The U.S. solar industry is growing at a recor...

The U.S. solar industry is growing at a record-breaking pace, while becoming more affordable and accessible than ever before. The industry’s forward progress comes in part thanks to support from the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative(计划).

Set up in 2011 to rebuild U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace, SunShot is to aggressively drive down the cost of solar-powered electricity generation across America.

To achieve this goal, SunShot works to lower the price of solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt hour (KWh) — a cost target that will make solar-generated power to be fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade.

Just three years into the initiative, SunShot is making significant headway. Today, the Energy Department announced that the U.S. solar industry is more than 60 percent of the way to achieving cost-competitive utility-scale solar photovoltaic or PV (光伏) electricity. In many parts of the country, solar electricity is already cost-competitive with traditional energy sources, including California, Hawaii and Minnesota.

Within the past few years, utility-scale PV has risen from a relative newcomer to the solar market to the fastest growing sector of the industry. These projects feature large, centralized PV systems that feed power directly to the grid (电网). While the operating history of utility-scale PV is brief, it is expected to take up most of the U.S. PV market through 2018, helping create new jobs, support other U.S. industries and improve economic growth as it expands.

One of the biggest benefits of the expanding solar industry is its influence on the U.S. job market. The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2017 finds solar jobs increased nearly 20 percent since the fall of 2016, 10 times the national average job growth rate. There are more than 140,000 solar workers in the United States, up from about 119,000 in 2016. Not only did the industry go beyond growth expectations, but the pace of hiring has quickened, producing new hires at a rate 50 percent higher than last year.

1.From the passage we can learn that SunShot was set up to　　　　　　　 .

A.lower the price of solar electricity

B.rebuild U.S. leadership in the solar marketplace

C.compete with traditional energy sources

D.drive down the cost of solar-powered electricity

2.What can we learn about U.S. utility-scale PV?

A.It has been developed for a quite long period. B.It has lowered the price 60% than other sources.

C.It has been the leading role of the U.S. PV market. D.It has brought some benefits to the U.S. economy.

3.How does the author develop the last paragraph?

A.By providing data. B.By giving examples.

C.By reasoning. D.By analyzing causes.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A.SunShot Is Promoting U.S. Solar Industry

B.Solar Industry Defeats Traditional Energy Sources

C.U.S. Employment Benefits from Solar Industry

D.Solar Industry’ Growth Determines U.S. Economy

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Social media is one of the fastest growing industries in today’s world. A study conducted by the US Pew Research Center showed that 92 percent of teenagers go online daily. The wide spread of social media has changed nearly all parts of teenagers’ lives.

• Changing relationships

High school student Elly Cooper from Illinois said social media often reduces face- to-face communication. “It makes in-person relationships harder because of people’s attention given to their phones instead of their boyfriends or girlfriends,” Cooper said.

Yet, some people believe social media has made it easier to start relationships with anyone from anywhere. Beth Kaplan from Illinois met her long-distance friend through social media. He currently lives in Scotland, but they’re still able to frequently communicate with each other. “I can feel close to someone that I’m talking to via FaceTime,” Kaplan said.

• Wanting to be “liked”

The rise of social media has changed the way teenagers see themselves. The 19- year-old Essena O’Neill announced on the social networking service Instagram that she was quitting social media because it made her unable to stop thinking about appearing perfect online. Negative comments also can do great damage to a teenager’s self-esteem. Teenagers who get negative comments can’t help but feel hurt.

• Opening new doors

However, Armin Korsos, a student from Illinois, takes advantage of the comments he receives over social media to improve his videos on the social networking site YouTube. “Social media can help people show themselves and their talents to the world in a way that has never been possible before,” Korsos said.

1.Who met the long-distance friend through social media?

A. Elly Cooper.　　 B. Beth Kaplan.

C. Essena O’Neill.　　 D. Armin Korsos.

2.What does Essena O’Neill think of social media?

