Three Types of Renewable Energy Sources
Water Power
Water power is the world’s biggest source of renewable energy by far, with China, Brazil, Canada, the U. S. , and Russia the leading water power producers. While water power is a clean energy source provided by rain and snow, it also has several drawbacks.
Large dams can damage river ecosystems and surrounding communities, harming wildlife and displacing residents. Even water power at full capacity bears its own emissions problems, as rotting organic material in reservoirs releases methane (甲烷,沼气).
Dams aren’t the only way to use water for power. Tidal and wave energy projects around the world aim to capture the ocean’s natural rhythms. The potential marine energy is great.
Wind Power
Wind turbines (涡轮) are growing around the globe, and China, the U. S., and Germany are the leading wind energy producers.
Some people may object to how wind turbines look on the horizon (地平线) and to how they sound, but wind energy, whose prices are declining, is proving too valuable a resource to deny. Another problem with wind turbines is that they’re a danger for birds and bats, killing hundreds of thousands annually that engineers are working on solutions to make them safer for flying wildlife.
Solar Power
From home rooftops to farms, solar power is reshaping energy markets around the world.
In addition to solar panels, which change the sun’s light to electricity, concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun’s heat, getting thermal energy. Solar thermal energy is also being used worldwide for hot water, heating, and cooling. China, Japan, and the U. S. are leading the solar transformation, but solar still has a long way to go.
1. Which country is the leading producer of all the three renewable energies?A.China. | B.Japan. | C.Germany. | D.Russia. |
A.Gathering organic material in reservoirs. |
B.Employing alternative water sources. |
C.Moving residents away from dams |
D.Using water power at full capacity. |
A.They cost too much. |
B.They occupy much space. |
C.They cause noise pollution. |
D.They affect flying wildlife’s health. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】New technology rules the whole world now. But I still remember when I was a child, I did not have a cell phone or a computer because it was not necessary at all in those days. The Internet was not popular and the touch screen technology was unknown.
At this time here in the US smartphones are really a need, especially for young and business people. There are many applications (应用软件) really useful like maps, dictionaries, e-mails and games.
For me, I use my smartphone to check the weather and to look for something on the Internet and of course to keep communicating through calls and texts. Besides, I like music applications, GPS and Facebook.
Many tests have discovered that cell phones cause damage to us because they send out radioactive (具有放射性的) waves to our bodies and this could cause cancer.
Psychologists say that these devices can affect behavior and I believe everyone knows it is harmful to the eyes if we are sitting for a long time in front of the computer. However, it seems to be difficult for us to give up, even if we know how bad it is for our health. The use of technology becomes more and more important in our lives.
I think the use of technology has brought us unimaginable things. If we use technology correctly, I am sure it would be possible to decrease the damage to our bodies.
Keep in mind that it is important not to focus only on technology, but to spend time with our families and people close to us.
1. What can we know from the passage?A.The author is a businessman working for a cell phone company. |
B.The author has suffered a lot from the use of electrical devices. |
C.The author knows little about the functions of modern cell phones. |
D.The author is quite pleased with the various functions of cell phones. |
A.It’s not necessary to add more applications to cell phones. |
B.Cell phones have made our world a boring place to live in. |
C.New technology has done people more harm than good. |
D.New technology makes people separated from each other. |
A.Keep. | B.Cause. |
C.Reduce. | D.Add. |
A.The importance of the Internet. | B.The applications of cell phones. |
C.The role of new technology in our lives. | D.The health problems brought by cell phones. |
【推荐2】According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “couch potato” first appeared in print in a December, 1979 edition of the Los Angeles Times. Since then, has become a familiar term for a person who spends a lot of time sitting, and little time exercising. Although there does not seem to be any particular reason why the term “couch potato” is used rather than “couch tomato” , a person may become a “couch potato” because living this way is said to make you round like a potato. The term is also said to have something to do with the high-calorie (卡路里) food like potato chips.
People now would say “couch potato” whenever they talk about overweight and obesity (肥胖). Indeed, “couch potatoes” are believed to have heart disease risks, which can be avoided by regular exercise.
It is true that technology and modern life in general make us sick, fat, lazy and physically/mentally soft. The more time people spend using technology, particularly televisions and computers, the less time they will spend being physically active.
