A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americ
题型：不详难度：来源：
A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors．
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers （干衣机） as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment．As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I-can-do environmentalism．”
On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at．They have persuaded Homeowners Associations （HOAs） access the U．S．to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood．
This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines．So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline．Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more．
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious（有生态意识的）person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants．His family also uses a clothesline．But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline．The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard．“Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters into their own hands,” says Reck．The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them．
North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do．But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods．They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall．
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change．As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful．Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged．We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming．”
小题1:One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ______．| A．clothes dryers are more efficient | | B．clothesline drying reduces home value | | C．clothes dryers are energy-saving | | D．clothesline drying is not allowed in most U．S．states |
小题2:Who are in favor of clothesline drying? | A．Housing businesses. | | B．Environmentalists． | | C．Homeowners Associations． | | D．Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors． |
小题3:What is mainly discussed in the text? | A．Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money． | | B．Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered． | | C．Opposite opinions on clothesline drying． | | D．Different varieties of clotheslines． |
|
答案
小题1:B
小题2:B
小题3:C |
解析
文章讲述的是对于使用晾衣绳的不同观点，以及他们观点的具体内容。
小题1:事实细节题，根据第三段because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood可知，
小题2:推理判断题，根据最后一段的Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change．As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful．Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged．We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming．可知，
小题3:主旨大意题，文章讲述的是关于对待晾衣绳的两种相反的观点。 |
举一反三
Vending machines （投币式自动售货机） are found in 16% of U．S．elementary schools, 52% of middle schools and 88% of high schools．About 22% of students in grades 1 through 12 buy food in vending machines each day—and those purchases added an average of 253 calories to their diets, according to a new study in the September issue of the Journal of School Health．
Just to be clear, those were not 253 calories" worth of tofu, yogurt or carrot．The most popular vending machine items included soft drinks, candy, chips, crackers, cookies, cakes and ice cream．On the plus side （好的方面）, kids also bought low-fat milk, fruit juice and even fruit, the study found．
But the eventual effect on kids" diets was not good．Those who bought from vending machines ate an average of 156 grams of sugar per day, compared with 146 grams for those who abstained （节制）．They also consumed less fiber, iron and vitamin B．
One silver lining: Vending machine customers ate 4% less sodium （钠） than other students--an average of 3,287 milligrams per day compared with 3,436 mg for those who didn"t buy from vending machines．That"s probably because the extra snacks made kids too full to eat as much at mealtimes, when dishes are especially Salty．In any event, kids should eat no more than 1,200 to 1,500 mg of sodium each day, according to the Mayo Clinic．Even for adults, the government recommends a daily limit of 2,300 mg．
Overall, vending machines in school appear to be a threat to children"s health．The researchers calculated that all that snacking adds up to about14 extra pounds per child per school year．For some students this might be a serious contributor to weight issues．The study was based on data collected from 2,309 children nationwide for the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study, which was
conducted by the U．S．Department of Agriculture"s Food and Nutrition Service．
小题1:The students using vending machines take in less of all the following EXCEPT ．| A．sugar | B．fiber | C．vitamin | D．iron |
小题2:The underlined words “One silver lining” mean “ ”．| A．a discouraging condition at present | | B．a bright side of a difficult situation | | C．an urgent warning from health experts | | D．an increasing concern from the public |
小题3:Why do kids buying food from vending machines take less salt probably? | A．They prefer less salty food． | | B．They have formed healthy eating habits． | | C．They eat less food at mealtimes． | | D．They take less junk food as snacks． |
小题4:What"s the purpose of the text? | A．To teach children a balanced diet． | | B．To introduce the finding of a new study． | | C．To remind parents of children"s health． | | D．To tell the history of vending machines． |
|
Computer people talk a lot about the need for other people to become “computer-literate.” But not all experts (专家) agree that this is a good idea.
One pioneer, in particular, who disagrees is David Tebbutt, the founder of Computertown UK. Although many people see this as a successful attempt to bring people closer to the computer. David does not see it that way. He says that Computertown UK was formed for just the opposite reason, to bring computers to people and make them “people-literate.” David Tebbutt thinks Computertowns are most successful when tied to a computer club but he insists there is an important difference between the two. The clubs are for people who have some computer knowledge already. This frightens away non-experts, who are happier going to Computertowns where there are computers for them to experiment on, with experts to encourage them and answer any questions they have. They are not told what to do, they find out.The computer experts have to learn not to tell people about computers, but have to be able to answer all questions people ask. People don’t have to learn computer terms(术语), but the experts have to explain in plain language. The computers are becoming “people-literate.”
