With petroleum reserves (石油储量) decreasing，the search is on to replace gas with a
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With petroleum reserves (石油储量) decreasing，the search is on to replace gas with a cleaner，greener alternative.Though much eco－talk has centered on biofuels from corn and soybeans，the biofuel that looks more likely to replace petroleum comes from a most unlikely source：algae (藻类)．
Algae，like corn，soybeans，and other crops，grow via photosynthesis (光合作用) and can be processed into fuel oil.However，they yield 30 times more energy than land crops such as soybeans，according to the U．S.Department of Energy.Many algae species also can grow in saltwater and polluted water－while corn and soy require arable land and fresh water that will be in short supply as the world"s population balloons.
“If you replaced all the diesel (柴油) in the U．S.with soy biodiesel，it would take half the land mass of the U．S.to grow those soybeans，”says Matt Caspari，chief executive of Aurora Biofuels，a Berkeley，Calif.－based private firm that specializes in algae oil technology.On the other hand，the Energy Department says that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States，it would require 15,000 square miles，which is a few thousand miles larger that Maryland (12,407 square miles)，the 42nd state in land area.
Another bonus：Because algae can be grown just about anywhere in a closed space，they "re being tested at several power plants across the nation as a carbon absorber.Smokestack emissions (烟囱排放物) can be pumped directly into the ponds，feeding the algae while keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Although processing technology for algae fuel—also known as “oilgae” in some environmentalist circles—is improving，it"s still years away from reaching your local gas pump.“It"s just a question of cost，because no large－scale facilities have been built yet，” Caspari says.
小题1:The underlined word “yield” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”．| A．control | B．require | | C．produce | D．grow |
小题2:Compared with corn and soybeans，algae ________.| A．may pollute water and soil | | B．can grow in poor conditions | | C．provide much less energy | | D．need more special care |
小题3:According to Paragraph 3，one of the advantages of algae fuel is that ________.| A．it can be used more widely | | B．it is more easy to produce | | C．it needs much less land | | D．it costs much less money |
小题4:What do we learn about algae from Paragraph 4?| A．Algae help protect the environment. | | B．People can grow algae anywhere. | | C．Fish can get more oxygen from algae. | | D．Algae produce less waste. |
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答案
小题1:C
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A |
解析
小题1:C [词义理解题。此处根据这句话的意思可以推断出它们产生的能量比大豆之类的农作物要多30倍。因此答案C正确。]
小题2:答案 B [细节推断题。根据第二段第三句的can grow in saltwater and polluted water和require arable land and fresh water可知，玉米和大豆需要有良好的环境才能生长，而藻类在较差的环境下也能够生长。]
小题3:答案 C [细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句On the other hand...the 42nd state in land area可知，如果藻类燃料全部代替美国的石油燃料，所需土地比马里兰州的面积多一些，而该州面积仅居全美国第42位。联系本段第一句的it would take half the land mass of the U．S. to grow those soybeans可知，生产藻类燃料仅需很少的土地。]
小题4:答案 A [推理判断题。根据第四段第二句Smokestack emissions can...of the atmosphere 可知，烟囱排放物能够直接排入养殖着藻类的池塘，既向藻类提供了养料，又防止了温室气体污染大气。可见，藻类对保护环境有利。] |
举一反三
Scott Langteau has this message for kids：Spend less time playing video games.
It"s a message that many a mom and dad has tried to impress upon many a youngster(and some notsoyoungsters)who spends perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand.
But the 40yearold Langteau isn"t a parent.He"s experienced at video games－one who played producer on three “Medal of Honor” games and cofounded his own game development company.
Langteau has just published a children"s book called“Sofa Boy”，which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controllers held in hand and the rather dire consequences that follow.
It"s a fairy tale picked straight from Langteau"s own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his painful struggle against game addiction.But first，Langteau would like make one thing clear：I"m not saying that you shouldn"t play video games.I think video games are great.I think they do great things for kids.Instead，Langteau says his book is all about a little something called“moderation(克制)”．
“It"s about being well rounded，”he says.“Just like with anything else，we all need to make sure that there"s a variety in what we do.”
Video gamers can be rather badtempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment.And understandably so.After all，most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders－people who don"t play video games and certainly don"t understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment.
But Langteau and“Sofa Boy”seem to be in a unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game masses might actually listen to.After all，this is a man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games.His early experience has taught him a lesson.
小题1:Scott Langteau published “Sofa Boy” to ________.| A．share his great skills on games | | B．warn kids against game addiction | | C．tell about his fairy tale as a kid | | D．deliver a message for games |
小题2:Which of the following is TRUE of the book“Sofa Boy”？| A．The book tells of the writer"s own story. | | B．The book describes an experienced gamer. | | C．The boy in the book wins a medal for games. | | D．The boy in the book is not an addict on games. |
小题3:．We can learn from the passage that ________.| A．Langteau advises the young to play games within limits | | B．Langteau advises the young not to play games | | C．playing video games ruins the future of kids | | D．playing video games is of no benefit to kids |
小题4:．By saying “It"s about being well rounded” Langteau thinks ________.| A．games do great things for kids | | B．gamers are usually fat and round | | C．games should be viewed from all sides | | D．gamers are to blame for their behaviors |
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The Cave of Lascaux
It was Thursday, September 12,1940.Four French teens were out exploring in the woods off the northern slopes of the Pyrenees.Many years before, an old pine tree fell and left a large hole in the ground.The teenagers were curious and they started to explore the area and fell into one of the most important archeological(考古的) finds of the twentieth century!
