Electric cars will not be really much cleaner than autos powered by mineral fuel

Electric cars will not be really much cleaner than autos powered by mineral fuel

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Electric cars will not be really much cleaner than autos powered by mineral fuels until they rely less on electricity produced from usual coal-fired power plants.
“For electric vehicles to become a major green alternative, the power fuel has to move away from
coal, or cleaner coal technologies have to be developed,” said Jared Cohon, the chairman of a National
Research Council report released on Monday. About half of US power is produced by
burning coal, which gives off many times more of traditional pollutants than natural gas, and about
twice as much of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Nuclear and renewable power have to
generate a larger portion of US power for electric cars to become much greener compared to
gasoline-powered cars, Cohan, who is president of Carnegie Mellon University, said in an interview.
Advances in coal burning, like capturing carbon at power plants for permanent burial underground,
could also help electric cars become a cleaner alternative to vehicles powered by fossil fuels, he said.
Pollution from energy sources did $120 billion worth of damage to human health, agriculture and
recreation in 2008, and electricity was responsible for more than half of the damage, said the NRC
report.
Electric cars have their benefits such as reducing imports of foreign oil. But they also have hidden
costs. Materials in electric car batteries are hard to produce, which adds to the energy it takes to make
them. In fact, the health and environmental costs of making electric cars can be 20 percent greater
than usual cars, the report said.
The report estimated that electric cars could still cost more than gas-powered cars to operate and
manufacture in 2030 unless US power production becomes cleaner.
1. Why are electric cars not clean enough?
A. Because they run too slowly              B. Because they are too expensive
C. Because they rely on coal-fired power.      D. Because they give off more carbon dioxide.
2. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. electric cars will soon take the place of gas-powered cars
B. no one holds hope for electric cars at present
C. electric cars waste more energy than before
D. some people believe that electric cars are cleaner
3. The underlined word “them” refers to “______”.
A. electric cars     B. batteries       C. producers        D. materials
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to make electric cars cleaner?
A. Developing cleaner coal technologies.        B. Making electric cars run faster.
C. Generating more unclear power.             D. Making advances in coal burning.
答案

小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:B
解析

举一反三

Man is a land animal, but he is also closely tied to the sea. Throughout history the sea has served the needs of man. The sea has provided man with food and a convenient way to travel to many parts of the world. Today, nearly two—thirds of the world’s population live within 80 kilometers of the sea coast.
In the modern technological world, the sea offers many resources to help mankind survive. Resources on land are beginning to be used up. The sea, however, still can be hoped to supply many of man’s needs.
The list of riches of the sea yet to be developed by man’s technology is immense. Oil and gas explorations have been carried out for nearly 30 years. Valuable amounts of minerals exist on the ocean floor ready to be mined.
Fish farming promises to be a good way to produce large quantities of food. The culture of fish and shellfish (贝类动物) is an ancient skill practised in the past mainly by Oriental people.
Besides oil and gas, the sea may offer new sources of energy. Experts believe that the warm temperature of the ocean can be used in a way similar to the steam in a steamship. Ocean currents and waves offer possible use as a source of energy.
Technology is enabling man to explore ever more deeply under the sea. The development of strong, new materials has made this possible.
The technology to harvest the sea continues to improve. Experts believe that by the year 2020 the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved.
1. The major things that the sea offers man are ______.
A. fish and oil                           B. minerals and oil
C. warm temperature and ocean currents       D. the food, energy sources, and minerals
2. The sea serves the needs of man because ______.
A. in provides man with food              B. it offers oil to man
C. it supplies man with minerals            D. all of the above
3. We can conclude from this passage that ______.
A. the sea resources have largely been used up
B. the sea, in the broad sense, has not yet been developed
C. the problems that prevent us from using the food, minerals, and energy sources of the
sea have already been solved.
D. by the year 2000 , the technology will be good enough to exploit all the sea resources
4. The underlined words Oriental people in the fourth paragraph probably mean ______.
A. the people in Asia                  B. African people
C. European people                   D. American people
5. The best title for this passage is ______.
A. Sea Harvest                       B. Sea Food
C. Technology for Exploiting the Sea     D. Man and the Sea
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

