The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC). The UK promises to reduce its carbon emissions (排放）by 80 percent by 2050, part of which will be achieved by all new homes being zero-carbon by 2016. But this report shows that sustainable building design on its own — though extremely important- is not enough to achieve such reductions: the behaviour of the people using the building has to change too.
The study suggests that the ways that people use and live in their homes have been largely ignored by existing efforts to improve energy efficiency (效率)，which instead focus on architectural and technological developments.
‘Technology is going to assist but it is not going to do everything,’explains Katy Janda, a UKERC senior researcher，‘consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. ’In other words，old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.
Another part of the problem is information. Households and bill-payers don’t have the knowledge they need to change their energy-use habits. Without specific information，it’s hard to estimate the costs and benefits of making different choices. Feedback (反馈） facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors，could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use; some studies have shown that households can achieve up to 15 percent energy savings using smart meters.
Social science research has added a further dimension (方面），suggesting that individuals’behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted 一 whether people throw open their windows rather than turn down the thermostat (恒温器) , for example.
Janda argues that education is the key. She calls for a focused programme to teach people about buildings and their own behaviour in them.
【小题1】As to energy use, the new research from UKERC stresses the importance of________.
| A． zero-carbon homes | B．the behaviour of building users |
| C． sustainable building design | D．the reduction of carbon emissions |
| A．the ways | B．their homes |
| C． developments | D．existing efforts |
| A． The importance of changing building users, habits. |
| B． The necessity of making a careful building design. |
| C． The variety of consumption patterns of building users. |
| D． The role of technology in improving energy efficiency. |
| A． can be bridged by feedback facilities |
| B． affects the study on energy monitors |
| C． brings about problems for smart meters |
| D． will be caused by building users’ old habits |
| A． The social science research is to be furthered. |
| B． The education programme is under discussion. |
| C． The behaviour of building users is unpredictable. |
| D． The behaviour preference of building users is similar. |
【小题1】B
【小题2】D
【小题3】A
【小题4】A
【小题5】C
解析试题分析：文章大意：本文讲述英国承诺，到2050年，英国的二氧化碳的排放减少80%。英国能源研究中心的研究发现，可持续发展建筑物的设计很重要，而改变其使用者的习惯也很重要。
【小题1】B考查细节理解。根据文章第一段首句The behaviour of a building’s users may be at least as important as its design when it comes to energy use, according to new research from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC).可知根据英国能源研究中心的研究，建筑物使用者的行为也许至少和它的设计一样重要。故B正确。
【小题2】D考查词义推测。此题考查which引导的非限定性定语从句，which指代的是先行词existing efforts现有的努力。故D正确。
【小题3】A考查句意推测。根据文章第三段Katy Janda 的话consumption patterns of building users can defeat the most careful design. 及In other words，old habits die hard, even in the best-designed eco-home.可知建造使用者改变习惯的重要性。故A正确。
【小题4】A。考查细节考查。根据文章第四段Feedback (反馈） facilities, like smart meters and energy monitors，could help bridge this information gap by helping people see how changing their behaviour directly affects their energy use可知反馈设备能够缩短信息差距。故A正确。
【小题5】C考查细节考查。根据文章倒数第二段Social science research has added a further dimension (方面），suggesting that individuals’behaviour in the home can be personal and cannot be predicted可知建筑物使用者在家的行为是私人的并不可被预测的。故C正确。
考点：考查科普环保类阅读
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Being green is everywhere these days, whether it is in the school, factory or anywhere on the Internet. This is because our planet is in danger, losing resources, polluting resources and destroying ecosystems(生态系统). Different species are dying because we can’t take care of our home. Now ask yourself why you don’t want a green healthier lifestyle and to save animals. Keep that in mind as you read on.
