A city in South Korea, which has the world’s ...

A city in South Korea, which has the world’s largest number of people using smartphones, has placed flashing lights and laser beams at a road crossing to warn “smartphone zombies” to look up and drivers to slow down, in the hope of preventing accidents.

The designers of the system were motivated by growing worry that more pedestrians glued to their phones will become victims in a country that already has some of the highest road death and injury rates among developed countries. State-run Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) believes its system of flashing lights at zebra crossings can warn both pedestrians and drivers.

In addition to red, yellow and blue LED lights on the pavement, “smombies” - smartphone zombies - will be warned by laser beam projected from power poles and a warning sent to the phones by an app that they are about to step into traffic.

“Increasing number of smombie accidents have occurred in pedestrian crossings, so these zombie lights are essential to prevent these pedestrian accidents,” said KICT senior researcher Kim Jong-hoon. Drivers are warned by the flashing lights, which have shown to be effective 83.4 percent of the time in the institute’s tests involving about 1,000 vehicles.

In 2017, more than 1,600 pedestrians were killed in auto related accidents, which is about 40 percent of total traffic deaths, according to data from the Traffic Accident Analysis System. For now, the smombie warning system is placed only in Ilsan, a suburban city about 30 km northwest of the capital, Seoul, but is expected to go nationwide, according to the institute.

Kim Dan-hee, a 23-year-old resident of Ilsan, welcomed the system, saying she was often too absorbed in her phone to remember to look at traffic. “This flashing light makes me feel safe as it makes me look around again, and I hope that we can have more of these in town,” she said.

1.What do the underlined words “smartphone zombies” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A.Drivers driving after drunk. B.Pedestrians buried in their phones.

C.Passengers crazy about phones. D.Policemen in charge of traffic.

2.What do we know about the warning system?

A.It has reduced death rate by 83.4%. B.It has been spread nationwide.

C.It gives a warning to the smartphones. D.It is being tried out in many places.

3.What was the residents’ attitude to the traffic system?

A.Negative. B.Unconcerned.

C.Disapproving. D.Favorable.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.South Korea Warns Smartphone Zombies of Traffic

B.Flashing Lights Are Used to Prevent Accidents

C.Smartphone Zombies Are Causing Traffic Accidents

D.South Korea Uses a New Traffic System

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A city in South Korea, which has the world’s highest smartphone usage rate, has placed flashing lights at a road crossing to warn “smartphone zombies” (低头族) to look up and drivers to slow down, in the hope of preventing accidents.

The designers of the system were motivated by growing worry that more pedestrians (行人) addicted to their phones will become victims in a country that already has some of the highest injury rates among developed countries.

State-run Korea Institute of Civil Engining and Building Technology believed its system of flashing lights at crossings can warn both pedestrians and drivers.

In addition to red, yellow and blue LED lights on the road, “smartphone zombies” will be warned by flashing lights and a warning sent to the phones by an app that they are about to step into traffic.

“Increasing numbers of accidents are happening at pedestrian crossings, so these lights are needed to prevent these pedestrian accidents,” said KICT senior researcher Kim Jong-hoon.

South Korea has the world’s highest smartphone usage rate, according to Pew Research Center, with about 94 percent of adults owning smartphones in 2017, compared with 77 percent in the United States and 59 percent in Japan.

For now, the warning system is set up only in Ilsan, a city about 30 km northwest of the capital, Seoul, but is expected to go nationwide, according to the institute.

Kim Dan-hee, a 23-year-old citizen of Ilsan, welcomed the system, saying she was often too absorbed in her phone to remember to look at traffic. “This flashing light makes me feel safe as it makes me look around again, and I hope that we can have more of these in town,” she said.

1.What is the purpose of South Korea’s new warning system?

A.To prevent pedestrian accidents. B.To limit the use of phones.

C.To remind pedestrians to look around. D.To ensure drivers’ safety.

2.How does the writer introduce the high smartphone usage rate of South Korea?

A.By describing a scene. B.By making comparison.

C.By explaining a subject. D.By raising a question.

3.What’s Kim Dan-hee’s attitude to the new warning system?

A.Supportive. B.Indifferent. C.Objective. D.Doubtful.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Flashing lights at the crossing in different countries.

