After at least five years of transporting you around the country, car batteries will now spend their retirement making you tea and toast and running your washing machine.
Used electric car batteries are being changed into home energy storage units which can be linked to rooftop solar panels to keep lights on and devices running when the sun goes down. The plan between Honda and Snam, an Italian energy infrastructure company, will reuse or recycle thousands of batteries from electric and hybrid cars and trucks across Europe, with single batteries installed（安装）in homes and lines of them linked to wind farms to store electricity.
They will also be used by homes and businesses on "time of use" electricity rates—to be charged up when electricity is cheap and used when the rate increases at times of peak demand. The plan will help solve one of the biggest challenges for the rapidly growing electric car industry —how to deal with large batteries which contain valuable metals such as lithium and cobalt but are expensive to break down and recycle.
Most have a warranty（保证）lasting five to eight years depending on how well they are managed and how often recharged. Used batteries have 50 to 90 per cent of their original capacity, according to Aceleron, which makes batteries that are easier to reuse and recycle.
Amrit Chandan, its founder, said："Transport is the largest source of carbon emissions in the UK, and in order to reduce carbon emissions, million electric vehicles are sold each year. But we are currently solving one environmentally friendly issue while ignoring another. Waste is the elephant in the room. By designing batteries for the circular economy from the start, we can prevent mountains of battery waste from being created worldwide. "
1.What can be inferred about used batteries from paragraph 2？
A.They will be taken apart.
B.They will soon disappear.
C.They can be given a second life.
D.They are used to produce electricity.
2.What is the biggest problem facing electric car industry？
A.The solution to battery waste.
B.The production of electric vehicles.
C.The invention of cheap batteries.
D.The creation of fast electric cars.
3.What does the underlined word "they" in paragraph 4 refer to？
A.Used batteries.
B.Cars and trucks.
C.Homes.
D.Hosts.
4.What is the main idea of the text？
A.Battery waste has become a big concern.
B.Transport is responsible for carbon emissions.
C.Used electric car batteries will soon power homes.
D.New reusable battery can get rid of battery waste.
For over a century, native Asian honeybees have been steadily pushed aside by the European species, which were introduced to China by beekeepers because the female workers are more focused on their job and produce more honey, which is also sweeter.
However, the European species also carries a number of deadly diseases that can damage the natural habitat. Some researchers calculate that up to 80 per cent of China's native honeybee population has been lost since the first European bee farm in the country was established in the late 19th century.
The sweeping expansion of Asia's European honeybee population causes an ecological crisis. After more than 70 million years of evolution, native Asian honeybees could pollinate（对……授粉）a wide range of plant species in the region. However, many Asian bee species across the region are now close to extinction, and that's a cause for concern as the flowers of many Asian plants are not recognised by European honeybees, which will cause fundamental changes in the ecological balance.
A solution put forward by bee scientists was to draw a border between European and Asian honeybees. In some parts of China, bee farms are not allowed to use the European species, giving the native bees some breathing space.
After years of decline, the Eastern honeybees are gaining a foothold, especially in mountains and warm, tropical areas. It is because they can deal with the real hardship of life. The Western honeybees. on the contrary, rely very much on the protection and care of humans. Without caretakers, they have little chance to survive in Asia, where hornets（大黄蜂）alone could wipe them out.
The decline of Asian honeybees was alarming because of their important role in the food chain. Fewer bees mean fewer plants, fewer plants less food and less food fewer humans. We must take positive, sustainable steps towards protecting China's Asian honeybees.
1.What made China's native honeybees endangered？
A.Overdevelopment of the land.
B.Introduction of European bees.
C.Pollution from cars and factories.
D.Lack of a variety of plant species.
2.What can be inferred about many Asian plants from the third paragraph？
A.They will not flower.
B.They might grow slowly.
C.They might not be pollinated.
D.They will harm the environment.
3.What is basically typical of China's honeybees？
A.Sociable.
B.Aggressive.
C.Productive.
D.Adaptable.
4.What is the author's purpose in writing this passage？
A.To analyse influence of European bees.
B.To urge protection of native Asian bees.
C.To suggest ways of limiting European bees.
D.To introduce comeback of native Asian bees.
While some farmers are quick to tell visitors to get off their land, David Walston is doing the opposite. He has donated land on his family farm to create two large community vegetable gardens and invited surrounding villages to get involved.
"I thought the thing I can do fairly uniquely is provide the land and machinery to try to make people's lives better during the lockdown. " Mr Walston, 37, who runs Thriplow Farms, south of Cambridge, said. "The enthusiasm has surprised me a lot, with 114 people from five villages signing up. "
The two 1, 000sqm areas will be open for anyone to help with any job that needs doing. A wide range of vegetables will be grown, including peas, broccoli, sweetcorn, squash, potatoes and leeks. In Mr Walston's scheme, which he has called Coveg, people can do as much or as little as they like and the produce will be shared, and any surplus given to the elderly and NHS workers. None of the produce will be sold and distribution will be only loosely linked to the amount of work done.
