Question

【题目】 Since 2005, office workers in Japan have been allowed to wear T-shirts and shorts to work, instead of business suits and ties. Why? The answer is simple. The government is trying to reduce the use of air conditioners.

Although air conditioners make our lives easier in hot weather, they can be bad for the environment. The coolers use a great deal of electricity to function and add to the effects of global warming.

But it is a vicious (恶性的) cycle. As temperatures rise, there will be more need for air conditioning.

Pawel Wargocki, an expert at the Technical University of Denmark, told The New York Times: “The air conditioning causes a huge problem to global climate and energy use.” He added, “More and more air conditioners are used. It’s very dangerous.”

We can’t live with air conditioning. But the thing is, we can’t live without it either. Scientific studies have shown that if indoor temperatures are high in hot weather, people will suffer from certain health problems and have a lower productivity.

For example, when air conditioners were turned down in Japanese offices, the room temperature rose to 28 or higher. As a result, workers started getting headaches, and feeling sleepy.

They couldn’t give all their attention to work and their productivity dropped by 2 percent, which means they did 30 minutes less work each day, according to Shinichi Tanabe, a professor of architecture at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan.

So the best way to balance our comfort with environmental awareness is to change our expectations. Most of the time, it’s not that the room is too hot, but that we are used to it being cooler.

“The temperature many Americans find most comfortable indoors in summer —21C— feels uncomfortable to most Europeans, who find it too cold.” said Michael Sivak, professor at a University of Michigan, US. He said it is because Europeans care more about the environment and are willing to accept a bit more heat in summer.

Also, we can try to change our daily behavior. Open the windows to let air in, for example. Turning on the air conditioner is not the only way to make us feel comfortable.

【1】What did the Japanese government do to reduce the use of air conditioners?

A. To allow the workers to wear T-shirts to work.

B. To stop the workers from using air conditioners.

C. To let people accept a bit more heat in summer.

D. To ask people to open windows to let air in.

【2】The writer probably agrees that ______.

A. most people will be sick without air conditioners

B. global warming is mainly caused by air conditioners

C. people have to be used to living without air conditioners

D. we should change our expectations to protect environment

【3】We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. Japanese office workers are less productive in summer

B. Americans care less about environment than Europeans

C. People in Denmark believe air conditioners are dangerous

D. Europeans accept a bit cooler than Americans in summer

【4】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Protect Environment: Is it time to change business suits?

B. Protect Environment: Is it time to focus on temperature?

C. Protect Environment: Shall we change our expectations?

D. Protect Environment: Shall we stop using air conditioners?

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】D

【3】B

【4】C

【解析】

本文主要讲述了要保护环境，我们应该改变我们的期望。

【1】细节理解题。根据Since 2005, office workers in Japan have been allowed to wear T-shirts and shorts to work, instead of business suits and ties. 可知，日本政府为了减少使用空调，允许工人穿体恤衫上班， 故选A。

【2】细节理解题。根据 So the best way to balance our comfort with environmental awareness is to change our expectations.可知，作者认为要保护环境，我们应该改变我们的期望，故选D。

【3】推理判断题。根据He said it is because Europeans care more about the environment and are willing to accept a bit more heat in summer.可知，欧洲人比美国人更在乎环境，故选B。

【4】推理判断题。根据So the best way to balance our comfort with environmental awareness is to change our expectations.可知，本文主要讲述了要保护环境，我们应该改变我们的期望，故选C。

认真阅读题干，根据题干要求，在文中寻找答案所在的语句或段落，进行分析理解，词义猜测，推理判断和概括归纳，选出正确的选项。例如小题2，根据 So the best way to balance our comfort with environmental awareness is to change our expectations.可知，作者认为要保护环境，我们应该改变我们的期望，故选D。