According to the US government, wind farms off the Pacific coast could produce 900 gigawatts of electricity every year. Unfortunately, the water there is far too deep for even the tallest windmills (see pic-ture) to touch bottom. An experiment under way off the coast of Norway, however, could help put them anywhere.
The project, called Hywind, is the world's first large-scale deep-water wind turbine (涡轮发电机). Although it
uses a fairly standard 152-ton,2. 3-megawatt turbine, Hywind represents totally new technology. The turbine will be fixed 213 feet above the water on a floating spar (鄉 picture ),a technology Hywind's creator, the Norwegian company Statoil Hydro , has developed recently. The steel spar, which is filled with stones and goes 328 feet below the sea surface, will be tied to the ocean floor by three cables (缆索);these will keep the spar stable and prevent the turbine from moving up and down in the waves. Hywind's stability (稳定性)in the cold and rough sea would prove that even the deepest corners of the ocean are suitable for wind power. If all goes according to plan, the turbine will start producing electricity six miles off the coast of southwestern Norway as early as September.
To produce electricity on a large scale, a commercial wind farm will have to use bigger turbines than Hywind does, but it's difficult enough to balance such a large turbine so high on a floating spar in the middle of the ocean. To make that turbine heavier, the whole spar's centre of gravity must be moved much closer to the ocean's surface. To do that, the company plans to design a new kind of wind turbine, one whose gearbox (变速箱)sits at sea level rather than behind the blades (see picture).
Hywind is a test run, but the benefits for perfecting floating wind-farm technology could be extremely large. Out at sea, the wind is often stronger and steadier than close to shore, where all existing offshore windmills are planted. Deepsea farms are in-visible from land, which helps overcome the windmill-as -eyesore objection. If the technology catches on, it will open up vast areas of the planet,s surface to one of the best low-carbon power sources available. The Hywind project uses totally new technology to ensure the stability of __________.
A.the cables which tie the spar to the ocean floor |
B.the spar which is floating in deep-sea water |
C.the blades driven by strong and steady sea wind |
D.the stones filled in the spar below the sea surface |
To balance a bigger turbine high on a floating spar, a new type of turbine is to be designed with its gearbox sitting __________
A.on the sea floor |
B.on the spar top |
C.at sea level |
D.behind the blades |
Wide applications of deepwater wind power tech-nology can __________
A.solve the technical problems of deepwater windmills |
B.make financial profits by producing more tur-bines |
C.settle the arguments about environmental prob-lems |
D.explore low-carbon power resources available at sea |
How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live a life “on purpose”---- they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to become fully functioning people. They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do ---- and it shows. People want to do business with them because of their commitment(忠诚). To live their life on purpose, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to work hard whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always bear in mind what they don’t have.
Rather than be negative or depressing, they use the knowledge to spur themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
46. The underlined word “it ” refers to “____”.
A. the main concern of successful people
B. the job that successful people do
C. the commitment with which successful people do their jobs
D. the business that successful people do with other people
47. By living a life “on purpose”, successful people can do the following EXCEPT ____.
A. do a lot of work
B. concentrate on their jobs
C. do business with many people
D. control things in life
48. The underlined word “spur ” most probably means “____”.
A. encourage B. excite C. relieve D. compel
Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years, the planet was much colder than it is now .During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.
A new study from Switzerland throws light on where ice sheets(冰川)inched during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.
This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed(假设)that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere(半球)during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land .If surrendered by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.
The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact(影响)on ocean currents (洋流)and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.The North Pole is surrounded by land ,while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that .
A.most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere |
B.most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere |
C.The North Pole is colder than South Pole |
D.The South Pole is colder than North Pole |
We can learn from the passage .
A.the ice can easily just slip into the ocean |
B.volcanoes caused the ice to melt |
C.melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible |
D.researchers often use the computer models to help their research work |
The scientists are not sure.
A.how long the ice age lasted |
B.where ice sheets melted during the ice age . |
C.what caused the temperature changes |
D.what the earth is made up of |
Which of the following is NOT right ?
A.The researchers want to know how the melting of ice might affect sea levels by the computer model. |
B.Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age. |
C.Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere(半球)during the 30,000-year long Ice age. |
D.The temperature changes caused the ice to melt. |
May : Happenings from the Past
May 5 , 1884
Isaac Murphy , son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby. He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times.
May 9 , 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon , showing a snake cut in pieces , with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture.
May 11 , 1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought (干旱) , blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington , D. C.
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s, died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64.
May 24, 1844
Samuel F. B. Morse taps (轻敲) out the first message, “What hath God wrought,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D. C, to Baltimore, Md.We know from the text that Buchanan is _______________.
A.Isaac’s father |
B.a winning horse |
C.a slave taking care of horses |
D.the first racing horse in Kentucky |
What is the title of the first American political cartoon?
A.Join or Die |
B.Pennsylvania Gazette |
C.What Hath God Wrought |
D.Kentucky Derby |
In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?
A.1934 | B.1960 | C.1964 | D.1994 |
Which of the following places has to do with (与...有关)the first telegram in history?
A. Washington, D. C.
B. New York City
C. Kentucky
D. Pennsylvania
When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary(子公式) to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers’ favourite enemy operates.
So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly(垄断).
Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival(复兴) is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns.
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative(倡议)launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners.Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
A.Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004. |
B.The sales of McDonald is increasing in France. |
C.Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world. |
D.The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products. |
McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT.
A.making people fat | B.exploiting workers |
C.treating animals cruelly | D.earning too much |
Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?
A.attentions | B.fat | C.protein | D.salt content |
What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?
A.He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe. |
B.He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country. |
C.He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary. |
D.He engaged in a dialogue with the public. |
A.organized | B.in disorder | C.free | D.busy |
Which is NOT TRUE according to the tips?
A.The more you sleep, the less stressed you will feel. |
B.A balanced diet will make you energetic. |
C.Regular exercise will help you feel relaxed. |
D.Everything in a mess will increase one's stress. |
What does the underlined word " procrastinate" mean?
A.ahead of time. | B.delay. |
C.give up. | D.make up. |
If your good friend invites you to do something while you are busy.what should you do so as not to increase stress?
A.You should accept the invitation. | B.You had better say "no". |
C.You should keep silent. | D.You should feel bad. |