In South America, the rich soil of the Amazon River basin（流域）in Brazil is known as “black gold”. Scientists found that the secret of this rich soil was charcoal（木炭）. Local people made it from animal bones and tree branches. They mixed the charcoal with the soil about 1.500 years ago.

Now, scientists in the United States have done a modern demonstration. They say charcoal fertilization offers a revolutionary way to improve soil quality for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Mingxin Guo and his team at Delavare State University heated tree leaves, corn stalks（茎）, small pieces of wood and poultry waste into “biochar”（生物碳）. They reported their findings at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans.

Biochar could be good news for farmers with poor soil and hungry populations to feed. Professor Guo says it could even help against global warming. Intensive（集约的） farming and overuse of chemical fertilizer give out carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Biochar does the opposite, he says. It traps carbon in the ground.

The researchers planted winter wheat in containers of soil in a greenhouse — some with biochar, some without. Professor Guo says the wheat grows much better in the pots with biochar. The soil was added two percent charcoal to. But he says even a one percent treatment will increase productivity.

The results demonstrated that biochar can increase organic matter in soil. Loss of nutrients in soil is an increasing problem worldwide as farmers try to grow more food for growing populations.

Next, the team will carry out a five-year study of biochar with spinach（菠菜）, green peppers and tomatoes.

Mingxin Guo says he learns about the “black gold” in Brazil from a magazine story. He explains that it was discovered in the jungle, in the area where waters flow to the Amazon, in the 1960’s. But it was not until recent years that scientists began to bring public attention to it.

1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．The researchers will go on proving their theory.

B．The leading researcher learns the theory from the magazine.

C．Charcoal was discovered 1,500 years ago.

D．Common farming can produce more carbon dioxide.

2.Biochar has the following advantages EXCEPT that ________.

A．it can improve the condition of the soil       

B．it can be used as a kind of energy

C．it can help against global warming 

D．it can increase productivity of the corn

3.According to the research, the biochar can help against global warming because it can ________.

A．reduce the carbon dioxide

B．keep the carbon in the soil

C．reduce the loss of nutrients in the soil

D．absorb the carbon dioxide

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．Using Charcoal to Make soil into “Black Gold”

B．Using Charcoal to Reduce the Carbon Dioxide

C．How Amazon River Basin Produces “Golden Black”

D．Guo’s Research on Producing Biochar

 

Harvard University is onおboth sides of the Charies River. The old institution of higher learning in the United States was founded in 1636. In 1638 it was named for John Harvard, its first founder. During the 1640s the college was enlarged although it was short of money. Meant to be an institution for the education of Puritan ministers（清教牧师），it grew to be an institution of general education, and new and more subjects and policies（政策）were introduced. In the eighteenth century, particularly under John Leverett（1708～1724）, the number of the students and campus equipment increased while the religious（宗教的）color decreased. In its early years, the college was largely supported by the English colony and the New England community as a whole, but support soon came in the form of gifts, and in 1823 the state money was received for the last time. Under Charles W. Eliot, the college became a great modern university, its basic courses improved and enlarged, the graduate school was set up for those who finished their four-year undergraduate study, and the law and medical schools were reorganized. Eliot is also famous for his introduction of the elective system at Harvard. Besides Harvard College, the university includes schools of divinity（1816）, law（1817）, arts and science（1872）, education（1920）, engineering（1935）, reorganization of Lawrence Science School of 1847, public administration （1935）. Harvard also has schools of business administration（1980）; medicine（1782）, public health（1922）, and dental health（1941）. Radcliffe College for women is connected with Harvard; its students are taught by Harvard professors and receive diplomas given by Harvard. The university library, among the nation’s finest, houses over 8 million volumes, and the Fogg Museum of Art is one of the finest university museums in the world. Harvard is closely connected with a large number of research institutions as well.

1. Harvard University ________.

    A. has a history of more than 450 years

    B.was enlarged in the middle of the seventeenth

    C.was first meant to be an institution for general education since its foundation

D.was founded by John Leverett

2. One of John Leverett’s greatest contributions to Harvard University is most probably that_________.

    A. he set up Harvard University

    B.heおmade Harvard a puritan university

    C.he freed Harvard University from the support of the state

D.he helped develop general education in Harvard University

3. Which of the following statements might NOT be true about Charles W. Eliot?

    A. Under his leadership, Harvard University became a modern university.

    B.He introduced the elective system at Harvard University.

    C.He improved and enlarged Harvard University, making it a modern university.

D.He tried hard to reduce the religious color of Harvard University.

4. Based on the passage, between 1816 and 1941 Harvard ________.

    A.had at least 10 more schools added to it

    B.founded Lawrence Science School

    C.went through a period of slow progress

D.reorganized Harvard College

5. Which of the following statements is true about Harvard University according to the passage?

    A. Harvard is a large and modern university with a long history.

    B.Harvard has the world’s finest library with its 8 million books.

    C.Harvard has the nation’s best art museum.

    D.Radcliffe College for men is one of the schools of Harvard University.

 

For a small but increasing  number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. A potential suitor may have a good sense of humor and reasonable good looks, but what they say really matters is if he owns an apartment and how many square feet it is. A sizable bank account is also a must, and, some say, so is a luxury car。

      At least, that’s the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. The latest reality-TV scandal to shock the nation involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on China's most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She rejected an offer from a male contestant to take a ride on his bike. "I'd rather cry in a BMW (宝马) car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle," Ma told her suitor with a giggle.

      The televised words swept the Internet and made an instant celebrity of Ma, who becomes one of the most talked-about women in the country. The reaction  among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting growing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and public attention on the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade.

