2 . Is an electric vehicle right for you?
Many people will ask themselves that question for the first time this year. Prices are falling, battery range is rising and mainstream brands are adding new EVs at a breakneck pace.
Here are three things anybody seriously considering buying an EV should know:
1. The price to install a 240v charger
Anybody who owns an electric vehicle needs a 240-volt charger at home. With one, you can recharge overnight, so you start every day with the equivalent of a full tank.
Just a few years ago, home 240v EV chargers cost $2,500-$3,000, including installation, but prices have declined as competition grows with the number of EVs on the road.
2. The time it takes to charge
About 80% of miles driven in EVs are powered by electricity charged at home, but you’ll need to charge elsewhere occasionally. That’s when charging time becomes a big deal, but how long it takes depends on a couple of factors.
First, voltage from the charger. Getting 250 miles of range in seven hours from a 240v charger is fine when you’re charging overnight at home, but it’s a deal breaker if you’re going 300 miles for a weekend getaway. In that case, you’ll want to look for a 400v DC fast charger. They’re not as common as 240v public chargers yet, but they’re becoming more widespread.
There’s another factor: the on-board charger. It regulates how fast the battery can accept electricity. A vehicle with a higher-capacity on-board charger accepts electricity faster.
3. Where to charge
Good route-planning apps will help you find chargers on a road trip.
“Most people have no idea how many public charging stations are within, say, a 10-or 15-mile radius(半径) because they’re small, people don’t look for them or even don’t know what to look for, and they’re rarely signposted,” said journalist John Voelcker, who has studied EVs and charging exhaustively.
4. On the horizon
If an EV doesn’t meet your needs now, watch this space. They’re coming closer, but large numbers of gasoline vehicles will remain in production for years. Beyond that, companies will keep making spare parts for oil-burners for decades.
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The price of installing a home EV charger has remained stable in the past few years. |
| B．It’s quite easy to identify the public charging stations with the help of striking signposts. |
| C．Popular brands are introducing new EVs at an incredibly fast rate. |
| D．An electric vehicle can’t provide the same amount of energy as a completely filled fuel tank. |
| A．give up the plan to purchase an EV |
| B．make space for an EV |
| C．find an alternative to EV |
| D．keep an eye out for future developments |
| A．illustrate the factors charging time depends on |
| B．offer advice on purchasing an electric vehicle |
| C．look forward to the future of electric vehicles |
| D．explain the reason for the falling prices of electric vehicles |
| A．He has realized he still leaves much to be desired. |
| B．He is angry with not getting the lead role in the play. |
| C．He is confident about getting the lead role next time. |
| D．He feels reluctant to take the new responsibilities. |
| A．It was lost and won’t be found. | B．It was transferred to a different city. |
| C．It was delivered to her hotel already. | D．It was stolen during her trip. |
Second-hand fashion stages a comeback
Few followers of fashion will forget the moment when a super model arrived at a New York fashion week dinner, wearing a 1950s dress. The next day, a hunt for something similar began. That was 2003. Fast forward to the 2020s and second-hand fashion is renewing a new round of craze, and this time, arguably, it’s back for good.
When super models and designers were buying things at second-hand markets and matching them with expensive pieces, the act was more related to the old ideal of what fashion was — very trend-based and very season-based. Today, ordinary people always want to have new looks but they’re becoming more aware of the impact of their choices on the environment, and the best thing we can do in this climate crisis is to limit the resources we take out of the planet. Second-hand fashion speaks to what’s happening right now. And the world is speaking back. It’s estimated that the total resale clothes market is expected to rise in value from $96 billion in 2021 to $141 billion by 2023. More than ‘back for good’, second-hand fashion looks set to become the new norm.
The increased crafts of repair and upcycling offer another contemporary dimension to the trend. There’s a rise in young people looking at things that already exist, not only to take inspiration from, but also to use as material for next-stage creation. Current repair and upcycling skills make their wish a reality.
