As populations keep increasing in cities, city planners look under their feet for answers. With space in cities so limited, often the only choice for those who can afford to expand their property is to go underground.
One idea, which hasn’t been realized yet, is the ‘Earthscraper’ mentioned for Mexico City. This 65-storey inverted (倒置的) pyramid has been suggested as a way to provide office, shopping and living space without having to tear down the city’s historic buildings or break its 8-storey height requirement.
Many questions remain to be discussed, however, such as how you provide light, remove waste and protect people from fire or floods. Some of them have been answered with the construction (建设) of the Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland hotel in China. This 336-room resort was built into the rock face of an 88m-deep, disused quarry (采石场) .
The island city-state of Singapore is also exploring its underground choices. Not only are its Jurong Rock Caverns being turned into an underground storage facility (装备) for the nation’s oil reserves, but there are also plans to build an ‘Underground Science City’ for 4,200 scientists to carry out research.
In New York, the Lowline Project is turning a disused subway station into a park. Expected to open in 2021, it uses a system of above-ground light-collection dishes to provide enough light to grow plants, trees and grass.
1. What’s the reason for people to explore the underground space?| A．People who explore the underground space can afford to expand their property. |
| B．Scientists have new discoveries when they are exploring the underground space. |
| C．The population in cities is growing and the space in cities is too small to live in. |
| D．People explore the underground space because they want new places to live in. |
| A．People cannot tear down the city’s historic buildings. |
| B．People should have enough living space in the city. |
| C．People can have buildings over the height of 65 storeys. |
| D．People should have buildings within the height requirement. |
| A．questions | B．light and waste | C．people | D．fire or floods |
| A．Singapore is building Jurong Rock Caverns and Underground Science City. |
| B．Singapore is planning its underground buildings because of its small size. |
| C．Singaporean scientists like underground buildings very much. |
| D．Jurong Rock Caverns is built to satisfy people’s shopping needs. |
| A．Cities are building wonderful hotels like Shanghai. |
| B．Cities are suffering from many problems. |
| C．Underground cities can grow plants and trees. |
| D．Underground cities will be the choice of future. |
相似题推荐
1. Which country will plan to build a town in the sea?
| A．America. | B．England. | C．China. | D．Japan. |
| A．Atlantis. | B．Aeropolis. | C．Tokyo. | D．Osaka. |
| A．Very small. | B．Very long. | C．Very big. | D．Very short. |
| A．Aeropolis will be very cheap to build |
| B．People will spend much money building Aeropolis |
| C．It will take little money to build Aeropolis |
| D．To build Aeropolis will cost little money |
【推荐2】Roads of the Future
Over the past few years, cars have become smarter and smarter. Some of them can even drive themselves. Now, our roads have followed sui(跟着做). In the United Kingdom alone, there are around 650 kilometers of “smart roads”in use.
Roads that recharge
Piezoelectric roads(压电路) mix traditional asphalt (柏油) with new materials. They use vibrations (振动) from passing cars to produce electricity. Piezoelectricity, in fact, is nothing new. It was invented in 1880.
Roads that never freeze
Built-in brain
Roads of the future may be able to know how many people are on them. They could send them updates on weather and traffic jams, and recharge electric cars as they drive.
| A．This seems to be a dream, but one American company has almost made it come true. |
| B．However, it has never been widely used before now. |
| C．It can be dangerous to drive in snowy weather. |
| D．Across the world, many more are being built. |
| E．Global warming has forced us to search for new energy sources. |
【推荐3】Can you imagine building a house with your own sweat（汗）tears and even blood? This is what astronauts（宇航员）might do on Mars（火星）in the future.
Scientists at the University of Manchester, UK, have made a new type of brick（砖）. It is made from human blood, urine（尿液）, sweat, tears and simulated Mars soil（模拟火星土）. The protein（蛋白质）from human bodies is like the “glue”. It holds the soil together. Scientists say it’s 300 percent stronger than bricks we use today.
