Forget chip fat, sugar cane or rapeseed oil — the latest source of biofuel could be watermelons. Scientists have discovered that the fruit is a great source of sugar that can be readily distilled (蒸馏) into alcohol to power cars and farm machinery.
And sellers reject 360,000 tons of “substandard” fruit every year in America alone which could be used as an economical way to make fuel. The waste from US growers could produce nearly two million gallons (nine million litres) of biofuel per year.
In the study, researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture set out to determine the biofuel potential of juice from rejected watermelons —those not sold due to cosmetic imperfections, and currently ploughed back into the field. About a fifth of each yearly watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes (瑕疵) or because they are misshapen.
Dr. Wayne Fish, who led the team, found that 50 percent of the fruit was fermentable (可发酵的) into alcohol which could provide valuable fuel.
“We’ve shown that the juice of these watermelons is a source of readily fermentable sugars, representing an unexploited raw material for alcohol biofuel production,” he said.
The study, published in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels, discovered that watermelons could produce around 20 gallons of fuel per acre from fruit that otherwise would go to waste.
Production of biofuels has been targeted by Western governments as a way to support renewable energy targets.
The European Union has a target for 2010 that 5.75 percent of transport fuels should come from biological sources, but the target is unlikely to be met.
The British government’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation requires five percent of the fuel sold at the pump by 2010 to be biofuel.
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．watermelon juice will be the largest source of renewable energy |
| B．the advantages of fuel made from watermelons |
| C．Western countries aim at producing biofuels |
| D．watermelons could be used to make fuel |
| A．about two gallons of fuel could be made from rejected fruit per acre |
| B．sellers in the world throw away 360,000 tons of watermelons every year |
| C．half of the watermelons were fermentable into alcohol to provide energy |
| D．five percent of fuel is required to be biofuel from watermelons by 2010 in Britain |
| A．fresh | B．sweet | C．surface | D．inside |
| A．it will cost a lot to make biofuel from watermelons |
| B．Western countries are engaged in biofuel study but still have a long way to go |
| C．watermelon juice has been used as a source of sugars to produce alcohol biofuel |
| D．the European Union is likely to meet its target of transport fuels from biological sources |
科目：高中英语 来源：2013届江西省九江一中高三第一次月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cellphones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cellphone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.
【小题1】The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
| A．he is out of work . |
| B．whatever he does make no sense |
| C．he is worried about his writing. |
| D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time. |
| A．Somebody really forgets his cellphone at home. |
| B．Somebody thinks cellphone is not a suitable means of communication. |
| C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cellphone. |
| D．Somebody leaves his cellphone at home on purpose. |
| A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now. |
| B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish. |
| C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent. |
| D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate. |
| A．difference | B．sameness | C．simplicity | D．complication |
| A．The importance of spending time in quiet. |
| B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax. |
| C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life. |
| D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届江西省南昌十九中高三第四次（12月）月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.
【小题1】The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
| A．he is out of work . | B．whatever he does make no sense |
| C．he is worried about his writing. | D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time. |
| A．Somebody really forgets his cell phone at home. |
| B．Somebody thinks cell phone is not a suitable means of communication. |
| C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cell phone. |
| D．Somebody leaves his cell phone at home on purpose. |
| A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now. |
| B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish. |
| C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent. |
| D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate. |
| A．difference | B．sameness | C．simplicity | D．complication |
| A．The importance of spending time in quiet. |
| B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax. |
| C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life. |
| D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013-2014学年四川省高三上学期12月月考试卷英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us —between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there—are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious belief, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that their brains become both calmer and sharper after spending time in quiet rural settings.
In my own case, I often turn to extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for—The Joy of Quiet.
1.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
A. he is out of work
B. whatever he does makes no sense
C. he can enjoy himself in his leisure time
D. he is worried about his writing
2.What does the writer mean when using the word “forget” (in the 2nd paragraph)?
A. Trapped in busy work, they are really forgetful.
B. They think cell phone is not a suitable means of communication.
C. They leave their cell phones at home on purpose.
D. They hate modern techniques such as the cell phone.
3.Which of the following is right?
