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An invention to tackle canal plastics pollution was one of the highlights of the recent Amsterdam International Water Week.
The instrument, named"the great Bubble barrier" is a bubble screen that will remove plastic trash from the canals and therefore prevent it from flowing through to the river IJ and the North Sea.
“This is a very important step in reducing the amount of plastic in the oceans,”co-inventor Philip Ehrhorn said “It is a lot easier to stop it at an earlier stage instead of in the ocean.”
The tool works as follows. By pumping air through a tube with holes in it, which is located on the bottom of a waterway, a bubble barrier appears. This creates an upward thrust, which brings waste to the surface of the water.
By placing it diagonally in the waterway, the barrier uses the natural current to guide the plastic to the catchment system at the riverside. Both ships and fish can pass through the Bubble Barrier, but plastic will be stopped.
The invention's origins go back around four years, when Dutch students Saskia Studer, Anne Marieke Eveleens and Francis Zoet looked at the bubbles of a beer glass in a bar and thought they should do something similar. Ehrhorn, a German student, had the same idea. After he found out about the plans of the three Dutch women, they decided to join forces in Amsterdam.
“It is the first step of many”, Ehrhorn continued on the project. “First, the different rivers and canals in the Netherlands-cities, industrial areas, ports. In the following years ,we will go to the rest of Europe, Asia and elsewhere.”
“We have learned to live with water and have built a thriving society.”Nijhof said.
1.What's a bubble barrier?
A.A dam made of concrete. B.An invention to trap plastic.
C.A canal to deal with waste. D.A container to hold beer.
2.According to Philip Ehrhorn, which of the following is true?
A.The barrier is effective in a way.
B.It's easy to deal with plastic.
C.This instrument can deal with all waste.
D.We can do nothing with sea waste.
3.Which paragraphs describe the barrier's working principle?
A.Paragraph 1&2. B.Paragraph 2&3.
C.Paragraph 3&4. D.Paragraph 4&5.
4.Which might be the best title of Paragraph 2&3 of the passage?
A.Plastic becomes easier to remove.
B.An action to remove the plastic.
C.An instrument will be invented.
D.A new invention to fight plastic pollution.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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Not only does the use of plastic water bottles hurt your wallet, it also increases pollution and wastes energy and water. Only 23% of all plastic in America ends up in a recycling bin, meaning over $ 1 billion worth of plastic is treated as rubbish a year. Recently, Skipping Rocks Lab has invented a kind of water bottle called Ooho.
It is a convenient, clear water bottle that can either be drunken or eaten. To drink it, you can either peel off the membrane(薄膜) or tear a hole in the membrane with your teeth to pour the water into your mouth. To eat it, you simply put the whole bottle in your mouth. One problem the scientists have run into is how to ship large amounts of Ooho bubbles(水泡) without arriving with a very wet truck. However, they have attempted to package units of individual bubbles together inside a larger and thicker membrane. It is targeting large outdoor events, such as marathons, music festivals, and sporting events, where tons of plastic bottles are used, and frequently left behind as litter. And too much plastic is sure to do harm to the environment, which could account for their purpose of such a new invention.
The team has been working for the past two years to develop the technology and materials needed to produce Ooho; they have recently applied a patent for their new advancements. The price for an individual bubble or a unit of bubbles has not been set yet, but they cost about two cents to create a unit, which is cheaper than plastic bottles. It has appeared at events in London, San Francisco, Boston, at conferences, festivals, and so on.
Ooho is catching many people’s attention and has raised over $ 1 million and gained 1,000 investors in only three days. It is mostly being sold at events at the moment to keep the consumer’s interest while the production machine is getting up and running. It is quickly making a rise,so keep an eye out this year for these bottles of the future.
1.How is most plastic dealt with in America?
A.It’s sold. B.It’s recycled.
C.It’s buried. D.It’s wasted.
2.Why did the team invent Ooho?
A.To make a profit for a company. B.To protect the environtnent.
C.To make people eat as they drink. D.To reduce the cost of plastic bottle.
3.What can we infer about Ooho from the text?
A.It is easy and safe to ship it in large amounts.
B.It has become popular since it began to be sold.
C.It might be sold at a lower price than plastic bottles.
D.It cost the team a lot of money to develop the technology.
4.What does the author really want to say in the last paragraph?
A.Ooho is to be a success in the future.
B.Ooho is being supported by smart people.
C.Ooho is taking the place of plastic bottles now.
D.Ooho is being produced to attract more investors.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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In an effort to discourage people from using plastics, scientists have been hard at work inventing alternative packaging products. From water bottles made from seaweed to cutlery(餐具) made from rice and wheat, a number of inventions are set to change the way we eat while we are on the go, or having a relaxing picnic in the park.
