请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Heading to Seattle? What’s New in Washington’s Seaside City?
Advice to visit Seattle’s Pike Place Market may border on cliché—but for a good reason.
“Whether you’re visiting Washington’s seaside city for vacation or just stopping by en route to and from the coming Sasquatch music festival, Pike Place is an easy catch-all destination for shopping, eating and just plain walking around,” said Kirk Johnson, The New York Times’s Seattle bureau chief for the past three years.
The Seattle Great Wheel is one of many stops to consider in Washington’s seaside city.
“Almost any day of the week, especially on the weekend, it’s a crazy fun scene of people shopping,” Mr. Johnson said. “There’s also pretty good food.” He recommends wandering into whatever place—especially a hole in the wall—catches your eye.
There is one specific restaurant Mr. Johnson likes: the Pink Door, which has no signage and can be found only by its rosy entrance. “It’s creative, interesting Italian,” he said. “In the summer they get a lot of great fresh vegetables and probably have the best tomato bruschetta I’ve had.”
He also recommends the nearby Pioneer Square, the oldest neighborhood in Seattle. Its historic architecture has charm, and the area isn’t bad for a lunch break, he said. The clear favorite here is Salumi—which, as the name suggests, is known for its cured meats. Mr. Johnson did warn, however, that it’s necessary to plan for the fact that the restaurant has a long line as soon as it opens.
Pioneer Square is also a portal to Seattle’s maritime world that remains alive and well. Ferry rides are a short walk away. Mr. Johnson said the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island provides “a great view of the city,” and it’s not a long ride back to the mainland.
At some point, you may see sculptures emerging on the horizon—that would be the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is operated by the Seattle Art Museum, Mr. Johnson said, and that’s worth a visit itself.
People who want to experience Seattle’s nearby charms can easily do so with a bicycle, Mr. Johnson said, if they want to get away from depending on a car. He takes a ride to Chateau Ste. Michelle, a famous winery outside the city. Starting in June, he said, Chateau Ste. Michelle hosts a summer concert series on its lawn.
1.If you are a music lover, you are advised to go to ________.
A. the Seattle Art Museum
B. the Seattle Great Wheel
C. the Olympic Sculpture Park
D. Chateau Ste. Michelle
2. According to Kirk Johnson, we know that ________.
A. people often have a good time shopping happily in Bainbridge Island
B. it is a great challenge to find the busy and popular restaurant Salumi
C. Pioneer Square is famous for its fascinating historic architecture
D. cycling is far from a good way to experience Seattle’s nearby charms
3. What are you encouraged to do if you are going to visit Seattle?
A. Try the tomato bruschetta in the Pink Door.
B. Go there in groups during the winter holidays.
C. Depend on cars for the sake of convenience.
D. Enjoy the sculptures in Pike Place Market.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Dear Reader:
I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all -- there wouldn't be time enough in a day．That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter．I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse．That's how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours．One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die．This made me sa
So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life．I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving．Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation(拯救) on a farm．Three years after I started writing it, it was publishe
(I am not a fast worker, as you can see.)
Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write．I started early – as soon as I could spell．In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing．I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction is trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures．I was no good at drawing, so I used words instea
As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school．Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book．And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets．Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting．I can't send books, either – you can find them in a bookstore or a library．Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books．This is not true – books are made by the publisher．If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it．That's why I can't send books．And I do not send autographs – I leave that to the movie stars．I live most of the year in the country, in New Englan
From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains．I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events．In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her we
In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet．But real life is only one kind of life – there is also the life of the imagination．And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too – truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely,
White
1.How many animal characters in E.B.White’s books have been mentioned in his letter?
A．2.
B．3
C．4.
D．5.
2.Which of the following has inspired E.B.White to write his famous Charlotte’s Web?
A．His dream of a little boy acting like a mouse．
B．His sympathy for a dying pig.
C．His impression of spiders wearing skill.
