Seasonal pumped hydropower storage（SPHS），an already established yet infrequently used technology ,could be an affordable and sustainable solution（解决方法）to store energy and water annually, according to new IIASA research published in the journal Nature Communications. Compared with other mature storage solutions, such as natural gas, the study shows that there is considerable potential for SPHS to provide highly competitive energy storage costs.
Seasonal pumped hydropower storage means pumping water into a deep storage reservoir（水库）, built parallel to a major river, during times of high water flow or low energy demand. When water is not enough or energy demand increases，stored water is then released from the reservoir to generate electricity.
The new study is the first to provide a global, high-resolution analysis of the potential and costs for SPHS technology. In their analysis, researchers assessed the theoretical global potential for storing energy and water seasonally with SPHS, focusing on the locations with the highest potential and lowest cost. They found that the technology would be particularly effective in the Himalayas, the Andes, Alps，and the Rocky Mountains, as well as mountainous regions in the Middle East, Brazil, Asia, and Russia, and many other locations around the world.
The study also addresses some of the potential environmental concerns related to hydropower. Because SPHS reservoirs are deep and constructed parallel to, rather than within the course of a river, the environmental and land use impacts can also be up to 10 to 50 times smaller than conventional hydropower plants.
Hunt, lead author of the study, says, “With the need for a change to a more sustainable world with lower CO2 emissions（排放），renewable energies and energy storage will play a major role in the near future. Given the vast untapped（未开发的）and cheap potential of SPHS, it will soon play an important role in storing energy and water on a yearly basis.”
1.What is the strength of SPHS based on the new IIASA research?
A.It’s costly. B.It’s out-dated.
C.It’s rarely used. D.It’s inexpensive.
2.What do researchers concentrate on when assessing the use of SPHS?
A.Environmental protection. B.High profits.
C.Suitable places. D.Water flow.
3.What do we know about the SPHS reservoirs in Paragraph 4?
A.They damage the river.
B.They are environmentally friendly.
C.They are similar to traditional hydropower plants.
D.They can be effective in many places globally.
4.What’s the future for SPHS according to Hunt?
A.Promising. B.Panicking.
C.Discouraging. D.Demanding.
People may set an alarm on the phone or clock that sounds like this: beep beep beep. That hard, unpleasant sound may be making it harder to shake off the sleepy feeling in the morning known as grogginess. So, is there a better way to wake up? A recent study says yes. The answer is music.
The study, carried out by researchers in Australia, involved 50 people. The researchers found that people who wake up to musical alarms reported feeling more awake and alert. Stuart McFarlane, a lead writer of the study stated, "We are very surprised by these findings as one might expect a harsh beeping sound to be more successful," at waking up a person.
Sleep inertia is another term for grogginess. It means a person has a heavy feeling when waking up, and has trouble getting moving again after sleeping. McFarlane said people need to better understand sleep inertia's harmful effects on human performance later in the day.
Not everyone will experience the full effect. But for those who do, "care should be taken" when performing duties that require a top performance within this period, he said. This includes "dangerous tasks like driving or riding our bikes" shortly after waking up. The same is true for people who work in dangerous situations shortly after they wake, including firefighters and pilots.
So, what makes musical alarms better for waking up? The researchers think the music may be more successful in reducing sleep inertia because it has several tones, compared to the single tone of a "beeping" alarm. McFarlane said that the changes over time between the music tones may help increase a person's attention when waking from sleep.
And is there a kind of music that is best to wake up to? There may be, McFarlane said. "We could suggest alarm sounds that are tune full and easy to hum or sing along with. The current sounds I have been using include 'Close to me' by the Cure and 'Borderline' by Madonna."
No matter how you wake up, experts say, the amount of sleep you get also matters — a lot.
1.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A.What is grogginess? B.Why are musical alarms better?
C.Which music is the best? D.How can we overcome grogginess?
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Sleep inertia is another cause for grogginess.
B.How long a person sleeps is of great importance.
C.The 'beeping' alarm is not effective mainly because of its noisy tone.
D.It is dangerous for everyone to drive or ride bicycles shortly after waking up.
3.The paragraph following this passage is likely to focus on .
A.examples of good musical alarms
B.more findings of the application of music
C.explanations about why music is more helpful
D.suggestions on how to sleep well and feel fresh each morning
4.In which section of a magazine may you find the passage?
A.Health. B.Fiction.
C.Technology. D.Entertainment
Along with soccer, basketball is a global sport. As you read this. young people somewhere in the world are happily passing, dribbling(运球) and shooting. It’s enormous fun and a joyful way to spend time with others.
Basketball is a game for everyone. Unlike golf or tennis. it doesn't require great wealth or a lot of space to play. After all, not many people have a golf course-sized backyard. and tennis equipment is expensive. Basketball, by contrast, just needs a wall with a hoop and a ball.
So after its invention by Canadian-American physical educator James Naismith in 1891, the sport took off within US citizens, who quickly became attracted to the game because it suited their circumstances. Today, 127 years later, basketball remains one of the most popular sports in the US, and the National Basketball Association (NBA)has an increasing appeal for fans around the world.
The success of basketball as global phenomenon is undoubtedly related to the way African-Americans play the game.” The basketball court reflected some of the major cultural shifts in America, such as from forbidding African-Americans to play basketball to allowing them to play in the NBA, "the LIVESTRONG website noted.
