The UK's first fully solar-powered home, which removes the need to ever receive a gas or electricity bill again, has gone on sale, but it will cost you £1.2 million.
The timber-framed home in Great Glen, Leicestershire, contains a number of “zero-carbon feature” including solar electric energy, triple glazing and rainwater storage. It is entirely heated by underground water-filled tubes that are warmed by solar energy from rooftop panels. The house was designed and built by Caplin Homes and covers two acres of land. The design and construction, down to the materials, were used specifically for their low carbon footprint.
The solar panels on the roof of the five-bedroom house are called hybrids because they collect both electrical and thermal energy. Solar walls preheat incoming air, and an Earth Energy Bank (EEB) and heat pump can store heat, and get it back for use when temperatures drop. The south-facing triple-glazed windows are said to also improve the house's energy management during the winter.
All the technologies are controlled by a control system, which monitors the inside and outside temperatures, how much energy is being received by the solar panels, and the heat levels in the EE domestic hot water tank. Due to its low energy design, the Solar House is expected to only require heat from the EEB for about 10 weeks of the year.
For £1.2 million, buyers also get two garages. Estate agent (房地产经纪人) Anthony Fox said the possibility of no utility bills was a big draw for potential owners: the idea is that your bills pretty much disappear and the house is self-sustaining and self-sufficient. That was a big aspect for most of the people who came to have a look around. “We had a lot of interest on the open day. There were some strong considerations to buy there and then. Everyone was very keen to learn how the house worked.” He added.
1.Which is true about the UK’s first fully solar-powered home?
A.It is directly heated by rooftop panels.
B.It has a set of heat-storage device available.
C.All of its materials are not environmentally friendly.
D.Its walls can keep cold air from coming in to store heat.
2.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?
A.The monitor of the temperature.
B.The amount of the received energy.
C.The function of the control system.
D.The significance of the new technologies.
3.What’s a big attraction for potential buyers according to Anthony Fox?
A.No gas or electricity bill. B.Two additional garages.
C.Unique structure of the house. D.Only £1.2 million for the house.
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To advertise a zero-carbon house.
B.To recommend an amazing house.
C.To introduce a solar-powered house.
D.To explain how the low-energy house works.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Do you like shopping? For shopaholics in the UK, the place to head to used to be the “high street”. It was the place where you could find familiar fashion brands and essential everyday items in the centre of a town. But change in our shopping habits has taken its toll on the British high street.
News about shops losing money and shutting is now common. Some city-centre department stores have closed and even long-established retailers (零售商) have reported profit slumps. According to a recent survey, a record 2,481 shops disappeared from UK high streets last year — up by 40 percent.
As the BBC’s Emma Simpson writes, things have become a lot harder for traditional retailers in recent years. They have faced rising costs from wages, business rates and the requirement to introduce Europe’s new data law. But the biggest threat has come from online shopping. She says “Consumers now spend one in every five pounds online — and if businesses are seeing 20 percent fewer sales on the shop floor, as well as their fixed costs rising, then profit margins will be squeezed.”
While some of us like to window shop — browsing for things to buy, only to purchase them online at a discount — the fact is that, overall, shoppers are making fewer visits to high streets. Eventually, town centres could become like ghost towns. If people aren’t out and about shopping, they won't use other services, like cafes, restaurants and cinemas, which leads to job losses. The high street has also suffered from the arrival of big shopping malls, which offer a retail experience under one roof, with free parking, away from the bad weather!
Meanwhile, back on the high street, some shops still exist. Analysts have said it's those that have moved away from traditional retailing that are surviving. These include beauty salons, nail bars and independent coffee shops — but are these kinds of shops enough to keep the British high street open for business?
1.What do we know about “high street” according to the passage?
A.It sold only fashionable daily items.
B.It has changed people’s shopping habits.
C.It was a big shopping mall in downtown Britain.
D.It was the destination for people who love shopping in the UK.
2.Which is closest in meaning to the underlined word “slumps”?
A.Sharp fall. B.Steady rise.
C.Slow increase. D.Slight loss.
3.What’s the hardest part for traditional shop owners to run their shops?
A.The rising costs from wages.
B.The boom of window shopping.
C.The popularity of shopping online,
D.The introduction of Europe’s new data law.
4.What change is taking place in the British high street at present?
A.Discounts are offered to attract more consumers.
B.Parking is free of charge in time of bad weather.
