In the 13th century, Marco Polo the world known Italian travelled saw many wonderful things in China. One of the things he discovered was money made of paper. People in the West did not have such kind of money until the 15th century. However the Chinese began to use it in the 7th century.
Paper was invented by a Chinese man called Cai Lun almost 2,000 years ago. But it was not made in Europe until the year 1100. Four hundred years later, a German discovered that he could make the best paper from trees. After that countries rich in forests, such as Canada, Sweden, America, and Finland became the most important ones in paper making.
Paper can be used in many ways. The common uses include newspapers magazines and books. But do you know that paper can be used for keeping warm? In Finland. the farmers wear paper boots to keep their feet warm in the snow. And even houses can be insulated(使绝缘) from heat or cold with paper.
However, we have to understand that paper still comes from trees now. If we keep on wasting so much paper, there will not be any trees left on the earth some day in the near future. Every day people throw away about 2,800 tons of paper in our city. It takes 17 trees to make one ton of paper. This means that we are cutting down nearly 48,000 trees every day. The fact is that it takes more than 10 years for a tree to grow.
So we must start saving paper right now. We can use both sides of every piece of paper. We can make useful things out of used paper. We can use china cups instead of paper ones. When shopping, we can use fewer paper bags and reuse them if we have some.
In short, we should keep a balance (平衡) between using paper and protecting trees, and do it now before it is too late.
1. When did the Chinese begin to use paper money?| A．In the 5th century. | B．In the 6th century. | C．In the 7th century. | D．In the 15th century. |
| A．Because it was a large country. | B．Because it had lots of forests. |
| C．Because it was a very rich country. | D．Because the inventor was from Canada. |
| A．Making beds. | B．Reducing waste. | C．Making umbrellas. | D．Keeping warm. |
| A．How paper boots are made. | B．How paper was invented. |
| C．How we can save paper. | D．How we can make useful things. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】NASA has been building a new telescope, called James Webb Space Telescope. Scientists think it could help them search for signs of alien life! They can watch exoplanets (外行星) with the help of the new telescope.
So far, all the exoplanets we have found are too distant to send astronauts or spaceships to them. Researchers hope the new telescope will help them find out whether there are aliens on these exoplanets!
The new telescope should be able to find out if the exoplanets have oxygen on them. Oxygen is a gas. On the earth, all animals need to breathe oxygen to live. It’s produced by plants and some bacteria (细菌). This means if there is oxygen on a planet, there might be living things as well.
These aliens probably won’t be mankind. Instead, they might be tiny bacteria. Scientists say that finding oxygen doesn’t mean there must be alien life. “We don’t know if life is the only cause of oxygen in an atmosphere (大气层),” NASA scientist Edward Schwieterman said.
The telescope can do more than search for aliens. It can study light from billions of light years away. This will help scientists learn more about what happened at the start of the universe.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What can scientists watch with the help of James Webb Space Telescope?
| A．Trees. | B．Exoplanets. | C．Spaceships. | D．Bacteria. |
| A．Aliens. | B．Teachers. | C．Telescopes. | D．Researchers. |
| A．Plants and some bacteria. | B．Plants and animals. |
| C．Plants and human. | D．Only some bacteria. |
| A．Because scientists think that if we find oxygen we must find alien life. |
| B．Because scientists think all animals need to breathe oxygen to live. |
| C．Because scientists don’t think aliens are good mankind. |
| D．Because scientists don’t know if life is the only cause of oxygen in an atmosphere. |
| A．Scientists think the new telescope can help them search for everything. |
| B．The new telescope shouldn’t be able to find out if there is oxygen on exoplanets. |
| C．The aliens might be tiny bacteria. |
| D．The telescope can study humans from billions of light years away. |
【推荐2】Plastic straws (吸管) may seem harmless, but they bring dangers to the environment. Because they’re so small, they easily find their way into the ocean. There they can harm animals that try to eat them. They may be small, but the millions of plastic straws that are used and thrown away daily add up to a huge problem. What can you use instead of plastic straws?
Bamboo straws
Fast-growing and plentiful, bamboo is ideal for making straws. Many companies now produce bamboo straws, often without the use of chemicals. Bamboo straws can be washed in a dishwasher or by hand and used again and again. When they do wear out, they break down easily.
