1 . Geothermal (地热的) power generation is one of our most stable renewable energy resources. Heat generated below the Earth’s surface can provide an almost unlimited supply to power and heat homes. And while geothermal electricity only accounts for around one percent of global generation, that is set to at least triple by 2050.
The Geysers in California is the world’s largest geothermal electricity complex. It produces enough electricity from its 18 power plants for 725,000 homes, totaling 20 percent of the state’s renewable energy. Superheated “dry steam” is channeled from a large sandstone reservoir heated by a large magma chamber (岩浆房) more than four miles beneath the surface.
Heat is captured from its passage through the rock and the heated water converts into electricity. Cooled water is then recycled and pumped back to gather more heat. EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) technologies will open up many more sites for geothermal energy. “You can effectively put a power plant anywhere,” said Will Pettit, director of the Geothermal Resources Council. “All you have to do is drill deep enough and you will find hot rock.”
Most geothermal plants actually use a flash steam technique, where hot water (at 360F or 180C) is drawn up, passed into lower pressure tanks and flashed into steam to power a turbine (涡轮机). Binary cycle (双元循环) plants are the growth technology because they can operate at lower water temperatures and more diverse geographical locations. They use moderately hot water to heat a secondary fluid with a lower boiling point—as low as 135F—to drive turbines.
Geothermal plants already emit 11 times less carbon dioxide per unit of electricity than the average US coal power plant. They can also operate 24 hours a day to provide a solid base load for homes and businesses.
There are drawbacks too. Seismic activity around drilling wells is a factor. High investment costs are another. But the US government is backing the sector with multi-million dollar funds to push forward advanced EGS research. Geothermal energy is set to play a big part in the low-carbon electricity future.
1. What is the significance of EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) technologies?A.They have made geothermal energy less sustainable. |
B.They have greatly reduced the need for drilling in geothermal sites. |
C.They allow for more efficient use of geothermal resources. |
D.They have opened up new methods of generating electricity from water. |
A.Power plants are not affected by water. |
B.Hot water is used to power a turbine directly. |
C.Binary cycle plants are less restricted to sites. |
D.A flash steam technique is a must in geothermal plants. |
A.Perfect. | B.limited . | C.impractical. | D.promising. |
A.Businesses have been competing to gain an advantage in geothermal power. |
B.Geothermal power is likely to be a great chance to sustainable power. |
C.Traditional power has been replaced by geothermal power in America. |
D.EGS technologies have come into widespread application around the world. |
2 . The sunrises over the Cordillera mountain ranges in the Philippines, lighting up the beautiful terraced rice fields. Rows of terraces(梯田) wraparound the mountainsides from the ground to the very mountaintops, as far as the eye can see. Built with stonewalls at least 1, 000 years old, possibly 2, 000years, they are maintained by the ancient tradition and the lifestyle of the local Ifugao people. However, with the development of economy, life here is changing. And with it comes threats to this World Heritage(遗产) Site.
Young people are influenced by modern media and no longer want to work such long hours. More educational opportunities mean that many choose to make a life outside of the villages and rice fields. Roads are being built, allowing trucks bearing agricultural goods and buses bringing more tourists to and from. More tourists mean the need for more water and food, and the production of more waste and pollution. Ugly tall buildings, rather than beautiful traditional wooden homes, spring up in some villages.
Can these changes be managed so that the terraces continue to produce rice, and remain a beautiful part of our world heritage? Jimmy Padchanan, an official of the village of Mayoyao, said in an interview, “We are combining the old societies with the new, while maintaining many of our values.” He and the local people were confident that they would keep the best of the new and the strength of the past to protect the terraces, which are described as “a living cultural landscape of breathtaking beauty”. They said cultural heritages are very valuable for human, and it is a necessary duty for everyone to try his/her best to protect them.
