Soaring divorce rates around the globe are affecting the environment, American researchers suggested in a study released Monday.
Michigan State University researcher Jianguo “Jack” Liu and his assistant Eunice Yu said the increasing number of divorces leads to more households with fewer people and greater consumption of water and energy. They said housing units require space, construction materials and fuel to heat and cool, regardless of the number of inhabitants.
For example, in the United States in 2005, divorced households consumed an extra 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water. An additional 38 million extra rooms required heating and lighting that same year due to divorced households.
“A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household”, Liu said. He said that in cohabitating households, people will watch the same television, share the air conditioning and heat and use the same refrigerator, all things that use energy at a regularly stable rate regardless of the number of users.
Liu said he was not condemning divorce, “Some people really need to get divorces.” He said that cohabitation was simply a more environmentally friendly option. Additionally, the researchers noted that trends other than divorce are also changing family living structures, such as the end of multiple generations of a family sharing a home and people remaining single longer.
“People’s first reaction to this research is surprise, and then it seems simple.” Liu said in a release, “But a lot of things become simple after research is done. Our challenges were to connect the dots and quantify their relationships. People have been talking about how to protect the environment and refuse climate change, but divorce is an overlooked factor that needs to be considered.”
He said the increasing energy demands caused by divorce should be considered by governments when they are creating environmental policies.
This passage is mainly meant to ____.
A. inform the reader of the increasing divorce in America
B. emphasize the importance of protecting the environment
C. tell people the effect divorce has on the environment
D. appeal to married people to keep their households
According to the passage, what’s the attitude of Mr. Liu towards divorce?
A. Supportive B. Objective. C. Indifferent. D. Unclear.
It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A. divorced households will promote the sales of products
B. married households are more willing to protect the environment
C. divorced households contribute more to the society’s development
D. divorce is not taken into account when people are protecting the environment
From this passage we can find that ____.
A. divorce rates are quickly rising globally these years
B. cohabiting households will increase consumption of water and energy
C. to divorce is a wise option according to the passage
D. the end of multi-generations of a family will save energy
高三英语阅读理解简单题
Soaring divorce rates around the globe are affecting the environment, American researchers suggested in a study released Monday.
Michigan State University researcher Jianguo “Jack” Liu and his assistant Eunice Yu said the increasing number of divorces leads to more households with fewer people and greater consumption of water and energy. They said housing units require space, construction materials and fuel to heat and cool, regardless of the number of inhabitants.
For example, in the United States in 2005, divorced households consumed an extra 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water. An additional 38 million extra rooms required heating and lighting that same year due to divorced households.
“A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household”, Liu said. He said that in cohabitating households, people will watch the same television, share the air conditioning and heat and use the same refrigerator, all things that use energy at a regularly stable rate regardless of the number of users.
Liu said he was not condemning divorce, “Some people really need to get divorces.” He said that cohabitation was simply a more environmentally friendly option. Additionally, the researchers noted that trends other than divorce are also changing family living structures, such as the end of multiple generations of a family sharing a home and people remaining single longer.
“People’s first reaction to this research is surprise, and then it seems simple.” Liu said in a release, “But a lot of things become simple after research is done. Our challenges were to connect the dots and quantify their relationships. People have been talking about how to protect the environment and refuse climate change, but divorce is an overlooked factor that needs to be considered.”
He said the increasing energy demands caused by divorce should be considered by governments when they are creating environmental policies.
This passage is mainly meant to ____.
A. inform the reader of the increasing divorce in America
B. emphasize the importance of protecting the environment
C. tell people the effect divorce has on the environment
D. appeal to married people to keep their households
According to the passage, what’s the attitude of Mr. Liu towards divorce?
A. Supportive B. Objective. C. Indifferent. D. Unclear.
It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A. divorced households will promote the sales of products
B. married households are more willing to protect the environment
C. divorced households contribute more to the society’s development
D. divorce is not taken into account when people are protecting the environment
From this passage we can find that ____.
A. divorce rates are quickly rising globally these years
B. cohabiting households will increase consumption of water and energy
C. to divorce is a wise option according to the passage
D. the end of multi-generations of a family will save energy
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
How Interest Rates Affect Spending
With every loan, there is a possibility that the borrower will not repay the money. To compensate lenders for that risk, there must be a reward: interest. Interest is the amount of money that lenders earn when they make a loan that the borrower repays, and the interest rate is the percentage of the loan amount that the lender charges to lend money.
