3．When building houses，people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses．However，since electricity became more and more expensive，people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat．
Now，houses of an old yet new type have been widely built．In some parts of the world，people share their houses with their livestock（家畜）．During cold weather，they gather their cows，goats，or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses．The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well．The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses，where people live．By sharing their houses with their livestock，people gain a source of heat．
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock．However，home builders use the fact that heat rises．This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas．Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor，builders fill it with large rocks．As they are open to the sun's rays during cold weather，these rocks take in heat．They also give off the heat，and，of course，the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses．So these houses are energy-saving．
House-building becomes a great challenge（挑戰）to building designers and energy engineers．They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology．And someday in the future，people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses．
9．What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap？B
A．The climate of their areas．
B．The energy for their houses．
C．The fashions for their houses．
D．The building materials for their houses．
10．People in some areas gain a source of heat byA．
A．keeping their livestock downstairs
B．protecting their livestock from the cold
C．sharing their houses only with their cows
D．living on the second floor with their livestock
11．The underlined words"natural law"in the third paragraph refer to the fact thatB．
A．heat raises the temperature in the houses
B．heat goes in the upward direction
C．heat goes up if temperature is raised
D．heat increases the temperature of rocks
12．From the passage，we can conclude thatB．
A．people will no longer consider building materials in the future
B．energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future
C．almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks
D．energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology．
分析 本文是一篇社會文化類閱讀，人們在建造房屋時，不僅考慮到地區的氣候，還有建筑材料及房屋的風格．然而，隨著電越來越貴，人們為了使房屋達到保暖驅寒的效果，更加注重新的保存能量的方式．本文以此展開，講述了人們一些保存能量的方法．
解答 BABB
9 B．細節理解題．根據第一段第二句"However since electricity became more and more expensive，people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their house from both cold and heat．"說明人們為了使房屋達到保暖驅寒的效果，更加注重新的保存能量的方式．故選B．
10 A．細節理解題．根據第二段"In some parts of the world，people share their houses with their livestock （家禽）．During cold weather，they gather their cows，goats，or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses．"可知，他們讓家禽住在樓下來獲取熱量．故選A．
11 B 詞意猜測題．由劃線詞所在句的上一句"However，home builders use the fact that heat rises．"可知，that 引導同位語從句指代熱量上升的原理，故"natural law"指代的也是熱量上升的原理．故選D．
12 B．推理判斷題．根據第最后一前And someday in the future，people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses．在不久的一天，人們將能夠住在更節省能源的房子里，說明節能的房子越來越受歡迎．故選B．
點評 一、速讀全文，了解大意知主題．
閱讀能力一般指閱讀速度和理解能力兩個方面．閱讀速度是閱讀最基本的能力．考生必須在十分有限的時間內運用略讀、掃讀、跳讀等技巧快速閱讀，搜尋關鍵詞、主題句，捕捉時空、順序、情節、人物、觀點，并且理清文章脈絡，把握語篇實質．
二、看題干，帶著問題讀文章．
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三、邏輯推理，做好深層理解題．
在實際閱讀中，有時作者并未把意圖說出來，閱讀者要根據字面意思，通過語篇邏輯關系，研究細節的暗示，推敲作者的態度，理解文章的寓義．要求讀者對文字的表面信息進行分析、挖掘和邏輯推理，不能就事論事，以偏概全．推理題在提問中常用的詞有：infer，imply，suggest，indicate等．
四、猜詞悟義，掃除閱讀攔路虎．
猜詞是應用英語的重要能力．它不但需要準確無誤地理解上下文，而且要有較大的泛讀量，掌握或認識較多的課外詞匯．我們要學會"順藤摸瓜"，通過構詞，語法，定義，同位，對比，因果，常識，上下文等線索確定詞義．
