Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new material that can move heat out of buildings and into space. The researchers say the material can cool buildings even on hot days. The cooling material is a very thin sheet with many layers that could be placed on a roof like solar panels(板). However, instead of turning sunlight into energy as solar panels do, the material turns heat into radiation.

Shanhui Fan is an electrical engineering professor at Stanford University. He says that the panels have a layer of material that is like sand. The panels act like a mirror. They take heat out of buildings and reflect the light from the sun. And he says both the heat and sunlight are sent 100 kilometers into outer space. "It's a structure(构造) that cools itself without electricity input, even under the sun. So, what it does is basically radiate heat to outer space and also reflect the sunlight so it doesn't get heated up by the sun. Mr. Fan says it is like having a window into space. The heat is sent directly into space without warming the air.”

He says buildings in developing countries that do not have electricity or air conditioning could use the panels. "In areas where electricity is out of reach for many people, there is a potential (潜在的) benefit for storing medicine or even food. In many of these situations, being able to reduce the temperature is important. And this would provide a way to do it.”

The researchers say the main problem is creating actual cooling systems using the high-tech panels. They say it may be possible to develop a cooling spray(喷涂) that could be used on present solid structures. They believe the cooling spray technology could be developed in the next three to five years. They say as much as 15 percent of the energy used in the United States is spent providing power to air conditioning systems.

1.The first paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A. living on hot days is no longer a big problem now

B. a new material is created to cool the buildings

C. researchers are developing new solar panels on roofs

D. the new material is a very thin sheet with many layers

2.How does the panel work?

A. It takes in the heat and cools it down.

B. It uses a mirror to reflect the sunlight.

C. It sends heat away right into space.

D. It has a window to let out the heat.

3.The new material is especially useful in areas that ________.

A. suffer high temperature

B. have poor air conditioning

C. have plenty of food

D. are short of power

4.What can you infer from the passage?

A. The appliance of the new panel is still under research.

B. Some people got benefits from producing the panels.

C. People may have problems in using the new material.

D. The new panels may save 15 percent of the energy.

Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons — for example, economic reasons — why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own hometown of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative (保守的) and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.

1.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A. Most of them are too expensive to preserve.

B. They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

C. They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

D. Some of them are not attractive.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?

A. Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

B. We should reproduce the same old buildings.

C. Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

D. No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

3.By “move things forward” in the last paragraph, the author probably means “______”.

A. destroy old buildings

B. put things in a different place

C. choose new architectural style

D. respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain why people dislike change.

B. To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C. To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D. To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

My wife Andrea and I picked a great time to move to New York City just a few days before the super storm Sandy hit the place.

Although Sandy _________ my family to stay indoors for two days while the wind and rubbish swirled through my new neighborhood, it _________ some unusual opportunities for us to meet our _________ by serving them. Before the storm _________ , my family went for a walk. We knew we’d be closed up for a while. We should enjoy some _________ time while we could.

While we were walking we noticed a woman _________ a huge load of emergency supplies, _________ moving from the market to her _________ . She had three large piles of supplies. Each time she’d _________ 15 or 20 feet with a pile, set it down, then go back and get another.

The _________ was going to hit before she got all of her supplies up to her living place. _________ we were already set, we figured it would be a good _________ to get to know a neighbor.

So Andrea and I each _________ a pile of supplies and helped the woman get _________ home. We had a good time getting familiar with her. She was from the Caribbean. Andrea and I loved _________ her thick, rich accent. When the storm hit later that night, we felt a little

less _________ because we had a friend just a few buildings _________ . After Sandy there were dozens of_________ of selfless acts of service on TV, as people helped friends, neighbors and strangers in need.

_________ others when you are in need of service yourself is a sign of greatness. As Luther King Jr. said, “Everybody can be _________ , because anybody can serve.”

1.A. invited B. expected C. forced D. ordered

2.A. missed B. awarded C. provided D. wasted

3.A. parents B. neighbors C. relatives D. customers

4.A. increased B. reduced C. disappeared D. hit

5.A. outside B. lost C. useless D. local

6.A. struggling with B. fighting for C. watching out D. turning to

7.A. quickly B. slowly C. hardly D. easily

8.A. office B. garage C. apartment D. village

9.A. drive B. run C. cycle D. walk

10.A. earthquake B. price C. car D. storm

11.A. Unless B. Since C. Until D. If

12.A. chance B. goal C. excuse D. experience

13.A. left B. lifted C. noticed D. bought

14.A. everything B. something C. nothing D. anything

15.A. dealing with B. listening to C. laughing at D. commenting on

16.A. busy B. excited C. friendly D. lonely

17.A. here B. before C. away D. inside

18.A. reports B. notes C. results D. causes

19.A. Refusing B. Advising C. Requesting D. Serving

20.A. upset B. successful C. great D. grateful

How the Grand Canyon (大峡谷) was created remains one of the geology’s greatest mysteries. Some evidence suggests that the process was a gradual one in which the Colorado River (which runs through the canyon) slowly cut deeper and deeper into the ground over millions of years. But volcanic rock samples taken from the canyon now suggest that the canyon was down-cut instead.

Down-cutting is when a flood of water rushes over a landscape (地形) with enough force to cut deeply into the ground and leaves behind a canyon. Such a flood is usually released when a natural or man-made dam (堤坝) bursts.

Robert Webb, a research geologist, says natural dams seem to have formed and broken across the Colorado River several times during the last million years. The dams were built when lava(熔岩) from the eruptions of nearby volcanoes flowed into the river. The lava hardened into hard rocks and blocked the river, causing it to back up and form a lake. Each time the lake grew so huge that it broke the rock dam, releasing a flash flood that furthered the down-cutting process and deepened the canyon.

Down-cutting is not just an earthly event. Satellite photos sent back from Mars suggest that the process has happened there, too, say many other researchers.

The photos, taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that an enormous lake existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. The lake spilled into a large nearby hole. One edge of the hole broke, releasing a flash flood that quickly carved out a grand canyon.

The existence of down-cutting on Mars is just one more piece of evidence that the cold, dry planet was once warm and wet.

1.In the past, deep canyons were believed to have formed _______.

A. as a result of a sudden break of volcanoes

B. due to river flows over millions of years

C. owing to the burst of artificial dams

D. thanks to our ancestors’ creative work

2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TURE?

A. Several volcanoes broke out on Mars directly creating grand canyons.

B. Several great lakes existed on the upper parts of the Colorado River.

C. People built high dams on the upper parts of the Colorado River.

D. The Colorado River crossed the Grand Canyon to form down-cutting.

3.From the last three paragraphs we learn that _______.

A. there are great lakes on Mars

B. there are active volcanoes on Mars

C. there might be cities on Mars

D. there might be life on Mars

4.The passage can be titled as _______.

A. Lakes on Earth and Mars

B. The Cause of Lake Formation

C. The Force of Dam Breaking

D. Canyons—Results of Flood Cutting

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