All too often, a choice that seems sustainable(可持续的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea.
One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land –including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil—into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.
You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental(环境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.
【小题1】What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?
| A．The growing demand for energy to make ethanol |
| B．The increasing carbon dioxide in the air |
| C．The greater need for farmland |
| D．The big change in weather. |
| A．the energy benefit | B．the forest loss |
| C．climate change | D．burning ethanol |
| A．impractical | B．acceptable | C．admirable | D．useless |
| A．Technology | B．Sustainability |
| C．Ethanol energy | D．Environmental protection |
【小题1】C
【小题2】A
【小题3】A
【小题4】B
解析试题分析：作者主要谈论的是可持续性发展的判断依据以及用相关一些事实来进行佐证其论点。
【小题1】C推理判断题。注意问的是直接原因。That result leads to turning the fallow land — including, in some
cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil — into farmland(这个结果会导致一些休闲地<在一些情况下，包括位于巴西等地的热带雨林>被转化为农场)。
【小题2】A词义猜测题。根据上下文可知是指能源优势。
【小题3】A推理判断题。根据全文可知作者认为用corn代替gas是不符合实际的，会带来很多意想不到的问题。
【小题4】B主旨大意题。读完全文我们可以知道，作者主要谈论的是可持续性发展的判断依据以及用相关一些事实来进行佐证其论点。该题容易误选D。
考点：议论文类阅读理解
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The relationship between humans and animals has always been complex. Some cultures have developed entire belief systems around favored animals. Even in cultures with less formal belief systems, connections between people and animals still lead to commonly accepted opinions about animals.
These belief systems usually develop around the animals that interact (互动) with humans most frequently. Therefore, it should not be surprising that so many stories surround the most common of animals: rats. Rats live side by side with humans all over the world and regularly interact with people. Human-rat coexistence may be common all around the world, but different cultures respond to that closeness in different ways.
In the United States and Europe, one typical attitude is that the rat is a pest. This could be due to the common belief that rats spread disease. Actually, they don’t, at least not directly, but many people don’t know that. The Pied Piper of Hamlin, a well-known children’s story, is one example of how rats have been described in Western literature: in that story, rats cause such a problem that a town has to hire a piper to call them all away.
In many Latin American countries, the rat is described in a very different way. The story of the tooth fairy (a fairy believed by children to leave money while they sleep in exchange for a tooth that has come out) is common all over the world, but in Latin America, the “fairy” is a rat! Rats do have very strong teeth, which could explain the association. Clearly, this shows another attitude toward rats that is much more positive.
Yet another attitude toward the rat can be seen in the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). The Rat is one of the animals of the Zodiac. Like the other zodiac animals, the Rat is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It’s described as clever and friendly, but also tricky and not entirely honest. That may be the most accurate description of the rat so far. Whether you like rats or not, it’s hard to deny their reputation for cleverness.
As many people are discovering these days, rats can even make excellent pets, so long as you remember to close the cage carefully!
【小题1】What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．A trend of keeping rats as pets. |
| B．How different cultures look at rats. |
| C．How humans get along with animals. |
| D．Favored animals in different cultures. |
| A．unpleasant | B．honest | C．smart | D．unusual |
| A．the tooth fairy is lovely |
| B．rats look very frightening |
| C．rats are welcome in Latin American countries |
| D．the story of the tooth fairy is common all over the world |
| A．don’t spread disease |
| B．should be treated as pests |
| C．are fairly described in the Chinese Zodiac |
| D．are kept as pets by more and more people |
| A．travel guide | B．news report | C．nature magazine | D．history textbook |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 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 harmful effect of pesticides |
| A．have already 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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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Do you know mulch? Mulch is a protective cover of material that is spread on top of soil. It is usually made out of organic material, like crop waste. Farmers may keep the remains of corn or other crops on top of the soil. This creates mulch on the soil surface. The plant remains help protect the soil against wind and water damage. Mulching is one of the best things people can do for their plants. It also helps keep the soil from getting dry, and reduces the need for watering plants. It also limits temperature changes in the soil. And it stops unwanted plants, or weeds, from growing.
