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Pollution’s disastrous effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years, leading to a movement to promote energy efficiency, less reliance on fossil fuels and a reduction in air and water pollution. Most scientists agree that such changes are necessary to protect our environment from further harm.
The construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. In the United States, building and development account for 39 percent of the country’s total energy use, 12 percent of total water consumption, 68 percent of total electricity consumption and 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the Environment Protection Agency.
Green buildings use less energy, water, create less waste and are healthier to live, work and go to school in than standard buildings. Builders of green buildings use techniques that use resources more efficiently during the entire building cycle — construction, restoration, operation, maintenance (维护) and demolition (拆毁) — than those who construct more regular buildings.
The environmental benefits of building green include the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity, improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams and the conservation of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and fewer materials and improve indoor air quality, improving the health of people who live there.
The process of building green includes technical and artistic planning with nature conservation in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and use renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, reducing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.
Careful site selection is important to minimize (最小化) human impact on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes (微风) and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expense are needed for larger buildings as well, so it is important to build small.
Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and cost. These roofs are partially or completely covered with plants, which helps to keep heating and cooling costs low, prevent water running off and deal with pollutants.
Other features of green buildings often include energy and water conservation, recycling and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, hydropower (水能) and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which greatly reduces costs and decreases the impact on the environment.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. The necessity of promoting energy efficiency.
B. The process of building green buildings.
C. Green buildings’ effects on the environment
D. The benefits and features of green buildings.
2.According to the text, green buildings refer to the buildings that ________________________________________________.
A. use energy and resources more efficiently B. only use clean energy
C. are made of recycled materials D. produce no waste
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about green buildings?
A. They rely on fossil fuels and solar power for heat and electricity.
B. Small buildings are less efficient in energy use than larger ones.
C. The ecosystem has to be considered when building a green building.
D. They are difficult to maintain and thus need more operating costs.
4.Green roofs are used because ________________________ ________________________.
A. they fit the surrounding environment well
B. they can help to control the temperature in the building well
C. they can keep natural water for use in everyday life
D. they are cheaper than other kinds of roofs
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Welcome to the British Museum, the grandest and the most spectacular of human history. The admission is free and we open every day from 10:00 to 15:30. You can explore 10 departments including:
The Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
The collection of the Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas includes around 350,000 objects. The scope of the collection is contemporary, and historical. It includes most of Africa, the Pacific and Australia, as well as the Americas. All of the collections were got during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and date from this time.
The Department of Asia
The Department of Asia covers the material and visual cultures of Asia – a vast geographical area of Japan, Korea, China, Central Asia, Afghanistan, South Asia and South-East Asia. The collection dates from about 4000 BC, to the present day. It represents the cultures and ways of life of local people and other minority groups.
The Department of Greek and Roman Empires
The Department of Greek and Roman Empires features antiquities (古董). It has one of the most comprehensive collections of antiquities from the Classical world, with over 100,000 objects. These mostly range in date from the beginning of the Greek Bronze Age (about 3200BC) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine in the fourth century AD.
1.The scope of the Department of Africa, Oceania and Americas doesn’t include______.
A. Africa B. the South America
C. Australia D. Britain
2.The earliest collection is from ______.
A. The Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
B. The Department of Greek and Roman Empires
C. The Department of Asia
D. The Department of the Middle East
3.The Department of Asia represents ______.
A. the geographic features of Asia
B. the life styles and cultural traditions of some peoples
C. the relationships between Asian countries
D. the cultural fights between some native groups
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In summer the extreme heat often makes people sweaty and restless. While people are annoyed by it, experts suggest summer is the best season to discharge (排放) your body’s toxins (毒素) and recover your energy.
One popular option is hot-stone massage (按摩). Therapists use smooth and heated stones, usually river rocks, to massage certain parts of the body, or place them on key points of the body. The warmth of the hot stones will improve blood circulation and also help relax muscles, while sweating is also believed to be good for discharging the body’s toxins.
