北京市通州区2018届高三下学期综合练习（二）英语试题

A. even if it takes up some space in your luggage B. as long as you’ve bought one pre-packaged C. when you have any immunizations D. if you aren’t in very good health

B

A Bountiful Billboard

Lima, the capital city of the South American country of Peru, is located in the Sechura Desert. This desert region is one of the driest in the world and receives almost no rainfall. Yet more than eight million people live in Lima. Because of the lack of water, one out of every 10 residents has no access to running water. Some people depend on private companies to deliver water to their homes and businesses.

The engineers at the University of Engineering and Technology of Peru (UTEC) thought about how Lima’s

extreme water shortage problem could be solved. They noticed that even though there was little rainfall in Lima, the humidity(湿度) was high. Due to the city’s coastal location, humidity can be higher than 90 percent on summer days. The engineers wondered whether they could make use of the moisture in the air.

The staff at the university realized that this project, while helping the residents of Lima, could also show the public UTEC’s engineering program. Thus they formed a partnership with the advertising agency Mayo DraftFCB. The two groups created an advertisement to demonstrate the university’s engineering projects. They made a billboard that obtained moisture from the air and turned it into drinkable water.

The engineers used the city’s power lines to provide electricity to five condensers(冷凝器) that operate within the billboard. The condensers are cooler than the outside air. When air comes in contact with the condensers, it cools. The water vapor in the air condenses, becoming liquid water. The water then flows through pipes into a storage tank at the foot of the billboard. People can access the water through a tap.

Now the billboard produces 96 liters of water a day. This can supply hundreds of families with water each month. Additionally, UTEC recorded a 28 percent increase of new students since the construction of the billboard. The problem-solving billboard has inspired more young people to choose engineering careers. They want to be part of productive, clever solutions to unresolved problems.

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39. The engineers decided on a billboard project because . A. it served a double purpose B. it could deliver water to homes C. it could produce more clean water D. it was the best equipment for condensers 40. What can we infer from the passage? A. Engineering in Peru is quite underdeveloped. B. Advertising industry in Peru is very successful. C. The result of the project is beyond their expectation. D. Billboard is most important in obtaining water in deserts.

41. We know from the last paragraph that some students in Peru . A. are interested in billboard advertisement design B. want to be devoted to working on practical problems C. tend to follow the trend when choosing their majors D. are often confused about making a decision on careers 42. The passage is intended to . A. show that water shortage is a major problem in Peru B. explain the process of turning moisture into drinkable water C. prove that billboards are an effective way to advertise products D. tell about a project creating an interesting solution to a problem

C

Shipping containers are used to carry cargo on ships, trains, and trucks. Because these trips can be rough, the containers are used for only about five to ten years. Then they usually end up in a junkyard. However, these containers are durable, lightweight, and of relatively low cost, so companies and artists are finding ways to repurpose them.

One trend that has gained popularity is creating houses from retired shipping containers. The containers already have the basic elements we think of when we imagine shelter: four walls, a ceiling, a floor, and a door. It is truly amazing what interior designers and architects can do to maximize the layout of these containers in order to add comfort to the cold metal interiors. With features like solar panels and sliding glass walls, the repurposed homes are an environmentally smart practice.

Like building blocks, shipping containers can be used to create multilevel structures. By cutting out hallways, offices and even hotels are being built from these recycled containers. Urban

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areas and colleges that struggle to provide affordable housing have also begun to explore building container housing and work spaces. In London a container “city” was created in 2001 in just five months using more than 80 percent recycled materials from shipping containers. It was so successful that the following year, the city of London created another multipurpose structure that was five stories high!

Housing uses for shipping containers are not limited to cities. Shipping container accommodations are available in rural areas as well. From hideaway cabins to campground rentals, these versatile accommodations can be found in the city and in remote areas.

Sculpture artists from all over the world have also found value in repurposing shipping containers. Artists rework the shell of the containers. Whether welding the panels into new shapes or using them as metal canvases, artists have found that the possibilities are endless. The Container Art Project was established by innovative artists to help museums share artistic collections around the world. In addition to using the retired containers to move art pieces, the project has also used the interior of the containers as the setting for the galleries themselves.

With all these options and new purposes, fewer shipping containers will be headed to the junkyard. They are having their usefulness extended with new forms and function. 386

43. What can we infer about building houses with shipping containers? A. It is cold inside these houses. B. The houses are low and small. C. Interior design plays an important part. D. Recycled materials improve the comfort.

44. What makes shipping containers good for new purposes? A. They are recycled and lasting. B. They are inexpensive and rough. C. They look modern and splendid. D. They look firm and close to nature. 45. What is the main idea of Paragraph 5?

A. Moving art pieces in shipping containers are simple processes. B. Artists must reshape the shell of the container to make sculptures. C. Artists see the potential of using shipping containers into their art. D. Museums are using the containers as galleries for their collections. 46. What is the best title for the passage?

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A. Getting Back to Basics C. Keeping up with Fashion

B. Breaking out of the Box D. Setting a New Trend

D

The Power of Young People to Change the World

Today’s young people’s three big wishes would be: More hugs. More time outside in nature. More belief in their own power to change the world. While most people understand the importance of the first two wishes, the third one leaves some folks wondering why this is so essential.

Let’s start with the fact that all of us—especially young people—need heroes. We need them to be our guides on the twisting and to show us just how far we can go. We need heroes today more than ever, as our modern society is terribly confused about the difference between a hero and a celebrity(名人). A celebrity is all about fame—temporary, superficial fame while a hero is about character—qualities beneath the surface that aren’t visible until they take action.

Real heroes are all around us. They hold our world together, through their unselfish devotion to helping others, supporting families, teaching children, protecting the environment. They don’t want fame or glory; they just want to help. In many ways, these unsung heroes direct the boat in which all of us sail.

Yet young people hear a lot more about celebrities than about heroes. Worse yet, they are too often target of advertisers. The underlying message they get from all this is that their self-worth comes from what they buy, not who they are down inside.

What gets lost in this? The sense of their own potential for heroic qualities, which exists in every young person, from whatever background. All it takes for that to be true is belief. How do we help them believe in their own power? The best way by far is simply to share examples of other young people who have made a difference. To turn the spotlight on such amazing young people, I founded a national award Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, which is now in its tenth year, honoring 25 young people each year.

Here are a few of the winners from recent years:

Ryan, age 11, has worked tirelessly to raise money for clean drinking water to African villages. When he first heard about the plight of African children who died from impure water, Ryan was only six years old. In the next five years, he raised over $500,000—enough to build over 70 water wells.

Barbara, age 17, grew up on a farm in Texas. When she realized that local farmers were pouring their used motor oil into rivers and on the ground, causing pollution, she organized the creation of a recycling center for crude oil. Her project, called “Don’t Be Crude,” has grown to include 18 recycling centers in Texas.

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