What will the house of the future look like? Could it have gardens on its walls, or a pool with fish for dinner? Architects believe that they are all possibilities. The only thing for sure is that the houses will be as green as possible.

The tree house

Many architects in the world would like to build a “tree house.” Like a leaf, the surface of the house collects sunlight during the day. The energy can be used to heat water, produce electricity, and even create fresh air for the home. The “root” (根) of the house is deep under the ground. It uses the soil (土壤) to the home’s temperature.

The Lizard house

Like a lizard (蜥蜴), changing color with the weather is the most important design of a lizard house. When it’s in the bright sun, the cover of the house will turn dark to protect it from strong heat. During dark days, it turns white and takes in as much light and heat as possible to produce energy.

Meals at home

This design is perhaps as much about the future of food production as architecture (建筑风格). It has gardens on the outside wall of the house. People can plant tomatoes, carrots and green tea on them. So every day in the morning, you just need to walk outside and collect your meals.

Learning from the past

Looking to the future isn’t the only way to be green. Sometimes, ancient techniques (古老的技术) can also help cut down energy use. For example, a chimney (烟囱) can be a useful air conditioner because it is easier of hot air to flow out at the chimney.

1. What is the best title (标题) of the passage?

A. Green house of the future.

b. The greener, the better.

C. How to build green houses.

D. Changes of the houses.

2.We can heat water, produce electricity or create fresh air for the home            .

A. with the root of a leaf.

b. with the energy from sunlight.

C. with the soil under the ground

D. with gardens on its walls.

3. What will happen to the cover of the lizard house when it’s in the bright sun?

A. It will take in light.

b. It will produce energy.

C. It will turn dark.

D. It will turn white.

4.The passage seems to tell us that meals at home in the future            .

A. will be more delicious.

b. need more cooks.

C. cost as much as possible.

D. will be greener.

5.A chimney can be a useful air conditioner but it used to cause           .

A. pollution.    b. accident.      C. noise.      D. techniques.

Driving a car at a high speed along a highway seems to be fun. You only need to follow the bright traffic signs beside the highway and it will take you where you wish to go. But to a London taxi driver, driving is not an easy job. A taxi driver needs to have not only good driving skills but also a good knowledge of the city of London, from the loneliest street to the popular restaurant around. He has to be at the service of all kinds of passengers (乘客) at all times.

A London taxi driver said the following about his job.

During the night it is usual for him to stop two or three times for some food. He said, “I never drink when I’m working, otherwise I’d lose my license (驾驶执照).”

He normally goes home between two and three o’clock in the morning. There are times he has to stay longer and try to make more runs. He said, “That’s the worst thing about working for yourself. If you don’t make money, no one is going to give it to you. ”

London taxi drivers not only “take” but also “give”. Every summer hundreds of poor children from London go for a day at the sea ― by taxi! There rides are paid by the taxi drivers. At the sea, they are met by the mayor (市长) , and a lunch party is also held for the taxi drivers and the children. After a happy day’s running around the beaches and visiting the market there, the children go home again by taxi, free of charge of course!

1.London taxi drivers try to make more runs sometimes mainly because __________.

2.How do London taxi drivers “give”?

3.Which of the following words can be used to describe London taxi drivers?

4.The passage is most likely to be found from __________.

If you are writing or studying, it makes much difference where the light comes from. People     use   46  and pens every day. They have to be very careful about the way of the light because the light shines on their work.
Every  47   gets its light either from daylight   48   the window   49   from the lamps or electricity,   50  no matter what kind of light it is, the way it shines towards our books or work is very important to the eyes.
Take a book and sit with your   51   toward the window, and try to read. Your shadow(影子) falls all over the page and makes it   52   for your eyes as if you were in a   53   room.
Now turn around and face the window. The page is   54   shadow again, while the bright light is in your eyes.
Try sitting with your   55  side toward the window. This is very good for   56   , but if you were writing, the shadow   57   fall across the page and bother you  58  .
There is another way – sit  59   your left side to the window. Now everything is perfect for writing as well.
Whatever kind of light is in the room, the rule about the right way to sit is   60   the same.

In Britain, the first day of the month of May is known as May Day. May day marks the end of the harsh(严酷的) winter months, welcomes the beginning of Summer, and optimistically looks forward to the bright and productive months.


For their ancestors, largely in rural areas, it was a major annual festival and was celebrated(庆祝) through out the country, especially on the first day of May with music, dancing and games.
How was May Day Celebrated in the past?


May Day began early in the morning. People went out before sunrise in order to gather flowers and plants to make their houses and villages beautiful in the belief that the vegetation spirits(神灵) would bring good luck.
A traditional May Day dance is Maypole Dancing，On May Day, people used to cut down young trees and stick them in the ground in the village to mark the arrival of summer.People danced around the tree poles in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the fine weather that would allow planting to begin. Maypoles are still a part of some
village life and on May Day the villagers dance around it.


May Day celebrations have their origins(起源) in the Roman festival of Flora, goddess(女神) of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. So the highlight of the day was the crowning(为…加冕) of the May Queen(女皇), the human replica (模型) of Flora. By tradition she took no part in the games or dancing, but sat like a queen in a flower-decked chair to watch her 'subjects'.
Ever since 1978, for the convenience of the general public, many May Day activities have now been moved to the new May Day holiday on the first Monday of the month. This Monday is a bank holiday, a day off school and work. There are more intereting celebrations on this day.
【小题1】In the old days, most people in Britain made their living by             .
A. fishing                B. farming                 C. working in factories
【小题2】People in Britain celebrate May Day is to express their         
A. pleasure and hope       B. thanks and harvest       C. freedom and new life
【小题3】Britain’s May Day holiday is on          in 2010.
A. May 1^st               B. May 3^rd                 C. May 5^th
【小题4】What is not mentioned in this passage?
A. Special food.          B. Special custom.           C. Special activity.
【小题5】Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Only children can take part in the Maypole Dancing.
B. The queen of the UK came to watch her “subjects”.
C. Children needn’t go to school on May Day holiday now.