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Ever wonder how this season’s celebrations affect the environment? Guest blogger Krista Fairles takes an amusing look at this very topic:
The holidays are a wonderful, cheerful time when most people wait for Santa to bring them presents. But I’m not like most people. I spend my time wondering just what the environmental impacts of Santa Claus and his reindeer are, and more importantly, how I can calculate those impacts.
Lately I’ve been particularly curious as to whether Santa’s old sled is a clean green flying machine, or if he should be replacing his 8 reindeer with an environmentally-friendly car.
I should mention that, surprisingly, I was unable to find statistics specific to Santa’s magical flying reindeer, so these calculations use numbers from various sources and may not represent actual pollution caused by Santa and his animals. In other words, don’t complain to the government about the damage Santa is causing the environment based on this article.
Santa’s yearly trip around the globe is 44,000km long, twice the average of a North American driver. If we assume that the magic provides the altitude for this trip, then reindeer power only needs to push Santa’s sled forward. To complete the trip in 12 hours, I estimate they must travel at a speed of about 3100km/h. To travel at this speed, for this length of time, the reindeer need to eat an incredible 980 million calories each!!
So the next question is: how much food is in 980 million calories? Well, if they’re eating corn, they’d need to eat 16,500 lbs each — or 1.6 acres of food. Growing 12.8 acres of corn has its own implications for the environment that we’ll leave for another calculation.
We now need to consider that during the global trip the reindeer are “letting out” some of that corn in the form of methane (甲烷，沼气). A resting cow produces 110 kg of methane per year, so flying reindeer would each let out about 4.8 tons. With methane causing 20 times the global warming damage of CO2, and the altitude increasing that damage by 1000% that another 20 times, we can put Santa’s round-trip emissions at 15,488 tons. This is much more than the 100 tons an environmentally-friendly car would release on the same trip!
Bad Santa.
1. Which aspect does the writer NOT include in her analyses about reindeer’s influence on environment?
A. Distance covered. B. Calories consumed.
C. Tons of waste let out. D. Money spent on food.
2. According to Paragraph 6, how many acres of corn would Santa need to feed 10 reindeer?
A. 1.6. B. 16. C. 12.8. D. 128.
3. Which of the following statements would the writer most probably agree with?
A. Christmas celebrations are really a waste of money.
B. Vegetarians are more likely to survive than meat-eaters.
C. Raising animals has a negative influence on environment.
D. The car industry does less harm to environment than farming.
4. Which of the following words best describes the language style of the passage?
A. Humourous and concerned. B. Cheerful and friendly.
C. Academic and formal. D. Serious and boring.
5. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. Is Santa driving clean and green?
B. Santa, watch where you’re going!
C. Santa Claus is coming to town!
D. Let’s reduce waste on Christmas celebrations!
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阅读理解。
Ever wonder how this season’s celebrations affect the environment? Guest blogger Krista Fairles takes an amusing look at this very topic:
The holidays are a wonderful, cheerful time when most people wait for Santa to bring them presents. But I’m not like most people. I spend my time wondering just what the environmental impacts of Santa Claus and his reindeer are, and more importantly, how I can calculate those impacts.
Lately I’ve been particularly curious as to whether Santa’s old sled is a clean green flying machine, or if he should be replacing his 8 reindeer with an environmentally-friendly car.
I should mention that, surprisingly, I was unable to find statistics specific to Santa’s magical flying reindeer, so these calculations use numbers from various sources and may not represent actual pollution caused by Santa and his animals. In other words, don’t complain to the government about the damage Santa is causing the environment based on this article.
Santa’s yearly trip around the globe is 44,000km long, twice the average of a North American driver. If we assume that the magic provides the altitude for this trip, then reindeer power only needs to push Santa’s sled forward. To complete the trip in 12 hours, I estimate they must travel at a speed of about 3100km/h. To travel at this speed, for this length of time, the reindeer need to eat an incredible 980 million calories each!!
So the next question is: how much food is in 980 million calories? Well, if they’re eating corn, they’d need to eat 16,500 lbs each — or 1.6 acres of food. Growing 12.8 acres of corn has its own implications for the environment that we’ll leave for another calculation.
