The UK's first fully solar-powered home, which removes the need to ever receive a gas or electricity bill again, has gone on sale, but it will cost you £1.2 million.
The timber-framed home in Great Glen, Leicestershire, contains a number of “zero-carbon feature” including solar electric energy, triple glazing and rainwater storage. It is entirely heated by underground water-filled tubes that are warmed by solar energy from rooftop panels. The house was designed and built by Caplin Homes and covers two acres of land. The design and construction, down to the materials, were used specifically for their low carbon footprint.
The solar panels on the roof of the five-bedroom house are called hybrids because they collect both electrical and thermal energy. Solar walls preheat incoming air, and an Earth Energy Bank (EEB) and heat pump can store heat, and get it back for use when temperatures drop. The south-facing triple-glazed windows are said to also improve the house's energy management during the winter.
All the technologies are controlled by a control system, which monitors the inside and outside temperatures, how much energy is being received by the solar panels, and the heat levels in the EE domestic hot water tank. Due to its low energy design, the Solar House is expected to only require heat from the EEB for about 10 weeks of the year.
For £1.2 million, buyers also get two garages. Estate agent (房地产经纪人) Anthony Fox said the possibility of no utility bills was a big draw for potential owners: the idea is that your bills pretty much disappear and the house is self-sustaining and self-sufficient. That was a big aspect for most of the people who came to have a look around. “We had a lot of interest on the open day. There were some strong considerations to buy there and then. Everyone was very keen to learn how the house worked.” He added.
1.Which is true about the UK’s first fully solar-powered home?
A.It is directly heated by rooftop panels.
B.It has a set of heat-storage device available.
C.All of its materials are not environmentally friendly.
D.Its walls can keep cold air from coming in to store heat.
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A.The monitor of the temperature.
B.The amount of the received energy.
C.The function of the control system.
D.The significance of the new technologies.
3.What’s a big attraction for potential buyers according to Anthony Fox?
A.No gas or electricity bill. B.Two additional garages.
C.Unique structure of the house. D.Only £1.2 million for the house.
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To advertise a zero-carbon house.
B.To recommend an amazing house.
C.To introduce a solar-powered house.
D.To explain how the low-energy house works.
Do you like shopping? For shopaholics in the UK, the place to head to used to be the “high street”. It was the place where you could find familiar fashion brands and essential everyday items in the centre of a town. But change in our shopping habits has taken its toll on the British high street.
News about shops losing money and shutting is now common. Some city-centre department stores have closed and even long-established retailers (零售商) have reported profit slumps. According to a recent survey, a record 2,481 shops disappeared from UK high streets last year — up by 40 percent.
As the BBC’s Emma Simpson writes, things have become a lot harder for traditional retailers in recent years. They have faced rising costs from wages, business rates and the requirement to introduce Europe’s new data law. But the biggest threat has come from online shopping. She says “Consumers now spend one in every five pounds online — and if businesses are seeing 20 percent fewer sales on the shop floor, as well as their fixed costs rising, then profit margins will be squeezed.”
While some of us like to window shop — browsing for things to buy, only to purchase them online at a discount — the fact is that, overall, shoppers are making fewer visits to high streets. Eventually, town centres could become like ghost towns. If people aren’t out and about shopping, they won't use other services, like cafes, restaurants and cinemas, which leads to job losses. The high street has also suffered from the arrival of big shopping malls, which offer a retail experience under one roof, with free parking, away from the bad weather!
Meanwhile, back on the high street, some shops still exist. Analysts have said it's those that have moved away from traditional retailing that are surviving. These include beauty salons, nail bars and independent coffee shops — but are these kinds of shops enough to keep the British high street open for business?
1.What do we know about “high street” according to the passage?
A.It sold only fashionable daily items.
B.It has changed people’s shopping habits.
C.It was a big shopping mall in downtown Britain.
D.It was the destination for people who love shopping in the UK.
2.Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “slumps”?
A.Sharp fall. B.Steady rise.
C.Slow increase. D.Slight loss.
3.What’s the hardest part for traditional shop owners to run their shops?
A.The rising costs from wages.
B.The boom of window shopping.
C.The popularity of shopping online,
D.The introduction of Europe’s new data law.
4.What change is taking place in the British high street at present?
A.Discounts are offered to attract more consumers.
B.Parking is free of charge in time of bad weather.
C.Better service is provided to satisfy the customers.
D.Some conventional retailer turn to other businesses.
Have you ever dreamed of meeting top scientists in person? If so, what would you want to ask them?
