We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change ： Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago， my wife，PJ， and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago，and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions (排放)of carbon dioxide ( CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing commonplace things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars. That's more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers： How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book， he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. "To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent," he said.
Good advice, I thought. I'd opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We'd gotten so used to keeping our air conditioning going around the clock. I'd almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It's time for us to change our habits if necessary. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food. |
| B．To respond to climate change. |
| C．To lose weight. |
| D．To improve their health. |
The underlined words "tipping points" most probably refer to ______ .
| A．freezing points | B．burning points |
| C．melting points | D．boiling points |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______ .
| A．it is necessary to keep the air conditioning on all the time |
| B．it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2 |
| C．the average US household produces about 3,000 pounds of CO2 a month |
| D．the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO2 a month |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home |
| B．Changing Our Habits Begins at Work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable |
| D．Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(涟漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮机). The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.
“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.
Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to .
| A．test the readers’ knowledge about waves |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic |
| C．show Jamie Taylor’s importance |
| D．invite the readers to answer them |
The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to .
| A．starting again | B．speeding up |
| C．improving | D．gathering |
We can make better use of wave energy if we .
| A．shorten its journey to thousands of homes |
| B．build more small power stations on the oceans |
| C．reduce the cost of turning it into electric power |
| D．quicken the steps of producing electricity |
It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about .
| A．our power supply |
| B．our boat traffic |
| C．air pollution |
| D．our supply of sea fish |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
We arrived at the hospital to find Dad was very weak, but his smile was the same as ever. It was another attack of pneumonia(肺炎). My husband and I stayed with him for the weekend but had to return to our jobs on Monday. Local relatives would help Dad get home from hospital and look after him. But I wished to be able to let him know that we cared too, even when we weren’t with him.
Then I remembered a family tradition when our children were small. When leaving their grandparents’ home after a visit, each child would write a love note to their grandparents. They hid notes in cereal(麦片) box, under a hairbrush or next to the phone. For days, their grandparents would smile as they discovered these reminders of our love.
So as I tidied Dad’s kitchen and made up a bed for him downstairs in the living room, I wrote some notes. “Dad, I put the food in the fridge so it wouldn’t spoil(变质).” Some expressed my love, “Dad, I hope you will sleep well in your new bed.” Most notes were downstairs where he would stay for several weeks, but one note I hid upstairs under his pillow, “Dad, if you have found this note, you must be feeling better. We are so glad!”
Just like his medicines strengthened him physically, these “emotional vitamins” would improve his health, too. Several weeks later, in one of our regular phone calls, I asked Dad how he was going. He said, “Pretty good. I just found your note under my pillow upstairs!”We can infer from the text that the writer’s father _______.
| A．had got the same illness before. |
| B．lived with her family |
| C．asked her to return to work |
| D．felt lonely without her |
The children hid notes in their grandparents’ home in order to ______.
| A．follow a family tradition |
| B．play jokes on their grandparents |
| C．show their gifts to their grandparents |
| D．make their grandparents feel pleasantly surprised |
After heard what her father said, the writer would feel ______.
| A．surprised | B．lucky |
| C．pleased | D．sad |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The writer believed that a family tradition was not good. |
| B．The writer enjoyed talking with her father. |
| C．The writer tried to comfort her father with love. |
| D．The writer thanked her children for looking after her father. |
阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
With more and more cars on the road, traffic jams(交通拥堵) are really a problem. Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars, with more people trying to get to their destination, all the while getting worse. Although it’s impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether, there are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.
Check for traffic jams before you leave. You can listen to the radio for traffic news, or check on the Internet to get up-to-minute information on traffic. If the way you want to take is heavy with traffic, you can choose another.
Look for a different road all the time. Most traffic jams happen on busy roads. Using country roads could see you avoiding a lot of traffic. Although the distance you may have to travel is further, it can work out quicker.
Set your car radio to receive traffic news. Many new car stereo systems (汽车音响系统) are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel. This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.
Try traveling at different time. Most traffic jams usually happen during rush hour, so try to avoid this time period if possible. Some jobs offer flexible(灵活的) working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour. Some jobs even allow you to work at home so as to avoid moving altogether. Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.
Use public transportation where available. The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car. Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money as the cost rises. The author wrote the text in order to ______.
| A．explain why there are traffic jams |
| B．tell us how to save time on the road |
| C．tell us what we can do on the road |
| D．tell us the negative effects of traffic jams |
To get the latest traffic information, you could do the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．surfing the Internet |
| B．listening to the radio for traffic news |
| C．listening to the traffic channel |
| D．turning to other drivers for information |
According to the author, we should use public transport because ______.
| A．it is cheaper and can avoid traffic jams |
| B．it is useful to us |
| C．it is environmentally-friendly |
| D．it is completely free from traffic jams |
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was a strange farmer. I had never met him before although I had heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then all I could understand was that someone called Milly had had an accident. I hadn’t the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.
It had been snowing heavily that day and I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. “She meant more to me than anyone.even my own wife!” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place, a possible scandal(丑闻). I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn (厩). “I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold!” he said.
Milly had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground. “She was such a good cow! I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her!” he said, and burst into tears again.What do we know about Milly from the story?
| A．She was the farmer’s wife. |
| B．She had an accident. |
| C．She was hidden somewhere. |
| D．She had caused a scandal. |
The farmer wished that the writer might .
| A．free him from a scandal |
| B．keep the whole things a secret |
| C．look into the matter |
| D．bring Milly back to life |
The person who told the story is probably a .
| A．country doctor | B．farmer |
| C．newspaper reporter | D．policeman |
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Today，we are told，children don’t spend enough time in the fresh air．Many of them are addicted to a screen either on a computer or a TV—they seem to be living in a virtual world．They have lost touch with nature．But now 400 organizations in the UK，from playgroups to the National Health Service，are encouraging children to have some “wild time”．They want kids to exchange at least 30 minutes of watching TV or playing computer games for time to play outside．Activities such as building dens, climbing trees, and playing hide and seek are just some of the things kids can do. Even if they live in a city，they can go on adventures in the garden or the park．
Children often need a helping hand from mum and dad．They need to be shown what to do and where to go．Andy Simpson from National Health Service says，“We want parents to see what this magical wonder product does for their kids’ development，independence and creativity，by giving wild time”．
So in spite of the complicated world that young people grow up in now，it seems that going back to basics and experiencing “nature’s playground” is what modern children need．David Bond from Project Wild Thing says，“We need to make more space for wild time in children’s daily routine，freeing this generation of kids to have the sort of experiences that many of us took for granted”．
This might sound a bit old fashioned to you or maybe，like me，and it has made you think about putting on your boots, getting outdoors and recalling your childhood．There’s no age limit on enjoying yourself!What is the best title of the text?
| A．Adventures of children |
| B．Kinds of wild time |
| C．More space for children |
| D．Wild time for children |
Children are encouraged to do the following activities except .
| A．building dens | B．climbing trees |
| C．watching TV | D．playing hide and seek |
According to Andy Simpson，we know that .
| A．wild time is good for children |
| B．wild time is hard to design |
| C．parents know the importance of wild time |
| D．parents like keeping their children indoors |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．People like recalling the past. |
| B．It is out of date to go outdoors. |
| C．It is too late for adults to enjoy nature. |
| D．People at any age can enjoy wild time. |