C.Better service is provided to satisfy the customers.
D.Some conventional retailer turn to other businesses.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Have you ever dreamed of meeting top scientists in person? If so, what would you want to ask them?
For Tan Fanglin, a 15-year-old girl from No. 2 High School of East China Normal University in Shanghai, her dream of meeting top scientists has already come true. In October 2019, she attended the World Laureates Forum for a second time, which had attracted 44 Nobel Prize Winners and 21 other world-class award winners. Tan was by far the youngest participant among the scientists invited to be at the meeting of the world’s sharpest minds.
Her discovery about the relationship between the Fibonacci sequence (斐波那契数列) and Bézout numbers (贝祖数) has won her many prizes in youth innovation competitions both in Shanghai and elsewhere in China. Her finding has been praised by the famous Canadian mathematician, Professor Rankin, who has been studying the same theme for five years but with no conclusions.
From a very young age, Tan has always been fascinated by mathematics. This is largely because her father, who teaches mathematics in East China Normal University, has a profound impact on her. According to Xu Jun, the head teacher, Tan doesn’t take after-school classes or too many extra exercises either. Her mastering of Advanced Mathematics and her good grades in school are thanks to the right study method. Her mother told Guangming Daily that Tan always treats studying and life with a positive state of mind so she can feel happy while studying.
Attending this forum enabled Tan to get more inspiration from top scientists. She even got the opportunity to talk with Gero Miesenbock, the 2019 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize winner. She asked Professor Miesenbock what he considered were the best personal qualities for conducting scientific research. Miesenbock encouraged her not to lose her passion and love for what she does. He said that accepting failures is crucial for researchers. He stressed that people all knew that even Thomas Edison went through hundreds of unsuccessful attempts before finally inventing the light bulb. The words made Tan feel inspired and she promised to keep her curiosity and interests in mathematics and overcome any obstacles in her research.
1.What can we learn about Tan Fanglin according to paragraph 2?
A.She is a student from East China Normal University.
B.She frequently participates in the World laureates Forum.
C.She achieved her goal of meeting world-class award winners.
D.She was the youngest and sharpest mind among the invited scientists.
2.What made Tan so interested in the study of mathematics?
A.Her father's influence. B.Her right study method.
C.Her positive attitude. D.Her head teacher’s encouragement.
3.According to Miesenbock, the most important quality for science researchers is .
A.learning from the past failures B.being curious and interested
C.being passionate about science D.getting inspiration from scientists
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.The Key to Be a Top Scientist
B.A Student Inspired by Top Minds
C.A Dream to Be a Mathematician
D.An Outstanding Girl Tan Fanglin
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Since you are applying for a visa for a short-term study in the USA, here are a few steps you should take to ensure you can do it smoothly.
You can apply for it if you
●do a short course of study in the USA, such as an English language course or a training course.
●do a short period of research as part of a degree course in the USA.
You must prove that you
●have been offered a place on a course in the USA at an accepted place of study.
●have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds.
●can pay for your return or onward journey.
●have permission from your parents or guardian to study in the USA if you are under 18.
You must provide
●proof of the course you're studying, for example, a letter of acceptance from the educational institution — an official headed paper; stating the course's name, duration and cost (including accommodation).
●a current passport or other valid travel identification.
●evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, for example, bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months.
●details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans.
●contact details for at least one parent or guardian in your home country if you’re under 18 years old.
You must
●apply online for a short-term study visa.
●have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre as part of your application.
●pay £97 for a 6-month visa or £186 for an 11-month visa.
You may
●be allowed to stay an extra 30 days if your total stay in the USA is no more than 6 months.
1.Who is the passage intended for?
A.A graduate to pick up a full time job in the USA.
B.A university professor to teach Chinese in the USA.
C.A high school student to have a short-term travel in the USA.
D.A scholar to conduct a short degree-related research in the USA.
2.What is needed to apply for this kind of visa?
A.Your previous passport.
B.Details of your study plans.
C.A proof of your parents’ support.
D.An official document of your target course.
3.Which is true according to the passage?
A.It is free for a one-year study visa.
B.You need to apply through the Internet.
C.You can extend one-month stay as you please.
D.Your photo must be taken and submitted online.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
In January 2017, I left a 30-year career in radio to find a new path. Fear, doubt, and anxiety filled my life at that time. I had no idea where life was going to take me.