The existence of interest allows borrowers to spend money immediately, instead of waiting to save the money to make a purchase. The lower the interest rate, the more willing people are to borrow money to make big purchases,such as houses or cars. When consumers pay less in interest,this gives them more money to spend, which can create a chain effect of increased spending throughout the economy. Businesses and farmers also benefit from lower interest rates, as it encourages them to make large equipment purchases due to the low cost of borrowing. This creates a situation where output and productivity increase.
Conversely, higher interest rates mean that consumers don’t have as much disposable (可支配的) income and must cut back on spending. When higher interest rates are coupled with increased lending standards, banks make fewer loans. This affects not only consumers, but also businesses and farmers, who cut back on spending for new equipment, thus slowing productivity or reducing the number of employees. The tighter lending standards mean that consumers will cut back on spending, and this will affect many businesses1 bottom lines. This will cause the businesses to reduce the number of employees that they have and to hold off on any major equipment purchases.
1.What is interest?
A. The amount of money the borrowers earn.
B. The percentage of the loan amount.
C. A sum of money repaid by lenders.
D. A charge made for borrowing money.
2.What will happen when the interest is low?
A. Houses and cars will be more expensive.
B. People will make purchases by saving money.
C. Big purchases will cost more money.
D. Spending will be encouraged.
3.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “conversely” in Paragraph 3?
A. Above all. B. Most importantly.
C. On the contrary. D. In fact.
4.What will be a possible result of the higher interest rate?
A. More new equipment will be purchased. B. Productivity will be increased.
C. Banks will make more loans. D. Some people will lose their jobs.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The challenge: Sail 30,000 miles around the globe, non-stop, alone. What could go wrong?
Susie Goodall ______ it this week. She was a(n) ______ in the Golden Globe Race which sends sailors from the coast of France around the earth. Goodall was 2,000 miles off South America when her boat was like a ______ man in a heavy storm and a broken bar knocked her ______ unconscious. She then activated the ______system and a series of troubling ______, which recorded her happenings during the journey, were ______ to her Twitter account.
Chile's Maritime Center received her ______ and soon ordered a cargo(货) ship to change its ______ to rescue Goodall. Meanwhile, all Goodall could do was wait—trying to keep her boat ______ in the waving South Pacific and pumping out water that was ______ into the damaged cabin(船舱).
When the Chilean ship finally ______ Goodall, employing a small boat to save her seemed ______ because up to13 feet waves, rocking both ships, would ______ the boat at any time. ______, crew members on board ______ a long thick rope from the ship, and pulled Goodall from her boat to safety. As luck would have it, the chosen method ______.
Goodall arrived at the Chilean port without any delay. On her Facebook, Goodall wrote: "They were the hardest and ______ days I’ve ever had. Actually, all I had wanted was a(n) ______ from my busy daily life. But out there in the sea, half the world from home, I might as well ______ home instead of taking the break."
1.A.made up for B.gave up on C.dropped out of D.found out about
2.A.accountant B.participant C.instructor D.organizer
3.A.homeless B.drunken C.dead D.happy
4.A.permanently B.completely C.briefly D.seriously
5.A.emergency B.operating C.heating D.insurance
6.A.updates B.questions C.fantasies D.thoughts
7.A.attached B.offered C.posted D.restricted
8.A.call B.warning C.signal D.reply
9.A.system B.course C.subject D.policy
10.A.dry B.tidy C.still D.steady
11.A.leaking B.disappearing C.floating D.dropping
12.A.rescued B.abandoned C.passed D.reached
13.A.obvious B.appropriate C.impossible D.inconvenient
14.A.swallow B.miss C.hit D.push
15.A.Besides B.However C.Instead D.Otherwise
16.A.lowered B.lifted C.anchored D.produced
17.A.failed B.worked C.developed D.remained
18.A.busiest B.biggest C.greatest D.longest
19.A.answer B.break C.message D.challenge
20.A.drive B.ride C.walk D.sail
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Flying has shrunk the world! It’s now possible to travel around the globe quickly and easily. Jumping on a plane and jetting off on holiday or a business trip is the norm for many of us, and with the rise of budget airlines, the number of people taking to the skies is increasing. But while air travel is costing us less, the cost to the environment is going up.
