Everyday rubbish could provide a valuable source of energy thanks to a clever new invention. Smelly methane（沼气）gas expelled from landfill sites containing tones of rotting household waste could be used to produce a valuable energy resource. In Europe alone land fill tips produce 94 billion cubic meters of methane per year but currently only one percent of what could be a valuable source of energy is used, the rest is burnt off to prevent an explosive build up of gas.
Methane gas forms when organic matter breaks down and is drawn off from large rubbish tips by pipes sunk into the middle of the waste. Until now this process wasn’t possible on small sites because the pipe allowed oxygen to seep in and that stop the breakdown process.
Viktor Popov of the Wessex Institute of Technology has now developed a system to modify existing landfill sites by making them airtight while the methane is extracted from sunken wells. The site is covered by a special three-layered skin whose two outer layers are made of clay with a pressurized（加压的）layer of carbon dioxide gas in the middle. As the methane is sucked out through a central well it is replaced by carbon dioxide from the middle layer rather than oxygen, allowing the breakdown process to continue.
Unfortunately there are no plans to use the power of methane even though Popov claims his invention could provide a valuable source of energy over the next 20 years.The passage mainly introduces ______ to us.
| A．how to make methane | B．a new way to make use of rubbish |
| C．the valuable things in rubbish | D．the amount of rubbish beig reused |
From the passage we can see that _____.
| A．in Europe 94 billion cubic meters of methane is produced every year |
| B．some of the waste will explode if it is not burnt off |
| C．99% of the rubbish has been burnt off in Europe |
| D．only a very small part of this kind of energy is used in Europe |
In the passage the underlined word “that” refers to ______.
| A．methane gas | B．the long pipe | C．oxygen | D．the rubbish |
Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Oxygen can cause the breakdown process to stop. |
| B．When the methane is sucked out, oxygen will enter from the middle layer. |
| C．Carbon dioxide doesn’t affect the breakdown process. |
| D．The new invention has not been put into use. |
Albert was an ordinary worker in an oil company in America. His workmates gave a nickname(绰号) “Four dollars a bucket (桶)” to him, for he was always used to leaving an advertisement of his company “Four dollars a bucket of oil” below his name whenever and wherever he wrote down his name.
As time went by, people forgot his real name. Later, when Rockefeller, the board chairman of the oil company, heard of it, he was very surprised, so he invited Albert to come to his office.
“Some people give you a nickname for ‘Four dollars a bucket’. Why aren’t you angry?” asked Rockefeller with some puzzlement in his eyes.
“Oh! Mr. Rockefeller! I like this nickname very much, because ‘Four dollars a bucket’ is our company’s advertisement. As long as someone calls me ‘Four dollars a bucket’ once, I think it’s a free advertisement for our company. I have no reason to get angry. Don’t you think so, Mr. Rockefeller?”
“Oh! What a fantastic man!” Rockefeller said excitedly when hearing Albert’s words. “Young man, work harder! You must succeed in the future! I believe in you!”
Five years later, Albert became the second board chairman after Rockefeller.
Later Albert said in one of his reports, “I don’t think we should feel frustrated when we have no way to do the world-shaking things. We should treat every thing actively because maybe our future success will begin from a small thing!” What was Albert in the oil company at the beginning?
| A．A customer |
| B．An assistant. |
| C．A manager. |
| D．A worker. |
Why wasn’t Albert angry at his nickname?
| A．He could become famous. |
| B．He liked to have a nickname. |
| C．It could make his workmates happy. |
| D．It could advertise for his company for free. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．It’s very important to do small things well. |
| B．Rockefeller asked young people to work harder. |
| C．You can’t get angry when someone calls your nickname. |
| D．You should make more advertisements for your company. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A Clever Way to Make Advertisements. |
| B．Albert and Rockefeller. |
| C．Four Dollars a Bucket. |
| D．The Second Board Chairman. |
About a week ago, when I was playing basketball at our local park, I noticed a small group of boys picking on a smaller, skinnier boy. They were 1 him names and even 2 him to the ground and kicked dirt in his face. 3 I saw that, I walked over to the group.
I stepped 4 them and the smaller boy, and 5 them politely what this boy had done worthy of 6 they were doing to him. One of the boys replied, "He's weird (古怪的)." At that, I asked one of the boys if he thought his friend was weird, and the 7 was "No". So, I asked another boy what the word '"weird" 8 , and he said, "Different." That was my cue (暗示). I told them that everyone is 9 , and that they all looked just as different to the other boy as he did to them. They all stood 10 for a moment, and then the most 11 thing happened. One of the boys helped the small boy off the ground and then said 12 to him. What's more, he 13 to let him play with them.
I thanked the boy for being so 14 . ①As I looked around, I realized that there were dozens of other people at the park 15 no one else had stopped to help this boy. I felt 16 that the boy was strong enough to stand up against his friends to 17 someone in need. But at the same time I felt sad that 18 else had even taken a second look.
②I hope that my action helped them 19 that they could have made a difference with a little 20 , and maybe next time they will be the ones who choose to help.