We now need to consider that during the global trip the reindeer are “letting out” some of that corn in the form of methane (甲烷，沼气). A resting cow produces 110 kg of methane per year, so flying reindeer would each let out about 4.8 tons. With methane causing 20 times the global warming damage of CO2, and the altitude increasing that damage by 1000% that another 20 times, we can put Santa’s round-trip emissions at 15,488 tons. This is much more than the 100 tons an environmentally-friendly car would release on the same trip!
Bad Santa.
1. Which aspect does the writer NOT include in her analyses about reindeer’s influence on environment?
A. Distance covered. B. Calories consumed.
C. Tons of waste let out. D. Money spent on food.
2.According to Paragraph 6, how many acres of corn would Santa need to feed 10 reindeer?
A. 1.6. B. 16.
C. 12.8. D. 128.
3.Which of the following statements would the writer most probably agree with?
A. Christmas celebrations are really a waste of money.
B. Vegetarians are more likely to survive than meat-eaters.
C. Raising animals has a negative influence on environment.
D. The car industry does less harm to environment than farming.
4.Which of the following words best describes the language style of the passage?
A. Humourous and concerned. B. Cheerful and friendly.
C. Academic and formal. D. Serious and boring.
5.Which of the following is the best title for this passage?
A. Is Santa driving clean and green?
B. Santa, watch where you’re going!
C. Santa Claus is coming to town!
D. Let’s reduce waste on Christmas celebrations!
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Ever wondered how one person could save the planet from the effects of climate change?
A British-made computer game on trial release on Monday creates different ways of doing just that．
“Fate of the World”puts the Earth’s future in players’ hands, placing them in charge of an international environmental body which could save the world from the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions（排放）or let it destroyed by more emissions．
Through different scenes, players can explore options such as geoengineering（地球工程） and alternative energy sources to save the planet from rising temperatures, decreasing natural resources and a growing population over the next 200 years．
An improved version of the game will be followed by a three-month feedback period from players, with final release due in February next year．
Created by Oxford-based games developer Red Redemption, the game is different from other mainstream action games mainly by using data from real climate models and advice from scientists and economists．
“Science data is often inaccessible and we are trying to put players in a position of power and connected with the issues,” Gobion Rowlands, Red Redemption’s founder and chairman said．
This year, a series of apparent errors in climate science and the failure of UN talks to reach an international deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions appeared to weaken the public’s interest in climate change．
However, games centered on sustainability（持续性）and human rights have been growing in popularity and are welcomed by green groups as a way of raising awareness．
Using climate change as inspiration for entertainment shows the issue has affected global culture, which can only be a good thing．Friends of the Earth's head of climate Mike Childs said.“We need creative industries to work with these big issues as the results can be extremely powerful and can help us to understand what a sustainable future looks and feels like,”he added．
1.“Fate of the World” in the passage refers to________．
A．a book on computer games B．a company developing computer games
C．a computer game on climate change D．a player in charge of computer games
2.What makes the climate computer game different from the other games?
A．It uses data from real climate models and advice from experts．
B．It is the only computer game about climate．
C．It can save the planet from the effect of climate change．
D．It aims to affect the global culture．
3.It can be concluded from the passage that ________．
A．games on sustainability and human rights are very popular among young players
B．the game increases players’ awareness of environmental protection
C．only computer experts can play the new climate computer game
D．after a three-month feedback period from players, the new game is on sale now
4.Which of the following can NOT the players experience while playing the new game?
A．Challenging the climate change in an unreal world
B．Understanding what a sustainable future looks and feels like
C．Enjoying the power to decide the earth’s fate
D．Predicting what will happen in 200 years
5.In which column of a newspaper can you probably read this article?
A．Weather & Climate B．Science & Technology
C．Life & Entertainment D．Sports & Culture
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Have you ever wondered how the trainers at Sea World get the 19,000-pound whale to jump 22 feet out of water and perform tricks? They get that whale to go over a rope farther out of the water than most of us can imagine. 1..