“Couch potato” kids are a particular concern. Media reports repeatedly claim that children today are fatter than their elder generations, but less athletically skilled, less interested in physical activities and more addicted (上瘾的) to “junk food” and technology such as televisions and computers. The message is clear: today’s children are fat because they are lazy and eat too much. Moreover, because technology is becoming more sophisticated (复杂的), children are less able to resist (抵抗,忍得住) technology’s attraction, and are more likely to spend more time using technology, less time doing physical activities and,therefore, more likely to be fat.
1. The first paragraph is mainly about ________.A.why “couch potato” is used as a term for a person |
B.when “couch potato” is used as a term for a person |
C.how “couch potato” is different from “couch tomato” |
D.what kind of person looks like a potato |
A.we are more likely to have heart disease risks in modern life |
B.we spend less time doing exercise |
C.we needn’t do many things by ourselves any more |
D.we spend all our time watching TV and playing computer games |
A.food | B.study |
C.health | D.hobby |
A.scientists should stop their technology research |
B.parents should take better care of their children |
C.kids should be stopped from using new technology |
D.people should spend less time using technology |
【推荐3】George is in his bedroom. He is playing on his computer again! George plays on his computer every day. But George feels sad. He plays on his computer because he doesn't have any friends. Sometimes he dreams he is playing football with lots of friends, but it never happens.
Today George is playing a computer football game. He is playing against the computer and he is winning. Suddenly the computer speaks to George.
"Hello, George! What game can we play now?"
George is surprised and jumps up from his chair. He can't believe it. Maybe he is dreaming.
George looks at the computer with big eyes. "You can speak!"
"Yes. I can do many amazing things!" Two arms shoot out of the sides of the computer. And then two legs. Suddenly the computer is walking!
"Let's go for a walk to find a friend," says the computer. The computer runs along the road. It goes into the library, where there are lots of computers. There is a boy, Tommy, sitting there, doing his homework.
Tommy looks at the crazy computer.
"What's this?" he cries. "A computer with arms and legs?" George's computer is in the middle of the room. It's getting bigger and bigger.
It is out of control. The lights in the library are flashing on and off. People are running out of the library.
"Quick!" says George. He grabs a stick and hits his computer. There is a loud bang and it explodes into the air and falls to the ground into small pieces.
"He's gone," says Tommy.
Tommy and George leave the library together. Tommy lives in the next street to George. "That's my house," says Tommy. "Do you want to play football in the garden?"
"Yes," says George, smiling. "Who needs computers?"
1. When George and the computer entered the library, what was Tommy doing?A.He was chatting with a net friend. |
B.He was doing his homework. |
C.He was playing football on a computer. |
D.He was repairing a computer. |
A.The library | B.The stick |
C.Tommy's homework | D.George's computer |
A.ad for a supercomputer | B.football match report |
C.science story | D.diary |
A.computers make people communicates with each other. |
B.children prefer playing football on the computer. |
C.online games replace some traditional ways of playing |
D.computers will drive people mad in the future. |
【推荐1】Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “The British are the only people who like to be told how bad things are.” This is definitely (绝对地) true of British comedy. Most people think humor is about happy things, but for the British, the opposite is true. We love to use our cruel sense of humor to complain and be negative (消极的).
British comedy, for example, draws a fine line between comedy and tragedy (悲剧). BBC’s The Office is a TV show, famous for its dry humor. The main character, David Brent, is a foolish man, and the show’s comedy comes from his delusions. For example, he often tells himself that he is loved by everyone but the viewer can see that everyone hates him.
Stupid characters for the audience to laugh at are an old tradition in Britain. In Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, the character Malvolio is an old man whom people play tricks on. The audience will laugh away, although the reality is that this man is a truly tragic individual (个体).
This side of British humor is reflected (反映) in friendships as well. At university, my friends and I would always laugh at one another. I had an American friend who actually found this sarcasm (挖苦) quite upsetting. She didn’t realize that in Britain, the better friends you are with someone, the more you laugh at them.
This approach – laughing at everything – may sound rather depressing (让人郁闷的), but our strange humor played a big part in British history. In World War II, along with a stiff upper lip (坚定沉着), the British got through it by laughing. What else was there to do?
