题目内容
The global energy crisis is approaching. What can we do? Here are some steps you can take.
Cooling puts the greatest stress on your summer energy bill and the power grid（电网）. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Clean or replace filters monthly or as needed.
For central air conditioning systems and room sir conditioners, look for the ENERGY STAR, the federal government’s symbol for energy efficiency. For central air, purchase the system with the highest possible Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio（SEER）.
Use energy-efficient ceiling fans either alone or with air conditioning Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating air. When used with air conditioning, fans allow you to raise the thermostat（恒温器）and cut costs. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so before you leave, turn off the ceiling fan.
Let a programmable thermostat “remember for you” to automatically adjust the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce cooling bills by up to 10 percent. You can come home to a comfortable house without wasting energy and cresting pollution all day while you are at work.
Try to make your home airtight enough to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner and reduce your cooling costs up to 20 percent.
Cut your air conditioning load, and reduce pollution by planting leafy trees around your home and fixing reflective bricks on your roof.
Close blinds or shades on south-and west-facing windows during the day, or fix shading equipment to avoid beat build-up.
Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers. And use fluorescent bulbs（荧光灯）, which provide bright, warm light while using at least two-thirds less energy, producing 70 percent Jess beat and lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs（白炽灯）.
Drive the car that gets better gas mileage whenever possible if you own more than one vehicle. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10 percent of your trips from a car that gets 20 miles per gallon to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than $65 per year.
Carpool. The average U.S. commutes（乘车上班族）could save about $260 a year by sharing cars twice a Week with two other people in a car that gets 20.1 mpg—assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas.
1. According to the passage, the thermostat is used to .
A. make rooms quieter B. control room temperature
C. turn off the air conditioner D. reduce room air pollution
2. We can conclude from the passage that the author probably discourages .
A. planting leafy trees around your home
B. turning off the ceiling fan before you leave your house
C. keeping your south-facing windows open during the day
D. using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs
3. This passage is mainly about .
A. energy-saving tips B. fuel-saving tips
C. do it yourself tips D. environment-protecting
BCB
First lady Michelle Obama urged students to visit China at the “100,000 Strong” China Study Abroad Forum at Howard University.
President Barack Obama announced the “100,000 Strong” Initiative（十万强计划）during his 2009 visit to China. The program aims to increase the number of American students studying in China by making study abroad more affordable.
During the event at Howard, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of studying abroad. “Studying in a country like China is about so much more than just improving your own prospects（前途） in the global market. The fact is that with every friendship you make and every bond of trust you establish you are shaping an image of America projected to the rest of the world and making America known better.” she said.
Mrs. Obama encouraged students to set aside the opinion that studying abroad is for “rich kids only” or for those attending “certain schools”. The first lady also announced that the Chinese government is giving 10,000 “Bridge Scholarships” to cover costs for American students studying in China.
Some students who had studied in China shared their experiences. David Marzban from Pepperdine University recalled a time when he formed a cross-cultural bond with a complete stranger at a restaurant near Fudan University in Shanghai. He noticed a young chef signaling him to come over. “He pressed the play button on his media player and started singing California Dreaming and wanted me to sing along with him,” Marzban said. “At that time I knew a great friendship had started during my first two weeks in China.”
Nicole Baden from Howard University recalled how her time in China really helped her master the language. “You have to experience the culture while learning the language to really master it to understand why things are how they are compared to your own culture,” Baden said.
12-year-old Sarah Davis, who studied in China last summer, said she was very excited to hear Michelle Obama talk about the country. “I love Chinese. Out of all the languages I’ve learned, Chinese is the most difficult and interesting.” She said.
【小题1】 According to the passage, the “100,000 Strong” Initiative ______.
| A．provides convenience for American students to study in China |
| B．was made by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009 |
| C．got little support from the Chinese government |
| D．isn’t well-accepted among American students |
| A．American students used to be unable to study abroad |
| B．Studying in China can make American students’ future better |
| C．the Chinese government will offer all the US students scholarships |
| D．American students’ studying in China helps improve the relationship between China and the US |
| A．American students are very popular in China |
| B．Chinese is the most difficult to learn in the world |
| C．Many US young people have actually been studying in China |
| D．American students’ studying in China is important and worthwhile |
| A．A great program for American students to study in China |
| B．Michelle Obama encourages students to study in China |
| C．More American students will go to China to study |
| D．China is attracting more and more American students |
第四部分 写作技能 （ 共两节，满分26 分）
第一节 阅读填空 （ 共5 小题，每小题1 分，满分5 分 ）
阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的词。
注意： 每个空格不超过3个单词。
Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn't make sense in today's world.
Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? In a summer vacation, millions of kids spend valuable time sending messages, watching TV, playing video games and doing shopping in the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.
Summer vacation once made sense in the past when you didn't need an education to get a good job. But now things have changed. For today's students, academic skills are important to students' future success, but such skills ate affected in the summertime. Many nations don't give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive(连续的) weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to thirteen weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.
Summer vacation also causes challenges for today's families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home Mom. Now two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.
But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime.
A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to hard boring work. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts. Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.
Title: 65
|
Theme |
A long summer vacation doesn’t make sense in today’s world. |
|
|
Basic Information |
Vacation length |
66 weeks in most American schools[来源:Zxxk.Com] |
|
Students’ 67___________ |
·Sending messages and watching TV ·Playing video games ·Doing shopping |
|
|
Disadvantages |
Putting student’s academic futures at risk |
Affect academic 68 |
|
Causing challenges for families |
Make parents watch kids at home |
|
|
Hurting academic achievement |
Make students lose significant ground |
|
|
69.____________ |
Students should be conducted to study more imaginative lessons such as athletics, languages, music and the arts. |
|
|
Conclusion |
Summer vacation can be both grand and outdated |