当前位置:高中试题 > 英语试题 > 题材分类 > One of the world"s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man"s most b...
题目
题型:不详难度:来源:
One of the world"s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man"s most basic functions: visiting the toilet.Bill Gates’ charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future, which, they hope, would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So, what"s wrong with the traditional flush toilet? Firstly, it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.Secondly, they are more likely to cause pollution.This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world, where, according to United Nations’ estimates, unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations.Younger people are particularly at risk.Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1.5 million children a year.Finally, standard lavatories simply aren"t practical in remote areas.
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water, electricity or aseptic tank.It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents.28 designs were displayed at the recent event of the Toilet Fair in Seattle, USA.Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves, another which converted human waste into charcoal, and yet another which used urine for flushing.
But the winner was a solar-powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity.The team from the California Institute of Technology(CIT)picked up a prize of $ 100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn"t feel he"s flushing money down the toilet.After the Seattle event he said, "We couldn"t be happier with the response we"ve gotten," Gates has even promised $370 million more to the future toilet project.They hope to field test more prototypes over the next three years.
小题1:Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?
A.Because he wants to test people"s sense of creativity.
B.Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people.
C.Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion.
D.Because he can"t design this kind of things himself.
小题2:Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?
A.They waste too much water.B.They might cause diseases.
C.They are not always practical.D.They are too complicated to use.
小题3:The underlined word "latrine" in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word "__   " in the text.
A.looB.sanitationC.diarrheaD.prototype
小题4:The team from CIT won the prize because their design        .
A.can change human waste into electricity
B.can turn human waste into charcoal
C.can produce power with solar energy
D.can use urine for flushing
小题5:If people "flush money down the toilet", they are       .
A.showing off their wealthB.angry with their working conditions
C.wasting money for nothingD.expressing their great determination