Why do we need to do this? Well, if we want to build houses on Mars, we need lots of bricks. But it costs 13 million yuan to send just one brick to Mars. So scientists are thinking: maybe we could use something in our bodies!
Scientists say that six astronauts could make 500 kilograms of such bricks in just two years. Later they can build bigger houses for more astronauts to go there and live. Together, they can build even more houses!
1. What did scientists at the University of Manchester do?| A．They made a new type of brick. |
| B．They built a house to keep astronauts’ sweat and tears. |
| C．They found a new type of brick on Mars. |
| A．human blood, urine and simulated Mars soil |
| B．human blood, urine, sweat, tears and simulated Mars soil |
| C．human blood, sweat and simulated Mars soil |
| A．细菌 | B．胶水 | C．支架 |
| A．To build houses for poor people. | B．To make good use of human bodies. | C．To build houses on Mars. |
| A．Astronauts need 500 kg of bricks to build a house. |
| B．People may be able to live on Mars in the future. |
| C．It will take 2 years to build a house on Mars. |
【推荐1】It’s known to us all that New York is the biggest city of the USA. A long time ago, it was called Lenapehoking. In 1626, Dutch(荷兰) people bought the land for only ＄24! They called it New Amsterdam. Then in 1664, the British took it over and changed the name to New York.
New York had an excellent harbour(港口). Many people from all over the world came by sea and landed in New York. These people wanted a better life. New York seemed to give them that. By 1835, New York became the largest city in the United States. New York City used to have five smaller towns but now they are all part of the same city. They are Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Today, New York is home to millions of people from all over the world. These different cultures make New York an exciting place to visit. There’s much to do in New York. You can take a helicopter(直升飞机) riding through the city, ride horses in Central Park, see a movie in the afternoon and watch the sunset(日落) over the Brooklyn Bridge. Don’t worry if you get hungry. Some restaurants are open 24 hours a day!
1. In the year 1626, New York was called __________.| A．Lenapehoking | B．New Amsterdam | C．New York | D．Manhattan |
| A．by train | B．because it was beautiful |
| C．to look for a better life | D．to travel |
| A．about three hundred years ago | B．about two hundred years ago |
| C．about four hundred years ago | D．one hundred years ago |
| A．Brooklyn | B．Queens | C．the Bronx | D．Staten Island |
| A．The city got the name “New York” in 1664. |
| B．New York is a big and exciting city. |
| C．New York has five smaller towns now. |
| D．If you are hungry at 3 a. m. , you can go to a restaurant. |
【推荐2】Toronto is a fantastic city. It is large, open and tolerant (包容的). It has many job opportunities and it is one of the most diverse (多样的) cities in the world with over140 languages spoken there. About 12.5 percent of the city’s population are Chinese. With all these different groups, it is no surprise that you find food from all over the world, from Chinese to Italian. Many of these restaurants are located in the Kensington Market area, where there is also music to hear and art to see.
Toronto is also a great place to explore. Bruce Tip told BBC news, “Toronto gives me big city benefits with small town living.” He added, “ it is clean, it is safe and it is beautiful.” The good news is that you can enjoy the city easily, as Toronto has a very good public transport system. It also has a reputation (声誉) of being home to many talented computer geniuses (天才). So if you are hoping to work in the technology industry, Toronto is one of the best places to be. With all this to offer, many people say that Toronto is a dream place, whether you are going on a vacation or looking for a home.
1. According to the passage, what can’t we probably do in the Kensington Market area?| A．Play sports | B．Have a meal | C．See arts | D．Listen to music |
| A．Toronto is clean, safe and beautiful | B．Toronto has a very good public transport system |
| C．Toronto is a great place to explore | D．Toronto has many talented computer geniuses |
| A．There are many Chinese in Toronto. | B．You can eat food from all over the world in Toronto. |
| C．Toronto is a good place for travelling and living. | D．There are many languages spoken in Toronto. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A math book. | C．A story book. | D．A world map. |
【推荐3】The Louvre museum (卢浮宫) in Paris made a new visitor record (记录) of 10 million in 2018. The number went up by 25% over the year before. It broke the record of 9.7 million visitors in 2012.
