When Julia Rhodes is asked what she does for a living,she says she is a “wind farmer”.While her job is operation manager for wind farm owner RES-Gen:Rhodes is responsible for making sure their l4 wind farms in the UK and Ireland are using the power of the wind to produce power for homes and businesses.
RES-Gen is a division of leading renewable energy group Renewable Energy Systems(RES),a UK-based company with global operations. RES was one of the pioneers of wind energy technology.It built the UK’s second wind farm in l992.Since then:RES has built more than 40 wind farms across four continents.
Rhodes graduated from the University of Nottingham with a degree in manufacturing engineering. Following that,she received a master's degree in renewable energy systems technology specializing in wind energy. Rhodes has worked in the wind sector ever since, providing technical support for two leading wind farm developers before joining RES in 2001.
RES’s projects are continually monitored by computer and checked remotely on a daily basis.Regular servicing is carried out by contractors(承包者),usually every six months. Rhodes always has a top—level view of how well the wind turbines(涡轮)are operating.
Rhodes is a supporter of wind—energy engineering.She also works closely with other departments to keep good relations with the communities around RES’s wind farms.The open days and government officials’ visits show that wind power is popular and that wind projects-are viewed positively.
Renewable energy is a growing sector with attractive career prospects. For Rhodes.as the RES wind farms expand,the team that she manages is expected to increase.She enjoys working for a company with strong engineering roots and a highly respected track record(业绩).Her job as a wind farmer is challenging and enjoyable.“It's great knowing that you are helping to bring about a clean.environment and are contributing to the global community.”What’s the text mainly about?
A.Julia Rhodes and her work. | B.Why Julia Rhodes works in RES. |
C.The importance of renewable energy. | D.How出e wind can produce Dower. |
What can we know about Julia Rhodes?
A.She once worked as a farmer to make a living. |
B.She has worked in RES ever ![]() |
C.She likes her job as a wind farmer very much. |
D.She is in charge of forty wind farms in the UK. |
What can we learn about RES from the text?
A.It built the UK's first wind farm in 2001. |
B.It plays a leading role in the wind sector. |
C.It is an important branch of RES—Gen. |
D.It provides regular servicing for its contractors. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.RES is financially supported by the British government. |
B.Wind farms receive a warm welcome around the UK. |
C.RES has developed at a high speed during recent years. |
D.Rhodes thinks people should create a clean environment. |
In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C., the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to sue for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said: "Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added,“Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?”
Though Su Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As might be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes (堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed. When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials _______.
A.were scared and at a loss what to do |
B.looked worried and turned to Su Dai for help |
C.asked a large enemy force to bear down upon the border |
D.were extremely frightened and decided to give up fighting back |
The underlined phrase“sue for”in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.
A.demand | B.beg for | C.search for | D.negotiate for |
Su Dai used the example of“carrying faggots to put out a fire”to show _______.
A.the ambition of the State of Qin |
B.the serious results of giving in |
C.the loss of the land of the State of Wei |
D.the trembling consequences of defense |
The story is mainly developed by _______.
A.time | B.logic | C.ma![]() |
D.cause and effect |
The attitude of the writer towards Su Dai is _______.
A.approval | B.praise | C.neutral | D.disapproval |
Some futurologists have assumed that the vast increase of women in the workforce may portend(预示)an increase in divorce. The opposite of this concern is that the outlook of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. The earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner.
The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The effect of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its effect on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally reasonable. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Meanwhile, an attractive woman who finds her value in work may play an important role in a stable marriage. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _________.
A.they are more likely to control their marriage partners |
B.their husbands are expected to do more housework |
C.their marriage ties can be strengthened |
D.they tend to put their career before marriage |
One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that ________.
A.they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom |
B.they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands |
C.they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations |
D.they tend to suspect their husbands loyalty to their marriage |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
Which of the following statements can best summarize the author’s view in the passage?
A.The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic social position of women. |
B.Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage. |
C.In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent. |
D.The effect of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case. |
As I was thinking about language learning the other day, the image of baking bread came into my mind. I compared some of the exercises and drills that we put ourselves through in order to learn a language to the various ingredients (原料) that go into baking a loaf of fresh bread.
Real language learning takes place in human relationships. No one sits down and eats a cup of flour, even if he is hungry and in a hurry. You don' t become bilingual (双语的) by learning lists of vocabulary. You don' t become a speaker of a language by memorizing grammatical rules. You become bilingual by entering a community that uses that other language as its basic means of communication.
I am not suggesting that we can make bread without ingredients. Flour is necessary, as are yeast (酵母), salt, water and other ingredients. Vocabulary is part of any language and will have to be learned. Grammatical rules exist in every language and cannot be ignored. But merely combining the appropriate ingredients in the recommended proportions does not result in bread. At best, you only end up with a ball of dough (面团).
