继续英语阅读At one time a traveler could learn about a region by looking at the houses,For example,he or she could understand what building materials were available.In areas with many wood houses,the traveler would have guessed that there were nearby forests.Stone houses would have indicated that stones were easy to get.However,a closer look at the houses would have told the traveler even more about the area.People used to build houses that fitted the clima

继续英语阅读
At one time a traveler could learn about a region by looking at the houses,For example,he or she could understand what building materials were available.In areas with many wood houses,the traveler would have guessed that there were nearby forests.Stone houses would have indicated that stones were easy to get.However,a closer look at the houses would have told the traveler even more about the area.
People used to build houses that fitted the climate of their areas.For example,in desert regions there is a big difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures.Therefore,many desert people built houses with very thick walls.These thick walls served a useful purpose in the houses.For example,in the winter the thick walls absorbed the sun’s warmth during the day and radiated the heat at night.Desert people were relatively comfortable in their homes,or residences,at all times because they built them to fit the desert climate.
Then the supply of fuel for electricity became both cheap and easy to get.The effect on housing was immediate.People began to build their homes according to fashion instead of utility.Houses no longer reflected the availability of building materials or climate.
Houses with steep roofs could be found in the tropics (热带地区),the warm regions of the Earth,even though these pointed roofs originated (来自,产生) in snowy regions of the world.Heavy snow falls off a slanted (歪斜的) roof.Another example is the use of glass.Houses made almost completely of glass could be found in very cold places.Yet ordinary glass does not insulate (绝缘) well because it neither keeps out cold air nor keeps in warm air.As long as fuel was cheap and easy to get,people could build any type of house any place.(297 words)
6.What are two things that a traveler could learn about an area by looking at the houses?
A.The climate is poor and so are the people living in it.
B.The climate in the area and the kind of building materials easy for the people to reach.
C.There is a forest nearby and they are on the top of a mountain.
D.They are near a house and its owner is not there at the moment.
7.The main idea of Para.1 is that ________.
A.wood is a forest product
B.there are no stones in forests
C.houses used to tell about a region
D.people used to travel to learn about houses
8.The main idea of Para.2 is that ________.
A.thick walls absorb heat from the sun
B.people built houses to fit the climate
C.people are comfortable in their houses
D.in the desert,daytime temperatures are lower than nighttime temperatures
9.The main idea of Para.3 and 4 is that ________.
A.heavy snow does not stay on steep roofs
B.ordinary glass does not insulate well
C.fuel is used to produce electricity
D.the supply of fuel affects home building
10.What does 'radiate' (Para.2) mean?
A.give off
B.absorb
C.gather
D.consume