Superconducting Materials
The stone age, The Iron Age. Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead? The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff(超级材料). Material science -- once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. But superconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook pots and artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exotic plastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as have genetic engineering and computer science.
The key to the new materials is researchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level. Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But by minimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are making far stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heat resistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm called Kyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp for years and never rust or corrode.
A similar transformation has overtaken plastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks and helicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibrated or pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karate jackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter, which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable to molecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms; some plastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed to sunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable as metal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphite or other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible and have even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life by deflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.
Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic(光学纤维的) cable that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.
But new materials have no impact until they are made into products. And that transition could prove difficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can be said a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine the success or failure of a country in the near future.How many new materials are mentioned in this passage?
A Two B Three C Four D FiveWhy does the author mention genetic engineering and computer science?
A To compare them with the new materials.
B To show the significance of the new materials on the future world.
C To compare the new materials to them.
D To explain his view point.Why is transition difficult?
A Because transition requires money and time.
B Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change their equipment.
C Because research on new materials is very difficult.
D Because it takes 10 years.Where lies success of a country in the New Age of superstuff?
A It lies in research. B It lies in investment.
C It lies in innovation. D It lies in application.
Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.
Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did youchoosean ovalshape? You area person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.
What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts. These are people who like to help others.
Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.This passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．why people like chocolate |
| B．almost everyone likes chocolate |
| C．about different kinds of chocolate |
| D．different choices may show different characters |
Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.
| A．likes singing, dancing and drinking |
| B．likes to do something for others |
| C．is good at making things |
| D．can be depended on |
From this passage we can see that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.
| A．in oval shape | B．in square shape |
| C．with nuts | D．with coffee |
The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.
| A．believes all the information about chocolate |
| B．does not believe the information about candy |
| C．is trying to get you to believe false information |
| D．doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas |
It’s so difficult to follow the ups and downs of a 2-year-old. One moment he’s beaming and friendly; the next he’s sullen（愠怒的）and weepy, often for no apparent reason. These mood swings, however, are just part of growing up. They are signs of the emotional changes taking place as your child struggles to take control of actions, impulses, feelings and his body.
At this age, your child wants to explore the world and seek adventure. As a result, he’ll spend most of his time testing limits, his own, yours and his environments. Unfortunately, he still lacks many of the skills required for the safe accomplishment of everything he needs to do, and he often will need you to protect him.
When he oversteps a limit and is pulled back, he often reacts with anger and frustration, possibly with a temper tantrum (发脾气). He may even strike back by hitting, biting and kicking. At this age, he doesn’t have much control over his emotional impulse (冲动). So his anger and frustration tend to erupt suddenly in the form of crying, hitting or screaming. It’s his only way of dealing with the difficult realities of life. He may even act out in ways that unintentionally harm himself or others. It’s all part of being 2.
It’s not uncommon for toddlers to be angels when you’re not around, because they don’t trust people enough to test their limits. But with you, your toddler will be willing to try things that may be dangerous or difficult, because he knows you’ll rescue him if he gets into trouble.
Whatever protest pattern he has developed around the end of his first year will probably persist for some time. For instance, when you’re about to leave him with a sitter, he may become angry and throw a tantrum in anticipation (预想) of the separation. Or he may cry and cling to you. Or he could simply become subdued and silent. Whatever his behavior, try not to overreact by scolding or punishing him. The best tactic(策略) is to reassure him before you leave that you will be back and, when you return, to praise him for being so patient while you are gone. Take comfort in the fact that separations should be much easier by the time he’s 3 years old.The “ups and downs” (Para. 1) of a 2-year-old refers to ________.
| A．his falling down and standing up |
| B．his successes and failures in doing things |
| C．his good and bad traits |
| D．his mood swings |
A 2-year-old still lacks all of the following EXCEPT _____________.
| A．signs that express his emotional changes |
| B．skills necessary for accomplishing certain things |
| C．control over his emotional impulses |
| D．good methods of dealing with the difficult realities of life |
Which of the following is true?
| A．A 2-year-old doesn’t know how to express his anger and frustration. |
| B．A 2-year-old often intentionally harms himself or others. |
| C．A 2-year-old depends on his parents to do everything new and challenging. |
| D．A 2-year-old trusts his parents more than other people |
When a mother is about to separate with her baby, she’d better __________.
| A．leave without the baby’s knowledge |
| B．make the baby subdued and silent |
| C．comfort the baby that she’ll be back soon |
| D．ignore the baby’s reactions |
Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.
An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college. Surveys (调查) on this topic suggests that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly-protective even after their children move into college dormitories. The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago. This is usually interpreted as a sign that today’s parents are trying to manage their children’s lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.
However, greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their “adult” children.
In the context (背景) of this discussion, it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents’ involvement with their grown children. If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college-age children frequently, would this have been possible?