Anything new in life can be exciting, but it can also come with anxiety. I was beginning a new career with little experience. The language on the ramp(舷梯)was foreign to me. What is involved with a “turn” (a plane being downloaded and loaded) was foreign to me. All of the excitement I had about this job on the first day was slowly changing to fear and doubt by week three.
After two weeks in the classroom, it was time for training on the ramp. On my first day as a trainee, I was partnered with a man named Fernando. My job was zone assist. A zone assist is usually at the back of the plane, bringing the belt loader(带式行李装载机)to the aircraft, unloading the back bins(箱子), servicing the drinking water, and wing walking at a push(紧急时). I was 48 years old at the time and had been without extreme physical activity since high school, so I was about to hit the ramp for the first time in extremely hot conditions.
Another deep fear I had, other than hurting myself, was damaging an airplane. Granted, things happen and we’re human. But making a mistake and damaging a plane that could lead to a delay or taking it out of service would be a disaster for a ramp agent. With that in mind, I was so nervous driving the belt loader up the airplane.
Fernando and I did eight turns that day. I don’t remember how many bags I downloaded. Eventually, I got through the day, tired and sore afterwards. Looking at the schedule for the next day, I believed I would do it better.
1.Why did the author feel anxious at the beginning?
A.Because he was out of work.
B.Because he had no idea how he could make his living.
C.Because the new job was totally unfamiliar to him.
D.Because the new job was very dangerous.
2.Which of the following is NOT the reason why the author nearly hit the ramp?
A.His physical condition. B.His carelessness.
C.The extreme physical work. D.The hot environment.
3.What made the author nervous at work?
A.Having an old partner. B.Being too tired.
C.Hurting himself. D.Damaging the plane.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A.The author would continue his new job. B.The author would change his job.
C.The author would have a higher salary. D.The author would get a promotion
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Famous and respected Chinese poet Yu Guangzhong, passed away at 89 in a hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Born in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province in 1928, Yu fled with his family at the age of 9 to Chongqing during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945). In 1947, he began studying at Jinling University in Nanjing, but later transferred to Xiamen University. In 1950, Yu and his family moved to Taiwan where he lived and worked until his death.
Xiangchou (Nostalgia), a four-stanza(节)poem that expressed the poet’s deep feelings for his motherland, is one of Yu’s most well-known and affectionate verses(深情的诗篇).
Published in 1971, the poem remains highly popular among Chinese speakers worldwide. Even those who know little about literature are familiar with lines from the poem: “When I was a child/ Nostalgia(乡愁)seemed a small stamp/ Here am I/ And there…my mother…”
Aside from his achievements in poetry, Yu was also a successful essay writer, critic(批评家)and translator.
“The reason why I stick to writing till today comes down to my passion(酷爱)for the Chinese language,” Yu told people in a 2015 interview, going on to explain that this passion was strengthened by his love for his mother and his motherland.
Yu’s death left many Chinese netizens(网民)shocked and heartbroken. Many lit virtual “candles” in honor of him on Chinese social media platforms.
“Mr. Yu’s poems often move me to tears when I read them. I have a collection of poetry that he once signed and it remains one of my most valuable treasures…R.I.P. Mr. Yu,” posted Yunan Province-based writer Mai Luoluo on Sina Weibo.
1.The famous poem Xiangchou ________.
A.didn’t become popular until 1971.
B.was the only one showing Yu’s passion for the homeland.
C.expressed the poet’s deep feelings for his homeland.
D.didn’t make sense to those who know little about literature.
2.What inspired Yu Guangzhong to keep writing?
A.His rich experience. B.His good health.
C.His active readers. D.His love of Chinese.
3.The last paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
A.Yu Guangzhong wrote lots of poems
B.Yu Guangzhong’s poems influenced readers greatly
C.Yu Guangzhong made lots of friends
D.Yu Guangzhong’s death shocked lots of readers
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
My sister and I were taught at a very early age to write thank-you letters for birthday and Christmas gifts. We carefully copied addresses from our mom’s address book into our own pretty little books, and a new box of stationery(信箋,信封)was always among my gifts under the tree. We wrote our letters on December 26 at the latest every year. It was an important tradition in our home, and it has turned me into an avid(热情)thank-you-letter writer as an adult.
