Imagine a house that keeps itself warm in the wintertime. Think of the savings in terms of fuel bills and unfriendly emissions. Such houses in fact exist, called “passive houses”. The concept of these highly energy-efficient buildings took root in the 1990s, before slowly consolidating as a niche construction (生态位构建) concept in the 2000s. Are passive houses now actively moving into the mainstream as sustainable buildings?
For Brian McGarry, an economics lecturer who built a family house based on passive housing criteria in the Pyrenees this year, the arguments look convincing. As his first full winter in the low energy house draws in, we asked him to keep us informed. Do passive houses work?
I had never heard of a passive house in February 2012, when I purchased a plot of land. Nor did I expect that I would be persuaded to build a pre-constructed, custom-designed house based on energy-efficient passive house criteria. It promised to be easier and quicker to build, cheaper to run, and more comfortable to live in. The objective was to incorporate the fundamental concepts of passive energy management into my project: an airtight and highly insulated building envelope; large southfacing double or triple-glazed windows (if possible, filled with argon gas) that passively capture the energy of the sun; a heat recovery ventilation system to provide fresh air; and a simple, low-cost heating system consisting of a modern wood-burning stove, a bathroom heater and a portable radiator backup for when the sun doesn’t shine and temperatures decline. No significant limitations were placed on the design, and it had excellent environmental credentials. Moreover, the cost was no more than a conventional build.
After six months in use, the house is proving to be both cheap to run and remarkably comfortable–staying cool in the hot summer was effortless, as long as the windows were shuttered or shaded from the sun. Nowstaying warm in the cold, high-altitude December climate also seems easy, so far.
Winter arrived in force in the Pyrenees in November, with abundant snowfalls and temperatures as low as minus 8° Celsius. Though early days, the house has responded well: the stove is lit during cold evenings but the portable radiator has not yet been needed. This type of construction seems not only to make economic and environmental sense, but to enhance our quality of life, too.We can learn from Paragraph one that passive houses __________.
| A．consume extra energy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer |
| B．had been introduced for a decade before the birth of the theory |
| C．appeal to both the self-builders and those constructors |
| D．refer to a certain house comfortable, costly and also pleasing |
Regarding the passive energy management, the houses have characteristics EXCEPT _______
| A．using south-facing windows to take in solar energy |
| B．Providing energy for taking a shower when it’s rainy |
| C．supplying fresh air with a special heat recovery system |
| D．placing more demands and restrictions on the design |
How did Brian McGarry find his self-built passive house?
| A．very unaffordable | B．Energy-consuming |
| C．comfortable to live in | D．Awkward to use |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the passive housing?
| A．supportive | B．critical |
| C．oppositive | D．doubtful |
Molly Wilson had been a dancer and a mother for many years when she decided to sail round the world to raise money for charity.
As a child she had trained as a ballet dancer, but at 15 she had grown too tall for classical ballet, so she became a member of a pop dance team.
She got married, and after she had children she retired from show business to bring them up. They grew up, and when they were 18 they left home.
She says, “When I decided to do the round-the-world race, my husband thought I was bored because the children had left home. He was also worried because I had never sailed before. I was not bored, but I had met some people who told me about the race.
They had taken part in it, but they had only done one section, say, from New Zealand to Australia. I wanted to do the whole ten-month journey.”
Before Molly left she did a lot of training, but it hadn’t prepared her for the worst weather which they experienced. She tells one story. “One night the sea was very rough and it was very cold. I had gone downstairs when a hug
e wave smashed into the boat and injured two men on the deck. One of the men couldn’t move because he had broken his leg. They were taken to hospital by helicopter. That was the worst time.”
By the end of October last year, she had raised more than £50,000 for charity.
She says, “Sometimes I ask myself, what did I do? How did I do it? But then I think, it’s the same as being a dancer. Before I left on the trip, I had trained hard. I had got very fit and had prepared myself completely. Then on the trip I was simply a good team member.”