B.Watching out for safety while crossing the road.

C.South Korea ranking the world’s highest phone usage rate.

D.New warning system to prevent accidents in South Korea.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Seoul

A dangerous new bird flu in South Korea has spread nationwide despite efforts to make on the virus．Authorities have killed 2.8 million household chickens and ducks since the outbreak began，and the flu has also killed dozens of Baikal teal and other migratory birds．As yet，there are no reports of human infections．Scientists are puzzling over where the H5N8 flu，never before seen in a highly pathogenic（病原的）form，originated．

Portland，Oregon

A tiny chub （鲦鱼)has bounced back from near extinction(灭绝) ．The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)says populations of the Oregon chub are healthy enough to remove the 9-cm-long fish from its list of threatened and endangered wildlife．Last week’s announcement marks the first time an endangered fish has recovered enough to be delisted

After the 1940s, the chub populations dropped sharply from habitat damage by pollution and dams．When the fish was listed by FWS in 1993，only nine remained．Predation(捕食)by large-mouth bass and other non-native fishes was the largest threat to the remaining chub．

Since then, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other groups started 20 new populations of the chub in predator-free ponds Changes to dam management have lowered the threat to remaining habitat．

Mexico City

The axolotl salamander’s only known home in the wild，the Xochimilco canals of Mexico City，has become increasingly polluted，but recent reports of the salamander’s extinction have been overstated．

Two weeks after announcing that months of searching the canals hadn’t turned up any axolotls，scientists in Mexico City have some good news：two of the unique salamanders were spotted on 4 February “There’s been an alarming reduction in population．”says Luis Zambrano, a biologist at the National University of Mexico，“but I can guarantee that is not yet extinct in the wild．”

1.Which section of a magazine does the passage probably come from?

A．Around the World　　　　　　 B．Health＆Diet

C．Endangered Species　　　　 D．Energy＆Environment

2.which of the following titles would most probably fit the bank box?

A．Oregon Chub Swimming off Endangered Species List

B．Oregon Chub Put on the Endangered Species List

C．Pollution and Dam Management Threatening Oregon Chub

D．Predator-free Ponds Set to Be Built for Oregon Chub

3.we can learn from the passage that_________．

A．the population of salamanders is on the rise

B．measures have been taken to preserve Oregon chub

C．the Xochimilco canals are the only home to the salamander

D．scientists are sure about what caused nationwide New Bird F1u

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Climate change has had a number of effects on cities around the world, including rising see levels. And, this has become an especially big problem for coastal cities. City officials must now prepare for higher tides on their coasts. The American city of Miami is one example. Located in South Florida, Miami is home to nearly 3 million people and billions of dollars in land and buildings.

Miami is one of the cities in America most at risk for rising sea levels. The waterfront is central to Miami’s culture and economy. But as the seas rise with climate change .the water will not stay put. Large parts of South Florida are in danger of being under water in the coming years. Across Biscayne Bay, the City of Miami Beach is making improvements - raising streets, adding water pumps and more.

It is costing the city a lot of money. Local communities will spend 500 million dollars for the improvements. Thankfully, the residents, the folks that are paying the bill for this work, realize that the cost of doing nothing is much greater. A possibility officials are discussing with residents is for city to buy homes in some places where flooding has been a problem. The city would then turn that land into parks of grassland that could hold the water.

Over time, the city may need to take bigger risks. Miami’s future depends largely on how much, and how fast, the oceans rise.

Caroline Lewis leads the climate activism group, the CLEO Institute. She says cities cannot avoid the need to move inland. But, she says，a well-planned withdrawal (撤退) could include measures to keep people safely in place for as long as possible. And, she says, the world could learn from such a model. In these two Florida cities built on wetlands, there remains a lot of hopefulness.

1.What threat does the city of Miami face?

A. It needs people’s support to keep safe.

B. It will be flooded with rising sea water.

C. It doesn’t know how to get out of trouble.

D. It needs much money to slop rising water.

2.What does the underlined part “stay put” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. Keep rising.　　 B. Make trouble.

C. Remain still.　　 D. Spread in one direction.

3.What do the people there agree to do with their problem?

A. Leave as it is.　　 B. Get ready to flee.

C. Donate money for it.　　 D. Take action against it.

4.Which of the following best matches Caroline Lewis’ opinion?