There are many ways to be green, first of all, everyone should recycle; it’s something easy and helps our planet in many ways. All you’d have to do is put recycling in recycling and garbage in garbage. Another popular thing is to try your best not to drive a car. Sometimes you can just walk, bike, or take a subway. This ensures that our air won’t be polluted, which in turn helps our lungs and everything else on our planet. Next thing is saving energy. We can do this by not using too much heat or air conditioning in summer or winter. It’s not preferable because it’s hard, but you can try and put your washing machine on cold whenever possible and try to keep electronics out of the rubbish. What’s more, remember to stop drinking from plastic bottles because plastic can only be used once and if used many times, it will become unhealthy. So you’d better use a glass or buy a reusable water bottle. The last and most important thing is, spread this news to the world and tell them what’s happening in our world. I’ve only listed a small part of the endless possibilities to save this world. The least you can do is do the simple ones.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．The importance of being green. |
| B．The question asked in this paragraph. |
| C．The present situation of the Earth. |
| D．The reader’s contribution to the Earth. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．call on others to protect our Earth |
| B．recycle what we have used |
| C．try our best to stop driving cars |
| D．save as much energy as possible |
| A．tell us the importance of protecting our Earth |
| B．Help us to cut down the pollution on our Earth |
| C．teach us some knowledge about our health today |
| D．guide us to some ways of protecting our Earth |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The Batsquatch is described as a great winged bat. It’s reported that it lives in the shadows(阴暗处) of Mt. Saint Helens. It has purple skin, red eyes and the character is quite similar to the bat’s. Since reports tell it likes eating small animals like chickens, goats and pigs, some believe that it is actually a flying primate(灵长目动物). But researchers say that it is more closely related to the fruit bat of northern America.
Fear still fills the hearts of men, women and children of Washington. In May of 1980 during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, the Batsquatch showed itself in the shadows of clouds from the eruption. In 1994, a local mountaineer was able to take pictures of the Batspuatch making the rumor(谣言) seem real. During this event some farm animals seemed to disappear though luckily no humans were reported missing at the time. The local mountaineer told about his meeting with the Batsquatch. When he suddenly heard a loud deep voice from the shadows, the mountaineer was knocked down. He tried to look for the creature(生物) that had made the sound. He saw a great creature with purple wings in the sky. It looked like it was about 30 feet tall.
The mountaineer kept this story a secret in fear of being laughed at by others but when new stories came in about the Batsquatch he shared his story.
The reality of the Batsquatch can no longer be ignored. It is only a creature that is trying to live. Respect! This is how we should take news such as this. Respect for a living creature instead of fear.
【小题1】The rumor about the batsquatch makes people of Washington full of______
| A．joy | B．surprise |
| C．fear | D．anger |
| A．Because it was reported in the newspaper |
| B．Because it was seen by many local people |
| C．Because someone once caught one |
| D．Because someone took its picture |
| A．heard nothing strange |
| B．shouted at it to frighten it away |
| C．was lying on the ground, relaxing |
| D．found it was a 30-foot-tall creature that could fly |
| A．was afraid of being laughed at |
| B．was too frightened to tell others |
| C．couldn’t believe what he saw |
| D．didn’t want to make fun of others |
| A．the Batsquatch is being endangered |
| B．the Batsquatch is a dangerous creature |
| C．respect should be given to the Batsquatch |
| D．the news about the Batsquatch is real |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Last summer, two nineteenth-century cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana, to be moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco. The houses were made of wood. These cottages once housed early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil; now they hold Twitter engineers.
The cottages could be an example of the industry’ s odd love affair with “low technology,” a concept associated with the natural world, and with old-school craftsmanship (手艺) that exists long before the Internet era. Low technology is not virtual (虚拟的) —so, to take advantage of it, Internet companies have had to get creative. The rescued wood cottages, fitted by hand in the late eighteen-hundreds, are an obvious example, but Twitter’s designs lie on the extreme end. Other companies are using a broader interpretation (阐释) of low technology that focuses on nature.
Amazon is building three glass spheres filled with trees, so that employees can “work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting.” At Google’s office, an entire floor is carpeted in glass. Facebook’s second Menlo Park campus will have a rooftop park with a walking trail.