The Louvre always tries to make young visitors get interested in visiting the museum. More than 50% of the visitors are under 30. The Louvre let Beyonce and Jay-Z make the video Apeshit in mid-summer of 2018. The video is about the museum. People can watch famous artworks in the video.
“I'm excited about the new record. It's clear that 2018 was a great year for the Louvre,” Jean-Luc Martinez, head of the museum, told the French radio in a special New Year's show. I know a superstar like Beyonce is hard to ask. So I was surprised that she said yes quickly. The very hot Beyonce video became a hit soon after it came out. It made sure people in the world talked about the Louvre, and one of the results of that was the surprising rise in visitor number last year.”
Important shows in 2018 also helped the museum's success. “One of the most important shows in early October last year was about the artworks from the 19th century artist Eugene Delacroix,” Martinez added.
1. How many visitors visited the Louvre museum in 2017?| A．About 7 million. | B．About 8 million. |
| C．About 9.7 million. | D．About 10 million. |
| A．It wrote a book about the artworks in the museum. |
| B．It asked superstars to make a video of the museum. |
| C．It helped many people to work as a special guide. |
| D．It held many important music shows about the museum. |
| A．The video about the Louvre museum was expensive to make. |
| B．The video made it difficult for people to visit the Louvre museum. |
| C．The video made the Louvre Museum a terrible place for visitors. |
| D．The video was so popular that more people come to visit the museum. |
(1) The Louvre museum made a new visitor record of 10 million.
(2) Beyonce and Jay-Z made the video Apeshit for the Louvre museum.
(3) The Louvre museum held a show about artworks from Eugene Delacroix.
(4) The number of the visitors in the Louvre museum reached 9.7 million.
(5) Jean Lue Martinez talked about the success of the Louvre museum.
| A．(4)(2)(3)(1)(5) | B．(4)(1)(2)(3)(5) |
| C．(4)(2)(5)(3)(1) | D．(4)(3)(2)(5)(1) |
【推荐1】The Southern California (加利福尼亚州)wildfire started on Tuesday morning. By the end of the day, it covered 47 square miles. The fire changed the life in the area, causing hour-long traffic jams, and making the people leave their homes.
The fire travelled really fast. So the governor(州长)Jerry Brown acted quickly and sent a state of emergency(紧急情况) soon after the fire started. Usually the state of emergency comes much later, after a fire has caused serious problems over several days.
The government ordered the evacuation(疏散) of 34,000 homes and 87,000 people. When one family failed to move away, firefighters went to protect their home. Six of the firefighters were once trapped by the fire.“We just sat there and waited for the fire to blow over,”firefighter Cody Anderson says.
The Southern California fire wasn't the only one burning in the state. The Clayton fire in Northern California, burned more than 175 buildings by the end of last week. Now, the firefighters have put out 40% of the fire and some evacuated people are able to return to their homes. But firefighters will have to go on fighting the fire, because many buildings are sill in danger.
Good news is that on Tuesday afternoon the police said they caught the man who set the fire. He was Dam in Anthony Pashilk, a 40-year-old worker. The police believe he set fire in the state many times, including the Clayton fire.
Wednesday's weather will make fighting the Southern California fire difficult. Hot, dry conditions(条件) and strong wind may make the work even harder.
1. What can we learn about the Southern California wildfire from the passage?| A．The governor sent the state of emergency later than usual. |
| B．The fire travelled fast and caused a lot of serious problems. |
| C．Most families didn't move and got trapped in the fir |
| D．Six firefighters lost their lives when putting out the fire. |
| A．an emergency | B．a worker | C．the hot weather | D．the dry conditions |
| A．Wildfires and Hot Weather | B．Wildfires and Firefighters |
| C．Wildfires Burn Everything | D．Wildfires Go across California |
| A．a firefighter's diary | B．a story book | C．a newspaper | D．a fashion magazine |
【推荐2】Each country and culture has its own set of public holidays and festivals. While some of these holidays and festivals like Christmas and New Year are common across the world, there are many more holidays that are unknown outside of national borders (边界).