Another popular option is hot-stone baths. The hot-stone bath will help the body discharge toxins and humidity that accumulated during the last winter. Summer is the best season to build a good body. Rather than use water or steam to heat and wash the body, people simply wear a coat or something comfortable, and then lie on heated stone tablets made of hot stones, which are warmed to around 45oC. The body will gradually warm up and blood circulation will also be improved. More sweat will come out quickly. The sweat is smooth and fresh, not smelly like that released after sports activities. Such baths bring a number of health benefits, such as anti-aging, improved blood circulation and stress relief. The slimming effect of dieting can even be promoted.
Using hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times, but the modern renewal of hot-stone massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona, America, whose trademark is “LaStone Therapy”.
The therapy is gaining wide popularity with many people, especially those who have jobs in cool air-conditioned rooms. The hot-stone therapy can help cure many diseases, including back pain.
1.What do people use to release toxins in our body according to the text?
A. Washing the body with cold water.
B. Discharging lots of sweat.
C. Relaxing muscles
D. Lying on the warm beds.
2.What can we know from the text?
A. Sports have greater effects on the health than hot-stone massage.
B. There are no toxins and humidity in the body in summer.
C. Using water of about 45oC to wash the body is good for the health.
D. People should take advantage of summer to improve their health.
3.What can be learned about the hot-stone therapy?
A. It was invented by Mary Nelson, an American.
B. It successfully cured many people of cancer.
C. It is popular with people with its excellent effects.
D. It can help people avoid sweating too much in hot summer.
4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A. The origin and development of the hot-stone therapy
B. The amazing functions of the hot-stone therapy
C. A healthy and comfortable lifestyle
D. How to live comfortably in summer
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Most students have experienced or suffered from procrastination(拖延症). Here are some tips to help you reduce procrastination.
Set goals
Students often procrastinate because they think that they can put off the work for a while and enjoy their time at the moment. 1., when the deadline becomes one day away and the essay has yet to be started. In order to stay on track, you should constantly set and update goals. It can be beneficial to mark all deadlines in a planner and think about how much time you need to meet them all. Update your plan for the upcoming two weeks so that you do not get overwhelmed(压倒), and continue to update as other assignments and events arise. Additionally, make a daily schedule in order to reach necessary goals before going to bed.
Reward yourself
It can become extremely difficult to work for hours straight in order to finish schoolwork. In order to keep productivity, set breaks at the end of a period of time or once you finish a section of your work so that you can reward yourself with some deserved, scheduled, and controlled procrastination-like activities. 2.. Breaks like these are proven to increase productivity and keep you focused, and they will make the process of studying much more bearable!
Remind yourself of what you’re doing
Sometimes you may begin to think that what you are working on has little to do with what you ultimately want to do. You may consider some work or a class pointless and not useful to your further studies. However, when these thoughts arise, remind yourself what the ultimate goal of your schooling is. Remind yourself why you wanted to go to school and take this program in the first place. 3..
Turn off the Internet
4. If you do not need the Internet to do your work, turn it off so that you are not receiving notifications while completing your work, and you are not so tempted to search for sites. The same goes for your cell phone; you can take a break from being connected to the cyber world in order to do your schoolwork. If you feel the need to check messages and websites often, set time when you will allow yourself to do so rather than constantly staying connected.
5.
Being productive for all hours of every day does not work—you do need breaks, and as a student you are entitled to have a lot of fun. So, in order to balance productivity and amusement, plan time to go out with friends or do something relaxing. But ideally, social and relaxations plans should be made after a significant portion of work is complete. This way, while you are working, you can keep in mind that once you have finished your work you can go out and not worry about your assignments.
A. Have something to look forward to.
B. Enjoy every minute in school.
C. You may have coffee with a friend, cook, or watch a television show
D. This thought tends to make things worse, though
E. The Internet has become an essential part of our daily life
F. You may understand why you should focus on completing your work
G. Some of the most common distractions are those found on the Internet
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