1. What do we know about the Cordillera terraces from the first paragraph?A.They are often lit up at night. |
B.They are maintained in old ways. |
C.They are built at the foot of the mountain. |
D.They are covered with various crops. |
A.Media pay too much attention. | B.Agricultural land is largely taken up. |
C.Villagers cause safety concerns. | D.Many youths left the area. |
A.Have a mix of old and new. | B.Open our mind to new ideas. |
C.Stop the modernization of the region. | D.Involve more development in the area. |
A.Disappointed. | B.Worried. | C.Hopeful. | D.Sorry. |
3 . The US government has recently helped people learn more about the dangers of earthquakes by publishing a map. This map shows the chances of an earthquake in catch part of the country. The areas of the map where earthquakes are most likely to occur are called earthquake belts. The government is spending a great deal of money and is working hard to help to discover the answers to these two questions:
Can we predict earthquakes?
Can we control earthquakes?
To answer the first question, scientists are looking very closely at the most active fault (断层) systems in the country, such as the San Andreas fault in California. A fault is a break between two sections of the earth’s surface. These breaks between sections are the places where earthquakes occur. But it will probably be many years before we can predict earthquakes correctly. And the control of earthquakes is even farther away.
However there have been some interesting developments in the field of controlling earthquakes. The most interesting development concerns the Rocky Mountain Arsenal earthquakes. Here water was put into a layer of rocks 4,000 metres below the surface of the ground. Shortly after this injection (注射) of water, there was a small number of earthquakes. Scientists have decided that the water which was injected into the rocks worked like oil on each other.
When the water “oiled” the fault, the fault became slippery and the energy of an earthquake was given out. Scientists are still experimenting at the site of these earthquakes. They have realized that there is a connection between the injection of the water and the earthquake activity. They have suggested that it might be possible to use this knowledge to prevent very big, dangerous earthquakes, that is, scientists could inject some kind of fluid like water into faults and change on a big earthquake into a number of small, harmless earthquakes.
1. Earthquakes belts are .A.maps that show where earthquakes are likely to occur |
B.zones with a high probability of earthquakes |
C.breaks between two sections of the earth's surface |
D.the two layers of earth along a fault |
A.an active fault system |
B.a place where earthquakes have been predicted correctly |
C.a place where earthquakes have been controlled |
D.at the foot of the Rocky Mountain |
A.They occur at about 4.000 metres belowground level |
B.The injection of water into earthquake faults prevent earthquakes from occurring. |
C.They are usually caused by the oil in the faults. |
D.Harmful earthquakes could be prevented by causing harmless earthquakes. |
A.They have no practical value in earthquake prevention. |
B.They may have practical value in earthquake prevention. |
C.They are certain to have practical value in earthquake prevention. |
D.Nothing is told about their practical value in earthquake prevention. |
4 . A volcanic eruption created a new but possibly changeable island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean. An underwater volcano next to the Kingdom of Tonga erupted in early September, causing lava (岩浆) to rise to the surface. The steam (蒸汽) and water out of it then formed into a new land mass, measuring at over eight acres.
The Home Reef seamount is the place where the volcano erupted on September 10th, 2022. NASA’s Earth Observatory noted that it took about eleven hours for the land mass to rise out of the water. The agency published an image that has spread on social media that shows the size of the new unnamed island.
Over the weekend, the Tonga Geological Services stated the island was about 8.6 acres and measured about 50 feet above sea level. While volcanic activities continued to plague the Home Reef, only a couple of neighboring the Tonga islands were at low risk. “All sailors are, however, advised to sail beyond 4 kilometers away from Home Reef until further notice,” officials with the Tonga Geological Services noted in a statement.
Underwater volcanic eruptions near Tonga that led to new islands, although uncommon, have happened a few times over the last two centuries, including in 1852, 1857, 1984 and 2006. However, NASA’s Earth Observatory showed that many of these volcanic islands existed only for a few months or years.
“Islands created by undersea volcanoes often last only for a short time, though very few sometimes last for years. Home Reef has had four recorded periods of eruptions, including events in 1852 and 1857,” the agency noted. “An island created by a 12-day eruption from nearby Late’iki volcano in 2020 was washed away after two months, while an earlier island created in 1995 by the same volcano remained for 25 years.”
