International experts meeting in Australia say global carbon emissions (排放) can be reduced by more than 50 percent through simple energy saving measures. People at a conference in Australia, which increasingly relies on coal for power, say that reducing power consumption is an affordable way to both cut energy costs and reduce pollution.

While many nations turn to cheap and dirty energy sources, such as coal, to meet their increasing energy needs, analysts in Australia say the best way to meet those needs is to improve energy efficiency.

A range of simple solutions include using energy-efficient homes, household appliances and lighting, and driving electric cars. Encouraging homeowners and office workers to switch off their televisions and computers at the end of the day is also seen as an effective way to save electricity.

Grayson Heffner, from the Paris-based International Energy Agency, says reducing consumption could greatly cut global carbon emissions. He calls efficiency strategies (策略) the “soft giant” of clean energy.

“We forecast that energy efficiency will deliver something like three-quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the next 20 years. So in the short term energy efficiency is the main way that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions but oftentimes it is not so importantly stressed in the discussions,” said Heffner.

Energy experts working in China say the government is making significant cuts in power usage.

Wan Xingwang, a Beijing-based representative of the Energy Foundation, a U.S. non-government organization, says the results have been impressive.

“In the past five years China achieved about 19.1 percent of energy reduction of its GDP. That translates to something like more than 600 million tons of coal savings,” said Wan Xingwang.

While most nations have some sort of government-sponsored energy efficiency programs, energy analysts say initiatives (主动性) by individuals and companies can also help cut demand.

Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a non-profit group based in Washington, says other developing nations are recognizing the benefits of cutting power consumption and taking action.

1.To increase their energy supplies, many nations _____________________.

A．turn to new energy                      B．turn to cheap energy

C．develop solar energy                    D．introduce clean energy

2.Which of the following cannot help to reduce energy consumption effectively?

A．Using electronic products in small size.

B．Using more electric cars.

C．Turning off computers after work.

D．Building energy-efficient houses.

3.What can we learn from what Grayson Heffner said?

A．75% of the greenhouse gas emissions can easily be cut in the next 20 years.

B．Ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be discussed.

C．Using clean energy is the strategy to cut global carbon emissions.

D．The key to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term is to improve energy efficiency.

4.According to the last two paragraphs, which of the following statements is true?

A．The programs reducing energy consumption shouldn’t be sponsored by individuals and companies.

B．All nations have government-sponsored energy efficiency programs.

C．It is time that all nations should combine their efforts to save energy.

D．Some developing nations are taking action to cut power consumption.

 

Where is that noise coming from? Not sure? Try living with your eyes closed for a few years.

Blind people are better at locating sounds than people who can see, a new study says, without the benefits of vision the ears seem to work much better.

Previous studies have shown that blind people are better than others at reaching out and touching the sources of sounds that are close by. Researchers from the University of Montreal wanted to see if blind people were also better at locating sounds that are far away.

Twenty-three blind people participated in the study. All had been sightless for at least 20 years. Fourteen of them had lost their vision before age 11. the rest went blind after age 16. The experiment also included 10 people who could see but were wearing blind-folds.

In one task, volunteers had to pick the direction of a sound coming from about 3 meters away. When the sound was in front of them or slightly off center in front, both groups performed equally well.

When sounds came from the side or the back, however, the blind group performed much better than the blindfolded group. The participants who had been blind since childhood did slightly better than those who lost their sight later.

Recognizing the locations of distant sounds can be a matter of life-or-death for blind people, say the researchers. Crossing the street, for instance, is much harder when you can’t see the cars coming.

Still, the researchers were surprised by how well the blind participants did, especially those who went blind after age 16. In another experiment, the scientists also found that parts of the brain that normally deal with visual information became active in locating sound in the people who were blind by age 11. These brain parts didn’t show sound-location activity in the other group of blind people or in the sighted people. The scientists now want to learn more about the working of brains of “late-onset” blind people.

The recent study shows blind people are better at telling __________.

A. The sources of loud sounds.     B. the locations of distant sounds

C. the direction of sharp sounds    D. the distance of a sound in front of them

Which would be a proper title for the passage?

A. A Research on Blind People     B. Where is That Noise Coming from?

C. Hearing Better in the Dark      D. What If Living Without Your Eyes?

If people were asked to tell the direction of a sound from the side, who would perform best?

A. Those who are blind.              B. Those who have gone blind since children.

C. Those who went blind at age 16.     D. Those who are blindfolded.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Whether to be able to locate the sounds can be of vital importance for the blind.

B. All the volunteers in the experiment are sightless.

C. All the participants did equally well when picking sounds from whatever direction.

D. The later people become blind, the better they can perform in telling the direction of sounds.

What do we know about that parts of brain dealing with visual information are active in locating sounds?

A. This happens in almost all the testers.

B. This only occurs in the people who were blind after age 16.

C. It remains nothing new to the scientists any more.

D. It remains a mystery why it is so.

Annie had just begun school. Her parents were tired of the methods they were using to correct her behavior, including scolding (训斥), and taking away privileges (特权). Annie still needed to be scolded for her bad behavior, but her parents felt the good things she did needed to be recognized. So, they began to spend more time recognizing the improvements (改进) in Annie’s behavior and the good things she did every day rather than like before when they only noticed her bad behavior. Within a few weeks Annie began to change her attitude and her behavior improved.
Praise is one of the most powerful tools parents can use to teach their children good skills and help them grow. Praise works well when it is given and when you remember to use it frequently. It is important to praise all good behavior. Look for the good things your child does. Praise will have a lot of effects on your child. Use the 4 to 1 rule. For every bad behavior you notice, find four good behaviors or reasons to praise. It is a good way to remember to look for good behavior.
Remember to praise the things your child has already done well, or improvements in his behavior and new skills. Show your agreement by smiling and touching his shoulder or back. Be sure to say what your child did well in detail. Tell your child how good behavior helps and that it is liked by others.
【小题1】What was the result of recognizing Annie’s good behavior?

