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．

1. 1.

   What do we know about biomass?

   1. A.
      It is a useful way of burning crops．
   2. B.
      It is plant and animal matter used to provide power．
   3. C.
      It is a new alternative to be used widely．
   4. D.
      It is a popular approach to fighting against pollution．
2. 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．

   1. A.
      a, b, c
   2. B.
      b, c, d
   3. C.
      c, d, e
   4. D.
      a, d, e
3. 3.

   For coal-fired power stations, ______．

   1. A.
      more effective ways to use biomass have been tried
   2. B.
      using renewable energy has become their daily task
   3. C.
      burning biomass alone would require considerable changes
   4. D.
      setting up dependable supply channels needs governments' support
4. 4.

   What is the author's attitude towards biomass fuels?

   1. A.
      Defensive．
   2. B.
      Doubtful．
   3. C.
      Negative．
   4. D.
      Objective

III. Cloze test 完形填空 1’ * 20 = 20’
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从26－45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。
People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the  36  300 years, there were  37  many changes in  38  places that now people can  39  tell an English person  40  an American in the way he or she talks.
Many old words  41  in England but were kept in America. For example, 300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they called either a
“faucet”, a “spigot”, or a “tap”. All these words are  42  heard in different parts of America, but only “tap” is still common in  43 . Americans often made up new words or changed old  44 . “Corn” is one kind of plant in America and  45  in England.
Also, over the last three centuries the English language  46  thousands of new words for things that weren’t known  47 . And often, American and English people used two  48  names for them. A tin can (洋铁罐头) is called “tin” for short in England, but a “can” in America. The word “radio” is  49  all over the world, including America. But many English people call it a “wireless”. And almost anything having something to do  50  cars, railroads, etc.  51  different names in British and American English．
But now American and British English may be growing closer together. One  52  is the large amount (数量) of American speech that British people hear daily in movies, on television, or  53  travelers.  54  this, Americans seem to be influencing (影响) the British more and more. So some day, English may even be  55  on both sides of the Atlantic (大西洋).  
36．A. following     B. recent       C. oldest        D. last
37．A. such              B. too                C. so                 D. great
38．A. either            B. both               C. neither          D. two
39．A. hardly            B. difficulty        C. clearly          D. easily
40．A. with              B. from                C. to               D. and
41．A. disappeared   B. were disappeared   C. spoke   D. were spoken
42．A. not                B. hardly              C. yet             D. still
43．A. America         B. the two countries   C. England     D. British
44．A. word              B. forms              C. ones             D. ways
45．A. another           B. also planted     C. a plant        D. a kind of food
46．A. added          B. has added            C. discovered     D. has discovered
47．A. anywhere    B. in some countries  C. before     D. for centuries
48．A. new              B. short                 C. different      D. surprising
49．A. produced       B. made                 C. developed      D. used
50．A. to                B. away                 C. with             D. from
51．A. has              B. have                 C. has given       D. was given
52．A. thing           B. cause                C. reason           D. expression
53．A. from            B. through             C. on                D. by
54．A. For              B. Because             C. Besides         D. Because of
55．A. different         B. more different   C. the same         D. more useful

III. Cloze test 完形填空 1’ * 20 = 20’

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从26－45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the  36  300 years, there were  37  many changes in  38  places that now people can  39  tell an English person  40  an American in the way he or she talks.

Many old words  41  in England but were kept in America. For example, 300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they called either a

“faucet”, a “spigot”, or a “tap”. All these words are  42  heard in different parts of America, but only “tap” is still common in  43 . Americans often made up new words or changed old  44 . “Corn” is one kind of plant in America and  45  in England.

Also, over the last three centuries the English language  46  thousands of new words for things that weren’t known  47 . And often, American and English people used two  48  names for them. A tin can (洋铁罐头) is called “tin” for short in England, but a “can” in America. The word “radio” is  49  all over the world, including America. But many English people call it a “wireless”. And almost anything having something to do  50  cars, railroads, etc.  51  different names in British and American English．

But now American and British English may be growing closer together. One  52  is the large amount (数量) of American speech that British people hear daily in movies, on television, or  53  travelers.  54  this, Americans seem to be influencing (影响) the British more and more. So some day, English may even be  55  on both sides of the Atlantic (大西洋).  

36．A. following     B. recent       C. oldest        D. last

37．A. such              B. too                C. so                 D. great

38．A. either            B. both               C. neither          D. two

39．A. hardly            B. difficulty        C. clearly          D. easily

40．A. with              B. from                C. to               D. and

41．A. disappeared   B. were disappeared   C. spoke   D. were spoken

42．A. not                B. hardly              C. yet             D. still

43．A. America         B. the two countries   C. England     D. British

44．A. word              B. forms              C. ones             D. ways

45．A. another           B. also planted     C. a plant        D. a kind of food

46．A. added          B. has added            C. discovered     D. has discovered

47．A. anywhere    B. in some countries  C. before     D. for centuries

48．A. new              B. short                 C. different      D. surprising

49．A. produced       B. made                 C. developed      D. used

50．A. to                B. away                 C. with             D. from

51．A. has              B. have                 C. has given       D. was given

52．A. thing           B. cause                C. reason           D. expression

53．A. from            B. through             C. on                D. by

54．A. For              B. Because             C. Besides         D. Because of

55．A. different         B. more different   C. the same         D. more useful

III. Cloze test 完形填空 1’ * 20 = 20’

    阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从26－45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

    People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the  36  300 years, there were  37  many changes in  38  places that now people can  39  tell an English person  40  an American in the way he or she talks.

    Many old words  41  in England but were kept in America. For example, 300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they called either a

“faucet”, a “spigot”, or a “tap”. All these words are  42  heard in different parts of America, but only “tap” is still common in  43 . Americans often made up new words or changed old  44 . “Corn” is one kind of plant in America and  45  in England.

    Also, over the last three centuries the English language  46  thousands of new words for things that weren’t known  47 . And often, American and English people used two  48  names for them. A tin can (洋铁罐头) is called “tin” for short in England, but a “can” in America. The word “radio” is  49  all over the world, including America. But many English people call it a “wireless”. And almost anything having something to do  50  cars, railroads, etc.  51  different names in British and American English．

But now American and British English may be growing closer together. One  52  is the large amount (数量) of American speech that British people hear daily in movies, on television, or  53  travelers.  54  this, Americans seem to be influencing (影响) the British more and more. So some day, English may even be  55  on both sides of the Atlantic (大西洋).  

36．A. following     B. recent       C. oldest        D. last

37．A. such              B. too                C. so                 D. great

38．A. either            B. both               C. neither          D. two

39．A. hardly            B. difficulty        C. clearly          D. easily

40．A. with              B. from                C. to               D. and

41．A. disappeared   B. were disappeared   C. spoke   D. were spoken

42．A. not                B. hardly              C. yet             D. still

43．A. America         B. the two countries   C. England     D. British

44．A. word              B. forms              C. ones             D. ways

45．A. another           B. also planted     C. a plant        D. a kind of food

46．A. added          B. has added             C. discovered     D. has discovered

47．A. anywhere    B. in some countries  C. before     D. for centuries

48．A. new              B. short                 C. different      D. surprising

49．A. produced       B. made                 C. developed      D. used

50．A. to                B. away                 C. with             D. from

51．A. has              B. have                 C. has given       D. was given

52．A. thing           B. cause                C. reason           D. expression

53．A. from            B. through             C. on                D. by

54．A. For              B. Because             C. Besides         D. Because of

55．A. different         B. more different   C. the same         D. more useful