From the 1950s onwards, segregation rules, which had prohibited African-Americans from playing basketball in NBA games, were no longer used in the US. In 1950, when Earl Lloyd started to play for the Washington Capitols, things began to change. Since then, most of the greats of the game have been African-Americans, like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
It's not difficult to see that there's a strong link between political liberation and basketball. Something of this is expressed in a quote from the US author John Edgar Wideman. He makes a connection between basketball and hope:" When it's' played the way it's supposed to be played. basketball happens in the air; flying, floating, raised above the floor, letting the oppressed(受压制的) people of this earth imagine themselves in their dreams.”
1.What advantage does basketball have over golf or tennis, according to the author?
A.It can be played everywhere.
B.It doesn't cost much.
C.It doesn't require too much skill.
D.It interests almost everyone.
2.What can we learn about basketball from Paragraph 3?
A.The sport was created by a PE teacher.
B.The sport was not popular with people at first.
C.Its rules have been changed a lot to suit new circumstances.
D.The NBA. with a history of 127 Years. attracts people worldwide
3.The main purpose of Paragraph 5 is to .
A.explain the origin and rules of NBA games in the 1950s
B.prove the popularity of basketball among African-Americans
C.stress the success African-Americans in basketball
D.show how racial integration took place in basketball
4.What do John Edgar Wideman's words mean?
A.Basketball is sometimes a useful tool for politicians.
B.American people usually have a basketball dream.
C.Basketball stands for the freedom and hopes of people.
D.Political oppression is a serious problem in the US.
Los Angeles is a relatively new and spreading city, which means there’s a big canvas (画布) for architects of many styles to put their 3D stamps on the city. For architecture fans, here are some must-see spots.
Watts Towers
Designed and constructed by Italian-born Simon Rodia over the course of three decades, the 17 towers—the tallest is 100 feet high—consist of metal and found objects such as broken glass, pottery chips (陶器碎片), seashells, etc. You can take a guided tour of this place, learning about the history of this attractive project. 1727 E. 107th St., LA.
Getty Center
Architect Richard Meier’s shining city on a hill took 16,000 tons of marble to build but today it’s a wonder, housing the Getty’s main art collection and offering unbelievable views of Los Angeles. 1200 Getty Center Dr., LA.
Sturges House
Frank Lloyd Wright designed nine different structures throughout Southern California. This was Wright’s first turn away from the textile (纺织) block buildings he’d been designing in California and toward stressing natural factors of the structure to mix with the natural surroundings. 449 N. Skyewiay Rd., LA.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Frank Gehry has lived in Los Angele s for decade s and hi s world has been se en throughout the city. This one, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, is his most luxurious (奢侈的) building in Southern California. You need not sit through a symphony performance to get a glance at the interior(内饰). The concert hall offers free self-guided audio tours recorded by actor John Litligow. 111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
1.Where should you go to visit Watts Towers?
A.1200 Getty Center Dr., LA. B.1727 E. 107th St., LA.
C.449 N. S kyewiay Rd., LA. D.111 S. Grand Ave., LA.
2.What is special about Sturges House?
A.It is made up of 9 structures. B.It is a textile block building.
C.It fits in well with its environment. D.It is a luxurious building.
3.Who designed Walt Disney Concert Hall?
A.Simon Rodia. B.Richard Meier.
C.John Lithgow. D.Frank Gehry.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。续写的词数应为150左右。
It was Susan’s 12th birthday. She had been expecting to receive a yo-yo (悠悠球) from her parents as her birthday gift for several months. However, she received a purple dress instead, which made her really disappointed.
“I only want a yo-yo as my birthday present. I don’t want the dress and I hate purple.” Susan shouted at her mother when she saw the dress. “Even a five-year-old child has a yo-yo. Do you know why others don’t want to be my friends? It is all because I don’t have a yo-yo. It is so boring to live in this house,” Susan said angrily.
Her mother ignored her complaints and changed the topic, saying, “Uncle Brown, Uncle Smith, Aunt Aniston and their children are coming for dinner tonight. So, you can play with your cousins.” “But, I don’t think there is anything interesting to play in the house.” Susan complained again.
The guests arrived at 6:00 pm. Susan guided the four children who came with the adults to her room. “Do you have any interesting toys? Susan...” asked Jim, one of the children. Susan felt that Jim was asking for a yo-yo. She felt embarrassed and brought out her Snakes and Ladders (蛇梯棋). All the children played the game together. Everyone enjoyed playing the game except Susan. After a little while, her cousin Sara asked, “Susan, can we go downstairs to the basement?” Susan said, “No, there is nothing interesting to play in it. Ignoring Susan’s words, the children raced to the basement excitedly. They found there were some empty cartons, ropes, old broken toys…” Upon seeing this, Sara came up with an idea- the memory game. She arranged a few things on the floor and closed her eyes. Then Jim took away an object randomly and Sara should guess what the missing object was.
Paragraph 1:
When Susan arrived there later, she looked at the children in surprise.
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Paragraph 2:
That night after the guests left, Susan sat alone in her room.
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假定你是班长李华，计划全班同学到孔子博物馆参观。请你给外教Mr. Henry写封邮件，邀请他参加，内容包括：
1. 发出邀请；
2. 活动安排；
3. 注意事项。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：孔子博物馆 Confucius Museum
Dear Mr. Henry,
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Yours，
Li Hua
