Seth DeBolt is a plant scientist at the University of Kentucky US. He and other scientists wanted to find a source of fuel that poor people in rural areas of developing countries could use to make electricity.
The United Nations Development Program says a billion and a half people have no electricity. A billion others have an undependable supply.
Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural Indonesia. He saw that there was very little waste in the use of agricultural products. Everything that farmers grew was used for something. Even the remains of fruit that people did not eat were fed to chickens.
Little waste meant there was little that could be used for fuel. Growing a separate fuel crop would take land away from food crops. That was something Professor DeBolt did not want to do.
DeBOLT said, "The people at most risk with respect to energy poverty, typically they're the same people who have food insecurity issues as it is. And then any change in availability would be most damaging to that group of people."
But he found one item that was in plentiful supply and would not create competition between food and fuel. Coconut shells are generally thrown out. Yet Professor DeBolt says it has an "excellent" heating value. All someone needs is a way to release that energy.
DeBolt says he and his team see possibilities for coconut power. "Coconuts are growing here and these are the areas where there is possibility for energy poverty to be eased at least in part by these small-scale production systems."
The researchers say these systems could provide as much as thirteen percent of the energy needs of a country like Indonesia. Other tropical countries with large crops of coconuts and similar fruit could benefit, as well.
But DeBolt says this is not a perfect solution. There are technical questions, like how to safely deal with the dangerous waste produced in the process. And there needs to be money to get these projects started.Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural areas of developing countries to .
| A．help farmers make full use of waste |
| B．seek certain materials to make electricity |
| C．persuade farmers to grow more coconuts |
| D．find a suitable place to carry out the experiment |
DeBolt thought it was not a good idea to grow fuel crops because .
| A．there are plenty of coconuts |
| B．local farmers have no interest in it |
| C．it would make food problems worse |
| D．fuel crop has little use for local farmers |
The last two paragraphs mainly tell us that coconut power .
| A．needs further experiments and efforts |
| B．can help solve energy problem perfectly |
| C．will cause technique and money problems |
| D．has drawn Indonesia's government attention |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Make Full Use Of Coconuts | B．Make Power From Coconuts |
| C．A Perfect Solution | D．Food And Energy Problems |
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer. The training I received, though excellent, didn't tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three children. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she couldn't read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.What did the writer do last summer?
| A．She worked in the supermarket. |
| B．She helped someone to learn to read. |
| C．She helped some single mothers. |
| D．She was trained by a literacy volunteer. |
Why didn't Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?
| A．Because she liked to walk to the supermarket. |
| B．Because she didn't have a bus schedule. |
| C．Because she couldn't afford the bus ticket. |
| D．Because she couldn't find the right bus. |
How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?
| A．She knew where the goods were in the supermarket. |
| B．She asked others to take her to the right place. |
| C．She managed to find the goods by their looks. |
| D．She remembered the names of the goods. |
Which of the statements is TRUE about Marie?
| A．She could do many things she had not been able to before. |
| B．She was able to read stories with the help of her son. |
| C．She decided to continue her studies in school. |
| D．She helped to build up my self-confidence. |
When my sister Gina was born, she had a problem with her heart. Her heart was pretty bad in the beginning and she stayed in the hospital for a month. The first few years were very difficult because she was very sick. She had five operations before she was three years old. She had trouble walking, playing with other children, and going to school.
Although Gina couldn’t laugh and talk, we all knew that she just needed love and care. Our parents wanted to take Gina to a special place in Florida. There she could swim with dolphins. Gina was afraid of swimming with them because she had never been around dolphins before. We had also never traveled that far as a family. When we got to Florida, we saw where the dolphins lived. It was a place where kids with special needs like Gina could come and spend time. I thought it was going to be a vacation, but it wasn’t. Gina had to work hard every day for a week.
The trip was amazing. Gina laughed and clapped when she saw the dolphin. The dolphin splashed（溅起水花） when it saw Gina. They swam together all day. Gina was able to move her body more than she normally did at home. Mom and Dad were proud of Gina. I was , too.We know from the text that Gina_________.
| A．experienced five operations in a month |
| B．got along well with other children |
| C．stayed in the hospital before three |
| D．was born with a heart disease |
The author’s family went to Florida to _______.
| A．treat Gina for her illness. |
| B．have a family trip |
| C．see the dolphins |
| D．learn to swim |
How did Gina feel about swimming with dolphins at first?
| A．Excited | B．Frightened | C．Angry | D．Proud |
The text is written to tell us that ________.
| A．Learning to walk is hard work |
| B．dolphins can treat many illnesses |
| C．families should travel together often |
| D．help sometimes comes in unusual forms |
For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica．This winter，they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF)．Bm they didn’t go as scientists．Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist．They went to Antarctica as participants．in the NSF’s Artists and Writers program．The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica．But it also makes it possible for artists，including filmmakers and musicians，to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.
