A deal has been signed to turn by-products from a Scottish distillery(酿酒厂)into fuel for cars.

In what is declared to be a world first, the Tullibardine distillery in Perthshire has linked up with a spin-out company from Napier University in Edinburgh. They plan to use bacteria to feed on the "leftovers" from the whisky(威士忌酒)making process. This will produce butanol which can be used to fuel vehicles.

More than 90% of the stuff that comes out of a whisky distillery is not whisky. It is leftovers like draff and pot ales(酒糟)— both produced in the early stages of the process. They are high in sugar and are currently used for things like fertiliser and cattle feed. Napier University's Biofuel Research Centre (BfRC) has already shown that the right bacteria can feed on those by-products to produce butanol—a direct replacement for vehicle fuel. Now the spin-out company, Celtic Renewables, and independent whisky producer Tullibardine have signed an agreement. Together they will apply the process to thousands of tons of the distillery's leftovers.

Professor Martin Tangney, founder of Celtic Renewables, said "Our partnership with Tullibardine is an important step in the development of a business which combines two important Scottish industries — whisky and renewables. This project shows that creative use of existing technologies can utilize resources on our doorstep to benefit both the environment and the economy."

Douglas Ross, managing director of Tullibardine, which spends £250,000 disposing of its by-products every year, said "We are delighted to be partnering Celtic Renewables in this creative business, the obvious benefits of which are environmental. It takes a cost to us and turns it into something that has social as well as commercial value."

The project is being supported by a grant(拨款) from the Scottish government's Zero Waste Scotland initiative. Celtic Renewables said it eventually aimed to build a processing plant in Scotland, with the hope of building an industry that could be worth £60m a year.

1.According to the passage, ______will be used to take the place of petrol.

A. whisky B. whisky leftovers

C. butanol D. draff and pot ales

2. How do people deal with whisky leftovers at present?

A. They throw them away.

B. They use them to feed people.

C. They use them to feed bacteria.

D. They use them for crops or cattle.

3.What does the underlined word “utilize” in the fourth paragraph probably mean?

A. make use of. B. get rid of.

C. use up. D. find out.

4.Which of the following categories does this passage belong to?

a. Health b. Science c. Food

d. Nature e. Environment f. Business

A. b,c,e B. b,e,f C. a,b,f D. a,b,c

In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics(策略).

One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food(垃圾食品) later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics(化妆品) section: while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.

Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.

When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $10 million houses.

1. Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?

A. To save customers times.

B. To show they are high quality foods.

C. To help sell junk food.

D. To sell them at discount prices.

2.According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?

A. Opening the store early in the morning.

B. Displaying British wines next to French ones.

C. Inviting customers to play music.

D. Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.

3. What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?

A. The house structure is a key factor customers consider.

B. The more costly the house is, the better it sells.

C. An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste.

D. A good first impression increases sales.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.

B. To introduce how businesses have grown from the past.

C. To report researches on customer behavior.

D. To show dishonest business practices

完形填空

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

My fiance (未婚夫) and I were excited about shopping for our first home. But our funds were , and none of the houses in our price range seemed satisfactory.

One agent a house in particular. Although her description sounded wonderful, the price was our range, so we declined. But she kept urging us to have a look .

We finally did and it was at first sight. It was Our Home, small and charming, overlooking a quiet lake. Walking through the rooms and talking with the owners, a nice elderly couple, we felt the warmth and of the marriage within that home. As perfect as it was, the price remained too high for us. But every day, we would sit by the lake, looking at the house and dreaming of it would be like to live there.

Days later, we made a(n) —far below the asking price. Surprisingly, they didn’t us. They renewed their offer . It was also much more than we could afford, but far than the original asking price.

The next day, we got a message that another buyer had offered a much higher price. Even so, we decided to talk with the directly. We made our final offer, which was thousands of dollars less than the other buyer’s bid. We knew it, we had to try.

“Sold!” said the owner. Then he : He’d seen us sitting by the lake all those times; he knew how much we loved the place and that we’d the years of work they had put into their home; he realized he would take a by selling it to us, but it was worthwhile; we were the people they wanted to live there. He told us to consider the in the price “an early wedding present.”

That’s how we found our home and how I learned that when people are they are not strangers, only friends we haven’t yet met.

1.A. needed B. limited C. enough D. large

2.A. recommended B. decorated C. sold D. rented

3.A. below B. within C. beyond D. between

4.A. at least B. at most C. at times D. at hand

5.A. relief B. concern C. love D. curiosity

6.A. pride B. happiness C. challenge D. desire

7.A. which B. why C. that D. what

8.A. effort B. offer C. promise D. profit

9.A. come across B. look after C. depend on D. laugh at

10.A. instead B. indeed C. aside D. apart

11.A. worse B. better C. less D. higher

12.A. relaxing B. disappointing C. pleasant D. regular

13.A. agents B. buyers C. managers D. owners

14.A. already B. still C. generally D. ever

15.A. so B. or C. for D. but

16.A. apologized B. complained C. criticized D. explained

17.A. check B. analyze C. appreciate D. ignore

18.A. loss B. risk C. chance D. lead

19.A. increase B. difference C. interest D. average

20.A. kind B. polite C. smart D. energetic

October 21 was a very dark day in Texas. Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes, it caused the largest business damage in Texas’s history. The worst thing is Hanna’s destructive force nearly wiped out most power poles and power lines. According to Center Point Energy, Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers. Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark. Crews have worked 16-hour shifts to restore power to residents.

Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal. Schools, restaurants, retail stores and gas stations are open. Smiles are back. But harder-hit places, including Galveston, will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing, and coastal towns are a mess. Some ruins from storm have drifted south to other beaches in Texas. Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage. Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13. Many school supplies were destroyed.

Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas. This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying. Believe it or not, Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing. When Paula was a girl, she was an orphan, but was taken in by her stepmom, Antonia Flores. Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years. Before the hurricane, Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter. There, she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.

1.What’s the most serious damage caused by Hurricane Hanna?

A. Hundreds of people are still missing.

B. A large number of people are homeless.

C. Power facilities are severely destroyed.

D. Factories are closed and many people jobless.

2. It can be inferred that the residents in Houston________.

A. have fully recovered from the disaster

B. were the most unlucky people in the disaster

C. need a long time to bring their life back to normal

D. suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston

3.Kids in public schools in other areas of Houston will have to stay at home for_______

A. at least one month

B. at least three weeks

C. two weeks at most

D. nearly half a month

4. Paula Reed and her family consider the hurricane a blessing because_______

A. they had nothing lost after Hurricane Hanna

B. they lived a happier life in San Antonio shelter

C. Paula was taken good care of in the shelter

D. Paula reunited with her stepmother after three decades

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