The idea of using seaweed to make eco-friendly water bottles has been around for a few years. Recently, Ari Jonsson took his invention—a water bottle made from red seaweed—to show off at a festival. The bottles will only hold their shape as long as they are filled. As soon as these bottles are empty they will begin to break down, though they would be perfectly safe to eat. Ari Jonsson's bottles are a step closer to a widely used alternative to the current plastic ones.
The eatable water container is not the only product to add to our image of the future. Narayana Pessapaty has also created eatable spoons. After the success of his spoons, Mr. Pessapaty is ready to expand and introduce forks and chopsticks to his menu. His aim is to largely reduce the amount of plastic waste, which is a huge problem for waste sites all over the world, It is a product that may take up to 500 years to break down, and recycling companies worldwide are struggling to deal with it.
Aside from the obvious benefits to the environment, this new packaging is also cheap to produce and therefore cheap to buy. Even better is the fact that similar eatable cutlery can be made at home, possibly a science project for children or just fun with friends. Why not experiment and create your own recipes?
1.Why do scientists invent alternative packaging products?
A. To make people's life more convenient.
B. To show off their inventive talents.
C. To change the way we picnic outside.
D. To reduce the amount of plastic waste.
2.What makes Art Jonsson's water bottles eco-friendly?
A. They can be made at home.
B. They are cheap to produce and buy.
C. They will hold their shape when they are filled.
D. They will break down themselves when empty.
3.What do Ari and Narayana's inventions have in common?
A. They are convenient to carry.
B. They are safe to eat.
C. They can be used for a short time.
D. They are heavier than plastics.
4.What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Home-made eatable cutlery is likely to be popular.
B. Eatable cutlery will completely replace plastics in the near future.
C. No recycling companies can break down plastic waste.
D. It’s unsafe for individuals to invent eatable cutlery at home.
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 an effort to fight plastic pollution, Indian company EnviGreen has produced a new material that looks like plastic, but is 100% organic and eco-friendly. You can even dispose (处理) of such a “plastic” bag by eating it.
EnviGreen founder Ashwath Hedge came up with this idea after seeing people struggling to find alternatives to plastic bags, following bans released by several Indian cities. So he decided to work on something that would solve this problem while being environment-friendly.
Hedge spent four years experimenting with various materials, but one day he discovered a combination of 12 ingredients, including potatoes, corn, vegetable oil, bananas etc, which looked and felt like plastic, but caused none of the environmental problems. The process is obviously a closely-guarded secret, but Hedge did reveal that the raw materials are first changed into liquid form, and then taken through a six-stage process to create the bags.
The cost of an EnviGreen bag is about 35% higher than that of a plastic bag, but the benefits of using the former are more than worth the extra cost. EnviGreen bags dissolve naturally in less than 180 days, and if placed in water at room temperature, they dissolve in less than a day. Placed in boiling water, they dissolve in about 15 seconds.
EnviGreen has begun to produce EnviGreen bags for commercial use. The company has set up a factory in Bangalore, where it produces around 1,000 tons of eco-friendly “plastic” bags a month. That’s not very much, considering that the city of Bangalore alone consumes over 30,000 tons of plastic bags every month, but Hedge says that he wants to set up enough factories before they start distributing to individual customers. They have started supplying the bags to big supermarkets like Metro and Reliance. Apart from protecting the environment, Hedge also plans to use EnviGreen bags to support local farmers.
Nowadays, over 15,000 tons of plastic waste is produced in India every day, only 9,000 of which are collected and processed. Inventions of EnviGreen can help solve this problem, so let's hope it lives up to its potential.
1.What can we know about EnviGreen bags?
A.They give out wonderful smells.
B.They cost much less than plastic bags.
C.They are beneficial to the environment.
D.They are developed by the Indian goverment.
2.We can learn from the passage that ________.
A.it is very easy to produce EnviGreen bags
B.EnviGreen bags are made from various fruits
C.the details of how to make EnviGreen bags aren’t made public
D.the Indian government has banned plastic bags across the country
3.EnviGreen bags dissolve most quickly when they are ________.
A.thrown in the wild B.washed in cold water
C.buried in the soil D.put in boiling water
4.What can we infer about EnviGreen bags from the passage?
A.Individual customers cannot buy them so far.
B.They will replace all plastic bags in India soon.
C.They are not well-accepted by big supermarkets.
D.Local farmers are in great need of EnviGreen bags.
5.What does the author think of EnviGreen bags?
A.Wasteful. B.Practical.
C.Ridiculous. D.Crazy.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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The wheel was one of man’s first inventions and yet it has also proved one of the most useful. So wide and varied are the uses of the wheels, in machines and vehicles of all kinds, that it is difficult to imagine what the world would be like without them. It is surprising to hear it said, therefore, that the wheel’s importance will perhaps be greatly reduced by the end of the century by an invention so new as to be still unnamed.