1. When I decided to do the round-the-world race, my husband thought I felt_________.
A. dissatisfied because I had nothing better to do at home
B. annoyed because I had to wait long for my children to come back home
C. sad because all the children left me when they grew up
D. happy because I could do something I was interested in instead of taking care of children
2. The word “section” in paragraph 5 most probably refers to _________.
A. group of people B. part of the training
C. part of the job D. part of the route of sail
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to “rough” in Para. 5?
A. not exact B. not smooth because of huge waves
C. difficult D. pleasant
4. The last paragraph suggests that _________.
A. she should be kind to other team members during the trip
B. many years of dancing had already prepared her for the sail completely, so she needn’t do anything before the journey
C. the qualities she needed for the trip were the same as those for a dancer
D. 
she should not forget dancing during the trip
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A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项
MONTREAL (Reuters) – Crossing the US-Canada border to go to church on a Sunday cost an American ＄10,000 for breaking Washington’s strict new security（安全）rules.
The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives on the Canadian border. Albert often crosses the border like the other half-dozen people of Township 15. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church. There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US, which in some cases actually
runs down the middle of streets or through bu
ildings.
As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada as usual. The US customs（海关）station in this area is closed on Sundays, so he just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later, Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him he had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally（非法）.
Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 Americans in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint.
Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. “I feel like I’m living in a prison,” he said.
1．We learn from the text that Richard Albert is____________.
A．an American working in a Canadian church
B．a Canadian living in a Quebec village
C．a Canadian working in a customs station
D．an American living in Township 15
2．Albert was fined because he____________.
A. broke the American security rules
B．failed to obey traffic rules
C．worked in St. Pamphile without a pass
D．damaged the gate of the customs o
ffice
3．According to paragraph 4, how can Americans in that area get home ?
A．They have to drive through the town.
B．They have to race across the fields.
C．They have to drive to the mountain area.
D．They have to drive in a roundabout(绕道的) way.
4．What would be the best title for the text?
A．A Cross-country Trip B．An Expensive Church Visit
C．An Unguarded Border D．A Special Border Pass
The desire to make explorations is born with man. Wherever his imagination goes, man also has a strong wish to go. A large part of human history is connected with the exploration of the world in which we live. Again and again people have set out with surprising courage and patience to look into unknown regions and lands to see what had not yet been seen, to make known the unknown. With kites, balloons and aircraft they left the ground to pass through the lower atmosphere. Now the outer space receives their attention.
Why should man take the trouble of exploring space? It is hard to list the specific practical benefits that will result in. But one knows, from past experience in other areas, that man will surely see and discover new things in space that will increase our scientific knowledge, and this new knowledge will find its
way into valuable practical uses. What we learn about man himself, from his experience in space, and from the effects of space and the space flight environment on him, will be extremely valuable. The new techniques developed to carry out the exploration of space, and to keep man alive in space, will certainly find practical uses in everyday life in some way. The areas that will benefit are manifold. They include communication, generation of power, transportation and travel, food production, materials, fuels and many others. But to say exactly what the practical results will be is almost impossible.
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is that __________.
A. man often goes wherever his dreams go
B. man desires to explore what is unknown
C. man is no longer interested in the study of the land and sea now
D. man's history is his exploration of the world
2. The word "manifold" in the second paragraph probably means ________ .
A. of value B. of use C. in a way D. in many ways
3. The author seems to be in favor of ____.
A. the exploration of space
B. doubting the necessity of the space exploration
C. exploring more in space than in sea
D. his experience in space
4. In the last sentence of paragraph 2 ,the phrase "practical results" refers to the results ______.
A. that can be made use of
B. that can be learned as knowledge
C. that are obtained from experience
D. helping us make further exploration
Welcome to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China. In order to protect the interests and rights of visitors and ensure a safe and orderly visit, the organizer of Expo 2010 has made these Terms and Conditions.
