Climate emergencies are a bit like buses. You wait an age for one and then three come along at once. Parliaments in the UK and Ireland passed motions declaring a climate emergency in May. Last Monday, Canada followed suit.
It isn’t just parliament sounding the alarm. “This is a climate emergency,” said U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa for the first time last Tuesday. Hours earlier, James Bevan of England’s Environment Agency and Vince Cable, the leader of the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats, also used the phrase.
They join a cast of high-profile public figures already on the bus, from UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. But how did the language of climate change campaigners jump to the lips of the establishment, and should we welcome its seemingly unstoppable adoption?
Does this language make a difference? A day after Canada’s climate emergency motion, it approved a £4.4 billion oil pipeline. Bristol City Council in the UK also declared a climate emergency, yet the city’s mayor subsequently backed expansion of the local airport. Nothing changed on UK streets after parliament declared a climate emergency, notes former Labour Party leader Ed MIliband. “This silent response to an alarm that we ourselves have sounded symbolizes the challenge we face,” he wrote. _______?_______
Mike Hulme at the University of Cambridge argues against the phrase because it implies “time-limited radical(激进的)” action could end the emergency, when climate change is actually a “new condition of human existence.” Some, HUlme included, also fear the language may cause counterproductive responses.
Bur Roz Pidcock of communication organization Climate Outreach says a climate emergency “suggests a response that is very radical in scale and ambition, but not incautious or knee-jerk(本能的),” and certainly not a license for extreme measure like geoengineering the climate.
Despite the risk of phrase being devalued, Rebecca Willis at Lancaster University in the U.K. tells me it is still useful ---and that’s because it is true. As Spratt says, “You cannot solve a problem unless you name it for exactly what it is.” Getting politicians to adopt the language will also be crucial to holding them to tough policy decisions later, says Doug Parr of Greenpeace.
The phrase’s widespread adoption isn’t a problem. The lack of action equivalent to such language is. And that action is going to include a lot of silently gliding electric buses.
1.Which of the following sentences may best end Paragraph 4?
A.We should strive to stimulate people’s initiative.
B.The use of “climate emergency” highlights the challenge.
C.Such a mismatch risks making the term meaningless.
D.There are many people against the use of the phrase.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that Mike Hulme thinks that ______.
A.climate change call for deliberate consideration before action is taken
B.immediate action should be taken to put climate emergency to an end
C.the phrase “climate emergency” may lead to the opposite consequences
D.people all over the world have been accustomed to climate change
3.Which of the following arguments can be used in favour of the phrase “climate emergency”?.
A.Extreme measures will be taken to address the issue of climate change
B.The use of the phrase may contribute to substantial policymaking.
C.The phrase will make no sense unless practical solutions are found.
D.Less attention is paid to the phrase though it reflects a true story.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the phrase “climate emergency”?
A.Negative B.Optimistic
C.Indifferent D.Objective
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Climate emergencies are a bit like buses. You wait an age for one and then three come along at once. Parliaments in the UK and Ireland passed motions declaring a climate emergency in May. Last Monday, Canada followed suit.
It isn’t just parliament sounding the alarm. “This is a climate emergency,” said U.N. climate chief Patricia Espinosa for the first time last Tuesday. Hours earlier, James Bevan of England’s Environment Agency and Vince Cable, the leader of the U.K.’s Liberal Democrats, also used the phrase.
They join a cast of high-profile public figures already on the bus, from UK opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres. But how did the language of climate change campaigners jump to the lips of the establishment, and should we welcome its seemingly unstoppable adoption?
Does this language make a difference? A day after Canada’s climate emergency motion, it approved a £4.4 billion oil pipeline. Bristol City Council in the UK also declared a climate emergency, yet the city’s mayor subsequently backed expansion of the local airport. Nothing changed on UK streets after parliament declared a climate emergency, notes former Labour Party leader Ed MIliband. “This silent response to an alarm that we ourselves have sounded symbolizes the challenge we face,” he wrote. _______?_______
Mike Hulme at the University of Cambridge argues against the phrase because it implies “time-limited radical(激进的)” action could end the emergency, when climate change is actually a “new condition of human existence.” Some, HUlme included, also fear the language may cause counterproductive responses.
