Encouraging life to bloom in the middle of a ...

Encouraging life to bloom in the middle of a desert is no easy task. But one company, The National Advisor Bureau, in the United Arab Emirates has come up with a unique plan to provide drinking water for the state’s citizens. The firm intends to pull icebergs from Antarctica to the gulf coast in order to harvest its billions of gallons of fresh water. One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years, according to the company. And the scheme could begin as early as the start of 2018.

The firm’s director says they have already travelled the transportation route and used simulators to check the practicality of the scheme, according to reports in Gulf News. Speaking to the site about what he is calling the UAE Iceberg Project, Abdullah Mohammad Shehi said: “we predict that it will take up to one year to tow (拖拉) an iceberg to UAE.” We have made the technical and financial plan. Towing is the best method. We will start the project in beginning of 2018. “We want it mainly for the water. It could also be good for tourism and the weather.”

The UAE is one of the most dry countries and one of the top 10 most water-scarce in the world, due to its extremely dry climate, which receives less than four inches (100 mm) of rainfall per year. Despite that, it consumes more water than double the global national average, putting the country at severe risk of droughts over the next 25 years. An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, according to the Abu Dhabi-based company. They take a long time to melt as 80 percent of their mass is underwater, while the white ice above reflects sunlight, reducing its heat. Upon arrival at a specially constructed processing facility, workers will “mine” the icebergs for their water supplies. Blocks of ice will be sliced and placed in giant tanks, before being filtered and processed. “This is the purest water in the world”, Mr Al Shehi added. He also claims the iceberg’s presence could provide a more moist micro-climate in the area, perhaps even prompting rainfall. And the project may prove a boost for tourism if it proves a success, with people travelling to see the unusual sight of an iceberg off the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

1.What is the main purpose of The National Advisor Bureau’s scheme?

A.To boost tourism and ease financial burden in UAE.

B.To save endangered wildlife and boost tourism in UAE.

C.To make drinking water accessible to the people in UAE.

D.To get the purest water in the world for the citizens in UAE.

2.What does the underlined word simulator in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A.A type of mining tool to carve out the iceberg.

B.An electronic device to create and store energy.

C.A vehicle to transport the iceberg from Antarctica.

D.A piece of equipment to test potential conditions.

3.Which of the following helps slow down the melting of iceberg during transportation?

A.The special electronic devices to keep the iceberg frozen.

B.The time of processing iceberg before being transported.

C.Much of the iceberg lying under water with ice above reflecting light.

D.The floating of the iceberg in the seawater with a more moist micro-climate.

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the plan?

A.Favorable. B.Cautious. C.Ambiguous. D.Disapproving.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The village seemed deserted, the only sign of life _____ an ugly-looking goat tied to a tree in a field nearby.

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Oil is essential for modern life. About 64 percent of the world’s oil is located in the Middle East, but the heaviest consumers of oil are Europe, America, and Japan. The problem lies in getting the oil from the countries that produce it to the countries that consume it. This is mainly done using oil tankers. Usually the oil is shipped safely and with no problems, but occasionally there is a disaster.

Every year millions of tons of oil are spilled into the ocean. Although this is only a small percentage of the total amount shipped around the world each year, this spilled oil can have terrible effects on ocean life, including the coastlines where the oil washes up onto shore.

One of the worst oil spills in history occurred along the Alaskan coastline in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker got stuck off the coast of Alaska, spilling 42 million liters of oil. Although it wasn’t the largest oil spill, the disaster was terrible because it occurred in such a sensitive natural area. In this spill, the tanker’s captain, who was tired from overwork and drinking alcohol, had gone to take a rest. He gave control of the ship to another sailor, who was unfamiliar with the route. The ship ran onto Bligh Reef. Damaged by the reef, the ship leaked oil out into the ocean. More than 1,600 kilometers of coastline were affected by the oil spill. Many birds and otters died as a result of the oil covering their skin, and many other sea creatures and the animals that fed on them were also severely affected.

1.Which country is NOT among the largest consumers of oil?

A. Japan　　 B. Iraq

C. America　　 D. Germany

2.What does the underlined “them” refer to?

A. The birds.　　 B. The otters.

C. The sea creatures.　　 D. The birds and the otters.

3.Which of the following statement is true?