Olle Lundberg, the founder of Lundberg Design, has worked with many tech companies over the years. “We have lost the connection to the maker in our lives, and our tech engineers are the ones who feel impoverished (贫乏的) , because they’re surrounded by the digital world,” he says. “They’re looking for a way to regain their individual identity, and we’ve found that introducing real crafts is one way to do that.”
This craft based theory is rooted in history, William Morris, the English artist and writer, turned back to pre-industrial arts in the eighteen-sixties, just after the Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts movement defined itself against machines. “Without creative human occupation, people became disconnected from life,” Morris said.
Research has shown that natural environments can restore(恢复) our mental capacities. In Japan, patients are encouraged to “forest-bathe,” taking walks through woods to lower their blood pressure.
These health benefits apply to the workplace as well. Rachel Kaplvin, a professor of environmental psychology, has spent years researching the restorative effects of natural environment. Her research found that workers with access to nature at the office—even simple views of trees and flowers—felt their jobs were less stressful and more satisfying. If low-tech offices can potentially nourish the brains and improve the mental health of employees then, fine, bring on the cottages.
【小题1】The writer mentions the two nineteenth-century cottages to show that ________.
| A．Twitter is having a hard time |
| B．old cottages are in need of protection |
| C．early settlers once suffered from a dry climate in Montana |
| D．Internet companies have rediscovered the benefits of low technology |
| A．is related to nature | B．is out of date today |
| C．consumes too much energy | D．exists in the virtual world |
| A．have destroyed many pre-industrial arts |
| B．have a tradition of valuing arts and crafts |
| C．can become intelligent by learning history |
| D．can regain their individual identity by using machines |
| A．positive | B．defensive | C．cautious | D．doubtful |
| A．Past Glories, Future Dreams |
| B．The Virtual World, the Real Challenge |
| C．High-tech Companies, Low-tech Offices |
| D．The More Craftsmanship, the Less Creativity |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.
Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.
【小题1】 _________, our world is becoming much smaller.
| A．Because of the rise in pollution |
| B．Thanks to science development |
| C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night |
| D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year |
| A．much easier than | B．as easy as |
| C．much harder than | D．as hard as |
| A．rubbish | B．noise pollution |
| C．air pollution | D．water pollution |
| A．it makes much noise |
| B．it makes us angry more easily |
| C．it makes our rivers and lakes dirty |
| D．it’s bad for all living things in the world |
| A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. |
| B．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does. |
| C．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people on the earth. |
| D．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
If you could be anybody in the world, who would it be? Your neighbour or a super star? A few people have experienced what it might be like to step into the skin of another person, thanks to an unusual virtual reality（虚拟现实）device. Rikke Wahl, an actress, model and artist, was one of the participants in a body swapping experiment at the Be Another lab, a project developed by a group of artists based in Barcelona. She swapped with her partner, an actor, using a machine called The Machine to Be Another and temporarily became a man. "As I looked down, I saw my whole body as a man, dressed in my partner's pants," she said. "That's the picture I remember best."
The set-up is relatively simple. Both users wear a virtual reality headset with a camera on the top. The video from each camera is sent to the other person, so what you see is the exact view of your partner. If she moves her arm, you see it. If you move your arm, she sees it.
To get used to seeing another person's body without actually having control of it, participants start by raising their arms and legs very slowly, so that the other can follow along. Eventually, this kind of slow synchronised（同步的）movement becomes comfortable, and participants really start to feel as though they are living in another person's body.
Using such technology promises to alter people's behaviour afterwards-potentially for the better. Studies have shown that virtual reality can be effective in fighting racism-the bias（偏见）that humans have against those who don't look or sound like them. Researchers at the University of Barcelona gave people a questionnaire called the Implicit Association Test, which measures the strength of people's associations between, for instance, black people and adjectives such as good, bad, athletic or awkward. Then they asked them to control the body of a dark skinned digital character using virtual reality glasses, before taking the test again. This time, the participants' bias scores were lower. The idea is that once you've "put yourself in another's shoes" you're less likely to think ill of them, because your brain has internalised the feeling of being that person.
