Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge  of environmental claims made by household products, according to a "green labeling" study published by Consumers International Friday. Among the report's more unacceptalbe findings - a German fertilizer described itself as "earthworm friendly"; a brand of flour said it was "non-polluting" and a British toilet paper claimed to be "environmentally friendlier". The study was written and researched by Britain's National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumers International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission. "While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear that there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impacts they buy," said Consumers International director, Anna Fielder. The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average. The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent  , insect sprays and some garden products. It did not test claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999. Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards. "Many products had specially designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing," said report researcher Philip Page. "Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading," he said. The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as... It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to   _  . A) make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements B) see all household products meet environmental standards C) warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products D) verify the effects of non-polluting products
A


(Question)
A young father was visiting an old neighbor.They were standing in the old man's garden,and talking about children.The young man said,"How strict should parents be with their children?"     The old man pointed to a string between a big strong tree and a thin young one.     "Please untie that string,"he said.The young man untied it,and the young tree bent over to one side.     "Now tie it again, please."said the old man."But first pull the string tight so that the young tree is straight again.''     The young man did so.Then the old man said,"There,it is the same with children.You must be strict with them, but sometimes you must untie the string to see how they are getting on.If they are not yet able to stand alone,you must tie the string tight again.But when you find that they are ready to stand alone,you can take the string away.'' When could the string be taken away?   _ A) When the old man left. B) When the young man untied it next time. C) When the young tree grew strong enough. D) When the young tree grew older.
(Answer)
C


Ques: The sun was just coming up when I headed out to work last May at 6 a.m. Not quite dark but dark enough to need my headlights. I turned onto one of the lonely rural country roads. Maybe it was because I was listening to the radio, maybe it was because I was already thinking about some projects at work, that I didn't spot the dark object on the road until I was too late. I ran over it and felt the back left tire pull, and then sink. I stopped and got out of the car. No mystery here---- my back left tyre was cut like a loaf of bread. Back 50 yards was a piece of sharp iron I had run over. I had never changed a tyre. I looked up the road. Not a car in either direction. The nearest service station was miles away. I threw up my hands. Then I remembered---- my cell phone! I powered it up before realizing, I didn't know who to call. Wouldn't you know it, I spotted a car coming from the opposite direction. The driver slowed as he approached. I guessed he could see I was in trouble. He stopped his car, got out and immediately saw the trouble. "Madam, would you like me to change that tyre for you?" he asked. The man couldn't have been more friendly. I was frightened out there and he put me completely at ease. "There," he said, after putting on the spare, "you are all set to go." "Good thing for me that you were driving this way," I told him, as I climbed back into my car. "Funny you should say that," he said. "Just like you, I was heading to work, but my job is in the opposite direction. I made a wrong turn at some point. I don't know what I was thinking." The writer didn't notice the object on the road because   _  . A) it was rather dark then B) she didn't use her headlights C) there was much traffic D) she was careless when driving
Ans: D


Ques: BEIJING, June. 30(Xinhua)----There are ten times as many Chinese newspapers and magazines than there were 30 years ago. That's when the country adopted the reform and opening-up policy.        Figures from the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP)show there were 186 newspapers and 930 magazines in China in 1978. Today, the country has 2,081 newspapers and 9,363 different magazines.        In the meantime, official figures show China has some 600 publishing houses producing nearly 300,000 kinds of books. That's a dramatic increase from the 105 publishers of the past that produced only 10,000 different books.        Rapid economic development and universal education since China adopted the reform has helped fuel the need for more information sources.        Under the market economy, hundreds of publishing houses and newspapers have taken steps to restructure management systems into corporations listed on the stock market.        The legal system overseeing the news and publishing industries in China has also changed over the last three decades. Since 1990 a law and five relevant  regulations were adopted in 1990 to govern the sectors.       Since it started in 1993, digital publishing has  _ . Its industrial volume amounted to 20 billion yuan (2.93 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006. More than 500,000 kinds of digital books were produced last year alone in China, which is more than any other country in the world. Which is true according to this text? A) The development of publishing industry in the past was out of control. B) Hundreds of publishing houses have closed down and turned to stock market. C) China adopted the reform and opening-up policy about 20 years ago. D) China produces more digital books than any other country.
Ans:
D