We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more―doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.   

Not long age. My wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet―not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is bending up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emissions（排放）of carbon dioxide（CO₂）and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.   

We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO₂^. . We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household（家庭）produces about 150 pounds of CO₂ a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?  

For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting（融化）of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. “To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO₂ emissions by 80 percent,” he said.   

Good advice, I thought. I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock. I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.  

72. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?  

A. To take special kinds of food          B. To respond to climate change.   

C. To lose weight                      D. To improve their health  

73. The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to  

A. freezing points       B. burning points       C. melting points     D. boiling points

74. It can be inferred from the passage that  

A. it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the time  

B. it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO₂  

C. the average US household produces about 3,000 pounds of CO₂ a month  

D. the average European household produces about 1,000 pounds of CO₂ a month  

The office has always been a place to get ahead. Unfortunately, It is also a place where a lot of natural resources start to fall behind. Take a look around next time you’re at work. See how many lights are left on when people leave. See how much paper is being wasted. How much electricity is being used to run computers that are left on. Look at how much water is being wasted in the rest-rooms. And how much solid waste is being thrown out in the rubbish cans. We bet it’s a lot.

Now, here are some simple ways you can produce less waste at work. When you are at the copier, only make the copies you need. Use both sides of the paper when writing something less important. Turn off your lights when you leave. Use a lower watt bulb in your lamp. Drink your coffee or tea out of your mugs instead of single-use cups. Set up a recycling box for cans and one for bottles. And when you’re in the bathroom brushing your teeth or washing your face, don’t let the tap run. Remember, if we use fewer resources today, we’ll save more for tomorrow.

1.The main purpose of the passage is to tell people _______.

A．the disadvantages of working in an office

B．the waste produced in an office

C．to save resources when working in an office

D．how to save water in a restroom

2.How many kinds of waste are mentioned in the passage？

A．Two.             B．Three.            C．Four.             D．Five.

3.From the passage we can infer that in the office ________.

A．using computers is a waste of resource

B．many people don’t turn off the computers after using them

C．computers are run by electricity

D．a computer is not a must for working

4.It is suggested that we use both sides of the paper at the copier because _______.

A．we are short of paper                    B．the printing is not important

C．we should save paper                    D．we have to pay for the paper

5.The underlined word mugs is most likely to be _______.

A．a machine that makes coffee

B．a container that can be used again and again

C．a paper product for tea

D．something that can only be found in an office

Research ______________ out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use the sense of direction, we lose it.

Most of us are the only child in our family. We have no brothers or sisters. Our family mainly consists of our mom,our dad and us. We are growing up in a world differently from our parents’. And we will be the future leaders of China. Some day we have to work hand in hand with each other and make China more and more beautiful. So we must learn to love each other like brothers and sisters.
It’s hard to think how difficult life would be if we had a sibling(同胞，手足).We never have to share anything at home. Of course, we might have cousins, but we don’t have to live with them! Our parents try to give us the best, and the best doesn’t need sharing between two or three children. Do we ever ask ourselves if we are (宠坏) spoiled?
A recent study has found that many children don’t know how to love others! We don’r know the value of money. We don’t know how hard our parents are to support us. We don’t want others to regard us as spoiled, do we? Well, why not start now to help our parents at home, share a game with one of our friends or value the opinions of our classmates, even if we don’t always agree? In a word, we must learn to love each other!
【小题1】The underlined phrase “consists of ” means ____________in Chinese.