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.
47. 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.
48. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “ ”
A. the energy benefit B. the forest loss
C. climate change D. burning ethanol
49. The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is .
A. impractical B. acceptable C. admirable D. useless
50. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?
A. Technology B. Sustainability C. Ethanol energy D. Environmental protection
科目:高中英语 来源:2013-2014学年湖北省高三上学期适应性训练(五)英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
One day when I was driving on the freeway, I noticed all the way there were large dividing walls, which had been built between it and the road running parallel to it, for noise reduction (减少) and a sense of separation. The purpose was to create a sense of privacy (隐私) for people on the other side.
This got me thinking: How often do we put up mental barriers that keep us distant from others? Lifting the artificial barriers that keep us apart can offer opportunities to express our goodwill and create better relationships. If we can do like this, maybe our life will be a little different.
There is a little post office in a nearby town, and since it is closer to me than the post office in my own town, I go there. One day, with many people jammed into the little building, a man came hurrying in to mail a letter, and the girl at the counter saw he had too little postage on it. She told him he needed 2 more cents. Obviously he was a little at a loss. He had hurried over from his office, and didn’t have any money on him or time to stand in line. He was going to run back to get the needed money and wait in line again, but he hurried to get the letter mailed in the first place.
As we were watching him, one woman volunteered a two-cent stamp, and the whole line became very quiet. It was a beautiful moment. The man hesitated for a little while and asked her if she was sure, and she assured him she was fine with giving him the stamp. He offered to go back to his office to get the two cents, and she told him not to bother.
It was a small thing, but it meant something to both of the people involved, and to the rest of us. We aren’t a yard that needs defining or a freeway that needs barriers. We are human beings who can contribute to each other’s wellbeing by taking time to pay attention and interact. After all, we are all parts of a whole living in society.
1.The purpose of the first paragraph is to __________.
A. summarize the main idea
B. give detailed information
C. tell readers the author’s opinion
D. introduce the topic
2.What happened after the man being told he needed two more cents?
A. The man went back to his office immediately.
B. The man turned to a lady for help.
C. A woman offered a stamp to the man.
D. The man waited in line patiently.
3.What can we learn about the author?
A. She pays too much attention to privacy.
B. She believes people should participate in the world around them.
C. She confuses real barriers with false ones.
D. She insists all small things always have the greatest meaning.
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Artificial Barriers B. Unnecessary Separation
C. An Unforgettable Experience D. The Kindness of People
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科目:高中英语 来源:2015届湖南凤凰华鑫中学高一下学期第一次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
Two magazines recently listed the best cities to live in. Here are two of the cities listed as “the world’s best.”
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA The city has comfortable weather all year round (15°C to 26°C ). Housing is not very expensive in San Jose. Also, many of the city’s older neighborhoods are very beautiful and have small hotels and cafés(咖啡馆). Beautiful mountains are around the city. You can visit them easily from San Jose. So lots of people go sightseeing there every year. But air pollution is a problem in the city center.
HONG KONG, CHINA This lively city—once a small fishing village—is today an international business center. It is an interesting mixof East and West, old and new. Modern tall buildings are next to small temples (庙宇). Popular nightclubs are close to traditional teahouses. Busy people fill the streets at all hours of the day. But outside the city, there are parks for walking or relaxing. Hong Kong is famous for its wonderful native dishes. There’s also food from Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia. However, this small city has a large population. Nearly 7 million people live in Hong Kong! That’s why housing is often very expensive. Traffic and air pollution are also a problem.
1.Which of the following is not mentioned about San Jose?
A.The weather. B.The mountains. C.The air. D.The traffic.
2.What makes Hong Kong the world’s best according to this passage?
A.The lively city and the wonderful dishes. B.The beautiful mountains and the lively city.
C.The expensive housing and the food. D.The city and the people.
3.The writer thinks housing in Hong Kong is expensive because .
A.it was a small fishing village B.it is a mix of East and West
C.it is famous for its wonderful food D.there are too many people in the city
4.What do the two cities have in common?
A.They both have beautiful mountains. B.They both have a large population.
C.Air pollution is a problem in both. D.They are both crowded.
5.From the passage, we can know that .
