The U.S. solar industry is growing at a record-breaking pace, while becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. The industry’s forward progress comes in part thanks to support from the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative(计划).
Set up in 2011 to rebuild U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace, SunShot is to aggressively drive down the cost of solar-powered electricity generation across America.
To achieve this goal, SunShot works to lower the price of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt hour (KWh) — a cost target that will make solar-generated power to be fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade.
Just three years into the initiative, SunShot is making significant headway. Today, the Energy Department announced that the U.S. solar industry is more than 60 percent of the way to achieving cost-competitive utility-scale solar photovoltaic or PV (光伏) electricity. In many parts of the country, solar electricity is already cost-competitive with traditional energy sources, including California, Hawaii and Minnesota.
Within the past few years, utility-scale PV has risen from a relative newcomer to the solar market to the fastest growing sector of the industry. These projects feature large, centralized PV systems that feed power directly to the grid (电网). While the operating history of utility-scale PV is brief, it is expected to take up most of the U.S. PV market through 2018, helping create new jobs, support other U.S. industries and improve economic growth as it expands.
One of the biggest benefits of the expanding solar industry is its influence on the U.S. job market. The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2017 finds solar jobs increased nearly 20 percent since the fall of 2016, 10 times the national average job growth rate. There are more than 140,000 solar workers in the United States, up from about 119,000 in 2016. Not only did the industry go beyond growth expectations, but the pace of hiring has quickened, producing new hires at a rate 50 percent higher than last year.
1.From the passage we can learn that SunShot was set up to .
A.lower the price of solar electricity
B.rebuild U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace
C.compete with traditional energy sources
D.drive down the cost of solar-powered electricity
2.What can we learn about U.S. utility-scale PV?
A.It has been developed for a quite long period. B.It has lowered the price 60% than other sources.
C.It has been the leading role of the U.S. PV market. D.It has brought some benefits to the U.S. economy.
3.How does the author develop the last paragraph?
A.By providing data. B.By giving examples.
C.By reasoning. D.By analyzing causes.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.SunShot Is Promoting U.S. Solar Industry
B.Solar Industry Defeats Traditional Energy Sources
C.U.S. Employment Benefits from Solar Industry
D.Solar Industry’ Growth Determines U.S. Economy
The Intelligent Plant. That is the title of a recent article in The New Yorker, and new research is showing that plants have surprising abilities to sense and react to the world.
But can a plant be intelligent? Some plant scientists insist they are since they can sense, learn, remember and even react in ways that would be familiar to humans.
Michael Pollan, author of “The Botany of Desire,” says for the longest time, people who have long talked to their plants or played music for them were being considered “mad.”
The new research, he says, is in a field called plant neurobiology(神经生物学), which is not a proper name, because even scientists in the field don’t argue that plants have neurons(神经) or brains.
“They have analogous structures as humans,” Pollan explains. “Plants have all the same senses as humans. They have ways of taking all the sensory data they gather in their everyday lives, integrate it and then behave in an appropriate way in response.” In addition to hearing, taste, for example, they can sense gravity, the presence of water, or even feel that an obstacle(障碍物) is in the way of its roots, before coming into contact with it. Plant roots will change direction, he says, to avoid obstacles.
So what about pain? Do plants feel? Pollan says they do respond to anesthetics (麻醉剂). “You can put a plant out with a human anesthetic. And not only that, plants produce their own compounds that are anesthetic to us.” But scientists are unwilling to go as far as to say they are responding to pain.
How plants sense and react is still somewhat unknown. They don’t have nerve cells like humans, but they do have a system for sending electrical signals and even produce neurotransmitters (神经递质) and other chemicals the human brain uses to send signals.
1.Why does the author mention the article The Intelligent Plant in the first paragraph?
A.To support his opinion. B.To introduce the topic.
C.To give an example. D.To make comparison.
2.People who usually talked to their plants would be thought .
A.Intelligent. B.Crazy. C.Patient. D.Comforting.
3.What does the underlined word “analogous” in paragraph 5 mean?
A.Simple. B.False. C.Flexible. D.Similar.
4.What can we learn about plants according to the last two paragraphs?
