Chicken feathers are useful, and not just to a chicken. Some go into pillows, coats and other products. But countless chicken feathers go to waste.
In the United States, billions of chickens are produced yearly. Most of their feathers are thrown away.
But instead of being buried in land, some feathers could find a future in plastics（塑料）.
One of the products they have developed is a flowerpot（花盆）. It may look like other flowerpots. But the container breaks down in the earth within one to five years. And as it breaks down, it naturally becomes nutrient（营养物） in the soil.
The environmentally friendly flowerpot is the work of two researchers. Walter Schmidt is with the Agricultural Research Service, part of the United States Agriculture Department. Masud Huda is with the Horticultural Research Institute, a private（私人） organization（组织）.
Walter Schmidt has been working to find uses for chicken feathers since the 1990s. Progress in 2002 showed that plastic made from feathers could be formed like other plastics.
He says feathers are much stronger and last（持续） longer than another plant material. "Feathers are stronger. By design, feathers are also more durable（耐用的）. And the other part about it is if feathers were twice as heavy, or half as strong, then birds couldn't fly."
He points out that traditional flowerpots made from other plastics can last much longer. But he wonders if there is really a need. He says most flowerpots are never re-used.
"Why would you want a plastic that you use for a year to last for two hundred years? It makes no sense. You want to match the product with the use." said Walter Schmidt.
Walter Schmidt and Masud Huda are now adding another chicken product to their flowerpots -- chicken waste. The waste will add more nutrients to the soil as the pot breaks down. The scientists say they hope their flowerpot will be on the market in a year or two.What do people mainly deal with feathers?
| A．Feathers are used to make pillows, coats and other products. |
| B．Most feathers are paid no attention to. |
| C．Most feathers are used as nutrient |
| D．Most feathers are used to make flowerpots |
What’s the advantage of the flowerpots?
| A．They won’t last long. | B．They can’t break |
| C．They are environmentally friendly | D．They can be reused |
What does Walter Schmidt think of traditional flowerpots?
| A．Too heavy | B．Too old |
| C．Never re-used | D．lasting longer but unnecessary |
What do you think is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Chicken and its feathers | B．How to deal with feathers |
| C．feathers made into flowerpot | D．New flowerpots |
A new study suggests that the way to weight loss may be clear.A couple of glasses of water before meals help dieters lose about 5 pounds more than those who do not drink water.While drinking water before a meal may fill a person up，the contents of their meal are important as well.Should a person be eating a low－fat diet or a lowcarbohydrate (低糖的) diet? Or does it matter at all?
Recent research suggests that one diet isn’t any better than the other.A few weeks before the water study，another concluded that lowfat and lowcarbohydrate diets tied in weight loss.While the lowcarbohydrate dieters did show a slight increase in good cholesterol (胆固醇) and a reduction in blood pressure，there was not much difference in the dieters’weight loss.The point here is that the person had to stick to the diet.What helps a person see a diet through? It could be body type.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association，as reported by Timemagazine，found that body shape is the key to which diet a person will be able to stick with.Apples are people who carry most of their weight above the belt，while pears carry their weight around their hips (臀部)．Apple types were more likely to be highinsulin secretors (高胰岛素分泌者) who respond more strongly to carbohydrates in their bodies.They lost the most weight on a lowcarbohydrate diet.Pears were lowinsulin secretors who lost the same amount of weight on both diets.Unstable (不稳定的) insulin levels can create stronger hunger senses，causing the apple types to go off their diet plans.
All of these studies again come down to choosing the diet that helps you eat less.The bodytype diet does make some sense as men are more likely to be apple types，with larger stomachs，and tend to do well on higherprotein diets，while women，who tend to carry weight around their hips，find themselves drawn to the lowfat diets.The reality is if a diet is failing you try another one.A plan you can’t，or won’t，stick to will never work，no matter what the research says.If you want to lose weight but don’t know what diet suits you，you can always ________.
| A．drink a few cups of water after each meal |
| B．drink a few cups of water before each meal |
| C．eat plenty of pears |
| D．eat plenty of apples |
Compared with a lowcarbohydrate dieter，a lowfat dieter may ________.
| A．lose weight faster |
| B．put on weight faster |
| C．have less good cholesterol |
| D．have a lower blood pressure |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Women on highprotein diets usually do well in weight loss. |
| B．Men on highcarbohydrate diets usually do well in weight loss. |
| C．Men usually like eating apples while women mostly enjoy pears. |
| D．Whether a person can stick with a diet depends largely on his or her body shape. |
In the author’s opinion，________.
| A．men don’t get hungry as easily as women |
| B．apple types work better than pear types in weight loss |
| C．the result of the recent research is not of much value |
| D．strong will as well as proper methods is the key to weight loss |
Many years ago，when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver，I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas.I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City，where I was planning to stop and visit a friend.While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台)，I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took_off，but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car.I stopped and wondered what I should do.A car pulled up behind me.It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station.They said they would take me to my friend’s.We chatted on the way into the city，and when I got out of the car，the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thankyou note for helping me.Soon afterward，I received a Christmas present from them.Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later，I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning.In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day，and the battery(电池) was dead.Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars —was right next door.I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford？”I asked and explained my trouble.They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it.They would accept no payment，so when I got home，I wrote them a note to say thanks.I received a letter back from one of the salesmen.No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you，and it meant a lot，he said.