Glass straws
Glass straws can also be reused, and if they’re clear, it’s easy to see whether they’re clean or not. They are available in different kinds of lengths, colours and widths, so consumers have many choices.
Bottles that come with straws
Many water bottles come with built-in straws. Although that straw may be made of plastic, you keep it and use it repeatedly. That means it probably won’t end up in ocean any time soon. And it can be cheaper if you choose to fill the bottles with water rather than buying drinks.
No straw
For many drinks, straws aren’t required. People can drink straight out of a cup. And businesses can cut down on the number of straws they use simply by asking people if they want one. Many people seldom notice whether they have a straw or not. Plastic straws are far from the only way to enjoy our favourite drink. Giving them up is an easy way of helping take care of the planet.
1. Which substitutive (替代的) straw is NOT mentioned above?| A．Bamboo straws. | B．Metal straws. |
| C．Glass straws. | D．Built-in straws of some water bottles. |
| A．Bamboo are good for making straws. |
| B．Glass straws are made in the different sizes and colours. |
| C．Built-in straws in water bottles can’t be used repeatedly. |
| D．People can enjoy many drinks without a straw. |
| A．easy to see | B．easy to get | C．difficult to find | D．difficult to see |
| A．travel guidebook | B．storybook | C．personal blog | D．science magazine |
Do you play with your phone before bedtime?
In the evening, our bodies make melatonin (褪黑素).
It’s worse if you play an exciting game before bedtime. Games make our hearts beat faster.
| A．It helps us relax and want to sleep. |
| B．So it will be harder for us to sleep. |
| C．How can we get a good night’s sleep? |
| D．You’d better read a book instead. |
| E．The more you play games, the more you want to. |
| F．Why don’t you drink some milk now? |
| G．Blue light stops our bodies from making melatonin. |
【推荐1】Many people believe that light bulbs were invented by Thomas Edison. Is that true? Edison was born in 1847 in Milan, Ohio, USA. In school, Edison was often absent-minded, and his teacher did not think that he was very smart. In 1854 his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, where young Edison sold candy and newspapers on trains from Port Huron to Detroit. These early sales experiences led Edison to discover his talents as a businessman and eventually(最后) to found fourteen companies, including General Electric, which still exists today.
Edison started his career as an inventor in Newark, New Jersey. In 1878 Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company. During his first public demonstration(展示) of his incandescent light(白炽灯) bulb on December 31,1879, he said, “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles.” Light bulbs were not the only things Edison worked on. He also built the first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey. There, Edison and his assistant, William J. Hammer, worked on the telephone, phonograph(留声机), electric railway, and electric lighting.
However, Edison did not invent many of the things he is said to have invented; he only improved them so that they could be sold to the public. He did not invent the electric light bulb, either. He did, however, start the first company that made and sold electric light bulbs. The only major invention that he actually did invent was the phonograph. It was his invention of the phonograph in 1877 that made him famous, and he became known as The Wizard of Menio Park(门洛帕克的奇才), New Jersey.
1. What is the main idea of the article?| A．Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, which has helped humankind to see in the dark. |
| B．Thomas Edison did not invent many of the things he is said to have invented, but he did improve many of the inventions we use today. |
| C．Thomas Edison was the first scientist to use an industrial research laboratory. |
| D．Thomas Edison invented a lot of things, including the light bulb. |
| A．The light bulb, electric railway, and phonograph. |
| B．The steam engine, fax machine, and television. |
| C．The phonograph, computer, and telephone. |
| D．The light bulb, camera, and phonograph. |
| A．The light bulb. | B．The telephone. |
| C．The computer. | D．The phonograph. |
| A．He was absent-minded and not very smart indeed. |
| B．He was a good businessman as well as an inventor. |
| C．He was famous for his great invention: the light bulb. |
| D．He was a businessman but not an inventor. |
| A．Travel & Leisure | B．Discovery |
| C．Business Week | D．Culture |
【推荐2】Many companies use guards and expensive alarm systems to protect their property(财产). Soon a new kind of protection will be used—robots(机器人). Engineers have been working on the first mobile robots for businesses. The robots will patrol(巡逻) factories, warehouse, and museums at night.