A.Plants can feel and react to pain. B.Plants send two kinds of signals.
C.Plants are able to sense and react. D.Plants have their own brains.
I am the proud owner of three pet dogs. Over the years, I have watched their behaviours carefully that help me when I travel around the world.
One important lesson that my dog, Cody, taught me is how to deal with little problems in life. From his calm behavior when someone knocked unexpectedly at the door to the indifferent way he has dealt with his recent serious illness, he has always had the same easy-going attitude. This attitude is an important lesson to me in how I can face difficult situations when travelling, I've learned to try to handle bad situations calmly, such as when we miss a train, lose luggage, and so on.
Another dog of mine, Preston, loves to walk around the yard, spending hours smelling every place and finding out what it means to him. Taking it slowly is another lesson that’s been very hard for me to learn. As an active traveller, I am actually experiencing less by speeding through everything, rather than slowly getting to know a place. Even if it means that you won’t see as many things, going slowly when you travel is the only way to really get to know a new place. Rushing around a foreign city isn’t fun at all.
My dog, Moya, came from a truly bad situation. I am not sure what happened to her before; I just know it wasn’t good. Although she has become more relaxed over the years, she is still slightly on edge. She is very cautious when faced with any new situation. But once she’s accustomed to her new surroundings, she is fine. She doesn’t let fear influence her experience. The same can be applied to our travel experience. No matter where we go, we need to manage new situations with caution——while at the same time not letting that caution turn into fear.
Many thanks to my pets. Truly speaking, pets are as basic to American culture as hot dogs or apple pies. To Americans, pets are not just property, but a part of the family. After all, pets are people, too, with the help of whom I am able to gain a lot and live differently.
1.One of the three dogs, Cody, .
A.once suffered from a serious illness B.is excited when under pressure
C.enjoys walking around the yard D.is unable to deal with new situations
2.From Preston, the author learned that one should .
A.pay attention to the details in life B.see as many things as possible when travelling
C.stay indifferent to strangers D.travel around slowly and have fun
3.The underlined phrase “on edge” in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A.hungry B.nervous C.calm D.happy
4.Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Museum of International Cultures
A Center for Global Awareness and Understanding
International Film Series
The International Film Series is a year-long celebration of various cultures.
The series is held on the 4th Saturday of a month, alternating with the Cultural Dinner & Lecture Series every other month.
Both the film series and cultural dinner and lecture series begin at 7:00 p.m.
The International Film Series is hosted by Anne & Tim Perry.
Cost is Free.
CEF Workshop
The Chemical Education Foundation (CEF) is a professional development workshop designed to provide educators with methods for teaching chemistry concepts through hands-on learning and real-world connections.
To register for the free workshop, please send email to penny@acm.org with the following information: your name, your email address and telephone number, your school or group and its address, the grade levels you teach.
This free workshop for educators will be held on Saturday January 20, 2020. Sign-in starts at 9:30 a.m. and the workshop will run from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
Recharge Conference
This is a rolling one-day conference featuring community experts sharing information on health, finances, education, cooking, exercise tips, self-development, manhood, marriage and job searches.
Speakers include:
Clarence Davis, Opening Message on Connection;
Tonya Brown, “Trickeration 101,” with a message of strength and hope;
Darren Murphy, “Bug Straight Talk,” on overcoming addiction and restart new life;
Quinecka Ragsdale, “Demarcus Jones and The Solar Calendar,” on time travel and African/African American history;
Pastor Barry Jerking, “On The Road to Glory,” finding your life’s purpose as a man in society;
Oscar Ellis, on financing your business.
Cost is $10 in advance; $15 at the door, plus applicable fees.
1.How many times will the International Film Series be held in a year?
A.Twice. B.3 times. C.6 times. D.12 times.
2.Who is the CEF workshop designed for?
A.Young students. B.Chemistry teachers.
C.Chemical scientists. D.Industry workers.
3.If Tom is interested in science fiction, whose lecture will he attend?
A.Tonya Brown’s. B.Darren Murphy’s.
C.Quinecka Ragsdale’s. D.Pastor Barry Jerking’s.