A. Making coastal cities exist as long as possible.

B. Warning the world of such a natural disaster.

C. Ensuring people to live there safely forever.

D. Moving coastal cities to safe places soon.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As is known to all, Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world, _____.

A. Paris is the largest　　　                 B. Paris the largest　　

C. Paris to be the largest　　                 D. Paris be the largest

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析

As is known to all, Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world, ______．

A．Paris is the largest                 B．Paris the largest

C．Paris to be the largest              D．Paris be the largest

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The capital city of South Korea, Seoul, is putting up 300 new street sings with the purpose of 1. (warn) pedestrians about the dangers of walking while absorbed in their smartphones.

The first signs have been at five locations in the hope 2. they’ll stop “smartphone sleepwalkers” in their tracks. One sign at a major traffic crossroad shows a person staring at a handheld device(设备),3.(complete) unaware of the danger of being hit by a car.

While some signs 4. (attach)to traffic light poles, others are on the pavement in order to attract those looking down 5. their mobile devices. But some locals aren’t sure whether those signs will work. One man points out that “most people 6. are using their phones on the street aren’t going to be able to see them”

More than 1000 smartphone-related traffic collisions were recorded in South Korea in 2014,　 7.(compare) to 437 such incidents in 2009. South Korea has one of the 8. (high) smartphone ownership rate in the world, but like many Asian countries it’s also been trying to handle rising levels of 9. (addict) to the devices.

While Seoul’s innovation(创新) is government-funded, two Swedish artists 10.(have) a similar idea late last year, putting up unofficial smartphone warning signs in Stockholm.

高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In mid-January, Cape Town officials announced that the world-class South African city of four million residents would run out of water on April 12. The date, nicknamed “Day Zero,” has since been postponed multiple times, thanks to the intense conservation efforts by locals, a sharp reduction in agricultural water usage, and a 10 billion-liter donation from the private reservoirs(水库) of the Groenland Farmers Association.

The city now has enough water to sustain the current level of usage until July 9, giving residents hope that the rainy season, which begins in June, will be more regular than has been the case lately.

Four years ago, Cape Town’s water disaster would have seemed impossible given that the city’s six dam, which can hold 230 billion liters of water, were filled to the brim. However, three years of low rainfall – a third of normal levels – and the ever-increasing population, have reduced the dams to puddles.

In an attempt to avoid Day Zero, the government has imposed a strict 50-liter daily limit for all households. Residents are being urged to reduce their water usage by making small changes like taking shorter showers and reusing bathing water to flush toilets. Those that use more have to pay heavy fines.

When Day Zero strikes, a million homes or about 75 percent of the city will lose access to running water. Residents will instead have to wait in line at the over 200 water distribution centers established around the city to obtain 25 liters a day.

Though conservation measures will help in the short run, only nature can solve the problem. If the city gets enough rainfall during its winter season from June to August, it will provide much-needed relief. However, the local officials are not sure it will happen.

1.What does the underlined word “brim” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. bottom　　 B. top edge

C. extended part　　 D. central part

2.What effort is being made now to avoid Day Zero?

A. Limiting the daily usage of water to 25 liters.

B. Establishing 200 water distribution centers in the city.

C. Reducing the city population as much as possible

D. Restricting water usage in agriculture significantly

3.What does the last paragraph mainly want to convey?

A. Tomorrow is still unknown.　　 B. Current efforts will pay off.

C. Man is at the mercy of nature.　　 D. It’s time to make joint efforts.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A. To inform us of the severe situation of water shortage in Cape Town.

B. To appeal to the world to come together to help people Cape Town.

C. To explain the cause of the severe water shortage in Cape Town.

D. To applaud the efforts by people in Cape Town to address water shortage.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

At ______ games in Johannesburg, South Africa, the North Korean team, which returned to ______ World Cup after 44 years, lost in ______ close-scoring game, 1-2, to the Brazilians.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

At ______ games in Johannesburg, South Africa, the North Korean team, which returned to ______ World Cup after 44 years, lost in ______ close-scoring game, 1-2, to the Brazilians．

A．the; the; a          B．/; /; the              C．/; the; the            D．the; /; a

高二英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析