A recent Auburn University study provides some real numbers to back a theory we’ve all known was true for some time—planting a shade tree near your home reduces energy bil
ls significantly in the spring and summer months. The study, conducted in Auburn,
Alabama, included 160 homes with different levels of shade. Each home’s energy usage was monitored and compared to other houses with similar energy— using patterns, size, type of cooling system, etc. Here are some highlights from the study:
Houses with trees on the west side of their home had a “much lower power bill”.
Older homes had the most shade coverage, because people did not use to rely on air conditioning as much to keep them cool.
Children under age 12 consume the most power in a home as they watch television, play games and frequently leave lights on.
Fall and early winter are the perfect seasons to plant a tree. This time of year many nurseries（苗圃）are trying to reduce their inventory of trees heading into the winter, so you may find a deal on trees easily to plant around your lot.
While you have the spade out, consider planting a tree near your outside air conditioning unit. The shade will keep the unit cooler and help it operate more efficiently. Be sure to plant far enough from the unit to allow proper airflow, and account for the tree’s growth over time.
It actually hurts to watch the trees being knocked over when land developers plan neighborhoods be
cause trees could provide much needed shade to new homeowners, reducing their electric bill and the amount of energy they consume. Hopefully this study, and more like it in the future, will encourage developers and builders to plan around trees as much as possible to offer homeowners a shaded lot.
1．What does the passage m
ainly tell us?
A．A new study about planting trees.
B．Planting trees to reduce your power bill.
C．Houses with trees on the west side.
D．Don't cut trees down when planning neighborhoods.
2．The underlined word "inventory" in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ________.
A．invention B．volume C．list D．type
3．According to the passage, ____ might spend more energy cost.
A．houses with trees on the west side of their home
B．older houses with the most shade coverage
C．houses with different levels of shade
D．houses with the children under age 12
4．Which is NOT the benefit of planting a tree near the outside air conditioning unit?
A．The shade will keep the unit much cooler.
B．The shade helps the unit operate more efficiently.
C．The trees stops the unit having proper airflow.
D．The shade prevents the sunlight from shining on the unit.
5．What can we learn from this study?
A．The study is carried out by the students at Auburn University, Alabama.
B．While planning new neighborhoods, developers often cut down the trees there.
C．Houses with trees on the east side of their house had a lower power bill.
D．The study will prevent developers and builders from planning more trees.
In James Cameron’s fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored is decorated in color and filled with alien danger. But on his dive to the deepest place on Earth, which took place on a Sunday last month, reality proved far different: white, deserted, and dull.
“I felt like I literally had gone to another planet and come back,” Cameron said after returning from the cold, dark place in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles (11km) below the surface. “It was a very fantastic day.” Cameron is the first person to explore the deepest valley in the ocean since two men made a 20-minute trip there in 1960.
He spent about three hours gliding through the icy darkness, brightened only by lights on the one-man sub(潜水艇). This deepest section of the Mariana Trench is so untouched that at first it appeared dull. But there’s something strangely interesting about the first pieces of video that Cameron shot — a sense of aloneness.
“It’s really the sense of isolation, realizing how tiny you are down in this big, black and unexplored place,” the Titanic director said. The wordless minute-long video, released by sponsor National Geographic, shows Cameron’s sub gliding across what he calls “the very soft, almost gelatinous(胶状的) flat plain.”
To Cameron, the main thing was to appreciate being there. “There had to be a moment where I just stopped, and took it in, and said, ‘This is where I am; I’m at the bottom of the ocean, the deepest place on Earth. What does that mean?’” Cameron told reporters during a conference call. The trip was only about half as long as planned because Cameron’s battery ran low. He said he would return and film it in 3D for later viewing.
“I see this as the beginning,” Cameron said. “It’s not a one-time deal and then moving on. This is the beginning of opening up this new frontier.”Why did Cameron dive to the deepest place on Earth?
| A．To study ocean creatures in the deepest valley. |
| B．To prove his strong will and perseverance. |
| C．To get support from National Geographic. |
| D．To open up a new frontier. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Cameron’s fantasy film, Avatar was inspired by his dive to the deepest place on Earth. |
| B．Cameron glided through the icy darkness alone by lights of the one-man sub. |
| C．Cameron didn’t stay at the bottom of the ocean as planned because he was worn out. |
| D．Cameron felt bored when he went to the deepest valley in the ocean. |
The underlined sentence in the passage means that ______.
| A．he appreciated and took pride in being at the bottom of the ocean |
| B．he was disappointed because the trip was only about half as long as planned |
| C．Cameron wanted to show the public he had been to the deepest place on Earth |
| D．he wouldn’t stop exploring the deepest place in the future |
According to the passage, which of the following words best describes Cameron?
| A．Generous. | B．Diligent. |
| C．Self-centered. | D．Adventurous. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．James Cameron’s Fantasy Films. |
| B．The First to Explore the Deepest Place on Earth. |
| C．A Dive to the Deepest Place on Earth. |
| D．Crazy Cameron. |
Located along California’s San Andreas Fault, the city of San Francisco is likely to take precautions(预防，防备) in the event of the next big earthquake.
