4．We can learn from the passage that businesses will　　　　 .

A．have a strong desire to reduce costs

B．use the same logo in their marketing

C．gain advantages by taking early action

D．attract more shoppers by storing goods

　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　B

(NMET2010山东)Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.

“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density(密度)”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope(放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”

Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.

“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”

His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.

“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶体结构) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”

Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.

3．According to Harry Morrison, businesses　　　　 .

A．will benefit from cutting carbon emissions

B．should buy carbon allowances for shoppers

C．are required to make up for their carbon emissions

D．have encouraged shoppers to take their custom elsewhere

2．The underlined word“inform”in Paragraph 2 probably means“　　　 ”.

A．affect　　　　 B．change　　　 C．disturb　　　　 D．reject

1．What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers.

B．Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions.

C．Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home.

D．Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers’environmental awareness.

4. We can infer that the text is 　　　　　.

A. a description of natural resources　　　　　　　　　 B. a research report

C. a book review　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. an introduction to a scientist

解析：本文作者通过介绍Edward Wilsonr 书The Future of Life，介绍了地球上生物的多样性以及现阶段受到的破坏，号召我们保护生物的多样性，同时也是保护我们人类生存的环境。

1 B 细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句“Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity (生物多样性) of our earth.”可知。

2 A 细节理解题。根据第三段第二句“A mere hundred species (物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load.”可知答案。

3 D 细节题。根据第三段最后一句话可知。

4 C 推理判断题。本文主要是介绍Edward Wilsonr 的书The Future of Life的内容并作出评论。

·冲刺高考-----热点强化训练

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 (一)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 A

(NMET2010福建)Businesses are witnessing a difficult time, which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green . However, shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns.

Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago, while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy.

This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves. And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies,with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company’s environmental reputation was not good enough.

Harry Morrison, chief executive(主管)of the Carbon Trust, sympathizes：“I understand this situation where survival is very important now. But from environmental considerations, the clock is ticking-we don’t have much time. In addition, cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a mediun-term benefit for the brand.”

Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint, as new rules next year will require businesses bo buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions(排放). Those that have taken early action will have a head start. More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible. This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers.

The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing.“When companies are granted(授予)the standard, they can use a logo(标识)in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions,”Mr.Morrison said.

3. Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to 　　　　　.

A. learn how to farm scientifically

B. build homes for some dying species

C. make it clear what to eat

D. use more species for food

2. How many species are most important to our present food supply?

A. Twenty. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Eighty

C. One hundred. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Ten thousand.

1. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about 　　　　　.

A. the environment for plants

B. the biodiversity of our earth

C. the waste of natural resources

D. the importance of human values

4. A　主旨大意题。本文作者说明人们从日常生活的细节做起，从自己家庭开始，一点一滴着手保护环境，故本题选A。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C

(NMET2008全国I卷)Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources (资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity (生物多样性) of our earth.

Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Can the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?

Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today.　 Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species (物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.

At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book.

3. B　推理判断题。根据最后一自然段大意可知本题选B。