D．His imagination of a swan blowing a trumpet.
3.Which of the following may not be the question asked by E.B.White’s readers?
A．Where do you live?
B．Are your stories true?
C．Can you come and visit our school?
D．Why do you send us this printed letter?
4.From the letter, we can know that E.B.White _____.
A．could spell at a very young age
B．makes a living by writing
C．lives under a roof of four generations
D．is busy writing animals all his life
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Dear Jane,
I'm pleased to receive your letter __21__ about information about China's high-speed trains and the Qingming Festival.
With the developing of China’s __22__, more and more high-speed railways are under __23__. There are several advantages for high-speed trains. The reasons are as follows:
First, it's more __24__ for us to go travelling by high-speed train, because they can run as fast as 350 kilometers per hour!
Second, you may find it's more comfortable when taking such a train, with more space for more passengers to sit __25__, and more security measures are taken to make it safer.
Further more, high-speed railways __26__ only half of the land as freeways need. At the same time they make less __27__ because they use less energy and make less noise!
Next I’ll __28__ you something about the Qingming Festival.
The Qingming Festival, also __29__ the Tomb-sweeping Day, coming __30__ April 5 every year, is one of the most important __31__ in China.
On this important day, people, often with a __32__ family, go to sweep their ancestor’s __33__. Meanwhile, they will __34__ sacrifices before the tombs to show their respect __35__ the deceased. At the same time, many people will present flowers and some other __36__ before the tombs of the martyrs in __37__ of their heroic deeds.
However, the Qingming Festival is also __38__ with happiness and joy when all the members of a family get __39__. Children are pleased when they are going hiking in the mountain, flying kites with their fellows, or having a big meal with their family members who have been __40__ for a long time!
I'm looking forward to your letter.
Best wishes.
Yours
Li Hua
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高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
第二部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Dear Cary,
I’m writing because I’ve understood you’ve struggled with alcoholism(酗酒)．I’ve been fighting mine ever since I went through 9-11．After that，I’ve been more or less useless professionally –I’m a lawyer–and have had to resign from my job because I was discovered passed-out drunk in front of my computer.I’ve taken some medicine and it has helped somewhat.I can manage about a month without drinking，but after that I end up having a crazy stage where nothing matters except drinking．After a week or so of heavy drinking，I start having nightmares of people jumping.After that，it’s a week of not being able to get out of bed.
I was supposed to travel to a conference but didn’t make it because I got so drunk at the airport that I fell down on my face and spent the rest of the day in the emergency room. I have been hiding from my family since then．Fortunately they won’t be expecting me to come back for a week or so.Otherwise, they would notice the bump on my forehead and two black eyes．
I don’t really know what I’m asking you．Cary,I need a way out that doesn’t involve causing pain to my family．I’m taking medicine，but I still have these attacks every few months．If there’s alcohol in the house，I can’t stay away from it．It seems that this will never end. I’m afraid of what will happen if something bad happens，like a family member dying,or getting fired again．
Thanks for reading．
Yours
T
36．The underlined sentence shows us all the following EXCEPT____________．
A．that the author is a lawyer by profession
B．that the author is a lawyer and he seldom gets drunk
C．the reason why the author had to resign
D．that the author was once discovered drunk as a fish
37．The author writes to Cary in order to____________．
A．offer advice B．tell a story
C．avoid nightmares D．ask for help
38．What is the author worried about?
A．Losing his job B．Missing the conference
C．Bring pain to his family D．Giving up drinking
39．What do we learn from the passage?
A．T’s family members don’t want to see him because of his alcoholism．
B．Getting drunk once prevented T from attending a conference．
C．T will have nightmares when he stops drinking．
D．T never attempted to give up his alcoholism．
40．We know from the passage that Cary____________．
A．likes to talk about the details of his life． B．is an expert on treating alcoholism
C．is probably a recovered alcoholic D．never suffered from alcoholism
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的 A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
December 15, 2014
Dear Alfred，
I want to tell you how important your help is to my life.