A. It hurts her seriously.　　 B. It promotes friendship.

C. It upsets her sometimes.　　 D. It develops confidence.

3.What is the topic of the text?

A. Teenagers’ attitude toward social media.

B. Social media’s influence on teenagers.

C. A recent study conducted in the US.

D. New ways of self-improvement.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Group buying is one of the fastest growing trends in South Africa today. Industry leaders are confident the growth potential remains strong since group buying is location-specific. Start-up costs are low and profit room remains high, so many sites continue to receive invested money despite widespread criticism and Facebook’s decision to phase out of deal business due to privacy concerns.

In the early stages of all industries, some companied fail because they cannot compete with stronger companies in difficult economic conditions. To deal with difficult conditions, an alarming number of businesses are developing group buying websites in places like China and India, so the increase of group buying in South Africa is nothing more than a natural progression into the international mainstream.

The group buying concept is fairly new and consumers have accepted this concept because they can now make full use of the rich information available on the Internet. Group buying is convenient and easy so it works. Anyone can view a site, join a mailing list, subscribe to RSS or print out a coupon(优惠券). The current group buying structure offered by the industry leaders works although there are still challenges to overcome.

Perhaps, the future of group buying is tied to the joining together of social media and mobile devices. Mobile devices are with us wherever we go and almost everyone is using some type of social media site like Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. Using GPS and social media technology to provide real time location-specific promotions would be beneficial to every consumer looking for the best deals in town.

Pause for a moment and think about it! What is better than signing on to your phone while having fun in town and you receive a real time information that your favorite shop across the street is offering a killer dial?

The future of the group buying in South Africa is bright and we can expect to see more advanced approaches to this concept in the future. In addition to the technological advances consumers will see the range of promotions expand to include new products and services.

1.What does the underlined phrase “phase out of” mean in the passage?

2.The author sets China and India as examples to show that ________.

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

4.The author’s attitude towards the future of group buying is ________.

5.What does the passage mainly tell us?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.His 　　　　　　　　 (抱负)is to work in the computer industry when he grows up.

2.He was forced to r　　　　　　　 as chairman for the great losses he had made。

3.Their school life is quite busy for them to have no time to sit 　　　 (闲坐着) gossiping.

4.I am feeling not good, and I’d like to be 　　　　　　　　 alone for a moment.

5.With the 　　　　　　　　 (分发) of food and medicine to the flooded area, they all let out a sigh of relief.

6.That frightened scream nearly made me feel s　　　　　　　　 to death.

7.I will a　　　　　　　 you whenever you are in trouble and help you through the hard time.

8.　　　　　　　 to you on winning the first prize in the final competition.

9.Do you know the gentleman who 　　　　 (捐赠) a large sum of money to the charity?

10.I loved to listened to their talking to each other ,even though I couldn’t p　　　　 in them.

高二英语单词拼写中等难度题查看答案及解析

Many visitors find the pace at which American people move very troubling. One’s first ______ is likely to be that everyone is in a rush. City people always ______ to be hurrying to get where they are going and are very impatient if they are delayed even for a brief moment.

____, this may seem unfriendly to you. But drivers will ______ you; storekeepers will be in a hurry as they ______ you; people will push you ______ they walk along the street. You will ______ smiles, brief conversations with people as you shop or dine away from home. Do not ______ that because Americans are in such a hurry they are ______. Often, life is much slower outside the big cities, as is true in other countries______.

Americans who live in cities such as New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, often think that everyone is ______ in a hurry to get things done; they ______ others to “push back”, just as city people do in Tokyo, Singapore or Paris, for example. ______ when they discover that you are a stranger, most Americans become quite kind and will take great ______ to help you. Many of them first came to the city as ______ and they remember how frightening a new city can be. If you need help or want to ask a question, _______ a friendly-looking person and say, “I am a stranger here. Can you help me?”