1. What’s the main idea of Paragraph 1?A.How the lava rose to the surface. |
B.How an unnamed island formed. |
C.Why an unnamed island disappeared. |
D.Why an underwater volcano erupted. |
A.Change. | B.Improve. | C.Measure. | D.Trouble. |
A.Short-lived. | B.Common. | C.Fast-growing. | D.Huge. |
A.Tonga Islands Are at Risk |
B.NASA Made New Discoveries in the Pacific |
C.Underwater Volcano Creates New Island in the Pacific |
D.Volcanic Eruption Ruins Neighboring Tonga Islands |
5 . ●Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Stretching for five miles along Ireland’s western coast, the Cliffs of Moher are a sight more than 300 million years in the making. At their highest, the cliffs soar an impressive 702 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, offering millions of visitors who visit each year unbelievable views sure to leave hearts racing both from the beauty and the height.
●White Cliffs of Dover, the UK
These famous cliffs along England’s southeastern coast are as rich in history as they are in beauty. They stand tall along the Strait of Dover, separating England from France and continental Europe. During World War Ⅰ, the first bomb to hit the UK fell in Dover, and it served as an essential location during WWⅡ as well. And nowadays, the city is best known for the beauty of its white cliffs.
●Mount Thor, Canada
The name Mount Thor may inspire fear or respect — as well it should, considering this is the steepest, tallest cliff in the world. Mount Thor reaches an astonishing 4,101 feet above sea level, and the utter greatness of its vertical incline keeps it from being successfully climbed up until 1965. Today, it remains a challenging and popular place for rock climbers.
●Cliffs of Étretat, France
Located along France’s Alabaster Coast, these cliffs offer more than just steep walls. Climb to the top and you’ll have views of arched rock formations, as well as the scenery that inspired the famous painter Claude Monet. At various points along the cliffs’ 80-mile stretch, you can spot natural sculptures that are said to resemble (像) an elephant among other things.
1. What is the purpose of the author?A.To introduce some of the world’s most amazing cliff views. |
B.To advise people to climb cliffs in their spare time. |
C.To ask people to explore why the cliffs are so steep. |
D.To call on people to protect our environment. |
A.Cliffs of Étretat. | B.White Cliffs of Dover. |
C.Cliffs of Moher. | D.Mount Thor. |
A.Sculptures are commonly seen along most cliffs. |
B.Mount Thor soars amazing 702 feet above sea level. |
C.Visitors to White Cliffs of Dover are impressed by their history. |
D.Claude Monet got his inspiration partly from White Cliffs of Dover. |
6 . The coast of the State of Maine is one of the most irregular in the world. A straight line running from the southernmost coastal city to the northernmost coastal city would measure about 225 miles. If you followed the coastline between these points, you would travel more than ten times as far. This irregularity is the result of what is called a drowned coastline. The term comes from the glacial (冰川的) activity of the Ice Age. At that time, the whole area that is now Maine was part of a mountain range that towered above the sea. As the glacier declined, however, it applied enormous force on those mountains, and they sank into the sea.
As the mountains sank, ocean water charged over the lowest parts of the remaining land. And the highest parts of the former mountain range, nearest the shore, remained as islands. Marine fossils found here are 225 feet above sea level indicating the level of the shoreline prior to the glacier.
The 2,500-mile-long rocky and jagged (锯齿状的) coastline of Maine keeps watching over nearly 2,000 islands. Many of these islands are tiny and uninhabited, but many are home to blooming communities. Mt. Desert Island is one of the largest, most beautiful of the Maine coast islands left behind by the glacier. Measuring 16 miles by 12 miles, Mt. Desert was very nearly formed as two distinct islands. It is split almost in half by Somes Sound, a very deep and very narrow stretch of water seven miles long.
For years, Mt. Desert Island, particularly its major settlement, Bar Harbor, has afforded summer homes for the wealthy. Recently, though, Bar Harbor has become a new arts community as well. But the best part of the island is the unspoiled forest land known as Acadia National Park. Since the island sits on the border between two different geographical zones, the park supports the plants and animals of both zones. It also lies in a major bird migration lane and is a resting spot for many birds.