“Thank you”－two powerful words.They’re easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City ________.
| A．to visit a friend |
| B．to see his parents |
| C．to pay at the cash register |
| D．to have more gas for his car |
The underlined words “took off” underlined in Paragraph 2 mean “________”．
| A．turned off | B．moved off |
| C．put up | D．set up |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because ________.
| A．something went wrong with the lights |
| B．the meeting lasted a whole day |
| C．he forgot to turn off the lights |
| D．he drove too long a distance |
By telling his own experiences，the author tries to show ________.
| A．how to write a thankyou letter |
| B．how to deal with car problems |
| C．the kindheartedness of older people |
| D．the importance of expressing thanks |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nick names.Some people called him Bagamo.They said his mouth looked like a large bag，Musicians often called him Pops，as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans，he grew up poor，but lived among great musicians.Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth.Armstrong often said，“Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home.In his late teens，Armstrong began to live the life of a musician.He played in parades，clubs，and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River.At that time，New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians.Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago.There，the tale of Louis Armstrong begins.From then until the end of his life，Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went.Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say，“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the bestknown and most admired people in the world.His death，on July 6,1971，was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he ________.
| A．looked like a musician |
| B．was a musician of much influence |
| C．showed an interest in music |
| D．traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed ________.
| A．by space | B．by examples |
| C．by time | D．by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. |
| B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．His music was popular with his listeners. |
| D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music |
| B．The Father of the Jazz Style |
| C．The Making of a Musician |
| D．The Spread of Popular Music |
There ’re eight countries waiting to join the European Union.Croatia and Turkey started talks on 3 October 2005.Turkey could complete them in 15 years，Croatia by 2011.The other Balkan Countries have been told they can join the EU one day，if they meet the standards.
Albania isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.It applied (申请) to become an EU member on 28 April 2009.The European Commission (委员会) has agreed to allow Albanians to travel freely within the EU.In December 2009 the EU said the rule of law and the fight against organized crime were still the “big problems” for Albania.
The EU and Albania reached the SAA (稳定和联合协议)，seen as the first step towards becoming a member，in June 2006.The talks took threeandahalf years，three times longer than those between the EU and Croatia.This is because the EU thought Albania was moving too slowly in its fight against organized crime.The EU also has doubts about Albania’s energy department，which suffers from bad supplies.
BosniaHerzegovina isn’t expected to join the EU until 2015 at the earliest.More than ten years after the 1992～1995 war，it signed an SAA with the EU in June 2008.The EU was satisfied with progress in four important areas，including public broadcasting (广播)．But in December 2009 the EU asked strongly for some other changes, and worried about the country’s future.
Iceland is the latest country to want to become an EU member.It applied in July 2009 and the talks began in July 2010.But progress will depend on whether Iceland can deal with a longrunning problem with the UK and the Netherlands.But some Icelanders think they would be better off outside the EU，fearing the EU’s effect on their traditional fishing.Which of the following countries is expected to join the EU the earliest?
| A．Turkey. | B．Albania. |
| C．Croatia. | D．BosniaHerzegovina. |
What may prevent BosniaHerzegovina from becoming an EU member?
| A．Its large population. |
| B．Its energy department. |
| C．Its organized crime. |
| D．Its worrying future. |
Why don’t some Icelanders want their country to become an EU member?
| A．They are worried about their fishing. |
| B．They are worried about relations with the UK. |
| C．They are afraid they will lose a lot of job opportunities. |
| D．They are afraid their country won’t be independent. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．EU enlargement: The next eight |
| B．The last eight countries that joined EU |
| C．The relationships among EU countries |
| D．Economic development of EU countries |
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a popular saying in the United States. Other countries have similar sayings. It is true that all of us need recreation. We cannot work all the time if we are going to keep good health and enjoy life.
Everyone has his own way of relaxing. Perhaps the most popular way is to take part in sports. there are team sports, such as baseball, basketball, and football. There are individual sports, also, such as golf and swimming. In addition hiking, fishing, skiing, and mountain climbing have a great attraction for people who like to be outdoors.
Not everyone who enjoys sports events likes to take part in them. Many people prefer to be onlookers, either watching them on television, or listening to them on the radio. When there is an important baseball game or boxing match it is almost impossible to get tickets; everyone wants to attend.
Chess, card-playing, and dancing are forms of indoor recreation enjoyed by many people. It doesn’t matter whether we play a fast game of ping-pong, concentrate over the bridge table, or go walking through the woods on a brisk autumn afternoon. It is important for every one to relax from time to time and enjoy some form of recreation.The underlined word “recreation”(paragraph 1)here means_______.
| A．walking and climbing |
| B．form of play or amusement |
| C．creating something |
| D．joy and happiness |
according to the passage, perhaps the followings are our ordinary ways of relaxation for common people except______.
| A．listening to music | B．playing card |
| C．going out for fishing | D．boxing match |
Which of the following statements is TRUE to the passage?
| A．The popular British saying mentioned in the passage has familiar doing in other countries. |
| B．All of us need recreation in our lives if we cannot work all the time. |
| C．Sometimes those who enjoy sports events like to take part in them, too. |
| D．It is almost impossible for everyone who wants to watch an important baseball to get a ticket. |
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