Most people will stop, smile at you, and help you find your ______ or answer your questions. But you must let them know that you need help. Otherwise they are ______ to pass you by, not noticing that you are new to the city and in ______ of help. Occasionally, you may find someone too busy or perhaps too rushed to give you aid. If this happens, don’t be ______; just ask someone else. Most Americans enjoy helping a stranger.

1.A. mistake　　 B. discovery　　 C. experience　　 D. impression

2.A. chance　　 B. appear　　 C. pause　　 D. come

3.A. At times　　 B. In the end　　 C. At first　　 D. Now and then

4.A. rush　　 B. load　　 C. remind　　 D. send

5.A. drive　　 B. persuade　　 C. employ　　 D. serve

6.A. because　　 B. as　　 C. although　　 D. before

7.A. wear　　 B. enjoy　　 C. miss　　 D. trust

8.A. think　　 B. shock　　 C. watch　　 D. attract

9.A. unhappy　　 B. unexpected　　 C. uncertain　　 D. unfriendly

10.A. as usual　　 B. as well　　 C. in need　　 D. in reply

11.A. equally　　 B. generally　　 C. endlessly　　 D. frequently

12.A. forbid　　 B. limit　　 C. expect　　 D. choose

13.A. Even if　　 B. So　　 C. And　　 D. But

14.A. temper　　 B. care　　 C. step　　 D. energy

15.A. rebellers　　 B. experts　　 C. strangers　　 D. patients

16.A. choose　　　　　 　　 B. reject　　 C. disturb　　 D. avoid

17.A. hotel　　 B. way　　 C. necessity　　 D. duty

18.A. likely　　 B. unable　　 C. nervous　　 D. terrible

19.A. face　　 B. charge　　 C. front　　 D. need

20.A. gentle　　 B. tired　　 C. discouraged　　 D. surprised

高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Erik Kobayashi-Solomon spent a day with Dr. Paul Gauthier, a plant physiologist specializing in vertical (垂直的) farming research and came away with several important ideas about vertical farming.

Humans have 12,000 years of experience in growing food, but only a generation’s worth of experience or so in growing crops indoors. We are still progressing up the technology learning curve (曲线). What’s more, traditional farming techniques are based on conditions that are not applicable to vertical farming. Therefore, without taking time to understand the science, vertical farming is not likely to be able to live up to its implied promise.

The cost of powering LED grow lights is one of the biggest problems a vertical farm must overcome. Dr. Louis Albright at Cornell has characterized vertical farms as the “pie-in-the-sky” business. He famously calculates, for instance, that the cost of a loaf of bread would be $ 24 if farmed indoors—the cost is too high. Gauthier acknowledges that energy prices are high but points out that scientific work has shown that only about 6% of available sunlight is used in crop photosynthesis (光合作用), so there may be ways of growing the same plants with less light.

Gauthier also points out that while energy costs are a bit high, vertical farming does create enormous efficiencies in other areas. Water usage may be significantly reduced because the same water can be recycled time and again. Fertilizer use can also be greatly reduced and pesticides for pest control are unnecessary. It’s clear that vertical farming offers real value to society.

The future is probably mixed. In some environments—the Middle East, for instance—a move to vertical farming is a no-brainer. An indoor farm in Saudi Arabia, for instance, can use solar energy to power LEDs at low cost without shading other farmland. In other environments, though, the expense of establishing a facility places a high bar on growth and profitability. A large vertical farming and equipment operation only started generating a small profit eight years into its nine-year life.

1.What can we infer about vertical farming in Paragraph 2?

A.It relies on more basic scientific research.

B.It will replace traditional farming one day.

C.It actually came into being 12,000 years ago.

D.It can be applicable under different conditions.

2.What does Dr. Louis Albright think of vertical farms?

A.They use less light than traditional ones.

B.They can overcome many problems in farming.

C.They may seem very unlikely to be popularized.

D.They do not need any natural sunlight any longer.

3.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?

A.The recent trend of vertical farming.

