Humankind has tried to improve its standard of living since the very beginning of civilization. Back then, as well as today, providing food and security was the basic task for a person. However, nowadays the range of required goods has expanded significantly. People feel the need for not only some primary things, such as a piece of bread and a roof over their heads, but also for various facilities and luxuries. Providing humanity with these things is connected to the use of natural resources, which requires energy. In turn, the common sources of energy we use today cause pollution, so economic growth is almost unavoidably associated with environmental damage.

Economic growth is the increase in numbers of goods and services produced over time by an economy, and it is calculated in terms of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Before growth is calculated, inflation (通货膨胀)is adjusted in order to take into account its mis­leading effect on the price of goods and services. Economic growth can also be explained as the increase in expected output, which results from an increase in actual output, or total de­mand.

There are certain aspects of economic growth which affect the environment. The first of these is the fact that in order to produce more goods and products, at a faster rate, the construction of large industrial plants is required. These plants produce a lot of waste, leading to the pollution of water and the atmosphere, which may cause negative long term health effects to nearby populations of animals, or people. They also lead to global warming.

Industrial manufacturing leads to the constantly increasing energy consumption. The traditional energy sources, which are commonly used nowadays, are considered to be the greatest polluters to the environment. There also exist so-called eco-friendly sources of energy. They are sometimes preferred but replacing the traditional sources with them also requires time, during which people have to make some sacrifices to support these undertakings.

In order to produce economically practical energy, a sometimes significant transformation of the natural site is often inevitable. This is expensive and, has harmful effects on the environment. Application of wind energy would block airflows’ natural speed which is the reason for their decrease in strength, after crossing the windmill. Consequently, the pres­sure balance that is brought about by this current will be affected, and it is important to re­member that the environment and weather conditions are directly affected by atmospheric pressure.

For these reasons, bringing about economic growth without any resulting environmental damage, whatsoever, is impossible.

1.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A． Pollution caused by plant construction.

B． Effects of windmills on the environment.

C． Economic growth and human civilization.

D． Economic growth and environmental damage.

2.What does the underlined word “They” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．Goods and products                     B．The industrial plants

C．Water and atmosphere                   D．Negative health effects

3.According to the passage, the author holds the opinion that ______.

A． economic growth should be calculated in terms of GDP

B． use of natural resources causes no damage to the environment

C． industrial manufacturing may cause damage to the environment

D． a windmill is a perfect way to produce economically practical energy

4.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

One of my China Dialogue colleagues in Beijing recently bought a Philips energy-saving light bulb to replace a standard one．He was happy with his choice．It may have cost 30 yuan （just under US$4．50） - ten times the price of a filament （灯丝） bulb - but he wanted to save energy as part of his low-carbon lifestyle．And according to the shopkeeper, he would save, in the long run, much more than the 30 yuan he was spending．

Yet only one month later, his expensive light bulb blew up, before he had saved even a small part of the purchase price．Will he stick to his high-cost, low-carbon lifestyle?

China's environmental organizations have started to advocate low-carbon lifestyles and the decrease of carbon footprints to help fight against climate change．But they have overlooked one fact: in China, low-carbon living comes at a high cost．It means buying energy-saving bulbs and appliances, and environmentally friendly building materials and daily goods．Cost can no longer be the only standard for purchases．An energy-saving and environmentally friendly product is more expensive than a standard alternative - whether it's a simple light bulb or the house it shines．For average consumers, even buying an ordinary bulb is a huge burden．How can we persuade ordinary people to choose an energy-saving residence? This is not a trend they can afford to follow; perhaps this fashion is only for the rich．

Most consumers today do not cause huge carbon dioxide （CO₂） emissions．Their responsibility lies not in choosing a low-carbon lifestyle today, but in avoiding a high-carbon life in the future．The principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - a basis of sustainable development - can be applied here as well．

In China, low-carbon living still is resisted by a lack of social infrastructure（基础设施）. Even if your salary allows you to make that choice, nobody is there to help you accomplish it．

Consider energy-saving homes. You need to find out whether or not the developer has used natural materials wherever possible; how effective the insulation（绝缘物、隔热物） is; and what the green credentials of installed equipment are．You can read up a little, but you'll still be lucky to avoid being puzzled by the developers' marketing．Many so-called energy-saving buildings are nothing of the sort, and some are even more energy-hungry than the average home - as Li Taige warned in his article "Energy-efficient buildings? Not always", on China Dialogue last August．

1. What may probably be the best title of this passage?

A. To purchase a cheap bulb - your wise alternative．

B. To choose an energy-saving residence - a must of your life

C. To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - each citizen's responsibility

D. To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - a promising but difficult purpose

2.Why does the writer say this fashion is only for the rich in the fourth paragraph?

