As free as they make us, mobile phones still need to stay close to a power source. Soon that may change with "green" power.

Three Chilean students got the idea for a plant-powered device(装置) to charge their cellphones, while sitting in their school's outdoor courtyard during a break from exams, with dead mobile phones. Then, one of them had an "aha" moment.

“It occurred to Camila to say about plants, "said inventor Evelyn Aravena. "Why don't you have a socket, if there are so many plants? 'After that, we thought, why don't they have a charging outlet? Because there are so many plants and living things that have the potential to produce energy, why not? ' "

Their invention — a small biological circuit called E-Kaia - uses the energy plants to produce during photosynthesis(光合作用). A plant uses only a small part of that energy and the rest goes into the soil, and that's where the E-Kaia collects it. The device plugs into the ground and then into your phone.

"It's the most amazing project I've ever seen in my life, plain and simple. They brought this original model, and it worked — and that's when it all changed, at least from my personal point of view and I began to support them. " said Mauricio Cifuentes.

The device solved two problems for the engineering students — they needed an idea for a class project, and an outlet to plug in their phones.

"Looking for a place to charge the notebook, which had no power, and the mobile phones, we weren't able to find anything because all the other students were in the same state of madness trying to find a place to charge their devices," said Aravena.

But plants are everywhere, and the biocircuit makes the best of their excess(过多的) power.

The E-Kaia doesn't carry much charge but it's powerful enough to completely recharge a mobile phone in less than two hours.

The student inventors have applied for patents on their technology, and expect the E-Kaia to go on sale in December 2016.

1.How could the students get the "green" power idea?

A. By carrying out an experiment.

B. Just from an occasional thought.

C. With the support of their professors.

D. Enlightened(启发) by the information in a science book.

2.How does the device work?

A. By using the energy during photosynthesis. B. By using a small biological circuit.

C. By using the electricity stored in the device. D. By using a device buried in the ground.

3.What can we learn from what Mauricio Cifuentes said?

A. He intended to buy the patent.

B. The device was made in a rough way.

C. He showed great interest in the device.

D. He attempted to produce the device in large numbers.

4.What might be the best title for the passage?

A. A New Device to Change the World

B. Green Power - A New and Potential Source

C. Chilean Students Find A Green Way to Charge Phones

D. A New Device Invented by Chilean Students Will Be on Sale

Morocco has a lot of sun, a lot of deserts and a high demand for imported fuel. And that's why the Moroccan government is moving ahead with a huge concentrated solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate — one of four plants in total which, when completed, will have generating capacity(发电量) of 580MW. Combined with the country’s wind and hydro-power (水力发电) efforts, Morocco’s ambitious solar push will mean the country will get close to 50% of its electricity from renewable generation as early as 2020.

Phase I of the project, the 160MW Noor l, is going to start generating electricity next month and includes a capacity for molten sand energy storage which will allow up to 3 hours of electricity generation after the sun goes down. Phases 2 and 3 will have the capacity for up to eight hours of storage, meaning that solar energy really could be used to power homes around the clock.

Besides the scale of such plans, what’s impressive to me is how quickly the renewable energy can be developed. What other forms of energy could so greatly change a country’s energy composition in just a few short years? Not only should this be an encouraging sign for those of us who favor renewable energy, but it also should give reason for would-be investors in traditional fossil fuel generating industry.

If renewable energy costs continue to fall, even existing(现有的) coal and gas plants will find themselves limited by newer, cleaner forms of energy that can be increased rapidly.

Interestingly, some analysts suggest this is happening already. In the US, for example, coal power plants are being retired earlier than expected due to a combination of increased competition from gas and renewable energy, as well as tighter regulations of emissions (排放). Also, increasing amounts of solar and wind cause gas and coal plants not to use, significantly reducing their profits and further giving an edge to the clean energy competition.

If this proves to be the case in North Africa too, Morocco's solar ambitions could help transform the energy system well beyond its own borders.

1.What's the main theme of the passage?

A. Solar energy is fully developed in Morocco.

B. There are advantages of developing solar energy.

C. Morocco is a country with quantities of deserts.

D. Morocco's efforts to generate renewable electricity.

2.What is the advantage of Phase l?