B.The possible benefits of vertical farming.

C.The secrets of developing vertical farming.

D.The ways of reducing costs of vertical farming.

4.Why is the example of “an indoor farm in Saudi Arabia” mentioned?

A.To argue that vegetables do not need to be imported any longer.

B.To prove solar energy is vital for farming in Saudi Arabia.

C.To confirm the expense of setting up a vertical farm is high.

D.To show vertical farming can work pretty well in some places.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is reported that a record-breaking high-speed rail will connect Inner Mongolia in the north to Hainan in the south. According to the Shaanxi Development and Reform Commission，the proposed line will operate at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour（217 mph）．

Beginning in Inner Mongolia's Baotou city and running through southern Shaanxi， Hubei， Hunan， Guangxi and Guangdong， its final stop would be in Haikou city on Hainan Island，China's southernmost province．

Though the exact length of the proposed route has not been released，it will likely become the world's longest high-speed rail line as the journey by road between Baotou and Haikou is approximately 3，000 kilometers（1，864 miles） long． Currently， the world's longest high-speed rail line is almost 2，300 kilometers long （1，429 miles）， running from Beijing to Guangzhou．

The proposed rail is part of China's aim to create another "Silk Road of the 21st Century" and improve the country's transportation network while driving land development and urbanization（城市化） in some provincial areas．

Many of the provinces through which the high-speed trains will travel are near major bodies of water，such as the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi province，the Yangtzi River in Hubei and the South China Sea， where the line would end． It will also take passengers to popular tourist attractions including Zhangjiajie，Xi'an，Guilin and minority areas in western Hunan and Hubei．

"The country is now shifting its focus and investing in the western regions and economically underdeveloped areas，making up for China's long debt to these areas，" Tan yuzhi，professor of the School of Economics and Management at Hubei University for Nationalities， told local media． " The project will significantly narrow regional disparities（差异） and solve minority issues．"

However，Deng Hongbing，director of China University of Geosciences' Center for Regional Economic and Investment Center，said that if the north-to-south railway is to go ahead，there needs to be a sound ecological program in place to ensure the protection of these underdeveloped and ecologically sensitive areas．

1.What is the passage mainly talking about？ ______

A.China has decided to invest in the western areas．

B.Another high-speed train line is being planned．

C.The train will speed up to 350 kilometers per hour．

D.China has produced the best high-speed train line．

2.How many provinces will the proposed line cross？ ______.

A.9 B.8

C.7 D.6

3.Once the high-speed rain line is built，______ ．

A.It will be the most convenient high-speed rail line in China

B.It will benefit the underdeveloped areas a lot in the west

C.It will transport goods faster from north to south

D.It will do good to the environment alongside the line

4.What is Tan Yuzhi's attitude towards the proposed project？ ______.

A.Ironical B.Doubtful

C.Puzzled D.Supportive

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

1.It is a new term in today’s tourism industry. But in an age of growing environmental awareness, it is not too difficult for us to imagine and understand this new form of holiday.

Ecotourism, which is considered as a kind of responsible tourism, is typically defined as travel to places where special and unusual plants, animals and cultural heritages are the main attractions.2.Therefore, some natural and cultural spots also form a part of ecotourism.

Ecotourism is developing at great speed. According to a recent report by the World Tourism Organization, ecotourism in recent years has enjoyed an annual growth of about 5% worldwide.3.They included bird watching, hiking, diving, photography and taking part in various kinds of local cultural events.

4.However, it looks like some smaller towns and country areas may well become the new destinations for people to visit tomorrow because they are rich in ecological, cultural and historical resource.

Ecotourism has been gaining increasing recognition and popularity mainly for the relaxing, natural and vivid experience it offers to tourists. People are attracted to nature and long to be close to it. However, a conflict between nature and human beings is unavoidable.5..

