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     For centuries, farmers have used windmills to pump water, crush grain and perform other tasks. Today,

farmers can earn money with high-powered wind turbines (发电机) that produce electricity. Wind power has

become big business, especially in Europe.

     In the United States, less than one percent of electricity is produced from wind energy. But production

increased one hundred sixty percent between 2000 and 2005. So says Keith Collins, the chief economist at

the Department of Agriculture, in a statement he prepared for a Senate committee last month.

     An even greater increase is expected between 2005and 2010. Farmers are providing land to turbine owners

or, in some cases, owing the equipment themselves.

     Mister Collins says one reason for the increase is high prices for natural gas. Another is a federal tax credit (税收抵免) for wind production. The credit is almost two cents per kilowatt hour for the first ten years of

production for a project.

     The production tax credit for renewable forms of energy was supposed to end this December. But

Congress has extended it through 2008

     Other reasons for the expansion include improved turbine technology and lower production costs. They

also include policies that make it easier for wind power producers to sell their electricity. And they include the

growth of markets for "green power"-energy that does not create pollution.

     California is the leading state for wind power. But Mister Collins says production is also growing in

Minnesota and other Midwestern states, all the way down to Texas. And he says many states in the West and

Midwest have the wind resources to produce much more wind power.

     Wind power offers farmers a way to earn money for use of their land or, if they want, to operate their

own turbines. Wind is free, of course. Not only that, the land under the turbines can usually be farmed. And

farmers may be able to earn extra money by charging visitors to see their wind farm.

      But wind farms are not perfect. Keep in mind that there has to be enough wind to earn a profit. Also, the

turbines can kill birds. And people sometimes object to the development of wind farms. They consider them

ugly and noisy.

1. In ____ wind power is widely used to produce electricity.

A. America

B. Midwest

C. Europe

D. West

2. According to Mister Collins the reasons for the increase of wind using are ______.

A. natural gas is expensive

B. the tax is less for wind production

C. wind energy is green energy

D. both A and B

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word in the last paragraph?

A. refuse

B. accept

C. agree to

D. are afraid of

4. From the passage we can conclude that _____.

A. the government in the USA supports the use of wind power

B. California has the most wind resource in the world

C. visitors can watch the wind farm free

D. wind power can bring farmers some trouble