An Earthship is a home that is built of materials such as old tires and aluminum cans. It is the idea of a man named Michael Reynolds. Many Earthships are more or less self-sufficient because they provide their own heat, air and water. They often have gardens watered and fed by waste water. They are comfortable and ecologically friendly.
The main material used in building Earthships is tires. Tires are plentiful and can't be recycled like paper, plastic, and metal. While building supplies for most houses can be very expensive, old used tires are free.
First, the tires are packed tightly with dirt. Each full tire weighs as much as 400 pounds. The tires are then stacked like bricks. The walls are extremely strong. They also help keep an even temperature in the house (between 60 and 70 degrees) without heating and cooling systems.
The walls inside the Earthship are made of aluminum cans that are held together by cement. Then they are coated with adobe or stucco.
The roofs of Earthships are sloped so that rain and snow run into large tanks. These tanks hold all the water for the house, and pumps push the water through the pipes. Sometimes, water flows in certain areas of the house as waterfalls! Water that has been used is pumped out into the gardens where owners grow much of their own food.
In most of these houses, the southern side has huge windows that take in winter sunlight as a source of heat. Summer sun does not come in through the south windows, so it doesn't get too hot in the summer. The house also has solar panels that gather energy for lights and hot water and cooking. The Earthships have all the comforts of a regular house without the high cost of electric bills!
In a time when we are running out of energy resources, pollution is bad, and waste is piling up, Earthships are the best places to live in. For people who truly care about the environment, Earthships provide a great alternative to traditional houses. You won't be giving up any comforts, and the styles are attractive. We all hope that more and more people will build Earthships and take a huge step toward helping the environment and saving our planet. What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Earthships are a good way to live and protect the environment. |
| B．Tanks hold water collected from rain and snow. |
| C．It's important to grow your own food in a vegetable garden. |
| D．People who live in Earthships usually live in the desert. |
Which of the following is NOT explained in the passage?
| A．How an Earthship is built. |
| B．What an Earthship is mainly made of. |
| C．Why the Earthship is so called. |
| D．How an Earthship is heated in winter. |
Which evidence best supports the idea that Earthships are environmentally friendly?
| A．They were invented by Michael Reynolds. |
| B．Water that has been used is pumped out into the garden. |
| C．They are comfortable and ecologically friendly. |
| D．The tires are packed tightly with dirt. |
Eyesight problems are common among all ages and if they are left untreated, they can cause serious headaches or other problems. The good news is that most eyesight problems can easily be sorted out by wearing glasses.
Regular eye tests are important for everyone. Children and teenagers, under the age of 16 and up to the age of 19 for those full-time education, have the right to have eye tests for free in Britain. As the eye test is free, theres no excuse for not having a regular eye test. Doctors suggest that its better to have an eye test about once a year.
Wearing glasses isnt always regarded as all that cool and teens who suddenly need to wear glasses may find it difficult to accept. If theyve grown up wearing glasses, then they may be more used to it. However, if your eyes are in poor health, not wearing glasses can put even more pressure on your eyes and could make them even worse.
Thankfully, the days of little choice of glasses frames (框架) for teenagers are gone and there’s now a wide selection of frames. If a teen does need to wear glasses, then it’s good to let him or her choose the type, as he or she will be able to choose something he or she feels comfortable. Dont forget to be guided by the experts on glasses too.Regular eye tests are important for ____.
| A．children |
| B．teenagers |
| C．everyone |
| D．adults |
In the past, teens who wanted to buy glasses ______.
| A．were unable to find the right glasses |
| B．only had a few styles to choose from |
| C．could not find an expert to ask for advice |
| D．were worried about the quality of glasses |
We can know that ________.
| A．think they are much cooler when wearing glasses |
| B．find it difficult to buy comfortable glasses |
| C．prefer to wear cool glasses at an early age |
| D．are advised to wear glasses if their eyesight is poor |
When Xia Min started drinking alcohol（酒精，乙醇） with her classmates at a friend’s birthday, she didn’t realize what would happen to her. She drank a lot and fell into a coma (昏迷). The 15year-old girl from Chongqing never recovered.
Xia’s death is warning to other students. A new rule went into effect on January 1, 2006. Teens are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Shops are not allowed to sell it to them.
A 1999 Chinese law forbade (禁止) shops to sell alcohol to youths under 18. But it is not taken seriously by shopkeepers because it doesn’t have specific rules. People hope the new rule will work.
I tasted alcohol when having the dinner of the last New Years Eve, said Lian Yuqi, a 16-year-old girl in Xiamen. She believes that the new rule will stop teens from drinking and help them grow in a healthy way.
