Our cities have never been denser, taller, or busier than they are now, and with that, comes the constant battle for land. But if we look at aerial images of any city center, we can quickly spot plenty of unused space — the rooftops.
So what can we use this precious resource for? In a growing number of high-density cities, some of it is dedicated to recreation — everything from bars and pools, to soccer pitches and running tracks can now be found atop skyscrapers. But when a rooftop offers access to sunlight, there are two more obvious candidates for its use - agriculture and solar power.
Green roofs have been growing in popularity for more than a decade, and in some cases, growing in scale too. Green roofs can provide a habitat for birds and insects in an otherwise hostile environment.
Cities can be several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. Green roofs come with the added benefit of mitigating the dreaded urban heat island effect. Trees and green spaces can absorb shortwave radiation, and use it to evaporate water from their leaves — a kind of ‘double cooling’ effect.
With food security and urban nutrition ever-higher on the agenda for the United Nations, there’s also a worldwide movement of using green roofs for hyper-local food production. In regions with suitable climates, hundreds of different vegetables, fruits, and salad leaves can be grown on rooftops.
But what about solar power? With so many cities now stopping using fossil fuels, and the costs of solar panels dropping dramatically, PV systems have become the ‘go to’ option for generating distributed power in built-up areas. And, even with standard commercial panels, the energy gains are dramatic. It is estimated that rooftop PV systems could generate almost 40% of electricity demands nationwide.
There’s no doubt that in both cases, a network of ‘productive rooftops’ could benefit the local community by supplying a portion of a necessary resource — either food or electricity — while also reducing their environmental burden. But is one better than the other?
This was the question posed by researchers from MIT and the University of Lisbon in a recent paper in the journal Cities. Focusing on the rooftops of a mixed-use neighborhood in Lisbon, they carried out a Cost-Benefit Analysis. Starting with existing data on everything from installation costs and resources used, to carbon footprint and yield, they modelled the impact that each installation would have on the local community over a period of 50 years.
And by looking at it that way, they concluded that for Lisbon, the use of rooftops for food production could yield significantly higher local value than solar PV energy generation. Of course, this is very site-specific. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to make cities more sustainable, and anyone who tells you otherwise is massively over-simplifying a complex issue. Now, all I hope is that some of those decision makers start using it.
1.According to the passage, green roofs don’t make a difference to ______.
A. medicine B. agriculture
C. electricity D. ecology
2.What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph ?
A. Lisbon is the perfect targeted city for researchers.
B. In another city, the opposite conclusion can be drawn.
C. The conclusion about Lisbon can apply to all other cities.
D. It doesn’t make sense to install rooftop PV systems in Lisbon.
3.The author writes this article in order to ___________.
A. instruct decision makers what to do
B. inform us of the rise of urban rooftops
C. predict two fields where we can use rooftops
D. persuade us to make cities more sustainable
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Our cities have never been denser, taller, or busier than they are now, and with that, comes the constant battle for land. But if we look at aerial images of any city center, we can quickly spot plenty of unused space — the rooftops.
So what can we use this precious resource for? In a growing number of high-density cities, some of it is dedicated to recreation — everything from bars and pools, to soccer pitches and running tracks can now be found atop skyscrapers. But when a rooftop offers access to sunlight, there are two more obvious candidates for its use - agriculture and solar power.
Green roofs have been growing in popularity for more than a decade, and in some cases, growing in scale too. Green roofs can provide a habitat for birds and insects in an otherwise hostile environment.
Cities can be several degrees warmer than the surrounding countryside. Green roofs come with the added benefit of mitigating the dreaded urban heat island effect. Trees and green spaces can absorb shortwave radiation, and use it to evaporate water from their leaves — a kind of ‘double cooling’ effect.
With food security and urban nutrition ever-higher on the agenda for the United Nations, there’s also a worldwide movement of using green roofs for hyper-local food production. In regions with suitable climates, hundreds of different vegetables, fruits, and salad leaves can be grown on rooftops.
But what about solar power? With so many cities now stopping using fossil fuels, and the costs of solar panels dropping dramatically, PV systems have become the ‘go to’ option for generating distributed power in built-up areas. And, even with standard commercial panels, the energy gains are dramatic. It is estimated that rooftop PV systems could generate almost 40% of electricity demands nationwide.
There’s no doubt that in both cases, a network of ‘productive rooftops’ could benefit the local community by supplying a portion of a necessary resource — either food or electricity — while also reducing their environmental burden. But is one better than the other?
This was the question posed by researchers from MIT and the University of Lisbon in a recent paper in the journal Cities. Focusing on the rooftops of a mixed-use neighborhood in Lisbon, they carried out a Cost-Benefit Analysis. Starting with existing data on everything from installation costs and resources used, to carbon footprint and yield, they modelled the impact that each installation would have on the local community over a period of 50 years.
