Heating and cooling equipment is the biggest user of energy in American homes.And homes are responsible for about one fourth of the nation's total energy use.But there are surprisingly simple ways to deeply cut energy use，its effect on the environment and its cost.David Peabody and his team at Peabody Architects design passive homes.He says the design of a passive house aims to reduce energy demand to its lowest possible level.Passive houses use no solar，geothermal or wind energy equipment.But they are extremely energy efficient. Mr.Peabody says passive houses cut heating and cooling costs by about 90 percent.But what sets his design apart from other "green homes" is that it looks like any other home.Peabody Architects says it is building the first passive home in the Washington，D.C.area.But it will not be the last.In Arlington，Virginia，Roger Lin and his brother Eric are also building one.Roger Lin of Southern Exposure Homes explains that windows are sealed against leaks and have three layers of glass.The windows are airtight.On a cold winter day，the temperature inside the unfinished home is a comfortable 12 degrees，or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. David Peabody says you can find passive homes all over the world.David Peabody："North Africa，for example，has a passive house community designing for very hot dry climates." The first passive design was an apartment building in Darmstadt，Germany.Two physicists helped develop it about 20 years ago.Passive houses use some specialized materials.These include precast concrete panels and insulation（隔热）.They also need to have special air treatment systems.Supporters say they cost only about five or eight percent more than traditional homes.But they use 10 percent of the energy for heating and cooling.（1）Which of the following is the advantage of passive houses？ ____ A.They are extremely energy efficient.B.They look much like the other houses.C.They cost much less than traditional houses.D.They are more comfortable than other houses.（2）People are building or living in passive homes in the following places EXCEPT ____ .A.rlingtonB.MexicoC.North AfricaD.Germany（3）What can be implied in the passage？ ____ A.Passive homes are specially built for winter use.B.Passive homes can be found everywhere in the world.C."Green homes" differ from traditional homes in their appearances.D.The construction of passive homes takes advantage of high technology.（4）What is the author's attitude towards passive homes？ ____ A.Objective.B.Negative.C.Doubtful.D.Optimistic.

____ drug users face a high risk of contracting the disease.A. OralB. TopicalC. IntravenousD. Injected

A.pose B.issue C.investment D.material E . expected F . prompt G . increased H . likely I . contributes J . limits K . encourage L . individuals M . social N . double O . paid Population aging-the increase of the share of older individuals in a society due to fertility(生育率)declines and rising life expectancy-is becoming a global trend . By 2050,the number of people aged 60 and older will be more than 1) _from its current levels,reaching around 2 billion . While Europe was the first global region to embark on a demographic transition,most of the 2) _ growth in the number of older people by 2050 will come from developing countries . Population aging will 3) _lead to declining labor forces,lower fertility,and an increase in the age dependency ratio,the ratio of working-age to old-age 4) _. To illustrate,while there were 10 workers for every person older thgn 64 in the world in 1970,the expected number in 2050 is only four;it will even be less than two in some European countries . Aging populations 5) _a challenge to the fiscal(财政的)and macroeconomic stability of many societies through 6) _government spending on pension,healthcare,and social benefits programs for the elderly . This may hurt economic growth and overall quality of life if governments need to divert public spending from education and infrastructure 7) _to finance programs for the elderly . In addition,the recent economic crisis not only increased the demand for social protection but it also drew attention to population aging 8) _as many countries faced unsustainable public debts . In many nations,the already-high public spending 9) _the fiscal

