Question

  Onions make you cry,add flavor to food and are praised for their medical benefits. Now the vegetable has another use―powering up green energy.

  A new system was first used on Friday that converted onion juice into electricity at Gills Onions,the largest fresh onion processor in the United States.

The Oxnard,Californiabased company expects its new onionfueled power to reduce its electric bill by $700,000 a year and cut its annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 ,000 tons.

  The happy ending to this green energy tale,however,started with another question：how to get rid of onion waste.

  "When we peel an onion,35 to 40 percent of the onion comes off before we have a usable onion. That's the top,tail and skin around the onion before you get to the meat," said Steven Gill,coowner of the 25-year-old company.

  They used to put the waste into the fields for composting,but that became a problem. Ten years ago,Gill started looking at technology for a solution.

  "We ended up cutting up the skins as they come out of the plant and extracting all the juice,which is very high in sugars,and bacteria love that stuff," Gill said.

In the new system,bacteria produce methane gas from the juice. The gas then goes to two 300-kilowatt fuel cells,creating enough power for 460 homes. The company expects to get 35-40 percent of its electricity from the onsite generator.

  The company invested $9. 5 million in the project and will receive $ 2. 7 million from Southern California Gas Co.，as part of a state program to encourage selfcontained generation by businesses. In addition to cutting its electric bill,the company will save $400,000 in trans?port expense and expects payback in six years.

(   ) 6. What's the new use of onions mentioned in the text?

   A. To make people energetic. B. For medical use.

   C. To produce green power. D. For composting the fields.

(   ) 7. Which of the statements is true according to the passage?

   A. The Oxnard expects to reduce its electric bill to $ 700,000 a year.

   B. This project comes from the solution to deal with onion waste.

   C. How to get rid of onion waste remains a big problem.

   D. The juice extracted from onion is low in sugar.

(   ) 8. We can learn from the passage that         .

   A. the researchers are trying to get rid of bacteria in onion

   B. Steven Gill is 25 years old

   C. it is the bacteria that helps to produce energy from the juice

   D. the company will make a profit of $400,000 in six years

(   ) 9. What's the main idea of the text?

   A. How to deal with onion waste.

   B. A U. S. company makes money from onion juice.

   C. Onions can be used in many ways.

   D. A U. S. company converts onion juice to electricity.

Answer 1

6-9 CBCD

B篇：研究人员发现了洋葱的新用途——产生绿色能源。

6. C细节理解题。从文章第一段可知C项正确。

7. B 细节理解题。由第四段可知B项正确；由第三段可知A错；由第六、七段可知C、D错。

8. C推理判断题。由第八段可知。

9. D主旨大意题。本文主要介绍了洋葱产生绿色能源的新用途。