According to a New York Times report, emergency planners in San Francisco are not only thinking of human evacuation(撤离，疏散) plans in the event of an earthquake, but also of how to care for pets during a natural disaster. Ideally, the planners will be able to train pet-disaster responders who work to evacuate dogs, cats and other household pets from the disaster site to one of the 125 temporary animal shelters that will be set up or, if the pet is injured, it will be brought to an emergency animal medical unit where there will be people on hand to tend to the pet’s injury. The city’s “no-pets-left-behind” policy results from the great number of pet deaths during the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
As emergency responders arrived to rescue people isolated in their homes during Katrina, hurricane victims were told that they could not take their pets along with them when evacuating; thus, many pet owners were forced to make the heart-breaking decision to save themselves while leaving their pets behind to perhaps meet their deaths.
Since then, the U.S. has passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006, allocating federal funds for animal disaster planning projects. Yet, not all counties are as progressive as San Francisco has been in the effort to protect pets in the event of a natural disaster. Pets are after all, a large part of San Francisco’s population — overnumbering the number of school age children in the city.
Over the last three years, San Francisco has received $350,000 in federal funds designated to animal disaster preparedness efforts in order to protect animals in the case of a disaster such as an earthquake. The city is still working on obtaining $300,000 to pay for an emergency animal unit. Until then, animal lovers in San Francisco will continue to work to ensure that pets are never an afterthought when it comes to rescues during earthquakes or other life threatening situations.We learn from the second paragraph that ______.
| A．emergency planners in San Fransico only consider human evacuation plans in a disaster |
| B．emergency planners in San Fransico only think about pet evacuation plans during a disaster |
| C．the safety of both humans and pets in a disaster is taken seriously |
| D．emergency medical units will be used only for humans |
What do we know about Hurricane Katrina?
| A．A great number of pets died during Hurricane Katrina. |
| B．San Francisco’s “no-pets-left-behind” policy had been made before Hurricane Katrina. |
| C．The pet owners chose to sacrifice themselves in order to save their pets. |
| D．Emergency responders failed to rescue the hurricane victims. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．San Fransisco has made great effort to protect pets in a natural disaster. |
| B．The number of school age children in San Fransisco is smaller than that of pets. |
| C．The U.S. government has spent money on animal disaster planning projects. |
| D．All the countries are in the effort to protect pets in a natural disaster. |
The underlined word “designated” in the last paragraph most probably means ______.
| A．loaned | B．allocated | C．replaced | D．obtained |
What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．How to take precautions in the earthquake. |
| B．Human evacuation plans in the earthquake. |
| C．Taking steps to care for pets during a natural disaster. |
| D．How to train pets to escape from a disaster. |
Careercast.com is out with its list of best and worst jobs of 2012. It’s bad news for the writer of this story, but much brighter for the folks who program the code that keeps this website busy.
Using a method that looked at physical demands, work environment, income, stress and hiring outlook, career Website Careercast.com, ranked the top 200 jobs. They also ranked the jobs with the most stress. Not surprisingly, none of the most stressful jobs show up on the best jobs list.
At the top is software engineer and at the bottom is the lumberjack. Cutting trees failed to skate above the bottom 10 percent in all ranking categories, except income. “Unemployment for lumberjacks is very high, and the demand for their services is expected to continue to fall through 2016. And while working outside all day may seem like a great job perk(有额外津贴的工作), being a lumberjack not only is considered the worst job, but also one of the world’s most dangerous,” according to Careercast.com. And, for that most dangerous job, a lumberjack earns a little more than $32,000 a year. That’s about $56,000 less than the easy job of a software engineer, which has the average salary at $88,000 a year, according to Careercast.
Here’s a complete look at the best and worst jobs. And, take a look at the most stressful jobs. You may be surprised.
