Electric cars are dirty.In fact，not only are they dirty，they might even be more dirty than their gasolinepowered cousins.
People in California love to talk about “zeroemissions vehicles”，but_people_in_California_seem_to_be_clueless_about_where_electricity_comes_from.Power plants mostly use fire to make it.Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells，we get our electricity from generators.Generators are fueled by something—usually coal，oil，but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants.There are a few wind farms and geothermal(地热的) plants as well，but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.
In other words，those “zeroemissions” cars are likely coalburning cars.It’s just because the coal is burned somewhere else that it looks clean.It is not.It’s as if the California Greens are covering their eyes—“If I can’t see it，it’s not happening.” Gasoline is an incredibly efficient way to power a vehicle；a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it.But when you take that gas(or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity，you waste a nice part of that energy，mostly in the form of wasted heat—at the generator，through the transmission(传送) lines，etc.
A gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles.But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won’t get you nearly as far—so electric cars burn more fuel than gaspowered ones.If our electricity came mostly from nukes；or geothermal，or hydro，or solar，or wind，then an electric car truly would be clean.But for political，technical，and economic reasons，we don’t use much of those energy sources.
In addition，electric cars’ batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventually end up in a landfill.And finally，when cars are the polluters，the pollution is spread across all the roads.When it’s a power plant，though，all the junk is in one place.Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are too concentrated，but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot.What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph 2?
| A．People see the California Greens everywhere. |
| B．People in California love to talk about zeroemissions vehicles. |
| C．People in California love to have their roofs covered with solar cells. |
| D．People in California have no idea that so far electricity mainly comes from burning coal，oil，etc. |
What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Electric cars are not clean at all. |
| B．Electric cars are better than gasolinepowered ones. |
| C．People cast doubts on electric cars’ batteries. |
| D．Gasoline is an efficient way to power a vehicle. |
The electricity we get from a gallon of gas may make our car run ________.
| A．not less than 25 miles |
| B．as far as 50 miles |
| C．as far as 25 miles |
| D．not more than 25 miles |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．being green is good and should be encouraged in communication |
| B．electric cars are not clean in that we get electricity mainly by burning something |
| C．zeroemissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment |
| D．electric cars are now the dominant vehicle compared with gasolinepowered cousins |
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents，photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish them in books and on the Internet.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to .
| A．beauties | B．photos | C．goods | D．events |
The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos .
| A．are also works of art |
| B．are popular ways of reporting news |
| C．often shock the public |
| D．can serve as a force for social change |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．News with pictures is encouraging. |
| B．Photos help people improve their life |
| C．News photos mean history in a sense. |
| D．People prefer reading news with pictures. |
The text is mainly about .
| A．telling the story through pictures |
| B．decorating the walls of homes |
| C．publishing historical papers |
| D．expressing feeling through pictures |
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome successful man devoted to his work and family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boyfriends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical (挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting be around? What had held him back before?
The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing. I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad, in his mew home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was. Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?
| A．He was silent most of the time. |
| B．He was too proud of himself. |
| C．He did not love his children. |
| D．He expected too much of her. |
When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ________.
| A．nervous | B．sorry | C．tired | D．safe |
What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
| A．More critical. | B．More talkative |
| C．Gentle and friendly. | D．Strict and hard-working. |
The underlined words “my new friend” in the last paragraph refer to ________.
| A．the author’s son | B．the author’s father |
| C．the friend of the author’s father | D．the café owner |
Relax. He is the same little boy you loved yesterday. I smiled trying to hold back the tears. “No, he isn’t. Yesterday I dreamed he would be an astronaut. Today I am hoping he will learn to talk.”
It was like some sort of cosmic joke. I could still recall the day that determined my fate. It was October in Ottawa and the summer breezes had given way to the autumn rainfall of leaves. The snow would begin soon. The crispness (清爽) of coming frost was in the air. My casually mentioning Wyatt’s behavior to Dr. Martin aroused his worries. He started asking me questions about Wyatt’s activities speech pattern and emotions. I still see clearly in my mind the cleanness of the room and all its belongings when the doctor turned to me and said, “He almost sounds autistic (自闭) .”
