Getting electricity has always been a problem for the 173people living in Nuevo Saposoa,a small village in Peru,South America.However,things went from bad to worse in March 2015after heavy rains damaged the only power cables in the area.The villagers were forced to use oil lamps,which are not only expensive but also dangerous because of the harmful gases they produce.
Luckily,researchers at the University of Technology (UT) in Lima,Peru heard about their problem and found a wonderful solution.They made a lamp that can be powered by plants and soil,both of which can be easily found in the Amazonian rainforest where the village lies.The lamp takes energy from a plant growing in a wooden box and uses it to light up an LED light bulb.
While that may sound amazing and even impossible,the science behind the ides is quite simple.As plants create their food (using the sun's energy,water and chemicals from the soil),they also produce waste which they return to the soil.Tiny animals in the soil eat this waste and they produce electrons﹣the building blocks of electrical energy.The UT team put special sticks inside the soil to capture the energy and keep it in the lamp's batteries for later use.The researchers say a single charge can power a 50﹣watt Led light for two hours﹣enough time for local villagers to get their evening work done.
The university gave ten Plant Lamps to the villagers of Nuevo Saposoa in October 2015.So far,they have been a huge success!Elmer Ramirez,the UT professor who invented the lamp,believes the Plant Lamp could help improve the lives of many people,especially small rainforest communities,42% of whom have no electricity.
(1)What are the problems of oil lamps according to Paragraph 1?
A. |
They are difficult to use and create pollution |
B. |
They are expensive to buy and easily damaged |
C. |
They are difficult to repair and produce little light |
D. |
They are expensive to use and can be bad for health |
(2)The electricity made by the Plant Lamp comes from .
A. |
plant food |
B. |
plant waste |
C. |
the soil's heat |
D. |
the sun's energy |
(3)What is true about the Plant Lamp?
A. |
It can be made by local people |
B. |
It is much easier to use than oil lamps |
C. |
It can produce all the electricity the village need |
D. |
The things it needs to make electricity are easy to find |
(4)The Plant Lamp's inventor believes it could be most helpful for .
A. |
rainforest communities |
B. |
cars |
C. |
poor people in cities |
D. |
farmers |
(5)What is the purpose of the passage?
A. |
To report on a new invention |
B. |
To explain a new scientific theory |
C. |
To describe how electricity is made |
D. |
To discuss the problems of poor villages. |
五位年轻人打算暑假期间去国外旅行。请仔细阅读第1~5题中对他们的描述,从A—F中选出符合各自要求的国家(其中一项为多余选项)。 Tony is a sports fan. He likes studying, too. This summer, he would like to visit a place where he can enjoy sports.
Judy lives in high mountains. So she would most like to see the sea and enjoy water sports. And she hopes to go to a country where she can eat different kinds of fresh fruits.
Sam likes places where the people are friendly. He loves to make friends with people who are from different countries. And he hopes to live comfortably there and have a good rest.
Lisa loves animals a lot. She is always trying to do something to protect animals. So she hopes to go somewhere she can have fun staying with the animals she has hardly seen before.
Ron is interested in collecting different things. He would like to go somewhere he can find some new collections. At the same time, he loves to eat something sweet.
A.Brazil is the land of soccer. The people are really friendly. Most of them are good at sports. And the 31st Olympic Games will be held there in 2016. |
B.Canada is one of the best places to live in the world with fresh air. Canadians are gentle and friendly. You can always see lots of foreigners there. |
C.Australia is the land of rare animals such as koalas and kangaroos. And the best wool is produced there. It’s a good idea to enjoy operas in Sydney. |
D.Britain is well-known around the world. However, do you know it’s famous for lots of churches and museums? People can learn a lot there. |
E. Switzerland is the land of watches. Of course, the people there are serious about being on time. Besides these, the country is famous for its sweet food, like chocolates.
F. Thailand lies to the south of China. It grows all kinds of tropical( 热带的) fruits. It has many lovely beaches and it’s famous for elephants.
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a food additive (食品添加剂), which has been widely used by many food factories all over the world since it appeared first in Japan in 1909.
MSG is a substance that is added to some food to improve its original (原先的) taste and colour. It is used in foods around the world such as cakes, bread, frozen meats, fish and vegetables. In the beginning, people thought MSG was safe just like salt and sugar. However, in 1968 some people reported they seemed to have bad reactions (反应) to MSG after having had a meal at a restaurant. They included headaches and quick heartbeat (心跳). It was also reported that MSG excited a person's brain and caused his death in Japan. Scientists think that MSG may lead to many neurological disorders (神经紊乱). In mice studies done by a university, the evidence showed the mice didn’t want to eat the food including MSG.
Today many food companies “hide” MSG on food labels (标签) by using different names. If you see “natural flavorings”, “hydrolyzed protein” and “spices” in a food label, you are probably seeing a hidden way to “report” MSG in a food label. Every time we have a meal in a restaurant, we always feel the food very delicious to taste, but sometimes it is dangerous for our health because some poisonous food additives have been added to the food.
To protect people’s health, our governments, from central to local, are taking actions to stop factories producing poisonous food additives. Monosodium Glutamate is _______.
A.a food | B.an additive |
C.a factory | D.a country |
MSG is often used in _______.
A.frozen meats | B.cups |
C.clothes | D.book covers |
The examples in the second paragraph tell us ________.
A.the food including MSG is delicious |
B.people like to eat in a restaurant |
C.mice like eating the food including MSG |
D.MSG is not safe sometimes |
If you see “natural flavorings”, “hydrolyzed protein” and “spices” in a food label, you will know________.
