Flying has shrunk the world! It’s now possibl...

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

New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly increased by foreign language skills.

Deeply involved with this new technology is a kind of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.

Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to manage back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.

Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.

English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.

The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign customers over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.

1.With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople ________.

A. are eager to work overseas

B. have to get familiar with modern technology

C. are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations

D. are attaching more importance to their overseas business

2.In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means ________.

A. leaving all care and worry behind

B. being unable to think properly for lack of insight

C. being totally out of touch with business at home

D. missing opportunities for promotion when abroad

3.According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?

A. Ability to speak the customer’s language.

B. Connections with businesses overseas.

C. Technical know-how.

D. Business experience.

4.The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can ________.

A. fast-forward their proposals to headquarters

B. better control the whole negotiation process

C. easily make friends with businesspeople abroad

D. easily find new approaches to meet market needs

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Has been a dream for 30 years but now the world’s first flying car is set to hit the roads this year.

Ever since the “Back to the Future” movies lit up our screens in the 1980s, designers have dreamt of cars that could take to the sky at the push of a button(按钮). And now pilots can order their own “roadable” plane for just￡127, 000.

The plane, which has fold-out wings that span 17. 5 feet, can be up to 115 mph. Back on the land, it can also travel at “highway speeds” in car mode(模式).

Fuelling(加燃料)the 19 feet long plane couldn’t be simpler—you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up.

A spokeswoman said, “You can keep your ‘light-sport airplane’ in your garage. But because it needs a short runway to take to the air, you will have to drive to your local airport, fly up to 460 miles, land and drive directly to your destination(目的地). You will always be ready to drive or fly. ”

The spokeswoman added, “Never let bad weather change your trip. You can simply divert(使转向)and continue on the ground until the weather clears. ”

There’s no risk to you—this is only the chance for you to be the first at your home field to unfold(展开)your wings and fly into the future.

1.According to the text, the “roadable” plane　　.

A. can fly in the sky at “highway speeds” in car mode

B. is a kind of car with fold-out wings

C. is a little difficult to fuel　

D. can only travel on the highway

2.We can infer that in the “Back to the Future” movies　　.

A. there are some skillful pilots

B. pilots have no cars to drive

C. pilots can’t afford a “roadable” plane

D. cars can fly in the sky

3.What does the underlined word “it” in the 5th paragraph refer to?

A. Light-sport airplane.

B. Your garage.

C. The local airport.

D. A petrol station.

4.The last sentence of the text aims to　　.

A. call for people to buy the “roadable” plane

B. show people the use of the “roadable” plane

C. tell people only the “roadable” plane can fly in the future

D. ask people to unfold their wings and fly into the future

5.If you meet with a thunderstorm in your “roadable” plane in the skies, you can　　.

A. land in a nearby airport until it clears

B. turn back home until it clears

C. land and drive on the ground

D. fly high up to 460 miles

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

I don’t think ___ possible to travel around the world without any modern equipment．

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The flying car has been talked about for many years, but now it appears to become a reality.

An international company has built a two-seater plane that, at the touch of a button, transforms into a car perfectly suitable for driving on public roads. It takes 15 seconds to switch between flying and driving. With its wings fully open and the propeller(螺旋桨) spinning, it can take off from any airfield.

Flying cars are quicker than traditional ones, and they can run on ordinary fuel. Another big advantage is that they are cool, like something you would see in an action film. At the moment, however, the flying car’s wheels are illegal to leave the ground. That is not because of technical reasons or problems with the design. It is because the various road and aircraft authorities simply cannot agree on whether it is a car or a plane.

Nevertheless the company hopes to produce and deliver its first flying car soon. The company already has orders for 40 of them. The majority potential customers are older and some are retired. There have even been orders from some people who have no pilot’s license.

The flying car will cost around $ 200,000. “For an airplane, that’s a very reasonable price, but for a car, it’s quite expensive,” explains Alan. “But it just is not possible to make a $ 10,000 flying car yet.”

This latest means of transport will not become a mass-market item in the near future, but in the long term it has the potential to change the way you travel. It will become no more expensive than driving your car on the motorway. Travel time could be reduced by more than half.

So the next time you are told to fasten your seat belt, it may be to prepare for take-off.

1.We know from the passage that the flying car 　　　　 .

A. has to run on special fuel

B. will replace traditional planes

C. is popular with the rich

D. can shift between two forms

2.The flying car is presently forbidden to take off because 　　　　 .

