Steven Stein likes to track garbage trucks. He says, “It’s hard to resist.” Stein’s strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including stuff that falls off garbage trucks as they run down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s current plans is defending an industry behind a source of trash: plastic shopping bags.
Americans use more than 100 million plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities are banishing (排除) them from checkout lines. The bags are outlawed in some places in the USA.
Facing these situations, plastic-bag manufacturers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume. “It’s important to base your decisions on facts,” says Stan Bikulege, CEO of Hilex Poly, which has hired Stein.
Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.
The industry has also taken aim at the product that can take the place of plastic bags: reusable shopping bags. The sturdier a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. But this plan has another side. Longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make.
Environmentalists don’t agree with these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years. So are reusables our destiny? The answer is probably yes. And Andy Keller, inventor of reusable polyester (聚酯纤维) bags, says, ”If you can carry it out in your hands or put it back in your car, you don’t need a bag.”
1. The first paragraph serves as___________.| A．an explanation | B．an introduction | C．a comment | D．a background |
| A．To collect facts about shopping bags. |
| B．To show plastic bags are eco-friendly. |
| C．To research on people’s consuming habits. |
| D．To prove plastic bags are better than people thought. |
| A．They look a bit ugly. | B．They are easy to break. |
| C．Their prices are comparatively high. | D．Their production is energy-consuming. |
| A．Stronger. | B．Lighter. | C．Heavier. | D．Softer. |
| A．Forget about plastic bags. | B．Paper bags are coming. |
| C．Paper, plastic or neither. | D．A strange scientist. |
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【推荐1】In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about half a dozen becomes the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as soft circling wind hundreds—even thousands—of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the southeast winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist air flows in at the bottom of such a wind, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process, the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to move in a counter－clockwise motion.
The life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane’s rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12 inch downpours, causing sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea — the mountains of water moving toward the hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.
1. When is an ordinary tropical storm called a hurricane?| A．When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean seas. | B．When it hits the coastline. |
| C．When it is more than 75 miles wide. | D．When its winds reach 75 miles per hour. |
| A．The terrible effects of water. | B．The heat they give off. |
| C．That they last about nine days. | D．Their strong winds. |
| A．heavy rainfall | B．the progress of water to the hurricane center |
| C．dangerous waves | D．the increasing heat |
| A．It travels more than 75 miles per hour. |
| B．It usually stays about 9 days. |
| C．It usually causes 6 to 12 inch downpours. |
| D．It sometimes brings the sea water level to the height of 15 feet. |
【推荐2】An experiment published in iScience provides evidence that octopuses (章鱼) feel pain like humans do.
During the experiment, Crook, who comes from San Francisco State University, placed an octopus between two rooms with different lines and spots on the walls, and then observed where she preferred to stay. The next day, in another part of the lab, Crook put acetic acid into one of the octopus’s arms. She says doing so is like pouring lemon juice on a paper cut. When the animal awoke with an aching arm, Crook kept her in the room she had preferred before. The researcher removed the octopus 20 minutes later and used lidocaine to numb (使麻木) her arm. Crook then placed her in the room she had not liked as much at first. After another 20 minutes, Crook returned her to her home container.
Finally, about five hours later, Crook brought the octopus back to the rooms and gave her an alternative: return to the originally preferred room, where she was kept with an aching arm, or go to the one she had not liked as much but where she was numb. Crook ran the experiment with seven octopuses. They all chose to go to the non-preferred room. As a control, Crook put salt water into seven other octopuses. Unlike the experimental group, those octopuses returned to their originally preferred room.
It turned out the octopuses related the room they had once liked better to the ache they felt the last time they were there. Then they compared that experience with their typical pain-free state and decided that how they usually felt was better. Using that information, the octopuses chose to go to the non-preferred room. “There’s a lot of brain processing that has to happen,” Crook says.
Crook’s study suggests that there should be more focus on the welfare of octopuses. Due to people’s ignorance, animals like octopuses are not properly protected in both research and industry in the U.S. Luckily, Crook’s findings, giving us more insights into them, have led to increased protection for octopuses.