For Tan Fanglin, a 15-year-old girl from No. 2 High School of East China Normal University in Shanghai, her dream of meeting top scientists has already come true. In October 2019, she attended the World Laureates Forum for a second time, which had attracted 44 Nobel Prize Winners and 21 other world-class award winners. Tan was by far the youngest participant among the scientists invited to be at the meeting of the world’s sharpest minds.
Her discovery about the relationship between the Fibonacci sequence (斐波那契数列) and Bézout numbers (贝祖数) has won her many prizes in youth innovation competitions both in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. Her finding has been praised by the famous Canadian mathematician, Professor Rankin, who has been studying the same theme for five years but with no conclusions.
From a very young age, Tan has always been fascinated by mathematics. This is largely because her father, who teaches mathematics in East China Normal University, has a profound impact on her. According to Xu Jun, the head teacher, Tan doesn’t take after-school classes or too many extra exercises either. Her mastering of Advanced Mathematics and her good grades in school are thanks to the right study method. Her mother told Guangming Daily that Tan always treats studying and life with a positive state of mind so she can feel happy while studying.
Attending this forum enabled Tan to get more inspiration from top scientists. She even got the opportunity to talk with Gero Miesenbock, the 2019 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize winner. She asked Professor Miesenbock what he considered were the best personal qualities for conducting scientific research. Miesenbock encouraged her not to lose her passion and love for what she does. He said that accepting failures is crucial for researchers. He stressed that people all knew that even Thomas Edison went through hundreds of unsuccessful attempts before finally inventing the light bulb. The words made Tan feel inspired and she promised to keep her curiosity and interests in mathematics and overcome any obstacles in her research.
1.What can we learn about Tan Fanglin according to paragraph 2?
A.She is a student from East China Normal University.
B.She frequently participates in the World laureates Forum.
C.She achieved her goal of meeting world-class award winners.
D.She was the youngest and sharpest mind among the invited scientists.
2.What made Tan so interested in the study of mathematics?
A.Her father's influence. B.Her right study method.
C.Her positive attitude. D.Her head teacher’s encouragement.
3.According to Miesenbock, the most important quality for science researchers is .
A.learning from the past failures B.being curious and interested
C.being passionate about science D.getting inspiration from scientists
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.The Key to Be a Top Scientist
B.A Student Inspired by Top Minds
C.A Dream to Be a Mathematician
D.An Outstanding Girl Tan Fanglin
Since you are applying for a visa for a short-term study in the USA, here are a few steps you should take to ensure you can do it smoothly.
You can apply for it if you
●do a short course of study in the USA, such as an English language course or a training course.
●do a short period of research as part of a degree course in the USA.
You must prove that you
●have been offered a place on a course in the USA at an accepted place of study.
●have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds.
●can pay for your return or onward journey.
●have permission from your parents or guardian to study in the USA if you are under 18.
You must provide
●proof of the course you're studying, for example, a letter of acceptance from the educational institution — an official headed paper; stating the course's name, duration and cost (including accommodation).
●a current passport or other valid travel identification.
●evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, for example, bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months.
●details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans.
●contact details for at least one parent or guardian in your home country if you’re under 18 years old.
You must
●apply online for a short-term study visa.
●have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre as part of your application.
●pay £97 for a 6-month visa or £186 for an 11-month visa.
You may
●be allowed to stay an extra 30 days if your total stay in the USA is no more than 6 months.
1.Who is the passage intended for?
A.A graduate to pick up a full time job in the USA.
B.A university professor to teach Chinese in the USA.
C.A high school student to have a short-term travel in the USA.
D.A scholar to conduct a short degree-related research in the USA.
2.What is needed to apply for this kind of visa?
A.Your previous passport.
B.Details of your study plans.
C.A proof of your parents’ support.
D.An official document of your target course.
3.Which is true according to the passage?
A.It is free for a one-year study visa.
B.You need to apply through the Internet.
C.You can extend one-month stay as you please.
D.Your photo must be taken and submitted online.
假设你是李华。你的英国笔友杰克刚刚升入高中,但他一时无法适应新的校园生活，写信向你征求建议。请你就此问题给他回一封信，内容主要把包括：
1.不必过分焦虑；
2.制定合理的学习计划；
3.多参加集体活动，结交新朋友；
参考词汇：适应 adjust to
注意：1.词数100左右;
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dare Jack,
I am sorry to hear that you’re having trouble adjusting to your high school life._____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I liked sleeping lately at the weekend. My parents was often angry with me, but I didn’t take it serious. Last Saturday, a friend of me phoned me and we planned meet at the park at 8 o’clock the next morning. Watch my favorite movie until midnight, I went to bed even late than usual. I was so tired to hear the alarm and got up very late on the Saturday morning. When I got here my friends had already left. I felt so sorry for that.
