Smart cities promise to bring better lives, f...

Smart cities promise to bring better lives, faster transport, cleaner air and lower crime, all through the intelligent use of connected technology, said experts, and after huge investment in the field, China is leading the way.

“China’s smart cities market increases about 30 percent year-on-year in 2018, and all the provinces have begun development and construction for smart cities, with more to follow,” said an expert.

“Although most cities have started a smart city project, there is no globally unified thinking on the concept and operation of smart cities,” said Franco.

Alibaba is now involved in dozens of pilot projects across China, with its open AI (人工智能) platform Tianqing for the ET City Brain system officially launched in September. Set up by its cloud computing subsidiary (子公司), the Brain looks to make the city “think” through AI and cloud computing technologies, and help make the best of public services in real time.

Since introducing the technology, Hangzhou’s traffic jam has fallen from the fifth-worst in China in 2016, all the way to 57th place this year. “Now our experiments are mostly for government use, but we truly expect our open AI platform to enter more areas and help citizens live, work and entertain better,” said Hua.

In McKinsey Global Institute recent report Smart cities: Digital solutions for a more livable future, they find cities can use smart technologies to improve some key quality life by 10 to 30 percent — numbers that translate into lives saved, fewer crime incidents, a reduced health burden, and carbon emissions.

1.What can we say about the smart city?

A.Its concept has not been accepted by people.

B.It can be achieved only by lots of investment.

C.The worldwide standard for it has been established.

D.Its progress in China is among the best in the world.

2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A.Traffic jam. B.Traffic flow.

C.AI platform. D.Public services.

3.Hangzhou is mentioned as an example to show that _______.

A.its traffic problem has been settled

B.the city has become more intelligent

C.its public services have greatly improved

D.it has made achievements in smart city construction

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Smart Cities are on the Way

B.Outline of the Future Smart Cities

C.Hangzhou’s Construction of Smart Cities

D.Alibaba Contributes More to Smart Cities

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

Are people happier in nature with blue skies overhead and fresh green grass underfoot? Could noisy streets, crowded with cars and people, make us unhappy?

The possible mental health problems of city living affect a lot of people. The World Health Organization estimates(估计)that 56 percent of the world's population lived in urban areas in 2019. The WHO adds that that amount will increase to 66 percent by 2050. People often move to cities for better jobs and more cultural activities. But are they putting themselves at risk? Maybe. Experts at the American Psychiatry Association say that “natural environments or green spaces” do much good to our mental health.

Many studies have shown that nature can calm us and make us feel happy. Nature, experts say, can also help us learn better. And experiencing nature helps people recover from the mental tiredness that comes from day-to-day work. On the other hand, mental health experts say some research suggests that city living might hurt our mental health. But they cannot say exactly why.

What are the specific aspects of the urban environment which causes some people to develop mental illness? Andrea Mechelli, a doctor at Kings College, London, states, “There have been studies where people were literally taken out of an urban environment into a rural (乡村的) environment and their symptoms would improve. And we also see that the greater the city is, the greater the risk is.” Mechelli say that someone who lives in a city is three times more likely to develop psychological problem than someone living in the country.

Kings College researchers, along with city planners, land and building designers and others wanted to learn more about city living and mental illness. So, they created a smartphone app called Urban Mind. They say they wanted to understand how different parts of the urban environment affect mental wellbeing(健康).

The researchers found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky, and feeling in contact with nature were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. They also found that these seeming effects of nature were especially strong in those individuals at greater risk of mental health problems. The Urban Mind Project team says it hopes “the results will inform future urban planning and social policy aimed at improving design and health.”

1.Why is the question raised in the first paragraph?

A.To introduce the topic of the text.

B.To show the background of the text.

C.To ask the readers to learn the study.

D.To raise the readers' interest in happiness.

2.What does Mechelli find during his study?

A.People are attracted by the blue skies and green grass.

B.People are more content with their city life.

C.More and more people are interested in taking risks in cities,

D.City people are more likely to develop mental problems than country people.

3.What is expected of the Urban Mind research result?

A.More people will choose to live in the countryside.

B.It will bring more concern about people s mental health.

C.It will contribute to future urban planning and social policies.

D.People will be helped to improve their mental illness.

4.What is the main idea of the text?

A.Urban Mind measures the level of mental wellbeing.

B.City living may be harmful to people’s mental health.

C.Living in the countryside is better than in the city.