He is lending his machinery for the backbreaking work. Farm suppliers are supporting the project, with Kings Seeds and Tozer donating seeds and Howseman Agriculture offering irrigation equipment.
Claire Mackenzie, 47, a doctor from Barrington, has agreed to bring seeds in their own gardens to the community plots. She sees Coveg as a way of connecting local people to the countryside that surrounds them. "We live in an arable area but we often do not know our farmers. This is a brilliant way of pulling people together, " she said. She hopes to get her two teenage sons involved.
Mr Walston's idea has already prompted three local farmers who also want to donate parcels of their land to contact him. They have a corner of land that would be suitable and machinery that would take the backbreaking work out of preparation. They can't wait to offer.
1.Which of the following was unexpected according to Mr Walston？
A.The quality of people's lives.
B.The number of participants.
C.The decision to donate land.
D.The idea to create vegetable plots.
2.How will the vegetables be distributed？
A.On a one-to-one basis.
B.According to the family size.
C.On a first come, first served basis.
D.According to the amount of work done.
3.What is Claire's attitude to vegetable garden project？
A.Skeptical. B.Cautious.
C.Ambiguous. D.Favorable.
4.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "prompted" in Paragraph 6？
A.Inspired. B.Discouraged.
C.Threatened. D.Persuaded.
Welcome To Activities For This Summer
Black Creativity Family Day
Art meets science during the Museum of Science and Industry's annual "Black Creativity" programming. celebrating its 50th anniversary. The art exhibition, billed as the longest running showcase of African﹣American art in the nation, displays more than 100 works, some of them by student artists. Meanwhile, Innovation Studio workshops encourage visitors of all ages to design solutions to everyday challenges. Free general admission to Illinois students July 20﹣23.
How People Make Things
Think of it as one great factory tour, with a big DIY station to put what you've learned to work： That's the idea behind the new kid﹣oriented exhibit, "How People Make Things. " Find out how humans and machines work together to make everyday objects, from boxes to shoes to toys. Then kids can use tools to cut, shape and put together what they like. This activity comes to Naperville for a long visit, opening Jan. 20 and running through Sept. 6 at DuPage Children's Museum. ＄13.
Traditional Chinese Concert
Traditional Chinese music and theater take the spotlight at Symphony Center. Featured performers are the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra and the Zhejiang Shaoju Opera Theatre, taking the stage at 3 pm （Arrive early for preconcert activities, l：30﹣2：30. ） At Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. ＄20﹣＄80, or ＄99 for a family of four.
Meet Cartoonist Art Baltazar
Winner of dozens of Eisner Awards （the Pultizers of comic books）, cartoonist and Chicago native Art Baltazar has a brand﹣new graphic novel to delight your middle schoolers. The clever "Drew & Jot： Dueling Doodles" tells the adventure of two fifth﹣grade boys who work together on a hero ﹣ and ﹣ criminal tale—but a younger sister's doodles might prove the most dangerous enemy of all! Meet Baltazar at 7 pm al Anderson's Bookshop. Free to attend July 22﹣24.
1.Which activity will you go to if you are interested in African-American art？
A.How People Make Things.
B.Black Creativity Family Day.
C.Traditional Chinese Concert.
D.Meet Cartoonist Art Baltazar.
2.What is special about How People Make Things？
A.It offers hands-on activities.
B.It lasts for about half a year.
C.It displays works by students.
D.It includes a ＄13 factory tour.
3.What kind of book is Drew & Jot： Dueling Doodles？
A.A folk tale.
B.A classic tale.
C.An adventure story.
D.A love story.
假设你是李华，下周来自加拿大的考察团将到你校参观访问，请你写一封邮件给你校外教Smith,申请做一名英语讲解员，内容如下:
1.写信目的；
2.你的优势；
3.表达期望。
注意: 1.可适当增加细节,使行文连贯。
2.词数100词左右。
参考词汇:考察团delegation,英语讲解员English guide
Dear Smith,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线( \ )划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意: 1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
I visited Mountain Dragon with several classmate today. We arrived at the foot of Mountain Dragon on half past nine and spend nearly one hour in climbing. We could see flowers and grass all the way up and the air in the mountain smelt very freshly. We did not feel tiring at all. When we got to the top, and we were all wet with sweat. We sat under a tall tree to have rest, drinking some water and eating anything. There were several temples in the mountain. We enjoyed the scenery for a long time because we had never seen it ago. It were really a beautiful mountain.
