Friends played a big part in forming our personalities(性格). As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.

　True friends are people who like us though we made mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we're foolish. They laugh with us and share our sadness. They are our partners and share interests with us. They stimulate us when we are feeling down. They are people we aren't afraid of telling our secret wishes to or what is really on our minds.

　 Friends are our supporters. When you can depend on friends, you feel safe and warm. Friends offer acceptance and emotional(情感的)support. At times, they also help with our everyday lives, cooking a meal, doing chores, or giving us a lift when we need one. Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on.

Friends also help us reduce stress. Not only do they listen to us when we feel stressed, but they also discuss what is stressing us. Sharing interests and doing activities with friends help us forget about problems at work or at home. For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.

28. What is the best title for the passage?

　　A. How to Reduce Stress B. How to Make New Friends

　　C. The Importance of Friends D. The Qualities of Good Friends

29. The underlined word "stimulate" in Paragraph 2 probably means________.

　　A. educate B. encourage C. surprise D. dislike

30. We can learn from the third paragraph that friends always________.

　　A. laugh at us when we're foolish B. tell us other people's secrets

　　C. share both sadness and interests D. support us when we need help

31. We can learn from the passage that________.

　　A. people should make friends anytime

　　B. friends are people who allow you to cry

　　C. a friend helps you in many ways

　　D. good friends are always difficult to meet

　　You have most likely heard of renewable energy or even used it in your home, or office to do your part for the environment. Renewable energy is energy from natural resources including the wind, sunlight, and water. This form of energy is always renewed and cannot be exhausted. The most popular modern day form of this energy can be seen in solar paneling(电池板). Renewable energy can produce electricity and plays a major role in reducing greenhouse emissions(排放) and fossil fuels (化石燃料).

A study by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory predicts that renewable energy resources can soon provide up to 80 percent of the electricity in the United States. The study was conducted to decide how renewable energy can meet the needs of a rapidly increasing population. Using the current solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal(地热), and hydropower, this 80 percent increase is a promising possibility for our future.