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Across countryside, non-food crops are growing alongside wheat.Some are used in new alternatives to plastics and other materials, but others will simply be burned.
Burning crops is becoming more popular because it is good for the planet.Doing so is also cheaper than burning fossil fuels.As more land is devoted to non-food crop production, the economics of crops for fuel are likely to become even more favorable.
Humans have been burning such biomass—organic materials from plants or animals— since they discovered fire.But that burning fossil fuels could have catastrophic consequences has brought biomass back into fashion.
Even allowing for emissions (排放) of carbon dioxide from fuel used in planting, harvesting, processing and transporting biomass fuel, replacing fossil fuel with biomass can typically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent.
Power stations around the world are experimenting with forms of biomass to add to their coal or oil, with encouraging results.Indeed, power companies could profit by turning to biomass, especially when the subsidies (补助) many governments offer for using renewable energy are taken into account.
Farmers can benefit from growing biomass.In Europe, the reduction of subsidies for certain crops is exposing farmers to market forces.Instead of being paid for whatever they produce, farmers must seek a clear demand for their product.Many believe that the demand for alternatives to fossil fuels could be just such a driver.
But while biomass offers a variety of potential alternatives, the world's infrastructure (基础设施) has developed around burning fossil fuels to such a stage that switching to biomass involves a change in conception that many companies have not accepted.
Also, there are problems with using biomass.Although most coal-fired power stations could take a small amount of their fuel from biomass without significant adjustment, few are built to run on biomass alone.Burning some forms of biomass also causes environmental problems.Oils and waste can be smelly, while wood produces smoke unless burned properly.
The supply chains for fossil fuels are set up well, but those for biomass are just the beginning. Sources of supply for biomass rely on farm production and can therefore be less reliable. They are necessarily limited and it wouldn't make sense to turn a very large amount of valuable agricultural land away from food crops.But as the world adjusts to the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, these problems may receive more attention.
What do we know about biomass?

A.It is a useful way of burning crops.
B.It is plant and animal matter used to provide power.
C.It is a new alternative to be used widely.
D.It is a popular approach to fighting against pollution.

What are the advantages of using biomass?
a.It gives off less greenhouse gases.
b.It helps farmers receive subsidies for what they produce.
c.It has met the clear demand for energy.
d.It has brought subsidies for some power companies.
e.It is cheaper than burning fossil fuels.

A.a, b, c B.b, c, d C.c, d, e D.a, d, e

For coal-fired power stations, ______.

A.more effective ways to use biomass have been tried
B.using renewable energy has become their daily task
C.burning biomass alone would require considerable changes
D.setting up dependable supply channels needs governments' support

What is the author's attitude towards biomass fuels?

A.Defensive. B.Doubtful. C.Negative. D.Objective
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
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There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things. Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend (hurt) many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing(批评) and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation(模仿). It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors(拥有者). The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend(冒犯) many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact(接触) with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.
People who are unhappy________.

A.always consider things differently from others
B.usually are affected by the results of certain things
C.always discover the unpleasant side of certain things
D.usually misunderstand what others think or say

The underlined phrase “sour the pleasure of society” most nearly means________.

A.make others unhappy B.have a good taste with social life
C.tend to scold others openly D.enjoy the pleasure of life

We can conclude (推断) from the second paragraph that________.

A.we should pity all such unhappy people
B.people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
C.such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
D.unhappy people can not understand happy persons

In this passage, the writer mainly________.

A.describes two types of people
B.suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habit of unhappiness
C.laughs at the unhappy people
D.tells people how to be happy in life

We were driving on the right road when, all of a sudden, a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver stepped on his brake, skidded(打滑), and missed the black car’s back end by just inches! The driver of the black car, who almost caused a major accident, turned his head angrily and started shouting bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, my taxi driver was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to hospital!” And the following is what my taxi driver told me, which I now call “the law of the Garbage Truck”.
“Many people are like garbage(垃圾) trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump(倾卸)it. And if you let them, they dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish him well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”
So this is “The Law of the Garbage Truck”. I started thinking: How often do I let “Garbage Trucks” run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was then that I said, “I’m not going to do it any more.”
I began to see “Garbage Trucks”. I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my taxi driver, I don’t make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, and move on.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. What about you? The mark of a successful person is how quickly he can get back his focus on what’s important.
Who acted like a garbage truck in the accident described in the first two paragraphs?

