Question

Many businesses today use conferences as a means of discussing new plans of the company. As people are paying more attention to the environment and green problems, more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their negative effect on the environment. Many businesses do this by using web conferencing.

Web conferencing is a technology that allows people to communicate more effectively over the Internet. It is an easy way of hosting and attending conferences without having to leave the office. Each of the people involved in a web conference will be posted an invitation to the conference with the time and date of the Web conference on it. When the conference is ready to begin, all participants (参与者) must sit at their computers and they will be connected over the Internet.

With Web conferencing all participants attend the conference from the comfort of their own desk. Obviously, in doing this no fuel is used in traveling to and from a conference, and less work time is taken up in attending a conference.

Any material to be used during the Web conference is simply e-mailed to all the participants before the conference. Participants can then either choose to print material or read it on screen. This not only saves paper but also greatly reduces mailing cost for the business.

As a conference hall or business center isn’t being used, it means that the only power that is used is the power used by the participants’ personal computers. Similarly conference organizers don’t have to arrange for food or overnight accommodation (住宿) for participants of their conferences. All this means that less energy is used.

Often in business some companies actively choose to do business with other companies that do many things to reduce their negative impact on the environment. And Web conferencing helps you show other businesses that you are willing to work hard for the green cause.

So Web conferencing is much cheaper and greener and more people are willing to host and attend a web conference.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Ways of protecting the environment.

B. B. Green benefits of Web conference.

C. Ways of hosting a Web conference.

D. Impacts of Web conferencing on costs.

2. According to paragraph 1, many companies use Web conferencing because they ________.

A. are interested in using any new technology

B. believe that Web conferencing is more convenient

C. want to do something to protect the environment

D. haven’t enough money to hold a traditional conference

3. The participants of a Web conference_________.

A. will be e-mailed an invitation before the conference

B. are required to sit in the office together

C. will receive many paper materials

D. must have access to the Internet

4. Which of the following words best describes the author’s opinion about a Web conference?

A. Useless.                                                        B. Environmentally friendly.      

C. Inconvenient.                                     D. Money-consuming.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了网络会议在绿色环保方面的好处。因为网络会议使所有参加会议在自家舒适的办公桌上进行。显然,这样做没有燃料用于旅行和会议的安排也同时让参加者,花费更少的时间来参加一个会议。

1.主旨大意题。文章最后总结，So Web conferencing is much cheaper and greener and more people are willing to host and attend a web conference.因此网络会议更廉价、更环保，而且更多人愿意主持和参加。故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据第一段第二句As people are paying more attention to the environment and green problems，more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their  negative effect on the environment.（随着人们更加关注环境环保问题，更多的企业在寻找办法来减少对环境的负面影响。）选择C（人们想做点什么来保护环境）。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句话：... , all participants (参与者) must sit at their computers and they will be connected over the Internet.（所有的参与者必须坐在电脑前，而电脑通过因特网相互联系。）和第四段，所有的材料通过电子邮件传给与  会者。）选择D（网络会议的参与者必须使用因特网。）

4.推理判断题。通过全文尤其是最后一段，可以看出作者的观点是支持环保的。useless 无用的；environmentally friendly 环保的；inconvenient 不方便的；money-consuming 费钱的。

考点：环保类短文阅读。