It is an uncomfortable fact that civilized society is almost completely dependent upon fossil fuels in nearly every aspect. Whether you believe there are hundreds of years or just a few decades left of this resource, the fact remains that it is a limited resource. At some point, fossil fuels are going to either be gone or become too expensive to realistically use. That is, when fossil fuels become too expensive to use, people will just start using something else. Though this may work well in theory, actually shifting from fossil fuels is not the same as shifting from one brand of shampoo to another.
This is entirely due to the fact that humans rely so much on the infrastructure (基础设施) they have developed, which is entirely dependent upon this resource, accounting for 85% of the United State's energy use. If the world were entirely dependent upon solar energy, that would be fine because sunlight is a continuing resource. However, at the current state of things, humans are in a dangerous position owing to its complete dependence upon one single limited input.
Fossil fuels are also responsible for a significant amount of land, water, and air pollution beyond their carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) production. For example, coal mining brings solid wastes to the surface that would normally remain underground and the areas around a mine can remain barren (贫瘠的) for generations due to the lack of proper topsoil. The burning of coal for energy also produces many different types of particulate (微粒的) matter that pollutes the air. Compared with fossil fuels, renewable energy is far more environmentally friendly.
There exists an argument that renewable energy options are not as efficient as fossil fuels because the deployment (部署) of renewable energy equipment like the wind turbine (风力涡轮机) costs a lot of money. However, when factors such as pollution and climate change are considered, renewable energy is actually far more efficient than fossil fuels. And fossil fuels will be surely replaced by renewable energy whether it is your generation or your grandchildren's.
1.According to paragraph 1, we know fossil fuels ____.
A.are heavily depended on by humans
B.are a symbol of civilized society
C.are becoming more and more expensive
D.can be replaced by other resources soon
2.What does ''This'' in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.That it is necessary to use solar energy.
B.That it is hard to stop using fossil fuels.
C.That people have overconsumed fossil fuels.
D.That people have developed so many infrastructures.
3.What is the purpose of paragraph 3?
A.To show the relationship between greenhouse gases and fossil fuels.
B.To present negative consequences brought by fossil fuels.
C.To introduce how carbon dioxide affects the environment.
D.To explain why fossil fuels should be used.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.Renewable energy equipment is economically-beneficial.
B.Renewable energy produces less energy than fossil fuels.
C.It is very urgent for people to shift to renewable energy.
D.It is an unstoppable trend to use renewable energy.
After a nail salon turns away a physically challenged woman, a stranger makes a truly beautiful gesture, ''Beauty isn't about having a pretty face. It’s about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart, and a pretty soul, oh, and pretty nails! '' That may well be Angela Peter's motto. Last July, Peters, 36, rolled her wheelchair into a nail salon at the Walmart shopping center in Burton, Michigan, with the idea of painting her fingers. But Peters was turned away. The salon told her that they were afraid it would be too difficult to properly paint her nails given that her hands shook. What was meant to be a day of happiness for Peters was now a disappointment.
Ebony Harris, 40, saw everything and approached Peters. Harris offered to do her nails. They shopped for nail polish. They settled on a bright blue-a color that would catch every eye. They then made their way into a neighbouring Subway, found a table for two, and set up shop. Harris gently took Peters' hand into hers and carefully began painting her nails. Watching it al with awe and admiration was Subway employee Tasia Smith. What struck her most was the ease and gentleness displayed by Harris as she painted Peters' nails, all the while chatting as if they were old friends.
Peters, who runs a poetry website, heavenlypoems.com, harbors no bitterness towards the nail salon that turned her away. The salon says they refused to offer Peters service because they were too busy. ''When people do us wrong, we must forgive, '' Peters wrote on her website. ''I just want to educate people that people with different disabilities, like being in a wheelchair, can have our own business and get our nails done like anyone else. ''
1.Why did Peters go to the Walmart shopping centre?
A.To go shopping. B.To eat at a Subway.
C.To meet her friend Harris. D.To have her nails painted.