1. What effect did lidocaine have on the studied octopus?| A．Keeping her awake. | B．Making her energetic. |
| C．Making her feel less pain. | D．Removing her memory of pain. |
| A．Treat. | B．Choice. | C．Lead. | D．Punishment. |
| A．They tend to work in groups. | B．Their preference changes with time. |
| C．They update their memories regularly. | D．Their painful memories last for hours. |
| A．The significance of the research. | B．The description of the research. |
| C．The reasons for protecting octopuses. | D．The assumption about the octopuses. |
【推荐3】Everyone talks about the “five” senses of man.And it is true that we get our information （信息） about the outside from our sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste.Researchers tell us that the sense of sight – our visual sense –gives us up to 80% of what we know about the world outside our bodies; while the other senses, the auditory （hearing）, the olfactory （smell）, the tactile （touch）, and the gustatory （taste） bring into our brains information about the other 20% of what is happening. But there are two other senses that we cannot get along without, though they are little noticed. These are the senses of balance （平衡）, without which we would act like a drunk after a heavy drink, and the kinesthetic sense（动觉）, which gives us our ideas about our own motion （运动）.
1. Which is the best title for this passage?| A．Senses and Information. | B．Important Senses. |
| C．The Five Senses of Man. | D．The Senses of Man. |
| A．about 20% of our information about the world |
| B．all the needed our information about the world |
| C．about 80% of our information about the world |
| D．about half of our information about the world |
| A．the olfactory and the auditory senses |
| B．the senses of kinesthesia and balance |
| C．the senses of balance and touch |
| D．the tactile and the gustatory senses |
| A．is deaf | B．is blind |
| C．has no sense of balance and motion | D．has no sense of taste and touch |
【推荐1】Traditionally, profiting from forests often meant capitalizing on timber (木材) —choosing commercial timber. Yet increasingly, there is an understanding that it’s of greater significance to keep trees standing than cut them down for financial profit. Money is not everything. We have to recognize real and lasting value is from natural resources. But money is a fact of life.
Good news is that we can expect entire natural woodland is left undamaged and still provides a revenue (收益) stream. Leaving woodland complete does not necessarily mean that we do not touch it at all. Conservation work may involve building back biodiversity or the removal of foreign plant species.
A healthy woodland system can provide a range of yields (产物). Besides eatable yields—top fruit, berries, and food crops, it produces substances for chemical use. The non-timber forest products provided by natural ecosystems vary significantly depending on where they are. But there are always more ways to explore to acquire revenue.
A project in the UK, for example, shows woodland itself is also a draw for visitors. It engages a community who creates a sustainable area of woodland. The community largely obtains revenue by opening up parts of the natural woodland to the public with an adventure playground and outdoor recreational activities on the site. It also offers courses on nest building, special wildlife events and more. The project is thought to have great uniqueness. It centers round the existing natural land; the yields that woodland provides become by products.
Recreational activities, tours, and classes are just the commencement. A rich and bio-diverse woodland can be an ecosystem that draws in more people looking for a beautiful place to stay. Woodland has great value in ecological and social terms. And when you nurse it, it could also add to the income from your land.
1. What do people increasingly think about forest conservation?| A．It means making full use of timber. | B．It outweighs financial benefit. |
| C．It is extremely difficult to carry out. | D．It is all about rebuilding biodiversity. |
| A．It provides lots of recreational activities. | B．It highlights educational experiences. |
| C．It makes woodland itself the main product. | D．It focuses on nursing the natural land. |
| A．Intention. | B．Beginning. | C．Wish. | D．Exception. |
| A．Forest conservation has been a top priority. |
| B．A project helps create sustainable woodland. |
| C．Non-timber products help gain more benefit. |
| D．Woodland brings profit while staying complete. |
【推荐2】A warmer global climate will certainly mean more than just more sweat! It may, for example, change wind and rain patterns and it may lead to rising sea levels. These changes will affect plant and animal life as well as human health. The future climate will be determined partly by how many greenhouse gases are emitted (散发). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has identified (识别) how much we can expect the climate to change. According to the IPCC, if we don t take action to limit emissions of greenhouse gases, by 2100 we can expect the mean surface temperature to increase by (1.4-58C) compared to 1990 the sea level to rise between 9 and 88 cm 5-20% more rain and snow.
The reason why scientists do not know whether the temperature will increase by a little more than one degree or up to six degrees is that, first, they do not know how many greenhouse gases will be emitted in the future, and second it is still uncertain how sensitive (敏感的) the climate on Earth is to emissions of greenhouse gases.
Moreover, the above figures are averages (平均值) for the entire planet. This means that some places may become much warmer, while others may change little, or even become cooler. But the degree of climate change that a certain country faces has little to do with how many greenhouses gases have been emitted. Greenhouse gases are well mixed with the other gases in the air. After they are emitted, they do not stay in the same place, but spread throughout the atmosphere. Once they are there they stay a long time. This is why it is not true that the biggest emitters will suffer the biggest climate changes. The most serious results of an increased greenhouse effect are just as likely to show up in places far away from where the emissions began.