Blessed Rainy Day Life in a country where it rains a lot can be hard. In Bhutan, Blessed Rainy Day is the holiday marking the end of the monsoon season. On this day, everyone is encouraged to enjoy a bath out of the house. |
Melon Day Turkmenistan’s Melon Day is a celebration of their national fruit. It takes place on the second Sunday in August. Thousands of mouth-watering melons are given away in the heat of Ashgabat on Sunday to celebrate Melon Day. |
Tinku Festival The city of Macha in Bolivia hold the festival in the Bolivian Andean Mountains in May every year. It’s celebrated by thousands of people and it’s based on (以……基础) the Quechuan word “Tinku”that means “meeting”. The meaning of the word has become worse as it now is celebrated with beatings that can actually hurt people. |
Haxey Hood The Haxey Hood game in England has a big group of people trying to push a small leather tube towards one of the four pubs (酒馆) in town, where it will stay until the following year’s game. |
1. How do people celebrate Blessed Rainy Day?
| A．By taking a shower in the bathroom. |
| B．By playing outdoors in the rain. |
| C．By throwing water at others. |
| D．By taking a bath outdoors. |
| A．To Bhutan. | B．To Turkmenistan. |
| C．To Bolivia. | D．To England. |
| A．It is hated by most people in the city. |
| B．It is the most interesting festival in that country. |
| C．It can be dangerous for those who take part in it |
| D．It is meant to encourage neighbors to love each other. |
| A．Run with a leather tube. |
| B．Push each other forward. |
| C．Try to win a drink at a pub. |
| D．Push a leather tube towards a pub. |
【推荐3】Smoke fills the sky. The day is as dark as night. Heat makes it hard to breathe(呼吸). This is the world of a wildfire fighter(消防员)!
Wildfires are a part of nature. But, as one firefighter says, “Fire is not a problem. People living near fire—that’s the problem.”A wildfire can destroy(毁坏) everything in its way. But there are ways to fight it.
By air
Smokejumpers(空降森林灭火员) are often the first firefighters to reach a fire. To get closer, they jump from a plane. They are especially important when the area is difficult to walk to. If smokejumpers can’t stop a fire in 24 hours, other firefighters join them. This second group drops water on the fire from an airplane.
On the land
On the ground, firefighters work together to stop the fire. First, one group digs a fire line. This is a long deep ditch(沟). It is difficult for the fire to cross this line.
Then, while those firefighters dig, others start a backfire(回火). They burn the dry grass and leaves between the wildfire and the fire line. When the wildfire comes, there is nothing for it to use as fuel.
Other firefighters cut down dead trees. That way the fire can’t move to other trees. Firefighters risk their lives to keep people safe. Their job takes hard work, and it takes courage.
1. The underlined phrase “use as fuel” means ________.| A．drop | B．fire | C．burn | D．live |
| A．Fire is natural, but it’s dangerous to people living near it. |
| B．Fires in forests are not a big problem, but fires in cities are. |
| C．Fighting fires should be the job of people living near fires. |
| D．Putting out fires in cities is always a problem for firefighters. |
| A．Smokejumpers are often the last firefighters to reach a fire. |
| B．The firefighters dig a fire line to stop the fire crossing the line. |
| C．The firefighters start a backfire by burning the dry grass and leaves. |
| D．Some firefighters cut down dead trees so that the fire can’t move lo other trees. |
| A．explain why fire is not a problem | B．show us how fires destroy everything |
| C．tell us how firefighters fight wildfires | D．teach us how to be a good firefighter |
1. Which is not part of the job?
| A．Cooking for the child | B．Working at the child’s house |
| C．Reading books to the child | D．Taking care of the child |
| A．Pay is more at weekends. |
| B．The babysitter must work six days a week. |
| C．The person must call Mr Smith first. |
| D．The child is less than nine years old. |
| A．go to the person’s office | B．drive a car to work |
| C．work every Saturday and Sunday. | D．play with the child |
【推荐2】During this Spring Festival, a name—— the novel coronavirus(冠状病毒), became hot. It is so dangerous that it caused a new kind of epidemic(传染病). This epidemic spreads(传播) so quickly that the whole country was in a difficult situation. Many parts of the country had to go under quarantine(隔离) in hopes of controlling the spread of this epidemic.
