A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.

Gerner manages school facilities (设施) for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes (样品); they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation (朝向),”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”

Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.

How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A. They lost balance in excitement.                B. They showed strong disbelief.

C. They expressed little interest.                     D. They burst into cheers.

Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A. Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B. Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C. Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D. Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A. The large size.                                          B. Limited facilities.

C. The desert climate.                                    D. Poor natural resources.

What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A. They are questionable.                               B. They are out of date.

C. They are advanced.                                    D. They are practical.

阅读短文,选出最佳答案。                         

Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He’s been a doctor for ten years.

Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn’t just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.

Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform(表演) in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, “I always loved to sing. All my problems are gone when I sing.” But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn’t want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.

Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. “I like to make people smile. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and entertainment(娱乐) both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good.”

1. Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _______.

A. gives his patients medical advice      B. takes care of 159 patients a week

C. sings on television                  D. has his own TV show

2. Dr. Petrels _______, so he is called a singing doctor. 

A. has been a doctor for ten years       B. always loved to sing

C. is popular with his patients          D. also sings to his patients on TV

3. In his TV show, Dr. Petrel _______.

A. sings and gives medical advice         B. sings about different diseases

C. starts to explain diseases with a song    D. sings love songs he wrote

4. Dr. Petrels’ show is popular _______.

A. in Las Vegas.                   B. at medical school  

C. with people who like his singing    D. with patients in Montreal  

5. Dr. Petrels says he likes to _______.

A. help people sing          B. make people feel better 

C. do the same thing         D. make difficult people smile

Recently,I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive,the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight __1__ before setting down. High desert winds had __2__ the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be __3__ the city for a few minutes waiting to __4__. We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened __5__ there might be a few bumps(颠簸).We11,that few minutes turned into about forty-five minutes,including a ride that would make a roller coaster(过山车) __6__ by comparison. The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt __7__ and had to use airsickness bags. As you might guess,that's not a good thing to have happen in a(n) __8__ space because it only __9__ to increase the discomfort of the situation.

About twenty minutes into the adventure,the entire airplane became very __10__.There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be __11__ noticed.Every passenger simply held on for dear life...except one. A __12__ was having a good time! With each bump of the __13__, he would let out a giggle(咯咯的笑)of delight. As I observed this,I __14__ that he didn't know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his  __15__. He neither thought about the past nor about the future. Those are what we grown-ups have learned from __16__.He was __17__ the ride  because he had not yet been taught to fear it. Having  understood this,I took a deep breath and __18__ back into my seat,pretending I was __19__ on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even  __20__ to  giggle once or twice,much to the chagrin(懊恼)of the man sitting next to me holding the airsickness bag.

1. A. mistake  B. delay  C. change   D. wind

2. A. forced     B. warned  C. swept      D. reminded

3. A. watching  B. visiting  C. circling     D. crossing

4. A. arrive     B. enter  C. stop         D. land

5. A. if       B. though  C. because      D. while

6. A. light    B. pale    C. easy         D. quick

7. A. sick     B. nervous  C. angry      D. afraid

8. A. empty   B. narrow  C. secret      D. open

9. A. happens  B. continues  C. fails     D. serves

10. A. quiet   B. hot   C.  dirty        D.  crowded  

11. A. partly  B.  gradually  C. shortly  D. clearly

12. A. pilot   B. baby  C.  guard  D.  man

13. A. seats         B.  passengers

C. flight         D. airplane

14. A. realized  B.  hoped      C.  agreed       D.  insisted

15. A. health   B. safety        C. joy           D. future

16. A. teachers  B. books       C.  experience    D.  practice

17. A. learning   B.  taking    C.  missing       D.  enjoying

18. A. sat       B. lay         C. went          D. rode

19. A. nearly     B.  finally    C.  really        D.  suddenly

20. A. attempted  B.  managed   C.  wanted      D.  decided

 

Ms Lo could hardly bear her sorrow when she received the call that her husband had died in a car accident. Her pain quickly turn to shock---- the car involved in the accident was driven by a friend. That friend, Henry Lee, had chosen to remain silent on the accident details in court. Her shock soon turned to extreme anger when Lee decided not to let out what had happened.

Her husband, Mr. Tan, was 21 when he died after an accident outside Las Vegas KTV at Havelock Road. That night, he was discussing supper plans with a group of friends, which included Lee. Later, Mr. Tan was found unconscious on the ground, next to the car driven by Lee. Mr. Tan died in the hospital a few hours later. Due to drinking driving, Lee was fined $3,000 and banned from driving for two years last month.

Lee, Ms Lo and her husband were colleagues at Asia Pacific-Breweries(APB).

She only heard of the accident and her husband’s death the next morning after the accident as she had switched off her band-phone that night. She told The New Paper, “Receiving the call, I thought it was a joke. I thought he had got his friend to call me to ask me out.” Ms Lo had moved out to live alone for three weeks because of a disagreement with her husband. “The next time I saw him was at the mortuary.(太平间)” She said that Lee went to visit her some days ago but didn’t apologize to her. “He looked sorry but he didn’t speak to me. I wanted to forgive him, but now I have no chance to tell him.” she said.

Ms Lo, who was a human resource manager in APB, left the company after the accident. She is now working in a photo studio.

1.Why Ms Lo was made pretty angry?

A. Her husband was knocked down by his friend

B. Henry Lee drove their car in the car accident

C. She was informed only after the accident occurred

D. The person involved did not tell the truth in court

2.Ms Lo hadn’t seen her husband for three weeks because______.

A. they did not sign a contract

B.she began working in a photo studio

C.there was a quarrel between them

D.she was busy writing a paper

3.Why did Ms Lo leave APB for another job?

   A. To escape the pain caused by the accident.

   B. To find out facts related to the accident.

   C. To force Henry Lee to let out the truth.

   D. To avoid meeting the dishonest man.

 

 

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.

Gerner manages school facilities (设施) for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes (样品); they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation (朝向),” Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”

Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.

1.How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A. They lost balance in excitement.             B. They showed strong disbelief.

C. They expressed little interest.              D. They burst into cheers.

2.Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A. Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B. Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C. Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D. Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

3.What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A. The large size.                          B. Limited facilities.

C. The desert climate.                      D. Poor natural resources.

4.What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A. They are questionable.                   B. They are out of date.

C. They are advanced.                       D. They are practical.

 

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