So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? The first thing they do is reinforce(强化) the behavior that they want repeated --- in this case, to get the whale to go over the rope.2., in a position where the whale can’t help but do what’s expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it’s given positive reinforcement and gets fed with fish. But what happened when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing — no criticism, no warning and no feedback. 3..
Positive reinforcement is the key of that simple principle that produces such splendid results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn’t starve.
4.. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know they need help when they mess up. 5., people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it.
So we need to set up the circumstances so that people can’t fail. Over-celebrate, under-criticize…and know how far to raise the rope.
A. This is a great challenge
B. And the whale stays right where it is
C. If we figure out a way to motivate the whale
D. They start with the rope below the surface of the water
E. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than expected
F. Whales are taught that their negative behavior won’t be acknowledged
G. The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate
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Have you ever wondered how the trainers at Sea World get the 19,000-pound whale to jump 22 feet out of water and perform tricks? They get that whale to go over a rope farther out of the water than most of us can imagine. 1..
So how do the trainers at Sea World do it? The first thing they do is reinforce(强化) the behavior that they want repeated --- in this case, to get the whale to go over the rope.2., in a position where the whale can’t help but do what’s expected of it. Every time the whale goes over the rope, it’s given positive reinforcement and gets fed with fish. But what happened when the whale goes under the rope? Nothing — no criticism, no warning and no feedback. 3..
Positive reinforcement is the key of that simple principle that produces such splendid results. And as the whale begins to go over the rope more often than under, the trainers begin to raise the rope. It must be raised slowly enough so that the whale doesn’t starve.
4.. Make a big deal out of the good and little stuff that we want consistently. Secondly, under-criticize. People know they need help when they mess up. 5., people will not forget the event and usually will not repeat it.
So we need to set up the circumstances so that people can’t fail. Over-celebrate, under-criticize…and know how far to raise the rope.
A. This is a great challenge
B. And the whale stays right where it is
C. If we figure out a way to motivate the whale
D. They start with the rope below the surface of the water
E. If we under-criticize, punish and discipline less than expected
F. Whales are taught that their negative behavior won’t be acknowledged
G. The simple lesson to be learned from the whale trainers is to over-celebrate
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We all enjoy the colors of autumn leaves. Did you ever wonder how and why a fall leaf changes color? Where do the yellows and oranges come from? To answer those questions, we first have to understand what leaves are and what they do.
Leaves are nature's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide into glucose, which is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy and as a building block for growing. The way plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar is called photosynthesis, which means " putting together with light. " A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll is what gives plants their green color.
As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter.
During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees will rest, and live off the food they stored during summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. The green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. As the bright green fades away, we begin to see yellow and orange colors. Small a-mounts of these colors have been in the leaves all along. Covered up by the green chlorophyll, we just can't see them in summer.
The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in the fall. In some trees, like maples, glucose is trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn cause the leaves turn this glucose into a red color. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.
It is the combination of all these things that make the beautiful colors we enjoy in the fall.
1.The writer asked two questions in the beginning in order to .
A. persuade readers to believe something
B. introduce the topic of the passage
C. get the readers excited
D. offer something to think over
2. Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A. Trees don't change colours with seasons.
B. Trees can still perform photosynthesis well in winter.
C. Trees have colours like yellow and orange even in summer.
D. Trees don't need food in winter.
3.Photosynthesis is a way that ___________________________.
A. plants change water and carbon dioxide into sugar
B. plants turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar with the help of sunlight
C. plants use glucose as food for energy and growing
D. chlorophyll is a great help
4. Which is the best title for this passage?
A. Colorful trees in autumn B. Mysteries of tree colors
C. Do you enjoy tree colors? D. Wonderful colors in autumn
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In this movie going season, women are driving ticket sales to a degree ,if ever, seen before.
A. really B. frequently
C. rarely D. never
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D
“You’re going to the United States to live? How wonderful! You’re really lucky!”
Does this sound familiar? Perhaps your family and friends said similar things to you when you left home. But does it seem true all the time? Is your life in this new country always wonderful and exciting? A great many facts show that it’s not easy for newcomers to adjust to life in a new culture. They have to experience culture shock.
