The Truth About the Environment
For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a hit-list of our main fears: that natural resources are running out, that the population is ever growing, leaving less and less to eat, that species are becoming disappeared in huge numbers, and that the planet‟s air and water are becoming ever more polluted.
But a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant, not less so. Second, more food is now produced per head of the world‟s population than at any time in history. Fewer people are starving. Third, although species are indeed becoming disappeared, only about 0.7% of them are dying out in the next 50 years, not 25-50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of environmental pollution either appear to have been best cured not by limiting economic growth, but by accelerating it.
Yet public opinion surveys suggest that many people hold the belief that environmental standards are declining and four factors seem to cause this gap between what they know and what the reality is.
One is the unbalanced budget for scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that many more potential problems exist than is the case.
Secondly, environmental groups need to be noticed by the mass media. They also need to keep the money rolling in. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes overstate their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a press release entitled: „Two thirds of the world‟s forests lost forever‟. The truth turns out to be nearer 20%.
A third source of confusion is the attitude of the media. People are extremely more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants: That, however, can lead to significant misunderstanding. An example was that America came across EI Nino(厄尔尼诺) in 1997 and 1998. This climatic phenomenon was accused of breaking tourism, causing allergies, melting the ski-slopes, and causing 22 deaths. However, according to an article in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the damage was estimated at $4 billion but the benefits amounted to some $19 billion.
The fourth factor is poor individual knowledge. People worry that the endless rise in the amount of things everyone throws away will cause the world to run out of places to dispose of waste. Yet, even if America‟s trash output continues to rise as it has done in the past, and even if the American population doubles by 2100, all the rubbish America produces through the entire 21st century will still take up only one 12,000th of the area of the entire United States.
It is extremely important that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic, but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1.What aspect of scientific research does the writer express concern about in Paragraph 4?
A. The need to produce results.
B. The lack of financial support.
C. The selection of areas to research.
D. The desire to solve every research problem.
2.The writer suggests that newspapers and broadcasters are intended to_______.
A. educate readers B. meet readers‟ expectations
C. mislead readers D. encourage readers‟ feedback
3.What does the writer say about America‟s waste problem?
A. It will increase in line with population growth.
B. It is not as serious as we have been led to believe.
C. It is only effective in certain areas of the country.
D. It has been reduced through public awareness of the facts.
4.What is the author‟s attitude to the truth about the global environment?
A. Unconcerned. B. Optimistic.
C. Objective. D. Puzzled.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The Truth About the Environment
For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a hit-list of our main fears: that natural resources are running out, that the population is ever growing, leaving less and less to eat, that species are becoming disappeared in huge numbers, and that the planet‟s air and water are becoming ever more polluted.
But a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant, not less so. Second, more food is now produced per head of the world‟s population than at any time in history. Fewer people are starving. Third, although species are indeed becoming disappeared, only about 0.7% of them are dying out in the next 50 years, not 25-50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of environmental pollution either appear to have been best cured not by limiting economic growth, but by accelerating it.
Yet public opinion surveys suggest that many people hold the belief that environmental standards are declining and four factors seem to cause this gap between what they know and what the reality is.
One is the unbalanced budget for scientific research. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that many more potential problems exist than is the case.
Secondly, environmental groups need to be noticed by the mass media. They also need to keep the money rolling in. Understandably, perhaps, they sometimes overstate their arguments. In 1997, for example, the World Wide Fund for Nature issued a press release entitled: „Two thirds of the world‟s forests lost forever‟. The truth turns out to be nearer 20%.
A third source of confusion is the attitude of the media. People are extremely more curious about bad news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants: That, however, can lead to significant misunderstanding. An example was that America came across EI Nino(厄尔尼诺) in 1997 and 1998. This climatic phenomenon was accused of breaking tourism, causing allergies, melting the ski-slopes, and causing 22 deaths. However, according to an article in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the damage was estimated at $4 billion but the benefits amounted to some $19 billion.
The fourth factor is poor individual knowledge. People worry that the endless rise in the amount of things everyone throws away will cause the world to run out of places to dispose of waste. Yet, even if America‟s trash output continues to rise as it has done in the past, and even if the American population doubles by 2100, all the rubbish America produces through the entire 21st century will still take up only one 12,000th of the area of the entire United States.
It is extremely important that we look at the facts if we want to make the best possible decisions for the future. It may be costly to be overly optimistic, but more costly still to be too pessimistic.
1.What aspect of scientific research does the writer express concern about in Paragraph 4?
A. The need to produce results.
B. The lack of financial support.
C. The selection of areas to research.
D. The desire to solve every research problem.
2.The writer suggests that newspapers and broadcasters are intended to_______.
A. educate readers B. meet readers‟ expectations
C. mislead readers D. encourage readers‟ feedback
3.What does the writer say about America‟s waste problem?