A. The oil leak of Alaska is because the captain was unfamiliar with the route.

B. Many birds and otters died from eating the spilled oil.

C. Alaska spill was the most serious spill of all time.

D. Although some oil leak is not serious, it will affect ocean life.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Ministry of Education recently released a statement encouraging middle schools to provide Wi-Fi coverage for their students. Do you think middle school campuses should be covered with Wi-Fi?

Sheng Junjie, 17:

In my opinion, Wi-Fi should cover campuses. The Internet contains an enormous amount of information. If Wi-Fi could be used on campus, it would be more convenient for students to surf the Internet connection that had a positive influence on students’ studying, the school could work out technical tools to guide them.

Han Xu, 17:

Personally, I think that Wi-Fi coverage is not a good thing. Everyone would agree that not all information on the Internet is reliable. Students would be likely to come across awful things like false information, even violence and fraud, on the school Wi-Fi network. It would have a bad influence on the growth of students, and may even lead to more serious problems.

【写作内容】

1. 用约30个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；

2. 结合上述信息，就“中学校园是否要覆盖无线网络”这个话题发表你的看法，并说明理由。

【写作要求】

1. 写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；

2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；

3. 不必写标题。

【评分标准】

内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，字数适当。

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高三英语书面表达中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读理解。

Washington D．C. is No.1

It is best known as a city of monument. In the middle of traffic circles or on street corners, you'll find statues, plaques (匾牌), and simple blocks of marble there. They honor the people who helped shape the US.

And on Oct. 20, Lonely Planet, one of the world's largest travel guides, named Washington D．C. the No.1 city in its list of “Best in Travel 2015”．

“The year 2015 is a fantastic year to visit Washington D．C.，” Tom Hall, editorial director of Lonely Planet, told The Guardian. “The 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assassination (暗杀) makes this year big for Washington D．C. The famous top hat of America's 16th president and the gun that fired the deadly shot will be on display. Add that to its incredible eats, performing arts and museums. The nation's capital is looking better than ever.”

There are a lot of free museums in the city. When British scientist James Smithson died in 1829, he left a will giving his money to the United States to open a museum at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution. It has turned out to be a wonderful gift, and the institution now covers 19 museums. And of course, no Washington tour is complete without seeing the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court, which are home to the three pillars (核心) of the

US government. But there is more to explore in the center of the US power. It is a city you can walk across, with wide­open avenues, old neighborhoods, and river views.

And as USA_Today notes, diversity is another reason to “fall in love with the city”. “There is a lot of diversity in Washington D．C., seen in its people, its neighborhoods and its landmarks. From Chinatown to Little Ethiopia, visiting the nation's capital is like seeing the world in one trip，” said the newspaper.

1.One of the reasons why Washington D．C. is worth a visit in 2015 is that ________.

A．food and performing arts there are much better than anywhere else in the world

B．the top hat of 15th president of America will be on show in the year 2015

C．seeing the museums will make your tour in Washington D．C. complete

D．the diversity of the city offers you an opportunity to see more in one trip

2.Which of the following details is RIGHT according to the article?

A．The 150th anniversary of Lincoln's assassination makes the tour more worthwhile.

B．The first reason why Washington D．C. is worth a visit is that it is the capital of the country.

C．Lonely Planet decides to make Washington D．C. a most­visited place in 2015.

D．All the museums in Washington D．C. were named after the Smithsonian Institution.

3.What is USA Today according to the last paragraph?

A．A well­known company.

B．A newspaper.

C．An advanced institution.

D．A website.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is no greater pleasure than lying on my back in the middle of the grassland, _____at the night sky.

A. to stare    B. staring    C. stared    D, having stared

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is no greater pleasure than lying on my back in the middle of the grassland, _____at the night sky.

A.to stare 　　 B. staring 　　 C. stared 　　 D, having stared

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Damage to Ozone Layer Gets Worse

In the middle of winter, when snow is falling in many parts of the United States, scientists have sounded a warning to people who plan to spend many hours in the sun this summer．The warning: The sun's summertime rays are more dangerous than once thought.

A team of scientists from 80 nations recently reported to the United Nations that a layer of ozone（臭氧层）in the atmosphere, which protects humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet（紫外线）radiation, will be thinner over the United States this summer．The thinner layer allows more ultraviolet rays from the sun to reach Earth．The extra amount of ultraviolet radiation could cause an increase in the number of cases of skin cancer.

Scientists first became concerned about the layer in the mid-1980s when a hole was discovered in the layer above Antarctica during the winter．The hole was caused in chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners．When these chemicals are sent out into the atmosphere, they produce gases that destroy the ozone.