Growing up, I had people telling me I was too slow, though, with an IQ of 150+ at 17, I’m anything but stupid. The fact was that I was found to have ADHD(注意力缺陷多动障碍). Anxious all the time, I was unable to keep focused for more than an hour at a time.
However, when something did interest me, I could become absorbed. In high school, I became curious about the computer, and built my first website. Moreover, I completed the senior course of Computer Basics, plus five relevant pre-college courses.
While I was exploring my curiosity, my disease got worse. I wanted to go to college after high school, but couldn’t. So, I was killing my time at home until June 2012 when I discovered the online computer courses of your training center.
Since then, I have taken courses like Data Science and Advanced Mathematics. Currently, I’m learning your Probability course. I have hundreds of printer paper, covered in self-written notes from your videos. This has given me a purpose.
Last year, I spent all my time looking for a job where, without dealing with the public, I could work alone, but still have a team to talk to. Luckily, I discovered the job—Data Analyst—this month and have been going full steam ahead. I want to prove that I can teach myself a respectful profession, without going to college, and be just as good as, if not better than, my competitors.
Thank you. You’ve given me hope that I can follow my heart. For the first time, I feel good about myself because I’m doing something, not because someone told me I was doing good. I feel whole.
This is why you’re saving my life.
Yours,
Tanis
1. Why didn’t Tanis go to college after high school?
A. She had learned enough about computer science.
B. She had more difficulty keeping focused.
C. She preferred taking online courses.
D. She was too slow to learn.
2. As for the working environment, Tanis prefers _________.
A. working by herself
B. dealing with the public
C. competing against others
D. staying with ADHD students
3.Tanis wrote this letter in order to _________.
A. explain why she was interested in the computer
B. share the ideas she had for her profession
C. show how grateful she was to the center
D. describe the courses she had taken so far
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Amazingly, US crime figures have been falling for 20 years now．Of course, the big question is, why? And can any lessons be learnt?
One reason could be the fall in the demand for the drug crack．During the 1980s, drug-related crimes soared, mostly caused by desperate crack users．However, according to professor Blumstein, co-author of The Crime Drop in America, news of the dangers of crack use caused its decrease and led to a fall in the number of drug-related crimes.
Some say that the adoption of a zero-tolerance policy in many cities has helped lead to a fall in crime．In New York City, for example, mayor Rudy Giuliani imposed strict and automatic punishments for all crimes, including minor offences such as graffiti and littering．Many believe this has had a very strong deterrent(威慑的) effect.
Another reason could be smarter policing strategies．Anti-theft measures and educating the community about car theft has helped see a drop in crimes in many areas．Also, the use of crime mapping schemes that can discover identify crime peaks in different parts of the city has helped police target hotspots.
Another reason could be that more criminals are now behind bars．Sociologist John Conklin (from Tufts University) says a significant factor behind the fall in crime in the 1990s is the simple fact that many criminals are in jail．In his book Why Crime Rages Fell, he says sentencing was merciful in the 1960s and 1970s, when crime rose．But then more prisons were built and more offenders were imprisoned.
Some have linked the fall in violent crime to a decline in children’s exposure to lead in petrol．Jessica Wolpaw Reyes says, “Even low to moderate levels of exposure can lead to behavioral problems, reduced IQ, hyperactivity(多动症) and youth crimes．You can link the decline in lead between 1975 and 1985 to a decline in violent crime 20 years later.”
Others say that the drop in crime has something to do with birth rates．According to statistics, birth rates peaked between 1957 and 1961, and the proportion of men in the US in their late teens and early 20s (the so-called “criminal age”) was highest in the late 70s and early 80s．However, as time went on, the proportion of people in this age group decrease
Others claim that videogames have helpe
A recent study has suggested that these games are keeping young people off the streets and therefore away from crime．Advocates of this argue that any effects the games may have in encouraging violent behavior is offset by the fact that the games keep potential criminals indoors and in front of the television．
Some argue that the widespread use of camera phones makes some criminals think twice before committing a crime and getting filmed doing it．Also, many believe that the mass use of CCTV has also had an effect.