D.Different scientists hold different opinions on the effects of city living.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is really hard to say which is better than the other，city life or rural life.__66__

Living in a city，people have certain advantages. First，people enjoy various entertainments，both foreign and domestic. Second，there are more cultural activities in a city. Third，city people gain access to better information service and educational facilities.__67__The overcrowded population，traffic jam，housing problem，industrial pollution and other issues may result in depression，nervousness and diseases.

Life in the village and on the farm is very different from life in the city. Living in the country，people can enjoy living in pure nature.__68__But rural life may not be that perfect. People usually lack cultural activities. They are relatively ill informed.__69__And people miss some golden opportunities of making a fortune. Opportunities for bright young people are greater in cities，so the chances of their children being admitted to colleges are slim.

Obviously，whatever life they lead，people can never feel perfectly satisfied，for conveniences and inconveniences always coexist. People wish that they could enjoy the pleasures of both lives. With the rapid economic development，nowadays city people can relax themselves in the country during vacation.__70__

E．However，problems exist.

F．And country people have chances to experience city lifestyle when they come to cities.

G．City life is obviously much more comfortable.

高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析

Shinrin- yoku means"forest bathing".Forest bathing doesn't mean you take a bath in the forest;rather,you simply go for a walk in the woods or a city park,where you slacken by using all your senses to experience nature.

Yoshifumi Miyazaki,from Chiba University,is among a growing number of scientists who have begun studying the science behind the effects of nature on human health.In his book　 Shinrin-yoku:The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing,Miyazaki explains the techniques of forest bathing.

Miyazaki has an interesting theory about why shinrin-yoku is so effective.He points out　 that for more than 99,99%of the time,humans have lived in a natural environment.In fact,in 1800,only 3%of the world's population lived in cities,and by 2016,this figure reached 54%.　 This is only going to get worse;officials predict that by 2050,66%will live in cities.

This suggests we live in our modern society with bodies that are still used to the natural environment,he writes in the book,because"genes cannot change over just a few hundred years".The science behind the research studies he presents in the book makes a convincing case that forest bathing is an effective method for reducing stress in today's world.

Now city planners are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of nature and are creating new kinds of "parks”out of empty spaces.There' re also more city gardens where people can grow vegetables.For kids,kitchen gardens in schools are becoming popular.As Miyazaki stresses,you don't have to find a formal park or garden to practice shinrin-yoku. Instead,you can enjoy the effects of nature wherever there' re plants.

Better yet,he says,we can bring nature closer to where we spend most of our time.Miyazaki's research has shown that just increasing the amount of plants in a room can affect the relaxation benefits of the room.What's more,even when people simply look at flowers,their bodies relax and stress levels decrease.

1.What does the underlined word in Paragraph 1 mean?

A.Behave. B.Entertain.

C.Anticipate. D.Relax.

2.How does the author mainly develop the third paragraph?

A.By giving examples.

B.By listing figures.

C.By making remarks.

D.By presenting research findings.

3.Why does forest bathing work effectively according to Miyazaki?

A.Human genes can change easily. B.Nature is part of the modern society.

C.Human body can integrate into nature. D.People can always get excited in nature.

4.Which of the following will Miyazaki agree on forest bathing?

A.It is easy to operate.

B.It is meant for gardeners.

C.It is unaffordable in the city.

D.It is inconvenient to practice.

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

A huge 3D printer is now building new homes in the countryside in Southern Mexico. It is the world’s first 3D-printed village. Could this be part of the global housing solution?

The 500-square-foot houses are finished with roofs, windows and the inside parts. A nonprofit organization called New Story leading the project believes that the new construction could be part of the solution for affordable housing in some of the places in the world. The organization hopes to build 50 new houses by the end of 2020, replacing the ones that residents built themselves out of wood, metal and whatever materials they could afford.

The families live in a seismic zone that usually suffer from flooding. Building something that will stand up to an earthquake and keep them dry during heavy rains is a key consideration when it comes to the design.

New Story has been helping families in need of shelter. It has built more than 2,700 homes in South America and Mexico since it was founded in 2014. This is the first home-building project that it’s done with 3D printing.

Each house takes 24 hours, which is about two times faster than it takes to build a home with regular construction. The house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. And the houses can resist powerful earthquakes.

