《大学英语3》期中口试阅读部分试题(学生版)10.27

北京城市学院

2014-2015学年第一学期

《大学英语3》期中口试阅读部分试题

（学生版）

Unit 1 Education: A Transformation of the Soul

3 I went on to college, of course, as everyone told me to do. College is how you become an earner, they told me. My major that first semester was International Relations. I liked the woman I envisioned myself as in this field – a diplomat, a savvy citizen of the world. But gradually I began to realize that this person was not someone I bore any resemblance to. She was, rather, a clone of the well-educated, well-moneyed ideal my teacher had presented to me years ago. This woman had earning potential; she was smart and worldly. But she was not someone I would become. She had

Unit 2 Masdar City: The World's Greenest City?

3 After three years the plans have changed. Masdar City was originally scheduled to be completed by 2015, but the financial crash that hit the United Arab Emirates hard pushed back the date. A truly zero-carbon city proved too ambitious, so now the aim is for low carbon. Transport within the city will no longer solely rely on the PRTs —instead, electric buses and other mass transit will be included. Though the first phase of the project — the Institute — was completed in 2010 and opened to students, it's still easy to wonder whether the sustainable city will ever be able to sustain itself.

5 That design helps encourage energy conservation— the cooler the city is, the less need for electricity-consuming air-conditioning. But the buildings themselves take advantage of green materials, from the sustainable Douglas fir to the superstrong plastics, deflecting sunlight and insulating the interior. Windows have shades angled to avoid direct sunlight, providing light without heat. There's even a 147-feet-tall wind tower that can channel even more breezes to the street. The tower has glowing LED lights that let Masdar managers know how much energy the city is consuming. Blue means it is within its goal of using 50% less energy than a comparable settlement. Red means it's time to turn off the lights.

8 Some of Masdar's technology — like those slightly silly PRT cars — may not have a future. But other ideas — like the wind tower or those sunlight-deflecting windows — will have real value at a time when more than half the world's population lives in cities. No one knows the answer to the energy and climate challenges the planet faces, which is why experiments matter — even the ones in the desert.

Unit 3 James Cameron’s Ambition