Finally, some say that petty theft just isn’t worth it any more．The resale value of second-hand goods such as televisions, cameras or clothes is now so low (or even non-existent) that most people see no point in stealing．
So, what do you think?
1.By writing this article, the writer intends to tell us _____.
A．the amazing fact that US crime figures are going down
B．the recent statistics showing that crime rates are falling in the US
C．the answers to the question why US crime figures are falling
D．the special policies adopted by the US police that help a drop in crime
2.“Why Crime Rates Fell” is mentioned in the article to tell readers that _____.
A．drug crack can be extremely dangerous
B．crime mapping schemes help the police discover criminals
C．criminals should be strictly sentenced
D．children shouldn’t be allowed to contact lead
3.The sixth reason mentioned in the article implies that _____ tend to commit crimes．
A．children
B．young people
C．the poor
D．crime victims
4.The underlined word “offset” most probably mean _____.
A．reduced
B．caused
C．imposed
D．demanded
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
完形填空
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Paul, a colleague of mine, received a car from his brother as a Christmas gift. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a boy was walking around the shiny new car, ________ it.
“Is this your car, Mister?” he said.
Paul nodded and said “my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was ________. “You mean your brother bought it for you and it didn’t cost you anything? Boy, I wish” He ________.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. But what the boy said ________ Paul all the way down to his heels.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a ________ like that.”
Paul looked at the boy , and then impulsively(冲动地) he added. “Would you like to take a ________ in my car?”
“Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a moment, the boy turned with his ________ shining, saying, “Mister, would you mind driving me to the front of my house?”
Paul ________ a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his________ that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was ________ again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. After a while Paul saw him coming back. He was ________ his little lame brother. He ________ sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of ________up against him and pointed to the car.
“There he is, Tony, just like I ________ you upstairs. His brother bought it for him for Christmas. And some day I’ll give you one just like it and then you can see ________ yourself all the pretty things in the ________ windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and ________the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining eyed older brother ________ in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what________ meant when he said: “It is more ________to give.”
1.A. admiring B. cleaning C. glancing D. touching
2.A. happy B. sad C. disappointed D. astonished
3.A. agreed B. promised C. hesitated D. sighed
4.A. made B. comforted C. pushed D. shocked
5.A. boy B. brother C. boss D. star
6.A. look B. walk C. ride D. rest
7.A. eyes B. forehead C. face D. hands
8.A. smiled B. cared C. choked D. feared
9.A. classmates B. neighbors C. colleagues D. parents
10.A. afraid B. confused C. wrong D. hopeless
11.A. carrying B. raising C. dragging D. pulling
12.A. abruptly B. firmly C. hurriedly D. carefully
13.A. got B. squeezed C. put D. tried
14.A. asked B. answered C. told D. showed
15.A. by B. for C. of D. to
16.A. shop B. home C. car D. Christmas
17.A. guided B. lifted C. sent D. threw
18.A. walked B. ran C. climbed D. broke
19.A. Jesus B. Father C. Brother D. Tony
20.A. pleased B. blessed C. important D. valuable
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Everyone procrastinates．We put things off because we don’t want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates．Putting things off – big or small – is part of being human．But procrastination does have consequences．When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged, it is time to take action, and one of the best ways to get rid of it is to make an un-schedule。
An un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for．You consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activities such as meals, exercise, time with friends, and the like．Once you have made your un-schedule, you may be able to see your time is often filled with more activities than you realize, for instance, that you really don’t have five hours to spend writing on the night before your paper is due．Procrastinators’ views of time tend to be unrealistic, and the un-schedule can help you outline a realistic plan．By planning accordingly, you will not only get a better night’s sleep, you may also end up with a better paper．