A.San Jose and Hong Kong are the only two cities of the world’s best
B.San Jose has more natural sights than Hong Kong does
C.the weather in both cities is fine
D.Hong Kong is the more popular city of the two
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014届陕西省西安市高二第三次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:完型填空
That night, Joe came back home very late, pulling his heavy legs, obviously tired.He then sat down by the window, 1 his head.
Hearing her husband back, Kay 2 out of the kitchen, but to her 3 , Joe sat still,
without 4 .Usually, when he came back, he would greet her with a kiss or a hug.Immediately Kay 5 something unusual.She went over to Joe and asked, “Tell me, my dear, any 6 news?”
“Well, I have to say that things are not in our 7 .It seems that I have no 8 to defeat my opponent (对手).He’s much more 9 , for he’s been holding the position for nearly four years, and people think he’s done a 10 job.Many signs show that he’s in the 11.”
“Oh, really? But I still believe you have our own 12 .You’re in your forties at the best age for a man.You’re new, so people have reasons to 13 you to do better.So let’s go to the voters and tell hem, ‘Give Joe Hart a chance, and he’ll show you who’s your better 14”
Their next three weeks were spent 15 different neighborhoods, going to all kinds of parties, and making speeches at universities and gatherings.Even Judy and Julie, their small children, went from door to door, 16 their “Please vote for our daddy, Joe Hart!”
The night before the 17 vote, the whole Hart family were too 18 to fall asleep.The moment before the final result was declared, their 19 were brought to their mouths, but at last they all 20 and burst into tears.
Joe Hart became head judge of the state of Texas, USA.
1. A.lifting B.raising C.hanging D.combing
2. A.walked B.looked C.kept D.stole
3. A.anger B.joy C.surprise D.disappointment
4. A.hope B.movement C.patience D.smile
5. A.said B.sensed C.told D.did
6. A.lucky B.exciting C.new D.bad
7. A.favor B.way C.place D.sight
8. A.time B.thought C.chance D.wish
9. A.interesting B.experienced C.lovely D.fit
10. A.good B.poor C.beautiful D.funny
11. A.success B.office C.lead D.government
12. A.people B.reasons C.rights D.advantages
13. A.force B.expect C.order D.ask
14. A.choice B.friend C.leader D.person
15. A.helping B.visiting C.inviting D.traveling
16. A.answering B.repeating C.showing D.offering
17. A.final B.next C.first D.close
18. A.eager B.sorry C.anxious D.happy
19. A.breaths B.worries C.tongues D.hearts
20. A.left B.arrived C.laughed D.jumped
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科目:高中英语 来源:2014届辽宁省高二下学期第一次月考英语试卷(解析版) 题型:阅读理解
In Canada you can find dogs,cats,horses,etc.in almost every family.These are their pets.People love these pets and have them as their good friends.Before they keep them in their houses,they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections so that they won’t carry disease.They have special animal food stores,though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store.Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.When you visit people’s houses,they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them.You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden.All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal.They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada.They have a law against killing wild animals.If you killed an animal,you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car,people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals.One of them might be:Their family ties are not as close as ours.When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life.Then the old will feel lonely.But pets can solve this problem.They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
1.The passage mainly talks about _________.
A.how to keep disease from pets
B.pets in Canada
C.how to take good care of pets
D.life of the old in Canada
2.In Canada,children leave their parents when they grow up because _______.
A.they don’t love their parents any more
B.they can only find jobs far from their parents
C.their parents’ houses are too small
D.they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more
3.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.People buy animal food only at the animal food stores.
B.Pets eat better than people.
C.Almost every family has a birdcage in his house.
D.Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat.
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科目:高中英语 来源:2012年人教版高中英语必修三Unit3练习卷 题型:阅读理解
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射) so that they won’ t carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people’ s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be: Their family ties are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
1.The passage mainly talks about ________ .
A.how to keep disease from pets |
B.pets in Canada |
C.how to take good care of pets |
D.life of the old in Canada |
2.In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because _____ .
A.they don’ t love their parents any more |
B.they can only find jobs far from their parents |
C.their parents’ houses are too small |
D.they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more |
3.Which of the following is TRUE?
A.People buy animal food only at the animal food stores. |
B.Pets eat better than people. |
C.Almost every family has a birdcage in his house. |
D.Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat. |
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