1 . Natural gas, long seen as a cleaner replacement to coal and an important tool in the fight to slow global warming, can be just as harmful to the climate, a new study has concluded, unless companies can cut the leaks (泄露), since it takes as little as 0.2 percent of gas to leak to make natural gas as big a driver of climate change as coal.
The study, which involved researchers from Harvard and Duke Universities and NASA, pokes holes in the idea that natural gas is suitable energy resources to a future powered entirely by renewables, like solar and wind. “Even if gas leaks little, it’s as bad as coal,” said Deborah, the lead researcher. “It can’t be considered a good bridge, or replacement.”
When power companies generate electricity by burning natural gas instead of coal, they produce only half the amount of planet-warming CO₂. But natural gas is made up mostly of me thane (甲烷), which is, in the short term, a far more powerful planet-warming gas than CO₂, when it escapes unburned into the atmosphere. And there’s increasing evidence that methane is leaking from gas systems in far larger quantities than previously thought.
There are other balances to consider. The CO₂ produced by coal-burning power plants lasts far longer in the atmosphere than methane, whose climate effects disappear after a few decades. So focusing on methane leaks from gas systems as a way to control carbon emissions (碳排放) means the world might reduce some short-term warming, but still face a dangerous rise in average temperatures many decades into the future. That said, with the consequences of climate change already spreading around the world, controlling methane would be a way that works faster to slow warming.
“I do hope the world pays attention to this, as I fear too many remain too concentrated on simply reducing coal use, even if it results in more gas consumption,” Deborah said. “What the world requires is to move to a 100 percent renewable energy future as soon as possible.”
1. How can natural gas contribute to global warming?A.Its huge amount of CO₂ while burning. | B.Its taking in extra heat from the atmosphere. |
C.Its leaking methane warming the planet. | D.Its combination with methane to produce CO₂. |
A.Avoid the threats of climate change. | B.Cancel out the impacts of global warming. |
C.Slow down warming more immediately. | D.Balance carbon emissions with coal burning. |
A.Lack of attention to reducing gas use. | B.Unbalanced mix of coal and renewables. |
C.Shortage of renewable energy sources. | D.Difficulty in promoting renewable energy. |
A.Is Natural Gas Better for the Climate? | B.How Can Carbon Emission be Controlled? |
C.Is Natural Gas Taking the Place of Coal? | D.How Can Methane Speed up Global Warming? |
1. Who usually reads the morning announcements?
A.Timmy. | B.Mr. McKinney. | C.Johnson. |
A.For the library hours. | B.For the homework. | C.For the computers. |
A.A basketball game. | B.A volleyball game. | C.A baseball game. |
1. When does the man usually read?
A.Before going to bed at night. |
B.Early in the morning. |
C.When traveling on the bus. |
A.About three hours. | B.About four hours. | C.About five hours. |
A.Love stories. | B.Travel books. | C.Science fiction. |
A.It helps her relax. | B.It wastes time. | C.It can teach her a lot. |
1. What are the two speakers talking about?
A.A famous painting. | B.Some unusual food. | C.An art exhibition. |
A.Go to the gallery. | B.Buy some artwork. | C.Stay at home. |
A.He visited the woman. |
B.He worked on his paper. |
C.He spent time with his aunt. |
5 . People may see different shapes and scenes in the sky when they look up at the clouds. But you need to be
Chris Judge, an illustrator from Dublin, Ireland, sees
It all began in 2020 when Judge was in his garden. He started taking
Judge then posted his art on social media and the response was
The cloud art is more than
“Now, I am trying new projects all the time to keep my creative juices flowing and
A.courageous | B.experienced | C.confident | D.imaginative |
A.toys | B.crowds | C.animals | D.mountains |
A.left behind | B.returned to | C.benefited from | D.set about |
A.creations | B.articles | C.videos | D.advertisements |
A.pictures | B.notes | C.control | D.hold |
A.checking | B.adding | C.cleaning | D.viewing |
A.improved | B.discussed | C.included | D.aided |
A.unexpectedly | B.hardly | C.partly | D.mistakenly |
A.useful | B.fantastic | C.important | D.common |
A.spared | B.mentioned | C.shared | D.sold |
A.facial | B.artistic | C.classic | D.realistic |
A.power | B.victory | C.regret | D.stress |
A.reading about | B.finding out | C.fixing up | D.focusing on |
A.gather | B.impress | C.change | D.charge |
A.decoration | B.design | C.mix | D.mess |
One sunny afternoon, Alice and I were walking home from school, lost in our girlish conversation. Alice, with her curious eyes sparkling, casually asked about my friendship with Judy. In a moment of thoughtlessness, I responded, “I only hung out with Judy because she asked me and I wasn’t keen on being friends with her. She was rather dull.” The unkind words just escaped my lips before I could catch them, like marbles rolling off a table.
Little did I know, Judy had been just around the corner somehow. When I glanced up, Judy appeared right in front of me, having accidentally overheard everything. All the color faded from her face. Her eyes widening with shock, without a word, she rushed off. Alice and I were left standing there, exchanging a look of shame and discomfort. I knew I should run after Judy and apologize, but with my mind blank, I was frozen. Alice’s face turned red, too. We walked home in silence, each step heavier than the last.
The following days were filled with awkwardness. I felt terrible for what I’d said and was dying to mend our friendship. An honest apology was desperately needed. But what should I say? Unintentional as I was, I indeed hurt Judy’s feelings. Every time I saw Judy in the halls or during classes, I’d quickly look away.
Fate threw me a curve ball in our speech class. On Tuesday, Mr. Thomas announced that we would be giving improvised(即兴的) speeches. He had written our topics on slips of paper and put them into a secret jar. Each of us was asked to blindly choose one without knowing what it would be about. I couldn’t say I was not nervous. As I reached into the jar of topics, my fingers closed around the slip that read, “Share your most embarrassing moment.” My heart pounded like a drum roll in my chest. It was as if the universe had come my way to give me a chance.
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Knowing what I had to say, I calmed myself down and walked to the platform.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________That day marked a turning point.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. Why does Bruce ask for another copy of paper?
A.The delivery was delayed. |
B.His newspaper was damaged. |
C.He couldn’t find the newspaper. |
A.In his yard. | B.In his mailbox. | C.In his hallway. |
A.Visit Bruce’s place. | B.Send an apology letter. | C.Call the delivery person. |
My bike raced through the quiet streets of my hometown as I mentally went through my arrangements for the day. There were a few tasks I needed to finish: borrowing a book, getting a haircut, and most importantly, visiting my beloved former middle school teacher, Mrs. Miles, before the day was over. It happened to be Teachers’ Day, and I wanted to show my appreciation by giving her a meaningful gift. However, I was still unsure about what to present to her.
As I turned onto a busy street lined with houses, it seemed that on the front lawn (草坪) of the gray house in the middle of the block was an old man who appeared to slump (倒下) in a breathtaking garden. Shocked, I stopped my bike, running towards him and shouting, “Sir, are you okay? Is everything all right?” I got close enough to notice his stooping (佝偻的) figure was actually alive and was pushing something into the dirt.
“I’m fine, sweetheart,” he laughed. “Just a lonely old man taking care of his garden.” He looked very weak and already had a stoop. I was concerned about his bending over so much to do gardening. “I’ve been out here for weeks at a time every spring for about the past ten years, and no one has ever stopped,” he said, “Don’t you have anyone to help you?” I asked, immediately regretting the question as a look of sadness passed over his face.
“It’s just me and my flowers,” he said, “My grandchildren used to play here every summer. My wife would bring out lemonade (柠檬水), and we would all sit together, enjoying the beauty of the flowers. But then, within a year, my son moved away with the grandchildren, and my wife passed away.” My heart went out to him as I got a sense of what the garden meant to him. “I can push my to-do list off by an hour,” I thought. With a smile, I asked, “Can you ask your flowers if they wouldn’t mind my joining you guys for a while?”
注意:1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Amused, he introduced himself as Mr. Jenkins and accepted my offer.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When I got up to leave, he added, “Hold on. I’ll give you some flowers”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1. What causes the woman to have trouble making friends?
A.Lack of social skills. | B.Difference in interests. | C.Unpopularity with other kids. |
A.They enjoy a quiet life. |
B.They prefer a social lifestyle. |
C.They have a strict daily routine. |
A.Comfortable. | B.Upset. | C.Lonely. |
A.Those who are easy-going. |
B.Those who are hard-working. |
C.Those who share similar hobbies. |
The erhu, a famous Chinese musical instrument, has a history
The erhu has a slim wooden body whose strings are
The erhu can convey
Over the years, the erhu has gained
Whether