【推荐2】Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are now thought as the top source of green-house gases. One of the most effective ways to reduce your carbon footprint is to reconsider how much, and how often, you travel.

Going car free for a year could save about 2. 6 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a study from the University of British Columbia. How can you stop using a car? Try taking a train, bus or better yet, riding a bike.

But let’s be realistic. You will likely need to use a car this year. So, when you do, here are some tips to make your trip more climate-friendly. Driving efficiently can help to reduce emissions. Go easy on the gas and brakes and drive like you have an egg under your foot. Regularly service your car to keep it more efficient. Keeping your tires pumped correctly can re-duce emissions. Low tire pressure will hurt your fuel economy. Air conditioning and frequent city driving can make emissions go up. So cut down on these as often as possible. Use cruise control (定速巡航) on long drives-in most cases, this can help to save gas. Don’t weigh your car down with extra things that you don’t need on your trip.

Fly often? Taking one fewer long round-trip flight could reduce your personal carbon footprint significantly. If you use public transportation often and fly less, your carbon foot-print might still be relatively sustainable, but if you drive and fly a lot, your emissions will be sigher. If you can’t avoid flying, you can offset them by donating money to sustainable proacts, such as supplying efficient stoves to rural homes, or projects which help farmers deal with crop waste environmentally.

1. What does the author think of going car free?

A．Efficient.

B．Costly.

C．Impractical.

D．Reliable.

2. Which can be adopted to save fuel of your car?

A．Maintaining your car properly.	B．Using cruise control in the city.
C．Stepping hard on the gas and brakes.	D．Geiting rid of all the necessary loads.

3. What does the underlined word “offset” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Make up for.

B．Team up with.

C．Set foot in.

D．Put up with.

4. Which is the best title for the text?

A．How to save fuel when driving cars	B．How to reduce your carbon footprint
C．Reduce carbon footprint by all means	D．Lower carbon footprint in transportation

【推荐3】Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge, the double-deck suspension (悬浮) bridge with the longest span in the world, opened to traffic on Tuesday after five years’ construction, according to a statement from the constructor.

It is reported that the bridge is 4. 13 kilometers long, with 12 lanes in both directions on the main I bridge. It is a long-span suspension bridge with the largest volume in the world, China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group said. The bridge connects the Hanyang and Wuchang and its opening will ameliorate the urban expressway system, relieve traffic pressure across the river, and drive development in the area, according to the company.

On both sides of the upper deck of the bridge, there is a two-meter-wide footpath, with eight rest and sightseeing areas, where people can enjoy the river scenery. The lower level is designed with two non-motorized lanes, each 2. 5 meters wide. A 1. 5-meter wide walkway is also a feature of each side of the floor so pedestrians (行人) can walk on the lower level without getting caught in the rain.

Chief designer of the bridge, Xu Gongyi, said, “Considering navigation and traffic volume, the main span of the bridge is 1, 700 meters, which is the second-largest in the world and also the largest in bridges of double-deck structure.”

According to Luo Ruihua, project manager of the bridge, the Yangsigang Yangtze River Bridge has set several records in the process of its construction. The designed tension of each of the two main cables (钢索) is 65, 000 tons.

From 2014 to 2019, builders have shown the world the speed of China. The bridge not only enhances Wuhan’s reputation as a “bridge museum”, but also represents a super project of a new era.

1. What does the underlined word “ameliorate” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Keep.

B．Start.

C．Improve.

D．Show.

2. How does the text introduce the bridge’s basic information?

A．By giving examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By describing its principles.	D．By using data.

3. What can we know about the bridge?

A．It will attract many foreigners to Wuhan.

B．It is friendly to pedestrians.

C．The cost of its construction is low.

D．It is the longest bridge of the world.

4. What attitude does the author have to the bridge?

A．Negative.

B．Admiring.

C．Uncertain.

D．Grateful.

【推荐1】Dr. Michael Prager, a leading Botox expert, said that a growing number of women are developing something called “computer face”. He also mentioned that professionals who worked long hours in front of a screen were ending up with saggy jowls(颚骨), “turkey neck” and deep-set wrinkles on their forehead and around their eyes.
The Botox expert said that, of all his clients, office workers were most likely to show premature(过早的)signs of ageing. “If you are one of the unfortunate people who frown(皱眉)while you are concentrating on the screen then, over time, you will inevitably end up with frown lines,” Dr. Prager said. “What is perhaps more surprising is the number of women with saggy jowls because they are sitting in one position for so long. If you spend most of the time looking down then the neck muscles shorten and go saggy, eventually giving you a second neck. “
Dr. Prager, who has a practice near Harley Street in London, said he encourages his clients to put a mirror next to their computer so they can see if they are frowning at the screen. “When people are stressed or thinking hard about something, then they will often put on a ‘grumpy(脾气暴躁的)face’ without even knowing what they are doing. When my clients put a mirror next to their desk, they are often shocked by the angry, frowning face which stares back at them.”
He said, “The women I am seeing at the moment have only been using computers at work for the last decade or so. But women in their 20s have grown up with them and use them for every single task. I think the problem is going to become much, much worse. In another ten years, they could be looking quite awful.”
Dr. Prager said there were several simple steps which could avoid “computer face” such as regular screen breaks and stretching the neck muscles. And, of course, there was always Botox. He said that, after a couple of sessions of Botox, the habit of “grumpy face” could be broken.
1. In what way do women develop a “computer face”?