Although it may be a little disappointing not to have beer at parties, I think we can have soft drinks instead, she said.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The new rule has worked very well. |
| B．Shopkeepers can sell alcohol to teens above 18. |
| C．China’s legal drinking age is clearly under18. |
| D．Many teens drink alcohol to show they’ve grown up. |
Xia’s death is warning to other students___
| A．don't smoke |
| B．don't drink |
| C．don't drive |
| D．don’t buy things |
We can know that ________.
| A．everyone can buy a wine |
| B．students like to drink |
| C．schools allow students to drink |
| D．Shops are not allowed to sell it to students |
If your mother wants to tell you something , she uses words . Birds can not talk as we do . But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger . They have their own ways to make the young birds do certain thing .
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe . Jackdaws live together in flocks. (群) Yong jackdaws do not know their enemies . When an older jackdaw sees a dog , it makes a loud tattling (格格响的)sound. The young birds know this sound means an enemy is nearby. The sounds warns them to know their enemy .
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind .The parent bird flies low over the young bird’s back, the parents’ tail feathers move quickly from side to side, It is trying to say , “ Follow me .”
At the same time , the parent calls out , “ Key-aw ,Key-aw .” The parent means , “ Fly home with me .” The young bird then follows the older one home .
Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean. They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch （孵化，小鸡等出壳）.
if your mother wants to tell you things, she will__ _
| A．draw a picture to you |
| B．talk with you |
| C．move around you |
| D．call you |
Which of the following does this story lead you to believe ?
| A．All animal parents can talk to their young. |
| B．Dogs are the most dangerous enemies for jackdaws. |
| C．Young jackdaws know the meaning of their parents’ sound when they grow older. |
| D．Some birds can give certain information to one another. |
the parents’ tail feathers move quickly from side to side, It is trying to ______.
| A．ask their young to follow them |
| B．play a game with the young |
| C．tell the meal time |
| D．give a warning of a fire |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is drinking. Now, you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please dont make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful, the traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossing and dont take any chance when crossing the road.
My next point is about rubbish. It isnt lawful to drop rubbish in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a dustbin.
Finally, as regards smoking, it is against law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
Id like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact the police, who will be pleased to help you. You can call, write or directly go to ask any policeman.【改编】 Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?
| A．A Chinese teacher | B．A person who like laws |
| C．A tour guide | D．A person who makes the law |
【改编】which is note true in these sentence?
| A．if you are under 16 years of age,you can smoke |
| B．When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a dustbin. |
| C．you may not buy wine in this country if you are under 18 years of age |
| D．you should don’t make unnecessary noise, |
【改编】 The main purpose of this speech is to _________ .
| A．warn people against going to the country |
| B．tell people those above 18 can smoke and drink there |
| C．declare the different laws of England |
| D．give advice to travelers to the country |
How to deal successfully with a child showing outstanding musical ability? Its not always clear how best to develop and encourage his gift. Many parents may even fail to recognize and respond to their children’s need until discouragement explodes into uncooperative behavior. And while most schools are equipped to deal with children who are especially able in academic subjects，the musically gifted require special understanding which may not always be available in an ordinary school. Such children may well benefit from the education offered by a specialist music school.
The five music schools in Britain aim to provide all environment where gifted children can develop their skills under the guidance of professional musicians. Children here spend about half of a day on musical activities，for example，individual lessons，orchestras，chamber(室内音乐的)groups，voice training，conducting and theory. They also spend several hours a day practicing in private rooms. The rest of their time is taken up with the subjects: English, maths and basic sciences.
What are the disadvantages? An obvious problem is that the fees are high. However, each school will offer scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Secondly, not all parents want to send their children to boarding school, especially at an early age. Almost all the directors of the specialist schools express doubts about the wisdom of admitting children as young as seven into such a tense and disciplined (守纪律的) environment. They stress，however, that their main aim is to turn out “well-rounded and well—balanced individual.”【改编】 What are the disadvantages?
| A．the students are friendly |
| B．the discipline are strict |
| C．the environment are beautiful |
| D．the fees are high |
【改编】 According to school directors，what is a possible disadvantage for pupils?
| A．They may lose their individuality. |
| B．There may be a discipline problem. |
| C．They may be too small on arrival. |
| D．Poor children may not be included. |
【改编】 The passage mainly talks about__________.
| A．how to deal with music talented children |
| B．education and development about children |
| C．disadvantages of music schools |
| D．music schools for children with music gift |
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