Scientists are closely concerned with the structure of buildings and with the quality of building materials. The World health Organization (WHO) observes that the introduction of air conditioning and energy conservation (保护) measures have been accompanied by growing problems of indoor air quality. Some pollutants arise from insulation (隔音) products, some from moving cars, and others from modern housing materials. As many Europeans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, the health effects of the indoor climate are very important.
Some construction materials, including fiberboard, insulation foams and certain glues for man-made wood floor boards, for example, give out organic products such as formaldehyde (甲醛). Heat and humidity increase the release of formaldehyde and the gas seriously harms the eyes. Paint, lacquer, etc. can also release dangerous gas into indoor air.
Construction materials can cause serious damage, especially when they contain asbestos（石棉）. Asbestos is naturally present in rock formations worldwide. It belongs to a family of mineral substances made up of solid, non-combustible（非易燃品） fiber. These properties make asbestos a highly sought-after construction material. As early as 1931, however, public health officers in the United Kingdom revealed the connection between breathing in asbestos dust and such diseases as lung cancer.
The land on which a building is sited may also contribute to pollution. Some kinds of granite or similar rocks contain traces of radium. As it breaks down, this naturally radioactive element produces some kind of radioactive gas that goes through tiny cracks in walls, floors and building materials, and makes its way into the building and the rooms. The better the homes are insulated, the more is the dangerous gas in indoor air. The main effect of this dangerous gas on health is to increase the risk of lung cancer.
1．What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Some building materials pollute indoor air.
B．Some factors cause indoor air pollution.
C．Asbestos can cause lung cancer.
D．The land on which houses are built contributes to indoor pollution.
2．Why are Europeans particularly concerned with building materials?
A．Lots of building materials there are radioactive.
B．They stay home up to 90% of their lives.
C．They have a high rate of lung cancer.
D．They spend most of their time indoors.
3．Why is asbestos a sought-after building material?
A．It is a kind of insulation foam.
B．Asbestos will not give out dangerous gas.
C．This material is not easy to catch fire.
D．It is rarely present in rock formations.
4．Why should we be careful about the land on which a building is to be sited?
A．To determine whether the land is firm enough for a building to be sited on.
B．To make sure that the land contains no radioactive material.
C．To make certain that the land releases no formaldehyde or other gases.
D．To check whether it contains any combustible materials.
Love to sink into your chairs and relax when you get to school? Then you will not be happy to hear that schools all over the world are seriously considering exchanging traditional desks for ones with no seats at all — Yes, that means you will be encouraged to stand through those already too long math and science lessons! Why would anyone even think of putting kids to such cruelty? Experts say it improves their health and helps fight obesity. While that may seem a little far-fetched (牵强的), the officials at the few schools around the world seem to agree.
Among them are educators from the College Station Independent School District in Texas, who recently completed a week-long experiment involving 480 students across three elementary schools. The 374 kids that agreed to participate in the study were provided with a device that helped record step count and calorie consumption over the entire period.
All 25 teachers involved in the study reported that students appeared to be more alert and concentrate better, when allowed to stand. The one thing that did surprise the researchers was that younger kids were more willing to stay standing than kids in higher grades. They believe this may have something to do with the fact that after years of being asked to “sit still”, older kids have a harder time adjusting to this unexpected freedom.
American schools are not the only ones reporting success with stand-up desks. Four Catholic schools in Perth, Australia, which have been testing them since October 2013, have seen similar results. In May 2014, Grove House Primary School in Bradford, West Yorkshire, became Europe’s first test one, with a seven-week trial that involved the use of desks made by Ergotron in their fifth-grade classrooms. While official results are not out yet, early reactions from both teachers and students, have been extremely encouraging.
The findings of these studies and others done previously, all seem to mean that allowing kids to move around in classrooms is a win-win for students and teachers — it helps kids get healthier and provides educators with a more engaged audience.According to the teachers, older students may not like stand-up desks because ____________.
| A．they are cleverer than younger students |
| B．they are easily tired of standing long |
| C．they have formed the habit of sitting |
| D．they do badly in class while standing |
What is most likely to be the result of the seven-week trial?
| A．The standing desks can’t be used at all. |
| B．It is good for students to use stand-up desks. |
| C．More tests should be done in other schools. |
| D．The students are different in personality. |
Why do the teachers like the standing desks?
| A．Because the educators can draw the students’ attention. |
| B．Because the teachers can keep the students healthy. |
| C．Because the students can have a walk in the classroom.. |
| D．Because the standing desks can keep the students concentrated. |
The expression “a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.
About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria.
The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles (微粒) of silver. The pages can be used as filters（过滤器）to remove harmful microorganisms (微生物) that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it.
Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned.
Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages.
"The idea of classic texts—that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through that part," she says.
Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.
Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project.What do we learn about the book from the text?
| A．It sells well around the world. |
| B．It has pages with several functions. |
| C．It is about environment protection. |
| D．It can treat about 100 liters of water. |
What does the underlined phrase "that part" in Paragraph 6 refer to?
| A．Classic texts. | B．Invention presentation. |
| C．Exciting discussion. | D．Financial support. |
In which country did not the researchers test the drinkable book?
| A．Bangladesh. | B．Ghana |
| C．South Africa. | D．America. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Researchers have found a way to save those being ill. |
| B．Millions of people are in great need of drinkable water. |
| C．Book pages could provide safe drinking water. |
| D．Knowledge is as important as drinkable water. |
Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book, like:
Title.
