When the Audet family turns on the lights at Blue Farm, they are using electricity that comes from cows—cow manure (粪肥), 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 (化粪池) because what happens there is just like what happens inside a cow: Bacteria(细菌) get to work and continue to digest the manure.

Methane gas (甲烷、沼气)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 (发电机).

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

 

When the Audet family turns on the lights at Blue Farm, they are using electricity that comes from cows—cow manure (粪肥), 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 (化粪池) because what happens there is just like what happens inside a cow: Bacteria(细菌) get to work and continue to digest the manure.
Methane gas (甲烷、沼气)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 (发电机).
At Blue Farm, the generators make enough electricity to power 400 homes. The Audet family sells the extra electricity they can’t use themselves.
【小题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

【小题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

【小题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

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

A．reducing

B．saving

C．recycling

D．changing

【小题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

Dear Reader,
Imagine an 11-year old girl whose days are often spent washing clothes, looking after a baby, working hard in the field.
Imagine a little girl who knows there will not be enough food for dinner, who can’t fill her stomach with water because it’s polluted, and who has watched life slip away from her father, little brother and sister because the family is too poor to see a doctor.
Is it hard to believe? For Maria Pastora, these are the real life.
Maria would gladly walk miles to school, but her mother, now alone, needs her badly at home. If Maria grows up without any schooling, what will be her future?
But for just 52 pennies a day, you can sponsor a child like Maria. Through “Save the Children”, you can help Maria’s mother get the tools and ways she needs to turn their poor food into a good dinner and the money she needs to buy clothes and school things for Maria.
To help Maria most, your money is put together with that of other sponsors, so hard-working people can help themselves. Build a school, a hospital…bring in clean water. This is what “Save the Children” has been about since 1932.
For you there are many rewards. Have the chance to write to or hear from your sponsored child. Receive photos or progress reports. Know you are reaching out to another person. Not with a handout(施舍物), but a “handup”. That’s how “Save the Children” works. But without you, it can’t work. Please take a moment now to fill in and post the form below to help a child like Maria and her village.
It can make such a difference in her life and yours.
【小题1】We can most probably read the letter in __________.

A．somebody’s diary	B．a newspaper
C．a progress report	D．a storybook

【小题2】From the passage, we can infer （推断）that _________

A．Maria is an 11-year-old girl.

B．Maria’s family is very poor.

C．Maria has to do a lot of hard work.

D．Maria is hoping to get schooling.

【小题3】What is “Save the Children”?

A．An organization to help poor children go to school.

B．An office of the government to collect money.

C．A program shown at theatres to help the poor.

D．A group who works for children in poor places.

【小题4】The underlined word “sponsor” means “__________” in Chinese.

A．回报

B．资助

C．感恩

D．抢救

【小题5】What does the last sentence in the letter mean?

A．If Maria goes to school, you will be rewarded.

B．What you give is more than what you take.

C．Both Maria’s life and yours will change a lot.

D．Marie and you can help each other at school.

Dear Karen,

As you probably know, it’s my sister Suzie’s 16th birthday in a week. We’re planning a surprise party for her. Julie’s going to pick her up from school as usual on Friday but she’s not taking her home. She’s bringing her to the Palace Hotel, the big modern one near the station. We’re having a meal there and we’ve also hired (租用) the ballroom (舞厅) for a party in the evening. I hope you can come!

All her friends from school are coming and quite a few of the people from our village, too. Of course, Mum and Dad are coming up from England and I’ve managed to persuade (说服) our other sister, Marie, to come over from Australia. She’s bringing her kids with her, too.

After the party we’re going to have another one on Saturday! Well, not really a party. We’re inviting the family and close friends (that includes you) for a meal at the house. If the weather is nice, we’d like to have a barbecue in the garden. Julie’s going to make a special cake for Suzie.

Anyway, we hope to make it a really special weekend for Suzie. On Sunday we’re all going for a walk in the country. You know how she loves walking and we’re all going to need a bit of exercise after all that lovely food. We’re hoping to go up to the lake. Marie said she wanted her kids to feed the ducks just like Suzie and she did when they were very young. I’m sure Suzie will love that too.

It would be great if you could come over for the weekend. We would all love to see you.

Let me know as soon as you can.

Best,

David

1.Who is Karen?  ______

A. David’s cousin.                                            B. David’s friend.

C. David’s sister.                                              D. David’s classmate.

2.David and Julie are planning to have Suzie’s birthday party ______ on Friday evening.

A. at the Palace Hotel                                              B. at the house

C. in the garden                                                       D. beside the lake

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned?   ______

A. To make a special cake.                                     B. To have a barbecue.

C. To go swimming.                              D. To feed the ducks.

4._____ won’t come for the meal at the house on Saturday because David doesn’t invite them /her.

A. Karen                                                                    B. People from their village

C. Suzie’s Mum and Dad                                D. Marie and her kids

5.Why is David planning a walk in the country on Sunday?

Because he thinks ______.

A. Suzie loves walking very much

B. Suzie used to take a walk there after dinner

C. it is special for Marie’s kids to go for a walk in the country

D. Suzie can feed the ducks in the river when going for a walk