Ice Cream Tester Has a Sweet Job

   John Harrison has what must be the most wanted job in America. He's the official taster for Edys Grand Ice Cream, one of the nation's best-selling brands.
   His taste buds are insured for $1 million. He gets to sample 60 ice creams a day at Edys headquarters in Oakland, California.  (1)  
   But the life of an ice cream taster, I realized after I met him last week, isn't all Cookies n' Cream — a flavor which Harrison invented, by the way.  (2)  
   For one thing, he doesn't swallow on the job. Like a coffee taster, Harrison spits. Using a gold spoon to avoid "off" flavors, he takes a smallish bite, swishes it around to introduce it to all 9,000 or so taste buds, smack-smack-smacks his lips to aerate the sample, and then gently inhales to bring the aroma up through the back of his nose.  (3)  
   Then, no matter how heavenly it is, he deposits it into a trash can.  (4)  
   During the workweek, other sacrifices must be made: no onions, garlic or cayenne pepper; and no caffeine.  (5)  
   But it's all a small price to pay for what he calls the world's best job.  (6)  
   Yet, he has never lost his love for its cold, creamy sweetness.  (7)   On these occasions, he swallows, consuming about a quart weekly.
   Americans eat 23.2 quarts person of ice cream and other frozen diary products annually.
     (8)   Vanilla, the best-selling variety. You should never call it plain vanilla. It's a very complex flavor, he says.
   The night after we met, I had a plain salad for dinner and sadly thought about my future. I have to either do what Harrison does — learn to spit instead of swallow — or start interviewing more celery growers.
   A. Caffeine will block the taste buds, he says, so breakfast is a cup of herbal tea.
   B. With each step, he's evaluating whether the ice cream conveys a harmonious balance of dairy, sweetness and added ingredients — the three flavor components of ice cream.
   C. What flavor does the best-trained ice-cream palate in America prefer?
   D. And when he isn't doing that, he travels, buying Edys in supermarkets all over the country so that he can spot check for perfect appearance, texture and flavor.
   E. He even orders it in restaurants for dessert.
   F. A full stomach makes for a dull palate.
   G. No, it's rigorous work, requiring discipline and selflessness.
   H. His family has been in the ice cream business in one way or another for four generations, so Harrison has spent his entire life with it.

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Are you looking after yourself?

   1. Running is an excellent exercise. Before you start running, you should warm up first, using slow movements that make all your muscles work. But be careful! If you stretch when your muscles are cold, you might do yourself an injury. Always wear comfortable clothing and make sure your trainers comfortable and in good shape. If you wear shoes that give good support to your whole feet, you will put less pressure on your knees. You should start exercising slowly, at a pace you can keep up for about 15-20 minutes. Try to exercise on soft ground as this will protect your knees and hips from too much stress.
   2. It's OK if you go to bed late occasionally but if you regularly cut down on your sleep, it will soon start to have a bad effect on your skin. If you get a good night's rest, it will do your appearance the world of good. It is not called beauty sleep for nothing! Lack of sleep can cause acne or dry skin. Make sure you get a good night's sleep by going to bed and getting up at regular times: don't burn the candle at both ends. During the day, keep active: if you don't get enough exercise during the day, you may end up sleepless all night.
   3. Did you know that standing, sitting and walking badly can make you look heavier than you really are? If we watched the way we sat and stood, it would improve our appearance a great deal. Stand in front of the mirror with your feet apart and your legs straight. Pull in your tummy, check that your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles are in line with each other. You should be feeling and looking better already.
   4. Most of us live in large polluted cities. If we got more fresh air, we would look healthier and more attractive. A brisk walk is one of the best things you can do for your circulation and appearance. Walking slowly is useful but a quick pace gets more oxygen into your lungs. So don't just go for a pleasant stroll, try and find an area that doesn't have much pollution, and get moving!
   5. Many young people feel guilty about eating too much chocolate, and some even say they are addicted to it, though there is no evidence to support this. Chocolate does contain a lot of fat, and therefore any addicts out there would do better to eat less. However, if your diet is balanced, you needn't feel guilty: eating chocolate in moderation is free — but don't eat it instead of a proper meal!
   A. A good night's rest
   B. More leisure time
   C. Good posture
   D. Drug addiction
   E. More fresh air
   F. Balanced diet
   G. Tips for a run