A．Frowning every now and then.

B．Concentrating on computers frequently.

C．Working for too long in front of a screen.

D．Sitting in the same place for a long time.

2. According to the passage, which of the following are signs of ageing?

A．Saggy jowls and short necks.

B．Turkey neck and frown lines.

C．Deep-set wrinkles and angry faces.

D．Second neck and stressed muscles.

3. From the last 2 paragraphs, we can learn that ______.

A．“computer face” is avoidable

B．we should give up using computers

C．we should break the habit of “grumpy face”

D．the younger generation is worse at computers

【推荐2】Officials of Detroit, Michigan, have equipped a piece of road with new technology designed to charge electric vehicles (EVs) on the path. The roadway is meant to serve as a demonstration project for the technology, which could be expanded to larger road systems.

The system uses a series of copper wires placed underneath the road. These wires have the ability to send electricity through a magnetic field to charge an EV’s battery. Charging can happen while the car is driving or sitting above the equipment. Electreon says the electric road system is safe for people and animals walking over it and does not harm drivers.

The technology was created by Electreon, a developer of wireless charging solutions for EVs. Stefan Tongur, Electreon’s vice president of business development, told The Associated Press EVs require special equipment to receive the wireless signal. “The technology is smart,” Tongur said, and “knows who you are...”

The electrified road stretches about one half-kilometer. It will be used to test and improve the technology in preparation for wider releases. Tongur said the project aims to “demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid (电网) limitations, and battery size and costs.” He looks forward to a future in which, in his words, “EVs are the norm, not the exception.”

Michigan’s Department of Transportation (DOT) signed a five-year agreement with Electreon to develop the roadway charging system. Officials have said they plan to build another electrified stretch of road in another part of the city. Michigan transportation officials say the wireless-charging roadway project has helped position the state and city of Detroit as national leaders in EV technology. “In Michigan, we want to stay ahead of the curve,” Michigan DOT Director Bradley C.Wieferich told the AP.

1. What is the new technology intended to do?

A．Improve EVs’ batteries.	B．Demonstrate a project.
C．Expand road systems.	D．Supply power to EVs.

2. What do we know about the electric road system?

A．People and animals may get an electric shock near it.

B．EVs are charged through contact with its copper wires.

C．It charges EVs only if they stay still on the equipment.

D．A special device is needed to pick up its wireless signals.

3. Which of the following can best replace the underlined phrase “stay ahead of the curve”?

A．Develop more smoothly.	B．Make progress in the industry.
C．Take the lead in the field.	D．Achieve a goal ahead of time.

4. What is Bradley’s attitude towards the project?

A．Positive.

B．Negative.

C．Objective.

D．Skeptical.

【推荐3】Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) recently announced that they have figured out how to engineer a biofilm (生物膜) that harvests the energy in evaporation (蒸发) and changes it to electricity. This biofilm, which was announced in Nature Communications, has the potential to revolutionize the world of wearable electronics, powering everything from personal medical sensors to personal electronics.

“This is a very exciting technology, says Liu Xiaomeng, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering in UMass Amherst’s College of Engineering and the paper’s lead author. “It generates real green energy, and unlike other so-called ‘green-energy’ sources, its production is totally green.”

That is because this biofilm — which is a sheet of bacterial cells and as thin as a sheet of paper — is produced naturally by an engineered version of the bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens. G sulfurreducens is known to produce electricity and has been used previously in “microbial batteries” to power electrical equipment. But such batteries require that G sulfurreducens be properly cared for and fed a constant diet. By contrast, this new biofilm, which can supply as much energy as a comparably sized battery, works continuously, because it is dead. And because it is dead, it doesn’t need to be fed.

The secret behind this new biofilm is that it makes energy from the moisture (水分) on your skin. While we daily read stories about solar power, at least 50% of the solar energy reaching the earth goes toward evaporating water. “This is a huge, undiscovered source of energy,” says Yao Jun, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMass Amherst, and the paper’s one senior author. Since the surface of our skin is constantly moist with sweat, the biofilm can “plug into” it and change the energy locked in evaporation into sufficient energy to power small equipment. “Our next step is to increase the size of our film to power more intelligent wearable electronics,” says Yao, and Liu points out that one of the goals is to power entire electronic systems, rather than single equipment.