The un-schedule might also be a good way to get started on a larger project, such as a term paper or an honors paper．You may think that you have “all semester” to get the writing done, but if you really map out how much time you have available to write on a daily and weekly basis, you will see that you need to get started sooner, rather than later．In addition, the un-schedule may reveal especially busy weeks or months, which will help you budget time for long-term projects．
Perhaps most importantly, the un-schedule can help you examine how you spend your time．You may be surprised at how much time you spend watching television, and decide to make a change．It’s especially important that you build time for fun activities into your un-schedule．Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation．
You can also use the un-schedule to record your progress towards your goal．Reward yourself for your small successes．Seeing what you’ve achieved will help you reinforce (强化) the productive behavior, and you will feel more motivated in the following process．
As you explore ways to conquer procrastination, don’t expect overnight transformation．You developed the habit over a long time; you aren’t going stop magically．But you can change the behavior, bit by bit．If you start to make an un-schedule now, you will eventually develop new habits．
1.From Paragraph 2, we can know that procrastinators __________．
A．usually have sleeping problems
B．tend to be unrealistic in daily life
C．spend more time in doing exercise
D．often fail to notice untimed activities
2.Which of the following statements best reflects an un-schedule?
A．“Now I have more time for fun.”
B．“I can start my big project later.”
C．“I’ll treat myself to a movie for my progress.”
D．“I’m going to have more time to finish my paper.”
3.According to the writer, people need to make an un-schedule because of their _．
A．interests in doing things differently
B．determination to try out new things
C．inability to manage time properly
D．lack of concentration on a project
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
| Dear Dani, I have two best friends and they’re always leaving me out! They never invite me to anything. What can I do? Tom Dani says: Groups of three can be very difficult because one person often gets left out. Your friends may not realize how you feel. Talk to them about this and agree to plan the next outing together. With a bit of effort, a group of three can be a wonderful friendship! |
| Dear Dani, I told my friend a secret, but then I found out she told it to somebody else. What can I do? Daisy Dani says: We all make mistakes so give your friend another chance. But tell her that your secret is important to you and that she must not do this again. If your friend finds it hard to keep a secret, be careful what you tell her in future. |
| Dear Dani, I’m friends with a boy, but some girls keep laughing at me about it. Can’t girls be friends with boys as well? Mary Dani says: Of course girls can be friends with boys. Some girls laugh at this because they don’t really know any boys. Carry on enjoying your friendship. If the girls got to know this boy, they might stop teasing you. Why not invite one or two of them along next time you meet him? |
1.What’s worrying Tom?
A. Her friend keeps telling lies.
B. Her friend are always leaving him out.
C. Her friend does not believe her.
D. Her friend reads her terrible stories.
2.Dani suggests that Tom _____.
A. leave his two friends
B. tell his friends his thoughts
C. go on an outing with one of his friends
D. invite another to join his group of friends
3.Whose friend has a big mouth?
A. Tom. B. Mary. C. Daisy. D. Dani
4.The underlined word “teasing” in the last paragraph probably means “_____”.
A. making fun of B. hating
C.avoiding D. taking pity on
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
On Monday evening, I received a message online from a student who had got a very mean message in his locker (小柜). He took a picture of it and sent it to me asking for . I suggested that he me at break the following morning.
A few hours later, I on the Internet that he had posted the picture of the mean note and asked if anyone who it was. Obviously, he was trying to give the person who did it a little in coming forward.
The next day when the came, the boy came to me and another was with him. The boy showed me another note he had received. this was a heartfelt . I asked him if he knew who had written it, and the boy who came with him : “It was me. I don’t know I did it, but I know it was wrong and not at all . So I wrote him this note. I also wrote 150 post-its (便利贴) with kind sayings on them and them onto all the lockers. I just wanted to do something to try to for my meanness.”
