Question

    Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really moved 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, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient (效率高) 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 (指的是) in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A. The Earth.                 B. The Greek god.               C. The plane.               D. Birds.

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

A. It can only fly at night.                                  B. It is powered by the sun.

C. It has already flown across the US.                 D. It needs gas to work.

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

A. Overpopulation.                                            B. Heavy traffic.

C. Using solar energy.                                        D. Burning coal or gas.

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

A. Solar Impulse moves very slowly.

B. Solar Impulse will be in use for a very long time.

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

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

Answer 1

1C  2B  3D  4B