2.What caused Peters' disappointment?
A.She was disabled. B.She was refused.
C.The salon was busy. D.She had no nail polish.
3.How do you find Ebony Harris?
A.Mean. B.Optimistic.
C.Caring. D.Stubborn.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A.It's better to use websites to educate people.
B.The salon had its acceptable reason to decline a disabled woman.
C.Those who did something wrong should not be forgiven.
D.People with different challenges should be treated equally.
The phone rang. I waited for the answering machine to get it, but for some reason, it was not picking up. I sighed, annoyed because I knew the call was either going to be for my wife, Susan (she was the only one who received calls on the home line, and she left to take Alyce to school ten minutes ago), or it was the latest of 300 attempts to sell me something I had absolutely no interest in.
''Hello, '' I said, an edge in my voice. 12-year-old daughter, ''Mommy was just in a car accident. '' My heart stopped and then began pounding. ''Are you all right? '' ''Yes. '' ''Is Mommy? '' A deep sob. ''I don't know…I don't think so. Come quick. '' I rushed a few blocks to what looked like a shoot for a disaster movie. Fire engines, police cars, and ambulances were randomly parked in the street; helicopters circled. A city bus was on the wrong side of the road. In front of it were the smashed remains of Susan's car. Susan was pinned under the dashboard (仪表盘). There was no front windshield (挡风玻璃).
Alyce was standing on the corner crying, covered in tiny pieces of glass but uninjured. Inconceivable! Susan wasn’t so lucky. But she was alive. It turned out that she had broken nearly every bone in her body, and she would spend almost three months in the hospital.
More than two years later, Susan and I were at a musical event. Our director, Danny, rushed up to us. He said excitedly, ''There's a woman here tonight from one of the church choirs who you have to meet! '' He returned with an African American woman with a bright, glowing smile. She told us she lived in the apartment building by where the accident had happened. That morning, she had rushed to the street, still in her bathrobe, and seen Alyce standing by the side of the wrecked car, crying. She approached her, asking, ''Is that your mom in there? '' Alyce nodded, and the woman said, ''Let's pray together. ''
Sweet, innocent Alyce looked at this woman wearing a cross around her neck and told her that she needed to call me, but her backpack with her phone was trapped inside the crushed vehicle. So the woman lent Alyce her phone. After the accident, she said, she had continued to pray for our family. We had our picture taken together, and as we were saying goodbye, she hugged us all warmly. We realized we had never been formally introduced, so she said to me, ''I'm sorry, I never got your name. '' I told her it was Doug, and she paused, as if maybe she hadn't heard me. I repeated, ''Doug, like Douglas. '' She looked at us and said, ''Wait, your name is Susan? '' Susan nodded. ''And your name is Douglas? '' The woman put her hand over her heart. ''Oh my goodness, '' she said. ''My name is Susan Douglas. ''
1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Both the author's wife and the daughter were not severely injured.
B.The author was calm when he heard about the accident.
C.The author was the only one who received calls on home line.
D.The author rushed to the accident like a shoot.
2.What does the underlined word inconceivable refer to in the 3rd passage?
A.Innocent. B.Unconscious.
C.Incredible. D.Unfortunate.
3.Why did the African American woman want to see the author's family?
A.They were from the same church choir.
B.She witnessed the whole accident and offered to help two years ago.
C.She shared the same first name with the author's wife.
D.She would like to talk about her experience and had a picture taken.
4.What is the best title of the article?
A.The Bus Crash Angel B.The Unwanted Call
C.An Expected Crash D.A Fun Encounter
Blogging has been around for 25 years. There are some successful blogs that have been around from the very beginning and even some new bloggers who quickly gained success. Here are some successful blogs you should start following.
Boing Boing
Boing Boing is one of the oldest blogs. Its content ranges from pop culture to academic stuff, technology to inspirational stories, and plenty of political stuff. Their website design is simple. But once you start reading their blog, you will become interested in their fun writing style. That’s why Boing Boing is one of the blogs that inspired modern-day blog writing.