Bur Roz Pidcock of communication organization Climate Outreach says a climate emergency “suggests a response that is very radical in scale and ambition, but not incautious or knee-jerk(本能的),” and certainly not a license for extreme measure like geoengineering the climate.
Despite the risk of phrase being devalued, Rebecca Willis at Lancaster University in the U.K. tells me it is still useful ---and that’s because it is true. As Spratt says, “You cannot solve a problem unless you name it for exactly what it is.” Getting politicians to adopt the language will also be crucial to holding them to tough policy decisions later, says Doug Parr of Greenpeace.
The phrase’s widespread adoption isn’t a problem. The lack of action equivalent to such language is. And that action is going to include a lot of silently gliding electric buses.
1.Which of the following sentences may best end Paragraph 4?
A.We should strive to stimulate people’s initiative.
B.The use of “climate emergency” highlights the challenge.
C.Such a mismatch risks making the term meaningless.
D.There are many people against the use of the phrase.
2.It can be inferred from the passage that Mike Hulme thinks that ______.
A.climate change call for deliberate consideration before action is taken
B.immediate action should be taken to put climate emergency to an end
C.the phrase “climate emergency” may lead to the opposite consequences
D.people all over the world have been accustomed to climate change
3.Which of the following arguments can be used in favour of the phrase “climate emergency”?.
A.Extreme measures will be taken to address the issue of climate change
B.The use of the phrase may contribute to substantial policymaking.
C.The phrase will make no sense unless practical solutions are found.
D.Less attention is paid to the phrase though it reflects a true story.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the phrase “climate emergency”?
A.Negative B.Optimistic
C.Indifferent D.Objective
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses. This phenomenon is referred to as the bystander effect.
The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect, which is named after Catherine “Kitty" Genovese, a young woman who was cruelly murdered on March 13, 1964. Early in the morning, 28-year-old Genovese was returning home from work. As she approached her apartment entrance, she was attacked and stabbed (刺) by a man later identified as Winston Moseley. Despite Genovese's repeated cries for help, none of the dozen or so people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called police for help. The attack first began at 3:20, but it was not until 3:50 that someone first contacted police.
Many psychologists were set thinking by the incident, as well as most Americans. As the conclusion, the bystander effect came out and later proved by a series of studies and experiments.
There are two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect. First, the presence of other people creates a division of responsibility. Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present. The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate.
Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to take action if the situation is ambiguous. In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnesses reported that they believed that they were witnessing a "lovers' quarrel", and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered.
1.The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect because ________ a woman surnamed Genovese.
A.it somehow caused the murder of |
B.its discovery resulted from the murder of |
C.it was actually discovered by |
D.it always makes people think of |
2.Genovese was murdered ________.
A.while she was going out | B.in her apartment |
C.halfway home | D.near her apartment |
3. Which can NOT have been a possible reason for the neighbors NOT offering Genovese help?
A.They believed in the bystander effect. |
B.They thought someone else might help her. |
C.They didn't think they should help. |
D.They didn't think she needed help. |
4. Before deciding to offer help, observers may ________, according to the psychologists.
A.wait for sort of a signal |
B.hesitate and estimate the risk of getting hurt |
C.want to be sure it's appropriate to react |
D.wonder if the victim is worth helping |
5.The article seems to suggest that, if there had been ________observers, Genovese might not have been murdered.
A.no | B.fewer | C.more | D.braver |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses.This phenomenon is referred to as the bystander effect.
The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect, which was named after Catherine Kitty Genovese, a.young woman who was murdered on March 13, 1964.Early in the morning, 28-year-old Genovese was returning home from work.As she approached her apartment entrance, she was attacked and stabbed(刺)by a man later identified as Winston Moseley.Despite Genovese]s repeated cries for help , none of the dozen or so people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called the police for help .The attach first began at 3:20 , but it was not until 3:50 that someone first contacted the police.
There are two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect.First, the presence of other people creates a diffusion(分散)of responsibility.Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present.
The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways.When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate.Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to take action if the situation, is ambiguous^ R^E^?).In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnessing reported that they believed that they were witnessing a " lovers' quarrel" , and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered.
1.The passage seems to suggest that Genovese might not have been murdered if there had been_____.
A.no observer B.fewer observers
C.more observers . D.younger observers
2.Genovese was murdered________.
A.while she was going out B.in her apartment
C.halfway home D.in front of her apartment ?
