There is a new take on an old tale.It's the story of the three
little pigs and the big bad wolf that blew down a house made of
straw and one made of sticks.The only house left standing was
the one made of bricks.Now there is new evidence to suggest
that houses built with bales(捆)of straw can be very strong.
Pete Walker is a professor at the University of Bath in Britain.
He and a team of researchers there have built a house made out of straw bale and hemp(大麻) material.During the next twelve months the team will study die effectiveness of these materials in home building.Professor Walker says there are many good reasons for using straw.It's a relatively inexpensive renewable material that's quickly and easily available.Straw takes in carbon dioxide as it grows.So it can be seen as having no harmful effects the environment.And the straw bales walls are relatively thick and so all that straw provides very good thermal insulation.So we make buildings that require very little heating in winter or indeed very little cooling in summer.So they require very little additional energy.
David Lanfear owns an eco-friendly home building service in the United States called Bale on Bale Construction.He says he laughed when some friends first told him about houses built of straw.But after doing his own research, he learned that building with straw bales makes a lot of sense.He has now helped to build more than ten straw bale houses and says the building material is becoming more widely accepted.To build the houses, he fills a wood frame with tightly packed bales of straw.Next he coats the walls inside and out with layers of clay plaster.He says the common ideas about straw houses continue, including stories about the threat of fire.As a matter of fact, straw bale houses have done well when tested for fire resistance.And his builders use the same building methods as traditional builders to keep out rain.He says we use what we call good shoes and a good hat, and that would be a solid foundation and a really good roof.
68.According to the passage, Pete Walker ____.
A.is cooperating with David Lanfear in building houses
B.is pretty sure that straw is a good building material
C.is studying home building with his team at present
D.holds a different view of building materials from David Lanfear
69.If we live in houses built with bales of straw, we ____.
A.will be worried about the threat of fire
B.need to wear good shoes in severe weather
C.can reduce our household expense
D.should use a special method to keep out rain
70.In building straw houses, ____.
A.a solid foundation and a good roof are necessary
B.straw bales have to be tested for fire resistance
C.a wood frame of straw should be used as a good roof
D.builders should wear good shoes and a good hat
71.Which of the following is the best tide of the passage?
A.Houses Made of Straw
B.New Meaning Of an Old Tale
C.Pete Walker and David Lanfear
D.Solid Foundation and Good Roof
科目:高中英语 来源:2010年陕西省延安市实验中学高一下学期期末考试试题(英语) 题型:完型填空
第四节完形填空(共20小题,每小题1分,满分20分)
Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including 26 . One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would 27 , so all constructed boats and left, except Love.
Love was the 28 one who stayed until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for 29 .
Richness was 30 Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?” Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of 31 and silver in my boat. There is no 32 here for you.” Love decided to ask Vanity who was 33 passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!” “I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and might 34 my boat,” Vanity answered. Just then Sadness was 35 , so Love asked, “Sadness, let me go with you.” “Oh…Love, I am so 36 that I need to be by myself!” Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so 37 that she did not even 38 Love when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will 39 you.” It was a(n) 40 . So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder 41 they were going. When they arrived at dry 42 , the elder went her own way.
43 how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me?” “It was 44 ,” Knowledge answered. “Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?” Knowledge 45 with deep wisdom and answered, “Because only Time is able to understand how valuable Love is!”
26. A. Vanity B. Richness C. Time D. Love
27. A. float B. sink C. fly D. fall
28. A. very B. only C. likely D. first
29. A. advice B. help C. money D. time
30. A. passing by B. looking at C. facing to D. thinking of
31. A. water B. food C. gold D. value
32. A. wealth B. place C. need D. chance
33. A. still B. also C. even D. just
34. A. dirty B. damage C. turn D. steal
35. A. far B. near C. distant D. closed
36. A. joyful B. surprised C. sad D. hurried
37. A. happy B. angry C. amazed D. proud
38. A. saw B. notice C. catch D. hear
39. A. take B. fetch C. ask D. carry
40. A. adviser B. elder C. younger D. helper
41. A. how B. why C. when D. where
42. A. shore B. grass C. land D. room
43. A. Realizing B. Believing C. Understanding D. Questioning
44. A. Kindness B. Time C. Power D. Strength
45. A. cried B. shouted C. smiled D. flushed
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科目:高中英语 来源:2011届湖北黄冈中学高三最后一次适应性考试英语试卷 题型:阅读理解
There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do.