A. Its energy storage can last up to three hours.

B. It has the capacity for as many as eight hours.

C. It continues producing electricity after the sun sets.

D. It is going to begin generating electricity in a month.

3.What does the author think of the renewable energy development?

A. Upset. B. Striking. C. Sensitive. D. Doubtful.

4.Coal power plants in the US are being retired earlier than expected because of ________.

A. various reasons B. heavy pollution

C. fierce competition D. the government's limitation

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

5 Tips for Surviving Shots

Do shots make you nervous? 1. Lots of people are afraid of them because they have a very real fear of needles. So next time your doctor asks you to roll up your sleeve, try these tips.

Distract yourself while you're waiting. Bring along a game, book, music, or a movie player — something you'll get completely caught up in. 2.

Concentrate on taking slow, deep breaths. Breathe all the way down into your stomach. 3. Moreover, concentrating on something other than the shot can take your mind off it.

4. Find a picture, poster, or a sign on the wall. Concentrate on the details. If you're looking at a painting, for example, try counting the number of flowers in the garden, cows in the field, or other images. Or create as many new words as you can using the lettering on a sign. Think about how the message on a health awareness poster might affect you. Whatever it takes, keep focusing on something other than the shot until it's over.

Cough. Research shows that coughing as the needle goes in can help some people feel less pain.

Relax your arm. If you're tense—especially if you tense up in the area where you're getting the shot, it can make a shot hurt more.

Sometimes people feel faint(头晕的) after getting a shot.5.

A. You are not alone at all.

B. Then they had better not get a shot.

C. Deep breathing can help people relax.

D. Focus attentively on something in the room.

E. Thus,you can make your waiting time shorter.

F. If you feel sick, sit or lie down and rest for 15 minutes.

G. Then you won't think about the shot while sitting in the waiting room.

I will never forget the experience of seeing a part of Canada and snowboarding in the mountains.

I got a little emotional on the _______from Montreal to our first stop in Vancouver. Although I have to _______that I watched a movie while we flew over the prairies(大草原), I did occasionally _______out of the window to see what was what ! _______most of the mountains in Alberta and B.C.were covered in clouds so I had to_______our drive from Kelowna to Revelstoke to see those monsters!

I _______ I'd entered into Lord of the Rings territory(领地) as we took a lift to get to the top of Mt. Mackenzie in Revelstoke.

Before snowboarding I learned not to_________coffee in the morning, which only added shaking to my_______during the first few descents(滑雪下坡) of the day. Snowboarding in powder is quite_________from riding the icy-slopes(斜坡) in Quebec. At least when you ____________down several metres, it's like falling on pillows! My main __________, however, was getting stuck in the few __________sections of the mountain, though a few____________skiers gave me a ride by letting me grab their ski poles and ____________me to the next drop.

Even though we could____________really ski the top half of the mountain, it was still at least twice the size of the mountain we usually____________! Our phone pictures don't do justice to these mountains, ____________we have our own __________. When my husband and I asked each other what was our favourite__________of the trip, other than spending time with each other, it was____________the view.

1.A. train B. ship C. plane D. car

2.A. admit B. pretend C. recall D. regret

3.A. go B. look C. walk D. stare

4.A. Luckily B. Particularly C. Possibly D. Unfortunately

5.A. end with B. pick up C. wait for D. start from

6.A. felt B. dreamt C. imagined D. agreed

7.A. sell B. drink C. cook D. store

8.A. nervousness B. confidence C. excitement D. delight

9.A. absent B. tired C. safe D. different

10.A. fall B. slip C. skate D. look

11.A. task B. issue C. concern D. idea

12.A. downhill B. rough C. steep D. flat

13.A. helpful B. young C. aged D. single

14.A. throwing B. dragging C. lifting D. deserting

15.A. even B. just C. only D. yet

16.A. stay B. visit C. climb D. ski

17.A. and B. so C. for D. but

18.A. memories B. advantages C. feelings D. tips

19.A. mountain B. part C. place D. friends

20.A. hardly B. normally C. certainly D. strangely

The Today I learned–The New York Times’ fun column always highlights some surprising and interesting facts. In that spirit,The New York Times lists some of the most eye-catching things out of the column and edits them into What I Learned This Year.Following are some facts out of What I Learned in 2016.