Climate change is something we’re all aware of now, and aviation companies know that some of the blame for this is being pointed at them. Last year airlines were forecasted to use about 97bn gallons of jet fuel.
But while we could think twice about taking a flight in the first place, particularly a short trip that could be made by train, technology might be the answer to reducing emissions and minimising the environmental damage.
Recent developments have focused on reducing the amount of fuel airliners(大型客机) burn. Making flying green and sustainable was the hot topic at the recent Dubai Air Show. There was talk of advances in engine technology, making them more efficient, and possibly using biofuel to power aircraft.
Rios Galvan, a bioenergy expert and professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, told the BBC that “these have the capacity to reduce the carbon footprint anywhere between 50-80 percent when you compare them to fuels.”
And Phil Curnock, chief engineer of the civil future programme at Rolls-Royce, also suggested that electric hybrid engines (混合动力发动机) could play a part for smaller aircraft, covering shorter distances. He says “it offers the possibility of a carbon-neutral flight for a limited range.”
Of course, aircraft manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to make their planes more fuel efficient. Boeing’s Dreamliner, for example, is already in operation and uses 25 percent less fuel per passenger compared with aircraft of a similar size. Other improvements include better aircraft aerodynamics (空气动力学), changes to ways aircraft taxi (滑行) on runways, and the use of lighter materials.
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A.The earth gets smaller.
B.Budget airlines become popular.
C.Flying is favorite among passengers.
D.Air travel can do harm to environment.
2.What does the underlined word “minimising” mean?
A.Lowering. B.Consolidating.
C.Weakening. D.Increasing
3.Which of the following is true, according to the passage?
A.Boeing’s Dreamliner is a green aircraft.
B.Biofuel is a necessity to power airliners.
C.Electric hybrid engines have their limitations.
D.Ways will be found to reduce fuel consumption.
4.How can aircrafts be made more fuel efficient?
A.By bettering runways. B.By making smaller aircrafts.
C.By using the lighter materials. D.By using aircraft aerodynamics.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Flying has shrunk the world! It's now possible to travel around the globe quickly and easily. Jumping on a plane and jetting off on holiday or a business trip is the norm for many of us, and with the rise of budget airlines, the number of people taking to the skies is increasing. But while air travel is costing us less, the cost to the environment is going up.
Climate change is something we're all aware of now, and aviation (航空)companies know that some of the blame for this is being pointed at them.
While we could think twice about taking a flight in the first place, particularly a short-haul trip that could be made by train, technology might be the answer to reducing emissions and minimising the environmental damage.
Recent developments have focused on reducing the amount of fuel airliners bum. Making flying green and sustainable was the hot topic at the recent Dubai Air Show. There was talk of advances in engine technology, making them more efficient, and possibly using bio-fuel to power aircraft.
Alejandro Rios Galvan, a bio-energy professor at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, told the BBC that "these have the capacity to reduce the carbon footprint anywhere between 50-80 percent when you compare them to fossil fuels."
Phil Curnock, chief engineer of the civil future programme at Rolls-Royce, also suggested that electric hybrid engines could play a part for smaller aircraft, covering shorter distances, which offers the possibility of a carbon-neutral flight for a limited range.
Of course, aircraft manufacturers are constantly looking at ways to make their planes more fuel efficient. Boeing's Dreamliner, for example, is already in operation and uses 25 percent less fuel per passenger compared with aircraft of a similar size. Other improvements include better aircraft aerodynamics (空气动力),changes to ways aircraft taxi on runways, and the use of lighter materials.
If we can't kick the flying habit, it seems these are the developments we need to make in order to ensure air travel is as green as possible. But aviation experts agree it’s going to take time.
1.What idea was presented in the recent Dubai Air Show?
A.Reducing budget airlines globally.
B.Replacing fossil fuels with bio-fuels.
C.Employing hybrid engines in aircraft.
D.Reducing carbon footprint via technology.
2.Why did the author mention Boeing's Dreamliner?
A.To show improvements in reducing fuel airliners bum.
B.To compare different aircraft of a similar size.
C.To prove the efficient use of lighter materials.
D.To inform the readers of an advanced aircraft.