Article 1 Scope of Application
These Terms and Conditions are applicable to (适用于) all visitors to Expo 2010, including those who enter the Expo Site with valid tickets and children at or below 1.2m at the time of entry, who are suitable for free admission.
Article 2 Operation Time
The operation time of the Expo Site shall be 9:00 ~ 24:00. The opening hours of the exhibitions shall be 9:30 ~ 22:30. Visitors shall enter the Expo Site before 21:00 and leave before 24:00 on the day of admission. Those with evening admission tickets may enter the Expo Site between 1
7:00 and 21:00.
Article 3 Orderly Entry
Visitors shall go through ticket pre-check, security check and ticket confirmation in an orderly fashion before entering the Expo Site. Those who refuse to cooperate may be denied entry by the Organizer.
Children suitable for free admission and other visitors with mobility difficulties may only enter the Expo Site when accompanied by adults. Those under the influence of alcohol and the persons suffering from mental disorders are not allowed to enter.
Article 4 Exhibitions and Performances
Visitors may visit exhibitions and watch performances in the Expo Site at no additional charge.
1. Which of the following statement is true according to the text?
A. At the time of entry ，children below 1.2m needn’t buy tickets to enter the Expo Site.
B. Visitors must pay additional fee to watch performances in the Ex
po Site
C. Children below 1.2m can enter the Expo Site by themselves.
D. Before entering the Expo Site, visitors shall go through ticket pre-check and security check.
2. Mr.Wang has got an evening admission ticket , how long can he stay in the Expo Site at most?
A. 15 hours. B. 13 hours. C. 7 hours. D. 4 hours.
3. What does “Those under the influence of alcohol " mean?
A. Visitors with mobility difficulties.
B. The persons who are drunk.
C. Visitors who refuse to cooperate.
D. The persons who sell alcohol.
The Food and Drug Administration is, again, threatening to impose(征税) milk and meat from cloned animals on a public tha
t opposes the technology and its products.
Respected polls report that more than 60% of Americans think animal cloning is immoral, and that most people said they wouldn’t knowingly eat the products even if the FDA approved them. But because the FDA would allow cloned meat and milk to be sold without identifying labels, consumers wouldn’t be able to avoid them. The FDA has consistently tilted toward those who want cloned milk and meat in our food. Agency officials have repeatedly asserted that science shows cloned milk and meat are safe for humans. But the FDA has never published the complete scientific studies it says support that claim.
The argument that cloning is safe for animals is unconvincing. Cloned meat and milk offer no public economic benefits. Having cloned cows produce more milk wouldn’t reduce milk prices. US farmers produce 
more milk than we drink, and the government is required to buy the surplus. Since 2000, dairy support programs have cost taxpayers more than $ 5 billion.
Most important, this first decision to advance animal biotechnology raises ethical issues beyond the FDA’s expertise（专家意见）. Techniques used to clone animals will advance the ability to clone humans－and create animals with human genes. Neither the agency nor animal scientists are qualified to tell us whether and when it is ethically acceptable for humans to alter the essential nature of animals. We need a national discussion, including ethicists and religious leaders, to consider the wisdom of cloned and transgenic animals. Given the risk of unintended consequences, we should proceed cautiously. The president should halt further FDA action on cloning and set in motion(运作) a process for beginning this broader discussion.
1. The author’s attitude towards cloning is __________.
A. standing in the middle B. opposed C. approving D. supportive
3. In US many people buy cloned foods __________.
A. to support the new technique
B. because FDA approved them
C. because they cannot tell which is cloned food
D. because they cannot read the labels.
3. From the text we know that cloning technique ___________.
A. developed well enough to clone human beings
B. may cause unintended bad results to human beings
C. will bring more unexpected economic benefits
D. is supported by ethicists and religious leaders
4. What’s the best title of this passage?
A．Public Is Against Cloned Food B．Benefits of Cloned Food
C．Cloned Food Is Illegal D．Technique in Cloned Food
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