热点14 水力发电与风能的利用(原卷版)中考英语考前时事热点话题阅读

备战2022年中考英语考前时事热点话题阅读+题型专练
热点14 水力发电与风能的利用
一、阅读理解
1
Tide is the regular rise and fall of the ocean level caused by the movement of the sun, the earth and the moon. It is considered a promising source of green energy to produce electricity in coastal areas.
To make use of tidal energy, we need to build tidal power stations. The bays and the river mouths where the tide is high (the tidal range is more than 10 metres) are usually perfect sites to build tidal power stations. There are many such places in the world. According to the IRENA (the International Renewable Energy Agency), by just using 2% of our coastlines, we can produce 4, 383TWh of ocean power each year, enough to meet 16. 4% of the world's electricity needs.
To build a tidal power station, we need to build a dam. In the dam are many turbines and on each turbine there is an electric generator. When the tide rises, water comes through the dam, the turbines turn and the electric generators work, producing electricity. When the tide fall, water goes out through the dam, the turbines turn again. The electric generators continue to work.
Tidal energy has it advantages. Using tidal energy to produce electricity is much cheaper than using the traditional energy, like coal or gas. For example, the Rance Tidal Power Station in France has been there for over 50 years, producing around 540, 000TWh of electricity each year. The cost is only 1.3 cents/TWh. Tidal energy can be used nearly 24 hours a day. As long as the sun, the earth and the moon exist, we can use it to produce electricity. But without sunshine, here is no solar energy. When there is no wind, electric generators will not work. In addition, with the development of modern technology, tidal energy can be stored and used to produce electricity continuously. However, we still have some problems to solve. It is difficult to build a dam in the sea, and the cost is very high. Moreover, it's expensive to keep a tidal power station in its best condition.
Scientists are working on them.
1. A tidal power station is best built __________.
A. at a river mouth with wind
B. along the coast with waves
C. in a bay with tide high enough
D. in coastal areas with sunshine
2. The underlined word "turbine" in Paragraph There is a machine to__________.
A. make the tide rise and fall
B. make an electric generator work
C. let water go through the dam
D. keep the dam in good condition
3. What advantage does tidal energy have?
A. We can use it to get useful tide.
B. It can improve the ocean environment.
C. We can use it nearly all the time.
D. It meets 16. 4% of the electricity needs.
4. How can we make better use of tidal energy?
A. By digging more bays and river mouths.
B. By building cheaper tidal power stations.
C. By closing traditional electric power.
D. By using tidal energy to replace other energy.
2
There are some interesting facts about the Nile.
● The Nile is nearly 6, 671 kilometers long. It is believed to be the longest river in the world.
● The Nile is a north-flowing river in Africa. It lies in the following countries: Kenya, Eritrea, Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, Sudan, Republic of South Sudan and Ethiopia.
● The Nile is important to Ancient Egypt. There are lots of Ancient Egypt’s places of interest along the banks of the Nile, such as Luxor and Cairo.
● The Nile delta (三角洲) in the north of Egypt is where the Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea. It is around 160 kilometers long and about over 240 kilometers of coastline (海岸线). It is rich in agriculture and has been farmed for thousands of year s. Half of Egypt’s population—around 40, 000,000 people live in the Nile Delta area.
● In 1787, the famous Rosetta stone was found in the Nile Delta in the city of Rosetta. It played a key role in understanding Egyptian hieroglyphics (象形文字).
● The Aswan Hi gh Dam (阿斯旺大坝) was built in 1970 to help control the flooding of the Nile.
5. How many countries does the Nile flow through?
A. 9
B. 10
C. 11
D. 12
6. The Nile River flows into the Mediterranean Sea in ______.
A. the Nile delta
B. Luxor
C. Sudan
D. Uganda
7. What’s the population of Egypt according to the passage?
A. About 20,000,000.
B. About 40,000,000.
C. About 60,000,000
D. About 80,000,000.
8. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The Nile is the widest river in the world.
B. The Nile Delta is in the south of Egypt.
C. The Rosetta stone is important to the hieroglyphics.
D. The Aswan High Dam can stop the flooding of the Nile.
9. Where can we find this passage probably?
A. In a newspaper.
B. In a novel.
C. In a storybook.
D. In a science magazine.
3
In the modern age, human society runs on energy. Most machines need electricity to operate. Humans cannot live without electricity even a single day in their daily life and work. They have many different ways to create electricity. But some ways are harmful to the environment.
For example, fossil fuels (化石燃料) are the most common kind of energy.They include coal, oil, and natural gas. First, people have to dig them from the ground. This can sometimes harm the environment. However, scientists are creating cleaner and better ways to do that these days. So the environment is not harmed as much as before. But when people burn these fossil fuels, they can give off a lot of harmful gases, which is considered to be one of the greatest causes of global warning. This might harm the environment.