The mobile robots will move around slowly on wheels. They will be able to detect people through walls and pick up sounds, such as breaking glass. They can be fixed with loud sirens(警笛) to frighten thieves, or radios to signal police or guards.
To protect a building, a robot will have to move around without knocking into the walls. Information about the building will have to be stored in the robot's small, built-in computer. A floor map could be programmed into the computer's memory, for example.
A mobile robot will not be able to do everything. Unlike human guards, it will not be able to climb stairs, open doors, or move along rough ground. It won't be able to tell the difference between friends and enemies. Because of that, people will have to be barred from the area it patrols.
One kind of mobile robot will be able to "sense" whether a chair or box has been moved and go around it. This robot will also judge size well enough so that it won't send an alarm if a cat crosses the room. And if someone tries to steal this robot, it will sound a loud, painful siren. The three-foot-tall robot will be hard to steal anyway. It will weigh about 200 pounds.
U.S companies pay almost $10 billion a year to protect their property with alarm systems and human guards. Mobile robots may be cheaper.
1. Why is the new kind of robots called mobile robots?| A．Because they can open doors. | B．Because they are able to climb stairs. |
| C．Because they are able to send an alarm. | D．Because they can move around slowly on wheels. |
| A．From a human guard. | B．From a built- in computer. |
| C．From radio signals. | D．From another robot. |
| A．protected | B．allowed | C．prevented | D．marked |
| A．sense whether something has been moved. | B．sense a cat crossing the room. |
| C．move over rough ground. | D．detect people through walls. |
| A．protect the museum | B．set off a siren | C．patrol buildings | D．judge the size of a person |
【推荐3】You may charge(充电) your phone every day, but do you clean your phone as much? Whatever your hands touch, your phones touch. It has been discovered that some phones have 18 times more bacteria and viruses (细菌病毒) than any surface in a public restroom. So it won’t surprise you that a 2011 University of London study found that one in six of our phones have bacteria and viruses on them.
The research on bacteria and viruses led to the invention of PhoneSoap. It is not actually liquid (液体). It is a phone charger that uses the electromagnetic radiation (辐射) to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses, cleaning your phone while it charges.
“Certain types of bacteria and viruses are really on our phones,” says Wes Barnes, the PhoneSoap founder. “It would be the fastest, most powerful way to kill them .”
PhoneSoap looks like a little metal suitcase. Your phone rests in to charge and get cleaned at the same time. Instead of plugging your phone into the wall, you’d plug it into the PhoneSoap charger box. The process only takes a few minutes but, Barnes says, “The idea is that you can leave it in there overnight if you want to keep charging. and it cleans the phone fully.”
The founder found the right companies and then started shipping the product in late November. By last week’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, PhoneSoap was very popular with people. The founder has left his present job and is selling PhoneSoap without a stop. “We sell out PhoneSoap every day, and we will try to provide enough PhoneSoap” Barnes says. “It’s been a great challenge.”
1. We can learn from the first paragraph that ___________.| A．phones can be very dirty | B．phones are where bacteria are born |
| C．most phones are attacked by bacteria | D．phones store more bacteria in a restroom |
| A．takes a whole night to kill bacteria | B．deals with bacteria with radiation |
| C．is a kind of liquid | D．has to be plugged into the wall to work |
| A．PhoneSoap is in great need now | B．PhoneSoap is really hard to use |
| C．they won’t produce enough PhoneSoap | D．they’ll make improvements to PhoneSoap |
| A．Methods of cleaning phones. | B．Tips on charging phones quickly. |
| C．Soap killing harmful bacteria on phones. | D．A phone charger keeping your phone clean. |
【推荐1】Recently a new lifestyle called low carbon (碳) life is spreading every corner of our country. The meanings of low carbon are low energy and no waste. It is so important a project that I can’t wait to express my ideas on how to promote (推动) it.
First, we should set up a no-car day every week in our school. Because cars not only bring serious air pollution but also waste energy. On the no-car day, neither students nor teachers are allowed to drive to school, just walk or run. Use our legs and enjoy the fun.
Second, we had better not use plastic bags. No one can stand the “white pollution”, so it is wise to use cloth bags which can be used again and again.
