题目内容
Cars consume half the oil in the U．S．, and cause about half the urban pollution and one fourth the greenhouse gases around the world．They consume a similar percentage of resources in other industrial nations and in the cities of the developing world．As vehicle use continues to increase in the coming decade, the U．S． and other countries will have to deal with these issues or else face unacceptable economic, health-related and political costs．It is unlikely that oil prices will remain at their current low level or that other nations will accept a large and growing U．S．contribution to global climatic change．
Policymakers and industry have four options: reduce vehicle use, increase the efficiency and reduce the emissions（排放）of gasoline-powered vehicles, switch to less harmful fuels, or find less polluting driving systems．The last of these --- in particular the introduction of vehicles powered by electricity is the only practical option．
The other alternatives are attractive in theory but in practice are either impractical or offer only insignificant improvements．For example, reduced vehicle use could solve traffic problems and a host of social and environmental problems, but evidence from around the world suggests that it is very difficult to make people give up their cars to any significant extent．In the U．S．, public transportation and carpooling（合伙用车）have declined since World War II．Even in western Europe, with fuel prices averaging more than $1 a liter（about $4 a gallon）and with easily accessible public transportation and dense（稠密的）populations, cars still make up 80 percent of all passenger travel．
Improved energy efficiency is also appealing, but automotive fuel economy has barely made any progress in 10 years．Alternative fuels such as natural gas, burned in internal-combustion engines（内燃机）, could be introduced at relatively low cost, but they would lead to only marginal reductions in pollution and greenhouse emissions （especially because oil companies are already spending billions of dollars every year to develop less polluting types of gasoline）．
1．From the passage we know that the increased use of cars will________．
A．consume half of the oil produced in the world
B．have serious consequences for the well-being of all nations
C．widen the gap between the developed and developing countries
D．put a huge economic burden on residents of large cities
2．The U．S． has to deal with the problems arising from vehicle use because ________．
A．most Americans are not willing to switch to public transportation systems
B．the present level of oil prices is considered unacceptable
C．other countries will protest its increasing greenhouse emissions
D．it should take a lead in preserving natural resources
3．The use of natural gas can not reduce the pollution effectively as________．
A．oil companies are producing less polluting types of gasoline
B．the price of natural gas is not acceptable
C．oil companies has made no progress in developing natural gas
D．it can not be burned in all kinds of car engines
4．Which of the following is the best solution to the problems mentioned in the passage?
A．The use of highly efficient car engines．B．A reduction of vehicle use in cities．
C．The development of electric cars． D．The use of less polluting fuels．
BCAC
The United States is the world's largest consumer of energy. We use electricity, gas and oil to light and heat our buildings and run our cars. The demand for power is growing. But we may not need to build new power plants or find more oil. The best way to increase our supply of energy is to be more efficient.
Did you know that when you leave your video-game console (游戏机操纵台) on, it consumes more electricity than two refrigerators? Or that those funny-looking, twisty bulbs (灯泡) use 75％ less power than traditional light bulbs? We have the tools to save money, reduce pollution and even help our planet, simply by wasting less energy.
As President, Barack Obama plans to make energy efficiency in American a major goal. He has promised to cut 15% of all energy used by the Federal Government. In a speech, he called for 75% of government office buildings to be updated for better efficiency. He pointed out that energy-efficient buildings and homes will save consumers billions of dollars on energy bills. An “extra benefit”, he added, will be “a cleaner, safer planet.”
Gas, coal and oil are called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels have been the world's main source of energy for hundreds of years. But burning them releases dirty gases, which cause pollution.
There are two main ways to save energy. The first is to use more efficient machines. Hybrid cars use less gas. New appliances are designed to use less electricity. Today's refrigerators are three times more efficient than those before 1973. Laptop computers consume much less energy than desktop computers.
The second is to use machines more productively. According to the US Department of Energy, in the average home, 75％ of the electricity used to power electronic equipment is standby power (备用电源) . That means power flowing to plugged-in appliances whether or not they are being used.
Homeowners can avoid wasting power by pulling the plug on appliances when they are not in use. Efficiency experts argue that today's best techniques could cut US oil and gas use in half, and reduce our electricity use by three-fourths.
【小题1】By referring to Obama's plan, the author mainly intended to say that _______
| A．the US government office buildings have wasted the most energy |
| B．Obama has decided to take the lead to cut down the use of electricity |
| C．it is time for the US to shoulder the responsibility for a cleaner planet |
| D．the US is determined to improve energy efficiency in the whole America |
| A．to build new power plants or find more oil is no longer useful |
| B．burning fossil fuels can lead to a growing demand for power |
| C．everyone can make a difference by wasting less energy |
| D．most of the electricity is wasted with appliances plugged-in |
| A．The world's largest consumer of energy |
| B．The world's energy efficiency movement |
| C．We need to find new energy |
| D．We have to be more energy efficient |
If your family is like many in the United States, unloading the week’s groceries includes hauling a case or two of bottled water into your home. On your way to a soccer game or activity, it’s easy to grab a cold one right out of the fridge, right?
But all those plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuels and pollute the environment. In fact, Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world, adding 29 billion water bottles a year to the problem. In order to make all these bottles, manufacturers use 17 million barrels of crude oil. That’s enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months.
Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.
So why don’t more people drink water straight from the kitchen faucet? Some people drink bottled water because they think it is better for them than water out of the tap, but that’s not true. In the United States, local governments make sure water from the faucet is safe. There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may leach into the water.
People love the convenience of bottled water. But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a refillable steel container instead of plastic.
Plastic bottle recycling can help—instead of going out with the trash, plastic bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or cozy fleece clothing.
Unfortunately, for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Plastic bottles take many hundreds of years to disintegrate.
Water is good for you, so keep drinking it. But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change.
Betty McLaughlin, who runs an organization called the Container Recycling Institute, says we should try using fewer bottles: “If you take one to school in your lunch, don’t throw it away—bring it home and refill it from the tap for the next day. Keep track of how many times you refill a bottle before you recycle it.”
And yes, you can make a difference. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.
| Title | Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap? |
| 【小题1】 situation | Americans consume the 【小题2】 bottled water in the world. |
| 【小题3】 for people’s preference for bottled water | Bottled water is of higher【小题4】 . |
| It’s more 【小题5】 for people to drink bottled water. | |
| Problems with bottled water | The 【小题6】 of plastic bottles use lots of fossil fuels. |
| Water bottles we use cause serious 【小题7】 . | |
| 【小题8】 the passage offers | Use bottles 【小题9】 of glass or steel. |
| Use a refillable plastic bottle as many times as 【小题10】 before recycling. |
If your family is like many in the United States, unloading the week’s groceries includes hauling a case or two of bottled water into your home. On your way to a soccer game or activity, it’s easy to grab a cold one right out of the fridge, right?
But all those plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuels and pollute the environment. In fact, Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world, adding 29 billion water bottles a year to the problem. In order to make all these bottles, manufacturers use 17 million barrels of crude oil. That’s enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months.
Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.
So why don’t more people drink water straight from the kitchen faucet? Some people drink bottled water because they think it is better for them than water out of the tap, but that’s not true. In the United States, local governments make sure water from the faucet is safe. There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may leach into the water.
People love the convenience of bottled water. But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a refillable steel container instead of plastic.
Plastic bottle recycling can help—instead of going out with the trash, plastic bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or cozy fleece clothing.
Unfortunately, for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Plastic bottles take many hundreds of years to disintegrate.
Water is good for you, so keep drinking it. But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change.
Betty McLaughlin, who runs an organization called the Container Recycling Institute, says we should try using fewer bottles: “If you take one to school in your lunch, don’t throw it away—bring it home and refill it from the tap for the next day. Keep track of how many times you refill a bottle before you recycle it.”
And yes, you can make a difference. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for six hours.
|
Title |
Drinking Water: Bottled or From the Tap? |
|
1. situation |
Americans consume the 2. bottled water in the world. |
|
3. for people’s preference for bottled water |
Bottled water is of higher4. . |
|
It’s more 5. for people to drink bottled water. |
|
|
Problems with bottled water |
The 6. of plastic bottles use lots of fossil fuels. |
|
Water bottles we use cause serious 7. . |
|
|
8. the passage offers |
Use bottles 9. of glass or steel. |
|
Use a refillable plastic bottle as many times as 10. before recycling. |
| 阅读理解 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。 注意：每个空格只填一个单词。 If your family is like many in the United States, unloading the week's groceries includes hauling a case or two of bottled water into your home. On your way to a soccer game or activity, it's easy to grab a cold one right out of the fridge, right? But all those plastic bottles use a lot of fossil fuels and pollute the environment. In fact, Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world, adding 29 billion water bottles a year to the problem. In order to make all these bottles, manufacturers use 17 million barrels of crude oil. That's enough oil to keep a million cars going for twelve months. Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That's about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle. So why don't more people drink water straight from the kitchen faucet? Some people drink bottled water because they think it is better for them than water out of the tap, but that's not true. In the United States, local governments make sure water from the faucet is safe. There is also growing concern that chemicals in the bottles themselves may leach(过滤) into the water. People love the convenience of bottled water. But maybe if they realized the problems it causes, they would try drinking from a glass at home or carrying water in a refillable steel container instead of plastic. Plastic bottle recycling can help-instead of going out with the trash, plastic bottles can be turned into items like carpeting or cozy fleece clothing. Unfortunately, for every six water bottles we use, only one makes it to the recycling bin. The rest are sent to landfills. Or, even worse, they end up as trash on the land and in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Plastic bottles take many hundreds of years to disintegrate. Water is good for you, so keep drinking it. But think about how often you use water bottles, and see if you can make a change. Betty McLaughlin, who runs an organization called the Container Recycling Institute, says we should try using fewer bottles: "If you take one to school in your lunch, don't throw it away-bring it home and refill it from the tap for the next day. Keep track of how many times you refill a bottle before you recycle it." And yes, you can make a difference. Remember this: Recycling one plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60watt light bulb for six hours.
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