3.Which is practical for us to do according to the text?
A.Cut down on our travel by plane.
B.Ensure our own air travel is green.
C.Look forward to technological development.
D.Call on aviation companies to reduce emissions.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.Making flying greener for the environment.
B.Reducing the carbon footprint anywhere.
C.Blaming aviation companies for pollution.
D.Seeking answers to technological problems.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Air travel is growing around the globe, and so is its contribution to climate change. The climate cost of flying has drawn more public attention in recent years, even leading to“ flight shame” in some places, especially for local or avoidable flights.
And while a decline in air travel would help with climate change,flight shame can also be added by other ways that make air travel more environmentally friendly. That includes switching to cleaner,renewable fuel , but as a new study indicates , there's also another, less obvious option: flying at lower altitudes.
In a new study, researchers used computers to predict how adjusting aircraft altitudes might reduce the number of contrails(尾迹),which we see as white lines across the sky containing black carbon particles (颗粒),thus reducing their warming effect. The study found that aircraft would only need to adjust their altitudes by about 2 ,000 feet, and since some flights have a larger climate effect than others , only a small part of flights would need to make any adjustments.
Of course flying at a lower altitude might increase flying time and it also means burning significantly more fuel, and thus giving off more C02, but the benefits of controlling contrails are worth it.
In addition to changing altitudes,better engine technology could also help control contrails, the researchers add, since black carbon particles are produced by incomplete fuel combustion ( 燃烧). With more efficient engines, aircraft could reportedly reduce their contrail by as much as 70%。Combined with slight altitude adjustment for a small part of flights, this could help reduce overall contrail problems by 90%,the study suggests.
This is promising, but more research i still needed, and it may be a while before improvements like these take effect at a significant scale. So, while it's good to know air travel can have a smaller effect on the climate, for now the best way to achieve that is often by simply staying on the ground whenever possible.
1.What might be the effect of“flight shame" ?
A.People will avoid traveling by plane.
B.Airline companies will limit service targets.
C.The cost of air travelling will become higher.
D.People will feel shamed if they haven't taken a plane.
2.Why did the researchers suggest flying at lower altitudes?
A.Planes can travel faster. B.Planes can save more fuel.
C.Planes may give off less C02. D.Planes may have less warming effect.
3.What is mainly talked about in paragraph 5?
A.A way to change altitudes. B.The future of engine technology.
C.An approach to reducing contrails. D.The concept of incomplete combustion.
4.In which section of a website might this text appear?
A.Energy. B.Climate.
C.Finance. D.Safety. .
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
As autumn sets in, cities around the globe turn their attention to art, architecture, and design with a wealth of exciting events worth traveling for.
New York City
October is a major month for architecture in New York, with Archtober New York ( October 1 〜31 ) and Open House New York ( October 12 ~ 14 ) taking place. Highlights of Archtober include National Design Week, and the Architecture and Design Film Festival. And Open House New York will open hundreds of sites for unique access, tours, and parties.
Bangkok
The Bangkok Art Bienniale will kick off on October 19 with events spread out along the famous sites along the Chao Praya River, including Wat Arun, Wat Pho, and Suan Lumpini Park. As part of the Biennial, the Marina Abramovic Institute will put on a new performance lasting for three weeks in mid-October.
Eindhoven, Netherlands
You've probably been to Amsterdam, but what about Eindhoven? The midsize Dutch city—home to the famous Design Academy Eindhoven —becomes a major destination every October for designers, when Dutch Design Week takes over. Across hundreds of locations around the city, Dutch Design Week will present works by more than 2 ,500 designers over the course of the week of October 20 〜28. It's also home to a booming design scene crowded with graduates of the Academy who have remained and set up studios.
Mexico City
Mexico's dynamic capital draws aesthetes(美学)and architecture fans all year long, but this October is an especially exciting time to go, as Mexico City is celebrating its status as the World Design Capital. Taking place October 10 ~ 14, Design Week Mexico will motivate the city's architects and designers around a series of events at cultural institutions like the Tamayo Museum, the National Museum, and Lincoln Park.
1.Which of the following events lasts for a month?
A.Archtober New York. B.Open House New York.
C.Bangkok Art Bienniale. D.Dutch Design Week.
2.What is special about Eindhoven?
A.It is a middle-sized European city.