1. Global warming will lead to________.| A．higher sea levels | B．a good harvest |
| C．a changeable economy | D．greenhouse gases |
| A．the scientists haven’t found a way to measure it |
| B．the temperature is so changeable that we can not measure it |
| C．the scientists are not sure about the number of the greenhouse gases that will be emitted |
| D．there have been few changes in recent years |
| A．The whole planet will become warmer and warmer. |
| B．The mixed air will stay in the same place. |
| C．The biggest changes always happen in the cities which are the biggest emitters. |
| D．It is possible that greenhouse gases will have effects on faraway places. |
【推荐3】There are many wetlands（湿地） in China and some of them have become the world’s important wetlands. The Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands are among them. They are in Yancheng，Jiangsu Province. They are home for many different kinds of birds and animals. The world’s largest Milu Deer Nature Reserve（自然保护区) is in them. More than 700 milu deer live freely there. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world, but every winter you can see some in the Red-crowned Cranes Nature Reserve in the Yellow Sea Wetlands.
The temperature in the wetlands is usually neither too high nor too low. There is a lot of rain and sunshine，too. They are really good places for wildlife（野生生物）. Offering food and home for some special kinds of animals and birds is not the only reason why we need to protect wetlands. Wetlands are important because they also prevent flood. But some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
Luckily, more and more people are beginning to realize the important of wetlands and wildlife. Every year，on February 2nd，many activities are held to tell people more about wetlands.
1. Usually the weather in the wetlands is ________.| A．hot | B．pleasant | C．cold | D．dry |
| A．April 22 | B．June 25 | C．February 2 | D．March 22 |
| A．they are home for wildlife | B．they can prevent flood |
| C．they can offer food to the animals and birds | D．all of the above |
| A．China’s Wetlands Have All Entered the World’s List |
| B．Wetlands—Home for Wildlife and Human Beings |
| C．Special Animals in the Chinese Yellow Sea Wetlands |
| D．Wetlands—Valuable Recourses（珍贵资源）of Land on the Earth |
【推荐1】In the near future, we may be using our eyes to operate our smart-phones and tablets, even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja(水果忍者).
The Gaze Group has been developing eye-controlling computer technology for nearly 20 years. But those devices(设备) have been firstly designed to help those with disabilities, and are very expensive.
“After a while, we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market way,” says Gaze’s Sune Alstrup Johansen. “where everybody would have this available.”
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company, the Eye Tribe, which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level.
The technology works when combined with the computing device toward the user’s face. After making sure of the user’s eye movements, the technology is then able to easily find where a person’s eyes are moving, and then allow the eyes to control a cursor (光标).
“Our software can then determine the location of the eyes and know where you’re looking on the screen to make sure what you’re looking at,” reads an explanation on the Eye Tribe site.
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years, particularly in the gaming(电玩游戏) world. Recently Xbox released the Kinect device, which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands, legs and voices. But still, most of these devices have been more of a trick than a practical way to use one’s hands to control a mobile device. Johansen said a replaceable filter (滤光器) would be a cheap, convenient way for most consumers.
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create such a product for the average user, making the eye-controlling technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for physically disabled users.
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1. Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?| A．An introduction of a new product. |
| B．An introduction of smartphones and tablets. |
| C．An introduction of a new technology for the disabled. |
| D．An introduction of eye-controlling technology. |
| A．the eye-controlling technology |
| B．the Gaze Group |
| C．the mobile device |
| D．the mass-market way |
| A．the eye-controlling technology was first developed for the blind |
| B．there is no such phone as we can use only with our eyes at present |
| C．the present development of the technology will bring no good |
| D．the eye-controlling technology is only intended for the disabled people |
| A．an experiment report |
| B．a science fiction |
| C．a science website |
| D．a school textbook |
The rise of cloud computing is rapid and causing huge changes in the tech industry. The old guard is suffering: this week’s $67 billion merger (合并) between Dell and EMC, makers of computers and storage devices respectively (分别), was a marriage forced by the rise of the cloud. Disruptive (捣乱的) newcomers are blooming: if Amazon’s cloud-computing unit were a stand-alone public company, it would probably be worth almost as much as Dell and EMC combined.
The gains for customers have been equally dramatic. Compared with older IT systems, cloud computing is often much cheaper. It adds tremendous flexibility: firms that need more computing capacity no longer have to spend weeks adding new servers and installing software. In the cloud they can get hold of it in minutes. Their applications can be updated continually, rather than just every few months. Individual users can reach their e-mails, files and photos from any device. And cloud services also tend to be more secure, since providers know better than their customers how to protect their computing systems against hackers.
