Sales of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, a hot item in consumer green tech, are expected to grow by more than 50% in North America during 2013. Actor William Shatner, who is no stranger to futuristic tech, recently purchased two e-bikes for him and his wife.

I’ve been shopping for an e-bike now for a few weeks, and I’ve had my eye on the folding electric bike. I’ve had folding bikes in the past and love the convenience of being able to throw my bike into my car.

The e –bike market is ready to go mainstream in the U.S. The price for e-bikes has come down greatly in rcccnt months. At one time. Most e-bikes with good components and proper weight were in the $3,000range. Now you can find reasonable quality c-bikes in the $1,000range. With gas prices at all-time highs, e-bikes are an attractive, low-cost option to gas efficient vehicles.

E-bike owners are finding that they arc great for commuting(每犬往返)to work, as  traditional bikes can be a problem with office dress and sweat.

People who use e-bikes range from commuters to casual cyclers who like a little help with hills and wind,to those who decided to save money on.buying a motor bike.These are not for the serious road cycler or professional mountain biker.

If you’re considering all e—bike, it pays to do some research first.Cheaper e-bikes are going to be heavier and have less battery.power.Higher priced bikes will be made from lighter materials and have better batteries.

Another consideration is local motor vehicle laws.For example,according to US federal law,as long as your electric bike is under 750 watts and does not go over 20 MPH then it is a bicycle and not a motor vehicle.Most consumer e—bikes in the $1,000 range don’t fit the motorized vehicle description.

66.The writer introduces William Shatner as an example in order to_______________.

A.show that he is wild about the future technology

B.tell us that he is an agent for the e—bike market

C.tell us that actors care only convenience no the price

D.show that c-bikes are really becoming popular now

67.Which of the following may not contribute to the e-bike’s going mainstream?

A.The price for e-bikes has. come down greatly.

B.E-bikes are much cheaper to use than gas vehicles.

C.The local motor vehicle laws ale not strict enough.

D.Some folding e-bikes are convenient to put into a car.

68.According to the text,e—bikes are practical for_______________.

A.serious road cyclers            B.couples spending a holiday

C.people commuting to work    D.professional mountain bikers

69.Which of the following about e—bikes is true?

A.The cheaper e-bikes are usually made of lighter materials.

B.Most c-bikes in the $l,000 range are a bicycle, not a motor vehicle.

C.Local motor vehicle law doesn’t have any limit to e-bikes.

D.E-bikes in the $l,000 range are too cheap to have better batteries.

70.What is the best title for this passage?

A.E—bike sales to shift into mainstream in 20l3

B.E-bikes,the future way of transportation

C.E—bikes Vs gas vehicles

D.E—bikes,actors’first choice

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科目:高中英語 來源:2013屆山東省淄博一中高三12月階段性檢測英語試卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解

Two Christmas traditions have come under attack in recent years from environmentalists: Christmas cards and Christmas trees.
Paper cards are seen as wasteful and, for some people, going card-free is another way of going green. They also argue that in a world of e-mail, Skype, Facebook and Twitter, people are in touch all the time anyway; they no longer need the yearly card that connects them with long lost friends. If you want to send Christmas greetings, there are free e-cards, which get the job done with no postage or wasted paper.
However, especially for people who didn’t grow up with e-mail, there is something missing from a Christmas e-mail. The first Christmas cards appeared in London in 1843 and were designed by the same man who had introduced the world’s first postage stamp three years earlier. His name was Sir Henry Cole.
They rose in popularity throughout the 20th century. Many people sent cards that were sold for charity. The most famous of these are the ones sold for UNICEF. In the UK this year, in the three weeks before Christmas, the post office expects to handle 100 million cards every day. Environmental awareness also means that nowadays many people recycle their cards; this helps raise money to plant more trees, as well as recreating more paper.
When we think of trees at Christmas, there is one that immediately springs(躍入)mind---the evergreen tree that people decorate with ornaments and place their presents under. The custom dates back almost a thousand years to Germany. Nowadays 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America and 50 to 60 million in Europe each year. Some trees are sold live with roots and soil so people can plant them later and reuse them next year.
Some people prefer artificial trees as they are reusable and much cheaper than their natural alternative. However, environmentalists point out that they are made from petroleum (石油) products and so have many pollution issues.
【小題1】What is the main idea of the article?

A.To introduce the history of two typical Christmas traditions.
B.To explain the debate about some Christmas traditions.
C.To analyze how two Christmas traditions grew in popularity.
D.To point out the problems caused by celebrating Christmas.
【小題2】What does the underlined word “They” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?
A.Many peopleB.Christmas e-mailsC.Postage stampsD.Christmas cards
【小題3】Some people suggest getting rid of paper cards because     .
a. they cannot be recycled         b. they are not environmentally friendly
c. they are mostly sold for charity  d. the e-cards have many advantages over them
e. they are not as necessary as they used to be for people
A.a(chǎn), b, dB.a(chǎn), c, dC.b, d, eD.b, c, e
【小題4】What can we conclude from the article?
A.The first Christmas cards were designed earlier than the world’s first stamps.
B.This year has seen a dramatic drop in Christmas card sales.
C.Environmentalists advise people to buy cards that are sold for charity.
D.Growing environmental awareness is encouraging people to recycle their cards.
【小題5】Which of the following statements in TRUE according to the article?
A.There is always a wider Christmas tree market in America than in Europe.
B.The custom of decorating Christmas trees first appeared in Britain.
C.Some people prefer to buy live trees that can be reused next year.
D.Artificial trees are better than natural ones in all aspects.

