When the Audet family turns on the lights at Blue Farm, they are using electricity that comes from cows—cow manure (糞肥), to be specific.

Cows produce a lot of wastes. One cow can create 30 gallons of wastes each day. Now imagine the output of over 1,000 cows at Blue Farm. That’s really a big amount.

When farmers clean their barns, they put the wastes in a big heap, and spread some of them on their fields for fertilizer(肥料). But now places like Blue Spruce Farm have a new way of using cow wastes. They use them to produce electricity.

Here’s how it works: A big machine moves back and forth cleaning the barn floor. “The cows aren’t bothered,” says Marie Audet. “They are animals of habit; they get used to it, and just lift one foot and then another to let it go by.”

The machine pushes the manure into a big 600-gallon tank like a small swimming pool. The tank is called a digester (化糞池) because what happens there is just like what happens inside a cow: Bacteria(細(xì)菌) get to work and continue to digest the manure.

Methane gas (甲烷、沼氣)in the atmosphere is known as a “greenhouse” gas because it keeps heat just like a greenhouse does, causing our planet to warm up. That’s an environmental concern. But the digester has a good result. Its gas is kept and used to power electric generators (發(fā)電機(jī)).

At Blue Farm, the generators make enough electricity to power 400 homes. The Audet family sells the extra electricity they can’t use themselves.

1. We learn from the text that the Audet family is using cow wastes to ______.

A. make electricity B. produce fertilizer C. build their farm D. feed the cows

2. How are the cow wastes collected into the digester at Blue Farm?

A. Marie Audet does the work B. The job is done by machine

C. The cows lift the cow wastes D. Bacteria get to work on them

3. According to the passage, which of the following is changed into electricity?

A. The power of moving water. B. The heat of burning coal.

C. The power of sunlight. D. The heat of the methane gas

4. The new way of using cow wastes at Blue Farm might be best described as ______.

A. reducing B. saving C. recycling D. changing

5. What is the main purpose for writing the passage?

A. To introduce a new way of making electricity

B. To explain how a new energy works better

C. To show a new rebuilding plan for a big farm

D. To explain the reasons for green house effect

閱讀理解

When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelon was expensive. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, was a rich businessman, who owned a large store in St. Paul.

Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie’s place. We’d sit on the edge of the dock（碼頭）, feet dangling（搖晃）, and got ready for a big meal.

Bernie would take his knife, cut our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we’d bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart—the reddest, juiciest, firmest, sweetest, most seed-free part—and throw away the rest.

Bernie was my father’s idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that it was not Bernie’s wealth itself but his way of dealing with it that my father liked. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon.

What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. If you don’t take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and enjoy life’s small pleasure, your work is probably hurting your life.

For many years, I forgot that lesson I’d learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could.

Well, I’ve relearned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the success of others and to take pleasure in the day. That’s the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away.

1. We learned from the second paragraph that the writer and his father were feeling ______.

  A. relaxed                 B. worried                    C. hungry                     D. proud

2. How did the writer and his father eat the watermelon?

  A. They ate it in a polite way.                         B. They only ate its best part.

  C. They ate every part of it.                           D. They shared only one piece.

3. In the eyes of the writer’s father, Bernie ______.

  A. was just a rich businessman                       B. worked hard all the time

  C. lived a rich but healthy life                         D. knew how to make money

4. The underlined part “the heart of the watermelon” in the last paragraph refers to ______.

  A. the best part of the watermelon                  B. the writer’s busy life

  C. the writer’s decision of making money        D. the writer’s hope of enjoying life

5. It can be learned from the passage that ______.

  A. one has to work hard to reach his goal        B. a friend in need is a friend in deed

  C. watermelon is the healthiest fruit                D. one should keep work-life balance

完形填空

Monty was the son of a horse trainer. When he was in his ninth grade, he was asked to write a __1__ about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.

That night he wrote a seven-page paper saying that someday he’d __2__ a horse ranch (牧場(chǎng)). He wrote about his dream in great detail and he __3__ drew a picture of a 200-acre ranch with all the buildings.

He put a great deal of his __4__ into the project and the next day he handed it in __5__ his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a __6__ that read, “See me after class.”

The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, “__7__ did I receive an F?”

The teacher said, “This is an __8__ dream for a young boy like you. You come from a poor family. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of __9__. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for other things. There is no__10__ you could ever do it.” Then the teacher added, “__11__ you rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”

The boy went home and thought about __12__ long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, “Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important __13__ for you.”

Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the __14__ paper, making no changes at all. He said to the teacher, “You can keep the F and I’ll keep my 15 .”

1. A. speech B. paper C. notice D. diary

2. A. paint B. win C. own D. sell

3. A. just B. almost C. ever D. even

4. A. heart B. life C. advice D. trust

5. A. to B. with C. from D. for

6. A. word B. letter C. note D. post

7. A. How B. Why C. When D. Where

8. A. unusual B. unforgettable

C. unimportant D. unrealistic

9. A. money B. time C. space D. effort

10. A. wonder B. way C. problem D. matter

11. A. Though B. since C. Until D. If

12. A. himself B. him C. it D. itself

13. A. change B. gift C. message D. decision

14. A. long B. thick C. same D. correct

15. A. grade B. dream C. duty D. secret

She had to sell the house even though it was ______ her own wishes.

  A. above                          B. on                            C. against                            D. for

Franklin told them all ______ to be in Britain again.

A. he was how happy B. how happy he was

C. how was he happy D. he was happy how

I have to well prepare for the math test tomorrow because it ______ 30% of the final exam.

A. sets up B. puts up C. uses up D. makes up

 It’s too late to invite any more people. ______, you know how Tim hates parties.

  A. Besides                        B. However                  C. Still                          D. Instead

 I really enjoyed your lecture, ______ there were some parts I didn’t quite understand.

  A. because                       B. unless                      C. though                            D. after

–Big animals can be a lot of trouble. Maybe you should get a small pet, like a goldfish.

--______.

A. That’s all right. B. That’s a good idea. C. You’re welcome. D. Never mind.

Nick, would you mind ______ those old jeans? They look terrible.

A. not to wear B. not wear C. wearing not D. not wearing