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur gives you tips on being a better worker. Even though most of their content targets business owners, anyone can gain something from reading their productivity advice. If you care about being successful, Entrepreneur is a blog you must follow.
Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton formed the ''most hated celebrity website''. The website mainly focuses on rumors that happen on the red carpet. Perez Hilton became famous because he wasn't afraid to blame certain celebrities for their crazy behaviors. Even though celebrities hate him, his blog still attracts millions of readers. You can still see Perez Hilton appearing on the red carpet today.
Tech Crunch
If you want to hear the latest news in tech, you will likely go to TechCrunch. Since its foundation in 2005, the blog began to cover all things about tech. The blog was founded by the lawyer and businessman Michael Arrington. He loved writing about different companies and technology. As of today, TechCrunch is the third-most popular website in the world.
1.What do we know about Boing Boing?
A.It covers diverse topics. B.It is famous for its founder.
C.Its website design is outdated. D.It has the largest numbers of users.
2.Entrepreneur helps people to ____.
A.have a good regulation B.get better job chances
C.promote their products online D.develop interesting writing styles
3.Which blog is most suitable for people who are interested in digital products?
A.Boing Boing. B.Entrepreneur.
C.Perez Hilton. D.TechCrunch.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Mary waited anxiously for her turn in the empty dressing room. Never had she been so nervous before. This competition was of vital importance to her comeback .“If I can win today,” she said to herself, “I can dance on the national stage next month.” Three months ago, her left arm was seriously injured in a car accident.After the medical treatment , she began to recover slowly. She practiced over and over again in order to regain her dancing skills.
“Hi, Mary,” in rushed her friend Jessica.“How is your arm? Is it going to influence your performance?”
“I guess it can be tolerated for I am to win the match . ” said Mary with a determined look.
“Admirable! But I hear that a girl called Linda is really gifted and strong.She can be your real well-matched competitor.Come on!”
After Jessica left,Mary decided to practice her most difficult spin . “If I don’t try harder, I won’t grasp this chance.” She thought. But her arm began to hurt, making her worried. “Mary, what makes you think you have a chance tonight?” she said to herself. After the pain was gone, she continued to warm up.
A slim girl hurried in and put down an equipment bag on the chair.Then, she took out her dance dress quickly and put it on skillfully. Seeing Mary, she smiled politely and said “Hi, I’m Linda. I am the next one!” Mary nodded in reply but felt uncomfortable. “This is just my competitor. Because of her, I may lose tonight.” Her mind was wandering when Linda let out a scream, “Oh, God, I can’t find my music tape!” Linda searched her bag but in vain . “It may be missing on the way.”With these words, she then rushed out.
注意：
1.所续写短文的字数应为120字左右；
2.应使用5个以上的短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, Mary caught sight of a black box under the chair where Linda put her bag.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
Hearing her name called, Mary walked on the stage with her heart beating faster and faster.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
请阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
As a new reporter, Zhou Yang is more than 1.(delight) at his first- day experience in China Daily, 2. important and popular English newspaper. He is eager to go out on a story, 3. he can’t get the4.(approve) of his new boss Hu Xin, because he is merely a green hand. Now Hu Xin is instructing him how to be a good reporter.
At the very beginning, he will work as an assistant to an experienced journalist to become 5.(technical) good.Later,only if he acquires6.(many) skills than expected can he cover a story on his own.Besides, he is supposed to be curious, for there are many cases7. reporters should ask many different questions so that they can get necessary information . Of course,it is vital for a reporter to have a good “nose” 8. a story,knowing if someone is telling the truth.And while interviewing people, a reporter must listen to the answers carefully. If possible, a reporter can record the interview in case he 9. (accuse) of getting the wrong end of the stick.Last but not least, make sure to submit the article in time so as not 10.(miss)the deadline.
After hearing Hu Xin’s advice, Zhou Yang is looking forward to his first assignment very much.