I couldn’t face that picture in my mind. I had to run to get away from this all too painful place that was reminding me of what was to be my child’s life-being strange.
I could not remember how many times I told myself, “This is normal. He is a little boy who is not talking yet,” when my asking questions met with his blank-eyed response in a restaurant; how many times I would tell myself, “He loves to play on his own for hours at a time and he never gets into trouble,” when Wyatt was playing games that no one else could imagine, let alone join in while other boys in the park were playing together or in small groups played around a sand pail(桶) or toy truck. My life was changing direction. So was Wyatt’s.
I started to hide Wyatt from my friends and neighbor especially from a good friend. It was too painful to let others know about my boy acting strange.
It was a Thursday afternoon and I found one half of a great pair of kitchen scissors was missing. They were unbelievably sharp and could be taken apart so they could be washed or the blades (刀片) sharpened. I knew Wyatt had taken the missing blade.
“Wyatt,” I began as patiently as I could, “Do you see this?” I held up the blade. “Do you know what this is?”
Wyatt put a bunch of Fruit Loops in his mouth. No response.
“Wyatt!” I forced eye contact with him. “Where are the other scissors? See these.” I showed him the half pair.
He smiled big. Ate Fruit Loops. Turned the TV on and off. Still no response.
I didn’t know what to do. It was really hard. “Wyatt,” I tried once more, “Mommy wants these scissors. Can you go get them for Mommy? It will make Mommy so happy if you bring me the scissors.”
“Watch Spongebob.” Wyatt asked as he slid down from his kitchen stool and ran off, leaving me shaking my head and wondering in exactly which way this situation was going to end badly.
Five minutes later, I turned my head to see Wyatt coming downstairs, his favorite doll in one hand, the missing half pair of kitchen scissors in the other. I immediately ran over and took it from him.
“Wyatt!” I hugged him. “Thank you for bringing me the scissors! Good job! You did it! These scissors need to stay in the kitchen. These are Mommy’s scissors!”
Wyatt laughed, looked at me straight in the eye and said, “Mommy so happy!”
I came close to tears. A realization dawned on me that he was the best gift I had ever gotten even though he was not as normal as other children. And why did I hide him from others as if he were some dark and terrible secret. No! He was my pride. It was a long, hard battle to get him to this point, expressing his wants and needs without turning to violence in embarrassment. With love and patience I have found the beautiful, happy boy who would teach me more about life.
And that is the solution.From the first part of the story we can get to know that the son’s problem was _______ to the mother.
| A．a heavy blow | B．a white lie |
| C．an unforgettable lesson | D．a ridiculous experience |
Why could the mother recall the day so clearly when the doctor told her his son’s illness?
| A．the questions the doctor asked puzzled her. |
| B．the cleanness of the doctor’s room stuck her |
| C．His son’s illness was beyond her wildest expectation. |
| D．The sudden change of weather left her a deep impression. |
According to the passage, which of the following indicates that Wyatt is not normal?
| A．He never gets into trouble |
| B．He responds with blank eyes. |
| C．He plays with others for hours. |
| D．He likes watching TV programmes. |
Wyatt brought the missing half of the scissors back to his mother because ____________.
| A．his mother forced him to do that |
| B．he could get his favorite doll in reward |
| C．he intended to delight his mother |
| D．he realized that the sharp blade would cause danger |
What seems to be the solution at the end of the passage?
| A．Never hiding Wyatt from normal kids. |
| B．Turning to violence in disappointment occasionally. |
| C．Making Wyatt a kind and joyful boy with great care. |
| D．Helping Wyatt learn to talk and become an astronaut. |
If you want to attend the hottest events of 2014, don’t waste your time looking through dozens of hotel options or vacation packages. Instead, look to cruise ships that can ferry you to and from the most expected holiday, sporting, and cultural events of the year.