A new system that scans customers’ fingerprints and deducts (扣除) the grocery bill from their bank accounts has taken supermarkets in southwestern Germany by storm and is being picked up by hardware stores, school restaurants and even bars are picking it up.
The Edeka supermarket chain is the first retail (零售) business in Germany to use the new system. “Almost a quarter of our customers pay with their fingers,” said an employee at the headquarters. Edeka has tried the system at 70 of its supermarkets and customers like it.
“At first we thought that only the young who really keep up with the latest technology would be interested, but we were wrong,” said Stefan Sewoester from IT Werke. “Almost two-thirds of the people who use the system are 40 and older,” he said.
IT Werke, a computer company, is one of the pioneers of fingerprint payment software in Germany. It has helped about 150 shops, restaurants and bars to put in the fingerprint scanning machines.
To sign up for the service, customers must have their fingerprints taken and leave their addresses and banking details with the shop. The shop then takes the cost of goods directly out of the customer’s bank account.
“It is a godsend for elderly people because they do not have to remember their pin-code to pay with their bank cards, or to look around for their glasses or cash.” Sewoester said.
The stores benefit from the system, too. It saves more than time in the check-out line. It also cuts out the hidden costs of accepting electronic card payments.
Fingerprint date profiling has long been used to control access and for other security purposes in Germany’s airports, laboratories and nuclear power plants. IT Werke plans to keep refining the retail use of the system. It wants to introduce fingerprint payment in school restaurants with an additional feature that might appeal to parents-they could disable their children’s access to junk food.
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Pay with Fingers.                                                B. New Development in Technology.
C. Supermarket Revolution.                                 D. Change in Computer Software.
2. Most of the people who use the fingerprint system are ______.
A. youngsters                B. housewives               C. IT fans              D. the elderly
3. The underlined word “godsend” probably means ______.
A. great fortune    sent by God                          B. good luck sent by God
C. good things that happen unexpectedly                    D. gift sent by God
4. What do we know by inference from the passage?
A. Fewer shops will try the new software because of the cost.
B. The new service requires certain personal information.
C. IT Werke should be the largest computer company in Germany.
D. The new change in payment only benefits elderly people.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分 40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
For most Chinese university students, the US is a favorite destination for further education. But apart from obstacles such as the GRE and TOEFL exams, choosing a good graduate school is no easy task.
Admission is very competitive for international students, so it is important to apply for a number of institutions to have a reasonable chance of acceptance.
Since the application to most universities requires a certain fee, Chinese students usually choose seven to 17 universities according to their own financial circumstances.
Wang Yuwei, a Zhejiang University graduate, sent applications to 15 US universities.
When the 24-year-old girl began looking for a US graduate school in her senior year, she took time to compare the various schools and find the ones most suiting her needs. Now, studying at the University of Washington, she knows that her hard work paid off.
“To broaden your chances, at least one third of the applications should be to less selective schools,” said Wang. “Applicants shouldn’t limit their choices to the most famous institutions.”
Furthermore, one shouldn’t rely on too much on college rankings such as the Gorman Report or US News & World Report’s annual league tables.
The right school is the one that best meets your own personal needs and interests, rather than someone else’s assessment of an institution’s prestige(声望).
“Usually choices are based on one’s personal interests and academic background, but it is important to make sure that your chosen subject is satisfying,” said Wang.  
1. The author believes that the right school is the one that _____.
A. has the best location
B. offers good living conditions
C. best meets one’s assessment of an institution’s prestige
D. best meets one’s own personal needs and interests
2. According to this passage, what can we judge?
A. To go abroad for further education, you must pass the GRE or TOTEL.
B. Choosing a good graduate school is a piece of cake.
C. More and more students will go abroad for their further education.
D. To get a better chance to go abroad, you’d better apply for a less selective school.
3. In the passage the writer uses the example of Wang Yuwei to show ______.
A. you must spend a lot of time comparing the various schools
B. it is necessary to find the suitable university that meets your personal interests
C. it isn’t worthwhile to spend time looking for the right university
D. one’s own financial circumstances is worth considering
4. What will be continued after this passage?
A. How hard Chinese students studied in America.
B. Some advice on how to take care of yourself in America.
C. Some other things to consider to choose the right school.
D. The difficulties you will meet with while living in America
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

