This winter, the air quality over the north China plain was so bad that it was actually off the standard scale. The air pollution reached levels that the World Health Organization describes as dangerous. On Thursday, heavy smog blanketed most of northern and eastern China again.
It is reasonable to ask why the air pollution is so bad this winter. Weather conditions and topographic(地形学的) factors have been given as reasons, but, although contributing factors, these are not to blame. The worsening air pollution is linked to an energy mix that relies heavily on coal and to motor vehicle emissions(排放). But despite the astonishing growth of motor vehicles in our cities, it is the burning of coal that is the biggest cause of air pollution. More than half of the country's power plants are located in the eastern region and China's coal consumption has more than doubled in the past decade, reaching 3.8 billion tons last year, accounting for almost half the world's total coal consumption. And with coal occupying nearly 70 percent of the country's primary energy consumption, it has become critical to reduce the use of coal if we are to solve the nation's overall air pollution problem.
In the face of the poisonous air recently, one citizen said, "we have nothing but hot air to purify the skies". In fact, the government plans to have 350 billion yuan ($55.67 billion) investment in improving coal-fired facilities and limiting the use of yellow-label cars that do not meet the Euro I emissions standard and so on.
However, it would be far more effective to reduce emissions at the source, which means that the biggest challenge currently facing government departments is saying "no" to the country's air polluting offenders. According to the Joint Prevention and Control Plan on Air Pollution in Key Regions released recently by the State Council, the amount of coal the nation consumes is set to rise by 30 percent during the period of the 12th Five-Year Plan. This is not going to let anyone breathe easier.
This highlights a key problem when it comes to environmental issues in this country - economic development comes first. The fundamental cause of the worsening air pollution is the idea of economic growth at any cost, which has resulted in ever-worsening pollution. And the priority(优先权)given to economic growth presents another problem, namely the failure of existing environmental protection policies and regulations to control pollution. For instance, the current weak regulations covering emissions would suggest there has been a significant reduction in emissions when clearly this is not the case. Also those enterprises found breaking the regulations are still far lower than the cost of treating the pollution they produce. This means even if many large-scale enterprises with lagging production capacity(能力) fail to meet the requirements for environmental protection, the environmental protection department is incapable of shutting these enterprises down or forcing their relocation.
Dealing with air pollution requires taking action at the local level to reduce vehicle emissions and at the regional level to reduce industrial emissions. But it also requires giving more priority to environmental issues in policymaking. Our hope is that the environmental protection department will be truly capable of saying "no" to pollution, and it will raise standards and effectively enforce them, and that governments at all levels will prioritize quality of life not just economic growth.The writer mentions the heavy smog in parts of China in Paragraph1 in order to_____.
| A．remind people to stay in doors because of the bad air quality |
| B．show people’s concern about the priority to economic growth |
| C．introduce the issue about the serious air pollution |
| D．highlight the importance of government’s policies and regulations |
Why is it a big challenge for the government to say “no” to the air polluting offenders in China?
| A．Because enterprises are encouraged to develop economy at the cost of the environment. |
| B．Because much emphasis has been laid on economic growth regardless of the cost. |
| C．Because it’s impossible to relocate the enterprises for lack of money. |
| D．Because the production capacity of enterprises falls behind the required speed. |
It can be learned from the passage that the essential reason for the worsening air conditions in China is_______.
| A．the sharp growth of coal consumption in recent years |
| B．the rapid increase of motor vehicles in cities |
| C．the building of power plants in northern China |
| D．the poor weather conditions caused by complex geographical factors |
According to the writer, which of the following is the key to solving the air pollution problem?
| A．Giving priority to economic development in policymaking. |
| B．Making environment-friendly policies and carrying them out effectively. |
| C．Increasing investment in the construction of coal-fired facilities. |
| D．Limiting the use of cars not meeting the required emission standard |
Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Convincing. | C．Doubtful. | D．Concerned. |
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have cereal，eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch，while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess，my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself，just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept，my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years，our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing，red for failing. My mother, however，would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background，I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.
| A．not generous at all |
| B．very strict with her children |
| C．very mean with money matters |
| D．very cruel to her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. |
| B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother. |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| D．Letting mother know where they were. |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
| A．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies |
| B．mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law |
| C．all the other kids studied better than the writer |
| D．the writer's family lived a miserable life |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Mother practised economy in running her home. |
| B．The writer is very thankful to her mother. |
| C．The writer is severe with her children when bringing them up. |
| D．The wrier has a deep hatred for her mother. |
The city can seem a cold, mean place. In the middle of so many people hurrying about their own business, a person can feel alone among the millions of others.
There is a popular view that in cities, strangers are less likely to help an elderly person cross a street or call the police when they see a bike being stolen. Recently, a New Yorker named Casey Neistat did an experiment. He chained up his bike in several public places, then "stole" it in a number of obvious ways, such as using a hacksaw (钢锯). He filmed everything to see whether other New Yorkers would try to stop a shameless bike theft. The result? People just walked on by.
Is this evidence of an immoral, selfish urban society? Not necessarily. According to another recent study, the way city people mind their own business is about other factors besides morality (道德).
This is called the Bystander Effect, the theory that city people do not react because of the urban enviromnent they live in.
Psychologist Dr. Harold explained why people did not involve themselves in Neistat's bike theft experiment with the Bystander Effect.
First, people who live in cities are surrounded by so much activity that they stop noticing what is going on around them. Second, they are less easy to surprise and assume every activity has a logical explanation.
"The third is that people notice it, but they don't know what to do," he continued. "And the fourth is fear — they know they should do something, but they're afraid to challenge someone with a hacksaw."
A lack of concern is only a small reason why people don't take action, concludes Dr. Harold.
Despite the results of Neistat's experiment, there is also evidence of a sense of team spirit that connects people in cities. All it takes is a funny joke or a shared interest to start a conversation with someone at a bus stop. When city folk are in trouble, they come together for support — famously in New York on September 11, 2001.
City society is different, but that doesn't mean it's cold or mean — it just means it's busy! Casey Neistat fihned everything in the experiment with the purpose of.
| A．proving that he was not the thief |
| B．telling people that bike theft was immoral |
| C．finding out who had a sense of right and wrong |
| D．making his experiment well-known to the public |
We can infer from the third paragraph that morality.
| A．can partly explain a selfish urban society |
| B．is what our society should pay special attention to |
| C．is the only factor that leads to a selfish urban society |
| D．is the root of the Bystander Effect mentioned in the passage |
The underlined part September 11, 2001 in Paragraph 9 serves as.
| A．a reminder of the sad memories |
| B．a way to prove Dr Harold's Bystander effect |
| C．evidence that city life can be really dangerous |
| D．an example to show team spirit connecting city people |
As can be inferred from the passage, the writer probably.
| A．criticizes the loss of morality in urban society |
| B．feels sad about the result of Neistat's experiment |
| C．thinks city people are too busy to care about others |
| D．disagrees that city life sometimes can be cold and mean |
Seth DeBolt is a plant scientist at the University of Kentucky US. He and other scientists wanted to find a source of fuel that poor people in rural areas of developing countries could use to make electricity.
The United Nations Development Program says a billion and a half people have no electricity. A billion others have an undependable supply.
Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural Indonesia. He saw that there was very little waste in the use of agricultural products. Everything that farmers grew was used for something. Even the remains of fruit that people did not eat were fed to chickens.
Little waste meant there was little that could be used for fuel. Growing a separate fuel crop would take land away from food crops. That was something Professor DeBolt did not want to do.
DeBOLT said, "The people at most risk with respect to energy poverty, typically they're the same people who have food insecurity issues as it is. And then any change in availability would be most damaging to that group of people."
But he found one item that was in plentiful supply and would not create competition between food and fuel. Coconut shells are generally thrown out. Yet Professor DeBolt says it has an "excellent" heating value. All someone needs is a way to release that energy.
DeBolt says he and his team see possibilities for coconut power. "Coconuts are growing here and these are the areas where there is possibility for energy poverty to be eased at least in part by these small-scale production systems."
The researchers say these systems could provide as much as thirteen percent of the energy needs of a country like Indonesia. Other tropical countries with large crops of coconuts and similar fruit could benefit, as well.
