The oldest and most common source(来源) of renewaBle energy known to man, Biomass is one of the most important forms energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of Biomass materials is everywhere ---- from trees and grasses to agricultural and city ---- life wastes ----Biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world.
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), Biomass is a kind of renewaBle energy source that produces no carBon dioxide(二氧化碳), Because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is Burned, it gives off the sun's energy. In this way, Biomass serves as a sort of natural Battery(电池) for storing the sun's energy. As long as Biomass is produced continuously ----with only as much grown as is used--- the "Battery" lasts forever.
According to the Energy Information Administration, Biomass has Been one of the leading renewaBle energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up Between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation's total electricity supply. In 2008----although the numBers aren't all in yet----wind power proBaBly took over first place Because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country.
Producing power from Biomass helps reduce some 11 million tons of carBon dioxide each year. Some homeowners also try to make their own heat By using Biomass materials. Such practice may save homeowner's money, But it also produces a lot of pollution. So, the Best way is to encourage power plants to use it.
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Why is Biomass considered as " a sort of natural Battery"?
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| 2． |
We learn from the text that in 2008.
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| 3． |
Why does the author encourage power plants to use Biomass?
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| 4． |
Where does the text proBaBly come from?
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MUMBAI – Indian commandos battled into the early hours of Friday to end a multiple hostage crisis in Mumbai after suspected Islamic militants killed 125 people across the city．
Officials said they had almost totally cleared the luxury Taj Mahal hotel where gunmen had been held up for more than 24 hours．
Indian security forces personnel released hostages from Nariman House in Mumbai．Thirty-nine people were rescued from the five-star Oberoi hotel, where "mopping up（清理火场）" operations were still underway, police said．
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the militants had come from "outside the country．”
The Press Trust of India said one Pakistani militant had been arrested, although Pakistan's government fiercely denied any involvement．
Indian media reports said between six and nine foreign nationals were among the dead in Mumbai -- including a Japanese businessman, an Australian, a Briton , a German and an Italian．
At least five gunmen had been shot dead and one captured, police said．Fourteen security personnel were also killed, including the head of Mumbai's anti-terror squad．
To draw maximum international attention, the militants used small groups to attack a total of about a dozen targets in India's financial hub , including the main railway station, a hospital and a restaurant popular with tourists．
An unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen claimed responsibility, with one gunman telling an Indian TV channel by phone that the outfit（装备）was of Indian origin and motivated by the treatment of Indian Muslims．
Up to 327 people were reported wounded．
The main Bombay Stock Exchange was closed until further notice, as were shops, schools and businesses．
Prime Minister Singh said the aim had clearly been to spread panic by choosing high profile（知名度高的）targets and "indiscriminately（随心所欲地）killing foreigners．"
Witnesses said the gunmen had been very particular in their choice of hotel hostages．"They said they wanted anyone with British and American passports," said one British guest at the Taj Mahal hotel．The following statements are NOT true except ________．
| A．thirty-nine hostages were rescued from the Taj Mahal Hotel |
| B．fourteen gunmen were killed in Nariman House |
| C．the target of the attack was obviously on Britons and Americans |
| D．an American was among the killed foreigners |
The best title of this passage can be _______．
| A．Hostages Released by Indian Commandos |
| B．Mumbai Under Terrorist Attack |
| C．Islamic Militants Attacking Westerners in Mumbai |
| D．Unfortunate Britons and Americans in Mumbai |
China is going green．In order to reduce air pollution and oil-shortages, car makers have announced their plans to develop hybrid（混合燃料）cars for the Chinese market．Toyota’s hybrid car Prius will be ready to drive in China this week．Let’s have a look at the new car.
Any vehicle is a hybrid car when it combines two or more sources of power．Hybrid cars have special engines, which are smaller than traditional gasoline engine．They run at 99 percent of their power when the car is going at a steady speed． A specially designed battery motor provides extra power for running up hills or when extra speed-up is needed．
Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine．The first thing you notice is how much quieter it is than a traditional car．At this point, the car’s gasoline engine is at rest．The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24 kilometers per hour．If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gasoline being used, and no waste gas gives off.