19.He is being treated at a private _.A. hospitalB. clinicC. centerD. offic

Work-life balance：Ways to restore harmony and reduce stressFinding work-life balance in today's frenetically paced world is no simple task．Spend more time at work than at home，and you miss out on a rewarding personal life．Then again，when you face challenges in your personal life，such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems，concentrating on your job can be difficult．Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little，when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance，stress-along with its harmful effects-is the result．The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance-and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you．The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed．Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance．How work invades your personal lifeThere was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight-to nine-hour days．The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then．But the world has changed and，unfortunately，the boundaries have blurred for many workers．Here's why：●Global economy．As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs，people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs．●International business．Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people．If you work in an international organization，you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting．●Advanced communication technology．Many people now have the ability to work anywhere-from their home，from their car and even on vacation．And some managers expect this．●Longer hours．Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they're scheduled．Often，overtime is mandatory．If you hope to move up the career ladder，you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations．●Changes in family roles．Today's married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple，which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family，friends and community．Married to your workIt can be tempting to rack up the hours at work-especially if you're trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child's education or a dream vacation．For others，working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload．But if you're spending most of your time at work，your home life will likely pay the price．Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance：●Fatigue．Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you're tired．This means you're less productive and may make more mistakes．These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation．●Family．You may miss out on important events，such as your child's first bike ride，your father's 60th birthday or your high-school reunion．Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones．●Friends．Trusted friends are a key part of your support system．But if you're spending time at the office instead of with them，you'll find it difficult to nurture those friendships．●Expectations．If you regularly work extra hours，you may be given more responsibility．This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle，causing more concerns and challenges．Sometimes working overtime is important．If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime，you won't be able to avoid it，but you can learn to manage it．Most importantly，say no when you're too tired，when it's affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations．Striking the best work-life balanceFor most people，juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge．With so many demands on your time-from overtime to family obligations-it can feel difficult to strike this balance．The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you．Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that's best for you：●Learn to say no．Whether it's a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child's teacher asking you to manage the class play，remember that it's OK to respectfully say no．When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation，you'll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy．●Leave work at work．Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time．When with your family，for instance，turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer．●Manage your time．Organize household tasks efficiently．Do one or two loads of laundry every day，rather than saving it all for your day off．A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic．If your employer offers a course in time management，sign up for it．●Get enough sleep．There's nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you're sleep-deprived．Not only is your productivity affected，but also you can make costly mistakes．You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes．●Communicate clearly．Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully．Take notes if necessary．●Nurture yourself．Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy，such as walking，working out or listening to music．●Set aside one night each week for recreation．Take the phone off the hook，power down the computer and turn off the TV．Discover activities you can do with your partner，family or friends，such as playing golf，fishing or canoeing．Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you．Remember，striking a work-life balance isn't a one-shot deal．Creating balance in your life is a continuous process．Balance doesn't mean doing everything．Examine your priorities and set boundaries．Be firm in what you can and cannot do．Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle．56．What will happen if you're spending most of your time at work？ ____ A．You might lose all your friends．B．You will lose both health and wealth．C．You perhaps be given more responsibility．D．You may be misunderstood by your loved ones．57．According to the passage，you'd better say no to mandatory overtime when ____ ．A．you get bored with the workB．you are not interested in the workC．you can't get additional allowanceD．you have crucial family obligations58．What does the underlined sentence mean？ ____ A．To do things people ask you to do can bring you a lot of joy．B．You should do the things people ask you to do without feeling guilty．C．You shouldn't do the things people ask you to do if you don't want to．D．To do things for yourself is more meaningful than to do things for others．59．What will not happen if you don't get enough sleep？ ____ A．You can make costly mistakes．B．You will have low productivity．C．You will feel stressed while working．D．You will have no sense of exhaustion．60．What does the real balance mean according to the author？ ____ A．Being firm that working overtime will strike a work-life balance．B．Examining priorities and deciding what is the most important to you．C．Trying to carrying out everything you want to do whether you can do it or not．D．Being cautious when saying no to somebody in a bid to maintain fine relationships．

Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ is often thought to be the richest woman in the world.________，her personal wealth seems rather small.A. BesidesB. OtherwiseC. HoweverD. Altogether

高考英语词汇(V字母)编号词形词性词义vacancyn.vacantadj.vacationn.vagueadj.validadj.valleyn.valuableadj.valuen.v.vapourn.variety n.various adj.varyvt.vi.vast adj.vegetariann.adj.vegetationn.vehiclen.venturen. v.verb n.versionn.vestn.vice versan.victimn.victory n.videotape n.viewn.vt.vigourn.villagen.violencen.violentadj.violinn.n.adj.virtuen.virusn.visan.vt.visibleadj.visionn.visitn.,v.visitorn.vitaladj.vitaminn.vividadj.vocabularyn.vocationn.voicen.vt.volcano (〔复〕volcano(e)s )n.volleyballn.volumen.volunteeradjvt.n.voten.vi.vt.voyagen.