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| A．decide | B．realize | C．suggest | D．agree |
| A．energy | B．practice | C．knowledge | D．effort |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
If cars had wings，they could fly and that just might happen，beginning in 2011.The company Terrafugia，based in Woburn，Massachusetts，says it plans to deliver its carplane，the Transition，to customers by the end of 2011.
“It's the next ‘wow’ vehicle，” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh.“Anybody can buy a Ferrari，but as we say，Ferraris don't fly.”
The carplane has wings that unfold for flying－a process the company says takes one minute－and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies，although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations，and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports：You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go. When you land，you fold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an airport－you park it in the garage at home.
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds，including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under the bad weather instead of flying into marginal(临界的) conditions.
The Transition's price tag：$194,000.But there may be additional charges for options like a radio，a transponder or a GPS. Another option is a fullplane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation，it is the necessary safety option，” Gersh said.
So far，the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. “We're working very closely with them，but there are still some remaining steps，” Brown said.We can learn from the first two paragraphs that ________.
| A．carplanes will be popular in 2011 |
| B．people might drive a carplane in 2011 |
| C．both the Transition and Ferrari can take off and land |
| D．Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts |
It takes the carplane one minute to ________.
| A．fold and unfold its wings |
| B．unfold wings for flying |
| C．land in the airport |
| D．meet flying safety regulations |
According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land.
B．To meet aircraft regulations，the company has been working with FAA.
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes.
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home.The underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the radio |
| B．the transponder |
| C．the GPS |
| D．the fullplane parachute |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Cars with wings may be just around the corner |
| B．Which to choose：a Ferrari or a carplane? |
| C．A more convenient and cheaper way to fly |
| D．Cars with wings can fly as fast as planes |
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Money Matters
Parents should help their children understand money. So you may start talking about money when your child shows and interest in buying things, candy or toys , for example.
1. The basic function of money.
Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing hoe people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have. If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员). When your child grows a bit older and understands the basic function of money, you can start explaining more complex (复杂的) ways of using money .
2. Money lessons
Approach money lessons with openness and honesty.If you must say no to a child’s request to spend money , explain, “you have enough toy trucks for now.” Or, if the request is for many different things, say, “ You have to make a choice between this toy and that toy.”
3.
Begin at the grocery store（杂货店）.Pick out two similar brands of a product—a name-brand butter and a generic (无商标产品)， for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money . If he chooses the cheaper brand, allow him to make another purchase with the money saved. Later, you may explain how the more expensive choice leaves less money for other purchases.
| A．Wise decisions |
| B．The value of money |
| C．Permit the child to choose between them |
| D．Tell your child why he can ---or cannot---have certain things |
E. Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you
F. Talk about how the money bought the think after you leave the toy store
G. The best time to teach a child anything about money is when he shows an interest
Boiler rooms are often dirty and steamy, but this one is clean and cool. Fox Point is a very new47-unit living building in South Bronx, one of the city's poorest areas. Two-thirds of the people living there are formerly (以前) homeless people, whose rent is paid by the government. The rest are low-income families. The boiler room has special equipment, which produces energy for electricity and heat. It reuses heat that would otherwise be lost to the air, reducing carbon emissions(碳排放)while also cutting costs.
Fox Point is operated by Palladia, a group that specializes in providing housing and services to needy, people. Palladia received support from Enterprise Community Partners (ECP), which helps build affordable housing by providing support to housing developers.
ECP has created national standards for healthy, environmentally (环境方面) clever and affordable homes which are called, the Green Communities Standards. These standards include water keeping, energy saving and the use of environmentally friendly building materials. Meeting the standards increases housing construction costs by 2%, which is rapidly paid back by lower running costs. Even the positioning of a window to get most daylight can help save energy.
Michael. Bloomberg, New York's mayor, plans to create 165,000 affordable housing units for500,000 New Yorkers. Almost 80% of New York City's greenhouse-gas emissions come from buildings, and 40% of those are caused, by housing. . So he recently announced that the city's Department of Housing and Preservation and Development (DHPD) , whose duty is to develop and keep the city's supply of affordable housing, will require all its new projects to follow ECP's green standards.
Similar measures have been taken by other cities such as Cleveland and Denver, but New York's DHPD is the largest city developer of affordable housing in the country.What is the purpose of describing the boiler room in the first paragraph?
| A． To explain the measures the city takes to care for poor people. |
| B． To suggest that affordable housing is possible in all areas. |
| C． To show how the environment-friendly building works. |
| D． To compare old and new boiler rooms. |
What is an advantage of the buildings meeting the Green Communities Standards?
| A． Lower running costs. |
| B． Costing less in construction. |
| C． Less air to be lost in hot days. |
| D． Better prices for homeless people. |
It can be learned from the text that,
| A．New York City is seriously polluted |
| B．people's daily life causes many carbon emissions in New York City |
| C．a great number of people in New York City don't have houses to live in |
| D．some other cities have developed more affordable housing than New York City |
What is the main purpose of this text?
| A．To call on people to pay more attention to housing problems. |
| B．To prove that some standards are needed for affordable housing. |
| C．To ask society to help homeless people and low-income families. |
| D．To introduce healthy, environmentally clever-and affordable housing. |