The invention is a machine the floats above any surface on a cushion of air. The cushion is formed when air is blown into this saucer, the machine rises to a height that may vary from a few inches to a few feet.
Industry is already using one form of the inversion to deal with heavy loads. It can lift them. with ease and since there are no wheels, and therefore no friction , they can be put into motion with the touch of a finger.
The new invention, however , is having a great effect on transport, Not only does it make expensive road systems unnecessary, but it enables vehicles to travel well over land or water. This unique to reach most destinations has given rise to the prediction that wheeled vehicles may be uncommon at the end the century as aeroplanes were at the beginning.
1. The first paragraph tells us that______.
A. the wheel was man’s earliest invention.
B. the wheel’s usefulness has yet to be proved.
C. wide wheels have a variety of important uses.
D. a new invention may make wheels less important.
2. The phrase “with the touch of a finger” in the third paragraph means______.
A. without difficulty B. by electricity .
C. without friction D. by hand.
3. The passage tells us that the new invention __________.
A. is more important for industry than for transport.
B. will one day be used instead of aeroplanes.
C. makes it possible to travel without using roads.
D. will replace wheeled vehicles using roads.
4. According to the passage, the new invention _______.
A. will soon get a name B. can go almost anywhere
C. is lighter than air D. was uncommon a century ago
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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It was a short flight from Shanghai to Xi’ an. Xi’ an is one of the four great ancient capitals of China 1. over 3,100 years of history. Its ancient walls date from the Ming Dynasty and are the best 2.(preserve) in the world. There are bicycles for people to hire. It is 3.(amaze) to ride along the walls to survey this fascinating city.
The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance show is not to be missed, but my favorite is an art gallery, 4.we can enjoy some beautiful artwork and learn how to write Chinese characters.
Most tourists make 5. way to Xi’ an to see the life-size terracotta warriors (兵马俑) and we were no 6. (difference). The collection, which shows the armies of the first Emperor of China, 7.(remain) hidden until 1974 when they were discovered by a farmer sinking a well. Walking among the statues is forbidden unless you are a VIP — but there are plenty of souvenir 8. (shop) in which tourists can buy the replicas（复制品）of them.
All too soon it was time 9.(leave). I really enjoyed my stay in Xi’ an. It is indeed a place of interest worth 10. second visit.
高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her make-believe(假想的) little friend and I’ll never forget the words she said, even though it was_____.
She said, “Jane’s in the corner because she’s not been very ____. She didn’t listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was clear she’d been put to sit _______and think.
My daughter continued her “______”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I’m all___up. I just don’t know what to do with her any more. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play _______, too. She never lets me do the things that I just have to do. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot_____. And she doesn’t know how to fold towels. I don’t have the_____to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don’t have the time to sit and play — Do you see what I _____?”
And that day I thought a lot about making some ____in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn’t bee n paying enough ______to what I hold most dear. I’d been caught up in responsibilities that increased over the years.
But now my _______has changed, because, in my heart, I realize that I’ve seen the world in a different light_____my little darling’s eyes. So, let the cobwebs(蜘蛛网) ______the corners and the dust rabbit rule the floor. I’m not going to worry about keeping up with them any more.
I’m going to fill the house with______of a child and her mother, for we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.
1.A. attracted B. confused C. moved D. imagined
2.A. gentle B. happy C. good D. helpful
3.A. normally B. alone C. quietly D. ahead
4.A. conversation B. intonation C. operation D. preparation
5.A. cut B. fed C. made D. eaten
6.A. balls B. cards C. music D. games
7.A. reach B. settle C. arrive D. handle
8.A. skill B. duty C. energy D. reason
9.A. care B. mean C. feel D. learn
10.A. influences B. changes C. plans D. troubles
11.A. attention B. money C. excitement D. convenience
12.A. purpose B. principle C. attitude D. interest
13.A. beside B. on C. across D. through
14.A. cover B. manage C. make D. stop
15.A. explanations B. messages C. imaginations D. memories
高二英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
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I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her doll. And I will never forget the words she said, ever though it was pretended.
She said, “Suzie’s in the corner because she’s not been very good. She didn’t listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was obvious that she’d been put there to sit alone and think.
My daughter continued her “conversation”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I’m all fed up, I just don’t know what to do with her anymore. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play games, too. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot reach…And she doesn’t know how to fold towels. I don’t have the time to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don’t have the time to sit and play —don’t you know what I mean?”
And that day I thought a lot about making some changes in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn’t been paying enough attention to what I hold most dear.
But now my attitude has changed, because, in my heart, I realize…I’ve seen the world in a different light through my little darling’s eyes. So, let the cobwebs have the corners and the dustbunnies rule the floor, I’m not going to worry about keeping up with them anymore.