A. many people think driving is not very safe

B. it’s hard to decide whether it’s a car or a plane

C. the government and the authorities accept it

D. there are still some technical problems to be solved

3.According to the passage, we can learn 　　　　 .

A. in the future few people will be able to afford a flying ear

B. owning two kinds of driving licenses is of great importance

C. because of the appearance of the flying car, traffic jams will disappear

D. flying cars may share the market in the future

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Your Car Is Ready for Take-off

B. Flying Car Will Be the Leading Means of Transportation

C. Affording a Flying Car Is a Necessity

D. The Advantages of Flying Cars

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers has been named the greenest one in the world by the travel and tourist organization Skaal International, reported the Danish news agency Ritzau on Monday.

The hotel has been awarded the EcoTourism Award for setting an environmental-friendly example to other hotels, said the report.

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers is located in the Copenhagen suburb of Oerestad and has the largest solar cell facility in the Nordic. This facility delivers energy to the hotel while Danish groundwater supplies cooling and heating in the air condition of the hotel.

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers

TV and lights in the hotel are all of energy-saving brands. Shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and washing accessories are biologically degradable, which means that the nature can easily absorb the materials.

The hotel restaurant is only buying local goods and the food leftovers are used for bioenergy as well as fertilizer. The fitness facilities also provide a green touch to the hotel, as the training bikes of the fitness center are linked to the power grid（电网） of the hotel, thereby providing free energy if any guest wishes to exercise. People who do contribute free energy this way are supposedly getting a free meal in the hotel restaurant. “It is the first time that a Danish hotel receives this award. I think our throughout green thinking is the reason why we have been awarded. It is all the small details, as well as the big picture，” says Allan Agerholm, the CEO of the hotel, in a press release.

The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers opened its doors last year. Skaal International was founded in 1932 by travel managers and has approximately 20,000 members in 89 nations. It is an organization promoting global tourism.

1.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?

A. Hotel in Copenhagen named world’s greenest

B. Copenhagen-the world’s greenest city

C. Eco Tourism Award in Copenhagen

D. The Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers

2.The hotel has been awarded the EcoTourism Award because ________.

A. delivers green energy to the hotels in Nordic

B. is located in the Copenhagen suburb not in the city center

C. has the largest solar cell facility

D. it sets an environmental-friendly example to other hotels

3.The underlined word “degradable” in passage 3 means it can be ________.

A. rejected by people who don’t like it

B. accepted by guests from all over the world

C. absorbed easily by nature

D. recycled by the nature

4. What is so special about the fitness facilities?

A. It is free for those who like to exercise.

B. It uses green power to drive.

C. It generates free electricity while being used.

D. It offers free meal to guests who use it.

5. What is Skaal International?

A. Another name for this green hotel.

B. An organization promoting global tourism.

C. The Danish news agency Ritzau.

D. A branch hotel restaurant in Danmark.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has slowly begun to influence higher education around the world. Now, one new AI tool could change the way university students evaluate their professor. The tool is called Hubert, a teacher evaluation tool that appears as an AI-powered chatbot. Instead of filling out a form, students use a chat window to give feedback(反馈) on the course and their professor. Afterwards, Hubert categorizes the students’ comments for the professor to review.

Hubert is free for educators to use. More than 600 teachers have used it already. The goal of the new Hubert program is to improve education by giving teachers detailed, organized feedback from students.

Viktor Nordmark, from Sweden, started the company in 2015, with several friends. Before creating Hubert, the founders asked teachers what would improve their teaching skills. The answer, Nordmark said, was qualitative(定性的) feedback from their students. In other words, teachers wanted students to write detailed answers to open-ended questions about their experiences in class.

Qualitative feedback is different from the survey responses, which students are often asked to provide at the end of a class. “This kind of data takes a lot of time for professors to collect and analyze,” Nordmark said. And for the students, it can also be “really boring to fill out.” So Nordmark and his friends designed Hubert as a compromise between a traditional survey and a personal interview. “You can reach a really large crowd, but you can also get really qualitative data back,” Nordmark said.

Now, when Hubert receives comments from students, it compares them with the information already in its system to organize the data. Nordmark says that Hubert will continue to get smarter as it receives more comments in the future. Nordmark says he and his co-founders have plans to make Hubert more flexible and accurate. They hope to give teachers the possibility of selecting their own evaluation questions.

1.What can be inferred about traditional teacher evaluation?

A. Its data is easy to collect

B. Users are charged for using it

C. Students needn’t fill out forms

D. Students find it dull to take part in it

2.According to the text, qualitative feedback　　　 .