A．She started to correct her bad behavior.

B．She was tired of her parents’ scolding.

C．She was not scolded for her bad behavior.

D．She spent more time praising her good behavior.

【小题2】When praising children’s good behavior, parents should do the following EXCEPT __________.

A．praising their children for what they did in detail

B．encouraging their children to go on doing good things

C．telling their children more about their bad behavior

D．praising their children in a good way with smiles

【小题3】What can we learn from the passage?

A．Praising is a better way than scolding.

B．Annie was a middle school student.

C．Annie’s parents are education experts.

D．Parents should not often show agreement.

【小题4】The best title for this passage would be ____________.

A．How to Praise a Good Child

B．A Good Method of Praising Children

C．Praise More and Scold Less

D．The Importance of Good Behavior

We are not born doubting ourselves. We learn to do it. In fact, we are usually taught to doubt ourselves. We can learn some ways that allow us to become more accepting of ourselves. Following are two behaviors that might explain the reasons why you can’t move towards greater self-acceptance.

One thing that might cause you not to accept yourself is over-generalizing about something you've done that you don’t like．For example, if you fail a test you might generalize and say, “I’m really a stupid person.” When you do this you are making a statement about all of you all of the time and not just about this one situation at this time. Instead, you might decide that your grade on this test in this subject at this time was indeed poor, and then go on to decide what you want to do about your poor grade, if anything. Getting stuck in over-generalizing discourages you from taking steps that might allow you to do better on the next exam and to build an expectation of future failure.

Having standards that are impossibly high is a second way you can not accept yourself. It may not come as a surprise to you that most of us are more demanding of ourselves than we are of others. Somehow we can tolerate the fact that other people fail, that they aren’t always kind, that they’ve done things they aren’t proud of, but we have difficulty accepting those very human aspects of ourselves. The need to be perfect is another way to set yourself up for failure and enhance the feeling that you are not acceptable. We all make mistakes. Accepting less than perfection simply means recognizing the limitations natural in being born a human being. Learn to value who you are rather than who you could become. Wouldn’t it be overpowering if we always had to do what we imagine we could do? Nobody has the time and energy to do all of that. We must make choices about what we will pursue and do them the best we can under the circumstances, which aren’t always ideal, by the way.

60．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. We can feel that we are perfect when we set ourselves up for success.

B. We can tolerate the fact that we’ve done things we aren’t proud of.

C. Over-generalizing might encourage you to expect the future.

D. Over-generalizing might cause you not to accept yourself.

61．What is the author’s attitude according to the passage?

A. It’s necessary for people to be perfect.

B. It’s acceptable for people to be imperfect.

C. It’s strange for people to be born with limitation.

D. It’s possible for people to do what they imagine.

62．What has caused the lack of self-acceptance?

A. Tolerance and high-level.

B. Limitation and expectation.

C. Over-generalization and high-standard.

D. Extreme difficulty and complete failure.

 

 

Do you feel so nervous in exams that you have trouble writing answers to questions that you knew just the night before?

   If so, you likely have a case of test anxiety.

   But don't fear. By recognizing the problem, you are taking the first step towards overcoming it.

   Believe it or not, a touch of nervousness can sharpen your mind, allowing you to perform more quickly. This is because under stress, the body gives out the hormone adrenaline (肾上腺素) which prepares it for something important that will happen. However, too much anxiety can result in sleeplessness, loss of appetite before tests, and poor performance. Some people might feel hot or even sick.

   If you worry a lot or are a perfectionist, you are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety. Those who have prepared poorly for a test or have had negative experiences taking tests may also experience test anxiety.

   When you feel a storm of anxiety coming on, stop what you're doing and make your mind a blank. If possible, actually tell yourself to "STOP!" This will get your mind off the stress.

   Then think of being at a place of comfort and let your body relax. As you continue the test, find questions you know the answers to and answer them first. This will help gain your confidence.

   Talk to yourself using positive language. Make it a habit to replace each negative thought with a logical reason. For example, "I've studied hard and I know the material, so I'm ready to do the best I can." Another thing you can do is to learn to accept mistakes. In fact, they can be valuable learning opportunities.

   Last but not least, start test preparation early — three to five days ahead of the quiz or test. After all, good study habits and skills — for example, time management and note-taking — will give you the feeling that you are in control.

1. According to the text, people who ______ are more likely to have trouble with test anxiety.

A. worry a lot or are perfectionists                     B. prepare poorly for a test

C. have failed in tests before                       D. all of above

2. Which of the following is NOT the way to beat nerves according to the author?

A. Stop what you are doing and try to relax.       B. Talk to your teacher or friends.

C. Make a full test preparation early.           D. Learn to accept mistakes.

3. The underlined word “it” refers to ______.

A. the stress                                                 B. the body                 

C. the mind                                                D. the hormone adrenaline

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A. What is test anxiety                                    B. Why we have test anxiety 

C. How to deal with test anxiety                     D. Develop a positive attitude