The creators of The Machine to Be Another hope to achieve a similar result. "At the end of body swapping, people feel like holding each other in their arms," says Arthur Pointeau, a programmer with the project. "It's a really nice way to have this kind of experience. I would really, really recommend it to everyone."
【小题1】The word "swapping" (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to______.
| A．building | B．exchanging | C．controlling | D．transplanting |
| A．our feelings are related to our bodily experience |
| B．we can learn to take control of other people's bodies |
| C．participants will live more passionately after the experiment |
| D．The Machine to Be Another can help people change their sexes |
| A．they fought strongly against racism |
| B．they scored lower on the test for racism |
| C．they changed their behaviour dramatically |
| D．they were more biased against those unlike them |
| A．technology helps people realize their dreams |
| B．our biases could be eliminated through experiments |
| C．virtual reality helps promote understanding among people |
| D．our points of view about others need changing constantly |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Global Positioning Systems (全球定位系统) are now a part of everyday driving in many countries.These satellitebased systems provide turnbyturn directions to help people get to where they want to go.However，they can also cause a lot of problems，send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost.Many times，the driver is to blame.Sometimes a GPS error is responsible.Most often，says Barry Brown，it is a combination of the two.
Barry Brown is with the Mobile Life Centre in Stockholm，Sweden.He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States.There he borrowed a GPSequipped car to use during his stay.Mr Brown says，“They just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination.And，then it wasn’t until they were driving for thirty minutes that they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived.They actually put their home address in.So again，the GPS is kind of ‘garbage in garbage out’．”
Mr Brown says this is a common human error，but what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings，or failures，of GPS equipment.He says，“One problem with a lot of the GPS units is they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn.Because they just give you the next turn，sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it’s going to the wrong place.”
Mr Brown says，“One of the things that struck us，perhaps the most important thing was that you have to know what you’re doing when you use a GPS.There are these new skills that people have developed.There are these new competencies (资格) that you need to have to be able to use a GPS because they sometimes go wrong.This goes against a common belief that GPS systems are for passive drivers who lack navigational skills.”
Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers，passengers and GPS systems work together.
【小题1】According to Barry Brow，in most cases，________are blame for the problems.
| A．human errors |
| B．GPS errors |
| C．errors caused by both drivers and GPS |
| D．errors caused by putting in a wrong address |
| A．GPS is nothing but garbage |
| B．GPS is still not accurate enough |
| C．it is difficult for drivers to use GPS equipment |
| D．sometimes drivers are responsible for the problem |
| A．it’s impossible to drive from the east to the west in the US |
| B．Barry Brown’s friend went to Stockholm，Sweden by plane |
| C．given wrong instructions，the GPS will produce wrong results |
| D．GPS systems are for passive drivers who lack navigational skills |
| A．It just tells the driver to turn once at a time. |
| B．It gives the driver the overview. |
| C．Its screen is too small to be seen clearly. |
| D．It is only suitable for passive drivers. |
| A．GPS systems are helpful for drivers. |
| B．Driving with GPS can be difficult to navigate (导航)． |
| C．Drivers should understand how GPS systems work. |
| D．Drivers should learn to use GPS systems correctly. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Have you seen a yellow-and-black salamander (火蜥蜴)? How about a scarlet frog? Scientists haven’t spotted either species in more than 20 years. What happened to them? Are the creatures still out there, or are they extinct?
Those are questions that scientists hope to answer. They recently set out around the world in search of those and other long-missing amphibians. An amphibian is an animal that spends part of its life in water and part on land. Frog, toads(蟾蜍), and salamanders are amphibians.
The experts are looking for about 100 species. They are searching at least 14 countries on five continents. They will look for the salamander in North America. They hope to find the scarlet frog in South America. They’re also looking for species in Africa, Asia and Australia.
Scientists are hopeful that they’ll find the amphibians—and soon! If the creatures are out there, they may need help. Many amphibians are endangered. The animals face many dangers including pollution and diseases. People cut down the forests where they live.
