Rural communities in developing countries often have trouble getting supplies of energy for cooking and lighting. But energy exists everywhere organic waste is breaking down. It is just a question of how to harness or make use of it.

A Palestinian community in the West Bank has been successfully testing a device that turns food and animal wastes into biogas（沼气）. The village of al-Awja has no running water or electric power. Solar panels（电池板） provide energy from the sun, but not enough for cooking equipment. But as in many other parts of the world, villagers keep chickens, cows or other animals.

Recently, about 40 families started using portable devices that turn food and animal waste into biogas. The European Union and the Peres Center for Peace provided money to pay for the devices.

One villager says, "This is a very good machine... The machine provides us with 70 to 80 percent of the gas that we need for our household."

An Israeli company, HomeBioGas, designed the machine, called a bio-digester. Anaerobic bacteria（厌氧细菌） are added to the device the first time it is used. The bacteria helps break down organic waste. The bio-digester creates enough biogas for cooking three meals a day. It also produces about 10 liters of liquid organic fertilizer.

Biogas is smokeless and has no smell. In addition to cooking, biogas can be used to heat water and for lighting devices. A built-in, hand-powered grinder （砂轮机）helps break down the solid parts in household waste.

The HomeBioGas system is designed for areas where the daily temperature does not drop below 15 degrees Celsius. The price is about $2,500, a little expensive for most families. So, communities must depend on aid from governments or private donors.

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1.The underlined word “harness” in paragraph 1 is probably closest in meaning to_____.

A govern

B provide

C buy

D control

解析：选D。词义猜测题。根据第1段第3句It is just a question of how to harness or make use of it. 厨余和动物粪便到处都有，问题是如何控制和利用，故选D。

2.What’s the function of the newly invented machine?

A It breaks down the animal waste.

B It turns food and animal waste into energy.

C It provides energy for cooking.

D It makes electric power from the sun.

解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第2段第1句…a device that turns food and animal wastes into biogas（沼气）.可知，本文介绍的发明，是把厨余和动物粪便转换成沼气，沼气是一种能源。所以B是最佳选项。

3.Besides producing biogas, this device also produces_____.

A fertilizer

B waste

C gas

D bacteria

解析：选A。细节理解题。根据第5段最后1句可知，It also produces about 10 liters of liquid organic fertilizer，在生产沼气的同时，此机器还把动物粪便转换成有机肥料。

4.At present, what is the disadvantage of this invention for the general public ?

A It is too large.

B It is portable.

C It is cheap.

D It is expensive.

解析：选D。细节理解题。 根据文章最后1段第2句The price is about $2,500, a little expensive for most families.可知，此机器对普通大众而言，还比较贵，需要政府或其它渠道的资助。

5.What is the purpose of this reading passage?

A To demonstrate.

B To explain.

C To introduce.

D To criticize.

解析：选C。文章意图题。根据全文可知，本文作者是客观地介绍此项发明，故选C。