Finally, one thing that we should remember is that every big thing comes from small details (细节). So, as students, we should turn off the lights the moment we leave, use both sides of paper, and reuse our textbooks and so on.
All in all, it weighs greatly for all of us to put the low carbon lifestyle into practice. Just set our mind to these: no-car days, no plastic bags, and no waste. Let’s do it now.
根据文章内容，判断句子的正 (T) 误 (F) (每小题1分，共5分)
1. Low carbon means low energy and no waste.
2. Cars have nothing to do with air pollution.
3. We can walk or run instead of driving to school on a no-car day.
4. Small details can’t play any role when we want to do big things.
5. It’s very important for us to live a low carbon life from now on.
【推荐2】More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!
Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighbourhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit (受益) from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.
Folding (折叠) bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travellers.
Health Benefits of Bicycling:
●It helps to prevent heart diseases.
●Bicycling helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.
●Bicycling can improve your mood (心情). Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.
●Bicycling is healthier than driving.
1. From the passage, we know that bicycling is becoming very________.| A．surprising | B．exciting | C．expensive | D．popular |
| A．Meet. | B．Like. | C．Find. | D．Buy. |
| A．Bikes are more than cars now. | B．It's easier to stop and get off bikes than cars. |
| C．We can ride bikes everywhere. | D．Folding bikes can make us feel more tired. |
| A．Bicycling Is So Interesting. | B．Bicycling Is Enjoyable Exercise. |
| C．Bicycling and Driving Cars. | D．Driving Cars Is Better for Us. |
Sarasota, Florida teen band, The Garbage-Men (舞台). The band has five members. They are Jack Berry, Ollie Gray, Austin Siegel and Evan Tucker. The five teens are making music from the waste. The Garbage-Men band’s instruments (乐器) are made from recycled (回收的).
The band started about a few years ago. Jack Berry who was in eighth grade decided to make a playable, home-made guitar. Finally, he ended up building it from a cereal box, Ollie had the idea to organize a band using other home-made instruments as a way to improve recycling. “We want to show people there is more to recycling than throwing things away in the bin (垃圾桶).” Jack, said, “You can actually reuse things.”
The Garbage-Men plays at local events around Sarasota. Typically, the teens will set up on the street and perform popular songs, including classic Beatles tunes and crowd favorite “Wipe Out” by The Surfaris. In between sets, they talk about recycling and give advice on how to help the environment. While they perform, Jack’s little brother Trent, 11, gives out flyers (宣传单) about recycling and helps sell the band’s CDs and other musical products.
The band donates (捐赠) the money from sales to Heifer International. The organization gives farm animals, seeds and farm training to people in poor countries to help end poverty (贫穷) and hunger. “It’s a good charity (慈善), ” Jack says, “By donating one animal, you help the whole community.”
The band tries to play a show every week. They’ve also played on a Tampa, Florida radio station and America’s Got Talent. The teens hope to take their shows on the road by touring in other states. “Music is a really good way to get a good message across to people,” Jack says.
1. The members of the Garbage-Men band are trying to ________.| A．ask more people to recycle daily rubbish around them |
| B．show how to make musical instruments from rubbish |
| C．make their musical CDs famous all around the world |
| D．play shows and make more money for their families |
| A．They told people to help the environment and do some charities. |
| B．They made money for the old people by selling their instruments. |
| C．They recycled the rubbish and cleaned up all the communities. |
| D．They joined the Heifer International and made their own CDs. |
| A．The teenagers in the band came from poor families. |
| B．Trent was also good at making musical instruments. |
| C．All the members of the band were out of their school. |
| D．The band might become successful all over the USA. |
| A．Music and Environment | B．American Country Music |
| C．The Garbage-Men Band | D．School Bands in the USA |
【推荐1】Do you think of white when someone talks about a polar bear? In fact, the polar bear does not have white fur. It just. appears to be white. Polar bears have a very good sense of smell. It helps them to find food. During summer, polar bears sleep longer, because they are able to find food more easily at night. Usually, after a meal, polar bears have a short sleep. A polar bear can have 2 to 3 babies at a time. They don't leave their mothers until they are about 2.5 years old.
