We may think we're a culture that gets rid of our worn technology at the first sight of something shiny and new, but a new study shows that we keep using our old devices(装置) well after they go out of style. That’s bad news for the environment — and our wallets — as these outdated devices consume much more energy than the newer ones that do the same things.
To figure out how much power these devices are using, Callie Babbitt and her colleagues at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York tracked the environmental costs for each product throughout its life — from when its minerals are mined to when we stop using the device. This method provided a readout for how home energy use has evolved since the early 1990s. Devices were grouped by generation — Desktop computers, basic mobile phones, and box-set TVs defined 1992. Digital cameras arrived on the scene in 1997. And MP3 players, smart phones, and LCD TVs entered homes in 2002, before tablets and e-readers showed up in 2007.
As we accumulated more devices, however, we didn't throw out our old ones. "The living-room television is replaced and gets planted in the kids' room, and suddenly one day, you have a TV in every room of the house," said one researcher. The average number of electronic devices rose from four per household in 1992 to 13 in 2007. We're not just keeping these old devices — we continue to use them. According to the analysis of Babbitt's team, old desktop monitors and box TVs with cathode ray tubes are the worst devices with their energy consumption and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions（排放）more than doubling during the 1992 to 2007 window.
So what's the solution（解决方案）? The team's data only went up to 2007, but the researchers also explored what would happen if consumers replaced old products with new electronics that serve more than one function, such as a tablet for word processing and TV viewing. They found that more on-demand entertainment viewing on tablets instead of TVs and desktop computers could cut energy consumption by 44%.
1.What does the author think of new devices?
A.They are environment-friendly. B.They are no better than the old.
C.They cost more to use at home. D.They go out of style quickly.
2.Why did Babbitt's team conduct the research?
A.To reduce the cost of minerals.
B.To test the life cycle of a product.
C.To update consumers on new technology.
D.To find out electricity consumption of the devices.
3.Which of the following uses the least energy?
A.The box-set TV. B.The tablet.
C.The LCD TV. D.The desktop computer.
4.What does the text suggest people do about old electronic devices?
A.Stop using them. B.Take them apart.
C.Upgrade them. D.Recycle them.
California has lost half its big trees since the 1930s, according to a study to be published Tuesday and climate change seems to be a major factor(因素).
The number of trees larger than two feet across has declined by 50 percent on more than 46, 000 square miles of California forests, the new study finds. No area was spared or unaffected, from the foggy northern coast to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the San Gabriels above Los Angeles. In the Sierra high country, the number of big trees has fallen by more than 55 percent; in parts of southern California the decline was nearly 75 percent.
Many factors contributed to the decline, said Patrick McIntyre, an ecologist who was the lead author of the study. Woodcutters targeted big trees. Housing development pushed into the woods. Aggressive wildfire control has left California forests crowded with small trees that compete with big trees for resources(资源).
But in comparing a study of California forests done in the 1920s and 1930s with another one between 2001 and 2010, McIntyre and his colleagues documented a widespread death of big trees that was evident even in wildlands protected from woodcutting or development.
The loss of big trees was greatest in areas where trees had suffered the greatest water shortage. The researchers figured out water stress with a computer model that calculated how much water trees were getting in comparison with how much they needed, taking into account such things as rainfall, air temperature, dampness of soil, and the timing of snowmelt(融雪).
Since the 1930s, McIntyre said, the biggest factors driving up water stress in the state have been rising temperatures, which cause trees to lose more water to the air, and earlier snowmelt, which reduces the water supply available to trees during the dry season.
1.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The seriousness of big-tree loss in California.
B.The increasing variety of California big trees.
C.The distribution of big trees in California forests.
D.The influence of farming on big trees in California.
2.Which of the following is well-intentioned but may be bad for big trees?
A.Ecological studies of forests.
B.Banning woodcutting.
C.Limiting housing development.
D.Fire control measures.
3.What is a major cause of the water shortage according to McIntyre?
A.Inadequate snowmelt. B.A longer dry season.
C.A warmer climate. D.Dampness of the air.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.California’s Forests: Where Have All the Big Trees Gone?
B.Cutting of Big Trees to Be Prohibited in California Soon
C.Why Are the Big Trees Important to California Forests?
D.Patrick McIntyre: Grow More Big Trees in California
Many of us love July because it’s the month when nature’s berries and stone fruits are in abundance. These colourful and sweet jewels form British Columbia’s fields are little powerhouses of nutritional protection.
Of the common berries, strawberries are highest in vitamin C, although, because of their seeds, raspberries contain a little more protein (蛋白质), iron and zinc (not that fruits have much protein). Blueberries are particularly high in antioxidants (抗氧化物质). The yellow and orange stone fruits such as peaches are high in the carotenoids we turn into vitamin A and which are antioxidants. As for cherries (樱桃), they are so delicious who cares? However, they are rich in vitamin C.
When combined with berries of slices of other fruits, frozen bananas make an excellent base for thick, cooling fruit shakes and low fat “ice cream”. For this purpose, select ripe bananas for freezing as they are much sweeter. Remove the skin and place them in plastic bags or containers and freeze. If you like, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice on the bananas will prevent them turning brown. Frozen bananas will last several weeks, depending on their ripeness and the temperature of the freezer.
