Petrol and diesel cars may still dominate our roads, but their days are numbered. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 per cent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 per cent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been ‘range anxiety’--- drivers' concerns about running out of juice on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, 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 were met with distrust, and their large price tags drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade critics. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine models a run for their money.
As well as advancements on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, 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 air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions. Were the US to act on the study's findings and replace 87 per cent 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. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1.Which is the best title for this passage?
A. My Dream Car
B. History of Electric Cars
C. Problems with Petrol Cars
D. Driving into the Future
2.As used in Paragraph 2, the underlined word “hurdle” means ________．
A. aim B. barrier
C. consequence D. step
3.What is the function of Paragraph 4?
A. To introduce the history of electric travel.
B. To explain why the world needs more electric cars.
C. To show why more people have interest in electric cars.
D. To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used.
Mr.Selfridge, the Wisconsin-born retailer (零售商) who left school at 14, rose to become a partner in Marshall Field’s, Chicago. Founded in 1852, it was one of the first and most ambitious US department stores. Mr.Selfridge had done well with Marshall Field’s. He liked to say, “The customer is always right,” which made the Chicago store popular. And he is believed to have invented the phrase “Only (so many) Shopping Days until Christmas”.
When he visited London on holiday in 1906 he was surprised to find most of the city’s department stores were no match of their American and Parisian competitors. This led Selfridge to leave the US and establish Selfridges, a department store named after him, at the west end of London’s Oxford Street. In Oxford Street, Selfridge’s design team shaped an ambitious classical palace building with a wall of plate glass windows.
Opened in 1909, Selfridges offered customers a hundred departments along with restaurants, a roof garden,reading and writing rooms, reception areas for foreign visitors, a first aid room and most importantly, a small army of knowledgeable floor-walking assistants who served as guides as well as being thoroughly instructed in the art of making a sale.
Mr.Selfridge did much to make the department store a destination rather than just a big and comprehensively stocked city shop. It became a place to meet and for ladies to lunch. Mr.Selfridge later introduced the department store as a key element of the 20th Century culture, and Chaplin acknowledged the growing trend for shopping in the department store in his film The Floorwalker.
1.What can be learned about Mr.Selfridge from Paragraph 1?
A.He was well-educated. B.He was a modest man.
C.He was a gifted businessman. D.He was dishonest.
2.What was Selfridges’ most impressive characteristic?
A.The broad choice of goods. B.The large number of departments.
C.The small group of guards. D.The well-trained sales guides.
3.What is the main purpose of the article?
A.To encourage shoppers to spend more. B.To introduce the history of Selfridges.
C.To compare different department stores. D.To explain how to start a department store.
期中考试临 近，同学们感到学习任务重、压力大。一些同学争分夺秒甚至连课间十分钟的休息时问也用来学习。针对这一现象，请你以A Ten-minute Break为题，写一篇短文，呼吁同学们不要过于紧张，要充分利用好课间十分钟的休息时间，做到劳逸结合。要点如下：
1.十分钟的课间休息很有必要；
2.你是怎样利用这十分钟的；
3.……
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可根据内容要点适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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短文改错
My neighbor is a old woman who is 70 years old. We both had gardens, but sometimes her garden is covered grass. I think she is too weak to taking care of hers. This Saturday, when I was cutting the grass in her garden, I noticed that she is trying her best to cut her grass. It would take her a few hour to cut it unless didn’t help her. So I decided to help her. She was very gratefully to me. And she gave some cookies which were tasted delicious to me in return. I was very happy to help her and slept very well that day.
语法填空
It’s safe to drink coffee in right amount, and three to four cups a day may have many health 1. (benefit), according to a large review of previous studies in The BMJ. However, too much coffee during pregnancy could be 2. (harm), the review confirmed. Experts said people should not start drinking coffee for health reasons or 3. (prevent) disease. Researchers at the University of Southampton collected data on the impact of coffee on all aspects of the human body, taking into account more than 200 studies — most of which 4. (be) observational.
5. (compare) with non-coffee drinkers, those 6. drank about three cups of coffee a day appeared to reduce their risk of getting heart problems or dying from them. The strongest advantages (好处) of drinking coffee were seen in reduced risks of liver disease, 7. (include) cancer. But Prof Paul Roderick, co-author of the study, said the review could not say if drinking coffee had made the 8. (different). “Factors such as age, 9. people smoked or not and how much exercise they took could all have had 10. effect,” he said.
Many people put off going to a doctor because of being scared. The _______ of doctors is not unusual at all. People do not go to the doctor often for many _______. Some people just do not like the idea of going to a doctor _______ for a checkup (体格检查). Other people do not want to hear what a doctor says about their _______ or worry that their condition is _______ than what it really is.
Having a fear of doctors has _______ to many people. If you are one of them, you must think about the results of what will happen. When you _______ decide to see a doctor, your health condition may get worse _______ time. This could _______ you thousands of dollars in the medical service. By then, your ________ of recovering is pretty small. So it is ________ for you to see a doctor as early as possible.
You’d better take someone along with you. This can ________ you to go to a doctor. The fear of doctors happens to the ________ of us when we do not know what health problems we have.________ you have found out your medical condition, you will not have any more ________.
If you go to a doctor in the beginning, the doctor will tell you what is wrong and your condition can be _________ in time with the right medical care. Therefore, most conditions, if ________ in time, can be turned around in just a few days. If you wait too long, then sometimes surgery (外科手术) needs to be done. However, you can ________ it by seeing a doctor when your health problems first ________ In a word, if you ________ your fear of doctors, you’ll live a longer and healthier life.
1.A.fear B.attitude C.love D.desire
2.A.ideas B.reasons C.excuses D.ways
3.A.seldom B.still C.ever D.even
4.A.relationship B.instruction C.condition D.operation
5.A.sadder B.worse C.better D.harder
6.A.come B.turned C.appeared D.happened
7.A.rarely B.simply C.finally D.actually
8.A.for B.with C.in D.at
9.A.cost B.afford C.offer D.waste
10.A.challenge B.chance C.decision D.expectation
11.A.necessary B.convenient C.proper D.normal
12.A.lead B.force C.require D.encourage
13.A.most B.rest C.few D.best
14.A.Although B.Once C.While D.Since
15.A.questions B.suggestions C.worries D.pains
16.A.recognized B.learned C.avoided D.cured
17.A.found B.ignored C.described D.created
18.A.solve B.help C.prevent D.hide
19.A.came about B.came after C.broke out D.broke in
20.A.get over B.get along C.turn over D.turn around