I’m going to fill the house with memories of a child and her mother…For we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.
1. What was the little girl doing with her doll?
A. She was dressing up her doll.
B. She was playing the doll with her friend Suzie.
C. She was talking to her mother.
D. She was punishing her doll.
2. Which statement is TRUE about the mother’s behaviors before that day?
A. She spent a lot of time with her daughter talking to her.
B. She was busy cleaning the house with little time spared for her daughter.
C. She didn’t show her love to her child.
D. She always dressed up baby dolls with her daughter.
3. What do the underlined words “cobwebs” and “dustbunnies” probably refer to?
A. A happy atmosphere inside the home.
B. All her d aughter’s toys
C. Happy memories of a child
D. Things that kept the mother busy
4. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Daughter and Her Doll B. Daughter’s Words
C. Only One Childhood D. A Busy Mother’s Change
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her doll. And I will never forget the words she said, ever though it was pretended.
She said, “Suzie’s in the corner because she’s not been very good. She didn’t listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was obvious that she’d been put there to sit alone and think.
My daughter continued her “conversation”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I’m all fed up, I just don’t know what to do with her anymore. She cries whenever I have to work and wants to play games, too. She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot reach…And she doesn’t know how to fold towels. I don’t have the time to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don’t have the time to sit and play —don’t you know what I mean?”
And that day I thought a lot about making some changes in my life, as I listened to her words that cut me like a knife. I hadn’t been paying enough attention to what I hold most dear.
But now my attitude has changed, because, in my heart, I realize…I’ve seen the world in a different light through my little darling’s eyes. So, let the cobwebs have the corners and the dustbunnies rule the floor, I’m not going to worry about keeping up with them anymore.
I’m going to fill the house with memories of a child and her mother…For we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.
1.What was the little girl doing with her doll?
A. She was dressing up her doll.
B. She was playing the doll with her friend Suzie.
C. She was talking to her mother.
She was punishing her doll.2.Which statement is TRUE about the mother’s behaviors before that day?
A. She spent a lot of time with her daughter talking to her.
B. She was busy cleaning the house with little time spared for her daughter.
C. She didn’t show her love to her child.
She always dressed up baby dolls with her daughter.3.What do the underlined words “cobwebs” and “dustbunnies” probably refer to?
A. A happy atmosphere inside the home.
B. All her d aughter’s toys
C. Happy memories of a child
Things that kept the mother busy4.Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Daughter and Her Doll B. Daughter’s Words
C. Only One Childhood
A Busy Mother’s Change高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students. To make the point 1, he used an illustration.
As he stood in front of the group, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” He then pulled out a wide-mouth jar and set it on the table. Then he 2 placed about a dozen fist-sized rocks, one by one, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the 3 and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar 4?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”
“Really?” Then he 5 under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel(石子), dumped some in and 6 the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces 7 the big rocks. Then he asked the group the same question. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” He replied.
He reached under the table and 8 a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the 9 left between the rocks and the gravel. 10 he asked the question. “No!” the class shouted. “Good!” Then he grabbed a can of water and began to pour it in 11 the jar was filled to the brim.
Then the expert in time management looked at the class and asked, “What is the 12 of this illustration?” It is such a seemingly easy question that one 13 student raised his hand and said, “It is, however full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always 14 some more things in it.
“No,” the speaker replied. “The truth it teaches us is that you will 15 get them in at all if you don't put the big rocks in first. 16 the big rocks in your life are, do things that you love and 17 for yourself. In your schedule if you value the little stuff then you’ll fill your life with 18 things and you will never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are 19 on this short story, ask yourself what the ‘big rocks’ in your life are. Then put those in your 20 first. ”
1. A．harder B．rougher C．clearer D．wiser
2. A．carefully B．firmly C．actively D．unwillingly
3.A edge B. bottom C. wall D. top
4. A．full B．pure C．enough D．smooth
5. A．sent B．reached C．managed D．felt
6. A．delivered B．shook C．dropped D．held
7. A．beneath B．across C．beyond D．between
8. A．threw out B．came out C．brought out D．set out
9. A．spaces B．caves C．blanks D．holes
10. A．At last B．shortly after C．Later on D．Once more
11. A．unless B．until C．before D．while
12. A．result B．opinion C．point D．comment
13. A．calm B．awkward C．nervous D．eager
14. A．add B．fit C．include D．collect
15. A．never B．even C．still D．ever
16. A．Whether B．However C．Whatever D．Which
17. A．conclude B．encourage C．achieve D．value
18. A．more B．little C．much D．less
19. A．reflecting B．counting C．deciding D．insisting
20. A．packet B．can C．jar D．luggage
高二英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
She was punishing her doll.