With petroleum reserves (石油儲量) decreasing，the search is on to replace gas with a cleaner，greener alternative.Though much eco－talk has centered on biofuels from corn and soybeans，the biofuel that looks more likely to replace petroleum comes from a most unlikely source：algae (藻類)．
Algae，like corn，soybeans，and other crops，grow via photosynthesis (光合作用) and can be processed into fuel oil.However，they yield 30 times more energy than land crops such as soybeans，according to the U．S.Department of Energy.Many algae species also can grow in saltwater and polluted water－while corn and soy require arable land and fresh water that will be in short supply as the world's population balloons.
“If you replaced all the diesel (柴油) in the U．S.with soy biodiesel，it would take half the land mass of the U．S.to grow those soybeans，”says Matt Caspari，chief executive of Aurora Biofuels，a Berkeley，Calif.－based private firm that specializes in algae oil technology.On the other hand，the Energy Department says that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States，it would require 15,000 square miles，which is a few thousand miles larger that Maryland (12,407 square miles)，the 42nd state in land area.
Another bonus：Because algae can be grown just about anywhere in a closed space，they 're being tested at several power plants across the nation as a carbon absorber.Smokestack emissions (煙囪排放物) can be pumped directly into the ponds，feeding the algae while keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
Although processing technology for algae fuel—also known as “oilgae” in some environmentalist circles—is improving，it's still years away from reaching your local gas pump.“It's just a question of cost，because no large－scale facilities have been built yet，” Caspari says.
小題1:The underlined word “yield” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”．

A．control	B．require
C．produce	D．grow

小題2:Compared with corn and soybeans，algae ________.

A．may pollute water and soil

B．can grow in poor conditions

C．provide much less energy

D．need more special care

小題3:According to Paragraph 3，one of the advantages of algae fuel is that ________.

A．it can be used more widely

B．it is more easy to produce

C．it needs much less land

D．it costs much less money

小題4:What do we learn about algae from Paragraph 4?

A．Algae help protect the environment.

B．People can grow algae anywhere.

C．Fish can get more oxygen from algae.

D．Algae produce less waste.

Scott Langteau has this message for kids：Spend less time playing video games.
It's a message that many a mom and dad has tried to impress upon many a youngster(and some not?so?youngsters)who spends perhaps a bit too much time with game controllers in hand.
But the 40?year?old Langteau isn't a parent.He's experienced at video games－one who played producer on three “Medal of Honor” games and co?founded his own game development company.
Langteau has just published a children's book called“Sofa Boy”，which tells the story of a kid who spends too much time sitting on the couch with controllers held in hand and the rather dire consequences that follow.
It's a fairy tale picked straight from Langteau's own experiences as a lad with a fondness for video games and his painful struggle against game addiction.But first，Langteau would like make one thing clear：I'm not saying that you shouldn't play video games.I think video games are great.I think they do great things for kids.Instead，Langteau says his book is all about a little something called“moderation(克制)”．
“It's about being well rounded，”he says.“Just like with anything else，we all need to make sure that there's a variety in what we do.”
Video gamers can be rather bad?tempered when it comes to accepting criticism about their favorite entertainment.And understandably so.After all，most people who go around talking about the dangers of playing video games tend to be outsiders－people who don't play video games and certainly don't understand that they can be a valuable and healthy form of entertainment.
But Langteau and“Sofa Boy”seem to be in a unique position to deliver a message of gaming moderation that the young game masses might actually listen to.After all，this is a man who understands what it means to be a kid with a passion for games.His early experience has taught him a lesson.
小題1:Scott Langteau published “Sofa Boy” to ________.

A．share his great skills on games

B．warn kids against game addiction

C．tell about his fairy tale as a kid

D．deliver a message for games

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE of the book“Sofa Boy”？

A．The book tells of the writer's own story.

B．The book describes an experienced gamer.

C．The boy in the book wins a medal for games.

D．The boy in the book is not an addict on games.

小題3:．We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．Langteau advises the young to play games within limits

B．Langteau advises the young not to play games

C．playing video games ruins the future of kids

D．playing video games is of no benefit to kids

小題4:．By saying “It's about being well rounded” Langteau thinks ________.