A. can improve the students’ performance at school

B. is students’ answers to teachers’ questions in class

C. can be obtained by asking students to fill out forms

D. is detailed responses to questions not for fixed answers

3.What is one of the advantages of Hubert at present?

A. Being able to change itself to become smarter

B. Saving much time when collecting survey forms

C. Taking on the strengths of a survey and an interview

D. Enabling teachers to select their own evaluation questions

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. The characteristics of qualitative feedback

B. A new AI-powered tool of teacher evaluation

C. The changes in the way teachers are evaluated

D. A potential revolution in the educational system

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

China now has 52 sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, which was established to safeguard unique and irreplaceable cultural and natural sites around the world. Let’s have a look at some of them, which may give you some clues on your next travel plan.

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is located in Lintong county, near Xi’an city, capital of Shaanxi province. A total of 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors, chariots and horses, and hundreds of bronze weapons have been unearthed from it. Many state leaders and experts worldwide believe that the discovery of the mausoleum is a major archeological find and can be called the eighth wonder of the world, paralleling Egypt’s pyramids.

Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement

Gulangyu Island, known in the local dialect as Kulangsu, is located on the entry of the Jiulong River, facing the city of Xiamen. The island was occupied by at least a dozen countries, including Great Britain, France and Japan. As a result, Western culture grew rapidly there in the 19th century, especially music. With such a harmonious blend of Western music and Eastern culture, Gulangyu is naturally referred to as the “island of music”. It is famous for its outstanding musicians and musical instruments.

Qinghai Hoh Xil

Hoh Xil, which means “beautiful girl” in Mongolian, is located in the north-eastern end of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve is China’s largest and the world’s third largest uninhabited area. Because of the high altitude and fierce weather, it is impossible for people to live there, and therefore, it is a paradise for wildlife and home to more than 230 species of wild animals including endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope, which is recognized as the National Class I Protected animal.

Huangshan Mountain

Huangshan, known as “the loveliest mountain of China”, lies in the south of Anhui province in eastern China. The scenic area covers 154 sq km, and is famous for its peaks, rocks, pines, clouds and springs. It also has a rich cultural heritage. Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), visited Huangshan twice, and described it in a poem, calling it the best of all mountains in China. Today it holds the same fascination for visitors, poets, painters and photographers.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A. Qinghai Hoh Xil is the largest uninhabited area in the world.

B. Kulangsu was occupied for not less than a dozen years.

C. Mausoleum is located in the capital city of Shaanxi province.

D. Huangshan Mountain is well known for its magnificent scenery.

2.Why is Qinghai Hoh Xil a paradise for wildlife living there?

A. Because endangered species are well protected there.

B. Because it is large in size with beautiful scenery.

C. Because it is located on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

D. Because tough weather and environment make no people live there.

3.Where does the passage most probably come from?

A. A travel guidebook　　 B. An entertainment magazine

C. A science fiction　　 D. A history textbook

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The 21st century has introduced the world to a new way of doing Business. It’s now a foregone conclusion that global commerce will be as revolutionized by it as Henry Ford’s rnass-production techniques were a defining characteristic of the 1900s.

1. It allows Internet-based purchase and sales transactions involving almost anything to be safely conducted at lightning speed. Safeguards are in place to make identity cheating, charge back prevention and funds verification (核实) much more of a surety than anything the conventional means of payment in the non-cyber world can provide. E-currency may only exist in the cyber world, but that is nothing new.2. It was officially accepted by the countries of the European Union in 1999 to simplify business by abolishing exchange rates, but it began life 20 years before that by private financial institutions who saw it as an idea that had to happen.3. It is now arguably the second-most influential currency in the world.

Experiential shopping is the next big thing.4. You order online on your phone, card or whatever, and it’s delivered to you by the time you get home. Money is being already lent to people based purely on the positive rankings a person has on a website. Online paying is so difficult.5. Also, we’re moving to a world where we all have one online ID. Whether it’s your face, your fingerprint, your credit card or your mobile phone remains to be seen.

A. In modem England, the way people spend, earn, save and invest is being revolutionized.

B. You’ve got your log-ins, your password, card numbers and so on for different websites.

C. When the euro has already gone, today’s e-currencies will follow.

D. By 2002, the euro had evolved from cyber-tender to hard cash.

E. Shops are like museums you can touch.

F. The euro began in the same manner.

G. The Business is e-currency.

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析