The world's largest solar thermal plant(太阳热能发电站)is set to begin producing power in the United States by the end of the year. Wind and energy from the sun are generally considered clean, unlike energy from coal-burning power stations. However, environmentalists now worry that too much solar power development could harm the local environment.

A California company — BrightSource Energy is building a huge solar power plant in the Mojave desert, about 60 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant is known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Joe Desmond works for the company. "This is actually one of the highest concentrations of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah." explained Desmond. BrightSource Energy will deploy 170,000 specially de­signed mirrors to direct solar energy towards boilers on top of three power towers. The steam produced in the boilers will drive turbine (涡轮) to make electricity. Joe Desmond says the steam can reach temperatures of more than 260 degrees Celsius. "We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt, so we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There is a lot of interest in concentrating solar power around the globe in environmnents where you have lots of sun, such as China, South Africa, the Mid­dle East, North Africa, explained Desmond.

Environmentalists generally support the idea of solar power, however, many are concerned about the effect of power plants on sensitive environment. Lisa Belenky is a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, a private group. She says environmentalists are specifically worried about the effect of the Ivanpah Solar Project on the sensitive plant and animal life in that part of Mojave desert. "Even though the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, it can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants are able to survive in the long run,"said Lisa Belenky. BrightSource Energy has already spent more than $ 50 million to move endangered desert tortoises away from the power plant. but Lisa Belenky says this is not the answer. "We should be reusing areas that have a1ready been disturbed, like old mining sites, for example...either on homes, on businesses, parking lots." said Belenky.

There have also been reports of birds dying at the Ivanpah Plant and others like it.

Some birds die after colliding with solar equipment which the animals mistake for water. Other birds were killed or suffered burns after flying through the intense heat at the solar thermal plant. As solar projects increase, environmentalists and developers are considering what to do to reduce bird death.

1.Why is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System being built in the desert?

A. Because the temperature is extremely high in the desert.??

B. Because there is no life in the desert.

C. Because there is much salt in the desert.?????????????

D. Because sunlight is highly focused in the desert.

2.Why can the plant make electricity at night?

A. Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the form of steam.

B. Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the form of molten salt.

C. Because the sun'ss thermal energy can be stored through mirrors

D. Because the sun's thermal energy can be stored in the boilers.

3.According to Lisa Belenky, in order to reduce the effect,_____.

A. we should move all the plants and animals away from the solar plant

B. we should guide the bird not to hit the solar plant

C we should build the solar plant in disturbed areas

D. we should build the solar plant in the desert

4.The author’s attitude towards the solar projects is _____.

A. supportive????????????? B. critical????????????? ??? ??????? C. indifferent????????????? ?????????? D. cautious

 

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.

   The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker(面包师)in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery(面包房)into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

   By eight o’ clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Pauls and the Guildhall among them.

  Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, write about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”

  The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

  After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among them the mew St Pauls.

  The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

1.The fire began in_________ .

A. a hotel    B. the palace   C. Pudding Lane    D. Thames Street

2.The underlined word “family” in the second paragraph means_________ .

A. home       B. children     C. wife and husband    D. wife and children

3.Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?

A. Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire.

B. Because Pepys also wrote about the fire.

C. To show that poor people suffered most.

D. To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire.

4.How was the fire put out according to the text?

A. The soldiers came to help.

B. All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed.

C. People managed to get enough water from the river.

D. Houses standing in the path of the fire were destroyed according to the King’s order.

 

I made up my mind to drive to South Carolina to meet my friends in my used car. Though I had only been there once  1  and did not know the  2  very well. I was on the  3  after I had made some enquires.

    At Ashville, there was a crossroad where I could go on along the main road or I could take a short cut. The short cut was to  4  several hills and was dangerous. I hesitated for a little while and then chose the main road, for I wanted to be  5  .

    Something strange happened after I drove a long  6  and found it was not the correct road that I wanted to  7  , but the hilly road I decided to avoid. I realized that it was at the  8  that I had made the  9   mistake. “What shall I do?” I asked myself. If I went back to take that road again, it would be very late by the time I got to Columbia. Thinking it  10 , I decided to go on. “If  11  people can go along this road, why can’t I?” I  12    myself.

The short cut, to my surprise, was not that  13 . In fact, it was only a very peaceful country road,  14  up and down two low  15 . There was  16  traffic. On both sides of the road, you could see trees, wild flowers, and  17   with cows and horses. My fear was  18  with the wind. Listening to the beautiful country music over my car stereo (立体声), I drove on and  19  the scenery which was so quiet and so natural. Even my used car forgot to give me  20 . It was just in this light-heartedness that I arrived at my destination. My friends, after they heard what had happened to me, all said it sounded like an adventure.

1.A. before                 B. ago                 C. already D. still

2.A. town                    B. country          C. friends           D. way

3.A. train                B. car          C. highway         D .phone

4.A. have               B. go               C. ride                           D. cross

5.A. safe     B. dangerous                 C. fast                 D. slow

6.A. moment       B. way                    C.land        D. day

7.A. come          B. leave                  C. take                 D. drive

8.A. crossroad    B. beginning              C. station             D. corner

9.A. direction             B. interesting        C. disappointed  D. road

10.A. about                 B. over                   C. of                     D. up

11.A. another             B. the other           C. other                        D. others

12.A. advised             B. cheated             C. encouraged             D. forced

13.A. far             B. safe                    C. dangerous               D. dirty

14.A. walking    B. coming     C. driving             D. going

15.A. lands                  B. cars                    C. farms                        D. hills

16.A. heavy                B. little                    C. crowded                  D. few

17.A. villages     B. trucks                 C. houses                      D. farms

18.A. together  B. gone                   C. covered          D. shared

19.A. looked               B. liked                   C. enjoyed          D. found

20.A. advances B. warnings            C. problems                 D. joys

 

 “Who is that?” When watching the movie, Silver Linings Playbook, at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September, the woman sitting next asked me.

It seemed to be a strange question. I wanted to ask if she ever saw a little movie called The Hunger Games, or the Oscar-nominated movie Winter’s Bone. Instead, I just answered, “Jennifer Lawrence.” But I wondered how a moviegoer does not recognize Lawrence! As Silver Linings Playbook continued to unfold and Lawrence revealed herself as a wonderful comic actress, it hit me: this woman probably has never seen Jennifer Lawrence smile before. That is the thing throwing her.

Audiences will have the opportunity to watch Lawrence’s performance in Silver Linings Playbook when the film opens in limited release before a Thanksgiving weekend blowout expansion. The 22-year-old actress heads this year’s lead actress Oscar race by a country mile. Here’s an early main list of some competitors in this category.

1. Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook

2. Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild

3. Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone

3. Helen Mirren in Hitchcock

5. Emmanuelle Riva in Amour

6. Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty

Chastain, playing a CIA agent in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, is the wild card here and, quite possibly, the only candidate capable of replacing Lawrence from the top spot. The cruelty in Rust and Bone will put off sensitive academy members, making Cotillard lose chances for a second Oscar. Wallis makes for a wonderful story, but it is too early for her to be awarded a lead actress. Riva will need a push to win the nomination of lead actress.

Mirren, as the Alfred Hitchcock’s wife and unsung partner, Alma Reville, might pose the biggest threat to Lawrence. Older academy members will love the historical Hollywood seen in Hitchcock, and Mirren’s role as the unsung wind beneath Hitch’s wings should find appreciation within creative circles. It’s not “The Queen”. but this year, it might be enough.

1. What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?

A.To introduce Silver Linings Playbook

B.To get us out of the topic.

C.To tell us a specific story

D.To bring out the topic of the passage

2. The underlined sentence implies that    ?

A.Jennifer Lawrence doesn’t like smile.

B.Jennifer Lawrence’s smile can impress you all greatly.

C.The woman has never seen comic films featured by Jennifer Lawrence.

D.The woman hates to see Jennifer Lawrence’s films.

3. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?

A.Cotillard once won the best actress Oscar.

B.Jennifer Lawrence was nominated because of The Hunger Games.

C.Mirren is the only one who can take the place of Jennifer Lawrence.

D.We cannot see the film Silver Linings Playbook before Thanksgiving.

4.According to the last two paragraphs, who are likely to replace Jennifer Lawrence to become the best actress?

a.Quvenzhane Wallis    b.Marion Cotillard       c.Helen Mirren

d.Emmanuelle Riva     e. Jessica Chastain       f. Alma Reville

A.c, e              B.a ,c ,f             C.d, f              D.c, e, f

5.The most suitable title of the passage is    ?

A.Silver Linings Playbook, the best movie

B.A 22-year-old actress

C.My favorite movie

D.Jennifer Lawrence takes the lead

 

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our “act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.

We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in “snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.

The next scene was a complete contrast (对比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures in front taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water’s edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees(棕榈树), sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!

Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"!

1.Who is the author?

A.A cameraman.

B.A film director.

C.A crowd-scene actor.

D.A workman for scene setting.

2.What made the author feel cold?

A.The heavy snowfall.

B.The man-made scene.

C.The low temperature.

D.The film being shown.

3. What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned in the last paragraph?

A.A new scene would be filmed.

B.More stars would act in the film.

C.The author would leave the studio.

D.The next scene would be prepared.

 

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