A．games do great things for kids

B．gamers are usually fat and round

C．games should be viewed from all sides

D．gamers are to blame for their behaviors

The Cave of Lascaux
It was Thursday, September 12,1940.Four French teens were out exploring in the woods off the northern slopes of the Pyrenees.Many years before, an old pine tree fell and left a large hole in the ground.The teenagers were curious and they started to explore the area and fell into one of the most important archeological(考古的) finds of the twentieth century!
There are over a hundred limestone(灰?guī)r) caves in this region of France.Some were inhabited by humans thousands and thousands of years ago.Between 15,000 and 17,000 years ago, humans painted lively creatures such as cows, bulls, horses, and even cats on the walls of the caves.
Why did they mark these walls? Was it to tell a story? Was it to record a famous battle? There are many mysteries and ancient secrets still waiting to be discovered in the cave of Lascaux.There were dots in many of the paintings.What do these dots mean? Were they meant to record time, a calendar? Deep in the cave, there is a drawing of a “birdman”．What does this mean? Was it a place for sacred ceremonies? No one knows for sure.
The actual cave of Lascaux was closed in 1963 due to the overabundance of tourists visiting the site.The carbon dioxide that people were breathing out was causing damage to the fragile(易損的) cave paintings.Up till now the Lascaux cave is still closed for tourists.Only a specialist can visit the cave by a special order that must be made out almost a year in advance.Not more than six persons can enter the cave per day.Two days a week, the cave is completely closed.Due to the great interest of numerous tourists, in 1983 Lascaux Ⅱwas opened for tourism.It is an exact replica of the cave of Lascaux.
小題1:The Pyrenees are the __________ in France.

A．mountains	B．forests
C．rivers	D．caves

小題2:What does the underlined word “inhabited” in the second paragraph mean?

A．built

B．explored

C．lived in

D．destroyed

小題3:In the author's opinion, the cave paintings are __________.

A．old	B．beautiful
C．easily damaged	D．interesting

Going green seems to be a fad(時尚) for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22,2012, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and It also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic(有機的) stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
小題1:What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Going Green	B．Protecting the Planet
C．Keeping Open-Minded	D．Celebrating Our Green Year

小題2:It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because        .

A．they were expected to follow the green fad

B．they didn’t know how to educate other people

C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy

D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks

小題3:What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?

A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.

B．They ignored others’ ungreen behavior.

C．They chose better chemical cleaners.

D．They sold their home-made food.

小題4:What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The government will give support to the green project.

B．The couple may continue their project in the future.

C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas.

D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign.

Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the word?” Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens — two males and one female — got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person’s actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference.
小題1:These teenagers went on the journey around the world      .

A．to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth

B．to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world

C．to go on sightseeing around the world

D．to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute

小題2:What’s TRUE about their journey?
A. They had to pay for their journey on their own expense.
B, They often had to move from one hotel to another.
C. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information.
D. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.
小題3:It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be          .
A. an international university that takes in students from all over the world
B. a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth
C. a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children

Believe it or not, going to school is not a legal(法定的) requirement in the United States. It
is a legal requirement that all kids be educated, though. When parents believe they can give their kids a better education--- or have other reasons for not wanting to send their kids to a local school --- they may choose home schooling.
However, if a kid hates school, home schooling is probably not the escape he is looking for. Home schooled students can learn just as much as they would in regular school if they and their parents work hard to cover all the subjects and experiences necessary. Parents who home school usually have higher levels of education than parents who do not. They already have the skills to educate themselves about teaching their kids.
Parents who home school have to be able to put the time and skill into not just teaching, but also researching lesson plans and resources(資源). So they have to know how to find the information necessary to teach their kids. State schools often provide home-schooling parents with a curriculum(課程), books and materials and places to meet. Some state schools will point parents to other resources for brushing up on forgotten subjects. Or parents may receive continuing education at local colleges or universities.
小題1:According to American law, _______________. 

A．a(chǎn)ll kids shall go to school

B．a(chǎn)ll kids must receive education

C．home schooling parents shall receive continuing education

D．state schools must give support to home-schooling parents

小題2: According to the text, most home-schooling parents________________.   