Concern about the protective ozone layer rose more recently when data from satellites and ground stations showed that ozone levels were dropping over areas other than Antarctica．Low ozone levels were recorded in the spring and summer over the United States and over other populated areas in the world.

Although many countries have already begun stopping the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, the new findings are expected to advance the timetable for a total ban of the chemicals.

1.The scientists have observed the ozone layer ______．

A．since 1980                     B．since last winter

C．for more than 20 years            D．for about one year

2.The ozone layer in the atmosphere can ______.

A．do a lot of good to human beings in many ways

B．protect humans from diseases caused by bad weather

C．do a lot of harm to human beings in the summer-time

D．protect humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation

3.Scientists first found that there was a hole in the ozone layer ______.

A．above Arctic during the winter in the mid-1980s

B．above Antarctica during the winter in the mid-1980s

C．over somewhere in the north of the equator in 1980

D．over the USA in the summertime in the mid-1980s

4.The damage to the ozone layer was caused by ______.

A．the changeable weather          B．ozone-destroying chemicals

C．chemicals from refrigerators      D．chemicals from air conditioners

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

阅读理解。

What's life like on a deserted island? Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona decided to find out.

The adventurous senator took a vacation from Capitol Hill and went on a four­day Robinson Crusoe style holiday with his two teenage sons to a remote, deserted island in the North Pacific Ocean.

The senator and his sons, 15­year­old Tanner and 13­year­old Dallin, traveled 5,200 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to the island of Biggarenn. They didn't carry any food or water.

The island is part of the Marshall Islands. It offered no basic supplies, so the Flakes had to catch and cook their own food and purify their water. Their diet was made up of coconuts, crabs and fish. They caught the crab and fish themselves and cooked the food over an open fire started with a magnifying glass (放大镜)．

The Flakes brought along a lobster trap (龙虾夹) in the hope of having some delicious treats, but lost it within the first few hours after it was attacked by a shark. They also carried two pumps to remove salt from ocean water. It took them hours each night to pump for just a few gallons of fresh water.

One of the most memorable moments of the trip, the father said, was when he and his 15­year­old son were almost caught by sharks after spearing (用叉叉起) a fish in the ocean.

Still, it was quite an enjoyable holiday for them. “For a dad it was a wonderful thing. No video games around, no television, no disturbance, no texting，” Flake recalled.

1.Why did the Flakes go to the island of Biggarenn?

A．To meet Robinson Crusoe.

B．To spear the shark for food.

C．To spend a special vacation.

D．To swim in the North Pacific Ocean.

2.What can we learn from the text?

A．The Flakes could easily find a fire on the island.

B．The Flakes caught lobsters for food on the island.

C．The Flakes found basic things that they needed on the island.

D．The Flakes took much trouble to get drinkable water on the island.

3.According to the text, the Flakes' holiday is ________.

A．adventurous but interesting

B．exciting but painful

C．meaningless but enjoyable

D．boring but memorable

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is not a good idea to stop the actor Richard Griffiths in the middle of a play．During the past year he has stopped performances many times at the National Theatre when mobile phones rang, and he threw out one member of the audience because she failed to turn off her phone．

So when a mobile rang out for the third time during his performance in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys, he spoke angrily to the theatergoer （爱看戏的人）, “I am not going to compete with these electronic devices （装置）．”

Griffiths’ actions led to a debate in the UK theatre world over whether phones should be forbidden by law from British theatres, too．Actors have already asked the government to legalise （使合法化） the use of an electronic device that stops mobile phone signals in theatres．

Technology companies have “stopping” devices that send out a high-powered signal on the same frequency （频率） as a mobile phone, stopping the mobile phone signal．

However, these are forbidden in many countries because they might stop emergency calls from being made．

Rosemary Squire, president of the Society of West End Theatre, said, “Phones are one of the biggest problems theatres face．We should look at equipment that could stop phones or make a London-wide theatre rule．”

Nick Allott, the managing director of Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s theatre group, said, “We would all welcome some ways of stopping ringing phones but doctors and emergency workers need to be connected in a theatre and we mustn’t stop that．” What can we do to solve the problem?

1.What can we infer from the second paragraph?

2.According to the passage, “stopping” devices ______．

3.According to Nick Allott, ______．

4.What will probably be talked about following the last paragraph?

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析