How did a high school football coach build a championship dynasty by never playing to win? In Smith Center, Kansas, Roger Barta, 64, a longtime coach and former math teacher at Smith Center High School, wearing a red shirt, stood before his players.“…Guys.We don"t talk about winning and losing.We talk about getting a little better every day, about being a team.” Over the next four months, his team went on to beat other teams, winning another perfect season.
Barta grew up in Plainville, and when a back injury ended Barta"s playing career, he wasn"t sure whether he wanted to be a college student.One summer, he took a job in the Kansas oil fields.It took him a single rainy day of working in the field to realize that university was for him.“I almost froze to death,” he says.He looked around at his co-workers, who were aged beyond their years."They were all missing fingers and teeth.I didn"t want to do that for the rest of my life."
He returned to Fort Hays State to earn a mathematics degree and went on to get a master"s in math education at the University of Georgia.Today, Barta spends as much time helping players figure out what they want to do with their lives as he does coaching.
To most kids here, Barta is not just a winning coach but also a mentor(导师,顾问).Barta insists that the members of his team be well-rounded.During last year"s playoffs(附加赛), for instance, Joe Osburn was struggling with Macbeth in English class.Barta told him that either he mastered Shakespeare or his season was finished.Barta got the captains involved, and they took turns quizzing Osburn on his lines of Shakespeare.He pulled his grades up and kept playing.
“Roger likes everything about football,” says Barta"s wife, Pam.“But what he loves most is watching the boys learn a little more.”
1.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?
A.How Barta built a championship dynasty?
B.Barta’s career as a coach.
C.How Barta taught his students football skills.
D.Barta’s attitude towards winning and losing.
2.From the the passage we know Barta       .
A.hurt his back in an oil field
B.didn’t want to be a college student
C.wasn’t satisfied with being an oil worker
D.began his playing career at high school
3.Which of the following statements about Barta is TRUE??
A.He earned his master’s degree from Fort Hays State.
B.He helps his players deal with life.
C.He likes Shakespeare very much.
D.He loves football more than anything else.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.How to Be a Good Football Coach
B.A Brief Introduction to Roger Barta
C.Coach and Math Teacher—Roger Barta
D.Life Coach—Roger Barta
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案

第二部分阅读理解(共25小题。第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题1分;满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When students think of learning a foreign language, the first thought is of books, exercises, and audio cassettes.Those are important to learning but sometimes a little bit boring.Therefore, it is time for us to spice things up a bit.
Things like a cellphone can keep your interest level high.It’s a perfect study material.You have it with you day after day, you are familiar with how it works and you can use it to practice whenever you have time.You don’t need to have your books by your side or stay in your room to listen to tapes.
Let’s take a look at how to add your cellphone to your study tools.
Set up your cellphone to use the language you want to study.Go to the menu, find settings, locate language and change it to English or Spanish, which benefits your language learning.
Look at the buttons and connect those items with the new vocabulary.This enables you to master simple words and phrases with little effort.For example, each time you open up your cellphone you’ll see “messages”, “games” and “calls made”.These words begin to take root if you see them again and again.
When you have time, take out your cellphone and start hitting buttons.You’ll be surprised at all the vocabulary you can learn by playing with the different menu items.Some things you’ll recognize immediately and others you can guess just by where you find them.
It can keep your learning fresh and interesting.And that’s important because boredom is a big problem with language learners.You need variety and a cellphone is one way to get it.
1.The underlined part “spice things up” in the first paragraph means “______”.
A.make things interesting       B.make things realistic
C.make things helpful          D.make things obvious
2.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using a cellphone as a study material?
A.We can study with it at any moment.
B.It keeps our learning interest high.
C.We can use it to practice freely.
D.It offers the chance to practice learning.
3.By playing with a cellphone, you can ______.
A.learn the words in the menu
B.remember the messages sent by others
C.improve the techniques of playing games
D.become familiar with different kinds of languages
4.Why did the author write the passage?
A.To stress the importance of language learning.
B.To introduce the latest ways of language learning.
C.To inform how to keep your learning fresh.
D.To explain how to use cellphones to learn language.
题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
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