      As disgusted as they have been by some of the contestants, viewers continue to watch religiously. Why are people still tuning in? "Audiences like programs because they are honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society," says Yan Mu, one of the founders of Baihe.com. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating, he says. "Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers," Yan adds. " It can be a struggle to find a partner." Money may not buy you love. But on China's reality shows, it can at least get you a date.

The underlined words“numbers”in the first paragraph include the following except_______

A. the age and degree B. the size of the house C. the sum of the deposit D. the price of the belonging

What does Ma Nuo mean by saying“I’d rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle.”in the second paragraph?

A. When she is in a BMW car, she will cry   B. When she is on a bike, she will laugh

C. She prefers money to true love           D. She prefers true love to money

Why do many young men take part in TV dating shows?

A. because they think they may get true love from them 

B. because they think China’s reality shows can at least give them a chance to date

C. because their parents and peers force them to do so

D. because viewers like dating shows

Which one of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. some contestants have been disgusted because they are dishonest

B. young people are too busy to take part in dating shows

C. some people are worried that societal value are changing

D. Ma Nuo rejected the bike offered by the contestant

What is the best title of the passage?

A. China’s TV Dating Show       B. Date for Love or money 

C. Date Makes You a Celebrity     D. Popular TV Dating Show

For a small but increasing  number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. A potential suitor may have a good sense of humor and reasonable good looks, but what they say really matters is if he owns an apartment and how many square feet it is. A sizable bank account is also a must, and, some say, so is a luxury car。
At least, that’s the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. The latest reality-TV scandal to shock the nation involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on China's most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She rejected an offer from a male contestant to take a ride on his bike. "I'd rather cry in a BMW (宝马) car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle," Ma told her suitor with a giggle.
The televised words swept the Internet and made an instant celebrity of Ma, who becomes one of the most talked-about women in the country. The reaction  among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting growing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and public attention on the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade.
As disgusted as they have been by some of the contestants, viewers continue to watch religiously. Why are people still tuning in? "Audiences like programs because they are honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society," says Yan Mu, one of the founders of Baihe.com. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating, he says. "Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers," Yan adds. " It can be a struggle to find a partner." Money may not buy you love. But on China's reality shows, it can at least get you a date.
【小题1】The underlined words“numbers”in the first paragraph include the following except_______

A．the age and degree

B．the size of the house

C．the sum of the deposit

D．the price of the belonging

【小题2】What does Ma Nuo mean by saying“I’d rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle.”in the second paragraph?

A．When she is in a BMW car, she will cry	B．When she is on a bike, she will laugh
C．She prefers money to true love	D．She prefers true love to money

【小题3】Why do many young men take part in TV dating shows?

A．because they think they may get true love from them

B．because they think China’s reality shows can at least give them a chance to date

C．because their parents and peers force them to do so

D．because viewers like dating shows

【小题4】Which one of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．some contestants have been disgusted because they are dishonest

B．young people are too busy to take part in dating shows

C．some people are worried that societal value are changing

D．Ma Nuo rejected the bike offered by the contestant

【小题5】What is the best title of the passage?

A．China’s TV Dating Show	B．Date for Love or money
C．Date Makes You a Celebrity	D．Popular TV Dating Show

For a small but increasing  number of young women in modern-day China, true love is all about the numbers. A potential suitor may have a good sense of humor and reasonable good looks, but what they say really matters is if he owns an apartment and how many square feet it is. A sizable bank account is also a must, and, some say, so is a luxury car。

At least, that’s the way things look if you watch Chinese television these days. The latest reality-TV scandal to shock the nation involves Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing who appeared on China's most popular dating show, If You Are the One. She rejected an offer from a male contestant to take a ride on his bike. "I'd rather cry in a BMW (宝马) car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle," Ma told her suitor with a giggle.

The televised words swept the Internet and made an instant celebrity of Ma, who becomes one of the most talked-about women in the country. The reaction  among young Chinese was especially severe, reflecting growing anxieties over the widening gap between rich and poor, shifting societal values and public attention on the difficulties of finding a mate in a country where men are expected to outnumber women by 24 million in a decade.

As disgusted as they have been by some of the contestants, viewers continue to watch religiously. Why are people still tuning in? "Audiences like programs because they are honest. They show the current reality of Chinese society," says Yan Mu, one of the founders of Baihe.com. Young people are so focused on making money and building their careers these days, they have little time to devote to dating, he says. "Many people feel pressure from their parents and peers," Yan adds. " It can be a struggle to find a partner." Money may not buy you love. But on China's reality shows, it can at least get you a date.

1.The underlined words“numbers”in the first paragraph include the following except_______

A．the age and degree

B．the size of the house

C．the sum of the deposit

D．the price of the belonging

2.What does Ma Nuo mean by saying“I’d rather cry in a BMW car than laugh on the backseat of a bicycle.”in the second paragraph?

A．When she is in a BMW car, she will cry	B．When she is on a bike, she will laugh
C．She prefers money to true love	D．She prefers true love to money

3.Why do many young men take part in TV dating shows?

A．because they think they may get true love from them

B．because they think China’s reality shows can at least give them a chance to date

C．because their parents and peers force them to do so

D．because viewers like dating shows

4.Which one of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．some contestants have been disgusted because they are dishonest

B．young people are too busy to take part in dating shows

C．some people are worried that societal value are changing

D．Ma Nuo rejected the bike offered by the contestant

5.What is the best title of the passage?

A．China’s TV Dating Show	B．Date for Love or money
C．Date Makes You a Celebrity	D．Popular TV Dating Show