We've used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind corn, which is where the term "windmill" comes from. We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propeller on the top. The wind blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these towers together, to make a "wind farm" and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It's only worth building wind farms in places that have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans increasingly have small wind generators to help keep their batteries charged. The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains - places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several "wind farms" supply electricity to homes around Los Angeles. The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines , which don't need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming. The best places for building the wind farm are places where _ . A) boats and caravans can often be seen B) isolated farms don't have enough electricity C) there are less human activities D) the wind is strong and reliable
D
Humans: It's time to abandon the earth or face extinction. This prediction isn't science fiction. It's a glimpse of the future, according to famed British scientist Stephen Hawking. "I see great dangers for the human race," he said in an interview with global forum Big Think. "There have been a number of times in the past when its survival has been a question of touch and go ." Hawking says humans must _ our home planet within the next two centuries and expand into space to survive. "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be in space," he said. "It will be difficult to avoid disaster on our planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million." He also voiced some concerns about the future of life on the earth. In April, he spoke about his fear of aliens in an interview for the Discovery Channel. "If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn't turn out well for the Native Americans," he said. "Such advanced aliens would perhaps become wanderers, looking to conquer and colonize whatever planets they can reach." But Hawking says he is still hopeful for the future of humanity. "I'm an optimist," he told Big Think. "We have made remarkable progress in the last hundred years. But if we want to continue beyond the next hundred years, our future is in space." Getting to another planet will prove a challenge, not to mention colonizing it for humanity. University of Michigan astrophysicist Katherine Freese told Big Think that "the nearest star to Earth is Proxima Centauri which is 4.2 light years away. That means, if you were traveling at the speed of light the whole time, it would take 4.2 years to get there" --- or about 50,000 years using current rocket science. Despite some concerns, Hawking's attitude towards the future of humans is _ . A) objective B) negative C) subjective D) positive
D
Q: Travelling abroad for leisure is becoming more and more popular for Chinese. The UK is high up in the list of places that the Chinese want to visit. There is a sense of mystery about the UK; it's often the images of England's green parks, countryside and Victorian houses that people point to as an alternative to polluted, overcrowded cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou. The capital is viewed as modern and dynamic, while being filled deep with history. When asked what other images are thought of by the UK, the reply is often "the Queen, tea and Oxbridge". So what's stopping them actually coming? Sebastian Wood ,the British ambassador in Beijing, has described the UK as a _ , and while this is perhaps an exaggeration ,Britain does have a reputation as a country that is harder to access. The main problem for Chinese tourists is obvious. Although visa applications are now completed online, visitors are still required to visit one of 12 UK centers across the country for a face-to-face interview and fingerprinting. If you don't live near one of these enters already, you'd have to travel some distance to get there. Another problem is also to be mentioned. If travelers from China visit the UK, they also want to cover as much ground as possible. But the UK is not included in the Schengen visa, which allows access to a host of 26 European countries such as France and Germany. So it makes the former seem a less worth it. There is also the issue of cost: PS47 for a Schengen visa, PS82 for the UK. On top of this, the UK is viewed as stricter in its handing of visas compared with the rest of Europe, fed by urban legends of rejected applications. In the end, the decision comes down to one question: Is Britain worth a visit? What can a visitor do if he gets a Schengen visa? A) He can only visit the UK. B) He can only visit 26 European countries. C) He can visit the UK and France. D) He can travel to any country he likes.
A: B
Q: One of the most important meals of the day is breakfast. In order for children to build strong bodies and for adults to keep well, they should always eat a good breakfast. Eating the right food is necessary for good health. You should eat different kinds of food in order to keep a good health. It is understood that a good breakfast may contain eggs, bread, milk, and so on. By eating breakfast every morning, you can feel alive and active in the morning's work. After a good breakfast you can step out into the morning air and feel wonderful. Anybody can feel better by eating a good breakfast. Many fathers and mothers are unable to get their children to eat breakfast. There are many reasons for children not to eat breakfast. One reason could be that they do not have a good example. It could be that the father and mother do not eat breakfast. What ever the reasons are for children not to eat breakfast, it can be bad for their health. Without breakfast children may not grow as fast as they should and may not study and play as well in school in the morning as they could. They can have more illnesses, and, when they are ill, it may take them longer to be in good health again than it takes children with good health habits. Good eating habits mean eating breakfast. Unless you eat breakfast, you do not eat a full meal from dinner the night before until lunch the next day. This is quite a long time for the body to go without food. Food is the source of power for the body. Unless the body gets food, it cannot keep operating at top speed. Without food the body will slow down. Nobody will live without food. It is necessary to start the day full of power. So you must eat breakfast so that you can keep in good health and do your best each morning. Many fathers and mothers are unable to get their children to eat breakfast because they _ . A) always eat a big breakfast B) eat a little for breakfast C) eat more for breakfast D) don't have breakfast at all
A: D