I still send a great deal of personal mail, and I am extremely interested in all of the trappings of letter writing: unique stamps, beautiful stationery, fountain pens(自来水笔). I feel a mad rush of satisfaction sticking a stamp on a carefully penned thank-you letter and sending it off in the mail.
Several years ago, I even sent my mom a thank-you letter to thank her for teaching me to count my blessings on paper. Sending letters of thanks out into the world has made me more grateful for the love, support and kindness I receive daily.
My father died when I was twenty-seven. Even then, I found comfort in writing letters of thanks for the gifts of words I received. At a time when all I wanted to do was retreat(退缩)into my own sadness, the act of giving thanks forced me to stay connected to the world and to the lives of the living.
And while it may seem unimportant, my belief in well-written thank-you letters has protected my popularity. Since real thank-you letters are extremely few and far between, my social graces(风度)are considered as a charming difference from other people, and my friends and family always seem truly moved by my efforts.
1.What can we learn about the author’s family?
A.Her family liked to collect stationery.
B.Her family had a thank-you-letter writing tradition.
C.She often copied addresses for her mother.
D.They wrote thank-you letters on Dec 26.
2.How did the author feel when writing thank-you letters?
A.Satisfied. B.Tired. C.Excited. D.Bored.
3.What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?
A.The author felt happy to receive gifts from others.
B.The author’s father died when she was very young.
C.Writing thank-you letters made the author lead an active life.
D.Writing thank-you letters forced the author to talk with others.
4.What does the author intend to tell us?
A.Expressing thanks can protect what we have.
B.Receiving thank-you letters is truly moving.
C.Writing thank-you letters is difficult work.
D.Being grateful can help gain the respect.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
It was Halloween(万圣节), which is a big deal when you’re seven. I was sitting in my Sleeping Beauty costume, eagerly waiting for my dad to come home so he could take me to go trick or treating. My father had been away on a business trip. He was supposed to return earlier that day, but it was midnight…Finally I nodded off.
The next morning I guessed that my mom had already known something I didn’t find out for another couple of days. It was my dad who had a new identity(身份): plane crash survivor. He told us about it later. It had been raining as he got on the plane for home. The plane was cleared for taking off on one runway but turned too far and ended up taking off on another runway, which was closed. Because of the rain, the pilot couldn’t see the heavy construction equipment(施工设施)blocking the runway, and the plane crashed right into it. The left wing was torn off, the fuselage(机身)split in two, and fire shot through the plane. Nearly half of the passengers died, but amazingly, my dad was unhurt. He couldn’t breathe because of the smoke, so he ran toward the exit and walked out.
My father told me when the plane crashed, he first thought of us. As sad as he felt at the thought of never seeing us again, he also felt a sense of relief(解脱)that all his business and financial(财务的)worries would be over. When he survived, he saw it as a second chance. He valued his second life, so he sold his business and started a new one. Now he is a successful businessman. I’m so proud of my dad for this.
1.The author was waiting for her father to return home so she could ________.
A.share his business trip story. B.buy a Sleeping Beauty costume with him.
C.listen to his trick-or-treating stories. D.celebrate Halloween with him.
2.The plane crashed mainly because ________.
A.a fire broke out in it. B.the pilot couldn’t see the runway clearly.
C.it turned onto a wrong runway. D.it hit a building while taking off.
3.Why did the author’s dad feel a sense of relief as the plane crashed?
A.He thought everyone would die.
B.He thought he wouldn’t be troubled by his business problems.
C.He thought he wouldn’t have to be controlled by his boss.
D.He thought he could escape the quarrels with his wife.
4.Which saying does the experience of the author’s father match?
A.You are blessed if surviving a disaster.
B.Life is short and time is flying.
C.Where there is a will, there is a way.
D.Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
An epidemic is the occurrence of a disease which affects a very large number of people living in an area and which spreads quickly to other people. Like infectious diseases, ideas in the academic world are spreadable. But why some travel far and wide while equally good ones remain in relative insignificance has been a mystery. Now a team of computer scientists has used an epidemiological model to imitate how ideas move from one academic institution to another. The model showed that ideas originating at famous institutions caused bigger “epidemics” than equally good ideas from less well-known places, explains Allison Morgan, a computer scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and lead author of the new study. “This implies that where an idea is born shapes how far it spreads, holding the quality of the idea constant.” says senior author Aaron Clauset, also at Boulder.
