Passage ThreeBefore the grass has thickened on the roadsides and leaves have started growing on the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The pave- ments are stained with chewing gum and the ditches are full of discarded fast food packets. Years ago I remember traveling abroad and being saddened by the plastic bags and discarded bottles. Nowadays, Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong? The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth(层灌木) for years.It is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However it is not as if there is no solution to this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted to introduce similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leav- ing supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined action, both individual and collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a country that looks like a vast rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy, people be- have cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by rubbish, they behave like rubbish. Now. much of Britain looks pretty dirty. What will it look like in five years? Which of the following best describes the author's outlook on the environment?

Passage ThreeBefore the grass has thickened on the roadsides and leaves have started growing on the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The pave- ments are stained with chewing gum and the ditches are full of discarded fast food packets. Years ago I remember traveling abroad and being saddened by the plastic bags and discarded bottles. Nowadays, Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong? The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth(层灌木) for years.It is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However it is not as if there is no solution to this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted to introduce similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leav- ing supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined action, both individual and collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a country that looks like a vast rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy, people be- have cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by rubbish, they behave like rubbish. Now. much of Britain looks pretty dirty. What will it look like in five years? The purpose of the article is to____

Passage FourThose who work in the Netherlands often feel that a lot of time is wasted in discussions that lead to nothing. There are often meetings with documents, an agenda and a chairman. All those present will have their say, after which their remarks are discussed. He who decides to skip a meeting though he has nothing more urgent to attend to, will find it unwise. The interacting that takes place during a meeting is very important for the general process. He who does not appear is saying that he does not think the subject is suffi- ciently important mportant, or that he apparently does not take his colleagues seriously. Furthermore, he e might miss some of the essential information that may become evident during the meeting.Those who are present show an interest in the problems of their colleagues. They supply ques- tions, rather than commands, and thus declare themselves"co-responsible". The Dutch, in their final conclusions, like to use such metaphors as"We are all in one line" or"Our noses are pointing in the same direction again."If you present a decision, you will find that everyone has something to say about it and has questions to ask. This is why the Dutch will not be quick to present something as the only correct solution. The advantage to this approach is that such a meeting will often lead to genu- ine suggestions for improvement on certain aspects of a plan. As a result, the plan will be a joint approach.This timeconsuming and seemingly useless process helps colleagues become team.The amount of time that is lost around the table is more than what made up for inefficiency, once everyone goes back to work. Statistics show Dutch employees are among the world leaders when it comes to work productivity. According to Paragraph 1, meetings in Dutch companies seem to____

Passage FourThose who work in the Netherlands often feel that a lot of time is wasted in discussions that lead to nothing. There are often meetings with documents, an agenda and a chairman. All those present will have their say, after which their remarks are discussed. He who decides to skip a meeting though he has nothing more urgent to attend to, will find it unwise. The interacting that takes place during a meeting is very important for the general process. He who does not appear is saying that he does not think the subject is suffi- ciently important mportant, or that he apparently does not take his colleagues seriously. Furthermore, he e might miss some of the essential information that may become evident during the meeting.Those who are present show an interest in the problems of their colleagues. They supply ques- tions, rather than commands, and thus declare themselves"co-responsible". The Dutch, in their final conclusions, like to use such metaphors as"We are all in one line" or"Our noses are pointing in the same direction again."If you present a decision, you will find that everyone has something to say about it and has questions to ask. This is why the Dutch will not be quick to present something as the only correct solution. The advantage to this approach is that such a meeting will often lead to genu- ine suggestions for improvement on certain aspects of a plan. As a result, the plan will be a joint approach.This timeconsuming and seemingly useless process helps colleagues become team.The amount of time that is lost around the table is more than what made up for inefficiency, once everyone goes back to work. Statistics show Dutch employees are among the world leaders when it comes to work productivity. To Dutch employees, one who is absent from a meeting____