答案

小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:C
小题5:C
解析

试题分析:文章介绍比尔盖茨找人发明一种新型的厕所,旨在环保和改善人们的卫生状况。
小题1:细节题:从第一段的句子:they hope, would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world. 可知比尔盖茨希望改善人们的卫生状况。选B。
小题2:细节题:从第二段的句子:Firstly, it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.Secondly, they are more likely to cause pollution.和Finally, standard lavatories simply aren"t practical in remote areas.可知ABC都是对的,选D。
小题3:猜词题:从第一段的句子:the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future,可知latrine 和loo都是“厕所”,选A
小题4:细节题:从倒数第二段的句子:But the winner was a solar-powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity.The team from the California Institute of Technology(CIT)picked up a prize of $ 100,000.可知他们获胜是因为利用太阳能,选C
小题5:句意理解题:从后面的句子:"We couldn"t be happier with the response we"ve gotten,可知比尔盖茨认为这些钱并不是浪费。选C
点评:文章介绍比尔盖茨找人发明一种新型的厕所,旨在环保和改善人们的卫生状况。内容比较适中,对于考生的能力要求不高,只要认真细致阅读,不难发现答案。可以先看题目再读文章,这样可以提高阅读的速度。还要准确定位考点。特别是推理题,要结合上下文的暗示做题,掌握方法是关键。
核心考点
试题【One of the world"s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man"s most b】;主要考察你对题材分类等知识点的理解。[详细]
举一反三
Anger at the practice of demanding dowries, which can lead to violence against brides, has caused a takeoff of "Angry Birds" called "Angry Brides" that aims to highlight the illegal practice still common in many South Asian countries.
Dowries -- such as jewelry, clothes, cars and money -- are traditionally given by the bride"s family to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.
The custom was outlawed more than five decades ago. But it is still widely practiced, with the groom"s family demanding even more money after marriage, leading to mental and physical abuse that can drive the woman to suicide.
"The Angry Brides game is our way of throwing a spotlight on the nuisance (陋习) of dowry," said Ram Bhamidi, senior vice president and head of online marketing for Shaadi.com, a matrimonial (婚姻的) website with two million members.
"According to a 2007 study, there is a dowry-related death every four hours in India. We condemn this and have consistently run campaigns on social media to help create awareness of the issue."
The name of the app, available on the group"s home page, is a spinoff from the globally popular "Angry Birds" game. Its home page shows a red-clad, eight-armed woman resembling a powerful female Hindu goddess. Underneath, there is a caption: "A woman will give you strength, care and all the love you need ... NOT dowry!"
To play the game, users have to try and hit three dodging grooms -- a pilot, builder and doctor. There is a wide array of weapons to choose from, including a stiletto shoe, a frying pan, broomstick, tomato and loafer.
Each groom has a price tag, starting at 1.5 million rupees ($29,165). Every time the player hits a groom, his value decreases and money is added to the player"s Anti-Dowry Fund, which is saved posted on their Facebook page.
"Since we launched the game last week, more than 270,000 people have liked the app. Both men and women seem to be playing it," said Bhamidi.
小题1:What caused "Angry Brides" to appear online?
A.Women"s rights" being seriously abused.
B.Anger at the practice of demanding dowries.
C.The bride"s giving a great many dowries.
D.The popularity of Angry Birds online.
小题2:Which of the following is True about "Dowries"?
A.The custom of giving dowries has been in practice for five decades.
B.Lack of abundant dowries may lead to the bride"s being in violence.
C.The illegal practice of dowries is still popular in many African countries.
D.More dowries the bride gives mean a high social status of her family.
小题3:The underlined word "spinoff” probably means_____________.
A.relationB.connectionC.copyD.fake
小题4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the game "Angry Brides"?
A.There are a variety of weapons to choose from.
B.Ram Bhamidi thinks highly of the game.
C.Men players don"t find the game enjoyable.
D.The game character looks like a Hindu goddess.
小题5:What is the text mainly about?
A.Women"s unfair treatment in the marriage.
B.The popularity of the game "Angry Brides".
C.The groom"s demanding too many dowries.
D.How to build an equal relation in the marriage.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi poll(调查).
The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travellers.
London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi licence.
New York’s yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan’s cab drivers tied with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.
Travellers said New York had the most available taxis.
Cabbies in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travellers thinking the Italian capital had the world’s worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.
“Travelling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travellers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of travelling from the airport to their hotel,” a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.
The global poll scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and availability.
Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.
Madrid’s taxis were ranked sixth in the poll, followed by Copenhagen and Dublin with 11 percent and Frankfurt and Paris with 10 percent.
Taxis in Sydney fell short of the top 10, scoring badly in the areas of value for money, availability and knowledge of the area.
The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travellers between May 11-28 this year.
小题1:What does the underlined word “rigorous” in the third paragraph mean _______?
A.officialB.lawfulC.strictD.important
小题2:The writer introduced the result of the survey by _____.
A.listing the ranks of the taxi service of the European cities
B.listing the ranks of the taxi service of the cities concerned
C.different kinds of reading forms and famous travel websites
D.interviewing the taxi drivers and travellers of the cities
小题3:Rome’s taxi drivers are lack of _______.
A.driving skillsB.good manners
C.the sense of cleanlinessD.the sense of safety
小题4:What does the writer want to tell us?
A.The global taxi drivers should be trained strictly.
B.The global taxi drivers should be given an exam.
C.The global taxi drivers have different driving skills.
D.The global big cities’taxis service is scored by a travel website.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
Poor families in some countries spend as much as eighty percent of their money on food. Rising prices in recent months have created the worst food crisis(危机) in more than thirty years. The United Nations World Food Program says high food prices could push one hundred million people into hunger.
Nathan Childs is an expert on rice markets. He notes that the harvest for the latest growing season was the largest on record. But India, Vietnam and others have restricted exports(限制出口) to keep prices down at home and protect supplies.
Thailand’s agriculture minister says his country will never restrict rice exports. He told the Reuters news agency Thursday that Thailand has enough supplies to meet demand at home and for export.
Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter. Recent signs of an increase in supplies have helped ease record prices for Thai rice. Prices rose last week above one thousand dollars a ton.
Vietnam, the second biggest exporter, has banned(禁止) exports until June. And Vietnamese officials have now warned that non-food traders who buy rice for speculation(投机活动)will be severely punished.
Some experts say speculation is a necessary part of market activity. But the head of the U.N. Environment Program blames it for the high food prices. “We have enough food on this planet today to feed everyone.” Achim Steiner told the Associated Press.
Earlier, a member of the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission didn’t accept the idea that speculators are the main cause. Bart Chilton blamed reduced harvests and grain supplies and the falling value of the dollar.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called heads of major international agencies to a meeting this week in the Swiss capital, Bern. He says high food prices could harm world trade, economic growth, social progress and political security.
小题1:What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Vietnam has banned rice exports to other countries.
B.Thailand is the largest rice exporter in the world.
C.Some families are too poor to afford enough food.
D.Rising prices of food have led to the world food crisis.
小题2:Which country restricted food exports according to the passage?
A. Thailand.    B. Switzerland.    C. Vietnam.    D. The USA.
小题3:All of the following are the results of rising prices of food EXCEPT ____.
A.the worst food crisis
B.reduced harvests and grain supplies
C.people spending more money on food
D.pushing one hundred million people into hunger
小题4:What is the reason for the speculation according to the head of the U.N. Environment Program?
A.High food prices.
B.The falling value of the dollar.
C.Enough rice supplies in some countries.
D.Restricted food exports in some countries.