A．a(chǎn)re short of money	B．dislike schools
C．used to work as teachers	D．a(chǎn)re well-educated

小題3: Which of the following is NOT true about parents who home school?

A．They should have enough time.

B．They should have some skills in teaching.

C．They must receive special curriculums at the university.

D．They have to be able to know lesson plans and resources.

小題4: The underlined phrase “brushing up on” in the last paragraph can best be replaced by _____.

A．reviewing	B．changing
C．choosing	D．discussing

小題5: What can be inferred from the text? 

A．Home schooled kids learn fewer.

B．Home schooled kids spend less time studying.

C．Being a home-schooling parent needs a lot of effort.

D．Home schooling will replaced school education.

Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins（靜脈）blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish colour. Although blood looks red when it’s outside the body, when it’s sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin, it’s more of a dark reddish purple colour. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, your heart or your brain?
That kind of depends on whether you’re busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out, and why don’t they grow back in grown-up?
Baby (or “milk”) teeth do not last long; they fall out to make room for bigger, stronger adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged, decayed and infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you’re done. When they’re gone, they’re gone. This is because nature figures you’re set for life, and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn’t because they’re shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱)becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity（重力）. Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3—4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No, because old people don’t really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards—their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it’s because the spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy(眩暈的)?
Because your brain gets confused between what you’re seeing and what you’re feeling. The brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But, when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out control, and your brain thinks you’re moving while you’re not!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain area—from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other, newer bits of the brain, we feel more complex emotions than any other animals on the planet.
If exercise wears you out, how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them. And as far as your body is concerned, it’s “use it, or lose it”! It’s not that exercise makes you healthy; it’s more that a lack of exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease.
小題1:What is the colour of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?

A．Blue	B．Dark reddish purple
C．Red	D．Light yellow

小題2:Why do some old people look a little shrunken as they age?

A．Because their spine become more bent.

B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity.

C．Because they keep growing backwards.

D．Because their spine is in active use.

小題3:Which of the following statements about our brain is true?

A．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans.

B．When our brain senses the spinning, we will feel dizzy.

C．In the long run, our brain probably works harder than our heart.

D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain.

小題4:. In this article, we can know except _____.

A．it takes four to five times as much blood to feed our brain as to feed our heart.

B．when adult teeth are gone, they cannot grow back.

C．the reason why spinning make us dizzy.

D．how we can grow taller.

小題5: What is the main purpose of the selection?

A．To give advice on how to stay healthy.

B．To report the latest discoveries in medical science.

C．To challenge new findings in medical research.

D．To provide information about our body.

The Batsquatch is described as a great winged bat. It’s reported that it lives in the shadows(陰暗處) of Mt. Saint Helens. It has purple skin, red eyes and the character is quite similar to the bat’s. Since reports tell it likes eating small animals like chickens, goats and pigs, some believe that it is actually a flying primate(靈長目動物). But researchers say that it is more closely related to the fruit bat of northern America.
Fear still fills the hearts of men, women and children of Washington. In May of 1980 during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, the Batsquatch showed itself in the shadows of clouds from the eruption. In 1994, a local mountaineer was able to take pictures of the Batspuatch making the rumor(謠言) seem real. During this event some farm animals seemed to disappear though luckily no humans were reported missing at the time. The local mountaineer told about his meeting with the Batsquatch. When he suddenly heard a loud deep voice from the shadows, the mountaineer was knocked down. He tried to look for the creature(生物) that had made the sound. He saw a great creature with purple wings in the sky. It looked like it was about 30 feet tall.
The mountaineer kept this story a secret in fear of being laughed at by others but when new stories came in about the Batsquatch he shared his story.
The reality of the Batsquatch can no longer be ignored. It is only a creature that is trying to live. Respect! This is how we should take news such as this. Respect for a living creature instead of fear.
小題1:The rumor about the batsquatch makes people of Washington full of______

A．joy	B．surprise
C．fear	D．a(chǎn)nger

小題2: Why did people believe the rumor of the Batsquatch was real?

