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, 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.Why is biomass considered as “a sort of natural battery”?
| A．It burns simply plant matter. |
| B．It stores the energy from the sun. |
| C．It keeps producing electricity. |
| D．It produces zero carbon dioxide. |
We learn from the text that in 2008 ______.
| A．0.5~0.9 of power supply came from biomass |
| B．biomass might become the main energy source |
| C．there was a rapid growth of electricity production |
| D．Wind power would be the leader of renewable energy. |
Why does the author encourage power plants to use biomass?
| A．To save money. |
| B．To prevent the waste of energy. |
| C．To reduce pollution. |
| D．To increase production safety. |
Where does the text probably come from?
| A．A book review. | B．A business report. |
| C．A research plan. | D．A science magazine |
| For: Doug Smith, Director of wolf recovery, Yellowstone National Park In the world today there is so much we are losing; more and more species disappear from the earth every year. The time has come to put something back，to restore to treat some of the old wounds enforced on nature over the years. Wolves are animals killing and eating other animals in North America. They play an important role in keeping the continent healthy. Most places don’t have enough wild country to make their restoration possible, which means it’s even more important to restore wolves where conditions are right, places like Yellowstone, which has both a high level of wildness, as well as abundant creatures that wolves hunt and eat for living. Some who oppose wolf restoration have a human centered point of view that the earth is here for humans, we can use it whenever we want and for whatever purpose. But wolves offer us a chance to live another way—a way to learn to live with other life forms. |
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Against: Larry Bouret, Vice President, Wyoming Farm Bureau What does wolf introduction to Yellowstone mean? To the average citizen it probably just means introducing wolves to Yellowstone. There would be no unfavorable effects because few people live near Yellowstone. But to farmers it means introducing wolves, which wander over vast areas—in and out of the park—onto their farms. Wolves eat meat—as in the cattle, sheep that keep farmers in business. Introduction apparently also means lawsuits by environmental groups attempting to remove livestock from federal lands. To farmers, who own private lands in the same area, it means the possibility of financial ruin. To farmers it is a form of land use restrictions. To farmers introducing wolves means taking away the farmers’ livelihoods without just compensation. Why do people not want a nuclear power plant built in their backyard? For the same reason farmers do not want wolves introduced into their backyard. |
What are the two passages mainly about?
| A．Whether to remove livestock away from federal lands. |
| B．Whether to introduce wolves to Yellowstone. |
| C．How to increase the number of wolves. |
| D．How to keep the balance of nature. |
According to the passage Doug Smith is _______.
| A．a national park administrator. |
| B．a wildlife conservationist. |
| C．an enthusiastic hunter. |
| D．a private land owner. |
What are the farmers concerned about?
| A．Being controlled by wolves. |
| B．Having to sell their farmland. |
| C．Suffering heavy financial loss. |
| D．Being forced to leave their homes. |
Why does Larry Bouret mention “nuclear power plant”?
| A．To summarize his opinion. |
| B．To make his view persuasive. |
| C．To tell the danger of nuclear power plant. |
| D．To introduce the background of wolf recovery. |
| Use For Use for mechanically generated dusts, mists from processing minerals including coal, iron ore, silica, cotton, flour and certain other substances in concentrations up to ten times the Occupational Exposure Standard or according to local regulations. Do Not Use For Do not use for paint spraying and sandblasting applications or for protecting against gases and vapors. Do not use in atmospheres containing less than 19.5% oxygen, as this respirator does not supply oxygen. Not for use in oil mist atmosphere. Use Limitations 1. The wearer must first be trained in the proper use and fit tested before using this respirator. 2. Do not use this respirator when concentrations of contaminants are immediately dangerous to life or health. 3. Leave the contaminated area immediately if breathing becomes difficult, or dizziness or other distress occurs. 4. Discard and replace respirator if it becomes damaged or breathing resistance becomes excessive. 5. Inspect respirator before each use to ensure it is in good working condition. 6. Do not alter, wash, abuse or misuse this respirator. 7. Do not use with beards or other facial hair or other conditions that prevent a good seal between the face and the sealing edge of the respirator. 8. Can be used up to the limits specified by applicable government regulations for this product. 9. Failure to follow all instructions and warnings on the use of this respirator and/or failure to wear this respirator during all times of exposure can reduce respirator effectiveness and may result in illness or permanent disability 10. Maximum operating temperature: +50°C. Caution Care should be taken when using the product at low temperatures as excessive moisture may cause alves(呼吸阀) to freeze. Storage Conditions and Shelf Life Shelf life of unopened product is 5 years from date of manufacture when stored within temperature range of -20°C to +30°C and at less than 80% relative humidity. Warning This respirator helps protect against certain particles. Misuse can result in sickness or death. For proper use, see supervisor or user instructions in the box or contact 3M Co. Ltd. |
The passage mainly tells us _________.