In order to get bread, you have to apply heat to the dough. And in language learning, that heat comes from the community. Anyone who has learned a second language has experienced that heat. It creeps up your neck when you ask the babysitter, “Have you already been eaten?” when you meant to say, ‘‘Have you already eaten?” When you try to say something quite innocent and the whole room bursts into laughter, you are experiencing the heat that turns raw dough into good bread.
Remember the old saying, “If you can’ t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen". This is where language learning often breaks down because we find the heat uncomfortable and we stop the baking process. In other words, we can' t stand the heat, so we get out of the kitchen.
However, the language learner who stays in the kitchen—in the heat—until the combined
ingredients are thoroughly transformed will enjoy the richness of a quality loaf of bread. He is glad that he did not "get out of the kitchen” at the important moment when the oven seemed too hot.
Now the baker enjoys good bread, seated at the table with family members and guests. However, he does not focus on "bread" but rather on enjoying the whole feast: fine salads, pastas, fresh vegetables, rich desserts and so on. And the language learner has arrived when he no longer needs to focus on language. Language merely becomes one element in the "feast" of membership in his chosen community.
Paris in the springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer to everyone and with prices at just £129.
Your break begins with comfortable bus transfer (运送) from local pick-up points and travel to Paris is via cross-channel ferry, arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private equipments in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame , enabling you to explore Paris with ease.
The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the bus takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L’Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you have ever heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends mid-afternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a “Paris by Night” tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights.
Day three takes you to Montmarter, perhaps the most attractive quarter. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the beautiful gardens or look among the antique shops(古董店). In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Paradis Latain. On the final day it’s back to the UK via channel ferry.
Included in the price of £129 per person :
●Return comfortable bus travel to Paris
●Return ferry crossings
●3 nights housing in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities
●Continental breakfast during your stay
●Guided sightseeing tour of “Paris by Day” and “Paris by Night”
●Visit to the Chateau of Versailles (admission not included )
●Tour around MontmartreWhat is the purpose of this passage?
A.To show the price of traveling to Paris . |
B.To tell tourists the routes to Paris. |
C.To introduce the city of Paris. |
D.To attract tourists to Paris. |
During the stay in Paris, the tourists will _________.
A.have a “Paris by Night” tour on the first evening |
B.live in a hotel two miles away from Paris |
C.have free time for half a day |
D.have a pleasure voyage on the River Seine together |
What does the underlined word “quarter” mean in the passage?
A.An area. |
B.A period of time. |
C.A coin worth 25 cents. |
D.One of four equal parts. |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.The Palace of Versailles is not in the center of Paris. |
B.The tourists can telephone in the Ibis without paying. |
C.It will take you a long time to get to Montmartre from Paris. |
D.The tourists will spend the night in the antique shops on the third day. |
Raymond Schneider politely elbowed his way through crowds of customers as he made for the candy bins at Dylan’s Candy Bar in Manhattan. Since he was laid off in December, Mr. Schneider, a 33-year-old designer, says he has become a “gummy junkie,” buying a lot of sweets every time he shops for groceries.
“Sugar is comforting,” he said. “There’s nothing more stressful than growing financial insecurity everywhere.”
The recession (经济衰退) seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing amounts of candy, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.
Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the economy. For others, candy also provides a reminder of better times. And not insignificantly, it is relatively cheap.
At Candyality, a store in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, business has jumped by nearly 80 percent compared with this time last year, and the owner, Terese McDonald, said she was struggling to keep up with the demand for Bit-O-Honeys, Swedish Fish and Sour Balls.
“They put candy in their actual budget,” she said.
Many big candy makers are also reporting rising sales and surprising profits.
“Candy companies are relatively recession-proof,” said Peter Liebhold, chairman of the Smithsonian Institution’s work and industry division. “During the Great Depression, candy companies stayed in business.”Raymond Schneider was set as an example to show ________.
A.many Americans were laid off in the recession |
B.lots of Americans like candies |
C.many Americans in the recession like sweets which are comforting |
D.Americans are suffering much in the recession. |
What does the underlined sentence “The recession seems to have a sweet tooth” mean?
A.Candy consuming rises while people are suffering bad effects of the recession. |
B.The recession doesn’t have any bad effect on Americans. |
C.Americans are optimistic even though they are out of employment. |
D.Candy companies stayed in business during the Great Depression. |
Which is NOT the reason why people in the recession like sugar?
A.It is relatively cheap. |
B.It is comforting and can make a lot of profits. |
C.It raises people’s spirits up. |
D.It calls up people’s good memories. |
The best title of the passage is ________.
A.Sugar Is Comforting |
B.Candy Companies Stay In Business |
C.Americans Have A Sweet Tooth |
D.Sugar Sales Rise In The Recession |