Aschoolgirlsavedherfatherslife-优题课

Plans to expand wind energy into the most scenic parts of Germany are meeting increasing opposition across the country.
Anti-wind campaigners are angry that areas including the forests made famous by the tales of the Brothers Grimm are among the targets for new turbines (涡轮机). For the first time they have formed a national opposition group to thwart the expansion. They say the expansion will damage forests and tourism across the country.
Germany has started a massive expansion of renewable energy since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 in Japan. The government decided to reduce atomic plants and instead increase the opportunities for green power. As a result, solar farms, biogas plants and wind parks are booming. In 2013, 22% of Germany’s electricity was generated by renewable energy. Wind has played a major part in this change, making up half of the renewable energy in 2013, and the public has been generally supportive. To date, a majority of the 23,000 wind turbines in the country have been built in the flat northern and eastern parts of the country. But now the focus of expansion is on the areas of dark forest in the central and southern areas of Germany.
One such region is the Rheinhardswald in the northern part of the state of Hesse. This is the home of the magical tales of Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and others, made famous in the books of the Brothers Grimm. This scenic place is a magnet, attracting hundreds and thousands of tourists from all over the world. But now there are also plans to build up to 200 turbines in this scenic place!
Ann-Kathrin Blankenberg is a PhD student and an opponent of the plans. “It is not because this is the area of Sleeping Beauty,” she says, “I want the green movement, I want green technology, I don’t want nuclear power--- but they should be made in the right way and not by destroying the forests.”
The campaigners argue that putting wind turbines in this area makes no sense. The wind speeds are low and the area is home to some extremely rare birds including the endangered black stork. Campaigners say building turbines here would be disastrous for the birds.
Which of the following does NOT belong to green power? _____.

A．Solar energy	B．Wind energy
C．Bio-energy	D．Atomic energy

What percentage of Germany’s electricity was generated by wind in 2013? _____.

A．11%

B．22%

C．50%

D．60%

What can be inferred from the passage? _____.

A．The author is against building more wind turbines.

B．The public prefers wind energy to nuclear energy.

C．Most Germans object to building wind turbines all over Germany.

D．The central and southern areas of Germany are rich in wind energy.

What is the main idea of the passage? _____.

A．Wind parks are increasing rapidly all over Germany.

B．The Rheinhardswald is famous for the tales of Sleeping Beauty.

C．Expanding wind energy into the land of Sleeping Beauty causes controversy.

D．Building wind turbines in the land of Sleeping Beauty area makes no sense.

From good reading we can get pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters in it are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble (相像) human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances(熟人). Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. While human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.
Of all the gifts from reading books, the most valuable one is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of daily routines or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb high mountains, brave the perils (危险) of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mix with the merry crowds of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.
Why do we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?

A．No one is trying to disturb you there.

B．All is so quiet and calm around you.

C．The book you read is so fascinating.

D．Our life is just far from satisfactory.

What makes people like their acquaintances in books even more?

A．They are just like our human friends.

B．They are unfamiliar types we like.

C．They will never ever abandon us.

D．They will never hurt our feelings.

The word “hazardous” means ______.

A．“unexpected”	B．“dangerous”
C．“imaginary”	D．“unusual”

What is the most suitable title for this passage?

A．Reading and traveling	B．Experiencing the world
C．Traveling with books	D．Gifts from reading

In the 1960s, medical researchers Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a checklist of stressful events. They appreciated the tricky point that any major change can be stressful. Bad events like "serious illness of a family member" were high on the list, but so were some helpful life-changing events like marriage.
When you take the Holmes-Rahe test you must remember that the score does not show how you deal with stress ---it only shows how much you have to deal with. And we now know that the way you deal with these events dramatically affects your chances of staying healthy. By the early 1970s, hundreds of similar studies had followed Holmes and Rahe. And millions of Americans who work and live under stress worried over the reports. Somehow the research got boiled down to a memorable message. Women's magazines ran titles like "Stress causes illness".
If you want to stay physically and mentally healthy the articles said avoid stressful events. But such simplistic advice is impossible to follow. Even if stressful events are dangerous, many — like the death of a loved one — are impossible to avoid. Moreover, any warning to avoid all stressful events is a prescription for staying away from chances as well as trouble. Since any change can be stressful, a person who wanted to be completely free of stress would never marry, have a child, take a new job or move. The idea that all stress makes you sick also takes no notice of a lot of what we know about people. It supposes we’re not active in the face of the difficult situation. But what about human ability and creativity? Many come through periods of stress with more physical and mental strength than they had before. We also know that a long time without change or challenge can lead to boredom and physical and mental pressure.
The result of Holmes-Rahe’s medical research tells us _________.

A．the way you deal with major events may cause stress

B．what should be done to avoid stress

C．what kind of event would cause stress

D．how to deal with sudden changes in life

The score of the Holmes-Rahe test shows ______.

A．how you can deal with life-changing events

B．how helpful events can change your life

C．how stressful a major event can be

D．how much pressure you are unde

Why is “such simplistic advice” impossible to follow according to the author?

A．No one can stay on the same job for long.

B．No prescription is effective in reducing stress.

C．People are sure to get married.

D．You could reduce stress by doing nothing.

According to the passage people who have experienced ups and downs may become _______.

A．nervous when faced with difficulties

B．physically and mentally tired

C．more able to deal with difficulties

D．cold toward what happens to them

If you are interested to find a part time job or learn something different during your spare time, you can have a look at the following jobs offered by the DC Public Library.
Teens of Distinction Program
The DC Public Library offers part time jobs for teens through the Teens of Distinction Program. Teens work 10-12 hours per week all year long, helping the library with important tasks and projects. The Teens of Distinction Program is now hiring! To apply, you have to：
● be a DC resident
● have and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average
● be 16 to 18 years old
● be able to work 10-12 hours per week
● be able to work for DCPL for at least 9 months
Oh, and of course you have to impress us with your wonderful personality!
Teen Volunteer Opportunities
If you want to earn community service hours for school, Youth202 is a good choice.
Youth202 is a radio program created by youth and for youth. You can learn radio production skills, interview people around you, and help keep other teens to learn news, events, and anything else you think is important.
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)
Every summer, teens can work here to help library customers organize books and learn lots of new skills, such as program planning, writing and media production.
On Friday, January 25 at 12:15 pm, the application for the 2014 SYEP will be open to teens between the ages of 14 and 21.
Applications will be processed on a first come, first served basis. Space is limited this year, so teens are encouraged to apply early, and remember not to miss the deadline, Saturday, February 16.
Working for the Teens of Distinction Program, teenagers will ___．
① become a DC resident
②work 10-12 hours per week
③work for DCPL for at least 9 months
④have a wonderful personality

A．③④

B．②③

C．①②③

D．①③④

Who has the biggest chance to work for the 2014 SYEP?

A．A teenager who applies early.

B．A teenager who is popular.

C．A teenager who is smart.

D．A teenager who gets high grades in exams.

The aim of text is to ________．

A．introduce the DC Public Library

B．describe the job of library workers

C．offer teenager parttime jobs in the DC Public Library

D．teach how to apply for parttime jobs

Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection.
Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle (脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版税）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____.

A．people did not know how to put out the fire

B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention

C．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire

D．the sewing machines couldn’t work finally

Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elisa Howe a lifetime of royalties?

A．Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude.

B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer.

C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it.

D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine.

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．The Early History of the Sewing Machine

B．The Case between Howe and Singer

C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine

D．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine