Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.

“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.

“Eco-passages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These eco-passages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.

But do animals actually use the eco-passages?  The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an eco-passage that went under a highway.  This showed that the lions used the passage.

Builders of eco-passages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders(火蜥蜴)and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.

The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around.  You might see an animal overpass!

The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that __________.

A. wild animals have become more dangerous

B. the driving condition has improved greatly

C. an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents

D. the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work

From the story, we know an eco-passage is __________.

A. an underground path for cars    

B. a fence built for the safety of the area

C. a bridge for animals to get over a river

D. a path for animals to cross the road

When the writer says that “animals seem to be catching on” (Para. 6), he means __________.

A. animals begin to realize the dangers on the road

B. animals are crossing the road in groups      

C. animals are increasing in number

D. animals begin to learn to use eco-passages

The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because __________.

A. wild animals may attack cars     B. they may see wild animals on eco-passages

C. they may see wild animals in the park    D. wild animals may jam the road

The best title for the passage is __________.

A. Special bridges help animals cross the road

B. Endangered animals increase because of roadkill

C. Animals fail to cross the road          

D. Take steps to protect animals in danger  

With eco-tourism on the rise, eco-hotels are fast becoming the darling of the travel industry. These days, however, staying at an eco-hotel doesn’t necessarily mean vacationing in a tree house in the Costa Rican jungle, although that is certainly a choice.
The majority of eco-hotels fall into several categories: hotels and resorts that conserve ecologically important habitats; “green” hotels that reduce, recycle, minimize waste, and protect water; sustainable hotels that harvest food from gardens on the hotel property or get part or all of their power from renewable energy; hotels that encourage community involvement such as guests taking part in trail clearing; and hotels that offer some form of environmental education to their guests.
As such, eco-hotels are a various group. Stylish urban hotels like the Willard Inter-Continental Washington focus on energy conservation whereas the Rosario Resort & Spa on Orcas Island in Washington State offers a wildly popular “green” vacation package where guests can “take a hike, clear a trail”.
No matter what you call them, eco-hotel, eco-lodge, eco-resort, or green hotel, they’re all part of the “greening” of the tourism industry.
Part of what drives this greening of the hotel industry is no doubt competition. Going green is another way to distinguish a hotel from the mass of other excellent hotels that consumers have to choose from. But for many hotels, it’s also part of their philosophy. With the concept of “going green” firmly rooted in consumers’ minds, eco-hotels have taken it to the next level, and whether or not money is the driving factor behind the greening of the hotel industry doesn’t matter so much as it’s good for the planet.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following can match the idea of eco-hotel?

A.It is comfortable and fashionable.B.It uses renewable energy.
C.It has walls of glass.D.It is home to endangered species.
【小题2】From the passage, we know the Rosario Resort & Spa is a kind of hotel that _______.
A.encourages its guests to participate in its greening activities
B.harvests food from its own garden
C.has courses on the environment for its guests
D.protects important habitats
【小题3】From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______.
A.money is the driving force behind eco-hotels
B.the hotel industry cares more about money than the environment
C.eco-hotels teach their guests the philosophy of eco-hotels
D.eco-hotels have no advantages in competing for guests

Eco City Farms are becoming more popular in cities and towns around the Unites States.

Eco City Farms in Edmonton, Maryland, is located near shopping centers, car repair shops and homes. The neighborhood is a working-class community. People do not have very much money. And they have limited access to fresh food in markets.

Over the past two years, the farm has attracted volunteers form the community like Marcy Clark. She schools her four children at home. On a recent day she brought them to Eco City Farms for a lesson, her son Alston Clark thinks his experience is very valuable. “I like coming out here,” he says, “You know, you connect with the earth, where your food comes from. You appreciate the food a little bit more.”

Margaret Morgan started Eco City Farms. She thinks of it as a place where people can learn to live healthier lives. “Growing food in a community brings people together, ”she continues, “Every piece of what we do here is a demonstration (范例) to show people everything about how to have an eco-friendly community.” she says. From the Eco City Farms people come to know that they are not only growing food and raising chickens and bees, but improving the soil with compost (肥料) made from food waste.

Eco City Farms is an experimental operation. The farm gets its power not from the local electricity networks, but from the sun with solar panels (板). In winter, the green house use a geothermal (地热) system.

Vegetables can be grown all year. So once a week, all winter long, neighbors like Chris Moss and her three children bike to the farm to pick up a share of the harvest.

“I like eating the vegetables” say five-year-old Owen Moss.

1.What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A.Eco City Farms save a lot of energy.

B.Eco City Farms are influencing community life.

C.Eco City Farms helps the working-class live better.

D.Eco City Farms are gaining popularity.

2.What is the author’s attitude toward Eco City Farms?

A.Enthusiastic.                           B.Disappointed.

C.Surprised.                             D.Doubtful.

3.According to the passage, Eco City Farms are close to the following places EXCEPT______.

A.shopping centers

B.car repair shops

C.fast-food restaurants

D.working-class community

4.In which of a newspaper can you most probably read this article?

A.People.                               B.Travel.

C.Environment.                          D.Education.

 

Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.

A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak(浸人)slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.

Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.

What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.

Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the locals climatem, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.

Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.

1.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?

    A.They can keep the rain and storm water.

    B.They can help reduce the pollution problem.

    C.They can be healthy for the people around.

    D.They can make the environment more beautiful.

2.One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that            .

    A.they cost less and are much easier to get

    B.they may attract local wildlife to come

    C.they require little care from the local gardeners

    D.they are more used to the local growing conditions

3.What do we know about rain gardens?

    A.They need little water after all the plants are planted.

    B.They usually need at least an inch of rainwater a week.

    C.They may attract local birds and change the locals climate.

    D.They may reduce the water pollution problem by 70%.

4.Who are the intended readers of the passage?

    A.Homeowners.  B.Governors.   C.Engineers,   D.Educators.

 

Today, innovations(创新) to make our lives more eco-friendly can be found everywhere. There are energy-efficient automobiles, eco-friendly light bulbs, and clothes made by fashion designers using sustainable(可持续的) environmental practices. Industries around the world have also begun to take a serious look at how their operations affect the local and global environment.

The university of Colorado has been named one of the top green colleges and universities in the United States. This university was one of the first to start a student-led recycling program in the 1970s and today supplies students with reusable shopping bags to use both on and off campus. The entire University of Colorado also uses low flow water fixtures(设备) and has reduced water usage by 40 percent since 2002.

When it comes to going green, Warren Wilson College has been recognized in many places. The Sierra Club and The Princeton Review have named the college as one of America’s greenest colleges and universities, while the school has also received the Outstanding College Recycling Award from the Carolina Recycling Association, as well as awards from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education(AASHE). For a small college, Warren Wilson has made enormous efforts to be an eco-friendly campus since its beginning, and today owns a campus farm, a seeding program, and an extensive recycling program. Warren Wilson was also the first College to have an LEED platinum certified(白金认证的) residence hall, and its building services department is also 100 percent GreenSeal certified. According to College Stats, Warren Wilson College is one of the first institutions in the United States to be almost completely self-sufficient(自给自足的) while also engaging students to incorporate sustainability into all academic programs.

Going green efforts at Oberlin College have not gone unnoticed. Oberlin College spends 22 percent of its food budget on buying food from local farmers, with most of the food raised or harvested with organic and sustainable practices. Oberlin has also stopped selling bottled water on campus and offers discounts to students who use their own storage containers when purchasing beverages and food items. Among Oberlin’s other eco-friendly accomplishments is a green graduation ceremony, which includes programs printed on 100 percent recycled paper.

1.The author writes the first paragraph mainly to tell us that ____.

A. we can find new ways to be eco-friendly

B. everyone is aware of being eco-friendly

C. industries are reducing their influence on the environment

D. American colleges and universities care much about environmental issues

2.What do we know about the University of Colorado?

A. Its recycling program is followed by other universities.  

B. It produces reusable shopping bags by itself.

C. It uses special systems to save water.

D. It is the most eco-friendly university.

3.Which of the following about Warren Wilson College is TRUE?

A. The Princeton Review praised it for its teaching methods.

B. Its residence hall’s building material is platinum.

C. It owns a campus garden and a seeding program.

D. It sustains itself almost without help from others.

4.Students in Oberlin College can _____.

A. grow their own food on campus         

B. pay less with their own containers

C. help the college make its food budget     

D. recycle paper at their graduation ceremony

5.How is the text organized?

A. Main idea – Comparison.              

B. Opinion – Discussion – Description

C. Introduction – Supporting examples.      

D. Introduction – Explanation – Conclusion.

 

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