For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer(下水道) system. But if you want to save a little water and reuse it on your lawns or plants --- or even use it for laundry, dishes, or other needs --- collecting rainwater from your gutter’s downspouts(檐槽的水落管) is a no-brainer.
According to John C. Davis, writing in E / The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, given that the roof and gutters do most of the work. And since an inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of water, you can harvest enough to water your lawn or garden.
Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap water, which is usually treated with substances that can hold back plant growth. Using rainwater can also extend the life of pipes, since the salts added to tap water may gradually damage the pipes. However, homeowners should set up a water purification system if they do plan to use rainwater for inside needs.
Rainwater harvesting can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution associated with heavy rainfall, and reduces dependence on public water supplies. So some states fund rainwater collection systems in their local communities.
Many varieties of rain barrel(桶) systems, starting at just $100, are available for home use. A typical setup is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter’s downspout. Skillful homeowners can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one is a lot easier. Most garden centres offer a range of choices as well as tips.The underlined word “no-brainer” in Para. 1 probably means something that ______.
| A．is hard to deal with | B．is very easy |
| C．is of no real value | D．deserves more attention |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4, we can learn _______.
| A．how to set up a water harvesting system | B．how a rain barrel system works |
| C．some advice on saving tap water | D．the benefits of using rainwater |
What is the topic of the passage ?
| A．Basic gardening skills. | B．Water-saving techniques. |
| C．Wastewater treatment systems. | D．Roof rainwater collection. |
Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that man and animals possess if they are used. If fire didn’t hurt when it burned, children would play with it until their hands were burned away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear didn’t, a child could burn itself again and again because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier—and some do exist—is not a good soldier because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which man and animals might soon die out.
In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead, to use f
ear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you
of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing into your house, and you may not want to go and live in a desert where there are no airplanes. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of the particular danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.
1. Children would play with fire until their hands are burnt away if _________.
A. they were not well educated at school B. they had never played with fire before
C. they had no sense of pain D. they were fearful of pain
2. People sometimes succeed in timely avoiding danger because _________.
A. they have gained experience B. they are warned of the danger and take quick action
C. they jump out of the way in time D. they are calm in face of danger
3. What is implied but not stated in the passage?
A. Too much fear is harmful B. Fear is always something helpful
C .Fear is something that can be avoided
D. Fear ought to be used as our guide in our life
4.The best title for this passage should be __________.
A. No Pains, No Gains B. Pain and Actions
C. The Value of Fear D .The Reason Why People Fear
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
This August has seen athletes doing their sweaty part in the "Good Luck Beijing" sports events. Some foreign athletes have commented on the passion of Chinese spectators（观众）.
Not all the spectators, however, came out looking exactly good. Girls holding umbrellas on beach volleyball stands. Spectators crying sharply during the hockey matches. These can be unintended disturb. To avoid them, we'd keep in mind some special manners:
Beach volleyball
1. Dress down for beach volleyball. It's also a good time to show off y
our colorful top and sexy shorts.
2. Use protective cream for your skin. Wear sunglasses and bring something to drink. But don't carry something that blocks others' view.
3. Look all you want at the body shapes around you, but save some attention for the players' skills.
Archery & shooting
1. Sit at the back or on either side of the field. For safety's sake, do not risk out of there.
2. Above all, keep quiet during the match. Put your cellphone on vibrate or turn it off.
3. Do not use the flash on your camera, bec
ause it can disturb the athletes.
4. When the athletes are aiming at the target, keep your voice down.
Baseball, basketball & football
1. Drinks in glass bottles or cans are not allowed.
2. Don't bring a whistle. Referees use them and you can puzzle the players.
3. Players can be tense when taking a shot. Keep the cheering down at critical moments. Do not use the camera flash.
4. If you easily get nervous, bring some snacks. Keep your mouth moving to calm you down.
Cycling & marathon
1. Spectators should keep off the track. Control your pets.
2. Cyclists or runners might look tired, sweaty and thirsty, but, do not hand them a bottle of water, a cool towel or anything else. Any help from spectators can disqualify（剥夺资格）an athlete.
3. Again, if a cyclist or runner falls, do not rush over to help. The best thing to do is to co
ntact medical personnel.
1. When watching beach volleyball matches, you should not __________.
A. bring anything to drink B. use an umbrella on stands
C. wear sunglasses D. look at the body shapes
2. You’d better not _________.
A. eat anything when watching matches B. use camera flash when watching cycling
C. shout loudly when watching archery D. stay where you sit when watching shooting
3. If you go to watch marathon, you can not ________.
A. bring your pets B. give athletes something to drink
C. cry sharply D. ask medical personnel to help athletes
4. The passage mainly tells us ___________.
A. how spectators disturb athletes B. how spectators help athletes
C. dos and don’ts while watching matches D. some rules for sports events
About 70 scientists were working on a very busy project. All of them felt really desperate due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting their job.