What causes culture shock? Maybe the weather is unpleasant. Perhaps the customs are different. Perhaps the public service systems such as the telephone, post office, or transportation are difficult to figure out and you make mistakes. The simplest things seem difficult. The language may be difficult. The food may seem strange to you. If you don’t look similar to the natives, you may feel strange. You may feel as ff everyone is watching you. In fact, you are always watching yourself.
Everyone experiences culture shock in some form or another. But culture shock comes as a surprise to most people. A lot of the time, the people with the worst culture shock are the people who never had any difficulties in their own countries. They were active and successful in their community(社区). They had hobbies or pastimes which they enjoyed. When they come to a new country, they do not have the same positions or hobbies as they already had in their countries. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock produces a feeling of disorientation(晕头转向), which may be homesickness, imagined illness, or even paranoia(偏执症). When people feel the disorientation of culture shock, they sometimes feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the unfamiliar environment. They want to create an escape within their room to give themselves a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to familiarize the person more with the culture. Familiarity and experience are the long-term ways to settle the problem of culture shock.
67. Who is the passage mainly for?
A. The family and friends of those who came to the US.
B. Those who have got rid of culture shock.
C. People who have just moved to a foreign country.
D. People who can easily adjust their life in the US.
68. The underlined part “you are always watching yourself’” (in Paragraph 3) means ________.
A. you are always feeling homesick
B. you are always worried too much about yourself
C. you are always looking at yourself in the mirror
D. you are always nervous about meeting other people
69. Which of the following would be a case of culture shock for newcomers?
A. They have trouble using public telephones.
B. Their positions or hobbies stay the same.
C. They are active and successful in the new community.
D. They have got used to the life in the new country.
70. Which of the following may cause newcomers to lack a sense of security?
A. A new identity. B. Local food.
C. A new serf-image. D. Strange environment.
71. The best way for the newcomers to overcome culture shock is ________.
A. to stay inside to protect themselves
B. to make a study of the new hobbies
C. to adapt themselves to the new environment
D. to ask people for help when having difficulties
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Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you.
Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud — a cumulus cloud（积云）. How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful … think of elephants."
The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question — what keeps it up there?
"First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles（微粒）, it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says.
So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud—10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants.
Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains.
The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet.
1.The weight of ________is NOT mentioned in the passage.
A．a cumulus cloud B．a tornado C．a hurricane D．a storm cloud
2.How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations?
A．She found it not convincing.
B．She thought it needed further calculations.
C．She was quite surprised at it.
D．She considered the calculations inaccurate.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．A storm cloud weighs about 200,000 elephants.
B．The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud.
C．There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth.
D．The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials.
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Have you ever wondered how to stop being shy? Shyness and social anxiety go together, because someone who is shy may be uncomfortable being around people --- even though they very much wanted to be. 1.
Figure out why you’re shy.
It can help you if you figure out why you’re shy in the first place. 2. But if you can figure out why you’re shy, you may be able to figure out a way to stop being shy as a result.
3.
Once you realize why you’re shy, you can’t care about the past too much. You may have old reactions in place from those old situations, but you can change those. Remember that what happened years ago doesn’t have to affect you when it comes to how to stop being shy.
Accept yourself first.
People who don’t suffer from shyness are comfortable with themselves, first and foremost. 4. Accept yourself first, and you have a lot easier time when it comes to how to stop being shy in social situation, too.
Go for “real”.
There are a lot of people out there who are interested in being “social”. If you’re going to work hard at how to stop being shy, what you’ll really want to do is to develop lasting friendships with people who care about you. 5.
When you become more comfortable, you’ll find that your shyness simply melts away around those people you care about most.
A. Make friends with people.
B. Realize the past doesn’t matter.
C. Sometimes it’s not absolutely necessary.
D. Here are some ways on how to stop being shy.
E. These people will want to make you feel comfortable.
F. You’ll never succ
eed in your whole life because you are shy.
G. So what you’ll need to work on is getting comfortable with you.
eed in your whole life because you are shy.