The technology is there and the application to building homes for those in need brings a lot of hope for the future. Experts say 3D printing is not science fiction. We have moved beyond science fiction into reality.3D printers build homes faster, better and less expensively. In the future, this will be humanity’s perfect housing solution that matches our highest values and ideals.

1.What do we know about New Story?

A.It must be a famous company. B.It values 3D printing technology.

C.It earns a lot by building houses. D.It takes the lead in 3D printing technology.

2.What's the focus for people living in the earthquake zone to build houses?

A.Predicting floods. B.Resisting earthquakes.

C.Saving building costs. D.Using expensive materials.

3.What does the author think of 3D printing?

A.It is hard to apply. B.It is science fiction.

C.It has a bright future. D.It has perfectly solved housing problems.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A.A Huge 3D Printer B.New Story, a Great Nonprofit

C.The World’s First 3D-printed Village D.3D-printed Houses, Popular Worldwide

高二英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析

In my opinion, the key ____air pollution is to inspire people to take public transport in big cities.

A. reduced　　 B. reducing　　 C. to reduce　　 D. to reducing

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

My mother always told me it was better to be smart than to be beautiful. “If you are smart, finally you will afford to be beautiful.” All I needed were the brains, and someday, I would be a really beautiful lawyer.

My mother worked at a TV station and I would come along and watch the magic of filming TV shows. But all the same, I was learning.

When my father’s business failed, I was able to continue to attend one of the best bilingual(双语的）schools in Mexico City thanks to scholarship. Scholarship followed me into middle school and high school.

However, during my senior year in high school my family moved to my dad’s country, the United States. For the first time in my life, I had optional（可选择的） classes. So I decided to take psychology class. While I found the public school system to be a joke, I did find my psychology class attractive. My mother, in her dreams for my life, did not see psychology as a good choice, but I was like her, strong-willed to the subject.

I married young, even before I had a degree under my belt. Worst of all, I married a kid who wanted to be poster（牧师）. My mother loved Andy dearly but she would ask him occasionally, “ When will you have a real job?” I did finish my degree and I became a social worker, but when I had my first child at age 24, I quit my job. Then at 26, another baby girl joined our family. Unfortunately, this baby girl had Down syndrome（唐氏综合症）.

How would I be able to break the news to my mother? “ It is better to be smart than to be beautiful.” I knew what “smart” meant in the statement, and I doubted if my with an extra chromosome（染色体） would meet those expectations. My mom was coming to the hospital to meet her new grand-baby. I would tell her then. I needed time to gather my thoughts. I was afraid, afraid that she would see Nichole as one that would never be smart... or beautiful.

注意：

1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；

2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；

3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头已为你写好；

4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。

Para 1:

My mother arrived at the hospital mid-morning, ready to meet her new granddaughter.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Para 2:

Six years later, Nichole runs to mom whenever we see each other.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

高二英语读后续写中等难度题查看答案及解析

Bring smart is not only a nice bonus but al.no a necessity. The good news is that it’s possible to become smarter if you stay consistent and follow the steps below every day.

● 1. Hundreds new things are discovered or invented every day. There always something new to learn and explore. Therefore, don’t think you already know enough and there is nothing you should ask a question about. Keep absorbing new information by asking smart questions and obtaining great answers

● Surround yourself with the best. 2. Chances are that you won’t be able to improve yourself if you get around people who hold you back. Hang out with people smarter, stronger, and better than you. Build connections with the successful, ambitious, and inspiring people.

● Run a blog. One of the best ways la get better at certain things and learn something is to teach someone else. Teaching helps you process, digest, and reflect on the information you’ve learned. Start a blog. 3. Share your knowledge with others interested in the same things. Try to teach them the things you know best. This will help you become an expert in your field..

● Reduce TV-watching. TV won’t help you improve 4. Learn new languages, take online courses, master a musical instrument or follow the great blogs that cover interesting topics you’re interested in. And finally, read books, Challenge yourself to read for at least 30 minutes a day.

If you take these steps every day for a few weeks or months, you’ll be able to expand your mind and improve your intelligence. Though it may seem difficult to do every day, it’s possible. 5.

A. Create ideas.

B. Stay curious.

C. Spend your lime more wisely.

D. All you to do is get now.

E. Stop following the news you can’t benefit from.

F. Publish interesting articles and discuss exciting topics.

G. Environment plays a great role in your self-improvement.

高二英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

China which boasts 4 inventions in ancient times, has once again shown its ability to change the world with its “new four great inventions”: high-speed railways, electronic payments, shared bicycles and online shopping. “The new great inventions are all related to China’s high technologies, which improved the quality of people’s lives.” said Wu Hao, executive director of the BRRI.