One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him, “Sir, I’ve promised to take my children to the exhibition going on in our township so I want to leave at 5:30 p. m.” His boss replied, “OK. You’re permitted to leave the office early today.”
The scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual, he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch only when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8:30 p. m. Suddenly he remembered his promise to the children. He looked for his boss but he was not there. Having told him in the morning himself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. The children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, “Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?” The man replied, “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about the children?” His wife replied, “You don’t know? Your boss came here at 5:15 p. m. and has taken them to the exhibition.”
What had really happened was the boss who gave him permission was observing him working seriously at 5:00 p. m. He thought to himself: this person will not leave the work, but he’s promised to take his children to the exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them there. The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it’s done, loyalty is established.
That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was extraordinarily huge. By the way ,can you boldly guess who the boss was? He was none other that the mastermind behind India’s successful nuclear weapons program, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India.
1．The scientist asked for an early leave because______.
A．he felt increasingly desperate about his work
B．he meant to accompany his wife at dinner
C.the task at hand was close to completion
D．he’d promised to take his kids to a show
2．The underlined sentence implies that the scientist thought his wife was _____.
A．dissatisfied with his coming home late
B．ready to serve dinner for him
C.grateful to his kind-hearted boss
D．delighted to see him back home
3．The boss took children to the exhibition_________.
A．when it was too late for the scientist to do so
B．because the scientist was absorbed in his work
C.because he also wanted to see what was on show
D．when the man’s wife asked him to do so
4．All the scientists stayed loyal to their boss__________.
A．out of gratefulness for his thoughtfulness
B．because he had power over them
C.to learn how to live under pressure
D．every time he took the children to the show
Sure, human dads can play catch and help with homework, but can they give birth? Daddy sea horses can! This Father’s Day, while you’re showing respect to your dad, remember some of the best dads in the world can also be found in the animal kingdom.
Sea Horses: The "Mr. Moms" of the marine world, male sea horses, carry up to 2,000 fertilized eggs in pouches in their stomachs until they hatch. Even after the babies are born, they stay inside the pouch until they are ready to venture out on their own.
Microhylid Frogs: Buy these dads a "Baby on Board" sign to put on their backs! These froggy fathers from New Guinea play piggyback once their babies hatch from their eggs. One by one, the dad lets as many as 24 froglets climb onto his back for a family road trip. He hops about 50 feet each night, and one by one, his kids jump off along the way to begin new lives of their own.
Darwin's Rheas: Thought your dad was overprotective? Darwin's rhea, also known as South American ostriches（鸵鸟）, are so protective of their children that they routinely rush cowboys on horseback and have even been known to attack small airplanes on the ground if they get too close to their brood!
Marmosets: These little monkeys do everything but Lamaze class（心理助产课）! Dedicated dads assist during labor by biting off the umbilical cord（脐带）and cleaning up the afterbirth. They also let Mom get some R&R（rest & recreation）by taking care of the kids when they're not nursing. Sand Grouse: Talk about sponging off Dad! These pigeon-like birds live in areas where water is sparse, so fathers fly as many as 50 miles to get water for their kids. After they soak up the water in their breast feathers, they fly home and let their chicks suckle the moisture from their bodies.
Fathers of the animal kingdom are not that different from our own beloved dads. This Father's Day, when you are honoring your dad, honor animal dads, too, by practicing kindness and compassion toward all animals.
1．The passage is mainly written to __________.
A．introduce to us some unusual animals
B．distinguish between human and animal dads
C.raise our awareness of animal protection
D．praise animal dads for their sacrifices
2．Among these animal dads, which have the ability to fly?
A．Microhylid Frogs. B．Sea Horses C.Darwin’s Rheas. D．Sand Grouses.
3．What these animals have in common is that_____________.
A．they carry their young to wherever they please
B．they’re all devoted to their children
C.they’re overprotective of their children
D．they help their wives clean up the afterbirth
4．When Microhylid Frogs play piggyback, they___________.
A．let their kids ride on their back
B．attack cowboys with their back
C.carry their babies inside a pouch
D．help their wife during the labor
Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots（停车场）beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area.
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams. Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage（杠杆作用）to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas.
Car owners living in the suburbs（郊区）will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area. Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometre downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area.
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hour every morning and evening. Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars.
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit（公共交通）construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 percent. Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout（布局）by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown.
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams. The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial centre, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions.
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow.
1. In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to ____.
A. take buses or subways B． take a taxi
C. drive the car quickly D． park his car in a place which asks for no fees
2. According to this passage, while more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to ____.
A. save time B． cause traffic jams
C. cause traffic accidents D． reduce air pollution
3. The aim in building new city centers is to ____.
A. make it convenient for people to go shopping B． develop its local resources
C. reduce the traffic flow to the downtown D． solve the problem of more laid-off workers
4. The passage suggests the author ____.
A. is tired of driving to work
B. finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C. is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion
D. has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day
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