The world’s most-used natural resource (apart from water,listed at the second place and air,as the champion) is sand,which consists of extremely small pieces of stone-and it’s disappearing.

A team’s success (at work) is often driven by 3 factors (with the importance from high to low) —its culture,the interpersonal relationship and the IQ or talent of its individuals.

Giraffes have been keeping a secret from most of us for a long time: They’ really four different species,not one. The Greenland Shark lives at least 272 years and it could live as long as 512 years,which makes it the oldest living thing with a backbone(脊椎)on Earth.

More that 70 percent of Americans think Granola Bars (格拉诺拉燕麦棒)are healthy.Interesting,less than 30 percent of nutritionists(营养学家)agree.

Nearly 80 percent of teenagers say they don’t like to eat cereal porridge(燕麦粥)for breakfast,because they have to clean up the bowls after eating it.

It’s myth that closing unused apps on your smartphone will prolong battery life.And turning off Wi-Fi doesn’t help,either.

Annual percentage of highway death had been going down for the last four decades till it last year recorded the largest increase in 50 years.Blame Snapchat and other smarphone apps.

Death from gun-shooting is as enough as from car accidents in the United Stated and as scarce as from lightning strikes in Japan,which owns the reputation of one of the safest countries.

1.According to the passage,the world’s most-used natural resource is______.

A. water B. air C. sand D. stone

2.According to the passage,the most important factor of a team’s success is_____.

A. a team’s culture B. the interpersonal relationship C. individual IQ D. individual talent

3.Which of the following descriptions is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most people still don’t know that giraffes have four species.

B. The Greenland Shark is the oldest living life on Earth.

C. Cereal porridge is as unhealthy as Granola Bars for teenagers.

D. Closing unused apps on smart phones will prolong battery life.

4.The underlined word “scarce” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ____.

A. enough B. safe C. familiar D. rare

Moby Dick,or The Whale,of which only 5 copies were sold in the year of its first publication,has been recognized as one of the greatest masterpieces of the twentieth century novels across the world.Yet its author,Herman Melville,was not blessed enough to change his fate as the great work did.

Herman was born into an upper class New York family in 1819,but he had to drop out of school at the age of 15due to bankruptcy (破产)of the family.He struggled for living by working as a clerk at a bank,a farmer and a primary school teacher,but did not manage to hold on quite long to any of the jobs.And in 1841,he turned himself a whaling sailor on a big whaler.

In the next three years,his sailor’s life was torn apart by betrayal,injury,living with anthropophagi(食人族), love,killing,imprisonment,prison break,which did not bear the expected fruit of fortune or being a captain.

At the age of 25 ,Herman returned to America,starting his writing career.During the following five years,he published five novels,among which was Moby Dick,but none of the works brought him any fame or sense of success.

He had to live up with his poor life,supported by regular financial help from his father in-law.Not much changed even after his father-in-law assisted him onto a post at the customhouse(海关).His self-doubt whether he should fight to write as an author disturbed Herman for the rest of his life till his death in 1899,which is suggested in his wife’s diary.And his wife described his several struggles where he fought bitterly back to his desk to pick up his pen.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Moby Dick according to the passage?

A. It came out as a published novel in the twentieth century.

B. It was not recognized as a great work until the twentieth century.

C. It was not for sale until the twentieth century.

D. It was adampted from the passage?

2.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Herman chose his life on purpose to make himself a great writer.

B. Herman’s parents had scheduled those failures in his life to make him a man.

C. Herman did not offer the best of himself to foresee and avoid those series of misfortune.

D. Herman’s insufficient capability to fight problems he was faced with might result.

3.What is the first working element that built Herman up be a most outstanding writer?

A. His rich life experience and perseverance. B. His sharp sense to observe and think.

C. Help from his wife and father-in-law. D. His brilliant language talent and skill.

4.What can we learn from Herman’ life story?

A. There is no much point struggling and working too hard in one’s like.

B. Never invest too much of yourself into what others have the power to judge.

C. Never trust decisions that have been made by others.

D. Never doubt yourself but stick to what you are committed to.

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