Planting trees around poultry farms can improve air and water quality -- and relations with neighbors. Research has shown that just three rows of trees near poultry houses can reduce the release of dust and ammonia(氨). They can also reduce the strong smell of ammonia gas.
The trees take dust, ammonia and odors in their leaves. They also provide shade from the sun, so they reduce cooling costs in summer. And they act as a windbreak, so they reduce heating costs in winter. Trees can also improve water quality around farms by removing pollutions from soil and groundwater.
Several years ago, people were objecting to the odor of poultry farms on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United States. Delmarva is where the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia come together. Two thousand farms there can each house an average of seventy-five thousand chickens.
Traditionally the farms used windows to provide fresh air in the chicken houses. Farmers rarely planted trees or tall crops around the buildings, so there would be no barrier to the airflow. But then farms began to use new ventilation systems. Instead of windows, the new systems used tunnel fans to circulate air. The fans directed airflow from the poultry houses toward the homes of neighbors.
Researchers began dealing with the problem in two thousand. They found that over a period of six years, planting three rows of trees reduced total dust and ammonia by more than half. And they found that smells were reduced by eighteen percent.
Farmers may think trees will take too long to grow and be effective. But some trees can grow quickly. At least one-third of the Delmarva farms have planted trees, technically known as vegetative environmental buffers. The idea offers a way to cut pollution, save money and energy, and make the neighbors happy.
49. The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. planting trees as much as possible
B. the advantages of trees
C. how to reduce heating costs
D. why trees are received
50. The word “odor” in paragraph 3 means ______.
A. plant B. smell C. height D. water
51. The farms on the Delmarva Peninsula used to use ______ in chicken houses to provide fresh air.
A. trees B. tunnel fans C. windows D. poles
52. It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that ______.
A. three rows of trees are really good to the environment
B. researches began to realize the problem in 2000
C. most farmers show interest in planting trees
D. the trees growing quickly can be cut off in a few years
I came to India a year ago to find a village in which I could live and write but it was many months before I settled down happily in this Himalayan community.I wasted a lot of time looking for the “typical” village, yet no such thing exists. Conditions vary too widely.But the villages I stayed in had much in common—poverty, dirt, ignorance. Often the villagers themselves were puzzled, suspicious. Why had I come? I had put aside my work as a political journalist because my ideas had changed. I had come to believe that what was happening in the Third World was more important than anything else. But to understand how three quarters of the world’s people live, and how their future might affect ours, I felt that I first had to try and share their way of life.In the end I chose a mountain village because it was a little cooler than those in the plains. I took the bus from town along a bumpy road. Then came a rough walk down a steep path to the river. After this I began the climb into the Mils. Whenever I stopped to catch my breath, there was a magnificent view. After several hours’ walk the village came into view. After the writer had arrived in India,________.
| A．he spent a year writing about the place he lived in |
| B．he spent quite some time looking for a suitable place to live in |
| C．he stayed in an Indian village working for the poor |
| D．he lived in a Himalayan community for many months. |
While looking for a typical village, the writer found__________.
| A．he was searching for the impossible |
| B．all the villages were exactly the same |
| C．he was doing something enjoyable |
| D．the villagers were curious about him |
Before coming to India, the writer________.
| A．had been a successful politician |
| B．had made a decision to work for India |
| C．had studied India culture for some months |
| D．had worked for newspapers and magazines |
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意:请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填一个单词。
There are many things that we wish to achieve in life. For some, we set goals and objectives, and for some we don’t. Try to remember the last time you set a goal to achieve a certain task. Were you able to complete the task in an effective manner? The tasks which are done by setting and meeting daily goals will definitely be useful and rewarding experiences. A step-by-step approach towards achieving smaller goals is the key to achieving larger ones.
When it comes to the workplace, each and every employee is expected to meet daily responsibilities and expectations. With organizations becoming more and more competitive, the importance of goal-setting for employees is increasing. It helps the employee to perform better and increases his or her efficiency and time management. It’s also important for every student to set high academic goals so as to be able to build a good career.