In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are strictly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers.This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms of skill, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their insistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the US, China,Japan and among the Arctic peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys reflect their surroundings.Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been affected by technological quick development that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the ox-cart to the automobile is a direct line of ahievement. The progress from a rattle(拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by a baby today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of times and subject to the limtations of available materials.
【小题1】. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that_________.
A.their social roles are strictly determined |
B.most boys would like to follow their fathers’ professions |
C.boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers |
D.they like challenging activities |
A.The making skills in toys has remained essentially unchanged. |
B.Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries. |
C.The toy industry has witnessed great improvement in technology in recent years. |
D.Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child’s character. |
A.follow a direct line of achievement |
B.also appeal greatly to adults |
C.are not characterized by technological progress |
D.reflect the pace of social progress |
A.in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials |
B.even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology |
C.it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making |
D.even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time |
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科目:高中英语 来源:2010-2011学年湖南省长郡中学高二学业水平二模考试英语试卷 题型:阅读理解
Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interest is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive designs. There are 100, 000 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a blank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light , and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4, 000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28, 000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors magazine.
【小题1】The text is mainly about ________ .
A.the history of phone cards | B.phone card collecting as a hobby |
C.reason for phone card collecting | D.the great variety of phone cards |
A.In 1971. | B.In 1975. | C.In 1976. | D.In 1981. |
A.they find the cards beautiful and easy to keep |
B.they like to have something from different countries |
C.they want to make money with cards |
D.they think the cards are convenient to use |
A.card collecting is popular among young people |
B.French and Japanese cards are the most valuable |
C.people can make money out of card collecting |
D.card collectors magazines are very useful |
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科目:高中英语 来源:2012届广东省广州市禺山高级中学高三第一次月考英语试卷 题型:阅读理解
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized(把…归类) as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky(卑鄙的) excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate(演示) that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility(高尚).
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
【小题1】According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our_______.
A.self-respect | B.financial rewards | C.advertising ability | D.friendly relationship |
A.lying | B.stealing | C.cheating | D.advertising |
A.telling the truth to the clerk | B.offering advice to the clerk |
C.asking the clerk to be more attentive | D.reminding the clerk of the charged item |
A.We'll be very excited. | B.We'll feel unfortunate. |
C.We'll have a sense of honor. | D.We'll feel sorry for the clerk. |
A.How to Live Truthfully | B.Importance of Peacefulness |
C.Ways of Gaining Self-respect | D.Happiness through Honorable Actions |
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科目:高中英语 来源:2012届安徽省安庆一中高三第三次模拟考试英语试卷(带解析) 题型:阅读理解
A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical(垂直的)farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards,rather than outwards,it requires much less space than a conventional farm.
The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people,all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time,food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage.
There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space,therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics(水耕法) could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course,not all food does well with this type of planting,but there are many crops that actually seem to do better.
In some climates,a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words,we could grow crops in areas where we never could before.
Vertical farms may just be a concept for now,but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future.
【小题1】According to the passage, a vertical farm________.
A.is mainly built outwards |
B.is dependent on solar power |
C.is planted on levels upwards |
D.is only an environmental friendly farm |
A.depend far less on sunlight |
B.greatly increase the use of soil |
C.help to protect the limited gardens |
D.reduce the use of harmful pesticides |
A.have been put into use |
B.only use hydroponics to grow food |
C.need less room than conventional farms |
D.may increase the transportation costs |
A.Vertical farms for our future |
B.Ways to deal with future problems |
C.Vertical farms and green skyscrapers |
D.Making Full Use of Our Limited Land |
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