As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electhical generating（發(fā)電）and transmission（輸送）systen for the 21^th century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the suurouding community. The same is true of big solar ppants and the power lines that will be laid dowm to move electricity around.
The 19^th century saw land grants（政府撥地）offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads ,leaving public land in between privately owned land . In much of the west ,some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped ,and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management ,with the completion or the interstate highway system ,many of the small towns which sprang up as railway stops and developed well ,have lost their lifeblood and died .
Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the west .this is not an argument against building then ,we need alternative energy badly .and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now .
So trade-offs will have to be made .some scenic sport will be sacrificed .some species (物種)will be forced to move ,or will be carefully moved to special accommodations ,deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects .
The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter .the 21^st century development of the American west as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money to do a lot of good .but it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind ,just like the railroad and the highway .
The money set aside in negotiated trade –offs and the institution that control  will shape the west far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines .so let’s remember the effects of the railroad and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the west .
【小題1】
what was the problem caused by the construction of the railways ?

A．small towns along the railways became abandoned .

B．some railroad stops remained .

C．land in the west was hard to manage .

D．land grants went into private hands.

【小題2】
what is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs ?

A．the transmission of power	B．the use of money and power
C．the conservation of solar energy	D．the selection of an ideal place

【小題3】
what is the author ‘s attitude towards building solar plants ?

A．cautious

B．a(chǎn)pproving

C．doubtful

D．disapproving

【小題4】
which is the best title for the passage ?

A．how the railways have affected the west

B．how solar energy could reshape the west

C．how the effects of power plants can be reduced

D．how the problems of the highways have been settled

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net --- by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on YouTube ... lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person --- he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小題1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小題2】Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小題3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小題4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小題5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6^th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net --- by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on YouTube ... lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person --- he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小題1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小題2】 Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小題3】 From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小題4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小題5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6^th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net --- by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on YouTube ... lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person --- he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小題1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小題2】Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小題3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小題4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小題5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6^th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.

A 33-year-old financial analyst in California recently quit his job to devote himself to an unpaid job teaching math on the Internet, and his lessons are reaching almost 100,000 people a month. Salman Khan’s voice is heard every day on the net — by tens of thousands of students around the world who are hungry for help learning math. He has posted 1,200 lessons on You Tube —lessons that appear on an electronic blackboard, which range from basic addition to advanced mathematics for science and finance. And they are free.
Khan lives in Silicon Valley, with his wife, a doctor, and their new baby. He got the idea for his “Khan Academy” four years ago, when he taught a young cousin how to convert kilograms to grams. With Khan’s help, the cousin got good at math, and Khan began a new career.
Now, Khan records his lessons himself, but he never goes on camera. “It feels like my voice in their head. You’re looking at it and it feels like someone’s over your shoulder talking in your ear, as opposed to someone at the blackboard, which is distant from you,” he said.
When Springfield High School in Palo Alto, California invited Khan to speak in person—he immediately connected to the students there.
The idea of short lessons that can be played over and over again attracted high school senior Bridget Meaney. She says she had trouble with math in the seventh grade. “I think the teachers are good, but they can’t teach at a speed that’s perfect for everyone,” she said. “I like the idea of learning something in class but then going back and pressing pause or rewind and actually getting a deeper understanding of it.”
Originally, Khan kept his lessons short because of YouTube restrictions. Now, he thinks short is better. “Education researchers now tell me that 10 minutes is how long someone can have a high level of concentration. And anything beyond that and your brain switches off,” he said.
For Khan, teaching math, science, and finance is just the beginning. He says he’s ready to expand his YouTube site to include other subjects as well.
【小題1】What gave Khan the idea of teaching math online?

A．His success in helping his cousin learn math.

B．His discovery that many students found learning math difficult.

C．A suggestion made to him at a local high school.

D．His interest in Internet teaching.

【小題2】Why does Khan never go on camera?

A．He’s too shy to show his face on camera.

B．It’s restricted by YouTube for education videos.

C．He wants to keep distance from the viewers.

D．He wants to create a more relaxed learning atmosphere.

【小題3】From the passage, we know that ________.

A．Khan travels to many schools to promote his lessons

B．Khan plans to include more subjects in the future

C．Khan gives live math lessons every day for free

D．Khan set up the Khan Academy with his wife

【小題4】Why does Bridget Meaney like Khan’s lessons?

A．Khan teaches seventh grade math better than her teacher.

B．The lessons can be watched repeatedly until fully understood.

C．She can perfectly follow the pace of Khan’s teaching.

D．She cannot concentrate when learning in class.

【小題5】What does Khan mean by “short is better” in the 6th paragraph?

A．Keeping the lessons short can ensure better concentration.

B．YouTube recommends short lessons for its site.

C．Short lessons encourage students to return to the website.

D．Students enjoy short mathematics lessons more.