There are over a hundred limestone(灰岩) caves in this region of France.Some were inhabited by humans thousands and thousands of years ago.Between 15,000 and 17,000 years ago, humans painted lively creatures such as cows, bulls, horses, and even cats on the walls of the caves.
Why did they mark these walls? Was it to tell a story? Was it to record a famous battle? There are many mysteries and ancient secrets still waiting to be discovered in the cave of Lascaux.There were dots in many of the paintings.What do these dots mean? Were they meant to record time, a calendar? Deep in the cave, there is a drawing of a “birdman”．What does this mean? Was it a place for sacred ceremonies? No one knows for sure.
The actual cave of Lascaux was closed in 1963 due to the overabundance of tourists visiting the site.The carbon dioxide that people were breathing out was causing damage to the fragile(易损的) cave paintings.Up till now the Lascaux cave is still closed for tourists.Only a specialist can visit the cave by a special order that must be made out almost a year in advance.Not more than six persons can enter the cave per day.Two days a week, the cave is completely closed.Due to the great interest of numerous tourists, in 1983 Lascaux Ⅱwas opened for tourism.It is an exact replica of the cave of Lascaux.
小题1:The Pyrenees are the __________ in France.| A．mountains | B．forests | | C．rivers | D．caves |
小题2:What does the underlined word “inhabited” in the second paragraph mean?| A．built | B．explored | C．lived in | D．destroyed |
小题3:In the author"s opinion, the cave paintings are __________.| A．old | B．beautiful | | C．easily damaged | D．interesting |
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Going green seems to be a fad(时尚) for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22,2012, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and It also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic(有机的) stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
小题1:What might be the best title for the passage?| A．Going Green | B．Protecting the Planet | | C．Keeping Open-Minded | D．Celebrating Our Green Year |
小题2:It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because .| A．they were expected to follow the green fad | | B．they didn’t know how to educate other people | | C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy | | D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
小题3:What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. | | B．They ignored others’ ungreen behavior. | | C．They chose better chemical cleaners. | | D．They sold their home-made food. |
小题4:What can we infer from the last paragraph?| A．The government will give support to the green project. | | B．The couple may continue their project in the future. | | C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. | | D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |
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Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the word?” Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens — two males and one female — got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person’s actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference.
小题1:These teenagers went on the journey around the world .| A．to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth | | B．to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world | | C．to go on sightseeing around the world | | D．to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute |
小题2:What’s TRUE about their journey?
A. They had to pay for their journey on their own expense.
B, They often had to move from one hotel to another.
C. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information.
D. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.
小题3:It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be .
A. an international university that takes in students from all over the world
B. a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth
C. a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children |
Believe it or not, going to school is not a legal(法定的) requirement in the United States. It
is a legal requirement that all kids be educated, though. When parents believe they can give their kids a better education--- or have other reasons for not wanting to send their kids to a local school --- they may choose home schooling.
However, if a kid hates school, home schooling is probably not the escape he is looking for. Home schooled students can learn just as much as they would in regular school if they and their parents work hard to cover all the subjects and experiences necessary. Parents who home school usually have higher levels of education than parents who do not. They already have the skills to educate themselves about teaching their kids.
Parents who home school have to be able to put the time and skill into not just teaching, but also researching lesson plans and resources(资源). So they have to know how to find the information necessary to teach their kids. State schools often provide home-schooling parents with a curriculum(课程), books and materials and places to meet. Some state schools will point parents to other resources for brushing up on forgotten subjects. Or parents may receive continuing education at local colleges or universities.
小题1:According to American law, _______________. | A．all kids shall go to school | | B．all kids must receive education | | C．home schooling parents shall receive continuing education | | D．state schools must give support to home-schooling parents |
小题2: According to the text, most home-schooling parents________________. | A．are short of money | B．dislike schools | | C．used to work as teachers | D．are well-educated |
小题3: Which of the following is NOT true about parents who home school?| A．They should have enough time. | | B．They should have some skills in teaching. | | C．They must receive special curriculums at the university. | | D．They have to be able to know lesson plans and resources. |
小题4: The underlined phrase “brushing up on” in the last paragraph can best be replaced by _____.| A．reviewing | B．changing | | C．choosing | D．discussing |
小题5: What can be inferred from the text? | A．Home schooled kids learn fewer. | | B．Home schooled kids spend less time studying. | | C．Being a home-schooling parent needs a lot of effort. | | D．Home schooling will replaced school education. |
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