People are shocked to learn that another economic crisis hit the world . When the 36） _ markets fall. companies of all sizes 37 ) _ plans to reduce their workforce , and jobs-seekers tend to get a bit worried about the job search they may face . It almost goes without saying that job- huthing in a 38 ) _ economy is much easier than job hunting in a slumping ( 暴跌 ) economy . What's the most important aspect of job-hunting? Not 39 ) _Building nor interviewing skills... but networking like Networking is the perfect way to meet the professionals in your field who can offer you new 40 ) _ on your industry and assist you in seeking new job opportunities . If you use your network properly , you will hear of 41)_job opportunities ，often before they are even listed . Some job-seekers 42 ) _ networking because they think networking is equal to taking advantage of people . but if done conrrectly ,networking can be a rewarding experience for all parties 43 ) _ . Networking is not asking everyone you know for a job. Networking means developing a broad list of contacts and using them 44 )_ when you look for a job .People in your network could be your family , friends , and people you ve me through social and business situations . The may be able to give you job leads ,offer you advice and information about a particular company or industry, and introduce you to others so that you can expand your network . When you have a network of professional contacts with whom you interact on a regular basis, your 45 ) __ will grow greatly.

His illness was a blessing in _______, for there in the hospital he knew a girl who later became his wife. 他那次生病反而是因祸得福，因为在医院里他认识了现在的妻子。 A. depictB. delegationC. disguiseD. dispose

In summer， your feet may be exposed to risks， such as cuts from walking barefoot on the beach where broken shells may exist， burns from hot sand or too much sun． Knowing how to prevent and treat summer-specific foot problems can help ensure your summer fun stays on track this year．At the beachYou may enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes， but stop walking barefoot． Not only does going barefoot expose your feet to the risk of sunburn and other infections （传染病）， bare feet are at risk for cuts， wounds and other injuries， too． Always wearing flip-flops （人字拖） or sandals when walking in sand helps prevent injury．Apply （涂） sunscreen all over your feet， especially the tops and fronts of ankles to prevent sunburn． If you do get a burn， clean the area and apply burn ointment （药膏） if the area is red． If the burn is bad， seek treatment from doctor．In the waterWearing swim shoes in the water can help protect your feet if you step on a jellyfish． If you get stung （刺）， leave the water immediately and watch for signs of an allergic （过敏的） reaction． Seek immediate medical attention for these changes in body． For less serious stings， use seawater to wash the affected area， which will work． Applying vinegar for about 30 minutes can help reduce pain， and shaving cream， soap， or a paste of sand/mud and seawater can be helpful． Remember to reapply sunscreen after you've spent time in the water．On the goIf you experience a cut on your feet， clean your hands with soap before you clean the injury． Clean the wound and press directly to stop the bleeding， if necessary． Once the bleeding is stopped， apply ointment to prevent infection． Cover the wound with a clean bandage （绷带） and change it a few times a day to ensure the bandage stays clean．Flip-flops that can be bent freely offer no support or safety． Choose a flip-flop style that bends only at the ball of the foot and provides main support． Throw away last year's flip-flops if they're old， worn． And never wear them for doing yard work， playing sports or taking long walks．1． The author intends to tell us ____ ．A． how to stop the bleeding effectivelyB． how to deal with wounds in feet properlyC． how to avoid being sunburned in summerD． how to prevent and treat foot problems in summer2． While playing barefoot at the beach ____ ．A． you can have more funB． you should watch out for jellyfishC． you may have your feet hurt by chanceD． you will find many broken shells in the sand3． If your feet suffer serious sunburn ____ ．A． you must wear sturdy flip-flopsB． you must turn to your doctor for helpC． you should apply burn ointment carefullyD． you should apply sunscreen all over your feet4． If you want to treat a cut on your feet， first of all ____ ．A． you should stop the bleedingB． you should make your hands cleanC． you should keep the bandage at handD． you should apply ointment to the cut at once5． We can infer from the last paragraph that ____ ．A． you must avoid doing yard workB． you can recycle your worn flip-flopsC． you must buy new flip-flops every year [D． you can keep good flip-flops for next year