Tidal (潮汐) energy is another way to make electricity. This uses the ocean tides to make electricity. But some kinds of tidal energy can kill many fish and other sea animals. Also dams (大坝) can create lots of clean energy. But dams create lakes and change the way that rivers run. So they can do great harm to the balance of nature around the lakes and along the rivers.
Nuclear (核) energy is a very powerful form of energy. It is cheap. It is also very clean. But many people are afraid of it because it uses radioactive materials. Also, there have been some very serious accidents in the past which caused great harm to human and nature. But the technology is much better these days. so many countries are starting to use nuclear energy more.
10. In Paragraph I the underlined part “human society runs on energy” means “______”.
A. humans in the society waste much energy
B. people use energy to make the world work
C. our society is full of varied kinds of energy
D. humans cannot run fast without energy
11. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about fossil fuels?
A. They are dug from the ground.
B. They are considered expensive.
C. They hardly harm the environment.
D. They are not widely used in the world
12. From the passage, we know that tidal energy can ______.
A. cause serious accidents
B. change the way that rivers run
C. give off a lot of harmful gases
D. kill many living things in the ocean
13. Many countries start to use nuclear energy more because ______.
A. it’s a common kind of energy
B. people are not afraid of it now
C. it’s cheap, clean and safer than before
D. people can’t live without it
14. The passage is probably in the part of ______ in a newspaper.
A. health
B. science
C. culture
D. sports
4
The ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy G roup in Scotland. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves.”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity. The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy, and it is already being used in Scotland.
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The winds start out by making little ripples (波纹) in the water, but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.”
When waves come towards the coast, people can set up dams(大坝) to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine(涡轮). The turbine can then power an electrical generator(发电机).
We will never run out of wave power. Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as oil and coal do.
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface. That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world. But there are some disadvantages that need us to pay more attention to.
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money. He said that its influence on animals in the sea is
still unknown. Besides, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic.
With more research, “Many of these problems might be solved,” Taylor said. “Finding more energy sources(资源) is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day.”
In the future, when you turn on a light button, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
15. We can learn from the passage that__________________.
A. almost every country is making use of the wave power at present
B. it is necessary for us to develop wave power instead of oil and coal
C. wave power will be sure to make some bad influence on sea animals
D. scientists are making efforts to find new ways of fishing and boat traffic
16. What does the fourth paragraph tell us?
A. Why scientists are doing the research on wave power.
B. What experience that scientists have achieved so far.
C. How the wave energy forms and grows bigger.
D. Which countries are trying out wave power.
17. What’s the writer’s attitude towards wave power?
A. The writer believes that wave power will be used widely by man.
B. The writer doubts if wave energy can be changed into electricity.
C. The writer is sure the experiments will come to the end some day.
D. The writer thinks that wave power isn’t worth researching at all.
18. What can be the best title for the passage?
A. Sea Animals and Wave Power.
B. How Do We Get Wave Energy?
C. The Advantages of Wave Power.
D. Can Waves Make Electricity?
5
Water can provide enough energy for a power station. Find out how it works in this activity. All you need is your hands and a few simple materials:
★ a large plastic bottle ★ a pencil ★ a straw (吸管) ★ a knife
★ scissors ★ a piece of string ★ a drawing pin (图钉) ★ tape
Step 1. Cut the top off a large plastic bottle. Use a drawing pin and a pencil to make six holes around the base.
Step 2. Cut a straw into six pieces about 2cm long. Push them into the holes and secure (固定) them with tape.
Step 3. Make three holes at the top of the bottle and tie a piece of string through each hole. Then tie the strings to a fourth piece of string (the string should be about the same length).
Step 4. Over the sink or outdoors, pour some water into the bottle. As water runs out of the straws, the bottle will spin around.
What’s going on? The energy from the water running out of the holes m akes the bottle spin around. Falling water and its energy are used on a much larger scale at hydroelectric power stations(水电站). The water turns huge wheels, called turbines. These drive machines called generators that produce electricity.
19. The main purpose of the text is to .
A. describe a power station
B. introduce water power
C. show different materials
D. encourage water recycling
20. Which of the following is TRUE about the holes in the bottle?
A. There are 9 holes in all in the bottle.
B. They are at the top of the bottle.
C. They are used for running water.
D. They must be the same size.
21. In this experiment, energy is produced when .
A. the bottle spins around
B. water runs out of the straws
C. the strings are tied together
D. the straw is cut into 6 pieces
22. What can you get from Step 2?
A. B. C. D.
23. You can find this passage in a magazine about _______.
A. math
B. music
C. history
D. physics
6
Wind power is a very clean source of energy. This is how wind power works. Wind makes windmills (风车) spin(旋转).When the windmills spin, they make electricity that we use.