There is a saying in English: “Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.” If you are ever on the receiving end of British sarcasm, you may feel like crying, but it’s best to just laugh it off!
1. How is British comedy different from other types?A.It is often surprising and boring. |
B.It often laughs at human nature. |
C.It is often about negative things. |
D.It often makes people feel depressed. |
A.strong abilities |
B.fun characters |
C.incorrect beliefs |
D.deep confidence |
A.To show one of the best examples of British comedy. |
B.To explain how Shakespeare’s comedy is different. |
C.To show how difficult it is to make people accept British comedy. |
D.To prove Britain has a long tradition of laughing at stupid characters. |
A.Learn from it. |
B.Don’t take it seriously. |
C.Reply sarcastically. |
D.Be careful not to make stupid mistakes. |
【推荐2】Americans love their national parks. Last year, these lands attracted 331 million people. Visitors expect to be provided with roads, bridges, restrooms and more. The more people come, the more it costs to keep up the infrastructure(基础设施).
Unfortunately, the funds needed are not enough. The national parks have a backlog(积压未办之事) of more than $11 billion in things that need to be repaired or replaced. The Interior Department has proposed a solution: higher fees.
The increase would apply at 17 of the most popular parks, including Yellowstone and Acadia, during peak months. Currently, a seven-day pass costs $25 or $30 for a carload of parents and kids. Under this proposal, the fee would rise to $70 for each vehicle, with each motorcycle charged $50 and cyclists $30 per person.
That $70 may sound steep, but for a family of four spending a week inside, it works out to $2.50 per person per day. A one-day ticket at the gate for Great America, by comparison, costs $54.99 for children and $74.99 for adults. And let’s not even talk about Walt Disney World. For most people, the additional cost would be a tiny part of their total outlay(费用). Studies show that entrance fees make up only 1.2 to 1.5 percent of visitors’ total trip expense.
The proposed change would yield $70 million, a 34 percent increase. And visitors may be consoled(安慰的) to know that 80 percent of each fee they pay will go to the park they visited.
Nature provides Americans with the wonders of these parks for free. But making them accessible and enjoyable for millions of people costs money and the administration has a sound idea for how to get it.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?A.To lead to the topic of the text. |
B.To display the needs of Americans. |
C.To show how much Americans love traveling. |
D.To tell how much Americans love national parks. |
A.The equipment is old. | B.They are lacking in money. |
C.So many visitors come. | D.The pollution is too serious. |
A.The entrance fees are low. | B.Effect of the proposal is obvious. |
C.The increase is not that much. | D.Opinions on the proposal are different. |
A.It is acceptable to make the change. |
B.Parks must be open to people for free. |
C.Visitors should know where the money goes. |
D.More services should be provided for visitors. |
【推荐3】Tom goes everywhere with Catherine Green, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. "Most people don't seem to mind Tom," says Catherine, who thinks he is wonderful. "He's my fourth child," she says. She may think of him and treat him that way as her son, buying his food, paying his health bills and his taxes, but in fact Tom is a dog.
Catherine and Tom live in Sweden, a country where everyone is expected to lead an orderly life according to rules laid down by the government, which also provides a high level of care for its people. This level of care costs money.
People in Sweden pay taxes on everything, so aren't surprised to find that owning a dog means yet more taxes. Some people are paying as much as 500 Swedish kronor in taxes a year for the right to keep their dog, money that is spent by the government on dog hospitals and sometimes medical treatment for a dog that falls ill. However, most such treatment is expensive, so owners often decide to offer health and even life premium for their dog.
In Sweden dog owners must pay for any damage their dog does. A Swedish Kennel Club official explains what this means: if your dog runs out on the road and gets hit by a passing car you, as the owner, have to pay for any damage done to the car, even if your dog has been killed in the accident.
1. The money paid as dog taxes is used to .A.provide medical care for dogs |
B.pay for damage done by dogs |
C.keep a high level of care for the people |
D.buy insurance for dog owners |
A.entertainment expense | B.medical check |
C.payment for risks | D.protection fee |
A.The government. |
B.The owner of the car. |
C.The insurance company. |
D.The owner of the dog. |
A.people care much about dogs |
B.keeping dogs means asking for trouble |
C.many car accidents are caused by dogs |
D.dogs are welcome in public places |