1. The large number of small islands along the coast of Maine is the result of ______.A.the drowning of the Maine coastline | B.glacier’s forcing mountains into the sea |
C.the irregularity of the Maine coastline | D.ocean water’s flooding the mountain range |
A.To ask an amount of money. |
B.To accuse someone publicly of doing something wrong. |
C.To rush in a particular direction. |
D.To pass electricity through something. |
A.The wealthy residents of Mt. Desert Island selfishly kept it to themselves. |
B.Acadia National Park is one of the best national parks. |
C.On Mt. Desert Island, there is great tension between the residents and tourists. |
D.Mt. Desert Island supports an incredibly diverse animal and plant life. |
A.the coastline of Maine is ten times longer after the Ice Age |
B.there are more than 2,500 islands along the Maine coastline |
C.Mt. Desert Island has been broken apart by a 7-mile-long water stretch |
D.an arts community gave way to the summer homes on Mt. Desert Island |
7 . Zhangye Danxia Landform, also known as Zhangye Danxia Geological Park or Rainbow Mountains, is a fantastic geological wonder located in the province of Gansu, China. It is world-famous for its unique and vibrant rock formations, which display a magnificent range of colors, looking like a vivid palette (调色板) of a painter’s masterpiece.
This extraordinary landscape stretches across an area of approximately 510 square kilometers and is part of the larger Zhangye National Geopark. The Danxia Landform is characterized by its towering cliffs, deep valleys, and steep, multicolored rock formations, which have been shaped by millions of years of geological processes.
The distinct coloring of the rocks is the result of various mineral deposits (沉淀物) that have been exposed through erosion over time. Layers of different colored sandstone and minerals, such as iron and trace minerals, create an amazing visual display of intense reds, oranges, yellows, greens, and blues. The interplay of light and shadows on these majestic formations adds to their surreal beauty, especially during sunrise and sunset.
Zhangye Danxia Landform has gained global recognition and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its awe-inspiring beauty attracts tourists, photographers, and nature enthusiasts from around the world, who come to witness this geological phenomenon and immerse themselves in the wonderful natural surroundings. Beyond its scenic charm, the landform also holds significant scientific value. Geologists and researchers are drawn to the site to study its unique geological formations and solve the mysteries of its creation. It serves as a living laboratory, providing valuable insights into the Earth’s geological history and the forces that shape our planet.
Zhangye Danxia Landform stands as a piece of evidence of the remarkable beauty and diversity found in nature. Its vibrant colors, dramatic landscapes, and geological significance make it a must-visit destination for those seeking a profound connection with the natural world and a fascinating visual experience.
1. What has caused the formation of Zhangye Danxia Landform?A.The wisdom of the natives. | B.The supernatural forces. |
C.The ecological uniqueness. | D.The geological changes. |
A.Difference. | B.Interaction. | C.Comparison. | D.Separation. |
A.It enjoys widespread recognition only in China. |
B.It plays a key role in tourism and scientific research. |
C.Its multicolored rocks are the products of extreme weather. |
D.It is a must-see destination for its old and fascinating stories. |
A.To call on people to protect Zhangye Danxia Landform. |
B.To give tips on how to appreciate Zhangye Danxia Landform. |
C.To introduce the beauty and wonder of Zhangye Danxia Landform. |
D.To clear up long-held misunderstandings of Zhangye Danxia Landform. |
8 . The geographical location of a country and its physical characteristics are very important to its development and progress. The United States is very fortunate in this respect.
First of all, it has a good climate. In almost all sections of the country it is possible to live comfortably during the whole year. It is true that in the south it sometimes gets very hot, and in the north very cold. But the people who live in these regions become accustomed to the climate and never suffer very much when the weather is either very hot or very cold.
In a large country there is usually a great variety of different physical characteristics. In the United States, there are wide plains and high mountains, thousands of lakes and rivets of all sizes, cool forests and hot deserts, and a coastline several thousand miles long.
The many lakes and rivers, as well as the long coastline, have been of great importance to the development of the country, since they made possible the easy transportation of people and all the things people need. Transportation by water is still necessary and important. In modern times, however, trains, automobiles, trucks and airplanes are doing much of the work which was formerly done by ships and boats.
1. What are the principal physical characteristics of the United States?A.Almost the same. | B.Rather various. |
C.Very good for farming. | D.Suitable for transportation. |
A.Geographical location. | B.Good climate. |
C.Physical characteristics. | D.Both A and C. |
A.They make the climate better. |
B.They provide people with a good many opportunities of employment. |
C.They provide people with good transportation and whatever they need. |
D.They make the scenery of the country more beautiful and attractive. |
A.Trains. | B.Trucks. |
C.Planes. | D.Ships and boats. |