A．Because it was reported in the newspaper

B．Because it was seen by many local people

C．Because someone once caught one

D．Because someone took its picture

小題3:When the Batsquatch appeared, the mountaineer_______.

A．heard nothing strange

B．shouted at it to frighten it away

C．was lying on the ground, relaxing

D．found it was a 30-foot-tall creature that could fly

小題4: The mountaineer didn’t tell others his story because he________.

A．was afraid of being laughed at

B．was too frightened to tell others

C．couldn’t believe what he saw

D．didn’t want to make fun of others

小題5: The purpose of the last paragraph is to tell readers_______.

A．the Batsquatch is being endangered

B．the Batsquatch is a dangerous creature

C．respect should be given to the Batsquatch

D．the news about the Batsquatch is real

How to improve our life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my destiny. I cannot change it."
Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your life depends on you, not on other factors.
I know a woman who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, and then goes to sleep. Next day, the same routine cycle follows.
Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that has been intended for her and that her luck can only change if God wills it. She hasn't realized that we have to do our share of making the effort to live the life of our dreams.
Remember that you harvest what you sow. You have to get off the sofa, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone (unless it’s helpful to your success), and get your mind and body to work! Don't expect your luck to change, unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary(暫時的) problem; Instead, learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively.
If someone's life is in trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand or sit there, do something to improve your life.
小題1:According to the woman mentioned in Para. 3, her life ___________.

A．doesn't need improving

B．will be better some day

C．can’t improve itself

D．will be worse in the future

小題2:What does the author think of the woman's life?

A．Positive	B．Disturbing
C．Colorful	D．Negative (消極的)

小題3:Which of the following statements is the author's opinion?

A．Your temporary problem is not discouraging.

B．You should treat yourself in the way you treat friends.

C．Your luck can be changed by your own efforts.

D．You can only achieve success when God wills it.

小題4:In Para. 5, the author emphasized（強調(diào)）the importance of _________.

A．positive thinking

B．positive action

C．hope for the best

D．intention to succeed

小題5:The text is mainly written to advise you to __________.

A．improve your life

B．understand yourself

C．believe in yourself

D．change your normal way

After ten years, the world' s largest music festival, Rock in Rio, returned to its hometown Rio de Janeiro for seven days of concerts from Friday, September 23rd, attracting 700,000 people over the whole week．
It is the 10th edition of the Rock in Rio festival, but only the 4th to be held in Rio as the organizers exported the festival to Lisbon and Madrid ten years ago．The first edition of the festival was in 1985 and the most recent edition in Rio was held in January, 2001．A total of 700,000 tickets were sold out for this year' s festival．
The festival consists of four stages with the participation of International stars including Elton John, Katy Perry, and bands Metallica, Evanescence and System of a Down．Several stars which performed in previous editions are also on the list this year．．In addition, a number of local singers and bands will also join this year．
The performance site, named as Rock City, is a 150,000-square-meter area．Besides the concert area, the site also has a giant Ferns wheel, a roller coaster, and a small shopping mall．After the festival, the Rock City area will be converted into a leisure area to athletes in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
According to Rio' s tourism company Riotur, out of the 700,000 people expected in the festival, some 315,000 will be tourists, who raised the hotels' occupation rate to 98 percent．Riotur estimated that the Rock in Rio festival will bring 419 million U．S．dollars for the city and create 10,000 jobs．
The creator of the festival, Brazilian businessmen Roberto Medina, insisted on opening the Rock City gates himself, in the early afternoon, and greeted the first fans to enter the site．"We come to the gate because the Brazilian audience is even more important than the bands．We applaud them．They make the greatest show," he said．
小題1:The first edition of the festival may be held in ____．

A．Rio de Janeiro	B．Lisbon
C．Madrid	D．a(chǎn) place not mentioned

小題2:Up to now, the festival has been held in Rio for at least _____．

A．ten times	B．four times
C．three times	D．twice

小題3:The number of native people to attend the festival is probably ____．

A．700,000	B．315,000
C．10,000	D．385,000

小題4:From the passage, we can know ____．

A．Rock City is a great theatre

B．Only rock bands are invited to the festival?

C．the festival will improve the employment of Rio

D．The gate of Rock City was opened by the Brazilian audience