Scientists in India have invented a new way of producing electricity. Their invention does not get its power from oil, coal or other fuels. It produces electricity with the power of animals. India has about eighty million bullocks (小公牛). They do all kinds of jobs. They work in the fields. They pull vehicles through the streets. They carry water containers. Indian energy officials have been seeking ways to use less imported oil to provide energy. Scientists at the National Institute for Industrial Engineering in Bombay wondered if the millions of bullocks could help. Many villages in India lack electricity, but they have many bullocks. And often the animals are not working. One job done by bullocks is to pump water out of a well. The animals do this by walking around and around in a circle. As they walk, they turn a heavy stick that makes the pump move. This simple technology is centuries old. Scientists thought the same technology could be used to produce electricity. Bullocks walk in a circle only two or three times a minute. That is much too slow to produce electricity, but it can create enough power to turn a series of gears. A large gear sits next to a smaller gear. As the large gear turns, it causes the smaller gear to turn. That gear turns an even smaller one. Each gear moves faster because it is a little smaller. The smallest gear may turn extremely fast. Clocks operate with gears. So do cars, and so does the device invented by the Indian scientists to produce electricity.
The United Nations Development Forum publication (出版社) reports that the idea is being tested at several places in India. The device is easy to operate and repair. And it can be moved easily. It costs about three hundred and seven dollars now to make such a device, but production of large numbers of them could cut the cost of each to about two hundred dollars.
单选题
Who first thought of using bullocks to provide energy?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 短文第1句话说明印度的科学家已经发明了一种发电的新方法(Scientists in Indiahave invented a new way of producing electricity.)；第3句话说明是借助动物的力量发电(Itproduces electricity with the power of animals)；在第7—8行中提到，小公牛干的一项活是从井里抽水(One job done by bullocks is to pump water our of a well．)；最后第10—11行说，科学家想，这种技术同样可以用来发电(Scientists thought the same technology could be used toproduce electricity．)。综上所述，首先想到用小公牛发电的是印度的科学家。因此，答案是B)。
单选题
Which kind of job that the bullocks do is NOT mentioned in the passage?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 短文第3行提到，小公牛在地里干活(work in the fields)，所以B)是对的；接着又说，它们拉车(pull vehicles)、运送水罐(carry water containers)，因此A)是对的，D)是错误的；26题题解中已经提到牛从井里抽水，所以C)也是对的。
单选题
Why are bullocks used to provide energy in India?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 文章第7行提到很多小公牛经常都闲着(And often the animals are not working.)，第12行又提到它们巨大的力气可以产生足够的能量用来带动一系列的齿轮(…it can createenough power to turn a series of gears．)，因此，综合这些因素，可知C)是正确答案。
单选题
In the sentence "This simple technology is centuries old. ", "this simple technology" refers to ______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第8行，这种简单的技术是抽水(to pump water out of a well)。选项C)的意思与此相同，因此正确答案是C)。
单选题
Which of the following is true about the device mentioned in the passage?
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 我们可以从短文第2段第1句话“…that the idea is being tested at several places inIndia．”得知答案是D)。