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities.  More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers. 
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
小题1: The opening paragraph is mainly intended to _________.
A.provide some key facts about Confucius
B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject
C.show great respect for the ancient thinker
D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations
小题2:We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students_________.
A.fight for a chance to learn Chinese
B.try to get high scores in Chinese exams
C.have a great interest in studying Chinese
D.take an active part in Chinese competitions
小题3: What is the best title for the passage?
A.Forgotten Wisdom in America
B.Old Thinker with a Big Future
C.Chinese Culture for Westerners
D.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language
小题4: The passage is likely to appear in _________.
A.a biographyB.a history paper
C.a newspaperD.a philosophy textbook

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
Some young Cambodians are learning a new sport — skateboarding. The country’s first skateboard park is located on the grounds of a local charity group at the edge of Phnom Penh, the capital.
Sports like Khmer boxing and soccer are wildly popular in Cambodia. But Chea, who has been skating for 6 months, says skating has already become his favorite sport.
The skaters are learning tricks like launching off a jump or half-pipe and flying through the air on their narrow wooden boards.
A non-governmental organization called Skateistan Cambodia organizes weekly programs at the park. Skateistan started its work in Afghanistan years ago. Rory Burke is working with the group which expanded to Cambodia last year.
Rory Burke points out, “Yeah, it’s definitely not a typical Cambodian pastime (消遣). And I think the idea of ‘why skateboarding’ is that it’s not been done before here. We want to use skateboarding as something saying, ‘Hey, this is new, this is something different.And that kind of itself becomes a little bit of hook. People see it and they think and they say, ‘Wow, what is that?’ and they want to get involved. ”
Skateistan partners with local groups that work with young people. The park is on the grounds of the group known as PSE, where children attend school and learn a trade. There are almost one hundred twenty participants. They all come from troubled lives.
Seventeen-year-old Sang Rotha is a student at PSE. “Sometimes I don’t do well in subjects like math,” he says, “I feel bad when I find it hard to keep up with my lessons. So that is why I skateboard ---to improve my bad feelings. ’,
He says he began skateboarding more than a year ago. Before he started training, it seemed very easy. But it was very difficult to learn tricks, and he got hurt a lot from falling off.
Rory Burke says learning to deal with the difficulties is part of the lesson for these young skateboarders.
小题1: According to the passage, PSE is a group ______.
A.that works with Cambodian students
B.for young Cambodians to learn a trade
C.for young Cambodians in troubled lives
D.for young Cambodians taking skateboarding
小题2: What is said about skateboarding in the passage?
A.It was born in Afghanistan years ago.
B.It is easy for young Cambodians to learn.
C.It is as popular as Khmer boxing in Cambodia.
D.It is a good sport to help get good feeling again.
小题3:The underlined part alittle bit of hook probably means ______.
A.something strange
B.something quite new
C.something different
D.something attractive
小题4: It can be inferred from the passage that skateboarding is becoming ______.
A.a sport liked by most young Cambodians
B.an increasingly popular sport in Cambodia
C.a sport used to better young Cambodians’ life
D.a good way to train young Cambodians’ learning skills

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
版权所有 CopyRight © 2012-2019 超级试练试题库 All Rights Reserved.