Organic mulch improves the condition of soil. As the mulch breaks down, it provides material which keeps the soil from getting hard. This improves the growth of roots and increases the movement of water through the soil. It also improves the ability of the soil to hold water. Organic mulch contains nutrients for plants. It also provides good environment for earthworms and other helpful living things in the soil.
It is easy to find organic mulch materials. Cut-up leaves and small pieces of tree bark can be used. Grass cuttings are also a good mulch for plants. Mulch from news- papers works well in controlling weeds.
The best time to add mulch depends on your goal. Mulch provides a thick barrier between the soil and the air. This helps to reduce temperature changes in the soil. As a result, mulched soil will be cooler than other soil in the summer. In winter, the mulched soil may not freeze as deeply as other soil. The best time is after the ground has frozen, but before the coldest weather arrives. Spreading mulch before the ground has frozen may attract small animals searching for a warm place to spend the winter. Delaying the spreading should prevent this problem. The animals will probably find another place to live.
【小题1】The author tells us the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．what mulch is and its advantages |
| B．the best time to add mulch |
| C．the bad effects of mulch |
| D．what can be mulch on the soil surface |
| A．tree barks | B．plastic | C．grass cuttings | D．cut-up leaves |
| A．improve the condition of soil |
| B．improve the ability of the soil to hold water |
| C．provide a good environment for earthworms |
| D．improve the growth of roots and increase the movement of water through the soil |
| A．the best time to add mulch is in spring and summer |
| B．the best time to add mulch is after the coldest weather arrives |
| C．the best time to add mulch is exactly the same time of each year |
| D．choosing the best time to add mulch can avoid attracting small animals |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Retail therapy（购物疗法）has long been considered as a good way to let off stress. Now, US scientists have discovered not only does retail therapy exist，but that it could be caused by an individual's fear of sudden death.
Researchers found materialistic people thought terrorism and war more stressful than others.
Psychologists believe the rise of materialism around the world and its treatment effect on extreme stress might be a response to fear of death caused by acts of terrorism, disease and natural disasters.
The scientists from Michigan State University said people with possession obsessions（妄想）often have lower self-esteem than others so are more likely to shop as the result of severe psychological suffering.
Ayalla Ruvio，a business professor studying people's shopping habits while rockets fell in Israel, said, "When the going gets tough, the materialistic people go shopping. This stress spending is likely to produce even greater stress and lower well-being. Essentially, materialism appears to make bad events even worse.
Dr Ruvio led a two-part study of Israeli citizens living in a town that came under extreme rocket attacks for about six months in 2007. She compared 139 residents of the southern town with 170 from another town that was not under attack to see how their symptoms of post-traumatic stress and shopping habits varied. Dr Ruvio found that, when faced with a deadly threat, those who are highly materialistic suffered much higher levels of stress，while their tendency to shop was increased.
Dr Ruvio said, "The relationship between materialism and stress may be more harmful than commonly thought.”
The second stage of their research surveyed 855 Americans about their materialistic nature and fear of death. They found shopping was used to relieve feelings of stress and anxiety about death but this was in response to fear of a variety of life-threatening events like car accidents, criminal attacks and natural disasters.
【小题1】Which of the following opinion is NOT right according to the text?
| A．Terrorism is believed to easily cause the rise of materialism. |
| B．The materialistic find terrorism and war more stressful than others. |
| C．The scientists think possession obsessions help people get self-respect. |
| D．The scientists think people with possession obsessions suffer a lot mentally. |
| A．They enjoy the special shopping culture. |
| B．The stresses they face are usually deadly. |
| C．They are in different situation in terms of war. |
| D．They are usually active participants for researchers. |
| A．Impulsive spending does good to people's health. |
| B．Shopping can't lower one's stress as it is expected. |
| C．Faced with great stress, people feel hopeless for life. |
| D．Faced with threat，people's wish to shop will decrease. |
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
| A．Greater stress can lead to shopping. |
| B．Greater stress can cause a lot of diseases |
| C．Shopping is very important in people's life. |
| D．Can shopping reduce the stress and relieve the fear of death? |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Winter begins in the north on December 22nd. People and animals have been doing what they always do to prepare for the colder months. Squirrels (松鼠), for example, have been busy gathering nuts from trees. Well, scientists have been busy gathering information about what the squirrels do with the food they collect.
