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 |
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
For 52 years my father got up at 5:30 am every morning, went to work, and returned home at 5:30 pm. I never saw my father stayed home from work ill, nor did I ever see my father lay down to take a nap. He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family. All he asked from me, his daughter, was to help him while he was repairing something, so we could have some time to talk.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me at 9:00 am every Sunday. Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea. Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swing set for my daughter.
On the morning of January 16, 1996, my sister telephoned me: my father was in the hospital with an aneurysm(动脉瘤) in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way I realized that I hadn't communicated with him as much as I'd always wanted to. I vowed(发誓) that when I arrived, I would have a long talk with him. I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, only to find that my father, at the age of 76, had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me. From the first paragraph we can infer (推断) that the author's father ______.
| A．was a good driver | B．had many hobbies |
| C．sometimes fell ill | D．was in good health |
The underlined phrase "other than" in the first paragraph has the same meaning as "______".
| A．without | B．including | C．except | D．due to |
According to the last paragraph, we can know that the author's father was born in ______.
| A．1920 | B．1918 | C．1916 | D．1922 |
The author wrote the article in order to ______.
| A．praise her father |
| B．remember her father |
| C．show her father was healthy |
| D．let her father be known |
Nuclear power's(核能的) danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be described in one word; radiation(辐射). Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected (探测) by human senses. It can't be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can't detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can't sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things. At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being completely by killing masses of cells (细胞) in important organs (器官). But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no level of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be significant. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed completely. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They reproduce themselves in an unusual way. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the knowledge of the person at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated(放射治疗) and feel fine, then die of cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak or easy to get serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents. Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.According to the passage, the danger of nuclear power lies in __________.
| A．nuclear mystery | B．radiation detection |
| C．radiation level | D．nuclear radiation |
Radiation can lead to serious results even at the lowest level ________.
| A．when it kills few cells |
| B．though the damaged cells can repair themselves |
| C．if it damages few cells |
| D．unless the damaged cells can reproduce themselves |
Radiation can hurt us in the way that it can _____.
| A．kill large numbers of cells in main organs so as to cause death immediately |
| B．damage cells which may grow into cancer years later |
| C．affect the healthy growth of our younger generation |
| D．lead to all of the above results |
Which of the following can be best inferred from the passage?
| A．The importance of protection from radiation cannot be too overemphasized (过分强调). |
| B．The mystery about radiation remains unsolved. |
| C．Cancer is mainly caused by radiation. |
| D．Radiation can hurt those who do not know about its danger. |
Ellis Island is located in New York Harbor. Ellis Island is open daily year round from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours during summer. It is closed December 25. There is no admission charge to Ellis Island; but donations are gratefully accepted.
At Your Fingertips
Park information (212) 363-7620
Emergencies (212) 363-3260
Ferryboat information (212) 269-5755
Lost and found (212)363-7620
Dining, gifts & audio tour 344-0996
Transportation
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry; Boats leave from Battery Park, Manhattan, and from Liberty State Park, New Jersey. They run about every 30 to 45 minutes beginning at 9:15 a.m.
(The time for ferry is changeable)
Hours: May vary; call the number above
Closed: December 25
Ferry fees (includes Liberty and Islands) adults, $7; senior citizens, $6; Children (age 3~17), $5. (Group rates are available for 25 or more adults.)In summer, visitors will have ______ to visit Ellis Island.
| A．a limited time | B．a longer time |
| C．a shorter time | D．a wonderful time |
Which number would you call if your friends were suddenly ill?
| A．(212)344-0996 | B．(212)363-7620 |
| C．(212) 363-3260 | D．(212) 269-5755 |
We may infer from the passage that______.
| A．visitors prefer to go to Ellis Island by boat |
| B．there are more visitors in winter |
| C．Ellis Island is open every day |
| D．Boat is the only transportation to Ellis Island |
Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship (学徒期) as a union painter and dry waller. On Friday morning，she was thanking God she had it.
On Thursday night，while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter，nephew and two nieces in her sister’s apartment，she smelled smoke and realized the apartment building was on fire. When her 4yearold granddaughter Ilean Garcia began saying，“We’re going to die，”she knew she had to act.Pina,39，first sealed the door，and then told all four children to get on the floor. After calling 911，she told the children to start singing and promised them all treats as soon as they reached safety. “I said，‘OK，we’re going to lie down and we’re all going to play a game，’” Pina said. “We all started singing our ABCs and 123s.I was just trying to make it fun.” Pina patiently waited，and a few minutes later，Riverside County sheriff’s deputies (治安官的助手) arrived. Pina，Ilean,8yearold Gabriel Parga,5yearold Aubreyana Parga and 4yearold Meriyah Parga were all trapped on the second floor as flames filled the first story. Pina did the only thing she could. She opened the window and dropped the children，onebyone，into the arms of the sheriff’s deputies about 15 to 20 feet below. “I just needed to keep the kids calm so they wouldn’t be afraid，”Pina said.“I was deathly afraid inside，but I couldn’t let them know that.”[Not long after dropping the children out of the window，firefighters arrived with a ladder and rescued her. Ten people were treated at the scene for suffering smoke，but nobody was seriously injured.
The text is mainly about________.
| A．a big fire without serious injury |
| B．an urgent call 911 |
| C．a brave babysitter |
| D．a babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to________.
| A．a union painter |
| B．a dry waller |
| C．the fire safety training |
| D．the apprenticeship |
Before Lisa Pina called 911，in order to prevent the fire，she________.
| A．let children get on the floor |
| B．opened the windows of the second floor |
| C．closed the door hard |
| D．had children start singing |
According to the text，we know that________.
| A．Lisa Pina was the last one to be rescued |
| B．the fire didn’t cause any injury |
| C．the children were sent to hospital after the fire |
| D．during the fire Lisa Pina wasn’t afraid at all |
When I asked my daughter which item she would keep; the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said “the phone”. Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual. Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life,”says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance(救护车) to her rescue.
Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are , where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near——but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”
Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously ( 同时地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access(存取) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.
How do you understand‘Point 1 —The telephone creates the need to communicate, …’？
| A．People don’t communicate without telephone. |
| B．People communicate because of the creating of the telephone. |
| C．People communicate more since telephone has been created. |
| D．People communicate more because of more traffic. |
Which of the following best shows people’s attitude towards mobile phones?
| A．Mobile phones help people deal with the emergency. |
| B．Mobile phones bring convenience as well as little secret to people. |
| C．Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged. |
| D．Mobile phones are part of people’s life. |
It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through _______.
| A．the TV screen |
| B．a fax machine |
| C．the phone line hooked up to the computer |
| D．a microphone |
The best heading for the passage is _________.
| A．Phone Power | B．Kinds of Phone |
| C．How to Use Phones | D．Advantage of Phones |
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