However, polar bears will die out soon because of people. There are about 20,000 polar bears in the world. The ones that are left are trying to survive today. The number of polar bears is becoming smaller and smaller because of the loss of sea ice-polar bears mostly inhabit（居住于） the sea ice, not the land ice. This is happening because of global warming（全球变暖）, pollution, hunting and so on.
Ordinary people don't care, but great people have the power and want to save tigers, fight for giant pandas and save polar bears. Ordinary people will wait, but great people will find a new world. Join me and save the polar bears, and, of course, the tigers, the giant pandas and …
1. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT make sea ice less?| A．Global warming. | B．Hunting. | C．Travelling. |
| A．The polar bear's fur is white. |
| B．Perhaps the writer will drive his car less. |
| C．It's harder for polar bears to find food in summer. |
| A．勤劳的 | B．聪慧的 | C．普通的 |
| A．To show that the number of polar bears is getting smaller. |
| B．To let people know why polar bears are in danger |
| C．To talk about polar bears and suggest that people should protect animals. |
| A．A magazine about animals. |
| B．A poster about working plans. |
| C．An instruction book. |
【推荐2】One American university uses a robot as a teacher to help students with their problems. And the students didn’t know there was a robot in the beginning!
Jill Watson, a robot made in that university, helps the students a lot. When answering their questions, Jill seems to be an excellent teacher. She can give wonderful answers quickly. She sounds natural and usually says good words.
When someone told the students that their “teacher” was a robot, they all got very surprised.
“How was it possible? I was talking to a robot?” said Bailey. “She sounds like a common teacher.” another student Jennifer told the newspaper. “We are thinking about choosing Jill Watson to be our best teacher. She is really helpful.”
Now many students like to ask questions on their school’s website. It usually takes teachers too much time to answer them. So the university had such an idea of making Jill Watson. It’s a faster way to help the students with their problems.
Jill can quickly find possible answers in her own computer to the questions and make sure they are all right. After that, she tells the students in an electronic voice（电子声音）that sounds like a famous actress.
1. What does Jill Watson do?| A．She is a student. | B．She is a real teacher. |
| C．She is an actress. | D．She is a teaching robot. |
| A．By sending e-mails. | B．By speaking to them. |
| C．By talking on the phone. | D．By writing down something. |
| A．Because she sounded like a robot teacher. |
| B．Because she could only answer some easy questions. |
| C．Because she seemed to be natural and wonderful. |
| D．Because they didn’t believe the university made her. |
| A．A Wonderful Robot Teacher |
| B．The Problems of Students |
| C．Robots and the Future Life |
| D．Students in an American University |
【推荐3】Going to a friend’s house is very exciting. You may spend time with a friend and get to see where he or she lives. So remember to be polite (有礼貌的).
The first thing to remember is that when a friend invites you over, you need to arrive on time. If your friend tells you to come “around 3:00”, that means you can arrive a little bit after 3:00. But usually it is a good idea to arrive at the right time.
Often it is also nice to bring something to your friend’s house. This could be a box of chocolates for you to share, or maybe a CD that you can enjoy together. You can also bring some flowers. A little gift is a nice way to show your friend that you are excited to be at his or her house.
When you visit your friend’s house, you may also meet his or her parents. You should tell them who you are and they may tell you their names. As a child, I went to visit my friend Paul. I called his parents by their first names John and Mary. But now I know it is more polite to call them Mr. and Mrs. Smith. This will show them more respect (尊重) and then they may tell you to call them by their first names. Another way to show respect is to call them Madam or Sir.
It is a cool thing to visit a friend’s house. Be polite to your friend and your friend’s parents, and you will be invited again.
1. If your friend invites you to his house at “around 10:00”, you’d better arrive at ________.| A．8:00 | B．8:30 | C．10:00 | D．11:30 |
| A．a CD | B．some money | C．some flowers | D．a box of chocolates |
| A．Keep quiet. | B．Tell them your name first. |
| C．Tell them why you are there. | D．Call their first names directly. |
| A．It’s exciting to visit a friend’s house. |
| B．It’s polite to arrive at the right time. |
| C．You don’t need to bring anything to your friend’s house. |
| D．You should respect your friend and your friend’s parents. |
| A．When to arrive | B．What to bring |
| C．How to be a polite visitor | D．How to invite friends |