A. The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish.
B. Slowing down to find deep-down joy is necessary.
C. It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now.
D. We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate.
4.What is the main idea of the article?
A. The importance of spending time in quiet.
B. We can do some sports such as yoga to relax.
C. To feel better, we should do nothing at all.
D. The more we communicate, the better we will feel.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年江西省高三第四次（12月）月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us ------ between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there ------ are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we’re so busy communicating.
Maybe that’s why more and more people I know, even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to “forget” their cell phones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper.” More than that, empathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow. ” The very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to eccentric and often extreme measures to try to keep my sanity and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I’ve not yet used a cell phone and I’ve never Tweeted or entered Face book. I try not to go online till my day’s writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义): it’s just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better-----calmer, clearer and happier----than being in one place, absorbed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It’s actually something deeper than mere happiness: it’s joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for----The Joy of Quiet.
1.The writer sometimes doesn’t do anything because ________.
A．he is out of work . B．whatever he does make no sense
C．he is worried about his writing. D．he can enjoy himself in his leisure time.
2.When the writer uses the word “forget” , his real meaning is _______.
A．Somebody really forgets his cell phone at home.
B．Somebody thinks cell phone is not a suitable means of communication.
C．Somebody hates modern techniques such as the cell phone.
D．Somebody leaves his cell phone at home on purpose.
3.Which of the following is right?
A．It is better to go back to the ancient times since we are so busy now.
B．The writer is unwilling to help others since he is selfish.
C．Slowing down to find time and space to think and enjoy oneself is urgent.
D．We have more to say because we have more ways to communicate.
4.What does the underlined word mean?
A．difference B．sameness C．simplicity D．complication
5.What is the main idea of the article?
A．The importance of spending time in quiet.
B．We can do some sports such as yoga to relax.
C．Principle or asceticism is important in one’s life.
D．The more we communicate, the more we will be closer.
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Nowadays more and more people are trapped in too busy work to relax themselves. We have no time to tell a bed-time story to our children, or enjoy a nice dinner with our family, or take a break to think about how we live the precious life, or even meet friends. All we notice is that the distinctions that used to guide and steady us— between Sunday and Monday, public and private, here and there—are gone. We have more ways to communicate, but less and less to say. Partly because we're so busy communicating.
Maybe that's why more and more people I know，even if they have no religious commitment, seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. Some friends of mine try to go on long walks every Sunday, or to "forget” their cellphones at home. A series of tests in recent years has shown that after spending time in quiet rural settings, subjects “ exhibit greater attentiveness，stronger memory and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper, ” More than that, sympathy, as well as deep thought, depends on neural processes that are “inherently slow, ” the very ones our high-speed lives have little time for.
In my own case, I turn to unusual and often extreme measures to try to keep my good sense and ensure that I have time to do nothing at all. I've not yet used a cellphone and I've never tweeted or entered Facebook. I try not to go online till my day's writing is finished, and I moved from Manhattan to rural Japan.
None of this is a matter of principle or asceticism (苦行主义)：it's just pure selfishness. Nothing makes me feel better, calmer, clearer and happier than being in one place, absoAed in a book, a conversation, a piece of music. It's actually something deeper than mere happiness： it's joy, which the monk David Steindl-Rast describes as “that kind of happiness that doesn't depend on what happens. ” That is the highest of the highest we have been longing for~The Joy of Quiet.
43.The writer sometimes doesn't do anything because _____.
A. he is out of work B. whatever he does make no sense
C. he is worried about his writing D. he can enjoy himself in his leisure time
44.When the writer uses the word “forget”，his real meaning is _____ .
A. somebody really forgets his cellphone at home
B. somebody leaves his cellphone at home on purpose
C. somebody hates modern techniques such as the cellphone
D. somebody thinks cellphone is not a suitable means of communication
45.The underlined word “distinctions’ ，means _____.
A- outcome B. similarity C. difference D. complication
46.What is the main idea of the article?
A. It is important to spend time in quiet circumstances.
B. We can do some sports such as yoga to relax.
C. Principle or asceticism is important in one's life.
D. The more we communicate, the more we will be closer.
查看答案和解析>>
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