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City officials are hoping to use the power of dog droppings. San Franciscans already recycle more than 60% of their dogs’ droppings, but in this dog-friendly town, such wastes make up nearly 4% of residential waste, or 6,500 tons a year.
Within the next few months, Norcal Waste, a company that collects San Francisco’s wastes, will begin a trial program under which it uses biodegradable (生物分解的) bags and dog-waste carts to pick up droppings at a popular dog park.
The droppings will be thrown into a machine called a methane digester (沼气处理机), which is basically a tank in which bacteria feed on droppings for weeks to create methane gas.
The methane could then be piped directly to a gas stove, a steam heater, an air turbine or anything else powered by natural gas. It can also be used to produce electricity.
Someone doubts whether this plan is practical. But Norcal Waste spokesman, Robert Reed points to San Francisco’s creative food composting (混合肥料) program, which began 10 years ago. It is a proof that an unusual idea can work in this forward-thinking city. Norcal Waste collects 300 tons of food left over after meals per day from homes and restaurants and changes it into a rich fertilizer sold to grape farms and organic farms.
Methane digesters are nothing new. The technology was introduced in Europe about 20 years ago, and more than 600 farm-based digesters are in operation there. Nine are in use on California cow farms, and chicken and pig farms elsewhere in the United States also use them.
“The main obstacle is probably getting communities around the country the courage to collect dog droppings, to give value to something we’d rather not talk about,” Brinton, a recycling and composting consultant, said. “San Francisco is probably the king of pet cities. This could be an advantage of it, which is very important.”
Some other experts believe energy production from dog droppings must become more attractive economically before it gets popular. Landfill space is relatively cheap, and natural gas and electricity also remain fairly inexpensive. However, Reed said confidently, “Now, the city authorities asked us to look at dog waste specifically.”
61. How many dogs’ droppings can be recycled at present per year in San Francisco?
A. About 6,500 tons. B. About 169,000 tons.
C. About 260 tons. D. About 3,900 tons.
62. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. there are many pets that are treated well in San Francisco
B. Norcal Waste is a company of refuse (垃圾) treatment, which collects dog wastes only
C. most of the farms in Europe use Methane digesters
D. Brinton doesn’t feel optimistic about the collection of dog droppings in San Francisco
63. The underlined word “obstacle” in Paragraph 7 most probably means .
A. interest B. effect C. difficulty D. purpose
64. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. San Francisco is a city full of innovation.
B. Dog droppings can be changed into methane gas in several days.
C. It is the first time to utilize animal waste in San Francisco.
D. Utilizing dog droppings presently is more economical than the landfill.
65. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
A. Animal wastes collection by Norcal Waste
B. Changing dog droppings into energy
C. Methane digester technology in San Francisco
D. A dog droppings composting program
I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I
hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a c
ure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the impor
tance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes
such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?
| A．Famous people are selfish to start work for themselves. |
| B．Doing meaningful work requires our interest in it. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher in learning. |
| D．Honesty makes for the greatest people. |
When you downplay the value of your work, you tend to think it is ______.
| A．quite different | B．very successful | C．not meaningful | D．less important |
According to the passage, what meaningful job does the writer advise us to take?
| A．The one which is popular in society. | B．The one which brings you profits. |
| C．The one which wins you fame. | D．The one which interests you. |
The article is intended to ________.
| A．explain what is the most important in changing one’s job |
| B．advise taking an immediate action to find meaningful work |
| C．suggest we should show confidence and talent in work |
| D．tell us the problem that the author’s client met |
There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do.