They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American state of Indiana. The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the growth of black walnut (黑胡桃) trees. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels. The black walnut tree is also a central part of some hardwood forests.
Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen, a former Purdue student now at the University of New Mexico. The two researchers estimate that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared to red squirrels. Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same way. Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut. So some nuts remain in the ground. Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following spring. Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground. Professor Swihart calls “death traps for seeds”.
Gray squirrels are native to Indiana. But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests were cut for agriculture. Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past century.
The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year, unlike walnut trees. They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red squirrels invade Indiana. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.
【小题1】The study done by Rob Swihart and Jake Goheen is to ________ .
| A．find out the living conditions for squirrels |
| B．do something to get rid of squirrels |
| C．learn squirrels’ influence on black walnut trees |
| D．save the forests in the American state of Indiana |
| A．the way they gather the walnut |
| B．the place they store the walnuts |
| C．the time they have winter sleep |
| D．the place they have winter sleep |
| A．nuts above the ground will not develop into plants |
| B．red squirrels eat more nuts than gray squirrels |
| C．gray squirrels and red squirrels will have severe fights |
| D．seeds can be traps for other animals in the forest |
| A．Gray squirrels do more harm to the forest than red squirrels. |
| B．Red squirrels and gray squirrels have helped the spread of walnut trees. |
| C．The cleaning of forest land benefits red squirrels directly. |
| D．The black walnut is equally attractive to both gray and red squirrels. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
BEIJING—As China scrambles to respond to the choking smog that has blanketed Beijing in recent weeks, authorities in several major cities are experimenting with carbon trading platforms. The schemes are one effort to get control over greenhouse gases in an economy still hungry for cheap energy.
It has been a persistent concern in recent years, but the spiking pollution levels in January are sparking a public outcry.
Emissions from coal-fired electricity plants and busy factories are part of the problem that officials hope to get control over through carbon trading platforms. Seven cities are expected to open carbon markets later this year, including Tianjin.
“The government has decided to start with programs because the carbon trading is something new to China,” said David Tang, secretary of the board of the Tianjin Carbon Exchange. “So we want to have a number of programs to explore the use of the market.” said Tang.
China wants to launch a national carbon trading program by 2016. If it is successful, analysts say, the program would be one of the largest in the world and would help the country meet its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 45 percent within seven years.
The platforms allow companies to earn credits for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, which can then be traded. If it works, it would encourage for-profit businesses to invest in green technology.
As public concern builds pressure for the government to find a solution, Wu Changhua, greater China director of the Climate Group, says there is a broad shift under way in how Chinese weigh their quality of life.
China has long put economic growth ahead of environmental concerns, making it the world’s biggest polluter. Carbon trading supporters hope that the markets could be one way to curb pollution and keep the economy growing.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about carbon trading platforms?
| A．They are used to trade various resources. |
| B．They caused the choking smog in China. |
| C．They have been in existence for many years in China. |
| D．The choking smog may promote their development. |
| A．to make blanket | B．to cover something | C．to make something empty | D．to be like a blanket |
| A．unknown | B．indifferent | C．optimistic | D．pessimistic |
| A．China will have built a national carbon trading program by 2016. |
| B．Chinese have lived a life of high quality in all aspects. |
| C．The markets could slow the development of economy. |
| D．Standards of life will be changed in China. |
| A．The choking smoke in China. | B．The urge for carbon trading platforms. |
| C．Greenhouse gases. | D．The world’s biggest polluter. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Sigmund Freud was one of the first scientists to make serious research of the mind. The mind is the collection of activities based in the brain that involve how we act, think, feel and reason.