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Paragraph 2______

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Paragraph 5______

A. stronger
   B. your skin
   C. any harm
   D. diet
   E. your knees and hips
   F. appearance
   G. your back

14. 
Running on soft ground protects ______.

15. 
Going to bed late does harm to ______.

16. 
You look heavier than you are if you don't straighten up ______.

17. 
Eating chocolate in moderation won't do you ______.

18. 
Getting regular exercise is the best way to protect your ______.

A Thirsty Planet

   If you live in a city in North America or Europe, you have probably never thought much about water. Whenever you need some, you turn on the tap and there it is. Millions of people in other parts of the world are not so lucky. They have trouble getting enough clean water for their basic needs. This situation may soon become common all around the world, scientists believe. In fact, they say that the tack of clean water may be one of the biggest issues in the twenty-first century.
   The reasons for this are clear. On the one hand, people are using more water than ever before. Over the last fifty years, the population of the world has more than doubled. So has the demand for water — for home use, for farming and for industry. On the other hand, supplies of clean water are disappearing. Many sources of surface water — such as rivers, lakes and streams — are too polluted and unhealthy for use as drinking water. This has forced more and more people to drill wells so they can get water from underground.
   There are enormous amounts of water deep underground in lakes called aquifers. Until recently, scientists believed this groundwater was safe from pollution. Then, in 1980s, people in the Untied States began to find chemicals in their well water, and scientists took a closer look at what was happening. Weldon Spring, Missouri, for example, was the site of a bomb factory during World War Ⅱ. The factory was destroyed after the war, but poisonous chemicals remained on the ground. Very slowly, theses chemicals dripped down through the ground and into the aquifer. Once they did, however, the water from that aquifer was no longer drinkable.
   It probably never will be drinkable again. Groundwater is not renewed regularly by the rain, like lake or river water. Thus, if a harmful chemical gets into an aquifer, it will stay there for a very long time. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to remove all the water in an aquifer and clean out the pollutants.
   Industrial sites like Weldon Spring are one cause of groundwater pollution. There are thousands of such sites in the Untied States alone, and many others around the world. Groundwater pollution is also caused by modem farming methods, which require the use of large amounts of chemicals in the fields. And finally, yet another important cause of groundwater pollution is waste. That includes solid waste thrown away in dumps and landfills, and also untreated human and animal waste.
   The situation is indeed very serious. Fortunately, there are many aquifers and they are very large. Only a small number have been seriously damaged so far. But if the world does not want to go thirsty in the near future, further pollution must be prevented. Around the world, governments must make real changes in industry, agriculture and waste disposal.

Press Photographers

   Good press photographers must have an "eye" for news,  (26)   journalists must have a "nose" for a good story. They must be able to interpret a story and decide rapidly how they can take  (27)   of the best opportunities to take pictures. The most difficult part of a press photographer's job is that he or she has to be able to  (28)   a complicated situation with just one photograph. They rarely have second  (29)   and must be able to take the required  (30)   very quickly. Indeed, speed is essential — if the photographs are not  (31)   for the printing deadline, they are very unlikely to be of any  (32)  .
   Most press photographers begin  (33)   with a local newspaper. There, the  (34)   is mostly for material of regional interest. Photographers may be expected to photograph a lot of unexciting events but to  (35)   the enthusiasm to put "something special" into every picture.
   There is  (36)   competition among those who want to move from local to national newspapers. Here, the work is much more centered on news. The photographer must work  (37)   greater pressure and  (38)   more responsibility. Only  (39)   reliable, talented and resourceful photographers  (40)   this difficult move. The work is tough and can be  (41)  . On an overseas assignment, photographers may have to  (42)   unfamiliar food and accommodation, physical and mental stress, and  (43)   difficulty in transporting the pictures from an isolated area to get them to the newspaper  (44)   They also have to  (45)   the competition from other publications.

26. 
A. alike                B. similar to            C. exactly        D. just as

27. 
A. profit               B. benefit              C. gain          D. advantage

28. 
A. draw up             B. put out              C. sum up        D. take in

29. 
A. chances             B. occasions            C. possibilities    D. moments

30. 
A. image              B. shot                C. scene         D. illustration

31. 
A. ready                B. glad                 C. sure           D. willing

32. 
A. role                B. gain                C. employment   D. use

33. 
A. struggle             B. services             C. work         D. life

34. 
A. demand             B. task                C. obligation     D. duty

35. 
A. hold away           B. keep up             C. carry out      D. stay up

36. 
A. firm                B. forceful             C. strict          D. strong

37. 
A. by                 B. under               C. through       D. from

38. 
A. take                B. support             C. perform       D. fetch

39. 
A. sharply             B. quickly             C. highly         D. slowly

40. 
A. pass                B. make               C. turn          D. proceed

41. 
A. essential            B. available            C. varied         D. dangerous

42. 
A. struggle for          B. get by              C. cope with      D. stand up

43. 
A. extreme             B. plentiful             C. far           D. grand

44. 
A. on time             B. by the time          C. for a time      D. with time

45. 
A. launch              B. beat                C. affect         D. welcome