Even social media platforms are on board. “Once you start finding heat at the second-hand fashion shop, it quickly turns into an ever-growing addiction. Each piece has history behind it,” said an online celebrity with 1.7 million followers. He, along with other celebrities posting visits to shops of this kind, has pushed up sales. Their power in the field can’t be neglected.
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| It celebrates your children’s curiosity as they: - Explore beautiful illustrations and incredible photography that showcase the mysteries of space. - Reveal engaging storybook-style descriptions that explain key discoveries about the universe. This space encyclopedia is the perfect combination of storybook-style text with out-of-this-world illustrations. Compared with reading alone, reading the book with family doubles the pleasure as family ties are strengthened through exploring the unknown together. Explore the vastness of space whilst uncovering: -Excellent Jacket Detail: gold book cover & luxury metallic gold edges -Striking photography & illustrations inside -A quality gift to be passed down through the generations More in the Series The Mysteries of the Universe is part of the beautiful and informative Anthology series. Complete the series and cultivate your children's curiosity as they explore the natural world with Wonders of Nature or let them walk with the dinosaurs with Intriguing Animals. |
| A．offers information about over 100 objects of the universe |
| B．describes a story happening in the outer space |
| C．provides close-up pictures of people and objects around children |
| D．uncovers secrets of natural world and animals |
| A．The book can be obtained second-hand with the lowest price of $12.29. |
| B．The book belongs to a series, all books of which explore the mysteries of outer space. |
| C．The book has been graded by over 4000 people. |
| D．The book is currently qualified for free shipping. |
| A．Increasing reading experience through pictures. |
| B．Improving family connections by joint exploration. |
| C．Attracting readers through the style of telling stories. |
| D．Providing simple book cover but quality content. |
10 . I was in Chicago for a job training when I knew a nearby theatre was releasing a film about saving dogs. I love animals and this fundraising event sounded right up my alley. However, none of my co-workers could squeeze time for me. I got cold feet for anxiety about navigating the streets by myself at night alone.
But in my hotel room I felt restless and bored. The theatre was only about five blocks away from the hotel. How could I stray? Hence, I decided to brave it. I gathered my room key and set off.
I managed to find the street of the theatre but when I turned the corner I stopped in shock. The street in front of the theatre was full of bikers-lots of very big, tough-looking bikers.
Now I was a woman all alone at night. There were many large men, all wearing insignia suggesting they were in some sort of club or gang. Warning bells began to sound and my heart jumped in my throat. Was I at the right theatre? Had I misread the date of the event?
I finally decided that I would be safer inside the theatre where there was, presumably, a crowd of people. I scurried into the theatre. As I sat there, heart racing, waiting for the film to start, I muttered a prayer to contain my anxieties. A local blues-rock band was the opening act and their performance drew my attention. Enthusiasm for the band’s performance soon took away all my worries from my mind and I began to relax.
After the band, the film began and I understood the presence of the bikers after a conversation with the staff. Being part of an animal rescue group, they had escorted dogs from New Jersey to Chicago. At that moment, I was struck by the bond that had drawn so many disparate folks to the theatre. Singers, sportsmen, ordinary workers had all been brought together by our shared love of animals. I made new friends. I discovered a new band and supported an important cause. I stayed till the very end and made it to my hotel without any incident, overjoyed that I broke out of the boundary I used to set for myself and ventured into the unknown. To my amazement, the reward was one of the best nights of my life.
1. The author didn’t go to the theatre at first because ________.| A．the theatre was far right up the alley |
| B．she couldn’t spare time from the training |
| C．she was afraid of getting lost on the way |
| D．she was concerned that she would catch cold at night |
| A．The group of bikers accompanied her into the theatre. |
| B．People inside the theatre rescued her from the harm of bikers. |
| C．She rang bells to warn people of possible dangers. |
| D．The opening act was successful in calming her down. |
| A．respectable | B．diverse | C．restless | D．common |
| A．she discovered a band she loved |
| B．she successfully went back to the hotel safe |
| C．she knew the reason for the presence of all the bikers |
| D．she stepped out of comfort zone and got good results |
