Electric cars are dirty. In fact, not only are they dirty, they might even be more dirty than their gasoline-powered cousins.
People in California love to talk about “zero-emissions(排放) vehicles”, but people in California seem to be clueless about where electricity comes from. Power plants mostly use fire to make it. Aside from the new folks who have their roofs covered with solar cells, we get our electricity from generators(发电机). Generators are fueled by something--usually coal, oil, but also by heat generated in nuclear power plants. There are a few wind farms and geothermal
(地热) plants as well, but by far we get electricity mainly by burning something.
In other words, those "zero-emissions" cars are likely coal-burning cars. It’s just because the coal is burned somewhere else, it looks clean. It is not. It's as if the California Greens are covering their eyes—“If I can't see it, it's not happening.” Gasoline is an incredibly efficient way to power a vehicle; a gallon of gas has a lot of energy in it. But when you take that gas (or another fuel) and first use it to make electricity, you waste a nice part of that energy, mostly in the form of wasted heat—at the generator, through the transmission lines, etc.
A gallon of gas may propel your car 25 miles. But the electricity you get from that gallon of gas won't get you nearly as far—so electric cars burn more fuel than gasoline-powered ones. If our electricity came mostly from nukes or geothermal, or hydro or wind or solar, then an electric car truly would be clean. But for political, technical, and economic reasons, we don't use much of those energy sources.
In addition, electric cars' batteries which are poisonous for a long time will eventually end up in a landfill. And finally, when cars are the polluters, the pollution is spread across all the roads. When it's a power plant, though, all the junk is in one place. Nature is very good at cleaning up when things are too concentrated, but it takes a lot longer when all the garbage is in one spot.
1.What does “clueless” mean in paragraph 2?
A.People see the California Greens everywhere.
B.People there have no idea that so far electricity mainly comes from burning coal, oil, etc.
C.People in California love to have their roofs covered with solar cells.
D.People in California love to talk about zero-emissions vehicles.
2.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Electric cars are not clean at all.
B.Electric cars are better than gasoline-powered ones.
C.People cast doubts on electric cars’ batteries.
D.Gasoline is an efficient way to power a vehicle.
3.The electricity we get from a gallon of gas may make our car run ________.
A.not less than 25 miles B.as far as 50 miles
C.as far as 25 miles D.not more than 25 miles
4.According to the text, electric cars ________.
A.are more environmentally friendly
B.burn more fuel than gas-powered ones
C.are very good at cleaning up when things are not too concentrated
D.are poisonous for a long time and will eventually end up in a landfill
5.It can be inferred from the text that ________.
A.being green is good and should be encouraged in communication
B.electric cars are now the dominant vehicle compared with gasoline-powered cousins
C.zero-emissions vehicles should be chosen to protect our environment
D.electric cars are not clean because we get electricity mainly by burning something
Welcome to BritainUSA. com 4 Kids！
Perhaps you are here because your child has been asked by his or her teacher to do a project on Britain. Or maybe you and your child simply want to learn more about all things British.
Well，good news：This site is here to help.
※For instance，we have a section devoted to British History & Geography. Kids will learn that Britain has not been invaded since the Normans came from France in 1066，but it was invaded many times before that. And that the invaders included groups like the Celts，Romans Anglo-Saxons and，yes，the Vikings!
※If they are looking for photos (and kids love photos)，we have a picture gallery on the 4kids site. There are pictures from England，Scotland，Wales and Northern Ireland as well as images of London，the Royal Family and castles.
※Kids can also find out about the many differences between British English and American English. Words are used differently of course，and many English words have different meanings in Britain or are unique to British culture. Kids should check out our glossary of British terms.
※We also have information about Pen Pals. And scouts might want to visit our section on the Citizenship in the World Merit Badge. It includes information on how to write to the Embassy.
※We also have sections on British sports and about life in Britain. How is life different for kids in the United Kingdom？These and other questions can be answered by using the 4kids site，the main Britain USA site，and our Frequently Asked Questions.