A lot of people think that wind power is new, but that’s not true. For thousands of years, people have used wind to sail boats and move water. We still do those things today, but these days we mostly use wind power to make electricity.
Wind power is a very popular source of energy. Most people think that we should use it more and more. First of all, it’s clean. Windmills don’t pollute the environmen t at all. Second, we can use wind power forever. After all, we will always have wind. Also, wind power is cheap, and it’s getting even cheaper.
A lot of people don’t understand wind power very well. They believe that there are problems with wind power, but many of those problems are not real. For example, some people say that windmills are dangerous for birds. They used to be true, but it isn’t true anymore. Old windmills killed birds because they spun very fast. New windmills spin slowly, and they aren’t d angerous for birds.
However, there are real problems with windmills. One problem is that many people think windmills are very ugly. This is a problem for people, because windmills are often in very pretty areas. Also, wind doesn’t blow all the time, so we can’t use wind power all the time. Finally windmills are noisy.
Wind power is becoming more and more common. Right now, more than 80 countries use wind power. About 2.5 percent of the world’s power comes from the wind. For some countries, that number is a lot higher. Wind power gives Denmark more than 25 percent of its electricity.
24. New windmills don’t kill birds because ________.
A. birds don’t fly near them
B. they are shorter than old windmills
C. they spin slowly
D. new windmills don’t spin
25. People started using wind power ________.
A. over 1,000 years ago
B. about 500 years ago
C. about 80 years ago
D. about 25 years ago
26. We can’t use wind power all the time because ________.
A. we can’t use windmills at night
B. windmills break all the time
C. wind doesn’t blow all the time
D. windmills are too expensive to use all the time
27. Which of the following is RIGHT according to the passage?
A. Most people don’t like wind power.
B. Denmark doesn’t use wind power.
C. Wind power is getting more expensive.
D. Wind power is getting cheaper.
28. The best title for the passage is ________.
A. Dangerous Birds
B. Popular and Clean Wind Power
C. Cheap and Clean Environment
D. Expensive Windmills
7
When humans try to make the best use of the nature, it also fights against us at the same time. As a result, many natural treasures are disappearing(消失) quietly these years.
The Himalayan Glaciers (冰山)
The Himalayan glaciers are melting(融化) faster than ever at speed of 33-49 feet every year because of the rising temperature. Melting glaciers could bring too much water to India, China, and Nepal and break down living places for lots of animals. And for mountain climb, they may face more dangerous challenges.
Yangtze Area
Our cute pandas are living in the forests of the Yangtze area of China. Their home used to be beautiful and big. But humans cut down too many trees, so their living areas are becoming smaller and smaller. Food is also less and less. The Three Gorges Dam(三峡大坝), the largest dam in history, is also breaking down the Yangtze River area. Amazon Rain Forest
________ However, rising temperature and over tree-cutting are changing the forest's role into carbon sink(碳汇集地), making 30-60% of the rainforest into dry places. Scientists show the forest could disappear completely by 2050.
29. may cause the Himalayan Glaciers to melt.
A. Cutting down trees
B. Too many Wars
C. People's visits
D. The rising temperature
30. According to the passage, cute pandas are facing .
A. food problems
B. sleeping problems
C. birth problems
D. health problems
31. Which sentence can be the missing part in Para.4?
A. The Amazon is seriously polluted.
B. Different kinds of animals in the Amazon died.
C. The Amazon has one-fifth of the world's fresh water.
D. People don't like traveling in the Amazon.
32. Which do you think is the best title of the passage?
A. The disappearing natural treasures
B. Animals are dying out
C. People protected nature very well
D. The melting glaciers in the world
8
Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources (来源), as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills(风车) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.
For many centuries people used windmills to grind (磨碎) wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radio. However by the 1940s when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States windmills were rarely used.
During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then wind was rediscovered(重新利用) though it means higher costs. Today there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.
33. From the text we know that windmills_________.
A. were invented by European armies
B. have a history of more than 2¸900 years
C. were used to supply power to radio in remote areas
D. have rarely been used since electricity was discovered
34. What was a new use for wind power in the late 19th century?
A. Sailing a boat.
B. Producing electricity.
C. Grinding wheat into flour.
D. Pumping water from underground.
35. One of the reasons wind was rediscovered in the 1970s is that _________.
A. wind power is cleaner
B. it is one of the oldest power sources
C. it was cheaper to create energy from wind
D. the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs
36. What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A. The advantages of wind power.
B. The design of wind power plants.
C. The worldwide movement to save energy.
D. The global trend towards producing power from wind.
二、完型填空
1
Oil is not the only source of power in South America. Many countries rely on another liquid-water. Many of the America's big rivers are 37 to make hydroelectric power(水电), or electricity produced by controlling the force of flowing water.