In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are strictly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers.This is 
true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms of skill, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their insistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the US, China,Japan and among the Arctic peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and ways of life because toys reflect their surroundings.Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been affected by technological quick development that characterize inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the ox-cart to the automobile is a direct line of ahievement. The progress from a rattle(拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000 BC to one used by a baby today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of times and subject to the limtations of available 
materials.The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that_________.
| A．their social roles are strictly determined |
| B．most boys would like to follow their fathers’ professions |
| C．boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers |
| D．they like challenging activities |
Which of the following is the author’s view on the historical development of toys？
A．The making skills in toys has remained essentially uncha nged. |
| B．Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries. |
| C．The toy industry has witnessed great improvement in technology in recent years. |
| D．Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child’s character. |
Regarded as a kind of art form, toys________.
| A．follow a direct line of achievement |
| B．also appeal greatly to adults |
| C．are not characterized by technological progress |
| D．reflect the pace of social progress |
The author uses the example of a rattle to show that________.
| A．in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials |
| B．even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology |
C．it often ta kes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making |
| D．even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time |
In only two decades Asian Am
ericans have become the fastest-growing US minority. As their children began moving up through the nation’s schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was forming. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the US with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English.They are also influenced by the promises of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe the
re is something in Asian culture that causes success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social separation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.While making great achievements at college, Asian-American students ________.
| A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| B．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| C．still worry about unfair treatment in academic areas |
| D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents |
What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．Solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture. |
| B．Hard work and intelligence. |
| C．Hard work and a limited knowledge of English. |
| D．Asian culture and the American educational system. |
Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because_________.
| A．their English is not good enough |
| B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas |
| C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures |
| D．they know little about American culture and society |
The author’s tone in this passage is __________.
| A．sympathetic | B．doubtful | C．critical | D．objective |
The small coastal town of Broome, in northwest Australia, is a remote village in the vast countryside.
There are no traffic jams and hardly any roads. There is only the massive Australian wild land, where some houses are 500 miles apart and some driveways are 50 miles long.
There seem to be only two main sources of entertainment out here: the sunset at the beach and Sun Pictures.
Sun Pictures is a very different movie theater：The seats are park benches and deck chairs, but you’re also welcome to sit on the grass.
It is the world’s oldest outdoor movie garden. Sun Pictures was built in 1916 on the other side of the globe from Hollywood. All the big films were shipped here and the lonely country was amazed.
Broome resident Pearl Hamaguchi has never traveled far from home. But in the Sun Pictures chairs, under the deep blue night sky, she has been almost everywhere.
“And we came back excited about Gregory Peck,” she recalled.
This is one of the few places left in the world where you can see two sets of stars at the same time-----one set in the sky, the other in the film.
Each night, dozens of people from around the world line up at the old wooden stand, with no computer in sight, and buy their tickets to the latest films.
Sun Pictures is also a museum, exhibiting projectors(放映机) that date back to the silent films, a portrait gallery of the famous people who never knew about this place---- even though they came here all the time.
Every once in a while, I’m told, you might find a non-ticket holder in your
seat. That’s why it’s always a good idea to shake out your chair to make sure there are no spiders or scorpions.
“We’ve only had a couple of scorpion incidents but no one’s been stung yet,” said Aaron Mestemaker, a tourist visi
ting from Michigan.
Sun Pictures is a holy hall of movie history and a reminder that air conditioning and carpet are no match for grass and fresh air---even when the lizards steal the scene. The first two paragraphs want to show that__________.
| A．living in Broome is inconvenient | B．the life in Broome is boring |
| C．few people like to live in Broome | D．Broome is simple but vast |
Sun Pictures is different from other theaters because _________.
| A．it is the most historical outdoor theater in the world |
| B．the audience can either sit on chairs or on the grass |
| C．it was built by some constructor from Hollywood |
| D．all the films were imported here from Hollywood |
Gregory Peck is most probably the name of_________.
| A．a place | B．a film | C．a movie star | D．a country fellow |
It can be inferred that the tourists in Broome are most attracted by ________.
| A．its peacefulness | B．its beautiful sunset |
| C．the Sun Pictures | D．the gallery of mo vie stars |
Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.
____ Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.
Allow them to study in blocks of time，such as for half an hour with a five-minute break in the middle.____ Ideal (理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.
Never allow your children to study in front of the television，as that will encourage passive activity.____
You’ll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you’ve set up a good study time for little learners，set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing.
____ Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.
___ This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.
| A．Pick a place where your children can study properly. |
| B．Hold them to the schedule (时间表) they create for themselves. |
| C．Finally, spend time with your kids when they're studying. |
| D．Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement，too. |
E. Instead，use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.
F. Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.
G. One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.
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