A.The author. B.The driver of the black car. C.The taxi driver. D.Both drivers.

The reason why the taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy is that ______.

A.the black car was full of garbage
B.the driver of the black car didn’t cause any damage to the taxi
C.the taxi driver didn’t want his mood ruined
D.the driver of the black car was angry and the taxi driver felt a little frightened

The underlined part “the load” in Paragraph 5 refers to _____.

A.waste materials B.excitement C.new products D.bad mood

What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A.Always be kind and hardworking.
B.Try to be good leaders as well as good parents.
C.Ignore unpleasantness and stick to(坚持) your tasks.
D.Do things quickly so as to be ready for the next.

Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study ,looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year -olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood .But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don’t ride out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人)may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per week night during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school.
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest.
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms
According to the California study, the low-scoring group might ____________ .

A.have had computers in their bedrooms B.not be interested in math
C.be unable to go to college D.have watched a lot of TV

What is the researchers’ understanding of the New Zealand study results?

A.The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain
B.Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest
C.TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds.
D.Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV.

What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A.More time should be spent on computers.
B.TV sets shouldn't be allowed in children’s bedrooms.
C.Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
D.Further studies on high-achieving students should be done

What would be the best title for this text?

A.Computers or Television B.Studies on TV and College Education
C.Effects of Television on Children D.Television and Children’s Learning Habits

It was Monday. Mrs. Smith’s dog was hungry, but there was not any meat in the house. Considering that there was no better way, Mrs. Smith took a piece of paper, and wrote the following words on it “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently, “Take this to the butcher(屠夫), and he’s going to give you your lunch today.” Holding the piece of paper in its mouth, the dog ran to the butcher’s. It gave the paper to the butcher. The butcher read it carefully, recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to. The dog was very happy, and ate the meat up at once. At noon, the dog came to the shop again. It gave the butcher a piece of paper again. After reading it, he gave it half a pound of meat once more. The next day, the dog came again exactly at noon. And as usual, it brought a piece of paper in the mouth. This time, the butcher did not take a look at paper, and gave the dog its meat, for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers(顾客). But, the dog came again at four o’clock. And the same thing happened once again. To the butcher’s more surprise, it came for the third time at six o’clock, and brought with it a third piece of paper. The butcher felt a bit puzzled. He said to himself, “This is a small dog. Why does Mrs. Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper, he found that there were not any words on it!
The little dog went to the butcher’s ________ altogether during the two days.

A.three times B.four times C.five times D.six times

The butcher did not give any meat to the dog __________.
A. before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs. Smith on Monday
B when he found that the words on the paper were not clear
C. because he had sold out all the meat in his shop
D. until he was paid enough by Mrs. Smith
From the story, we can know that the dog was very ___________.

A.honest B.kind C.clever D.foolish

At the end of the story, you’ll find that __________.

A.the dog was clever enough to write on the paper
B.the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more
C.the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog
D.the butcher found himself cheated by the dog

One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister.On this occasion, the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girlfriend.I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children.Later, I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out.I called home with this happy news.But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m.,when the two younger children should have been in bed, and when the two older children should have been answering the phone.“I’ll give him a lesson,” I said. I decided they must be outside.Why they might be outside at 10:30 on a winter night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation, I called his girlfriend’s house. After what seemed like countless rings, his girlfriend answered.“Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone.I was not my usual calm, rational(理智的)self. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers.“Where are the children?” I said.He said they were with him.They had done nothing wrong.My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake.This was too good to be believed. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it.It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents’ home, celebrating my birthday.My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts.Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions.They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.
The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because

A.she knew that her eldest son was a good baby-sitter
B.she thought it no hard work to take care of the younger ones
C.she believed he could do well with his girlfriend’s help
D.she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night

When the author called home that evening, she found that

A.two younger children had already been in bed
B.the children were preparing a birthday gift for her
C.her son was quarrelling with his girlfriend
D.there was no one answering the telephone

What might the children do that evening?

A.They had a birthday party. B.They framed some photographs.
C.They had their pictures taken. D.They made some beautiful clothes.

What does the author intend to tell us by the story?

A.Modern teenagers are not worth trusting.
B.It is no easy job to look after young children.
C.It’s no good to have a girlfriend at an early age.
D.Her children have a caring and tender heart.

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