If you have a juicer, you can simply feed in frozen bananas and some berries or sliced fruit. Out comes a “soft-serve” creamy dessert, to be eaten right away. This makes a fun activity for a children’s party; they love feeding the fruit and frozen bananas into the top of the machine and watching the ice cream come out below.
1.What does the author seem to like about cherries?
A.They contain protein. B.They are high in vitamin A.
C.They have a pleasant taste. D.They are rich in antioxidants.
2.Why is fresh lemon juice used in freezing bananas?
A.To make them smell better. B.To keep their colour.
C.To speed up their ripening. D.To improve their nutrition.
3.What is “a juicer” in the last paragraph?
A.A dessert. B.A drink.
C.A container. D.A machine.
4.From which is the text probably taken?
A.A biology textbook. B.A health magazine.
C.A research paper. D.A travel brochure.
Dear Koko,
I’ve learned about you from my amazing teacher. I think it’s fun that you can communicate with us humans by using the sign language. I’ve spent a lot of time watching you in different videos and love you from the bottom of my heart.
It’s heartbreaking to learn about all of the cruel things done to gorillas(大猩猩). In Africa, for example, the killers use guns to kill your fellows for meat. They don’t understand the influence their actions are having on gorillas. Another thing is the loss of gorillas’ natural home, which is caused by the improved infrastructure such as building roads and airports. When we cut down trees, you become homeless. We take away your shelter and sources of food, leaving you with very little chance of survival.
Some of my classmates are writing to the relevant departments about these serious problems. Hopefully these letters will make a difference during your lifetime. Over the past three months, my class has been researching on gorillas, and I’ve learned so many things. For example, I’ve learned that you have a lot of feelings similar to mine and you are always so careful with everything you do. I think that you are really worth saving.
We’ve come up with many ideas to help you and your fellows. One of the best ideas is to communicate with the President of the World Bank and have him give more financial support to the organizations for gorillas. Another idea is to make public laws on the killers. I also think we need to keep educating people about gorillas.
I love writing to you and hope you can understand how important you’ve become to our class. Would it be too much to ask for a return letter?
Mike
1.According to the passage, Koko is probably ________.
A.a killer of gorillas B.a member of the gorilla family
C.an expert on gorillas D.a governor in charge of gorillas
2.What is mainly talked about in the second paragraph?
A.The problems gorillas face at present.
B.The danger gorillas cause for humans.
C.The unique characteristic gorillas have.
D.The natural environment gorillas live in.
3.The author suggests that ________.
A.gorillas should be protected in nature reserves
B.killers for gorillas should be legally responsible
C.organizations should be set up to protect gorillas
D.people should make donations to gorilla protection
Keep a Checklist in Your Mind
When I was about seven or eight years old, I remember going into the barn（马厩）one evening where my father was doing jobs that he had to do regularly. I was surprised to see him ______ his hat backwards. It looked______.
When I asked Dad _________ his hat was on backwards, he smiled and gave me an explanation. It seemed there was a large water_________ for the cattle that had to be filled every day. Because it took a long time to finish it, he would _______ the water on and then go about doing other things like cleaning the barn or _______the cattle, which usually cost him twenty minutes or even more time. The__________ , of course, was that if he forgot to turn the water off, the tank would overflow, and water would be wasted and it would make a __________.
Then he told me the __________he had his hat turned around. When he finished his jobs and began to take off his work clothes, he would notice as he_________ his hat that the visor（帽舌）was not where it was supposed to be. This would_________ him the water was still running and he would go back to the barn and tum it_________.
I saw my father develop many other________over the years. And I never forgot how helpful and _________ they are. Some may have even been life-saving. As we all know, sometimes people forget things and make mistakes _______ they may try their best. Using good methods can help them________ more effectively. Instead of __________people-or yourself-for mistakes, you'd better look for some ways that will help them in ________ what they truly wish to do.
This could be practical, and as simple as a checklist. Now I've__________a lot of them, such as putting my car keys in the same place every time. It could be having someone ________ your work and it could also be a computer program that finds out whether your calculations are correct.
1.A. passing B. wearing C. holding D. taking
2.A. terrible B. ordinary C. impolite D. funny
3.A. whether B. how C. why D. where
4.A. tank B. pool C. pipe D. bottle
5.A. put B. bring C. carry D. turn
6.A. beating B. feeding C. selling D. pulling
7.A. danger B. conflict C. purpose D. secret
8.A. decision B. demand C. mess D. choice
9.A. pressure B. method C. function D. reason
10.A. raised B. removed C. held D. threw
11.A. confuse B. attract C. remind D. disturb
12.A. down B. on C. up D. off
13.A. systems B. businesses C. products D. programs
14.A. comfortable B. valuable C. expensive D. traditional
15.A. until B. because C. though D. after
16.A. operate B. reduce C. struggle D. respond
17.A. comparing B. judging C. examining D. blaming
18.A. providing B. achieving C. imagining D. treating
19.A. affected B. observed C. employed D. corrected
20.A. check B. adjust C. select D. predict
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空，在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Billions of poor people around the world 1. (depend) on the use of wood for cooking. And as they take more and more firewood from wild areas, they are destroying habitats around the world. Wood collection is one reason why many animals have become endangered. This is 2. Dr. Metcalf spends each summer in Africa. He wants to teach women and children in villages how to cook with the sun. He helped create Solar Cookers International. It’s an organization 3. introduces solar cookers to developing countries as well as teaching people how to use them.