Here’s a look at the some of the most popular:
Australian Open in Melbourne (January 13–26, 2014)
Tennis fans worldwide are eager for the tickets to matches at any one of the four annual Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. In January 2014, luxury cruise line Silversea will offer fans a three-night pre-cruise package to the 109th Australian Open in Melbourne. Silversea passengers will attend third round singles matches at Rod Laver Arena on January 17 and 18 before taking the 382-passenger Silver Shadow for a special 15-night Melbourne to Bali voyage.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (February 28–March 4, 2014)
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is one of the most popular celebrations of its kind in the world, drawing two million visitors each and every day of the festivities that include parades, street fairs, and costume balls. Holland America’s Maasdam will spend three days in Rio during Carnival as part of its 26-day Amazon & Carnival Explorer journey.
2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil (June 12–July 13, 2014)
If you’re a soccer fan that came up empty in the search for a hotel room for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro, there’s still hope. Book MSC Cruises’ 18-night Miami to Rio voyage aboard Divina. The ship departs Miami on May 24 and arrives in Rio just in time for the World Cup.
New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong (December 31, 2014)
Hong Kong is a magical destination and New Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks pull out all the stops to make a holiday trip to that city even more attractive. Crystal Cruises’ all-inclusive luxury ship, Symphony, will spend two nights in Hong Kong-- and celebrate New Year’s Eve Chinese-style—during its 15-night holiday voyage that leaves Bangkok on December 21. This roundtrip voyage also calls on Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam.According to the passage, which of the following ships will take the longest time of voyage?
| A．Silver Shadow. | B．Maasadam. | C．Divina. | D．Symphony. |
The events that will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 are ___________.
| A．Carnival and FIFA World Cup |
| B．New Year’s Eve fireworks and Carnival |
| C．the Australian Open and Grand Slam events |
| D．New Year's Eve fireworks and FIFA |
Where does this passage probably come from?
| A．In a sports magazine. | B．In a textbook. |
| C．In a science report. | D．In a travel brochure. |
The main purpose of the passage is to ___________.
| A．give information about the hottest events of 2014 |
| B．introduce cruise ships to some big events of 2014 |
| C．describe the most popular tourist destinations in 2014 |
| D．persuade readers to take cruise ships for 2014 holiday |
Boys at the top of the pecking order(长幼次序) either by birth or because their older brothers died score higher on IQ tests than their younger brothers.
Norwegian researchers now report that it’s a matter of what they call social rank in the family that gives the first born the highest scores or, if the first born had died young, the next oldest.
Kristensen and Bjerkedal studied the IQ test results of 241,310 Norwegian men drafted(征兵) into the armed forces between 1967 and 1976. All were aged 18 or 19 at the time.
The average IQ of first-born men was 103.2, they found second-born men averaged 101.2, but second-born men whose older brother died young scored 102.9. And for third-borns, the average was 100.0. But if both older brothers died young，the third-born score rose to 102.6.
The findings provide “evidence that the relation between birth order and IQ score is dependent on the social rank in the family and not birth order as such.” they concluded.
It’s an issue that has been hotly discussed since at least 1874,when Sir Francis Galton reported that men in noticeable positions tended to be firstborns more often than would have been statistically (统计) expected.
Since then, several studies have reported higher intelligence scores for firstborns, while other analyses have questioned those findings and the methods of those reports.
“These two researchers prove that how study participants(参与者) were raised, not how they were born, is what actually influences their IQs,” said Sulloway, an American professor, who was not part of the research team.
“The elder child pulls ahead,” he said, “perhaps as a result of learning gained through the process of tutoring younger brothers and sisters”.
“The older child benefits by having to organize and express its thoughts to tutor youngsters”, he said, “while the later born children may have no one to tutor.”According to Norwegain researchers’ finding, which of the following is linked to boys’ IQ?
| A．Birth order | B．Position in the family |
| C．Parents’ social rank | D．Educational experience |
What does the sentence “It’s an issue that has been hotly discussed” underlined in Paragraph 6 mean?
| A．Many people take interest in IQ study. |
| B．IQ study has gone further and further. |
| C．Many people do research on boys’ IQ. |
| D．Opinions are divided on the conclusion. |
According to Kristensen and Bjerkedal’s test results, parents can make youngsters smarter by ________.
| A．treating them as the oldest child |
| B．teaching them as the oldest child |
| C．talking to them as much as possible |
| D．encouraging them to express thoughts |
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