“It is increasingly clear that China is innovative and is leading in many ways such as social messaging app WeChat,”said Rebecca Fannin, founder and editor of Silicon Dragon.

The new four innovative ways of life were most appealing to youths from 20 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, according to a survey by the Belt and Road Research Institute of Beijing Foreign Studies University.

“My wallet is no longer in use. I can buy and eat whatever I want simply with a tap of my phone, “said Lin Jinlong, an overseas Chinese student from Cambodia, adding that. “even pancake sellers are using Alipay”. “I can order food at home in China, which is super convenient. If I were at home in Cambodia, I would have to go outdoors.”

“The trip from Beijing to the coastal city of Tianjin is more than 100 km. You can’t imagine how fast it takes if you travel by Chinese high-speed train. It will take only half an hour. But in Cambodia, which has only two railways, the traveling time of the same distance will be increased 6 times,” said Lin.

“China has entered a new period,” said Bernhard Schwartlander, World Health Organization Representative in China. As a huge fan of bicycles, Bernhard expressed his affection for China’s shared bicycles, saying that “shared bikes are bringing cycling back to people’s lives and they are making public transport more attractive and convenient, and encouraging people to be more active.”

1.What does the underlined word “innovative” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A.Creative.

B.Expensive.

C.Popular.

D.Convenient.

2.What do we know from Lin Jinlong’s words?

A.Food can be ordered by cell phones in Cambodian.

B.Alipay is only popular with pancake sellers in China.

C.Traveling 100 km by rail in Cambodia takes up to 3 hours.

D.Wallets can be replaced by cell phones both in China and Cambodia.

3.Which invention impressed Bernhard most?

A.High-speed railways.

B.Electronic payments.

C.Shared bicycles.

D.Online shopping.

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.To compare old and new four Chinese great inventions.

B.To introduce benefits of popular means of transportation.

C.To present a Cambodian student's living experience in China.

D.To show how four Chinese new inventions impressed the world.

高二英语阅读选择简单题查看答案及解析

“If you talk to the plants, they will grow faster and the effect is even better if you’re a woman.” Researchers at Royal Horticultural Society carried out an experiment to find that the voice of a woman gardener makes plants grow faster.

The experiment lasted a month and by the end of the study scientists managed to discover that tomato plants grew up two inches taller when women gardeners talked to them instead of male.

Sarah Darwin was the one making the plants registered the best growth. Her voice was the most “inspiring” for plants than those of nine other gardeners when reading a passage from The Origin of Species. The great-great-granddaughter of the famous botanist(植物学家) Charles Darwin found that her plant grew about two inches taller than the plant of the best male gardener.

Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent at RHS, said that the finding cannot yet be explained. He assumes that women have a greater range of pitch（音高） and tone（音调） which might have a certain effect on the sound waves that reach the plant. “Sound waves are an environmental effect just like rain or light ,”said Mr Grosbie.

The study began in April at RHS Garden Wisley in Survey. Scientists started with open auditions(听力) for the people who were asked to record passages from John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer's Night Dream and Darwin's The Origin of Species.

Afterwards researchers selected a number of different voices and played them to 10 tomato plants during a period of a month. Each plant had headphones（耳机） connected to it. Through the headphones the sound waves could hit the plants. It was discovered that plants that “listened” to female voices on average grew taller by an inch in comparison to plants that heard male voices.

Miss Darwin said, “I think it is an honor to have a voice that can make tomatoes grow, and especially fitting because for a number of years I have been studying wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Island at the Natural History Museum in London.”

1.What does the passage talk about?

A. Plants enjoy men’s voices than women’s.

B. A botanical experiment in a museum.

C. Voice’s influence on plant growing.

D. Strange phenomenon（现象） at Royal Horticultural Society.

2.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?

A. Plants need sound as well as rain and light.

B. Sound is basic for the plant to grow.

C. Sound has a good effect as rain or light does.

D. Plants can’t live without sound, rain or light.

3.Sarah Darwin is most likely a (an)_____.

A. botanist              B. gardener   C. astronomer         D. environmentalist

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The experiment ended in May.

B. Scientist can explain the findings clearly.

C. Plants enjoy listening to the passages from masterpieces.

D. The findings are of great importance to human beings.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析