The computer makes the decision about when to use a gas engine, when to go electric, and when to use a combination of the two．If you go over 24 kilometers per hour, when you step on the gas, you are actually telling the computer how fast you want to go.
The electronic motor recharges automatically using a set of batteries．When driving at a high speed, the gasoline engine not only powers the car, but also charges the batteries.
Any time you use the brake, the electric motor will work like a generator（发电机）and produce electricity to recharge the batteries．As a result, the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles.Which of the following pictures can show how the power system of Prius works correctly?（W—Wheel of the car, E.M—electric motor, G.E—gasoline engine, C—computer, B—batteries）
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
What is the most important characteristic of hybrid cars?
| A．They are powered by both a rechargeable battery and gasoline. |
| B．They have smaller engines than traditional gasoline ones. |
| C．They use only 99 percent of their power to run up hills. |
| D．They are much quieter than traditional cars. |
We can know from the report that ___________.
| A．the batteries can be recharged at any time you want |
| B．using the brake suggests that the gasoline engine should work |
| C．the gasoline engine charges the batteries as well as powering the car |
| D．the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles without being recharged |
The author writes this passage mainly to ___________.
| A．announce plans to develop hybrid cars for the Chinese market |
| B．let people know how to save their gasoline when driving a car |
| C．teach people how to drive a hybrid car |
| D．introduce a new kind of “green” car |
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR
Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise, it lowers “bad” Cholesterol (胆固醇) in your blood． It can also raise “good ”cholesterol.
Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, age and smoking.
WHO IS LIPITOR FOR?
Who can take LIPITOR：
· People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise.
· Adults and children over l0.
Who should NOT take LIPITOR：
· Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or may become pregnant．Lipitor may harm your unborn baby．
· Women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby．
· People with liver(肝脏)problems.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR
Serious side effects in a small number of people：
· Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems, including kidney failure.
· Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it．
Call your doctor right away if you have：
· Unexplained muscle pain or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired．
· Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or Swallowing.
· Stomach pain.
Some common side effects of LIPITOR are：
· Muscle pain.
· Upset stomach.
· Changes in some blood tests.
HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR
Do：
· Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor．
· Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor．
· Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food．
· If you miss a dose (一剂), take it as soon as you remember． But if it has been more than
12 hours since you missed dose, wait, Take the next dose at your regular time．
Don’t：
· Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor．
· Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor．
What is the major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. |
| B．To lower "bad" cholesterol． |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. |
| D．To control blood pressure. |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should .
| A．change the amount of your next dose |
| B．eat more when taking your next dose |
| C．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| D．take the next dose at your regular time |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery． |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
| D．To give information about a kind of medicine. |
There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?
| A．American dramas are longer. |
| B．British soap operas are longer. |
| C．American dramas deal with dangerous things. |
| D．British soap operas deal with real people. |
Why do British people like to watch such operas?
| A．They can find their own life from the operas. |
| B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time. |
| C．They can watch the operas for many years. |
| D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas. |
The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．plays |
| B．pages |
| C．issues |
| D．parts |
One characteristic of British operas is that ______.
| A．the characters play the same role for a long time. |
| B．the characters in the play often change |
| C．people don’t know what will happen next |
| D．there is only one or two characters in them |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward． This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed．”
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
● Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
● “Quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.
● Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”
● Over-politeness
“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.
| A．Britons are particular about foods |
| B．Britons are not good at complaining |
| C．Americans usually complain directly |
| D．Americans complain more than Britons |
Which of the following might Margolis agree with?
| A．Britons enjoy talking about their feelings. |
| B．Americans introduce themselves at parties. |
| C．Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties. |
| D．Britons feel happy if treated like close friends. |
The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.
| A．differs greatly from |
| B．increases the quality of |
| C．reduces the strength of |
| D．draws attention away from |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to get on well with westerners. |
| B．How to start conversations with Britons. |
| C．Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior. |
| D．Some American habits that annoy Britons. |
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