“If researchers can find the missing creatures, they might be able to figure out how to save them,” explains expert Robin Moore. He began searching for the amphibians earlier this month.
“This search will tell us a lot about how amphibians are doing,” Moore told WR News. “I don’t know what we will find, but that makes the search even more exciting.”
Lost in the Wild
Scientists’ hunt for missing amphibians is under way. Read about some of the species they hope to find.
Turkestanian salamander
This salamander is a mystery to scientists. Experts found a few of them more than 100 years ago, but none have been seen ever since.
Gastric brooding frog
Experts first discovered this frog in 1914 in eastern Australia. It may be extinct because of disease and habitat loss.
Rio Pescado stubfoot toad
Last sighting: 1995, in South America
Scientists hope to find this spotted toad in rivers and rainforests in Ecuador. The animal faces threats including pollution and disease.
【小题1】 Which of the following animals hasn’t been seen for over a century?
| A．Rio Pescado stubfoot toad. |
| B．Gastric brooding frog. |
| C．Turkestanian salamander. |
| D．Scarlet frog. |
| A．the scarlet frog used to live in Africa |
| B．researchers have no way to save amphibians |
| C．the scientists will search 14 countries at most |
| D．Robin Moore has begun his search for amphibians |
| A．Because they want to rescue the missing amphibians. |
| B．Because they want to set up a scientific program. |
| C．Because they want to do a scientific research on the missing amphibians. |
| D．Because they want to publish a report about the missing amphibians on WR News. |
| A．It’s hopeful. | B．It’s interesting. |
| C．It’s tiring. | D．It’s dangerous. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Humans might be the most highly-evolved species on the planet, but most animals possess skills we can only dream of having. Imagine how much electricity we could save if we could see in the dark the way cats do. Imagine leaping from tree to tree like a monkey. Giraffes, which are otherwise calm and good-natured, sleep only 4.6 hours a day.
We realized a long, long time ago that nature provides the best blueprint for invention. We’ve borrowed canals from beavers and reflectors from cat’s eyes. Although the words “bionics”(仿生学) became popular only after the 1960s, history shows that nature has always provided ideas on solving everyday problems. Our archives(档案) don’t go back to the time of Leonardo da Vinci and his bird-like flying machines, but we can take you to the late 19th century, where we applied those same principles for building our first practical airplanes.
To prepare for their flight at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers studied the movements of pigeons to figure out how they stayed high up when they were heavier than air. Their success inspired scores of successors to improve on the airplane by studying various aspects of nature. One of Orville Wright’s pupils caught and stuffed seagulls to examine their wingspan. Meanwhile, two French inventors examined spinning sycamore(梧桐) seeds in an effort to apply those same motions, reversed, to a helicopter .
Some examples are more obvious than others. The outside of the airplane designed by the Wright brothers looks like a minimalistic(简单抽象艺术) structure. On the other hand, Barney Connett’s fish submarine actually looks like a fish.
Some bio-inspired concepts have yet to be invented. In the 1960s, the US Army commissioned several university professors to conduct research on the motor skills animals in hope of applying those same abilities to tanks. Tanks that run like horses or jump like grasshoppers(蚂蚱)-sounds shocking, doesn’t it? But imagine how life would change if we could achieve that.
【小题1】“Cats”, “monkeys” and “giraffes” mentioned in paragraph 1 are examples to show______.
| A．they are highly-evolved species as humans |
| B．animals have skills that humans do not possess |
| C．humans can learn animals’ skills |
| D．they are skillful in different ways |
| A．People carried out a systematic study on pigeons. |
| B．People studied more animals and plants to develop the airplane. |
| C．People could fly their airplane for fun. |
| D．People kept their airplane at a French gallery. |
| A．It has cost a large sum of money. |
| B．It has changed our life. |
| C．It has improved the abilities of tanks |
| D．It has not succeeded yet. |
| A．many inventions get ideas from nature. |
| B．Some animals possess unique skills. |
| C．People should protect nature. |
| D．Bionics is far from perfect |
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