1 . Back in the early 2000s, lots of people couldn’t have imagined life without alarm clocks, CD players, calendars, cameras, or lots of other devices. But along came the iPhone and other smartphones, and they took over the functions of dozens of things we used to think were essential.
The smartphone story could even be a model for fighting climate change; not because smartphones use a small part of the energy of all the things they replace - although they do-but because they represent a different approach to design in general. And that approach is to focus on function rather than form. That requires focusing on understanding the underlying problem，and then engineering a wide range of potential solutions. This approach could revolutionize how we think about energy efficiency.
Traditionally, improvements in energy efficiency have mostly focused on individual devices, which can be quite fruitful. But focusing on individual devices is like if Apple had spent effort inventing a better alarm clock, a better CD player, a better calendar, and a better camera. Now with an iPhone, we don’t need the standalone(独立运行的) devices at all, because it can function as all of them.
So when it comes to using energy efficiently, rather than just installing a more efficient heater，some people have focused instead on the desired function: staying warm. They designed and coated their house so well that they could get rid of their heater altogether, letting them heat their house with 99% less energy.
In the same way, rather than just making cars more efficient, what if we focus on the desired function-getting where we want when we want-and create an efficient transportation system where we can drive less or get rid of our personal cars entirely?
The most energy efficient car or heater is no car, or no heater, while still being able to get around and stay warm. In other words, it’s not thinking efficient, it’s thinking different.
1. What makes the iPhone a good example of environmental protection?| A．Perfecting individual devices. | B．Combining possible functions. |
| C．Adopting a simplest design. | D．Reducing the energy consumption. |
| A．Using recyclable materials. | B．Revolutionizing technologies. |
| C．Figuring out various solutions. | D．Concentrating on the essential needs. |
| A．Fruitless. | B．Out-of-date. | C．Adequate. | D．Perfect. |
| A．Think out of the box. | B．Differences make it unique. |
| C．Be economical with energy. | D．Step out of the comfort zone. |
2 . For people who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.
Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. he pulls out a special device points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.
For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming（哼唱）a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on, point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.
Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights（聚光灯） are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in one targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.
1. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD?| A．It causes temporary hearing loss | B．It slows down a running man |
| C．It makes it easy to identify a suspect | D．It keeps the suspect from hurting others |
| A．silence the people around you | B．remove the sound of commercials |
| C．block the incoming sound waves | D．stop unwanted sound from affecting you |
| A．They travel in circles | B．They clear the atmosphere. |
| C．They can be transformed into energy | D．They can be directed onto a specific area |
| A．creative designs of restaurant menus | B．ideal sound effects on the theater stage |
| C．different choices of music for businesses | D．strict control over any suspicious customer |
The first time I saw Suzy Khan, I knew I had to help her. She was really small for her age of 12. The boy in my class often joked about her and laughed their heads off. She would open a book, pretending to read, with tears dropping
All I knew was that she was an orphan (孤儿) from Africa. She
Many people have the hobby of collecting things, e.g. stamps, postcards or antiques. In the 18th and 19th centuries,
Chinese New Year is a
1. 询问近况；
2. 分享班级最新消息；
3. 表达祝愿。
注意:1.词数不少于50；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
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Yours,
Li Hua
The famous classical pianist, Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week by giving a concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he tried this because he wanted to create something new." As a musician, playing the same music in different cities of the world is very boring, "says Kong. He also feels that playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world.
Music has always been part of Kong's world. As his mother was a great music lover, he lived with music from birth. But it wasn't always easy for the young Kong Xiangdong. His mother couldn't buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a piece of paper so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong would practice on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to practice the piano so much that, at times, he thought about giving up. However, he didn't quit, and he became a great pianist. In 1986,at the age of 18,he became the youngest prize winner in Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition. He went on to win awards in competitions across the world.
Because of Kong's talent and hard work, he became famous worldwide. But after years of performing, he felt that in some ways he had lost his identity. This is why he went back to his roots and rediscovered the beauty in Chinese folk music. He began experimenting with different styles and his Dream Tour Concert is the result.
Kong's new experiment in Chinese folk music is so important to him that he even changed his appearance. When he arrived at his concert last week, he had shaved off all his hair! Since his music style was new, he decided his hairstyle had to be new too!
Whether Kong is changing his appearance or transforming his music, he is a pioneer in music today. The concert last week was such a success that Kong's Dream Tour Concert is expected to run for the next two years in Beijing, Shanghai, and other main cities before going to Paris and New York.
10 . How to Improve Your English
Learning English is a continuous process. For tips on how to improve your English, read on.
Read English newspapers, books, and magazines. Reading is an active process that requires your brain to work. When learning a language, much is achieved by speaking, listening and writing.
Read the book version of a movie that you have already seen.
Teach English to children or friends.
Use English every day. Whatever you are doing, from washing the dishes or taking out the garbage to going to work or to the gym, use English. Take out those new words that you learned and use them. Bring out those new idioms you came across and use them.
As you try to improve your English day by day, you will surely see improvements that are going to “make your day”.
| A．Open your mouth. |
| B．Keep a news diary. |
| C．But reading is also a great help. |
| D．Listening to songs can help you improve your English. |
| E．The best way to improve something is by teaching it to others. |
| F．If the new knowledge stays inside your head and in your notebooks, it won’t come to life. |
| G．If you are not a serious book reader, reading a story that you are already familiar with will help you move along page by page. |