3.The underlined word "this" in the last paragraph probably refers to ____.
A.not doing anything to help B.behaving in correct ways
C.taking action D.murdering
4.We can learn from the passage that Genovese's neighbors didn't lend a hand partly because they ____.
A.were afraid of being attacked by the murderer
B.thought someone else might come to her rescue.
C.didn't get along well with her
D.were sure it was murdering
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Great holidays in Europe!
Do you like the beach but want a bit more?
Then come on an Active Beach holiday atone of our centers in Greece, Turkey or Croatia.All the centers are near beautiful beaches and all offer sailing, wind surfing or water skiing with our excellent instructors. For achange from the water, you can also book a short trip to a nearby village and visit the colorful markets or eat in a local restaurant. Atthe end of the day, relax in your hotel room or dance the night away at one of our open-air clubs.
Who was King Arthur? Where did he live?
Join us on a five-day UK Road Trip holiday.Imagine life hundreds of years ago as we visit ancient Stonehenge, Roman Bath and TintagelCastle, the home of King Arthur. Learn the historyof these interesting places from your guide as you travel in one of our famous blue coaches. In the evenings we stop at some of the best youth hostels in the country. They have everything you need ,you don 't even need to pack a sleeping bag!
Are you bored with the usual holidays? Do you want to do something you really enjoy?
Then Fame Camp is for you! Spend a week at Hightree House in Yorkshire and learn how to play the piano, violin and guitar! Bring your tentand stay at a campsite near the house. At the end of the week try your new skills in a live performance .
How many countries can you see in 21days?
On our Explore Europe holiday, you can see ten! Learn about them from our best guides as you watch them go past from the window of an air-conditioned coach and stay at some of Europe's top campsites on the way. Of course,we’ll also have time to do the important things such as visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the. historic Sistine Chapel in Vatican and eating appleѕtrudеl іn Vіеnnа.
For more information about any of these holidays, call 0845 333 4523 or visit www. comewithusuk. com.
1.Tourists who go on an Active Beach holiday.
A.can do some water sports
B.can cook by themselves
C.will enjoy an open-air concert
D.should bring their own sleeping bags
2.If you want to know more about Tintagel Castle, which holiday should you take?
A.Fame Camp. B.Active Beach.
C.UK Road Trip. D.Explore Europe.
3.What can we learn about Explore Europe?
A.It lasts 10 days. B.It is a coach tour.
C.It is a self-guided tour. D.It goes past 21 countries.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Great holidays in Europe!
Do you like the beach but want a bit more?
Then come on an Active Beach holiday atone of our centers in Greece, Turkey or Croatia.All the centers are near beautiful beaches and alloffer sailing, windsurfing orwaterskiing with our excellent instructors. For achange from the water, you can also book a shorttrip to a nearby village and visit the colorfulmarkets or eat in a local restaurant. Atthe end of the day, relax in your hotel room ordance the night away at one of our open-air clubs.
Who was King Arthur? Where did helive?
Join us on a five-day UK Road Trip holiday.Imagine life hundreds of years ago as we visitancient Stonehenge, Roman Bath and TintagelCastle, the home of King Arthur. Learn the historyof these interesting places from your guide as youtravel in one of our famous blue coaches. In theevenings we stop at some of the best youth hostelsin the country. They have everything you needyou don t even need to pack a sleeping bag!
Are you bored with the usual holidays? Doyou want to do something you really enjoy?
Then Fame Camp is for you! Spend a weekat Hightree House in Yorkshire and learn how toplay the piano, violin and guitar! Bring your tentand stay at a campsite near the house. At theend of the week try your new skills in a liveperformance .
How many countries can you see in 21days?
On our Explore Europe holiday, you can seeten! Learn about them from our best guides as youwatch them go past from the window of anair-conditioned coach and stay at some ofEurope's top campsites on the way. Of course,we’ll also have time to do the important thingssuch as visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris, thehistoric Sistine Chapel in Vatican and eating appleѕtrudеl іn Vіеnnа.
Formore information about any ofthese holidays, call 0845 333 4523 or visitwww. comewithusuk. com.
1.Tourists who go on an Active Beach holiday.
A. cando some water sports
B. can cook by themselves
C. will enjoy an open-air concert
D. should bring their own sleeping bags
2.If you want to know more about TintagelCastle, which holiday should you take?
A. Fame Camp. B. Active Beach.
C. UK Road Trip. D. Explore Europe.
3.What can we learn about Explore Europe?
A. It lasts 10 days. B. It is a coach tour.
C. It is a self-guided tour. D. It goes past 21 countries.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
Time for an adventure?
Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you’d like,
Activity holidays
Our activity holidays are for everyone, people who love danger or who just like sports. We have a huge variety of water, snow or desert holidays. We’ll take you SCBA diving in the Red Sea or kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the. Alps or even igloo building. For those who like warmer weather, we also have sandboarding (the desert version of skateboarding) or camel safaris.
Polar expeditions
Take an expedition to Antarctica or the northern Arctic; explore a land of white natural beauty and wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch the penguins in Antarctica or whales and polar bears in the Arctic, There’s no greater adventure than travelling to the ends of the earth. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Cultural journeys
Our cultural journeys will help you discover ancient civilizations: India, Thailand, Egypt and many more. Visit temples, palaces and ancient ruins—just remember to bring your camera! Get to know local ways of life by exploring markets, trying exotic foods and meeting local people.
Wildlife holidays
We organize small - group tours to get closer to nature in Africa, Asia or South America. Go on safari in Africa and watch lions and giraffes. Meet the famous turtles off the Galapagos Islands, Look for tigers in India, or take an elephant safari in Sri Lanka. We use local guides and stay in a range of accommodation, from tents to tree houses.
1.Which would you prefer if you are a sports - lover?
A. Wildlife holidays. B. Cultural journeys.
C. Polar expeditions. D. Activity holidays.
2.What can a tourist do during a
A. Appreciate ancient buildings. B. Watch lovely animals.
C. Get closer to nature. D. Have extreme sports.
3.What is the purpose of this text?
A. To introduce ways of relaxation. B. To recommend different holidays.
C. To share traveling experience. D. To give advice on traveling.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A Time for an adventure?
Are you a bit bored with your nine-to-five routine? Have a look at our exciting range of holidays and decide what type of adventure you'd like.
Activity holidays
Our activity holidays are for everyone, people who love danger or who just like sports. We have a huge variety of water, snow or desert holidays. We'll take you SCUBA diving in the Red Sea or kayaking and white water rafting in Canada. If you prefer snow, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the Alps. For those who like warmer weather, we also have sandboarding-he desert version of skateboarding.
Polar expeditions
Take a cruise to the Antarctic or the Arctic; explore a land of white natural beauty and wonderful wildlife. Our experts will explain everything about the two poles as you watch the penguins in the Antarctic or whales and polar bears in the Arctic.
Cultural journeys
Our cultural journeys will help you discover ancient civilizations: India, Thailand, Egypt and many more. Visit temples, palaces and ancient ruins-just remember to bring your camera! Get to know local ways of life by exploring markets, trying foreign foods and meeting local people.
Trekking tours
We have trekking holidays to famous places such as Machu Picchu or the Everest Base Camp Trek, as well as some nearer to home in the Highlands of Scotland. You don't need to be very sporty, just fairly fit. You'll have a great time enjoying nature with a group of new friends. Some of the holidays include camping, but we'll transport the tents for you!
1.Which tour will you choose if you want to watch animals in nature?
A.Activity holidays. B.Polar expeditions.
C.Cultural journeys. D.Trekking tours.
2.What can explorers probably do during the trekking tours?
A.Do some sports. B.Enjoy sandboarding.
C.Camp on the mountains. D.Try snowboarding in the Alps.
3.Who are the holiday adventure events mainly aimed at?
A.Senior retirees. B.Young teenagers.
C.Regular workers. D.Successful businessmen.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
How would you like an easy way to earn $2,500? All you have to do is to sit around and wait for your meals. There's a catch however. You have to stay in a chicken cage with a stranger for a whole week. There are no books or television or radio for amusement. You can't leave until the week is up. And a camera will be recording your every move.
Two people actually took the job. The idea came from Rob Thompson, a video artist. He wanted to make a film about the way animals are treated. His goal was to raise people's awareness of the living conditions of animals that are raised for food.
He decided to pay $5,000 out of his own savings to two people who were willing to live like chickens for a week.
To Rob’s surprise, quite a few people answered his advertisement. He had interviewed and selected Eric, a 24-year-old restaurant worker, and Para, a 24-year-old chemist. The plan was for them to spend seven days together in a chicken cage that was six feet long and three feet wide. A camera would record their experiences, which would take place in an art museum.
The week was long and difficult. They slept on a hard wooden floor. They couldn't stand up without hanging their heads. They ate vegetables and drank water from a garden hosepipe. Their only privacy was a toilet surrounded by a curtain. There were no sinks, mirrors, or toothbrushes in the cage. Their only inspiration was the two framed checks that hung on the wall outside the cage. Visitors who came here were warned, “Do not feed the humans.”
Finally it was over, and Para and Eric appeared from their cage. They had survived the week, and they each had a $2,500 check in their hands. When Rob Thompson opened the cage, Eric came out, changed into clean clothes, and ate a chocolate bar right away. “It's great to be able to stand up,” he said. Para just changed her clothes and left. After a week of visitors and reporters watching her, she
didn't want to talk to anyone.
1.What kind of person is Rob Thompson?
A. He is curious about people's personal life.
B. He is kind-hearted to animals.
C. He hates people around.
D. He likes to help poor people.
2.The underlined word “catch” probably means _____.
A. unsolved problem B. surprising wonder
C. unbelievable fact D. hidden difficulty
3.Rob offered the money because he wanted _____ .
A. to see if there were any people who would like to live in a cage
B. to show the public how terrible animals' life could be
C. to make more money by publishing the recorded videotapes
D. to improve housing conditions of working people like Eric
4.Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Easy Way to Earn $ 2,500. B. Do Not Feed the Humans.
C. Living Like a Chicken. D. Getting Along Well Anyway.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Would you like to be an actor, but aren’t the right age or physical type for the part? Don’t give up: there may be a place for you in the world of voice-acting.
Twenty-year-old Rickey Collins brings Tucker Foley to life in the cartoon Danny Phantom. In addition to many appearances on television and in movies, Rickey is a voice-over actor, someone we hear but don’t see. Rickey has acted since he was 6, both on and off camera. After school, his grandmother-- a manager and acting coach--helped him develop his skills by doing voice exercises and reading aloud.
Voice-over actors do many kinds of acting. They are the voices of cartoon characters on television, in movies and video games, and for communicating toys. In films, they replace the foreign language conversation with English version. They create crowd noises, make commercials, act in radio plays, and record telephone instructions and public announcements. They read books on tape and even record museum tours.
Like other actors, voice-over actors need to understand scripts, interpret characters, and breathe correctly. They have to master voice techniques, such as pacing, volume, and range. Sometimes they use their normal voices; other times they change their voices to create different characters or noises. Rickey receives his Danny Phantom scripts only a few days before he tapes each episode(集). He writes helpful notes on the script to guide himself on speaking his part.
Rickey practices, then tapes at the recording studio. He and the other cast members sit in a soundproof booth, acting out their characters as they read their lines into the microphones. “The cartoon gets created after we record the words, so we have to imagine everything in our mind,” says Rickey. Later, the recorded words, music, and sound effects are combined with the cartoon art to create the cartoon we enjoy on TV. Sound interesting? Maybe you can have a “voice” in acting after all!
1. The underlined sentence in paragraph 2 means _______.
A. Rickey draws the character
B. Rickey names Tucker Foley
C. Rickey makes the character seem real
D. Rickey decides the future of Tucker Foley
2. From the passage we can infer that _______.
A. it’s very complex to become a cartoon film voice-over actor
B. Rickey has been involved with acting most of his life
C. Rickey’s mother helped him a lot with acting
D. many people have nice voices
3.Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that _______.
A. a voice-over actor works very hard
B. being a voice-over actor needs talents
C. being a voice-over actor requires skills
D. voice-over actors have more techniques than other actors
4. The information in this article would be most valuable to people _______.
A. who want to build a career around their voices
B. who need to develop their stage-acting skills
C. who want to understand scriptwriting
D. who need to practice voice exercises
5.Which is true about voice-over actors?
A. They usually create characters according to the films.
B. They act as a guide on the museum tours.
C. They have to act both on and off camera.
D. They must use different voices for different characters and situations.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Are you willing to live in an age _____ 4G technology will bring about an information revolution?
A. where B. when C. whose D. which
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析