The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn’t new．Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers．Edward Wilson was a British painter，doctor，and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago．Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions．In hundreds of photos，Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers．
Today’s scientists write articles forscientificjournals．Unlike theearly explorers’journals，scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand．Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public．Peter Rejcek is editor，writer，and photographer for the Antarctic Sun，an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U．S．Antarctic Program．Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole．He has returned everyyear since，interviewing，scientists about research at Palmer，McMurdo，and South Pole stations．
There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public．Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal，a children’s book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys．
Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific，historic．and personal. People such as Martin，Surgent，Rejcek，and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can.“Some people are going to be scientists，some people are goingto be journalists，some people are going to be artists，but we can all work together，’saysSurgent,“tocelebrate，thisextraordinary place．”What do we know about the NSF?
| A．It is a government agency． |
| B．It only funds scientists in Antarctica． |
| C．It encourages the understanding of human nature． |
| D．It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time． |
Why didn’t some earliest explorers bring writers along?
| A．Writers were not funded at that time． |
| B．Writing can’t capture the beauty of the continent． |
| C．Writers were not interested in popularizing science． |
| D．Early explorers’journals can be easily understood by the public． |
By mentioning Diane McKnight，the author may try to suggest that_____．
| A．scientists should explain their research to children |
| B．writers are not necessary since scientists can tell stories as well |
| C．telling stories to children is more important than knowing the truth |
| D．no matter what role we play，we can work together to appreciate Antarctica |
What would be the best title for this article?
| A．Antarctica：A Land for All |
| B．The NSF：A Program for All |
| C．Antarctica：A Land of Beauty and Stories |
| D．The NSF：A Program for Artists and Scientists |
The stories we share with one another are important．They show wisdom，andprovide inspiration. They are important to our development. But sometimes people chose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects ofnot sharing a story in the news：People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola．
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told．Bobette Buster said it like this，“The fact is，history hasshown us that stories not toldan become like a dangerous genie(妖怪)leftina bottle．When they are finally uncorked，their power to destroy is set free。”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story：they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages；they require courage and strength toshare；and of course，there are somestories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else．
Most of us have two selves：the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside．And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves，themore damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others．
Honesty and openness is important：It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human．We are not perfect or better．It highlights the importanceof hard work and personal development．Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely．But with hard wonk：we do not have to be restrictedto our mistakes．
Does this mean we admit every weakness，every disadvantage，and every secret regret to everybody we meet?No，of course not．There is a time and a placeand acertain level of relationship necessary for some stories tobe told in all appropriate manner．What’s the functionofthe example in Paragraph 2?
| A．It reflects that people are concerning about the spread of Ebola． |
| B．It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story． |
| C．It proves not sharing a story cancause trouble． |
| D．It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time． |
One of the reasons why people are unwilling to share experiences is that______．
| A．story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work |
| B．people are used to exposing their weaknesses |
| C．people sometimes have no courage to share their stories |
| D．some stories make themselves feel sad |
Which is close in meaning to the underlined word“uncorked”in Paragraph 3?
| A．freed | B．broken | C．unfolded | D．untouched |
The writer aims to convince us to_____________．
| A．be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets |
| B．share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves |
| C．remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories |
| D．realize the importance of being honest when making friends |
CANYOUMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKES?
Every one of us gets so used to punctuation marks that not many of us give them a secondthought．Actually，the ancient Greeks wrote this way．The lack of punctuation marks probably didn’t bother good readers，though．As they read，they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time，sentences switched directions．A sentence read from leftto right．The next one read right to left，and then left to right again，etc．The ancient Romans sometimes punctuatedlike this：They put somethingthat can separate words in a sentence．The wordpunctuationactually comes from this idea andthe Latin word“punctum”which means a lot.
When the 5th century arrived，there were just twopunctuation marks：spaces and points．The spaces separated words while the points showed pauses in reading．Then in the 13th century，a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation．He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence．He used a slash(／)toindicate a short pause．Over time．that slash was shortened and curled，and it became the modern comma(逗号)．
Since that time，other marks have enlarged the punctuation family．The exclamation mark(感叹号)comes from the Latin word“io”．It means “exclamation of joy”.The question mark originally started out as the Latin word“questio”，meaning“question”．Eventually，scholars put it attheend of a sentence to show a question．
Punctuation even keeps changing nowadays．New marks are coming into existence，and old punctuation marks are used in new ways．Take for example the“interrobang”．This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both．For example．“She did what?!”or“How much did you pay for that dress?!”Obviously,the interrobang is not widelyused or recognized yet，but its invention shows that English is not yet finishedwith its punctuation．From the first paragraph，we can know that__________.
| A．good readers had trouble reading without punctuation marks |
| B．a sentence always read from left to right in ancient Greece |
| C．ancient Greeks switched the direction of punctuation marks |
| D．the use of punctuation marks can date back to ancient times |
We can learn from the passage that___________．
| A．ancient Romans didn’t use any punctuation marks |
| B．exclamation and question marks came from Latin |
| C．spaces and slashes were already used before the 5th century |
| D．Aldus Manutiusfast started to use commas |
What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
| A．The combinationoftwo marks will not work. |
| B．It takes time for people to accept new punctuation marks． |
| C．Old punctuation marks need to be standardized． |
| D．Punctuation marks are still changing today． |