1. Which of the following can biofilm do according to the first paragraph?

A．Update wearable electronics.

B．Get power from evaporation.

C．Supply energy to microbial batteries.

D．Transform the way of generating electricity.

2. What is the advantage of the biofilm compared with “microbial batteries”?

A．It is comparatively thinner.

B．It is environmentally friendly.

C．It adopts a rare energy source.

D．It decreases the cost in usage.

3. How does the biofilm power small devices?

A．By interacting with solar power.

B．By making electricity out of sweat.

C．By gaining energy from electronic system.

D．By employing water to generate electricity.

4. Which of the following best describes the biofilm?

A．Intelligent.

B．Flexible.

C．Impractical.

D．Promising.

【推荐2】Be careful on January 8th --- It’s officially the most dangerous day of the year. The insurance company Hyperion has studied accident statistics (统计数字) and has found that there are more accidents on January 8th than on any other day.

Accidents are certainly more likely to happen at particular times of the year. One general rule is that more accidents happen in winter months, because risk increases in bad weather. In 2004 and 2005 Hyperion found that the worst day was January 8th, with 298 accidents reported to them. March 3rd was the safest day, with only 89 reports. Six of the ten worst days for driving were in January.

It’s clear that icy and snowy conditions are dangerous, but some other statistics are puzzling. A British Medical Journal report in 2001, for example, found that hospital admissions (住院) were always higher than usual on Friday the 13th.

But it is not only when Friday falls on the 13th that it is a dangerous day. Four of the top ten worst days for accidents last year were Fridays --- perhaps because everyone is rushing home for the weekend --- while Thursdays are the safest day of the week.

At what time of the day is an accident most likely to happen? The Health and Safety Authority found that people are most likely to have an accident at 11.00 a.m., while the safest time of day is between 4.00 and 5.00 a.m. --- probably because most people are in bed!

Finally, good news for Harry Potter fans. Doctors at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford noted that fewer children were in hospital on the weekend when Harry Potter books were available to the public. Casualties (伤亡人员) fell by over 50% when the last two books went on sale. So if you want to be really safe, you should read a Harry Potter book in bed, at around 5.00 on a Thursday morning, in summer.

1. What is special about January 8th according to Hyperion?

A．More accidents happen than usual.	B．The weather is often the worst.
C．More people are rushed to hospital.	D．It’s the safest day in winter months.

2. Why are Fridays considered to be dangerous?

A．Fridays often fall on the 13th.	B．Busy weekdays tire people out.
C．Everyone is in a hurry to go home.	D．It’s easy to get caught in heavy traffic.

3. What happened when there was a new Harry Potter book?

A．It was the safest day of the year.	B．People were more likely to go out.
C．Fewer children ended up in hospital.	D．The driving conditions were the worst.

4. What is the purpose of this text?

A．To show some research results.	B．To give practical advice.
C．To tell an interesting story.	D．To solve a problem.

【推荐3】In the past hundred years, a million people have died in earthquakes, another million have been killed by hurricanes and tornadoes, and 9 million have lost their lives in floods. In addition to this, many millions have died as a result of hunger and disease. We should also not forget in many of the world's countries, drought—serious water shortage—is a fact of life, especially in the African Sahel area bordering the Sahara Desert.

Scientists and engineers around the world have made great advances in earthquake engineering. It is, of course, physically impossible to move cities such as Tokyo and San Francisco that have been built on earthquake belts. But most often it is not the earthquake that kills people. It is the falling buildings, bridges and so on that cause deaths, and such a happening can be greatly reduced by better building programs.

Finally, perhaps we need to consider the natural disasters that we are causing ourselves. Through our mismanagement of the planet's resources we have sped up the dying out of hundreds of sorts of plants and animals, at the same time possibly destroying our own long-term surroundings for life. Maybe this is one disaster that could be prevented if we are willing to act with a sense of responsibility.

1. How many people have been killed in natural disasters in the past 100 years?

A．1 million.	B．9 million.
C．More than 11 million.	D．More than 1 million.

2. Which of the following has killed people directly according to the passage?

A．None of the below.	B．Earthquakes and floods.
C．Hurricanes and tornadoes.	D．Floods and water shortage.

3. According to the text, we can say that________.

A．nothing can be done with earthquakes

B．earthquake can be prevented from happening

C．cities built on earthquake belts can be moved in time

D．losses and deaths caused by earthquakes can be reduced with human efforts

4. What does the underlined "one disaster" in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Earthquakes.	B．The text doesn't tell us.
C．All of the disasters mentioned.	D．Man's mismanagement of natural resources.