A. It will increase in line with population growth.
B. It is not as serious as we have been led to believe.
C. It is only effective in certain areas of the country.
D. It has been reduced through public awareness of the facts.
4.What is the author‟s attitude to the truth about the global environment?
A. Unconcerned. B. Optimistic.
C. Objective. D. Puzzled.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people believe that there is some truth in the saying Laughter is the best medicine.1. Laughter helps relieve pain, strengthen the immune system and reduce stress. Laughter stimulates(激发) hormones which make us feel happy. Laughter also increases the flow of blood throughout the body and has benefits which are similar to the ones you get by doing exercise.
2.Children exposed to funny films and cartoons before major medical procedures are able to cope better with pain and anxiety.3.. These are professional clowns who are sent to hospitals and wards to entertain and distract sick children.
Laughter therapy has become very popular in recent years and as a result, more and more laughter clubs are starting to open up in cities and towns all over the world. At a laughter session, a trained therapist instructs the group to perform a series of exercises which are designed to produce laughter. 4.And it takes them some time to get rid of their inhibitions(心理抑制).They might even start off with fake laughter, but this doesn’t matter because our bodies can’t tell the difference, and the results are the same. Moreover, laughter is contagious(传染的).5.
So next time you feel ill, stressed out or depressed, try watching a funny film or try remembering an amusing incident in your life. You will soon feel better.
A. If one person starts giggling, it is unavoidable that everyone else will be drawn in.
B. Laughter helps you focus.
C. This finding has led to so-called clown doctors.
D. In fact, research done by scientists has shown that laughter has a lot of health benefits.
E. Laughter makes the world a better and more colorful place.
F. Some people may find the idea embarrassing at first.
G. Using laughter therapy in children’s hospitals has proven to be invaluable.
高三英语七选五简单题查看答案及解析
-How about going to the new movie . This Side of the Truth tonight?
- It’s siad to be one of the ten best movise so far this year.
A.That’s OK. B.How come? C.Why not? D.Just right.
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
— Are you still thinking about the email Tony sent you yesterday?
— Oh,to tell the truth,that’s ________ makes me feel excited.
A.What B.how C.that D.why
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Schooling Matters
March 25, 2014 Chengdu Michelle Obama
You see, the truth is that I grew up like many of you. My mom, my dad, my brother and I, we lived in a tiny apartment in Chicago, which is one of the largest cities in America. My father worked at the local water plant…
While we certainly weren’t rich, my parents had big dreams for me and my brother. They had only a high school education themselves, but they were determined to send us both to universities.
So they poured all of their love and all of their hope into us, and they worked hard. They saved every penny. And I know that wasn’t easy for them, especially for my father. You see, my father had serious illness called multiple sclerosis(多发性硬化症). And as he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, and it took him longer to get dressed in the morning.
But no matter how tired he felt, no matter how much pain he was in, my father hardly ever missed a day of work, because he was determined to give me and my brother a better life. And every day, like so many of you, I felt the weight of my parents’ sacrifices on my shoulders. Every day, I wanted to make them proud.
So, while most American kids attend public schools near their homes, when it was time for me to attend high school, I took an exam and got into a special public high school where I could get a better education. But the school was very far from my home, so I had to get up early every morning and ride a bus for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half if the weather was bad. And every afternoon, I’d ride that same bus back home and then immediately start my homework, often studying late into the night – and sometimes I would wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to study even more.
And it wasn’t easy. But whenever I got tired or discouraged, I would just think about how hard my parents were working for me. And I would remember something my mother always told me – she said, “A good education is something that no one can take away from you.”
1.The passage can be sorted as a .
A. self-introduction B. short story C. news report D. speech draft (草稿)
2.Which of the following is TRUE about Michelle Obama and her family?
A. Her parents were poor but had good educational backgrounds.
B. She attended a public high school near her home.
C. Her father suffered a serious disease and became disabled.
D. She was aware of her parents’ sacrifices and expectations.
3.Which of the following words best describes Michelle’s father?
A. Optimistic. B. Humorous. C. Strong-minded D. Generous
4.What does Michelle mainly want to tell readers in this excerpt?
A. We should work hard and get good educations.
B. Our parents always have high expectations for us.
C. She is an ordinary person from an ordinary family.
D. The road to the US First Lady is not easy.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
---What about ______ conference you attended last week?
---To tell the truth, it was too boring, you know, _____ conference like that.
A. a, the B. the, / C. the, a D. the, the
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
-How about his design?
-Well, to tell the truth, it is______but satisfactory.
A. something B.anything C.everything D. nothing
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
— What about ______ lecture you attended yesterday?
— To tell the truth, it was too boring.I can't stand ______ lecture like that.
A.a; the B.the; a C.the; 不填 D.the; the
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
________you the truth, she knows nothing about it.
A.Tell | B.Telling | C.To tell | D.Told |
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
—What about ________ conference you attended last week?
—To tell the truth, it was too boring, you know, ________ conference like that.
A. a; the B. the; /
C. the; a D. the; the
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析