My heart felt so full of for this boy. I told him how I thought it was of him to come and how amazing it was that he did somethingkindto try to balance his mistake. I turned to the boy who received both notes and asked him if he also the bravery and could . Without hesitation, he said: “Yes. . Courage is virtue.”
1.A. trouble B. help C. sympathy D. money
2. A. meet B. stop C. invite D. greet
3.A. noticed B. wrote C. sensed D. thought
4.A. imagined B. knew C. expected D. agreed
5. A. push B. pull C. worry D. puzzle
6.A. chance B. class C. break D. interview
7.A. message B. teacher C. problem D. boy
8.A. Again B. Still C. So D. But
9.A. wish B. appreciation C. apology D. invitation
10.A. argued B. replied C. repeated D. added
11.A. how B. why C. when D. where
12.A. rude B. helpful C. cruel D. kind
13. A. stuck B. drew C. locked D. delivered
14.A. take up B. pick up C. make up D. speak up
15.A. doubt B. interest C. worry D. admiration
16. A. mean B. shameful C. brave D. careful
17. A. on B. back C. about D. forward
18.A. recognized B. admitted C. ignored D. rewarded
19.A. care B. forgive C. regret D. reflect
20. A. Thankfully B. Hopefully C. Fortunately D. Certainly
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Wind turbines are efficient sources of cheap energy but also a source of concern as their huge spinning blades (叶片) frequently kill birds and bats. A new type of wind generator developed in Spain offers a creative solution to that problem.
In 2002, Spanish inventor David Yanez saw a short film about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the U.S., collapsing in strong wind. It was a vivid example of the powerful vibrations wind can create when it blows past a long pole, such as a car antenna or even a stick of bamboo. It gave him the idea for a new type of wind-energy generator.
“The initial philosophy or spirit was to create a generator of dreams that had all the qualities one would want: It should be as cheap as possible, need as little maintenance as possible, the setup as simple as possible,” he said.
Yanez and his friend Raoul Martin took the idea to an engineering firm, where they were told it would never work. Undiscouraged, they started experimenting on their own in a small wind tunnel they built.
Good initial results were repeated by a larger working model called Vortex (涡旋) installed in a nearby field. “What we have is a mast (桅杆), which is the top piece and acts as a blade,” Yanez said. “It’s constructed from the same material as a conventional generator, and what it does is it oscillates (振荡), transmitting the oscillation to a conventional alternator, which by its own oscillation converts the wind’s energy into electric energy.”
Yanez said the output of the 6-meter-tall generator, and even that of smaller models, was better than expected. The Vortex creates about 30 percent less energy than a comparable bladed wind turbine, but it is lighter and cheaper to build and maintain. It is made mostly of reinforced plastic and has very few moving parts. Also, it does not create noise and—even more important for many environmentalists—it does not present a threat to passing birds.
The current prototype works at wind speeds ranging from 1.5 to 7 meters per second. The inventors say the next step is building a 12.5-meter tall bladeless generator with a 4-kilowatt capacity that could power small businesses or individual homes, or provide supplemental power to a main grid. The commercial version of the Vortex Bladeless generator should be ready for the market by 2017.
1.The author mentions a short film about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge to show ________.
A. what the initial philosophy or spirit was
B. what inspired Yanez to create the generator
C. how the bridge was destroyed in strong wind
D. how wind creates powerful vibrations
2.What do we know from the passage?
A. The original idea was considered as practical in an engineering firm.
B. Yanez and Martin’s initial tests by themselves proved to be successful.
C. The material for constructing the mast is different from that of the past.
D. The new generator is better at creating energy than a comparable bladed one.
3. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Bladeless wind-power generator is friendly to birds.
B. Wind turbines are efficient sources of cheap energy.
C. A new generator will come onto the market by 2017.
D. Yanez has made a generator for the benefit of people.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析