| A．what this product is |
| B．why should we buy this product |
| C．how to protect us against dusts and mists |
| D．how to use and store the product properly |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “respirator” in Paragraph 2?
| A．Glasses. |
| B．Face mask. |
| C．Protective gloves. |
| D．Protective clothing. |
In which condition can this product be stored?
| A．Temperature: 50°C; Humidity: 40% |
| B．Temperature: 50°C; Humidity: 80% |
| C．Temperature: 25°C; Humidity: 40% |
| D．Temperature: 25°C; Humidity: 80% |
Head held high, hands firmly gripping her walker, Mary Arnott, 99, walks slowly with dignity through the women’s changing room at the Etobicoke Olympium pool, past the teenage girls who have been blow-drying their hair for half an hour, into the mist of the showers, then out the door and first one into the heated pool. She jumps over to the shallow end, stopping to talk to friends—everyone knows Arnott here; she swims twice a week and treats it as a job—about their children, the viciousness(谬误) of bridge and their health.
In fact, Arnott is an exception to the exception. Not only has she lived 20 years past the average lifespan for Canadians, she’s healthy, her mind is sharp and she lives independently.
Born in Brooklyn on May 28, 1909, Arnott was raised on Staten Island. She survived scarlet fever(猩红热), helped bring up four siblings after her mother died in 1923 and worked as a secretary in New York City for 12 years, earning＄35 a week and a＄150 bonus at Christmas.
Now she’s happy living in a one-room apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom in her daughter’s house. She wears a hearing aid, does the cryptic(有隐义的) crossword with a magnifying glass, and can’t really explain why she has live so well so long.
Until recently, she has still liked to drink red wine—she used to drink two glasses before supper each day. It’s more likely genes, she admits. Her interest in other people and life in general may have had something to do with it. Asked if a star photographer can take her picture at the pool, Arnott seems cheerful.
“I look good in a swimsuit,” she says, nodding her head firmly. “I look better in a swimsuit than I do in pants. ”What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Mary Arnott can’t swim but she likes water. |
| B．Mary Arnott is afraid to swim at the swimming pool. |
| C．Mary Arnott likes to swim and is known to the local people. |
| D．Mary Arnott just likes to talk to her friends at the bank of the swimming pool. |
Which of the following is TRUE as for Mary Arnott as an exception to the exception?
| A．She lives with her daughter. |
| B．She’s healthy and her mind is sharp. |
| C．She likes to live with her children and has a happy life. |
| D．She has lived 30 years past the average lifespan for Canadians. |
If someone asks about swimming, Mary Arnott may ________.
| A．like swimsuit better | B．like pants |
| C．like to sit at the bank | D．like to swim with girls |
Its often interesting to take a look at some of the lists that arrive toward the end of the year such as top devices, best gadgets, most desirable high-tech gift and more. Apart from cell phones and tablets, and Apple and Samsung products, this year many other gadgets made it on the most wanted list from Yahoo Tech and the most searched list from Bing. com. Read on to find out what they are.
Wireless headphone
Portable Bluetooth headphones represent the next evolution in headphone technology. If you have a compatible smartphone with Bluetooth, the obvious benefit is that you can get rid of the wires snaking from your backpack or pocket. Many of the wireless headphones in the market also have a built-in microphone for taking calls hands-free.
Product to buy: Beats Studio Wireless
Features: Signature look, and powerful audio performance with intense bass and high-mid boosting, plus plenty of accessories.
Price: 1898 yuan
Smartwatch
The primary advantage of a smartwatch over traditional watches is that they reduce how often you have to pull your phone out of your pocket. With it, the information on your smartphone goes straight to your wrist, and you can decide first if they are worth dealing with.
Product to buy: Pebble smartwatch
Features: Understated design, with easy setup and instant information, and customizable watch faces, plus synes（同步）with Android or IOS.