小题1:Which of the following is David Tebbutt’s ides on the relationship between people and computers?| A．Computer learning should be made easier. | | B．There should be more computer clubs for experts. | | C．People should work harder to master computer use. | | D．Computers should be made cheaper so that people can afford them. |
小题2:We can infer from the text that “computer-lilerate” means_______.| A．being able to afford a computer | | B．being able to write computer programs | | C．working with the computer and finding out its value | | D．understanding the computer and knowing how to use it |
小题3:The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to the idea that Computertowns ___.| A．help to set up more computer clubs | | B．bring people to learn to use computers | | C．bring more experts to work together | | D．help to sell computers to the public |
小题4:David Tebbutt started Computertown UK with the purpose of______.| A．making better use of computer expert | | B．improving computer programs | | C．increasing omputersales | | D．popularising computers |
|
BERLIN — With the crisis in Japan raising fears about nuclear power, Germany and Switzerland said on Monday that they would reassess the safety of their own reactors.
Doris Leuthard, the Swiss energy minister, said Switzerland would put off plans to build nuclear plants. She said no new ones would be permitted until experts had reviewed safety standards.
Germany will put off “the recently decided extension of the running time of German nuclear plants,” Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. “This moratorium（延缓）will run for three months and it will allow for a thorough examination of the safety standards of the county’s 17 nuclear power plants.
The European Union called for a meeting on Tuesday of nuclear safety authorities to assess Europe’s preparedness.
Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, called for a new risk analysis of the country’s nuclear plants, particularly regarding their cooling systems. He is the leader of the Free Democratic Party, which strongly supports nuclear power.
A previous government, led by the Social Democrats, passed a law in 2001 to close all the country’s nuclear plants by 2021. But Mrs. Merkel’s government changed that decision last year to extend the lives of the plants by an average of 12 years.
In Switzerland, Doris Leuthard said she had already asked to analyze the exact cause of the problems in Japan and draw up new or tougher safety standards “particularly in terms of seismic(地震的) safety and cooling.”
In Russia, the Prime Minister said his government would “draw conclusions from what’s going on in Japan.”
小题1:Where can you most likely read this passage?| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a magazine. | | C．In a science report. | D．In a diary. |
小题2:How will Germany react to Japan’s nuclear crisis?| A．Germany will close all the country’s nuclear plants. | | B．Germany will hold a meeting of nuclear safety authorities. | | C．Germany will change the decision made last year. | | D．Germany will delay the extension of nuclear plants running time. |
小题3:The author mentions all the following EXCEPT ______.| A．The moratorium in Germany will give time to examine the nuclear plants safety standards. | | B．Switzerland will not build new nuclear plants unless they meet the experts’ safety standards. | | C．The Social Democrats in Germany shares the same view with the Free Democratic Party. | | D．Russia will try to learn something from the nuclear power crisis in Japan. |
小题4:What is the best title of the passage?| A．Watch Out for the Danger of Nuclear Power | | B．Europe Is against Building Nuclear Plants | | C．Nuclear Plants in Europe Are Delayed | | D．Opinions on Nuclear Power Are Opposite. |
|
Mr. Brown first went to look at the underground-fire when he was seven. “Through the hole in the earth you could see the orange fire, but you had to look fast because it was so hot,” said Mr. Brown. In 1898,he saw the fire once more.
Now, we can only see the smoke. The fire Mr. Brown saw is not the underground-fire. In fact ,there are 260 coal fires in the world. They are harmful and dangerous. Then how to put them out?
Scientists have tried to set fire to underground coal to speed up the fires. In this way, the burning of underground coal would be soon finished.
小题1:Mr Brown said that we had to take a fast look at the fire because_________.| A．it was in the hole | B．it was very hot | | C．it was orange | D．it was harmful |
小题2:How many coal fires are there in the world?| A．There’s only one | B．It’s hard to say | | C．There are 260 | D．The article doesn’t tell us |
小题3:What’s one of the best ways to put out the underground fire?| A．To cover the holes with stones | B．To speed the fire | | C．To see the fire burning | D．To do some experiments |
小题4:What is the best title for the article?| A．Watching the Underground-fire | | B．A Way to Put out the Underground Coat Fires | | C．The Burning Earth | | D．Coal and Coal Fires |
|
A new system that scans customers’ fingerprints and subtracts（减去）the grocery bill from their bank accounts has taken supermarkets 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. It says it will introduce it at 200 others because 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, canteens and bars to put in the fingerprint scanning machines. Each costs about 2,000 euros.
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 especially a good thing for elderly people. Now they do not have to remember their pin to pay with their bank cards, or to scratch 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.
小题1:According to the passage, the fingerprint system______.| A．was invented by the Edeka supermarket chain | | B．has caused payment revolution in Germany | | C．is more popular with young people | | D．is preferred by most American customers |
小题2:To apply to pay with fingers, customers are required to do all of the following EXCEPT______.| A．have their fingerprints taken | | B．leave their addresses | | C．give the shop information about the bank accounts | | D．have their phones connected with computers |
小题3:Why do elderly people benefit much from the fingerprint machine?| A．They will spend less time on shopping.. | | B．They are not forgetful. | | C．They don’t like to pay in cash | | D．They always fail to find their bank cards. |
|
最新试题
热门考点