Best Jobs Worst Jobs Most Stressful Jobs
Software Engineer Lumberjack Enlisted Soldier
Actuary Dairy Farmer Firefighter
Human Resources Manager Enlisted Military Soldier Airline Pilot
Dental Hygienist Oil Rig Worker Military General
Financial Planner Reporter (Newspaper) Police Officer
Audiologist Waiter/Waitress Event Coordinator
Occupational Therapist Meter Reader Public Relations Executive
Online Advertising Manager Dishwasher Corporate Executive Computer Systems Analyst Butcher Photojournalist
Mathematician Broadcaster Taxi DriverWho might be most interested in the passage?
| A．Job-hunters. | B．Net surfers. |
| C．Employers. | D．Educators. |
Which of the following was not considered when Careercast.com ranked the top 200 jobs?
| A．Hiring outlook. | B．Pressure. |
| C．Mental demands. | D．Salary. |
What do we know about the lumberjack?
| A．Although the lumberjack has high unemployment, it isn’t considered the worst job. |
| B．On the best jobs list, the lumberjack isn’t at the bottom. |
| C．More lumberjacks’ services will be needed after 2016. |
| D．A lumberjack earns less than half of a software engineer’s salary a year. |
According to the passage, the list is good news for ______.
| A．Online Advertising Managers. | B．Reporters. |
| C．Firefighters. | D．Dairy Farmers. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To describe the advantages of different careers. |
| B．To provide career information. |
| C．To explain why a software engineer is the best job. |
| D．To analyze why a lumberjack is the worst job. |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
You slowly open your eyes. Ah, another beautiful morning. You think to yourself, "It's great not to have anything to worry about". OH NO! Today is exam day and you haven’t studied enough! How can you deal with the mountains of stress that exams seem to create? Read on to find out some useful study tips to prepare for exams:
Get into a routine
If you get started early enough before your exams, you will find you don’t need to put in any all-nighters. Find the time of the day that you study the best. Pick a couple of hours and stick to this study time. Get to know how you learn the best.
Plan ahead
Planning ahead is the best way to maximize your chances of good grades. You may have only limited time to study. Ask your teachers to help you make a list of the most important topics to study. If you stick to a schedule, it will start to seem manageable.
Look after yourself
Fresh fruit and vegetables will give you reserves of energy and increase your ability to concentrate. Don't stay awake all night trying to study. Wind down after study and try some relaxation exercises. Having regular exercise will keep your mind active.
Assistance and resources
Your teachers will usually be more than happy to meet with you outside of class times. Make appointments to meet with them regularly. Don't waste their time, however. Plan what you want to discuss and have some questions written down. Practise on past exam papers, but don't rely only on them. There is no such thing as a short cut when it comes to exams.
| A. This is the same mistake you always make. B. How can you avoid a situation like this? C. In this case you need to make a schedule. D. So you can make the best of your spare time. E. It can also prevent your concentration from dropping. F. Perhaps studying on the bed or outside is better for you. G. You should also make use of all the other available resources. |
In 1953, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary, then 33, joined a British Qomolangma expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans were the first team to attempt the summit (顶峰). Despite a violent storm, they reached the South Summit — at 28,700 feet (8,748 meters) — by 1 p.m. on May 26. But both men knew they would run out of oxygen if they went on. They agreed to turn back.
Two days later, Hillary and Norgay, set out from Camp IX at 25,900 feet to make the next attempt. At 27,900 feet they made a temporary camp on a six foot wide rock to spend the night. At 6:30 the next morning, cheered by clearing skies, the team moved out. Roped together, cutting steps with their ice axes, they inched up a steep, knife-edged ridge (山脊) southeast of the summit. They reached the South Summit by 9:00 a.m.
Farther up, they met a 40-foot icy rock face, which was later named the Hillary Step. “…looking up at the rock step at 29,000 feet, it really did look extremely difficult to overcome,” said Hillary. But they found a narrow crack on the surface of the rock, just large enough to move inside on hands and knees, and managed to climb it by supporting feet against one side and backs against the other. Hillary said, “That was really the first moment during the whole of the expedition that I was confident that we were going to get to the top.”
The last few yards to the summit were relatively easy. “Then I realized that the ridge, instead of rising ahead, now dropped sharply away,” Hillary said. “I looked upward to see a narrow ridge running up to a sharp point. …and we stood on the summit.” It was 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The climbing history of Qomolangma. |
| B．The life and achievements of Edmund Hillary. |
| C．How Hillary and Norgay conquered Qomolangma. |
| D．How the Hillary Step got its name. |
At what height did Hillary and Norgay set out on May 29?
| A．25,900 feet. | B．27,900 feet. |
| C．28,700 feet. | D．29,000 feet. |
According to Paragraph 2, one of the main advantages to Hillary and Norgay was .
| A．fine weather conditions | B．good rest the night before |
| C．enough food supplies | D．good climbing skills |
When looking back, Hillary described the Hillary Step as .
| A．much easier to climb than she expected |
| B．impossible for her to overcome again |
| C．easy to climb up but hard to climb down |
| D．one of the biggest barriers before the summit |
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