A. Because the cost is a very important standard for purchases.        

B. Because buying an ordinary bulb is very expensive.

C. Because energy-saving products are more expensive than the common alternatives.

D. Because rich people like to follow this trend.

3. What does the writer think of energy-saving homes?

A. Most of them are environmentally friendly.

B. They are musts of low-carbon lifestyle of Chinese.

C. They are huge burdens for Chinese people.

D. Many of them are more in name than in reality.

4.We can infer from the passage that ____．

A. Using energy-saving bulbs and appliances is a fashion．

B. It's easy for most Chinese to try to learn a low-carbon lifestyle．

C. All citizens in China don’t have the same responsibility in living a low-carbon lifestyle．

D. Most Chinese families cannot afford to purchase an energy-saving residence.

5.What is the writer's attitude towards the low-carbon lifestyle?

A. informative and entertaining           B. supportive but cautious

C. negative but wise                      D. positive and active

In the U.S., people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without first asking if it will disturb them.

At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.

Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.  

Serving in restaurants is often large; too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.

Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.

Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.

Which statement is true?

A. American people like sitting with people they don’t know.

B. Tips shouldn’t be given to the waiter or waitress.

C. Orange juice is served before you order

D. American people would not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.

What does the underlined word “doggie bag” mean in the article? It means ______.

A. a bag with a picture of a dog on it

B. a bag used to carry dogs

C. a small bag for taking the food left over home to enjoy it later

D. a small bag for taking the food left over home for dogs

Sunday dinner is _______.

A. a dinner in the evening               B. a big noon meal

C. a big lunch Sunday                  D. a supper on Sunday

If a person pays 200 yuan in a restaurant, how many tips are given to the waiter?

A. 30 yuan.       B. 60 yuan.        C. 80 yuan.        D. 90 yuan.

In Japan’s capital city of Tokyo, earthquake danger limits（限制）the height of buildings. The city has spread out so far and the traffic has become so heavy that it is very difficult to go from one place to another. The price of the land, too, has skyrocketed. All these explains why a group of Japanese land developers came to the conclusion（结论）that there was nowhere to go but down. So far they have dug out space underground for fifteen shopping centres.

    What are some of the advantages（优势）of shopping and eating underground? Clean air is one of them. The city of Tokyo has one of the most serious smog problems in the world.                Another advantage is that you escape the ever-present threat（威胁）of traffic accidents on the city’s busy streets. Still another is the convenience（便利）of getting around: you are usually right next to, or even in, a subway station. And you can even spend the night underground if you like. The Kibosh station, for example, in downtown Tokyo, has a hotel with a bar, restaurant, and barbershop.

The reason why buildings can not be very high in Tokyo is ____.

  A. that the information about high buildings is limited in Tokyo

  B. that the workers haven’t mastered enough modern science and technology

  C. the earthquake            

D. the heavy traffic

What’s the meaning of “skyrocket”? It means “____”.

  A. go up sharply              B. be as high as that of a rocket

  C. fall rapidly                 D. be as low as that of a rocket

So far how many shopping centers underground have there been?

  A.15       B.50       C. More than 15      D. More than 50

What are the advantages of shopping and eating underground

  A. Less air pollution, the convenience of shopping.

  B. Less air pollution, the convenience of shopping, and less traffic accidents.

  C. Clean air and the convenience of getting around.

  D. Clean air, less accidents’ threat, and the convenience of getting around.

The passage mainly tells us______.

  A. the capital of Japan                            B. the land and its limits

  C. the use of space underground in Tokyo    D. how to make full use of the land

Almost every country is increasing the price of cigarettes____ reduce smoking.

A．so that            B．so as to           C．in order that       D．as to