Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really did move across the sky. The Greek god Helios was said to drive the sun around the sky with his chariot（战车）. But now, these ideas have all changed. Nowadays, it is the sun that drives our “chariot” around the sky.

So what does all this mean? Well, quite simply, there is now a plane （or “chariot”） that is powered by the sun. It has special parts in its wings. These parts absorb power from the sun. They absorb so much power that they can carry on flying at night. In the Greek myths（希腊神话）, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient than the gods themselves.

This plane is called Solar Impulse （“太阳驱动”号）. It will fly across the US in May. This is very important for the future of the world.

So why is solar energy so good for us? Well, other kinds of energy cause a few problems. If you live in China, you’ve probably noticed the pollution. This is caused by burning coal or gas to make energy. The heat and chemicals（化学制品）from this make things work. But if we use the heat from the sun, we don’t have to burn anything, and there’s no pollution.

Solar energy is not all there yet. It needs to be improved. But the best thing about it is that, unlike coal and gas, it doesn’t run out. Solar Impulse could keep flying forever. Well, actually, the sun will run out too, one day, but not for another 5 billion years. That’s a pretty long flight.

1.What does “chariot” really refer to in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A．The Earth.         B．The Greek god.     C．Solar Impulse.      D．Birds.

2.Which of the following is TRUE of Solar Impulse?

A．It can only fly at night.                    B．It has already flown across the US.

C．It is powered by the sun.                  D．It needs gas to work.

3.In the passage, what is mentioned as the cause of pollution in China?

A．Overpopulation.                        B．Burning coal or gas.

C．Using solar energy.                      D．Heavy traffic.

4.What does the writer mean by “That’s a pretty long flight”?

A．It takes a lot of time to get Solar Impulse going.

B．Solar Impulse moves very slowly.

C．Solar Impulse will be in use for a long time.

D．Solar Impulse has a long way to go to take the place of the sun.

5.The passage is most probably taken from___________.

A．a Greek myth      B．a science fiction     C．a story-book       D．a science magazine

There are some easy things you can do to protect the environment and the earth. Choose ideas from the list or come up with a few of your own.
·Plant flowers, grass or trees.
·Whenever you visit a park or beach, take away what you bring there—keep rubbish in a bag until you can put it in a dustbin.
·Turn off the lights and TV sets when you leave the room. This can save a lot of electricity.
·Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. You can save some water by not letting it run. Also, use a glass cup instead of a paper cup because this saves paper.
·Keep the doors and windows closed in winter to keep warm air in.
·Give your old books and magazines to a library instead of throwing them away.
·Give your old clothes to poor children you know instead of throwing them away.
·Use both sides of paper.
·Stop pouring dirty water into the rivers or lakes nearby.
·Encourage all your friends to do the same things you do to help protect the earth. You don’t have to wait until Earth Day to do these things. Make every day Earth Day. If everyone makes a contribution to protecting the environment, the world will become much more beautiful.
【小题1】From the above, we know that this is           .
A. a sign           B. a proposal (倡议书)     C. an ad(advertisement)
【小题2】The writer tells us           .
A. that we can’t do all these things until Earth Day
B. to pour dirty water into the rivers
C. to save water by not letting it run while brushing our teeth
【小题3】 We can            to save paper.
A. use a paper cup      B. use both sides of paper  C. give new books to a library
【小题4】Which of the following is wrong according to the writer?
A. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
B. Close the doors and windows in winter.
C. Use a paper cup when you brush your teeth.
【小题5】 What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Protect the Earth        B. Save Money      C. Make Better Use of Old Things

There are some easy things you can do to protect the environment and the earth. Choose ideas from the list or come up with a few of your own.

·Plant flowers, grass or trees.

·Whenever you visit a park or beach, take away what you bring there—keep rubbish in a bag until you can put it in a dustbin.

·Turn off the lights and TV sets when you leave the room. This can save a lot of electricity.

·Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. You can save some water by not letting it run. Also, use a glass cup instead of a paper cup because this saves paper.

·Keep the doors and windows closed in winter to keep warm air in.

·Give your old books and magazines to a library instead of throwing them away.

·Give your old clothes to poor children you know instead of throwing them away.

·Use both sides of paper.

·Stop pouring dirty water into the rivers or lakes nearby.

·Encourage all your friends to do the same things you do to help protect the earth. You don’t have to wait until Earth Day to do these things. Make every day Earth Day. If everyone makes a contribution to protecting the environment, the world will become much more beautiful.

1.From the above, we know that this is           .

A. a sign                     B. a proposal (倡议书)       C. an ad(advertisement)

2.The writer tells us           .

A. that we can’t do all these things until Earth Day

B. to pour dirty water into the rivers

C. to save water by not letting it run while brushing our teeth

3. We can            to save paper.

A. use a paper cup            B. use both sides of paper       C. give new books to a library

4.Which of the following is wrong according to the writer?

A. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.

B. Close the doors and windows in winter.

C. Use a paper cup when you brush your teeth.

5. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Protect the Earth                  B. Save Money      C. Make Better Use of Old Things

Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really did move across the sky. The Greek god Helios was said to drive the sun around the sky with his chariot（战车）. But now, these ideas have all changed. Nowadays, it is the sun that drives our “chariot” around the sky.
So what does all this mean? Well, quite simply, there is now a plane （or “chariot”） that is powered by the sun. It has special parts in its wings. These parts absorb power from the sun. They absorb so much power that they can carry on flying at night. In the Greek myths（希腊神话）, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient than the gods themselves.
This plane is called Solar Impulse （“太阳驱动”号）. It will fly across the US in May. This is very important for the future of the world.
So why is solar energy so good for us? Well, other kinds of energy cause a few problems. If you live in China, you’ve probably noticed the pollution. This is caused by burning coal or gas to make energy. The heat and chemicals（化学制品）from this make things work. But if we use the heat from the sun, we don’t have to burn anything, and there’s no pollution.
Solar energy is not all there yet. It needs to be improved. But the best thing about it is that, unlike coal and gas, it doesn’t run out. Solar Impulse could keep flying forever. Well, actually, the sun will run out too, one day, but not for another 5 billion years. That’s a pretty long flight.
【小题1】What does “chariot” really refer to in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?