Scientists in India have invented a new way to produce electricity. Their invention does not get its power from oil, coal or other fuels. It produces electricity with the power of animals. India has about eighty million bullocks. They do all kinds of jobs. They work in the fields. They pull vehicles through the streets. They carry water containers. Indian energy officials have been seeking ways to use less imported oil to provide energy. Scientists at the National Institute for Industrial Engineering in Bombay wondered whether the millions of bullocks could help. Many villages in India lack electricity, but they have many bullocks. And often the animals are not working. One job done by bullocks is to pump water out of the well. The animals do this by walking around and around in a circle. As they walk, they turn a heavy stick that makes the pump move. This simple technology is centuries old. Scientists thought that the same technology could be used to produce electricity. Bullocks walk in a circle only two or three times a minute. This is much too slow to produce electricity, but it can create enough power to turn a series of gears（齿轮）. A large gear sits next to a smaller gear. As the large gear turns, it causes the smaller gear to turn. That gear turns an even smaller one. Each gear moves faster because it is a little smaller. The smallest gear may turn extremely fast. Clocks operate with gears. So do cars and so does the device invented by the Indian scientists to produce electricity.

       According to the officials in the United Nations, the idea is being tested at several places in India. The device is easy to operate and repair. And it can be moved easily. It costs about three hundred and seven dollars now to make such a device, but production of large numbers of them could cut the cost of each to about two hundred dollars.

1．Who first thought of using bullocks to provide energy?

     A．Indian energy officials.                   B．Scientists in India.

     C．Officials in the United Nations.             D．Researchers in Europe.

2．The jobs that bullocks do in India are mentioned in the passage except         .

     A．pulling vehicles                                    B．harvesting crops

     C．pumping water out of wells                  D．carrying food baskets

3．In the sentence “This simple technology is centuries old” in Paragraph One, “This simple technology” refers to_____.

     A．using bullocks to produce energy

     B．using pumps to draw water out

     C．having bullocks walk around to make the pump move

     D．connecting gears of different sizes to produce electricity

4．Which of the following can NOT be inferred from the passage?

     A．Once widely used, this device can help reduce the use of oil to provide energy.

     B．Indian government has decided to put the idea into practice at once.

     C．This idea will make progress as it is environment-friendly to the people.

     D．This device is designed in the way as clocks work with gears working on each other.

5．What is the U. N. officials’ attitude towards the idea?

       A．Approving.          B．Doubtful.        C．Negative.      D．Passive.

 

The heavy snowstorm in China has damaged farmland, houses, roads and power lines, forcing many people to survive without food and electricity．World Vision has been working tirelessly to carry out relief（援助） work in worst-hit provinces to help affected villagers resume（重新开始） their livelihoods（生计）． So far, World Vision has raised HK$23 million dollars （including government funding） in Hong Kong to help snowstorm victims．Apart from the distribution（分发） of relief items, World Vision continues to provide much needed assistance to affected families．Also, we are drawing plans to rebuild houses and schools． Our relief operations are highlighted as follows:

Act now! Join us to help snowstorm-stricken villagers rebuild their livelihoods!

1．From the passage we can learn that "World Vision" is a（n） ______．

       A．news agency located in Hong Kong      

      B．organization serving people in need

       C．educational broadcast program             

      D．international climate research center

2．Which of the following is NOT one of the relief operations carried out by World Vision?

       A．They distributed rice and quilts to affected villagers．

       B．They raised fund to help those worst-hit provinces．

       C．They purchased power generators to affected villagers．

       D．They rebuilt houses and schools in worst-hit areas．

3．This passage aims to ______．

       A．inform us about the serious situation in China after the snowstorm

       B．report to us what has been done to help those snowstorm victims

       C．appeal to us to provide our assistance to the snowstorm victims

       D．encourage us to go to the snowstorm-stricken villages to offer help

 (安徽省马鞍山二中2009届高三第四次模拟考试A篇)

 

56. This passage most probably is a (n) _____.

A. advertisement                                             B. news story              

C. lab report                                                   D. letter of thanks

57. From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device（设备） which _____.

A. has neither wires nor weight                        B. is operated by a computer

C. disappears while you read                         D. can find a book within one minute

58. With the device, the reader is able to _____.

A. enjoy reading when driving a car                  B. improve reading skills

C. gain access to free software                             D. get rid of heavy books made of paper

59. Different from mobile phones, Mindle _____.

A. has a much more friendly screen                      B. can work in the absence of electricity

C. doesn’t involve regular fees                       D. is wireless and can be used anywhere

Kenneth will never forget what happened on a dark night just before Christmas in 1978．He saw a driver，an elderly woman     1     and kill an eight—year-old boy．Later，when he saw how sad the boy’s family were，Kenneth made a（n）    2    ．He would “do    3  it takes to make．4   happy at Christmas time．”

   Kenneth was not      5     ，but he bought a used Santa suit and went around  6  people as poor as himself to give candy and fruit to families who were eyen mote needy．

    Just before midnight on a wind-bitten Christmas Eve，he went knocking on doors of   7    

houses in the poorest section of a Nayaio Village，Many of the darkened homes didn’t have  8

    Some families were      9     to open their doors so late at night．“It’s a man! He has a

big bag！”he   10   a boy，holding up a lantern（灯笼）and watching  11  the curtains，tell his parents．Kenneth convinced them be was    12 ．

  At every opened door，he     13      candies，oranges and toys．Many Navajo kids had never seen      14    before，so his old costume and store-bought beard didn’t  15  them．1t touched Kenneth that they were excited by so  16 ．

    He     17    this up year after year，gathering“ elves（精灵）”to help him．His Christmas

Eve     18    have grown into an annual Navajo feast with gifts of clothing，tools and toys for over 700 people．Kids who can’t    19  it to the event because they’re sick or lack transportation get a __ 20     visit from Kenneth or our of his elves．

    “My grandfather taught me that you learn to be a man and a warrior by sharing and by keeping promises，”he says．

1．A．touched                    B．found                     C．strike                      D．stopped

2．A．promises                  B．excuse                    C．conclusion                     D．effort

3．A．whichever                B．whatever                 C．however                 D．wherever

4．A．brothers                   B．his mother               C．the family               D．children

5．A．rich                          B．small                      C．tall                         D．strong

6．A．calling                   B．persuading              C．suggesting                     D．requiring

7．A．bright                    B．lonely                     C．old                         D．big

8．A．electricity                 B．windows                 C．doors                            D．food

9．A．angry                       B．eager                      C．happy                     D．afraid 

10．A．thought                   B．heard                      C．hoped                     D．let

11．A．out for                    B．from under              C．from behind            D．out of

12．A．helpful                    B．generous                 C．gentle                     D．harmless

13．A．picked out               B．handed out              C．put  down             D．reached for

14．A．candies                   B．Kenneth                  C．Santa  Claus          D．toys

15．A．disappoint               B．please                     C．attract                    D．satisfy

16．A．much                            B．little                        C．big                         D．many

17．A．took                       B．held                        C．gave                       D．kept

18．A．visits                      B．adventures                     C．excitements             D．gifts

19．A．make                      B．do                          C．get                         D．have

20．A．usual                      B．formal                    C．personal                  D．normal