Through this epidemic is very dangerous, people all around the country worked together to fight against it. A large number of medical workers, from different parts of the country, after making a decision that could mean life or death, left their home and went to Wuhan to save people’s lives. And to help to give people treatment(治疗) in time, many workers worked day and night to build hospitals. And many people volunteered to check the body temperature for passengers. And some people even shot videos online to teach people how to wash hands correctly. “I see a strong will from Chinese people in the fight against the virus,” a foreigner said.
Though the fight is difficult, when we pull together, we can get out of this hard situation successfully. “When the epidemic is over, I’ll go out to breathe the fresh air and get close to the nature.” I believe our Chinese people can learn a lesson from this terrible experience. Also, it may make people rethink life and death.
1. According to Paragraph One, we can know that the epidemic is________.| A．quick to spread | B．dangerous for animals |
| C．easy to control | D．not dangerous |
| A．all came from Wuhan | B．made their decision easily |
| C．were very fearless | D．the epidemic is over |
| A．Doctors and nurses took risks to save people. |
| B．Workers worked hard to build new houses. |
| C．Volunteer helped to check passenger’ temperature. |
| D．The epidemic is too dangerous. |
| A．people will get away from the nature. | B．people may think seriously about how to live |
| C．people will take many lessons | D．the novel coronavirus is not a epidemic. |
【推荐3】An Old Tree Tells You ...
Dear human beings,
I hesitated a lot before writing this letter. All I want to do is to ask you to have a look at your life. But I’m not sure whether or not you’ll pay attention to me.
I’m a pretty old tree: I’m 80 years old. So I’ve seen much of the world. We’ve lived on the Earth with you for thousands of years. Each day we release oxygen and remove harmful gases so that you have pure air; we cool the air so that you don’t have to run your air conditioners all the time; we help prevent the Earth’s soil from being washed away; and above all, we give all kinds of fruit, nuts, beans as well as wood to you.
But we are in great danger now because of you. You are, in fact, destroying us at a terrible speed. You are burning and cutting down millions of us each year, but you’re not planting enough. For trees being planted today, 30 trees are being cut down. What would you do if all of us died? Perhaps you would die, too. Without us, you wouldn’t get the ingredients for some of your important medicine, you wouldn’t have enough materials for buildings, furniture, paper products, and your cities would look ugly. Moreover, air pollution and noise pollution would become more and more serious, and your life would turn nasty ...
Well, the list could go on forever, but I think I should stop. The best thing for you to do now is to stop your bad practice. Please stop destroying us and start protecting the environment, because we are the best fighters against pollution and we are your best friends!
I wish all the best for you, and good luck!
Your friend,
An old tree
1. The tree is _________ years old.| A．60 | B．70 | C．80 | D．90 |
| A．hundreds of years | B．thousands of years |
| C．eighty years | D．eighty thousand years |
| A．they release oxygen and remove harmful gases |
| B．they help prevent the Earth’s soil from being washed away |
| C．they provide all kinds of fruit, nuts, beans as well as wood |
| D．all the above |
| A．human beings don’t plant trees |
| B．animals are eating too many trees |
| C．human beings are destroying them at a terrible speed |
| D．trees are so old that they die in a short time |
| A．ask them to protect the environment |
| B．tell them about the history of trees |
| C．ask them not to use air conditioners all the time |
| D．tell them a very interesting story |
| A．Trees are turning ugly and nasty because of the water pollution. |
| B．The best thing for human beings to do now is to plant trees every day. |
| C．For trees being planted today, 30 trees are being cut down. |
| D．Air pollution and noise pollution will become more serious if there are more trees. |