Setting goals for completing the daily schedule helps an employee to finish the assigned tasks and targets in a timely manner. If an employee is performing the way he or she is expected to, then this will automatically increase the performance, output and productivity of both the employee and the organization. Daily study targets are the same. This helps you complete your assignments within the set time, thus putting less pressure on you during exams and increasing your chances of performing well.
How many times you have to be at work on a weekend just to complete your work? How many times you have had to stay up all night to complete your homework or study for your exams? Had you followed your set goals and targets right from the beginning, you would have spent the time relaxing rather than being busy working or studying! Setting up goals and objectives helps you organize your time and efforts in an efficient manner.
In performing your work diligently, you are likely to keep a steady pace when it comes to fulfilling your set targets. Because you are already on track, there will be no unnecessary workload and time limits over your head. Therefore, another benefit of effective goal-setting is lack of stress and a more calm and relaxed mind. Only a stress-free and calm mind can house progressive and productive thoughts. A calm mind causes positivity, which goes a long way towards increasing your ability to achieve the personal goals you have set for yourself.
Each and every human being aims to achieve two things: to fulfill desires and to enjoy life. This is possible only through proper discipline and time management. Goal-setting leads to not only professional growth but also personal growth and development. You are expected to know that every step counts and that setting up goals is easy, but following them on a consistent basis is difficult. Therefore, if you want to be successful and also harvest the fruits of your hard work, you need to stick to your set goals and be focused towards achieving them. Realize the significant role that goal-setting plays in your life, make sure that you do all you can to achieve what you want., set your goals, work towards achieving them and celebrate your success!
| Passage outline |
Supporting details |
| Significance of goal-setting in achieving success |
l In face of competition , employees with goals can perform better as well as (1)______ efficiency and time management. l Students who want to build a good career should attach(2)______to setting high academic goals. |
| Increase output and performance |
l By setting goals , an employees can increase output and performance instead of (3)_____ completing his or her tasks. l Students can have less pressure and perform well with the aid of daily study targets. |
| Help in time management |
l You can have your time and efforts (4)____ better if you follow your setting –goals from the beginning. l You’re likely to have more time for (5)_____instead of occupying yourself in working or studying. |
| Reduce (6)____ levels |
l Chances are that you can fulfill your set targets steadily (7)____ to lack of pressure. l Effective goal-setting is (8)____ for you to keep a relaxed mind, which can result in positivity. |
| Every step counts |
l You should be (9)_____that it’s difficult to follow your goals consistently. l Your hard work will (10)_____ off if you stick to your set goals step by step. |
Peter and his seven-year-old sister ,Kate , were at the same school. Not long after his tenth birthday Peter was entrusted to take her to school.
It was only two stops down the road , but the way his parents kept going on about it , you might have thought Peter was taking Kate to the North Pole . He was given instructions the night before. When he woke up , he had to listen to them over and over again. He was to keep hold of Kate’s hand at all times , sit close to the front nearest the window , and tell the bus driver the name of his stop.
Peter repeated all this back to his mother and set out for the bus stop with his sister. They held hands all the way. Actually he didn’t mind this but simply hoped that none of his friends would see him holding a girl’s hand. The bus came. They got on and sat close to the front. It was ridiculous sitting there holding hands and there were some boys from school there, so they let go of each other.
Peter was feeling proud of himself. He could take care of his sister anywhere. If they were alone tighter on a mountain pass and came face to face with a pack of hungry wolves, he could know exactly what to do. Taking care and not to make sudden movement, he would move away with Kate until they had their backs to a large rock. That way the wolves would not be able to surround them.