Author.
Place of publication, publisher, date of publication.
Number of pages.
Like most pieces of writing, the review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say. The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again, so your readers don’t have to look up to find this information. You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book, the purpose or audience for the book, and your reaction and evaluation.
Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses criteria (准则）for judging the book. Next, the review gives a summary of the main points of the book, quoting and explaining key phrases from the author. Finally, you get to the heart of your review – your evaluation of the book. In this section, you might discuss some of the following issues:
how well the book has achieved its goal
what possibilities are suggested by the book
what the book has left out
how the book compares with others on the subject
what specific points are not convincing
what personal experiences you’ve had related to the subject.
It is important to use labels to carefully distinguish your views from the author’s, so that you don’t confuse your reader.
Then, like other essays, you can end with a direct comment on the book, and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion.
There is, of course, no set form, but a general rule is that the first one–half to two–thirds of the review should summarize the author’s main ideas and at least one–third should evaluate the book.What is the most important part of a book review?
| A．The heading. | B．The evaluation. |
| C．The conclusion. | D．The introduction. |
It can be confusing to readers if _____ .
| A．there is no heading in a book review |
| B．the book has achieved its goal |
| C．the viewer’s point of view is not distinguished from the author’s |
| D．the book is compared with others on the same subject |
What is NOT suggested for a book review in this passage?
| A．Quoting from the author of the book. |
| B．Providing some book information. |
| C．Analyzing only the author of the book. |
| D．Comparing the book with others of a similar subject. |
The best title for this passage is “ _____”.
| A．Steps to follow |
| B．Tips for writing a book review |
| C．The way to develop your idea |
| D．Things not to be avoided in a book review |
Last Thursday, Michael and Linda stood behind large food trucks distributing meals to 4,000 homeless people for their wedding reception on the border town of Kilis. The couple had decided that instead of hosting their friends and family for a traditional feast reception, they would feed the victims from an earthquake-stricken area.
The idea came from the bridegroom's father, Ted, who volunteers for a Turkish relief organization. For the past few years, the organization has distributed daily meals to thousands of people who've suffered from natural disasters. He approached a representative of the organization and suggested that the family cover part of the costs of feeding them for the day.
Then he told his son, who was surprised by the suggestion, but soon won over. When he told that to the bride, she was really shocked but finally accepted because in southeastern Turkey there is a real culture of sharing with people in need. They love to share their food, their table and everything they have. And afterwards she was quite amazed about it. So, they arrived at the distribution center on Thursday to spend the day serving food and taking photographs with their grateful recipients（接受者）．
On Tuesday evening, the newly married couple were still pleased with their decision to quit a personal celebration for one with a greater good. "It's like sharing a dinner with your friends and family who have this kind of thing on a daily basis or sharing something with people who don't even have the most basic things," Michael said. "Hopefully, this will also give the start for other wedding dinners to be held here with our brothers and sisters in need."Why did so many people crowd in Kilis?
| A．To attend Michael and Linda's wedding. |
| B．To support the organization. |
| C．To escape the damaging earthquake. |
| D．To help distribute free daily meals. |
How did the couple celebrate their wedding?
| A．They treated their friends and relatives to a big dinner. |
| B．They shared their happiness with the homeless in Kilis. |
| C．They afforded the entire cost of the day for feeding victims. |
| D．They took photos with the grateful victims. |
What does the underlined word "approached" in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．took in | B．moved towards |
| C．came across | D．consulted with |
We can know from the text that __________________..
| A．Kilis is a place which lies in southeastern Turkey |
| B．Ted was a representative of the organization |
| C．Linda adopted the suggestion immediately she heard it |
| D．Michael doubted if more new couples would follow him |
My students often tell me they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork. My reply is often brief –You have as much time as the president. I usually carry on a bit about there being 24 hours per day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to justify myself to one of my professors by saying that I was working. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant. What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to reflect on the “hard worker” dodge(伎俩), and I have come to some conclusions – all relevant to the issue of how much time we have.
If you look at the matter analytically, you can identify two parts of the problem. There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the issue of “work” during that time, which can vary in intensity. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not diligence but the quality of the product that is important.
That led me to a new idea, the quality of work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office – Don’t work harder but work smarter! There’s a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of work. That means thinking of ways of getting more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “learning habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off across the board in all your studies.From the passage, we know that the author is _____.
| A．a poet | B．an educator |
| C．an editor | D．a director |
We can infer from the first two paragraph that we students _____.
| A．have enough time |
| B．can meet the president |
| C．get something done well |
| D．should accept the explanation |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 means _____.
| A．That is impossible | B．That is not important |
| C．That is unbearable | D．That is not acceptable |
The main purpose of writing the passage is to give _____.
| A．information | B．encouragement |
| C．criticism | D．advice |