Who is there among us who hasn’t dreamed of having his or her own small (maybe , several years later , even big )business , and having wonderful freedom , both from a boss and from the time clock ; the freedom to make up our own rules for our work , and our own plans —arranging our own hours of work ? That way work would be both painless and fun. Or, so we imagine.
Well, in fact it isn’t quite as simple as that. Yes , it is true that being the boss has its satisfactions and that you can arrange your working hours freely if you own your own small business . But in those early years of starting your own business, you shouldn’t think of a free day, not to mention flying off for a month’s vacation. It is not unusual for new business owners to work seventy or eighty hours a week , and if there is a day off , that day might need to be devoted to accounting (算账).
But this negative picture doesn’t destroy the beautiful hopes. The possibility of getting something wonderful in return—both material and mental—continues to drive that large number of people who start up small businesses each year in the United States.
【小题1】From the first paragraph, we know that everybody hopes  ________ .

A.to rule others B.to be his or her own boss
C.to get a time clockD.to be free from work
【小题2】Most new business owners have to  ________  .
A.work more than 10 hours a day B.devote himself to accounting
C.fly to some places in the world D.have a day off in a week
【小题3】The expression “negative picture” most probably means “  ________ “.
A.a terrible experience B.a poor picture
C.limited freedom D.unpleasant situations
【小题4】The beautiful hopes will never be destroyed because  ________ .
A.people love beautiful things by nature
B.people have a strong desire to seek personal gains
C.small businesses make big money each year in the US
D.small businesses have advantages over big companies

When an NBA player is young he thinks he can win the championship by himself. It is only later when he has aged and been through many battles that he learns an important lesson: there is no “I ” in “team”.
There is no better example of the value of teamwork than the Boston Celtics. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were all superstars on three different teams. Yet, none of them had any titles to show for it. Then, last season, they decided to sacrifice money and individual statistics to play together. Garnett and Allen joined Pierce on the Celtics and changed the NBA in the process.
It started in simple ways. Garnett and Allen are two of the most intense athletes in the world. They treat every second of every practice like it is the NBA championship. If you want to play alongside them then you will have to do the same. So, the young guys on the Celtics started giving their full effort too.  
Pierce had been the star of the Celtics for many years. He used to shoot the ball many times a game. But with the addition of Allen and Garnett he shot less and focused on defense. His selflessness showed the young players that doing what made the team better was the only thing that mattered.  
When the Celtics were winning and the game was almost over, Garnett, Pierce and Allen would come out of the game. But they wouldn’t just sit on the bench. Instead, they stood and cheered and screamed for their teammates. They wanted to support their friends and teammates.
Now, the guys who don't play know they can still affect the game by cheering so they scream and cheer when Garnett, Allen and Pierce are playing. The Celtics have developed a strong relationship. They are more than just teammates. They are brothers. 
The result: the Boston Celtics won the championship and are considered the favorites to win the Eastern Conference championship again this year.  
There is a saying that goes, "A successful team beats with one heart." If that is the case, the Celtics may have the biggest heart in the NBA. 
【小题1】What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.The stories of three famous basketball superstars.
B.A famous basketball team named the Boston Celtics.
C.The importance of teamwork among teammates.
D.Matches between the Boston Celtics and other teams.
【小题2】What does this sentence “there is no ‘I’ in ‘team’.” mean in Paragraph 1?
A."I" will be missing once "I" am on the court.
B.The cooperation of the teammates is more important than the individual.
C."I" work so hard in a team that "I" will forget who "I" am
D.Surrounded by other players, "I" don’t seem to exist.
【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true about Pierce’s recent performance?
A.He became an even better shooter with others’ help.
B.He focused much more attention on defense.
C.He created more chances for teammates.
D.He stood and cheered for his teammates
【小题4】Which of the following didn’t contribute to the success of the Boston Celtics?
A.The whole team has become devoted to each and every stage of the game.
B.The cooperation and teamwork among the teammates in the match.
C.The influence of Garnett, Allen, Pierce and other teammates’ cheering.
D.The increasing frequency of team players on the bench

Across countryside, non-food crops are growing alongside wheat.Some are used in new alternatives to plastics and other materials, but others will simply be burned.
Burning crops is becoming more popular because it is good for the planet.Doing so is also cheaper than burning fossil fuels.As more land is devoted to non-food crop production, the economics of crops for fuel are likely to become even more favorable.
Humans have been burning such biomass—organic materials from plants or animals— since they discovered fire.But that burning fossil fuels could have catastrophic consequences has brought biomass back into fashion.
Even allowing for emissions (排放) of carbon dioxide from fuel used in planting, harvesting, processing and transporting biomass fuel, replacing fossil fuel with biomass can typically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 90 percent.
Power stations around the world are experimenting with forms of biomass to add to their coal or oil, with encouraging results.Indeed, power companies could profit by turning to biomass, especially when the subsidies (补助) many governments offer for using renewable energy are taken into account.
Farmers can benefit from growing biomass.In Europe, the reduction of subsidies for certain crops is exposing farmers to market forces.Instead of being paid for whatever they produce, farmers must seek a clear demand for their product.Many believe that the demand for alternatives to fossil fuels could be just such a driver.
But while biomass offers a variety of potential alternatives, the world's infrastructure (基础设施) has developed around burning fossil fuels to such a stage that switching to biomass involves a change in conception that many companies have not accepted.
Also, there are problems with using biomass.Although most coal-fired power stations could take a small amount of their fuel from biomass without significant adjustment, few are built to run on biomass alone.Burning some forms of biomass also causes environmental problems.Oils and waste can be smelly, while wood produces smoke unless burned properly.
The supply chains for fossil fuels are set up well, but those for biomass are just the beginning. Sources of supply for biomass rely on farm production and can therefore be less reliable. They are necessarily limited and it wouldn't make sense to turn a very large amount of valuable agricultural land away from food crops.But as the world adjusts to the need to control greenhouse gas emissions, these problems may receive more attention.
【小题1】What do we know about biomass?

A.It is a useful way of burning crops.
B.It is plant and animal matter used to provide power.
C.It is a new alternative to be used widely.
D.It is a popular approach to fighting against pollution.
【小题2】What are the advantages of using biomass?
a.It gives off less greenhouse gases.
b.It helps farmers receive subsidies for what they produce.
c.It has met the clear demand for energy.
d.It has brought subsidies for some power companies.
e.It is cheaper than burning fossil fuels.
A.a, b, cB.b, c, dC.c, d, eD.a, d, e
【小题3】For coal-fired power stations, ______.
A.more effective ways to use biomass have been tried
B.using renewable energy has become their daily task
C.burning biomass alone would require considerable changes
D.setting up dependable supply channels needs governments' support
【小题4】What is the author's attitude towards biomass fuels?
A.Defensive.B.Doubtful.C.Negative. D.Objective

---I think maths is playing a more important part in the new test system. What about you?    --- ______. We should be more devoted to it.

A. No pains, no gains.

B. Fact speaks louder than words.

C. Great minds think alike.

D. Don’t claim to know what you don’t know.

 

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