Then he takes from his pocket two important things—his hunting knife and a box of matches. He takes the knife from its sheath(鞘) and sets it down on the grass, ready in case the wolves attack. They’re coming close now. They’re so hungry and are watering and growling (咆哮). Kate is crying, but he cannot comfort her. He knows he has to concentrate on his plan. Right at their feet are some dry leaves and twigs. Quickly and skillfully, Peter gathers them into a small pile. The wolves are edging closer. He has to get this right. There’s only one match left in the box. He bends down, cups his hand and lights the match. There’s strong rush of wind. The flame flickers, but Peter holds it close to the pile and then first one leaf, then another, then the end of a twig catch fire, and soon the little pile is burning. He piles on more leaves and twigs and larger sticks. The wolves are backing off. Wild animals are terrified of fire. The flames are leaping higher and the wind is carrying the smoke right into their jaws. Now Peter takes holds of the hunting knife and …
Ridiculous! A daydream like this could make him miss his stop if he wasn’t careful. The bus had come to a halt. The kids from his school were already getting off. Peter leaped to his feet and just managed to jump to the pavement as the bus was starting off again. It was more than fifty yards down the road when he realized he had forgotten something. Was it his backpack ? No. It was his sister. He had saved her from the wolves and left her sitting there. For a moment, he couldn’t move. He stood watching the bus pull away up the road. “Come back,” he murmured, “Come back.”Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Kate didn’t know their destination at all. |
| B．Peter and Kate missed their stop in the end. |
| C．Peter is thought to take Kate to the North Pole. |
| D．Mother asked Peter to hold Kate’s hand all the way. |
Before getting on the bus, ________.
| A．Peter and Kate let go of each other |
| B．Peter was told instructions twice |
| C．Peter recited the instructions to his mother |
| D．Peter managed to avoid meeting his friends |
Which of the following shows the right order of Peter fighting against the wolves?
a. gather dry leaves and twigs into a small pile
b. take out his hunting knife and matches
c. light the leaves and twigs
d. move carefully with back to a rock
e. attack wolves with knife
f. strike a match
g. pile more leaves and sticks
| A．d-b-f-c-a-e-g | B．d-b-a-f-c-g-e | C．B-f-a-g-c-e-d | D．A-g-b-c-f-e-d |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Peter felt anxious and helpless when the bus left. |
| B．Peter succeeded in fighting against wolves. |
| C．Kate would be absent from school that day. |
| D．Peter brought hunting knife and matches with him. |
Narayana Hrudayalaya, a complex of health centers based in southern India, offers low-cost, high-quality specialty care in a largely poor country of 1.2 billion people. By thinking differently about everything from the unusually high number of patients it treats to the millions for whom it provides insurance, the hospital group is able to continually reduce costs. Narayana Hrudayalaya’s operations include the world’s largest and most productive cardiac (心脏病的) hospital, where the average open-heart surgery runs less than $2,000, a third or less what it costs elsewhere in India.
Narayana Hrudayalaya’s origins date back to 2001, when it built its massive cardiac center on the outskirts （市郊）of Bangalore. But it has expanded since then into what founder Dr. Devi Shetty calls a "health city," a series of centers specializing in eye, trauma, and cancer care. Narayana Hrudayalaya now manages or owns hospitals in 14 other Indian cities.
Expanding access is paired with a ongoing focus on efficiency. Typically, says Shetty, private hospitals in India focus on patients who can easily afford treatment. "We did it the other way around," he says. "This hospital is for poor people, but we also treat some rich people. We don’t look at people who are sgabbily dressed and have trouble paying as outsiders. " Narayana Hrudayalaya’s flagship hospital has 3,000 beds and negotiates for better prices and buys directly from manufacturers, cutting out distributors.