South America's biggest hydroelectric plant is Itaipu Dam, located on the border of Paraguay and Brazil. This massive dam stretch across the Parana River. 38 workers could even begin building the dam, they had to shift(移动) the Parana River around the construction site(工地). They did this by 39 a 2-kilometer channel around the dam site.
This project alone took nearly three years.
The governments of Paraguay and Brazil work together to run the hydroelectric plants at Itaipu Dam. The countries split the low- cost electricity 40 here. Both countries benefit from this agreement. Paraguay is a smaller country than Brazil and it doesn't need nearly as much electricity. In fact, Itaipu Dam produces far more electricity than the whole country of Paraguay can use!
So Paraguay earns money by 41 its excess(多余的) electricity to Brazil. This electricity helps light up Brazil's biggest city Sao Paulo.
Itaipu Dam brings money to the region in another way as well. As one of the engineering wonders of the modern world, Itaipu Dam has become a major 42 attraction.
37. A. picked B. spent C. used D. borrowed
38. A. Until B. Before C. When D. After
39. A. digging B. pulling C. moving D. touching
40. A. discovered B. produced C. found D. sold
41. A. building B. buying C. setting D. selling
42. A. waiter B. actor C. conductor D. tourist
2
The Warrens are a common family. However, this common family has done something 43 . A few years ago, they moved to the countryside and built a house which was powered (提供动力) by the wind and the sun!
Mr. Warren wanted his family to play a role in 44 the planet, so he read a lot about the electrical system. Then, he 45 to create electricity to power everything they needed for their daily lives.
The kids were 46 at first. “Will we still be able to watch TV? What about the computer?” they asked. “Don’t worry at all,” said their father. “Just because we are going to create our own electricity doesn’t mean we have to live in the 47 .”
“We are going to set up a wind generator (发电机),” explained Mrs. Warren. “Wind is a great way to 48 electricity. It’s not only free but also clean. The wind doesn’t blow all the time, though. That’s 49 we need to store (储存) our power. Then, when there is no wind, we will still have power to run everything in our house.”
Mr. Warren added, “We are also going to collect 50 from the sun and turn it into electricity. So, when the wind blows, we have power. When the 51 shines, we have power, too.”
It’s easy to see that the family really 52 renewable energy. Now, they are living happily in their self-powered countryside home.
43. A. normal B. special C. similar D. private
44. A. saving B. breaking C. greeting D. examining
45. A. failed B. agreed C. decided D. refused
46. A. angry B. worried C. happy D. interested
47. A. spring B. moment C. past D. dark
48. A. shoot B. waste C. reduce D. produce
49. A. how B. why C. which D. where
50. A. scenes B. energy C. rubbish D. objects
51. A. star B. light C. sun D. moon
52. A. trusts in B. calls in C. shuts off D. cuts down
三、阅读填表
Wind is a powerful force. Wind energy may cause the great waves(浪)in the world’s oceans. Winds can help create powerful storms, but wind is a force you can’t see but can surely feel. Its power can be used to create electricity for cities and the countryside.
Wind can also show people’s feeling or ideas in American English. Let’s start with a simple one. If you run like the wind, you can run very fast. After running, sometimes you can feel full of energy. The runner gets what we call a second wind. We use it when we are tired, but then get more energy to finish something. For example, sometimes I feel tired after work. But after a short rest and a cup of tea, I get my second wind.
If you are doing something difficult, it is good to have the wind at your back. In this way, it is easier to go forward. It’s always more difficult to do something in a strong wind-unless you are sailing.
Knowing the direction of the wind is the most important part of sailing. When wind fills a sail, it makes the boat go faster. If you take the wind out of someone’s sails, you prevent them from reaching their goals. You create a barrier(障碍)or stop them in some way. In life, it’s lucky to have friends who want to fill your sails with wind and not take it out.
Let’s turn from sailing to music. Many songwriters use the image(形象)of wind in their songs. If something such as an idea is blowing in the wind, it i s being discussed but has yet to be decided. When a singer sings “you don’ t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”, he means that you don’t need someone in power to make sure of something for you. Just trust yourself when you know which way the wind blows, you know what is going on.
Now you know which way the wind blows. Then how can you use them properly? First, read them aloud and keep them in mind. Then, practice using them and test yourself. You know, practice makes perfect.。