Enjoy the site and we hope you and your kids learn a lot. If you have any comments or suggestions about BritainUSA or BritainUSA 4Kids，please use our feedback form. We'd welcome your input.
Cheers!
1.We can see that BritainUSA. com 4Kids is designed to help us___.
A.understand British history better
B.have a better understanding of American culture
C.improve our English
D.have a better understanding of Britain
2.According to the passage，who CAN'T benefit from visiting BritainUSA. com 4Kids？___
A.Helen, who wants to see pictures of British royal families.
B.Daniel, who wants to know about British football teams.
C.Alisa，who is choosing an ideal college in Britain.
D.Philip，who is looking for a pen pal in Britain.
3.If you want to express your dissatisfaction with the site，you should go to the___
A.picture gallery
B.frequently asked questions
C.glossary of British terms
D.feedback form
4.What does the underlined word "glossary" in Paragraph 4 mean in English？___
A.A list of technical or special words
B.Some comments
C.Some suggestions
D.A piece of advice
5.The above writing is most probably intended for___
A.children B.teachers
C.parents D.children experts.
Sometimes a certain day has a special meaning. Fridays meant a trip to a senior nursing home downtown for me. It seemed as if this nursing home needed help, but_______did I know it would help me, too.
During my first visit I was asked to_______some of the female residents' nails. I carefully_________the old color on their nails. As I applied new color, one woman_______to tell me about her hidden pains, from her husband’s death to the one_______she wanted most: a camera. I listened carefully. She smiled_______, with some of her past pains taken off her mind. I left the nursing home that day, _______ by the fact that I had actually helped somebody.
I realized that my_______ actions, just listening, for example, could make a(n)_______to others' lives. One woman, who happily commented that we________the same first name, confided (吐露) her opinions to me. Another________showed me a birthday card her children had sent her. Of course, not all of the conversations were ________. When one elderly woman talked to me about ________ her 13-year-old daughter would be graduating from middle school this year, I didn’t know what to do but nod and listen, ________that her daughter must have graduated decades ago.
Although I could not________more years to the lives of these elderly residents, I could give them something simple that's often________in our society. Through our conversations, I gave them the________ that in this fast-paced world, they were not forgotten—that members of younger generations still cared about them.
Every moment I spend________is an opportunity to reduce their pain. ______, that moment also shapes me. I not only learn about life and experiences outside of school but also receive the gift of being part of this________—the connection between humans. Those moments of sharing and listening are magical for both the giver and the receiver.
1.A.still B.little C.already D.indeed
2.A.polish B.wash C.cut D.check
3.A.took away B.rubbed off C.showed off D.gave up
4.A.continued B.expected C.agreed D.started
5.A.collection B.product C.award D.item
6.A.at least B.more or less C.in relief D.in vain
7.A.inspired B.reminded C.moved D.puzzled
8.A.unique B.polite C.casual D.simple
9.A.chance B.impression C.difference D.decision
10.A.remembered B.shared C.contained D.carried
11.A.cautiously B.accidentally C.proudly D.finally
12.A.pleasant B.serious C.formal D.interesting
13.A.when B.why C.what D.that
14.A.convincing B.knowing C.indicating D.persuading
15.A.add B.connect C.supply D.compare
16.A.valued B.loved C.blamed D.overlooked
17.A.memory B.possibility C.assurance D.assumption
18.A.chatting B.waiting C.acting D.watching
19.A.Above all B.In other words C.In turn D.In a word
20.A.tradition B.process C.habit D.trip
—Let’s take a coffee break.
—________ We’ve been working for hours.
A.Why bother? B.What for? C.You got me there. D.You said it.
_____ you may have, you should gather your courage to face the challenge.
A.However a serious problem B.What a serious problem
C.However serious a problem D.What serious a problem
My sister met him at the cinema yesterday afternoon, so he _________ your lecture.
A.couldn't have attended B.needn't have attended
C.mustn't have attended D.shouldn't have attended