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科目:高中英語 來源:2012屆浙江省瑞安中學高三5月適應性考試英語試卷(帶解析) 題型:填空題

校創(chuàng)業(yè)俱樂部成員Bob、Olga、Scott、Ann和David正籌劃在同學中開展“青少年創(chuàng)業(yè)”的宣傳活動。請根據(jù)他們各自的興趣(61~65),閱讀下面某雜志上6位青少年企業(yè)家的簡介(A、B、C、D、E和F),為他們選定最佳的宣傳案例,并在答題紙上將該選項標號涂黑。選項中有一項是多余選項。
【小題1】Bob: How to make use of part-time job experience to secure a position in a big company?
【小題2】Olga: How to take advantage of family tradition and build a new brand?
【小題3】Scott: How to discover market needs and build an online business?
【小題4】Ann: How to run a business based on creativity and inventions?
【小題5】David: How to start a small business based on special skills?

A
B
James Murray Wells founded Glasses Direct, which is now the biggest online seller of eyeglasses in the world. It sells a pair of frames every few minutes and employs 70 people in its two offices.
This English entrepreneur was still in college when he saw a great business opportunity. He saw that there was no UK online shop selling eyeglasses. He used his college loan money to start just such a business and it was successful enough to earn over $1 million during its first year in operation.
Richie Stachowski, 11, of Moraga, Calif., went diving with his dad during a vacation in Hawaii. Richie was disappointed he could not talk underwater about the many colorful and amazing things he saw.
When Richie got home, he started work on the equipment that would allow him to talk underwater. His invention — the Water Talkies — is basically a phone that allows sound wave to travel about 15 feet underwater. Water Talkies are now offered at toy stores around the country.
C
D
Fraser Doherty is an example of a young man with a more old-fashioned approach to business. At the age of 14, Fraser Doherty began making jams from his grandmother’s recipes (制作法) and selling them door-to-door in Edinburgh, Scotland. Developing the recipes and coming up with a name for his product, Doherty quit school at age 16 to work on Superjam full time. Now Superjam has an estimated worth of over $2 million based on current sales of $1 million annually.
Richard is an example of developing and using his skills to earn money. At the age of 15 he learned leather craft at a summer camp. He then made small items he could sell at the only shop in his village.
Because he was determined to produce the highest-quality work, his fame and his profit grew. Soon Richard could buy larger quantities of leather, which he made into handbags and purses. These he sold in a larger shop in the neighboring village.
E
F
Dorothy started her business at the age of 14, selling stick-insect eggs by mail order. Less than 20 years later, she is Great Britain’s biggest breeder (繁殖者) of stick insects. Because she had experience with insects and knew she wanted to make a career in the insect business, Dorothy studied applied biology at a university, designing the right kind of insect houses and researching proper feeding facilities for her insects. This greatly increased her ability to supply the whole package to her customers.
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科目:高中英語 來源:2014屆內蒙古包頭市高三入學考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

In Greek mythology(神話), fire is a gift form God, stolen from Zeus(宙斯) by Prometheus and handed over to humans suffering from cold. What could be more natural than sitting around a beautiful fire on a winter night, at a campsite in the Berkshires?

Hard as it may be to believe, the fireplace—long considered a trophy(獎杯), particularly in a city like New York—is acquiring a social shame. Among those who desire to be environmentally responsible, it is joining the ranks of bottled water and big houses.

Sally Treadwell, a 51-year-old public relations executive in Boone, N.C., said nothing makes her happier than building a fire on a cold winter night. But most of the time she doesn’t, because she feels too guilty about the damage it may do to the environment. Every time she builds a fire, it causes “inner conflict,” she said. “It’s a guilty pleasure”.

“The smoke from a fire smells very nice,” said Diane Bailey, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. “But it can cause a lot of harm. The tiny particles(顆粒) can cause illness, and can cross into the bloodstream, causing heart attacks as well as worsening other conditions.”

Growing concerns about the air pollution and health problems caused by smoke from wood fires are urging a number of areas across the country to pass laws regulating them. Idaho offers a tax cut to people who replace uncertified(不合格的)wood stoves with “greener” ones; San Joaquin County in California forbids selling a home unless its wood stove is replaced with an E.P.A. certified one;and Palo Alto and other governments in California forbid wood-burning fireplaces in new construction.

Certainly, many think otherwise. In any case, most fireplaces are used far too infrequently to cause any real damage to the environment, said Stephen Sears, the vice president of the Brick Industry Association, voicing an opinion shared by some.

