2 . Everything about nuclear energy seems terrifically big: the cost, construction and decommissioning -- and the fears of something going badly wrong. The future, however, may well be much smaller. Dozens of companies are working on a new generation of reactors that, they promise, can deliver nuclear power at lower cost and reduced risk. These small - scale plants will on average generate between 50 MW and 300 MW of power compared with the 1,000 MW - plus from a conventional rector. They will draw on modular manufacturing techniques that will reduce construction risk, which has plagued larger 0 scale projects. Supporters believe these advanced modular reactors (AMRs) -- most of which will not be commercial until the 2030s -- are critical if atomic power is to compete against the rapidly falling costs of solar and wind.
“The physics hasn’t changed. it’s about much cleverer design that offers much needed flexibility in terms of operation,” said Tim Stone, long-term industry adviser and chairman of Nuclear Risk Insurers, which insures nuclear sites in the UK. Since the Fukushima meltdown in Japan in 2011, safety fears have threatened nuclear power. But the biggest obstacle today is economic. In western Europe, just three plants are under construction: in the UK at Hinkley Point C in somerset; at Flaman-ville in France; and at Olkiluoto in Finland. All involve the European Pressurized reactor technology of EDF that will be used at Hinkley Point. All are running years late and over budget. In the US, the first two nuclear projects under way for the past 30 years are also blowing through cost estimates .
The UK, which opened the world’s first commercial nuclear reactor in 1956, is one of the few western nations committed to renewing its ageing fleet to ensure energy security and meet tough carbon reduction targets. It is seen as a proving ground, by many in the industry, of nuclear power’s ability to restore confidence. However, the country’s under severe criticism over its cost. The government is looking at different funding models but said it still sees nuclear power as vital to the country’s future energy mix. Small reactors, it believes, have the potential to generate much - needed power from the 2030s.
1. What can be learned from the passage about the advanced modular reactors (AMRs)?| A．They don’t work on the same principles as traditional reactors. |
| B．They haven’t been widely used for business purposes. |
| C．They are at a critical stage of being manufactured. |
| D．They operate more flexibly than wind generators. |
| A．show that the advanced technology of EDF is mature |
| B．argue against the popular use of nuclear power |
| C．prove that their construction costs more than available |
| D．suggest a possible solution to budget problems |
| A．The UK government is reducing its funding for ageing nuclear facilities. |
| B．Some people have lost their confidence in the use of unclear power. |
| C．People are more supportive of solar and wind energy than nuclear energy. |
| D．The UK is decreasing the impact of nuclear power on its economy. |
| A．Large - scale nuclear plants will be a big hit |
| B．Traditional reactors boom with new mini ones |
| C．The government should reflect on nuclear safety |
| D．Nuclear power looks to shrink its way to success |
假设你是明启中学高三学生李明，你校门口的道路每天上学和放学时间都是非常拥挤，来接送学生的车辆不仅造成了道路拥堵，也带了安全隐患，你决定就此事写一封邮件给学校相关部门，内容包括：
1. 简单描述校门口道路的交通状况及带来的问题；
2. 提出解决这一问题的方法，并说明理由。
7 . With the lure of high salaries and strong job prospects, a lot of students college thinking they will major in engineering. If you think engineering might be a good choice for you, a summer engineering program is a great way to learn more about the field and expand your experiences. Below are some excellent summer engineering programs.
Johns Hopkins Engineering InnovationThis introductory engineering course for rising juniors and seniors is offered by Johns Hopkins University at several locations across the country. Engineering Innovation teacher critical thinking and applied problem - solving skills for future engineers through lectures, research and projects. If the student achieves an A or B in the program, they will also receive three transferable credits from Johns Hopkins University. The program runs for four or five days a week over four to five weeks, depending on the location. Most locations offer commuter programs only, but the Johns Hopkins Home-wood campus in Baltimore also offers residential option.
Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers this enrichment program for high school juniors interested in engineering, science and entrepreneurship. Students select five of 14 rigorous academic courses to study over the six weeks of the program, during which time they have several opportunities to network with a diverse group of individuals within the fields of science and engineering. Students also share and celebrate their own cultures. MITES is scholarship - based; those students selected for the program need only provide their own transportation to and from the MIT campus.
Summer Engineering Exploration CampHosted by the University of Michigan, this program is a one - week residential camp for rising high school sophomeres, juniors and seniors interested in engineering. Participants have the opportunity to explore several different areas of engineering during engineering workplace tours, group projects, and presentations by students, faculty and professional engineers. Campers also enjoy recreational events and experience a universtiy residential atmosphere in the University of Michigan dorms.
Exploring Your Options at the University of IllinoisThis residential summer engineering camp for rising high school juniors and seniors is offered by the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering program, headquartered at the University of Illinois. Campers have the chance to interact with engineering students and faculty, visit engineering facilities and research labs at the university, and work together on hands-on engineering projects. Students also participate in traditional camp recreational and social activities. The camp runs for two one-week sessions during June and July.