But DeBolt says this is not a perfect solution. There are technical questions, like how to safely deal with the dangerous waste produced in the process. And there needs to be money to get these projects started.Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural areas of developing countries to.
| A．help farmers make full use of waste |
| B．seek certain materials to make electricity |
| C．persuade farmers to grow more coconuts |
| D．find a suitable place to carry out the experiment |
DeBolt thought it was not a good idea to grow fuel crops because.
| A．there are plenty of coconuts |
| B．local farmers have no interest in it |
| C．it would make food problems worse |
| D．fuel crop has little use for local farmers |
The last two paragraphs mainly tell us that coconut power.
| A．needs further experiments and efforts |
| B．can help solve energy problem perfectly |
| C．will cause technique and money problems |
| D．has drawn Indonesia's government attention |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Make Full Use Of Coconuts | B．Make Power From Coconuts |
| C．A Perfect Solution | D．Food And Energy Problems |
Some expressions in English can be really puzzling. Have a look at the following to see how it challenges your brainpower.
Homeric laughter
The "Homer" in this expression is the Greek poet. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. "Homeric laughter" refers to laughter of the latter kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer's classics.
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the "ring". In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different "rings". The audience had to decide which "ring" they wanted to focus on.
In the swim (of things)
When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in "I've been ill, but soon I’ll be back in the swim of thing." In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word "swim" to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot offish, where would you be? You would be "in the swim".
Chickens have come home to roost
The word "roost" refers to the place where birds rest. It could be anything — the branch of a tree, a henhouse, etc. The expression is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone did in the past have come back to bite or upset the individual. In other words, one has to face the consequences of the deeds done in the past. The original form of this 700-year-old expression was "curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost".Which of the following can best describe the picture?
| A．Homeric laughter | B．A three-ring circus |
| C．In the swim (of things) | D．Chickens have come home to roost |
What does the underlined word "simultaneously'(Paragraph 3) mean?
| A．At the same time. | B．Step by step. |
| C．All of a sudden. | D．One after another. |
lf you want to know more about such expressions, which website will you probably visit?
| A．www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/China.html |
| B．www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/university.html |
| C．www.chinadaily.com.cn/culuture/language.html |
| D．www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/fashion.html |
The passage is written to.
| A．tell readers some old and interesting stories |
| B．indicate the development of English phrases |
| C．correct some misunderstandings about words |
| D．explain the meanings and origins of some phrases |
Ever since Jerusha started her college, she began to write letters. Through a series of letters, from freshman to senior in college, she shared her life and study with an unknown gentleman, who never wrote back. Here is the very first letter.
| Dear Mr. Kind, Here I am! I traveled yesterday for four hours in a train. It's a funny experience. I never rode in one before. College is the biggest, most confusing place — I get lost whenever I leave my room. I will tell you more later when I'm feeling less puzzled. Now I want to write a letter first just to get me familiar to you. It seems strange to be writing letters to somebody you don't know. It seems strange for me to be writing letters at all — I've never written more than three or four in my life, so please overlook it if they are not a model kind. Before leaving yesterday morning, Mrs. Lippett and I had a very serious talk. She told me how to behave, especially towards the kind gentleman who is doing so much for me. I must take care to be very respectful. I have been thinking of you a great deal this summer; having somebody take an interest in me after all these years makes me feel as though I had found a sort of family. It seems as though I belonged to somebody now, and it's a very comfortable feeling. I must say, however, that when I think about you, my imaqination has very little to work upon. There are just three things that I know: I .You are tall. II .You are rich. III. You hate girl. I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that's rather unpleasant to me. Or Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that's unpleasant to you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Maybe you won't stay rich all your life; But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I decide to call you Dear Daddy-long-legs. I hope you won't mind. It's just a private pet name — we won't tell Mrs. Lippett. The ten o'clock bell is going to ring in two minutes. Our day is divided by bells. We eat and sleep and study by bells. There it goes! Lights out. Good night. You can see how strictly I obey rules due to my training in the John Grier Home. Yours most respectfully, Jerusha Abbott |
Which of the following is NOT the reason for Jerusha to write the letter to Mr.Kind?
| A．To get her familiar to him. |
| B．To present her thankfulness to him. |
| C．To share her brand-new college life with him. |
| D．To apologize to him for not writing letters too often. |
If Mrs. Lippett learned that the writer calls the man she writes to Daddy-long-legs, she would probably.
| A．burst into laughter | B．think it acceptable |
| C．criticize the writer | D．inform the man |
By "when I think about you, my imagination has very little to work upon.", the writer intends to tell us that.
| A．the man she writes to is dull and boring |
| B．she is not familiar with the one she writes to |
| C．it is not interesting at all to write to a stranger |
| D．she lacks imagination when it comes to writing a letter |
Jerusha was probablywhile she worked on the letter.
| A．curious | B．light-hearted | C．serious | D．skeptical |