Passage Three
Using less energy around the home is easier than you might think, saving your money while creating a healthier, more comfortable living space for you and your family. Changing a few old habits can make an impact on your energy bill, your comfort and the environment. Here are some handy tips to make your house more energy-efficient.
Lower the heat
If your home has adjustable central heating, lowering the room temperature even slightly can make a difference. You may not feel it, but your wallet will. It is even more advisable to control temperatures at different times of the day.
Hang clothes out to dry
If the weather allows it, head outside and dry your laundry on a clothesline. The sunlight will help eliminate bacteria and dust. While clothes dryers get the job done faster,they also use up energy.By hanging your clothes out you' ll be cutting greenhouse gases by about three kilograms per load.
Take advantage of natural light
Installing large windows on the northern side of your house can help you make use of sunlight' s natural warmth. To stay cool indoors on hot summer days, install blinds (百叶窗) to block the heavy sun. Put your desk near the window ,then you don't need a lamp in the daytime.
Wrap (裹) your pipes
Be sure your hot-water pipes are properly wrapped. In an average home, heating water accounts for more than one-quarter of the energy bill. Why let warmth go to waste before it reaches you?
Choose the right size for appliances (家用电器)
When the time comes to replace appliances, select those that are both energy-efficient and of theappropriate size for your needs. Don' t buy bigger ones just because you can.
44. What benefit may using less energy at home bring about?
A. Enlarging your living space.
B. Keeping old habits unchanged.
C. Having a healthier living environment.
D. Improving your work efficiency.
【答案】C
【考情点拨】事实细节题。
【应试指导】由第一段第一句可知，在家里节省能源不仅可以节约开支，还能创造一个更健康、更舒适的居住空间。故选C。
45. Which of the following is one of the advantages of hanging clothes out to dry?
A. It gets clothes dry much faster than clothes dryers.
B. It uses half the energy that clothes dryers do.
C. It may help to build a greenhouse.
D. It helps remove bacteria in clothes.
【答案】D
【考情点拨】事实细节题。
【应试指导】由第三段前两句可知，把衣服挂在户外晾干，阳光可以去除细菌和灰尘，故选D。
46. What can be installed on the northern side of your house to make better use of natural light?
A. Shades.
B. Windows.
C. Blinds.
D. Curtains.
【答案】B
【考情点拨】事实细节题。
【应试指导】由倒数第三段第一句“Installing largewindows on the northern side of your house Call helpyou make use of sunlight’s natural warmth.”可知.B项符合题意，故选B。
47. Besides energy-efficiency ,what else should be considered when replacing appliances?
A. Proper size.
B. Good quality.
C. Replacing time.
D. Reasonable price.
【答案】A
【考情点拨】事实细节题。
【应试指导】由最后一段第一句可知，更换家电时，要选择节能的，同时要选择大小合适的。A项符合题意，故选A。
Passage Four
I talk to strangers for a living and love the challenge of getting their stories published in news- papers. I' ve been married for years, but until six months ago, I could be a typical absent-minded husband. Often I was just nodding when I was supposed to. When my wife asked, "Did you even hear what I just said?" I would defensively say,"Of course I did".
In January, I began to lose my voice. Doctors told me I needed surgery, or my throat would bepermanently damaged. Total silence would be required for the first few weeks of my recovery.
Two hours after the surgery, my eyes filled with tears as my two-year-old son looked puzzled because I wouldn' tanswer his questions. I wanted to talk but couldn' t. Luckily, I' d recorded myself reading some of his favorite books. That would come in handy the next couple of weeks.
When I got home, I noticed a "side effect" : as my wife talked to me to keep up my spirits, I wasn't just hearing her; I was listening to her. Over the next few weeks, I didn't want to miss a word she said. I began to hear sweetness in her voice. It had never left. I' d just stopped noticing. I found myself understanding her better on topics I' d previously dismissed as "things I just don' t get as a guy". I also realized my son wasn' t just talking nonstop but that he often had thoughtful things to say. Even while walking my dog in the woods near our home, I began hearing pleasant patterns in birdsongs. Before my surgery, I' d have spent those walks on my phone.
After several weeks, I was fully recovered. Conversation in our house is better now, not because I' m talking more. I' m just listening better and becoming less and less surprised that I like what I hear
48. According to the passage, the author is most likely a __
A. journalist
B. doctor
C. driver
D. Teacher
【答案】A
【考情点拨】推理判断题。
【应试指导】由第一段第一句“I talk to strangers for a living…getting their stories published in news-papers.”可知，作者最有可能是一位新闻工作者。
49. What does the wife mean by asking "Did you even hear what I just said?" in Paragraph 1 ?
A. You didn' t have to nod while you were listening.
B. You should tell me what I said just now.
C. You should listen to me.
D. You didn' t want to talk with me.
【答案】C
【考情点拨】推理判断题。
【应试指导】由第一段最后四句可知，作者在家里听家人说话时总是心不在焉，所以当他的妻子问“你听到我刚才说什么了吗”时，她意思是“你应该听我说”，故选C。 50. What is true of the author after the surgery?
A. He was unwilling to talk to his wife.
B. He was unable to communicate with his son.
C. He was required to keep silent for the first few months.
D. He was worried about his recovery after the surgery.
【答案】B
【考情点拨】事实细节题。
【应试指导】由第二段最后一句及第三段第一句可知，作者手术后被要求头几个星期不能说话，所以他想与他的儿子交流却做不到。B项符合题意，故选B。
51. What did the author realize after the surgery?
A. His dog liked pleasant birdsongs.
B. His son didn' t like talking.
C. His wife was a talkative woman.
D. His house was full of pleasant talks.
【答案】D
【考情点拨】推理判断题。
【应试指导】由最后一段最后两句“Conversationin our house is better now…I like what I hear.”可知，作者手术后更喜欢倾听家里人的谈话了，家里也充满了愉快的谈话，故选D。
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