Passage FourThose who work in the Netherlands often feel that a lot of time is wasted in discussions that lead to nothing. There are often meetings with documents, an agenda and a chairman. All those present will have their say, after which their remarks are discussed. He who decides to skip a meeting though he has nothing more urgent to attend to, will find it unwise. The interacting that takes place during a meeting is very important for the general process. He who does not appear is saying that he does not think the subject is suffi- ciently important mportant, or that he apparently does not take his colleagues seriously. Furthermore, he e might miss some of the essential information that may become evident during the meeting.Those who are present show an interest in the problems of their colleagues. They supply ques- tions, rather than commands, and thus declare themselves"co-responsible". The Dutch, in their final conclusions, like to use such metaphors as"We are all in one line" or"Our noses are pointing in the same direction again."If you present a decision, you will find that everyone has something to say about it and has questions to ask. This is why the Dutch will not be quick to present something as the only correct solution. The advantage to this approach is that such a meeting will often lead to genu- ine suggestions for improvement on certain aspects of a plan. As a result, the plan will be a joint approach.This timeconsuming and seemingly useless process helps colleagues become team.The amount of time that is lost around the table is more than what made up for inefficiency, once everyone goes back to work. Statistics show Dutch employees are among the world leaders when it comes to work productivity. According to Paragraph 3, why can't Dutch employees come to a quick decision?

Passage FourThose who work in the Netherlands often feel that a lot of time is wasted in discussions that lead to nothing. There are often meetings with documents, an agenda and a chairman. All those present will have their say, after which their remarks are discussed. He who decides to skip a meeting though he has nothing more urgent to attend to, will find it unwise. The interacting that takes place during a meeting is very important for the general process. He who does not appear is saying that he does not think the subject is suffi- ciently important mportant, or that he apparently does not take his colleagues seriously. Furthermore, he e might miss some of the essential information that may become evident during the meeting.Those who are present show an interest in the problems of their colleagues. They supply ques- tions, rather than commands, and thus declare themselves"co-responsible". The Dutch, in their final conclusions, like to use such metaphors as"We are all in one line" or"Our noses are pointing in the same direction again."If you present a decision, you will find that everyone has something to say about it and has questions to ask. This is why the Dutch will not be quick to present something as the only correct solution. The advantage to this approach is that such a meeting will often lead to genu- ine suggestions for improvement on certain aspects of a plan. As a result, the plan will be a joint approach.This timeconsuming and seemingly useless process helps colleagues become team.The amount of time that is lost around the table is more than what made up for inefficiency, once everyone goes back to work. Statistics show Dutch employees are among the world leaders when it comes to work productivity. What does the last paragraph tell us?

Passage FourThose who work in the Netherlands often feel that a lot of time is wasted in discussions that lead to nothing. There are often meetings with documents, an agenda and a chairman. All those present will have their say, after which their remarks are discussed. He who decides to skip a meeting though he has nothing more urgent to attend to, will find it unwise. The interacting that takes place during a meeting is very important for the general process. He who does not appear is saying that he does not think the subject is suffi- ciently important mportant, or that he apparently does not take his colleagues seriously. Furthermore, he e might miss some of the essential information that may become evident during the meeting.Those who are present show an interest in the problems of their colleagues. They supply ques- tions, rather than commands, and thus declare themselves"co-responsible". The Dutch, in their final conclusions, like to use such metaphors as"We are all in one line" or"Our noses are pointing in the same direction again."If you present a decision, you will find that everyone has something to say about it and has questions to ask. This is why the Dutch will not be quick to present something as the only correct solution. The advantage to this approach is that such a meeting will often lead to genu- ine suggestions for improvement on certain aspects of a plan. As a result, the plan will be a joint approach.This timeconsuming and seemingly useless process helps colleagues become team.The amount of time that is lost around the table is more than what made up for inefficiency, once everyone goes back to work. Statistics show Dutch employees are among the world leaders when it comes to work productivity. The author's attitude towards the Dutch meeting is quite ____

Your house is always so neat-how do you ____ it with three children?

You look well. The air and the sea foods in Hawaii must____ you.

How the president____ this effective solution to the problem remains unknown.