Price: $99 (about 612 yuan)
Portable Bluetooth speaker
Bluetooth speakers are steadily growing in popularity because they let you take the party anywhere. They can be paired with your music device, and they are able to withstand incidental bumps. Though small in size, Bluetooth speakers provide a steady soundtrack for even the lengthiest bacchanalia (狂欢)。
Product to buy: Logitech UE Boom
Features: Water and stain resistant, 360-degree sound, 15 hour battery life, with a variety of color patterns.
Price: 1499 yuan
Fitness band
Basically, fitness bands are smartwatches without the watch. They keep track of your exercise progress and, at the same time, allow you to monitor vitals such as your heart rate, calories burned and amount of time spent exercising. Some even monitor your sleep patterns.
Product to buy: Fitbit Flex
Features: Long battery life (five days), with silent vibrating alarm, and wireless syncing to smartphones.
Price: 898 yuanAccording to the first paragraph, a smartphone that __________ is a compatible one.
| A．goes with other devices |
| B．has a large capacity |
| C．represents technological evolution |
| D．has signature look |
How much money is he likely to spend on some of the products if a man is an enthusiastic musical fan?
| A．3397 yuan | B．1510 yuan | C．2397 yuan | D．2510 yuan |
Which of the following words can best summarize the common feature of the above products?
| A．Wearable | B．Cheap | C．Android | D．Wireless |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
| A．Smartwatch and Fitness band are similar products to some extent. |
| B．Beats Studio Wireless features plenty of accessories. |
| C．All the products can sync with Android or iOS |
| D．Tablets are on the most wanted list of high-tech products of this year |
This afternoon, my office sent out over 34,000 e-mail notifications to high school seniors who were waiting to learn whether they would be invited to spend the next four years at Stanford. Even though I have been in the admission field for over 30 years, I still feel the pain of the many exceptional youths who were not offered places.
Given that todays teens already have enough pressure in their lives, I wish to impart (告知) three messages to any particularly disappointed parents.
First, it’s all relative. While the number admitted into the undergraduate (本科的) class has remained unchanged for years, Stanford, like many of its peer (同类的) schools, has had a record number of total applicants more than 42,000. Regardless of arguments over whether too much preference is given to one category over another, thousands of students are going to be turned away, and there is no doubt that the vast majority of them could have met the demands of a Stanford education.
I wish there were a formula (公式) to explain who is accepted and who isn’t, but the decision-making is as much art as it is science. Each class is a symphony with its own distinct composition (乐曲)and sound. The final roster (花名册) is an effort to create harmony (和谐), and that means that some extraordinary bass players don’t get a chair. What’s more, even among my staff (员工) there are legitimate (合理的) differences about applicants.
Second, celebrate the bigger picture. Most of the applications I reviewed are truly remarkable. The transition from high school to college is a turning point, and it’s more important to focus on how a young adult is moving on to a new stage than where that stage happens to be. You should mark the success of your children and rejoice (喜悦) in the excitement that the next four years will bring.
And that leads to my final point: education is what a student makes of it. Of course, certain schools have resources (资源) that others don’t, but they all offer opportunities to learn and to grow. Thousands of applicants who arent accepted to Stanford go on to have fulfilling lives. What parents and college applicants across the country need to remember is that the news they receive, whether good or bad, is but a single step on a much longer journey. Which of the following statements might the author agree with?
| A．Bass players, even some extraordinary ones, have little chance of being accepted by Stanford. |
| B．Those who fail to get admitted into Stanford don’t necessarily do worse than those who make it. |
| C．Those who fail to get admitted by Stanford probably wouldn’t meet the demands of a Stanford education. |
| D．There are more students applying to study at Stanford than its peer schools in the US. |
In the last two paragraphs, the author intends to convey the message that ______.
| A．most colleges offer students the same resources as Stanford does |
| B．Stanford offers the best opportunities for young adults to learn and grow |
| C．parents should tell their children that this rejection will only make them stronger |
| D．its not which college that students enter but what they do there that counts |
What is the main purpose of the article?
| A．To congratulate those who have been admitted into Stanford. |
| B．To tell parents that there is no need to feel down if their children werent admitted to Stanford. |
| C．To inform us what kinds of applicants are more likely to be accepted by Stanford. |
| D．To inform us of the characteristics of a Stanford education. |
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