1. Which of the following programs lasts longest?| A．Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation | B．Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science |
| C．Summer Engineering Exploration Camp | D．Exploring Your Options at the University of Illinois |
| A．pay a visit to fabulous research labs | B．have the chance to win a scholarship |
| C．enjoy recreational activities with faculty | D．experience a university residential atmosphere |
| A．engineering majors | B．professional engineers |
| C．high school students | D．scientifically gifted children |
Can Indoor Plants Really Purify the Air?
Plants are very important to human life. Through photosynthesis(光合作用), they transform carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen. They
One famous NASA experiment published in 1989 has found indoor plants can clean the air by removing pollutants
Based on this research, some scientists say house plants are effective natural air purifiers, and the bigger and leafier the plant, the better. The amount of leaf surface area influences the rate of air purification.
“There are no definitive studies to show that
Most research efforts to date, including the NASA study, placed indoor plants in small,
Disappointed
The man who put romance back into roses for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is when unromantic people splurge (挥霍) on overpriced roses and expensive restaurants. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Mr. A, as his staff knew him, brought romance back to roses, creating the English Rose, a marriage between fragrant Old Roses and the repeat-flowering Hybrid Tea varieties which had largely replaced them before the young son of a Shropshire farmer decided to change all that.
The rest is Chelsea-gilded history. Graham Thomas was later voted the world’s favorite rose and his Gertrude Jekyll was twice-named the UK’s favorite.
We have three roses on our London roof terrace: a spicy apricot that a few years ago won best plant at Chelsea; a Bengal Crimson from Great Dixter and a perfect yellow David Austin, named, I think, after an actress.
So steer clear of the more obvious flower choices for the 14th. Roses, like people, are rarely at their best after a long-haul (长途运输) flight.
| A．Search out something personal, surprising and special. |
| B．The roses you receive today have been paid for in advance. |
| C．The love we share makes life so beautiful, and I love you more than roses can say. |
| D．As I write, the name escapes me but never the repeated flowering and its fragrance. |
| E．It took a decade of dedication before Austin’s Rosa Constance Spry was released in 1961. |
| F．Roses don’t have to come in red buds and straight stems, and they don’t have to smell of desperation. |
10 . “What is civilization?” asked Kenneth Clark 50 years ago in the influential BBC series on the subject. “I don’t know, and I can’t define it in abstract terms, yet. But I think I can recognize it when I see it, and I’m looking at it now.” And he turned to gesture behind him, at the soaring Gothic towers and flying buttresses of Notre Dame (巴黎圣母院).
It seems inhuman to care more about a building than about people. That the sight of Notre Dame going up in flames has attracted so much more attention than floods in southern Africa which killed over 1,000 arouses understandable feelings of guilt. Yet the widespread, intense grief at the sight of the cathedral’s collapsing steeple (尖塔) is in fact profoundly human—and in a particularly 21st-century way.
It is not just the economy that is global today, it is culture too. People wander the world in search not just of jobs and security but also of beauty and history. Familiarity breeds affection. A building on whose sunny steps you have rested, in front of which you have taken a selfie with your loved one, becomes a warm part of your memories and thus of yourself.
This visual age has given beauty new power, and social media have turned great works of art into superstars. Only a few, though, have achieved this status. Just as there is only ever a handful of world-famous actors, so the pantheon (万神殿) of globally recognizable cultural symbols is tiny: the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David, the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramid— and Notre Dame. Disaster, too, is visual. In the 24 hours after the fire started, videos on social media of the burning cathedral were viewed nearly a quarter of a billion times.
Yet the emotions the sight aroused were less about the building itself than about what losing it might mean. Notre Dame is an expression of humanity at its collective best. Nobody could look up into that arched (拱形的) ceiling without wondering at the collective genius of the thousands of unknown craftsmen who, over a century and a half, realized a vision so grand in its structural ambition and so delicate in its hand-made detail. Its survival through 850 years of political unrest—through war, revolution and Nazi occupation—binds the present to the past.
1. The BBC series in the first paragraph is mentioned to show ________.| A．Notre Dame is a typical example of civilization |
| B．civilization is supposed to be defined in abstract terms |
| C．civilization was founded in the past and lasts for decades |
| D．it’s cruel to care more about buildings than about people |
| A．the disaster coincided with the floods in southern Africa |
| B．people has lost a historical landmark to take a selfie and rest |
| C．France’s economic prosperity has made it a must-see place for visitors |
| D．cultural globalization has bred a common sense of cultural identity |
| A．People’s sadness at the misfortune mainly lies in the building itself. |
| B．People wondered who contributed to such an artistic achievement. |
| C．Notre Dame is a witness to Nazi invasion and French revolution. |
| D．Fortunately we are blessed with countless splendid works of art. |
| A．Notre Dame: The Architectural Treasure |
| B．Notre Dame: The Humanistic Expression |
| C．Notre Dame: A Victim To Natural Disaster |
| D．Notre Dame: A Must-be Tourist Attraction |
