A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87% of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98% by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” ---drivers’ concerns about running out of petrol on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. In fact, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed quite considerably over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars met with doubt, and their high price drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity(电池容量), recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars is starting to persuade critics.
As well as progress on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the sea and sky. Electric boats are among the oldest electric vehicles, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric planes are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions(排放物). Were the US to act on the study’s findings and replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 per cent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim to be completely emission-free. Even so, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1.The underlined word “hurdle” refers to ________.
A. limit B. step
C. result D. aim
2.Why were not the electric cars popular with many people in the past?
A. They were not widely improved.
B. They were very poorly made.
C. They were not good value.
D. They couldn’t travel at a high speed.
3.What is the purpose of Paragraph 4?
A. To show why more people have interest in electric cars.
B. To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used.
C. To introduce the history of electric vehicles
D. To explain why the world needs more electric cars.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A. Driving into the Future B. Problems with Petrol Cars
C. My Dream Car D. History of Electric Cars
A 12 -year-old girl who had a feeling that she might be quite clever has taken a test and proved she was absolutely right.
After raising the idea with her parents and pestering (纠缠)them for the best part of a year, Lydia took the test in her summer holidays. It turns out the test wasn't that hard after all.
"I was really nervous before the test and I thought it was going to be really hard. But as I started the test, I thought it was a bit easier than I thought it was going to be," she said.
Lydia Sebastian achieved the top score of 162 on Mensa’s Cattell III B paper, showing she has a higher IQ than well-known geniuses Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. The comparison doesn't sit well with the British student, who’s currently in Year 8 at a selective girl’s grammar school in Essex, England.
"I don't think I can be compared to such great intellectuals as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. They’ve achieved so much. I don’t think it’s right," Lydia told CNN.
To explain Lydia’s mark’s level, the top adult score in the Cattell III B test, which mainly tests verbal(语言) reasoning, is 161. A top 2% score---which allows entry to Mensa, the club for those with high IQs---would be 148 or over. Lydia scored 162, placing her in the top 1% of the population.
Lydia’s not quite sure what she wants to do when she leaves school, although she’s leaning toward something "based around Maths, because it’s one of my favorite subjects." "All I’m going to do is work as hard as I can, and see where that gets me," she said.
1.Lydia wanted to have an IQ test because_______,
A. she felt that she might have a high IQ
B. the grammar school advised her to do so
C. all people around thought that she was smart
D. her parents strongly wanted her to do so
2.Which of the following can best explain the underlined words in the fourth paragraph?
A. does not satisfy B. does not affect.
C. is not related to. D. is not accepted by
3.What is Lydia's plan about the future?
A. She is quite sure about what to do in the future.
B. She will drop out of the grammar school.
C. She has a tendency to focus around Maths.
D. She doesn’t have to work hard with her high IQ.
4.According to the text, which of the following statements is True?
A. Only adults with high IQs can enter Mensa.
B. Mensa is a club for those with high IQs at least 148.
C. No one has achieved a higher IQ than Lydia.
D. Whoever has a high IQ can enter Mensa.
Now women are free to enter any career that attracts them, and working can bring them pride, confidence and independence. Working women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and 51 percent of professional workers, like doctors, lawyers, nurses and accountants, are female. While climbing the career ladder can be rewarding, it often comes with one big disadvantage: weight gain!
New research published this week in the International Journal of Obesity shows that working women are more likely to be overweight, and the more you work, the more pounds you’re likely to pile on. Like many women, I work... a lot! As a self-employed nutrition communications specialist, I sit at my desk, in front of a computer, for hours on end. Sitting alone is one of the worst things you can do for your health, and it’s directly linked to being overweight and increased fatness, so the fact that women in the workforce gain weight isn’t that surprising. If you work, you have less time to move around. Obesity researchers are revealing many other ways that employment is harmful to your diet and waistline(腰围).
In the International Journal of Obesity study, some 9,276 Australian women aged 45-50 had their body weight and employment status monitored for two years. Results? Those who worked more than 35 hours were likely to gain weight compared to those who worked fewer hours or were out of the workforce. What’s more, the more hours a woman worked in a week, the more weight she gained.
The authors of the Australian study attribute weight gain among working women to inactivity, lack of time for food preparation, more use of prepared foods, high levels of stress, lack of sleep and consuming more alcohol. I’ll also add in travel, meals eaten out and working at night as other factors that I can find to make balancing work with a healthy diet a challenge.
1.A female lawyer is more likely to ______.
A. has more time to walk around B. gains more weight
C. works a full time job D. keeps a balanced diet
2.Which is NOT the cause of working women weight gaining according to the passage？
A. Taking part in more activities.
B. Dealing with a lot of pressure.
C. Having little time to prepare for food.
D. Drinking too much alcohol.
3.The passage above is probably taken from ______.
A. a fashion journal B. a sports report
C. a health and fitness magazine D. an advertisement post
4.What can be a suitable title for the test?
A. How to lose weight for working women.
B. Women should take more exercises.
C. Effects of weight gaining.
D. Working women more likely pile on pounds.
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear(鞋类)in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
Room 1
The celebrity(名人)footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities" choice of footwear extremely interesting.
Room 2
Most of our visitors are amazed-and shocked-by the collection of “special purpose” shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much！
Room 3
As well as shoes and boots, the museum also exhibits shoeshaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles(类似于) a pair of shoes,and Greek wine bottles that look like legs！
The Footwear Library
People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear.
1.What can you find in Room 1?
A. metal lamps B. presidents' shoes
C. bottles of Greek wine D. Chinese special purpose shoes
2.All exhibits in each room ________.
A. share the same shape B. have the same theme
C. are made of the same material D. belong to the same social class
3.The purpose of the text is to get more people to ________.
A. do research B. design shoes
C. follow celebrities D. visit the museum
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When did the story take place?
A. On a weekday. B. On the weekend. C. During a holiday.
2.What was the strange guy like?
A. He had a big head.
B. He wore a pair of sunglasses.
C. He wore pink clothes.
3.Why did everyone start clapping?
A. The guy did tricks on his bicycle.
B. The guy did a good thing.
C. The guy sang a song for them.
4.What might be the speaker’s main point?
A. Don’t ride a unicycle down the street.
B. Don’t carry too much money.
C. Don’t judge people by their appearances.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What was the man when he was younger?
A. A designer. B. A teacher. C. A construction worker
2.What does the man mainly do with his laptop?
A. He watches movies. B. He downloads music. C. He writes reports
3.Which product does the man like most after his laptop?
A. His digital camera. B. His MP4 player. C. His iPad.
4.What do we know about the woman?
A. She was the man’s college schoolmate.
B. She takes photos for her websites.
C. She likes electronic products a lot.