He used long talks with patients and the study of dreams to search for the causes of mental and emotional problems. He also tried hypnosis(催眠术). He wanted to see whether putting patients into a sleep-like condition would help ease troubled minds. In most cases he found the effects only temporary.
Freud worked hard, although what he did might sound easy. His method involved sitting with his patients and listening to them talk. He had them talk about whatever they were thinking. All ideas, thoughts and anything that entered their mind had to be expressed. There could be no holding back because of fear or guilt.
Freud believed that all the painful memories of childhood lay buried in the unconscious self. This part of the mind he said contains wishes, desires and experiences too frightening to recognize.
He thought that if these memories could somehow be brought into the conscious mind, the patient would again feel the pain. But this time, the person would experience them as an adult. The patient would feel them, be able to examine them and, if successful, finally understand them.
Using this way, Freud reasoned, the pain and emotional pressure of the past would be greatly weakened. They would lose their hold over the person's physical health. Soon the patient would get better.
Many of Freud's theories about how the mind works also had strong sexual connections. These included what he saw as the repressed feelings of sons toward their mothers and daughters toward their fathers.
If nothing else, Freud's ideas were revolutionary. Some people rejected them. Many others came to accept them. But no one disputes his great influence on the science of mental health.
【小题1】How many methods did Sigmund Freud use to study the mind?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．he had to work hard and have patients talk freely |
| B．he had to live with people who had troubled minds |
| C．he had to listen to unhappy stories of different people |
| D．he had to give his patients a sense of security |
| A．could be forgotten forever |
| B．could have a life-long influence |
| C．could become wises and desires |
| D．could be understood unconsciously |
| A．have physical and mental problems |
| B．be greatly influenced by them |
| C．have a better understanding of life |
| D．have a healthier and happier life |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Researchers found that walking around with a forced smile and fake (假的) happiness simply leads to people feeling unhappier. So, putting a brave face on your sadness could be harmful. The research also found that women suffered more than men when pretending to be happy.
Dr. Brent Scott, who led the study, said employers should take note because forcing workers to smile when dealing with the public can result in bad outcomes. He said, “Smiling for the sake of smiling can lead to emotional tiredness, and that’s bad for the organization.” He also said the research showed customer-service workers who had “fake smiles” throughout the day fell into a bad mood and didn’t want to work, so their productivity dropped.
The study is one of the first of its kind to examine emotional expressions over a period of time and compare the different effects on men and women. Dr. Scott’s team examined the effects of “surface acting”, or fake smiling, compared to “deep acting”, or making people smile by thinking of pleasant memories.
Dr. Scott said, “Women were harmed more by surface acting, meaning their moods worsened even more than men’s. However, they were helped more by deep acting, which means their moods improved more by thinking of pleasant memories. ”
According to Dr. Scott, women tend to suffer more when pretending to be happy because they are expected to be more emotionally expressive than men. Therefore, forcing a smile while feeling down is more likely to go against their normal behavior and cause more harmful feelings.
Although deep acting can improve moods a little in the short term, Dr. Scott says, it’s not a long-term solution to feeling unhappy. “There have been some suggestions that if you do this over a long period you start to feel unreal. You’re trying to develop positive emotions, but at the end of the day you may not feel like yourself any more.”
【小题1】According to the passage, Dr. Scott’s study ______.
| A．is supported by some big employers in the USA |
| B．is meaningful as there haven’t been many similar ones |
| C．examined more women than men for a long time |
| D．aimed to make the employees more productive |
| A．they usually become shy in public places |
| B．they are supposed to be more emotionally expressive |
| C．they are often treated in a terrible way |
| D．they like thinking of pleasant memories |
| A．doesn’t have any effect on men |
| B．cannot improve our moods in any case |
| C．harms our feelings in the long run |
| D．pleases people by feeling like another person |
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