw2g2e. You can make it even more complex by adding punctuation, spaces or symbols: %iw_2g2e!@. It is much easier to remember and safer.

    Can't wait to try? Let's say goodbye to "666666" and change your password right now.