And by looking at it that way, they concluded that for Lisbon, the use of rooftops for food production could yield significantly higher local value than solar PV energy generation. Of course, this is very site-specific. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to make cities more sustainable, and anyone who tells you otherwise is massively over-simplifying a complex issue. Now, all I hope is that some of those decision makers start using it.
1.According to the passage, green roofs don’t make a difference to ______.
A. medicine B. agriculture
C. electricity D. ecology
2.What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph ?
A. Lisbon is the perfect targeted city for researchers.
B. In another city, the opposite conclusion can be drawn.
C. The conclusion about Lisbon can apply to all other cities.
D. It doesn’t make sense to install rooftop PV systems in Lisbon.
3.The author writes this article in order to ___________.
A. instruct decision makers what to do
B. inform us of the rise of urban rooftops
C. predict two fields where we can use rooftops
D. persuade us to make cities more sustainable
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
By sending text message or chatting online, we have been in touch for months, but I have never met my new friend ________.
A. by accident B. on purpose
C. in the flesh D. in her absence
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
I must have been a great _____ to my parents in those hard days, for I never failed to live up to their expectations.
A. achievement B. comfort C. disappointment D. support
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
At a construction site in our city the workers have uncovered an ancient wall that_______ to keep the enemy out of the city, but it requires further evidence.
A. might have functioned B. would have functioned
C. must have functioned D. should have functioned
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
D
Stonehenge（巨石阵）may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite（辉绿岩）that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.
63．Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people .
A．to recover from poor health B．to observe star movements
C．to hold religious ceremonies D．to gather huge bluestones
64．What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A．The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B．The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C．Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D．The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.
65．The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be .
A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge
66．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest B．Stonehenge: Still Making News
C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers D．Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
We tend to have a better memory for things that excite our senses or our emotions than for straight facts.
A. block off. B. appeal to
C. subscribe to D. come across
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
We tend to have a better memory for things that excite our senses or our emotions than for straight facts.
A. block off. B. appeal to
C. subscribe to D. come across
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Most of the guests who come on our trips have never been to Egypt before .We want to make everyone comfortable and at ease, but we do always get the same questions in advance of trip. So here I will give you some travel tips.
What should I wear?
If you’re lucky enough to visit Egypt between November and February, pack a sweater. You’ll need it——the desert gets rather cold at night. During the day, the temperature will be agreeable and comfortable. Any other time, pack as if you’re going to Phoenix of Vegas in August. For the ladies, bathing suits are normal if there’s a pool where you are going, but leave the string bikini at home –it is a Muslim country, after all. Last, if you are planning on visiting any mosques（清真寺）or certain parts of upper Egypt, ladies will need to plan on bringing something that comes at least to the elbow（肘部）, and no shorts for men or women in those areas.
What special things do I need to pack?
One of my favorite things in the world to bring to Egypt is an Evian Mister, a sprayer with a fine mist of Evian water. You may be able to find it in your local drug store. Spray a little on your face or head , and your body temperature will feel like it’s dropped 10 or 15 degrees. Other items include your camera, sun block and extra batteries.
How do I communicate with home?
Internet cafes are plentiful everywhere, especially in Cairo, Luxor, and Alexandria. If you have international calling on you phone, you should be able to use it-AT＆T and Sprint both work internationally for sure, but make sure you have the international coverage. A satellite phone is best if you are certain to need coverage in the middle of the country, like while sailing up the Nile , but for most people these days a cell phone is fine.
What medical preparation do I need?
In a word: none! The one thing you may come down with in Egypt is politely called “Pharoah ’s Revenge. ” The thing that gets rid of pharoah’s Revenge is a regionally produced medicine, and is available at every drugstore for ＄1 a box . DON’T drink local water. DO drink bottled water, avoid the skins of fresh vegetables, and you’ll be fine.
1. What clothing is proper for ladies visiting a mosque?
A. String bikinis B. Bathing suits
C. Long-sleeve clothes D. Shorts.
2.What’s the use of an Evian Mister?
A. To relieve your thirst. B. To cool yourself down.
C. To prevent sunburns. D. To drive away insects.
3.What information is provided about distance communication?
A. A cell phone is enough for most people.
B. AT＆T and Sprint offer free service in Egypt.
C. A satellite phone doesn’t work in Mid-Egypt.
D. Internet cafes are only available in big cities.
4.What does “Pharoah ‘s Revenge” probably refer to in the last paragraph?
A. A battle B. A tale
C. A disease D. A plant
5.The purpose of this passage is to .
A. describe a journey to Egypt to the tourists
B. offer some practical tips on traveling in Egypt
C. warn readers of the awful insects in Egypt
D. appeal to more possible tourists to the journey
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
More than one student in our class _________ to Shanghai Expo.
A．has been B．have been C．is D．are
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
More than one student in our class _________ to Shanghai Expo.
A．has been B．have been C．is D．are
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析