B.It has some first-class universities.
C.It holds a noticeable design event every October.
D.It has produced many famous modem designers.
3.What is special for Mexico City this October?
A.It is observing its special status in the design field.
B.It houses many first-class museums.
C.It is celebrating its status as capital city.
D.It has produced many world-famous artists.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
When his book Little Princes began, Conor Grennan was planning a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month volunteer service at the Little Princess Children’s Home, an orphanage (孤儿院)in Nepal.
Arriving there, Conor was immediately welcomed by all the children even though he had no previous experience in working with children. He quickly grew to love the job. But it wasn’t long before Conor came to learn that the children were not orphans at all—they were actually children who had been separated from their parents by a child trafficker (贩子).
This realization turned Conor’s global journey into a strong desire to try to find a way to reunite these children with their families. As a part of his efforts, Conor did a great amount of work when he was back in America. He started up a nonprofit organization called Next Generation Nepal (NGN), raising funds in order to buy a house in Nepal for another children’s home. Then, back in Nepal, he began a life-changing trip into remote villages.
It is really amazing to read about Conor communicating with the children and to read his descriptions of each of them. He made me truly care about the kids. I wanted them to be able to reunite with their families, too! Unfortunately, this was simply not possible for some of the children. But there were some lucky ones. Jagrit, for example, had thought for years that both his parents were dead. So, Conor was surprised when he visited Jagrifs village and was introduced to the boy’s father!
Conor successfully found many of the families of the children and also found his future wife while in Nepal.
1.What do we know about Little Princess Children’s Home?
A.Many children ended there due to illegal trade.
B.The children in it are all orphans.
C.It is a worldwide profitable organization.
D.It has many branches all over Nepal.
2.In order to help the children, Conor ______.
a. decided to remain single
b. set up the organization NGN
c. visited some remote villages
d. fought against child traffickers
e. gave up his plan to travel worldwide
A.a, b, d B.b, c, d C.b,c,e D.c,d,e
3.It can be learned from the text that Conor Grennan______.
A.is a friend of the author B.likes teaching very much
C.has already settled in Nepal D.is the author of Little Princes
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When his book Little Princes begins, Conor Grennan is planning a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month volunteer service at the Little Princes Children’s home, an orphanage(孤儿院) in Nepal.
When he arrived at the orphanage, Conor was immediately welcomed by all the children even though he had no previous experience in working with children. He quickly grew to love the job. But it wasn’t long before Conor came to learn that the children were not orphans at all — they were actually children who had been separated from their parents by a child trafficker(贩子).
This realization turned Conor’s global journey into a strong desire to try to find a way to reunite these children with their families. As a part of his efforts, Conor did a great amount of work when he was back in America. He started up a nonprofit organization called Next Generation Nepal(NGN), raising funds in order to buy a house in Nepal for another children’s home. Then, back in Nepal, he began a life-changing trek(艰苦跋涉) into the remote villages in the mountains of Humia.
It is really amazing to read about Conor communicating with the children and to read his descriptions of each of them. He made me truly care about the kids. I wanted them to be able to reunite with their families, too! Unfortunately, this was simply not possible for some of the children. But there were some children who received amazing surprises. Jagrit, for example, had thought for years that both his parents were dead. So, Conor was dumbfounded when he visited Jagrit’s village and was introduced to the boy’s father!
Conor successfully found many of the families of the children. Also, he was successful in finding his future wife while in Nepal.
1.What do we know about Little Princes Children’s Home?
A. It is a profitable organization.
B. The children in it are all orphans.
C. It has many branches all over Nepal.
D. Many children ended up there due to illegal trade.
2. In order to help the children, Conor _________.
a. gave up his plan to travel worldwide b. set up the organization NGN
c. fought against child traffickers d. visited some remote villages
e. decided to settle in Nepal
A. a, b, c B. a, b, d
C. b, c, d D. c, d, e
3.What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. Satisfied. B. Interested.
C. Astonished. D. Ashamed.
4.It can be learned from the passage that Conor Grennan _________.
A. is the author of Little Princes
B. is determined to remain single
C. likes teaching very much
D. is a friend of the author’s
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Similarly, active places exist around the globe, with some even ________ a new kind of tourists.
A.attracted B.to attract C.attract D.attracting
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析