A. The definition of ecotourism is beyond words.

B. It takes ecology and culture into consideration.

C. You may not be very familiar with “ecotourism”.

D. More than 80 activities have been listed for ecotourism.

E. People can have great fun enjoying nature through ecotourism.

F. Big cities are still the major places that attract tourists in our society today.

G How to protect natural resources while taking advantage of them is of great importance.

高二英语其他题简单题查看答案及解析

The home computer industry has been growing rapidly in the United States in the last ten years. Computers used to be large, expensive machines that were very difficult to use. But scientists and technicians have been making them smaller and cheaper while at the same time they have been made easier to use. As a result, their popularity has been increasing as more people have been buying computers for their homes and businesses.

Computers have been designed to store information and compute problems that are difficult for human beings to work out. Some have voices that speak to their operators. Stores use computers to keep records of their inventories and to send bills to their customers. Offices use computers to copy letters, record business and keep in touch with other offices. People also use computers in their homes to keep track of the money they spend.

One important new use of computers is for entertainment. Many new games have been designed to be played on computers. People of all ages play these games. People also buy home computers to watch movies and listen to concerts at home. They have become very popular indeed.

1.Compared with those of today, computers used to ______.

A. work rapidly    B. be used for fun

C. be large and expensive      D. be easy to use

2.In recent years, computers have become ______.

A. more and more difficult to use       B. slower and slower

C. more and more expensive           D. smaller and smaller

3.Home computers can be used for ______.

A. doing business        B. writing letters

C. playing games       D. all of the above

4.Salesmen use computers mainly to ______.

A. talk with their friends

B. write letters

C. check the list of goods and send bills

D. play games for pleasure

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms More than 2000 years ago, ancient Chinese people created this overall framework to mark the annual passage of time based on observations of the sun's motion. In the international meteorological field (国际气象界) the 24 solar terms are honored as “the fifth great invention of China”.

The 24 solar terms begins with Start of Spring followed by Rain Water, Insects Awaken...and ends up with Minor Cold and Major Cold. Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice are two days of the year with the longest and shortest amount of daylight respectively, while Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox are days with the most balanced amount of daytime and nighttime. Through these four parts, a year is divided into four part: Spring Summer, Autumn and Winter.

In ancient times this system not only guided agricultural production, instructing farmers to expect the changes in temperature, spring planting and autumn harvest but also directed Chinese folk customs. For example, Winter Solstice was the first one set among 24 terms and later developed into a festival to worship Heaven and ancestors. Every year at Winter Solstice, emperors of Ming and Qing dynasties would go to the temple of Heaven to hold a ceremony to worship Heaven, for good weather for their crop, and peace and prosperity for the country.

Nowadays, the 24 solar terms could not only be applied to farming but also guide Chinese everyday life. They remind people to adapt to the changes in the seasons through suitable food and cultural rituals (文化仪式). Seasonal customs are sill the rage such as eating spring pancakes at Start of Spring, sweeping ancestors' tombs at Qing Ming, gaining weight to keep warm at Start of Autumn and eating nutritious food to store energy at Start of Winter. They have actually became important rituals in Chinese life.

The 24 solar terms is a common cognitive system among Chinese. It reflects the emotional bond, the wisdom and creativity of Chinese, who respect and live in harmony with nature.

1.How were the 24 solar terms created in ancient China?

A.They were the results of leaning from each other.

B.They were set based on the movements of the sun.

C.They were created according to the change of the weather.

D.They were gradually developed from the practical experience.

2.What is a common feature of Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox?

A.They both have the same amount of day and night.

B.They were set only for guiding agricultural activities.

C.They both play the role in dividing a day into day and night

D.They are the days on which the length of a day is longer than night.

3.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A.Cheer B.Honor. C.Appreciation. D.Fashion.

4.What’s the text mainly about?

A.The reasons for the recognition of the 24 solar terms.

B.The invention of the 24 solar terms in ancient China.

C.The origin and influence of the 24 solar terms in China

D.The ways to handle the relationship between human and nature.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析