But cloud computing makes one problem worse. In the old IT world, once a firm or a consumer had decided on an operating system or database, it was difficult and costly to switch to another. In the cloud this “lock-in” is even worse. Cloud providers go to great lengths to make it easy to upload data. They accumulate huge amounts of complex information, which cannot easily be moved to an alternative provider.
Cloud firms also create a world of interconnected services, software and devices, which is convenient but only for as long as you don’t venture (冒险) outside their universe. Being locked in to a provider is risky. Firms can start to tighten the screws by increasing prices. If a cloud provider goes bust (崩溃), its customers may have trouble getting back their data.
These risks have already caused a debate about whether the cloud needs stricter regulation. Some European politicians want to force cloud providers to ensure that data can be moved between them. That is too heavy-handed, because strict rules will inhibit (阻碍) innovation in what is still a young industry. The history of computing suggests that common standards may well appear naturally in response to customers’ demands—just as in personal computers, where it is now much easier to use the same files on different systems.
In the meantime, a few commonsense measures can reduce the risk of lock-in. Firms that use more than one cloud provider to host their data are less affected. So are those that keep their most important information in their own data centres. Consumers can take precautions, too. Some services are better than others at enabling users to move data between providers (Google does well on this score). Cloud computing promises its users many benefits, but don’t mistake it for some sort of digital heaven.
1. The author takes “the merger between Dell and EMC” for example to show ________.
| A．the influence of cloud computing on computer and storage device makers |
| B．the miserable sufferings of old computer companies |
| C．the rapid development of new computer companies |
| D．the interaction between old companies and newcomers |
| A．pay less for the older IT systems |
| B．gain more computing capacity quickly |
| C．know better about defeating the hackers |
| D．install software within weeks |
| A．it should ensure data can easily be moved to another provider |
| B．it can create a network of services connected with devices |
| C．it may make it difficult for customers to recover their data |
| D．it will discourage an argument about stricter rules |
| A．the European politicians’ advice is perfect |
| B．customers’ demands play a role in setting standards |
| C．lock-in is caused by firms’ storing information in their own centres |
| D．Google enables users to provide services and move data |
| A．Everything has its time and that time must be watched. |
| B．The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. |
| C．A candle lights others and consumes itself. |
| D．Every white has its black, and every sweet has its sour. |
【推荐3】In 2009, biologist Charles Anderson put forward an assumption that globe skimmer dragonflies (蜻蜓) on the Maldives had flown in from what he assumed was India. When they flew off again, it was towards East Africa. 12 years later, a group of researchers decided to investigate his claim.
Globe skimmer dragonflies are too small to be fitted with electronic devices. Instead, the researchers examined its physical aspects and calculated how long a globe skimmer dragonfly could stay in the air using the energy that can be stored in its body. In addition, the researchers used wind models to determine if there are winds that facilitate the migration in both directions.
“Our study shows that this migration from India to East Africa is actually possible. However, the globe skimmer dragonfly can’t manage it using only the fat in its body. It also requires favorable winds and these are present during certain periods of the year,” says Johanna Hedlund, a biology researcher at Lund University.
According to the migration experiments using wind models, about 15 percent of the dragonflies could manage the migration from India to Africa in the spring. In the autumn, 40 percent could make the same journey in the opposite direction.
Johanna Hedlund and her colleagues consider it impressive that dragonflies can do this at all. Even more impressive is the fact that the globe skimmer dragonfly migration across the Indian Ocean is the longest in the animal kingdom in relation to an animal’s size.
Other animals also rely on favorable wind conditions when they migrate. Two examples are the amur falcon and the Jacobin cuckoo, which also fly across the Indian Ocean. The researchers warn that climate change may affect the chances of these birds and the globe skimmer dragonfly in the future. There is a risk that wind patterns will change when the water surface gets warmer.
1. What can be learned from the text?| A．The dragonfly flies using the fat in its body. |
| B．The dragonfly flies the longest in the animal world. |
| C．Charles Anderson spotted dragonflies flying to India. |
| D．15 percent of the dragonflies left Africa for the Maldives. |
| A．By fitting electronic devices. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By performing experiments. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．To illustrate how the animals fly. |
| B．To warn people of the climate change. |
| C．To evidence that water surface gets warmer. |
| D．To show the influence of wind on the migration. |
| A．Wind conditions are crucial to dragonflies. |
| B．Climate change may affect animals’ migration. |
| C．Dragonflies can migrate across the Indian Ocean. |
| D．Johanna and her colleagues investigate dragonflies. |