Perhaps not coincidentally, sales of wood-burning equipment dropped to 235,000 in 2009 from 800,000 in 1999, according to the Brick Industry Association. It also reports that approximately 35,000 fireplaces were installed in the United States in 2009, compared to 80,000 in 2005. Certainly those numbers reflect the economic slowdown, but the may also be affected by growing mixed feelings to wood fries.

1.We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that ________.

A. big houses are not considered environmentally friendly

B. bottle water is a good companion for a fire place

C. a fireplace is viewed as a sign of success

D. people in New York are laughed at for their tradition

2.Sally’s “inner conflict” in the 3rd paragraph resulted from ________.

A. her love for the fireplace

B. the damage to the environment

C. the concern about her health

D. her mixed emotion fro the fireplace

3. In terms of the regulations about wood fires we can learn from the passage that_______.

A. uncertified fireplaces are forbidden in Idaho

B. some people are against the woodfire controlling regulations 

C. only energy-efficient wood stoves can be used in the US

D. all the people support measures taken to control the use of fireplaces

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To urge people to burn less wood

B. To discuss wood-burning’s impact

C. To throw light on the causes of the fireplace’s decline

D. To indicate the cooling love for the fireplace

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2013-2014學年湖北省高三上學期期末測試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Online grocery shopping was counted as the next great innovation to make our lives easier. In China more than 3,000 websites offer the service, but none have turned a profit.

Xiang Nian has had a hard day at the office but at least she can skip the trip to the grocery store. A text message on her phone lets her know the order she placed earlier in the day has been delivered to a locker outside her apartment.

"It’s really convenient for an office worker like me. My fresh products are waiting for me when I get home and can start cooking. No need to go to the supermarket any more," Xiang says.

One of the largest online supermarkets in Wuhan is Just-easy Fresh Produce. Over the past 3 years, the company has developed its online retail grocery business by guaranteeing fresh produce and an innovative delivery system. They've installed thousands of lockers in communitieshttp:// / around downtown Wuhan.

"We get an average of 8,000 orders per day. That's the most in China, I'm proud of it. We have placed over 20 thousand lockers in more than half of the communities in Wuhan and we plan to expand to all of them. Many e-commerce giants, like Taobao, are talking about cooperation with us," Jie Xiaofeng, manager of Wuhan Just-easy Agricultural Science & Technology Co., says.

While Just-easy may have thousands of customers, a staff of almost 300 and 40 delivery trucks, it's still operating in the red.

"There are over 3,000 companies selling fresh products online in China. But none is making a profit. It will take them at least 3 years before they make a profit. The major challenge is the cost of delivery. But they do have many advantages. The price of their goods is lower than the supermarkets," professor He Dehua at Huazhong Agricultural University, says.

A number of China's e-commerce giants are making moves into online grocery sales, with Taobao opening an online platform it calls "Cainiao". And traditional retailers(零售店) including Wal-Mart and Carrefour are also looking to start selling their produce online.

Many big B2C e-commerce players usually take fresh farm produce as the last category to add to their offerings. But now more and more large businesses have set their eyes on the industry. They want to prove the fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.

1.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The online grocery shopping is making our life easier.

B. Just-easy Fresh Produce is a pioneer of the online retail grocery business.

C. Conventional retailers are facing challenges.

D. None of the online grocery supermarkets has made a profit.

2.The underlined part “it's still operating in the red” probably means _______.

A. the present situation of the company makes them angry

B. the company is not making a profit

C. the company is very popular with customers

D. the staff of the company are aggressive

3.What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A. The fresh food market is definitely suited to online sales.

B. Fresh farm produce is the last category that people will buy online.

C. Online grocery sales have drawn the attention of e-commerce giants.

D. Traditional retailers choose to sell their produce on Cainiao.

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards online grocery shopping?

A. Pessimistic.                      B. Indifferent.                      C. Objective.               D. Supportive.

 

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科目:高中英語 來源:2012-2013學年甘肅永昌縣第一高級中學高二上學期期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

When I first got an email account ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail, I have an endless series of advertisement and other correspondence that do not interest the at all. If we want e-mail to continue to be useful, we need special laws that make spamming(發(fā)送垃圾郵件) a crime.

If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam, the problem will certainly get much worse. Computer programs allow spammers to spend hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly. As more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products, individual e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails. Would people continue to use e-mail if they had to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time?

This problem is troubling for individuals and companies as well. Many spam emails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company. Companies rely on e-mail on for their employees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local communications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively. Such a situation results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks. These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are, in the end, passed on to the consumer.

For these reasons, I believe that lawmakers need to legislate (立法) against spam. Spammers should be fined, and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people. E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently, but spam is destroying this convenience.

1.What does the underlined word “correspondence” in the Paragraph 1 probably mean?                                                          

A.messages

B.ideas

C.connections

D.programs

2.According to the text, what is the major cause of the flooding spam?       

A.Companies rely on e-mail for communications.

B.More people in the world communicate by e-mail.

C.Many computer viruses contain spam e-mail.

D.More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam.

3.According to Paragraph 3,who is the final victim of spam?         

A.The business

B.The advertiser

C.The employee

D.The consumer

4.What is the purpose of the text?        

A.To inform

B.To educate

C.To persuade

D.To instruct

 

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