The first week of my summer campaign has been quite an experience! I'm learning the ups and downs of guiding this new journey, and I'm soon finding my footing in the wonderful world of support raising.
Some may ask: Why do you choose a job where support raising is necessary? Why not just find a ministry that will support you without having to do any extra work?
I had a wonderful support meeting this week where I was able to have some very good conversations with the lady I was sharing with.It blessed my soul to see her eyes light up with the same passion（热情）I felt in my heart about the ministry I was sharing with her.I kept thinking in my head "I've shared my passions with her,and she gets it."At the end of our meeting she decided to become a donor,but she gave me something extra that I haven't received from anyone else.She gave me a handmade wooden cross,small enough to carry with me.
As soon as she handed it to me,I knew it was a gift sent from God,through an act of friendship.It's a symbol of a partnership that is developing through this journey, a symbol of how God can send us messages and a symbol of new friendships to come throughout the summer and my time in the middle east.Finally,it's a symbol of the example of what it looks like to build relationships with people who will join you in sharing with the world.It's something I'll treasure through the rest of my summer campaign,through my service in the middle east,and the rest of my life.
1.What can be inferred about the author from the first paragraph?
A.He is a quick learner.
B.He enjoys trying new journeys.
C.He regrets joining in the summer campaign.
D.His summer campaign is delivering support.
2.What does the author's job require him to do?
A.Help others. B.Raise support.
C.Share with others. D.Work extra hours.
3.What did the lady do for the author?
A.She inspired passion in him. B.She found a ministry for him.
C.She helped him clarify his doubt. D.She gave him more than expected.
4.What does the author say about the cross?
A.It isn't portable due to its size. B.It symbolizes many things to him.
C.It is donated by one of his old friends. D.It has far-reaching influence on the giver.
At the age of 14, James Harrison had a major chest operation and he required 13 units (3.4 gallons) of blood afterwards. The blood donations saved his life, and he decided that once he turned 18, he would begin donating blood as regularly as he could.
More than 60 years and almost 1,200 donations later, Harrison, whose blood contains an antibody (抗体) that has saved the lives of 2.4 million babies from miscarriages (流产), retired as a blood donor on May 11. Harrison’s blood is valuable because he naturally produces Rh-negative blood, which contains Rh-positive antibodies. His blood has been used to create anti-D in Australia since 1967.
“Every bottle of Anti-D ever made in Australia has James in it,” Robyn Barlow, the Rh program director told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s an amazing thing. He has saved millions of babies. I cry just thinking about it.” Since then, Harrison has donated between 500 and 800 milliliters of blood almost every week. He’s made 1,162 donations from his right arm and 10 from his left.
“I’d keep going if they let me,” Harrison told the Herald. His doctors said it was time to stop the donations — and they certainly don’t take them lightly. They had already extended the age limit for blood donations for him, and they’re cutting him off now to protect his health. He made his final donation surrounded by some of the mothers and babies who his blood helped save.
Harrison’s retirement is a blow to the Rh treatment program in Australia. Only 160 donors support the program, and finding new donors has proven to be difficult. But Harrison’s retirement from giving blood doesn’t mean he’s completely out of the game. Scientists are collecting and cataloging his DNA to create a library of antibodies and white blood cells that could be the future of the anti-D program in Australia.
1.What do we know about James Harrison?
A.He saved 2.4 million poor people.
B.He is to retire as a blood donor.
C.He is a very grateful blood donor.
D.He donates blood nearly every day.
2.What is the author’s purpose of writing Paragraph 4?
A.To state Harrison’s decision to continue donating blood.
B.To describe how Harrison’s donations come to an end.
C.To introduce some babies saved by Harrison’s blood.
D.To praise Harrison for his cooperation with the doctors.
3.What can we infer from the passage about Harrison?
A.After his retirement, the Rh program will fail.
B.New donors are easy to find in a short time.
C.He continues to contribute to the Rh program.
D.His DNA is kept in a library for future study.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.A Unique Man with a Rare Blood Type
B.The Blood Saving Millions of Babies
C.A Special Blood Type Donor to Retire
D.The Man with the Golden Arm