Not only is this unfair --- “it reveals a big weakness in how we’re doing science,” says Simon DeDeo, a professor of social and decision sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, who was not involved in the study. There are many highly trained people with good ideas who do not end up at top institutions. “They are producing good ideas, and we know those ideas are getting lost,” DeDeo says. “Our science, our scholarship, is not as good because of this.”
The Colorado researchers analyzed an existing data set of computer science department hires in North America, as well as a database of publications by these hires. First they looked at how five big ideas in computer science spread to new institutions. They found that hiring a new member accounted for a little more than a third of the time --- and in 81 percent of those cases, transfers took place from higher- to lower-status universities. Then the team imitated the broadcasting of ideas using an infectious disease model and found that the size of an idea “epidemic” (as measured by the number of institutions that published studies on an idea after it originated) depended on the status of the originating institution. The findings were published online last October in EPJ Data Science.
The researchers’ model suggests that there “may be a number of quite good ideas that originate in the middle of the pack, in terms of universities,” Clauset says. DeDeo agrees. There is a lot of good work coming out of less famous places, he says: “You can learn a huge amount from it, and you can learn things that other people don’t know because they’re not even paying attention.”
1.The underlined word “this” in paragraph 2 refers to the fact that _________.
A.good ideas from less important institutions lack influence.
B.the quality of the original ideas tends to be not easy to maintain.
C.scholars in insignificant institutions consider their ideas valueless.
D.the time when good ideas were born decides how far they may spread.
2.The case of some hires in paragraph 3 is used to indicate _________.
A.why the originating institutions transfer their new findings.
B.the way the movements of some new ideas happen and their effects.
C.how they carry the ideas from lower - to higher - status institutions.
D.the statistics the epidemological model provides for the researchers.
3.Researchers such as Clauset are very much concerned about _________.
A.losing quite a number of great and creative thoughts.
B.missing the opportunities of getting more well-known.
C.misusing the epidemiological model in scientific research areas.
D.having difficulty in finding more proper science department hires.
4.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.Infectious Diseases. B.Original Ideas.
C.Epidemiological Model. D.Idea Epidemic.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
The Notre Dame fire has been put out, but its spire and a large portion of its wooden roof have been damaged. The terrible destruction causes a sudden sharp pain to people around the world. On Chinese social media network Wechat a common comment on the disaster is: “What a pity that we cannot see the damaged parts of the wonder anymore.”
But the good news is that there is at least one way of seeing them, namely via a video game called Assassin’s Creed: Unity. In this game, the player can travel to one city after another and enter the buildings exactly like what they are in reality, and see Notre Dame as it was before the fire. Further, with virtual reality technology, which is already quite mature, one can even look around the undamaged Notre Dame as if it is still there. Maybe digital technology could help to better protect architectural cultural heritage.
The idea of digitizing ancient buildings, making digital models of them so their data can be saved, dates back to the 1990s and the necessary technology has continued to advance since then. By scanning the ancient buildings with lasers, building 3D models with multiple images, as well as measuring everything precisely, engineers can make a copy as accurate as the real one.
As computers and smartphones are hugely popular, the digital replica has great use value. First, it allows tourists to feel the cultural relics without touching them, which helps protect them. The virtual tour of Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province is a good example of this as tourists can view the paintings without standing near them. Furthermore, it can make the digitized cultural relics more famous by spreading awareness about them via the Internet. In 2000, a virtual tour of the Great Wall became very popular at the Hannover World Expo, which increased the number of foreign tourists visiting the site in the following years. Above all, it preserves all the information of the cultural relics. Even if the original ones are damaged one day, people can still know what they were like and can build a replica if desired.
Of course, however precise a model is, it is not the original. Time is the biggest threat to a country’s architectural heritage, which will always become ruins with the passing of time. Maybe we will have better technologies in the future, but the digital technology offers a practical way to preserve architectural cultural heritage at the moment.
1.What will engineers do to create a digital replica of the ancient buildings?
A.Improve the technology needed. B.Scan the photos of the buildings.
C.Build 3D models of full size. D.Measure all the parts exactly.
2.What value does a digital replica have?
A.It keeps the relics safe. B.It helps to guard the relics.
C.It gathers data of the relics. D.It advertises the history of the relics.
3.How does the author prove the digital copy has vital practical importance?
A.By comparison. B.By giving examples.
C.By classification. D.By listing data.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the application of digital technology?
A.Doubtful. B.Ambiguous.
C.Supportive. D.Conservative.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析