A.you must eat the food in a hidden way |
B.the food label must be hidden |
C.MSG is probably added to the food |
D.you must report the food to your parents |
The underlined word “substance” in the article means __________.
A.colour | B.material | C.taste | D.Food |
Sheep always follow each other and never really think about where they are going. Perhaps fashion makes us into “sheep”. Maybe we should find our own way and not follow the crowd. Everyone wants to wear top brand clothing. However, we should remember that clothes designers(设计师) study what ordinary people wear on the street. Then they make clothes like ordinary people’s for everyone. Therefore, fashion really starts with individual(个人的) finding a new look. Then a company uses that look and then it becomes fashionable! That doesn’t mean you will. That is to say, a model might look perfect in a shirt but that doesn’t mean you will.
The same goes for mobile phones. Young people are always asking me when to change my mobile phones. Mobile phone companies are always putting new functions on their phones but do we really need all these extra functions? I use my phone to call people and to send messages to my friends. I don’t need a camera, Internet surfing or a calendar on my phone. Again, if you buy the latest phone, it will only be the latest phone for a month or so. Then something new will come out and you’ll be unfashionable again. You can’t keep up with fashion all the time, so you don’t need to follow the fashion. The underlined word “sheep” means”________.”
A.a kind of animal which is white |
B.people who always follow the fashion |
C.honest people who want to be fashionable |
D.black sheep which break laws |
Clothes designers study what you wear on the street because______________.
A.they want to design fashion clothes |
B.they like your clothes |
C.they want to buy the clothes you wear |
D.your clothes are ugly |
If you have a model’s clothes on, you________
A.are sure to be beautiful | B.will become a model |
C.will be smarter | D.may not look perfect |
The passage is written mainly to _________.
A.explain what sheep are |
B.tell us to buy new mobile phones |
C.tell us not to be “sheep” |
D.tell students not to care about the clothes |
What can we infer from the article?
A.Sheep which are out of date have been killed. |
B.The writer is a person who always follows the fashion. |
C.Fashion only exists among those fashion models. |
D.Fashion changes so quickly that we can hardly keep up with it. |
On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway (快车道). He looked to be in his late 40s but was probably a lot younger. He had shoulder length straight black hair and a short beard.
Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, while coming off the ramp (坡道). So did he. Sometimes the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, “I’m blessed!”
Then one day I was called into my boss’s office and was told that I was being laid off. For the rest of that day all I could think of was “how am I going to provide for my kids as a mother, how am I going to pay rent?”
Needless to say that on my way home that day I was very sad and upset. I didn’t remember to look for my spare change and keep it ready like I usually did. Yet there he was as always, as I turned the ramp. He set his eyes on me, while still smiling and waving at others as usual.
While I was waiting for the red light to turn, he strolled (闲逛) over to my car. He had a big smile. He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, “Today I will give you a dollar.” He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.
You see that day he taught me a valuable lesson more than a dollar bill. No matter what material things are taken from you, no one can take away your choice to be joyful. Every time I’m faced with challenges, I think of the homeless man’s valuable lesson and remember that I am blessed. The writer would have a short conversation with the homeless man when .
A.she waited for the red light to turn |
B.she gave spare change to him |
C.she had a good time that day |
D.she wanted to know how he lived |
Why did the writer feel sad and upset after out of the boss’s office?
A.Because she was criticized by the boss. |
B.Because a new job was offered to her. |
C.Because she was laid off by the boss. |
D.Because there was something wrong with her job. |
What is NOT true about the homeless man from the passage?
A.He would be seen at the exit of the freeway. |
B.He usually smiled and waved at others. |
C.He had a deep impression on the writer. |
D.He felt joyful only when money was offered to him. |
The homeless man gave the writer a dollar because .
A.he had collected a lot of money | B.he wanted to pay back her |
C.he knew what she experienced | D.he wanted her to be happy |
The writer learned from the story that .
A.a dollar bill will be enough to make you happy |
B.each of us has been blessed all the time |
C.whenever it is, we should choose to help others |
D.it is more than money that brings us happiness |
Many people have great difficulty in saying goodbye. But from goodbye moments, we can always learn something.
Once, I overheard (无意中听到) a father and daughter in their goodbye moment. The father said, “I love you, I wish you enough.” The daughter answered, “Daddy, our life together has been more than enough. Your lover is all that I need. I wish you enough, too, Daddy.”
They kissed and she left …
The father walked over towards me. I could see he wanted and needed a cry. He came over to me and asked, “Did you ever say a forever goodbye to someone?” Before I could answer, he went on, “ I am old and she lives much too far away. I know her next trip back would be for my funeral (葬礼).”
“When you were saying goodbye I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ May I ask what that means?”
He began to smile , “It’s a wish that has come down from my great-great-grandparents. And my parents used to say it to me.”
He stopped for a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it. He smiled even more.
“When we said‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life full of enough good things.”
Then, turning towards me, he shared (分享) the following “wish” from his heart.
I wish you enough sun to keep you bright .
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep you alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
My friends, I wish you enough.Many people would find it difficult ___________.
A.to say goodbye | B.to overhear others |
C.to share their wishes | D.to live too far away |
How did the father get the “wish”?
A.The writer wrote it for him. |
B.His parents passed it down to him. |
C.The teacher taught him at school. |
D.His daughter told him about it. |
From the passage, we may learn _______.
A.the daughter didn’t understand his father |
B.the old man didn’t want to see his daughter |
C.the writer knew the old man very well |
D.the father and daughter loved each other so much |
The best title of the passage may be “________.”
A.Father and Daughter | B.A Difficult Moment |
C.Wish You Enough | D.A Trip Back Home |