60. From the text we know that windmills　　　　　　　 .

A. were invented by European armies

B. have a history of more than 2800 years

C. used to supply power to radio in remote areas

D. have rarely been used since electricity was discovered

[解析]选C。细节理解题。根据第二段句子可知，十九世纪末有了电之后，偏僻地区的人们就利用风车发电，于是人们就有了电灯和收音机，因此选择C项。根据windmills began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC可知，A项错误，B项错在more than；根据末段句子可知，尽管成本较高，人们依然使用风能提供电力，因此D项错误。

4.(2011·安徽卷)B

Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources(来源), as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills(风车)began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.

For many centuries, people used windmills to grind(磨碎)wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radio. However, by the 1940s, when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used.

During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher costs. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.

[文章大意]本文介绍了风能及风能运用的情况。在能源短缺的今天，作为最为洁净、丰富的风能，一定会对我们的生活作出极大的贡献。

75. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the passage?

A. To encourage the skeptics to have a critical eye.

B. To warn the public of the danger of half–blindness with reviews.

C. To blame the media’s lack of responsibility in presenting information.

D. To show the importance of presenting overall information by the media.

BAAD

74. The author mentioned the review in Nature in order to_____.

A. voice a different opinion

B. find fault with Lomborg’s book　

C. challenge the authority of the media

D. point out the value of scientific views.

73. Which of the following can be a reason for the popularity of Lomborg’s books?

A. Some big businesses intend to protect their own interests.

B. The book challenges views about the fine state of the wirld.

C. The author convinces people to seek comforting worldviews.

D. Industry–funded media present confusing information.

72. According to the passage, which of the following may be regarded as “skeptics”?

A. People who agree on the popularity of “eco-guilt”.

B. People who disbelieve the serious situation of our planet.

C. People who dislike the harmful effect of human activities.

D. People who spread comforting news to protect our environment.

3.(2011·重庆卷)E

Skeptics are a stange lot. Some of them refuse to admit the serious threat of human activities to the enviroment, and they are tired of people who disagree with them. Those people, say skeptics, spread nothing but bad news about the environment. The “eco-guilt” brought on by the discouraging news about our planet gives rise to the popularity of skeptics as people search for more comforting worldviews.

Perhaps that explain why a new book by Bjorn Lomborg received so much publicity. That book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, declares that it measures the “real state of the world” as fine. Of course, another explanation is the deep pockets some big businesses with special intererts. Indeed, Mr. Lomborg’s views are similar to those of some Industry-funded organizations, which start huge activities though the media to confuse the public about issues like global warming.

So it was strange to see Mr. Lomborg’s book go largely unchallenged in the media though his beliefs were contrary to most scientific opinions. One national newspaper in Canada ran a number of articles and reviews full of words of praise, even with the conclusion that “After Lomborg, the environmental movement will begin to die down.”

Such one-sided views should have immediately been challenged. But only a different review appeared in Nature, a respected science magazine with specific readership. The review remarked that Mr. Lomborg’s “preference for unexamined materials is incredible (不可信的)”。

A critical (批判的) eye is valuable, and the media should present information in such a way that could allow people to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, that is often inaccessible as blocked by the desire to be shocking or to defend some special interests. People might become half-blind before a world partially exhibited by the media. That’s a shame, because matters concerning the health of the planet are far too important to be treated lightly.

50.According to Nacy,the degree of students of the project is judged by

A.　　 the careful selection of a proper book

B.　　　 the growing popularity of the writers

C.the number of people who benefit from reading.

D.the number of books that each person reads.

BCDAC

49.The underlined words“shared a word”in Paragraph 5 probably mean　　　

A.exchanged ideas with each other

B.discussed the meaning of a word

C.gamed life experience

D.used the same language

48.According to the passage,where would the project be more easily carried out?

A.In large communities with little sense of unity

B.In large cities where libraries are far from home

C.In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D.In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached