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Just under a decade ago, faced with a declining economy and rising oil prices, drivers were turning away from gas-powered vehicles and toward hybrid-electric cars (油电混合动力汽车) that promised, over time, to save them millions.
That was then, In recent years, as the economy recovered and gas prices dropped, so has demand for more-fuel-efficient cars. Electric cars and hybrids now make up less than 3% of new-car purchases, down from years past. Roughly 75% of Americas who traded in a hybrid or an electric car this year took home an all-gas car, an 11-point increase from 2015
At the same time, it's unreasonable to expect drivers to change their habits purely because of a sense of duty to build a better world. Buying a Toyota Camry, for example, would save its owner about $400 yearly in gas spending (vs. a similar-size all-gas vehicle). But it would also cost an extra $3000 in advance. For Americans, that payoff isn't worth the investment.
Automakers face this stalemate (僵局)? The government. Thanks to a set of regulations, automakers are required to keep improving their average fuel efficiencies to a certain degree, no matter how oil prices might change.
But starting a true green-car revolution will require more than fuel-efficiency standards. One solution, favored by some economists and environmental activists, is an increase in the gas tax, Which hasn't been raised since 1993. Others have suggested taxing carbon emission(排放), so people will rethink how they drive. In Norway, where drivers pay both fees, the electric cars from Tesla Motors have enjoyed a brief period as the country's top-selling vehicle.
Indeed, the best approach may well be to create the impossible: an electric car that actually offers more value than its gas-powered competitor. Many are trying, from Tesla to GM, which is releasing an inexpensive all-electric car this year. The future of driving is “not going to be determined by gas prices," says economist Jeff Sachs. “It's going to be determined by technology."
1.What change has taken place in the US car market?
A.Car purchases have dropped sharply
B.People are beginning to favor all-gas cars
C.Electric cars have become the most popular
D.Hybrid-electric cars have become more expensive
2.What do Americans think of the Toyota Camry hybrid?
A.It is a good investment
B.It is perfectly comfortable.
C.It has a price disadvantage.
D.It will change bad driving habits.
3.What can we infer about green cars in Norway?
A.They will slow they country's economy.
B.They may be a big potential market.
C.They will cause an increase in the gas tax.
D.They require higher fuel-efficiency standards.
4.Which of the following will Jeff Sachs probably agree with?
A.There will be more electric cars.
B.All-gas cars will be the general trend.
C.Gas-powered cars will cost much more.
D.Technology will affect driving negatively.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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1.Faced with declining enrollments and declining revenues, many public schools in the US are _____________________ get students from abroad, particularly from China.
2.Going to study in the US high school will _____________________ some Chinese students because it can increase their chances of entering an American university.
3.During a typical Romanian wedding ceremony, the newly-weds _____________________ usually _____________________ love and care from their relatives and neighbors.
4.Fifty years ago on April 12, the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin _____________________ worldwide as he became the first man in space, propelled into orbit on a Russian made rocket.
5.The US is a country which _____________________ people of different colors, races and religions, but sometimes the diversity can lead to problems.
6.Some people have to take special precautions when they go out in spring _____________________ suffering from seasonal allergy such as sneezing, watery eyes and runny noses.
7.Baseball _____________________ in the US because it’s not simply a game, but has become woven into the fabric of American culture.
8.The 32-year-old Taiwanese star Show Luo is at the peak of his singing career now, but his career hit a low _____________________ when he lost all his hosting jobs and got cold looks from people.
9.The latest Apple iPad 2 was _____________________ by the Apple Company at the end of March in 25 countries and it caused massive line-ups at stores across the U.S.
10.Several Libyan diplomats resigned their posts and _____________________ Gaddafi, describing him as a “dictator” and calling on him to step aside to avoid further bloodshed.
高二英语信息匹配中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.
The other day I was feeling quite ________________________________________, having just been laid off from my job. With so many ________________________________________ to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.
I got off the bus when I heard piano music and singing rising above the noise of the ________________________________________. I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the ________________________________________ I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.
She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice ________________________________________ me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take ________________________________________ to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn’t know.
She might have felt my ________________________________________ for she occasionally looked in my direction.
By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked ________________________________________ and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.
I asked her ________________________________________, “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”
She explained to me that she sees so many ________________________________________ people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by ________________________________________ motivational(激励的)music.
Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a ________________________________________________ time lately, but you’ve made me ________________________________________ again.”
“I’m happy that I could be ________________________________________ to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”
I told her my story and said, “I’m not so ________________________________________ about what to do….”
“You see, here’s the ________________________________________,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don’t look defeated, because ________________________________________ comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should ________________________________________ more … lift your head up.”
I was really ________________________________________ by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.
So ________________________________________ in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.1. A．lonely B．relaxed C．awful D．breathless
2. A．bills B．fees C．fines D．prices
3. A．listeners B．traffic C．instrument D．background
4. A．trees B．street C．buildings D．crowd
5. A．shocked B．comforted C．excited D．amused
6. A．courage B．energy C．patience D．technique
7. A．mood B．presence C．thought D．appreciation
8. A．aside B．down C．off D．over
9. A．quietly B．deliberately C．curiously D．seriously
10. A．negative B．unhealthy C．unconscious D．elderly
11. A．creating B．sharing C．enjoying D．teaching
12. A．tense B．wonderful C．rough D．crazy
13. A．enthusiastic B．emotional C．energetic D．hopeful
14. A．available B．essential C．superior D．helpful
15. A．sure B．ashamed C．particular D．anxious
16. A．problem B．situation C．conflict D．condition
17. A．success B．opportunity C．aid D．happiness
18. A．concentrate B．look C．smile D．fight
19. A．occupied B．moved C．inspired D．satisfied
20. A．however B．wherever C．whoever D．whenever
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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It was about 600 years ago _______ the first clock with a face and an hour hand was made.
A．that
B．until
C．before
D．when
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Just a year ago, the colors were bright under the waves. Now it’s gray — the Maldivian reef is dead. The coral is killed by the pressure of rising temperatures.
Coral reefs are areas underwater where small creatures live. The coral is hard material formed on the bottom of the sea by the skeletons of those creatures. But the world has lost about half its coral reefs in the last 30 years. Scientists are working to prevent their destruction. Due to global warming, over 90 percent of corals are expected to die by 2050. “To lose coral reefs is to fundamentally undermine the health of a very large proportion of the human race,” said Ruth Gates, director of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology.
Why are coral reefs important? Coral reefs support a fourth of all marine species, as well as half a billion people worldwide. They serve as barriers to protect coastlines from the storms. They provide billions of dollars from tourism, fishing and other trade. They are also used in medical research for cures for diseases. “Everyone should be concerned,” said biologist Ove Guldberg at Australia’s University of Queensland. “This is not just some distant dive destination. This is the basic structure of the ecosystem we depend on.”
The ocean is getting warmer. A rising temperature of just one to two degree Celsius can force coral to expel the algae (驱逐海藻) that live there. This leaves their white skeletons uncovered. It is a process called “bleaching”. Sixteen percent of the world’s corals died of bleaching in 1998. The problem has become much worse in recent years.
“We’ve lost 50 percent of the reefs, but that means we still have 50 percent left,” said Ruth Gates, who is working in Hawaii to breed corals that can better withstand increasing temperatures. She is also trying to “train” corals to survive rising temperatures. Gates says it is time to start “thinking outside the box”— find creative ways to help them.
1.The underlined word “undermine” in paragraph 2 means ___________.
A.weaken B.regain C.promote D.overlook
2.What’s the major concern of the scientists like Ove Guldberg?
A.People won’t find a dive destination in the future.
B.The effort to save corals will turn out to be fruitless.
C.The destruction of coral reefs will affect the earth ecosystem.
D.The bright sea has lost its charm because of those dead corals.
3.The fourth paragraph is mainly about ___________.
A.the harm of algae B.the process of “bleaching”
C.the importance of coral reefs D.the change of ocean temperature
4.Ruth Gates’ attitude towards the protection of corals is ___________.
A.proud B.cautious C.optimistic D.casual
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Until decades ago, our visions of the future were largely positive. We thought science and technology would cure all the ills of humanity, leading to lives of fulfillment and opportunity for all. However, as we have gained a deeper appreciation of the range of threats facing us, from epidemic (流行病) flu to climate change, we might even tend to assume that humanity has little future to look forward to.
Yet such depression is misplaced. The fossil record shows that many species have existed for millions of years—so why shouldn’t we? Take a look at our species in the universe, and it becomes clear we have an excellent chance of surviving for tens of thousands of years. Look up Homo sapiens (智人) in the “Red List” of threatened species of the International Union for the Conversation of Nature (IUCN), and you will read: “Listed as Least Concern because the species is widely distributed, adaptable, currently increasing, and there are no major threats resulting in an overall population decline.”
So what does our deep future hold? Many researchers and organizations are now thinking seriously about the question. The potential evolution of today’s technology is complicated, so it’s perhaps best left to science fiction writers and futurologists to explore the possibilities of the bright future.
Our future is quite rosy because it shows many promising possibilities of achievement. Besides, we are now knowledgeable enough to reduce risks that threatened the existence of earlier humans and to improve those to come. Take a longer view and we can say with considerable assurance that the past holds the key to the future: by analyzing the past, we can make evidence-based forecasts about the situations in which our descendants (后代) will find themselves.
1.According to the passage, what inspired our visions of the future in the past?
A.The desire for lives of fulfillment. B.The belief in equal opportunity.
C.The deep appreciation of threats. D.The faith in science and technology.
2.What can we know about human beings according to IUCN’s “Red List”?
A.They control the world’s development.
B.They severely threaten the environment.
C.They are strong enough to continue existing.
D.Their overall population will decrease.
3.What does the underlined word “rosy” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Dangerous. B.Annoying.
C.Hopeful. D.Undisturbed.
4.What should we do to ensure the future of mankind?
A.Explore our planet’s abundant resources.
B.Draw upon our experience from the past.
C.Build our ambition to reshape history.
D.Increase the population of the world.
5.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.The Bright and Promising Future of Mankind
B.Science and Technology Connected with Humans
C.The Fully and Highly Evolved Human Species
D.Different Researches Conducted on Our Future
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Several decades of years ago, I ran a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide. One very cold, wet night at about 3∶30 a.m., there was a ___ on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from ____ to toe, explained that he had ____ out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant wife and his two children ____ at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had ____ a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both ____ , saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he ____ me back.
Before leaving, I had turned the heater ____ in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and ____ .While the little ones played and ran ____ , I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the ____ .
It was about 5 a.m. before they ____ .The young fellow asked me how much he ____ me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵)had ___ $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later, I received a ____ from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to ___ to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It ____ out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most ____ person in the company.
In his letter, he thanked me again and ____ me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this ____ , a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
1.A. kick B. hit C. beat D. knock
2.A. shoulder B. finger C. hand D. head
3.A. used B. driven C. run D. come
4.A. behind B. away C. out D. over
5.A. poured B. supplied C. filled D. equipped
6.A. crying B. sleeping C. fighting D. quarreling
7.A. ring B. allow C. follow D. lead
8.A. off B. on C. over D. in
9.A. hot B. neat C. attractive D. warm
10.A. inside B. around C. along D. nearby
11.A. guests B. drivers C. adults D. customers
12.A. arrived B. left C. disappeared D. ate
13.A. paid B. gave C. offered D. owed
14.A. exhibited B. appeared C. shown D. calculated
15.A. letter B. call C. notice D. check
16.A. force B. get C. hope D. requite
17.A. turned B. pointed C. found D. worked
18.A. successful B. generous C. powerful D. serious
19.A. persuaded B. praised C. convinced D. informed
20.A. business B. lesson C. case D. aspect
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Several decades of years ago, I ran a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide. One very cold, wet night at about 3∶30 a.m., there was a______ on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from______ to toe, explained that he had______ out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant wife and his two children______ at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had_____a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both______, saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he______me back.
Before leaving, I had turned the heater______ in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and______.While the little ones played and ran_____ , I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the______.
It was about 5 a.m. before they______ .The young fellow asked me how much he______ me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵)had______ $15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later, I received a______ from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to______to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It_____out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most______person in the company.
In his letter, he thanked me again and_____ me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this______, a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
1.A. kick B. hit C. beat D. knock
2.A. shoulder B. finger C. hand D. head
3.A. used B. driven C. run D. come
4.A. behind B. away C. out D. over
5.A. poured B. supplied C. filled D. equipped
6.A. crying B. sleeping C. fighting D. quarreling
7.A. ring B. allow C. follow D. lead
8.A. off B. on C. over D. in
9.A. hot B. neat C. attractive D. warm
10.A. inside B. around C. along D. nearby
11.A. guests B. drivers C. adults D. customers
12.A. arrived B. left C. disappeared D. ate
13.A. paid B. gave C. offered D. owed
14.A. exhibited B. appeared C. shown D. calculated
15.A. letter B. call C. notice D. check
16.A. force B. get C. hope D. requite
17.A. turned B. pointed C. found D. worked
18.A. successful B. generous C. powerful D. serious
19.A. persuaded B. praised C. convinced D. informed
20.A. business B. lesson C. case D. aspect
高二英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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A crisis is on the way. Global warming? The world economy? No, the decline of reading. People are just not doing it anymore, especially the young. Who’s responsible? What is responsible? The Internet, of course, and everything that comes with it—Facebook, Twitter, etc.
There’s been a warning about the coming death of literate civilization for a long time. In the 20th century, first it was the movies, then radio, then television that seemed to end the written world. None did. Reading survived; In fact, it not only survived, but it has developed better. The world is more literate than ever before — there are more and more readers and more and more books.
The fact that we often get our reading material online today is not something we should worry over. The electronic and digital revolution of the last two decades has arguably shown the way forward for reading and for writing. Interconnectivity allows for the possibility of a reading experience that was barely imaginable before. Where traditional books had to make do with photographs and illustrations(插图), an e-book can provide readers with an unlimited number of links：to texts, pictures, and videos.
On the other hand, there is the danger of trivialization(碎片化).One Twitter group is offering its followers single-sentence-long“digests”of the great novels. War and Peace in a sentence? You must be joking. We should fear the fragmentation(碎片)of reading. There is the danger that the high-speed connectivity of the Internet will reduce our attention span(时间)—that we will be incapable of reading anything of length or which requires deep concentration.
In such a fast-changing world, in which reality seems to be remade each day, we need the ability to focus and understand what is happening to us. This has always been the function of literature and we should be careful not to let it disappear. Our society needs to be able to imagine the possibility of someone entirely in pace with modern technology but able to make sense of a dynamic, confusing world.
1.In Paragraph 2,we can learn .
A. the disappearance of traditional books
B. the development of human civilization
C. the historical challenges for reading
D. the birth of pioneering e-books
2.According to the passage, the advantage of e-books is .
A. 1imited link
B. imaginative design
C. low cost
D. varied contents
3.How does the author feel towards single-sentence-long novels?
A. Doubtful B. Worried
C. Shocked D. Hopeful
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Technology is an opportunity and a challenge for traditional reading.
B. Technology pushes the way forward for reading and writing.
C. Interconnectivity is a feature of new reading experience.
D. Technology offers a greater variety of reading practice.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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In the past two decades，the Chinese economy has undergone many reforms in an effort to compete more effectively on the international market.These reforms included allowing foreign banks to offer credit cards to Chinese citizens.Now，researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) have found about 30 percent of Chinese urban households now own at least one credit card and the growth rate of credit card adoption has been an average of 40 percent per year between 2004 and 2009.
Rui Yao，an assistant professor of personal financial planning at MU，says that this large growth in such a small amount of time has positive and negative implications for the Chinese economy.
''With more and more people taking advantage of credit cards in China，it certainly increases potential consumer buying power，''Yao said.'' However，we found that more than 90 percent of credit card users were unaware of safety issues existing in credit card use and more than 60 percent had little knowledge of the consequences of credit card debt.This lack of knowledge could create problems as credit card ownership is expected to grow at a rate of 11 percent a year. ''
Yao found that while 72 percent of Chinese credit card holders were never late on their payment，only 55 percent were able to pay the full balance.She also found that 70 percent of Chinese credit card holders said that credit cards contributed to overspending.
Yao believes the Chinese could benefit from financial education designed to help them plan for their financial future and encouraging the Chinese to take advantage of debt in a responsible fashion is important for the Chinese economy. ''Appropriate use of debt can help households improve their quality of life as well as spur economic growth through an increase in market purchases'' Yao said.
1.Why did China allow foreign banks to offer credit cards to Chinese citizens?
A.To increase Chinese citizens’ confidence in economy.
B.To respond to the urgent demand for financial reforms.
C.To improve competitiveness in the international market.
D.To persuade more Chinese citizens to accept credit cards.
2.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
A.The potential market purchases in the future.
B.Weaknesses caused by lack of knowledge of credit cards.
C.The rapid growth in credit card ownership.
D.Advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards.
3.A lot of figures are used in the text in order to________.
A.record the valuable data B.provide concrete evidence
C.introduce a research method D.give a detailed description
4.The underlined word ''spur'' in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ''________''.
A.control B.delay
C.promote D.discourage
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析