In addition to cost-cutting, Narayana Hrudayalaya finds creative ways to make the economics work. The company started a micro-insurance program backed by the government that enables 3 million farmers to have coverage for as little as 22 cents a month in premiums（保险费）. Patients who pay discounted rates are in effect compensated by those who pay full price
Doing something--doing more, actually--is the point. By 2017, Shetty, 58, plans to expand from 5,000 beds throughout India to 30,000. Before becoming one of India’s best-known health-care entrepreneurs, Shetty was its best-known heart surgeon. He was interrupted in surgery one day during the 1990s by a request to make a house call. "I said, 'I don’t make home visits,' " Shetty says, "and the caller said, 'If you see this patient, the experience may transform your life.' " The request was from Mother Teresa. Inspired by the her work with the poor, he then set out to create a hospital to deliver care based on need, not wealth. "One lesson she taught me," he says, quoting a saying he keeps framed in his office, "is 'Hands that sew are holier than lips that pray.' "Narayana Hrudayalayastarted a micro-insurance to _______.
| A．cut down on the cost of the treatment | B．get the support of the government |
| C．make the company run smoothly | D．attract more people to its hospital |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．the cost of medicine care in India is very low |
| B．Shetty wouldn’t have succeeded without Mother Teresa |
| C．Shetty and his colleagues are likely to make home visits now |
| D．Shetty has expanded his hospitals to most of other cities in India |
Why did Shetty build the massive cardiac center in 2001?
| A．He wanted to build a health city. |
| B．He was motivated and decided to help more people. |
| C．He intended to develop his career in different areas. |
| D．He meant to help more poor people get free treatment. |
How would you understand the underlined sentence in the last paragraph ?
| A．It’s doing something and doing more that really matters. |
| B．It’s not easy to take positive action to contribute to society. |
| C．Healthcare workers are the holiest persons in the world. |
| D．Praying alone is of no significance in face of difficult situation. |
From the outer of New York to the heart of Singapore, nature is everywhere you're not looking in some of Earth's most crowded big cities. Outdoor adventure is often just a few stops on the train - or a short drive- away from the annoying crowds. Here are a few favorites to get you going:
Mount Hollywood Trail, Los Angeles
It's not a skyscraper or a Ferris wheel, and there's no expensive restaurant up top. But if you want an absolutely unforgettable, no-admission-charged, 360-degree view of the entire Los Angeles region , it's yours. All you have to do is walk a little. One of the preferred exercise routes, the Mount Hollywood Trail, is easily accessed from the parking lot of the famous Griffith Observatory; you see what you get at the end of this steep 1.5-mile trail, which winds its way through the Griffith Park wilds up to the mountain's 1,640-foot peak.
Bronx River, New York
It may not be on your Top 10 list of things to do when you finally get to the Big Apple, but exploring the almost-secret river that flows through one of New York's most mysterious boroughs (自治市) is an unforgettable experience. The Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit group that has worked tirelessly to bring the much-abused river back to life , operates cycling and canoeing trips along the river, from the rugged Hunts Point section down near the harbor on up through the borough.
Southern Islands, Singapore
Believe it or not, tightly packed Singapore does have plenty of open space left . There are actual trails right in the middle of everything, if you know where to look . But to really get away from it all, the Southern Islands, a small group of little green dots just off the city-state's southern shoreline, are just the thing.
Lee Valley, London
This East London river valley changed last summer, when anyone near a television got an eyeful of Olympic Park, built directly in the middle of the valley. Inside the park, beautifully landscaped sections quickly became a favorite relaxation spot for games goers. At present, you'll find miles of walking paths worth exploring. Start at the Waltham Cross train and follow the signposted walking route southbound, guiding you past important historic industrial areas, through interesting city neighborhoods, past the western side of Olympic Park and on to the Thames.If someone wants to enjoy an unforgettable experience for free , he can go to ______.
| A．Mount Hollywood Trail and Bronx River |
| B．Mount Hollywood Trail and Southern Islands |
| C．Lee Valley and Southern Islands |
| D．Bronx River and Lee Valley |
The writer of the passage wants to ________.
| A．inform the readers that nature exists in crowded big cities |
| B．appeal to more people to outdoor adventure |
| C．recommend several historical spots to readers |
| D．present various approach to outdoor adventure |
We know from the passage ________.
| A．it’s difficult to find a proper trail in packed Singapore |
| B．the Thames is not far away from the East London river valley |
| C．The Bronx River Alliance has succeeded in running the river |
| D．you may have trouble reaching the Mount Hollywood Trail |
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