Probably not. On the other hand, does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn’t present a generation ago? Many studies show that older parents—today’s grandparents—would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.
Furthermore, studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children. The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new; nor are requests for more money to be sent from home. This phenomenon is neither good nor bad; it is a fact of college life, today and in the past.
Thanks to the advanced technology, we live in an age of bettered communication. This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college. But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.The surveys inform us of______.
| A．the development of technology |
| B．the changes of adult children’s behavior |
| C．the parents’ over-protection of their college children |
| D．the means and expenses of students’ communication |
The writer believes that__________.
| A．parents today are more protective than those in the past |
| B．the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages |
| C．technology explains greater involvement with their children |
| D．parents’ changed attitudes lead to college children’s delayed independence |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Technology or Attitude |
| B．Dependence or Independence |
| C．Family Influences or Social Changes |
| D．College Management or Communication Advancement |
Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?
If you know exactly what you want, the best route to a job is to get specialized training．A recent survey shows that companies like graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training．
That’s especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers．At Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor’s degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement．Large companies, especially, like a background of formal education coupled with work experience．
But in the long run, too much specialization doesn’t pay off．Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval．The MBA may open doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years．
As further evidence of the erosion(销蚀)of corporate(公司的)faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State’s Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices．Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management．“They want someone who isn’t constrained(限制)by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture, ” says Scheetz．
Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have：writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems．David Birch claims he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree, “I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things, ” says Birch．Liberal-arts means an academically thorough and strict program that includes literature, history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior-plus a computer course or two．With that under your belt, you can feel free to specialize．“A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the marketplace, ” says Scheetz．What kinds of people are in high demand on the job market?
| A．Students with a bachelor’s degree in humanities． |
| B．People with an MBA degree from top universities． |
| C．People with formal schooling plus work experience |
| D．People with special training in engineering． |
By saying “…but the impact of a degree washes out after five years”(Line 5, Para．3), the author means ________．
| A．most MBA programs fail to provide students with a solid foundation |
| B．an MBA degree does not help promotion to managerial positions |
| C．MBA programs will not be as popular in five years’ time as they are now |
| D．in five people will forget about the degree the MBA graduates have got |
David Birch claims that he only hires liberal-arts people because ________．
| A．they are more capable of handling changing situations |
| B．they can stick to established ways of solving problems |
| C．they are thoroughly trained in a variety of specialized fields |
| D．they have attended special programs in management |
Which of the following statements does the author support?
| A．Specialists are more expensive to hire than generalists． |
| B．Formal schooling is less important than job training． |
| C．On-the-job training is, in the long run, less costly． |
| D．Generalists will outdo specialists in management． |
One mile long runway can take people across the oceans, to reach every corner of the world.
That’s the magic power of airplanes as well as airports. Similar as most airports are, some do have their unique features.
Lukla Airport
Lukla Airport, is a small airport in the town of in the town of Lukla, eastern Nepal. A program titled Most Extreme Airports, rated the airport as the most dangerous airport in the world. The airport is popular because Lukla is the place where most people start the climb to Mount Everest Base Camp. High wind, cloud cover, and changing visibility often mean flights can be delayed or the airport closed. The airport’s runway is accessible only to helicopters and small, fixed-wing, short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. The runway is only 527m with an elevation of 2,845m.
Princess Juliana International Airport
Princess Juliana International Airport is in the country of Saint Maarten. The airport is perhaps best known for very low-altitude flyover landing approaches due to one end of its runway being extremely close to the shore and Maho Beach. The thrilling approaches and ease of access for shooting spectacular images make the airport one of the world’s favorite places among plane spotters.
Gibraltar Airport
Gibraltar Airport serves the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, a tiny peninsula with an area of only 6.8 square kilometers. The lack of flat space there means the peninsula’s only runway is bisected by its busiest road, the Winston Churchill Avenue that heads towards the land border with Spain. It is really scary that there is a four lane highway passing through the middle of the runway!
Kai Tak Airport
Kai Tak Airport was officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, when it was closed and replaced by the new one at Chek Lap Kok, 30 kms to the west. With numerous skyscrapers and mountains located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour, landing at the airport were dramatic to experience and technically demanding for pilots. The low altitude manoeuvre required to line up with the runway was so spectacular that some passengers claimed to have glimpsed the television through apartment windows along the final approach.Which of the following pictures can be a scene of Princess Juliana International Airport
All of the following can be inferred from this passage Except ________.
| A．The transportation of Winston Churchill Avenue might be affected by planes. |
| B．Lukla airport is the most dangerous airport because of extremely harsh weather |
| C．An inexperienced pilot might have difficulty landing on Kai Tak Airport |
| D．People on Maho Beach may have a good chance to view the plane flying overhead |
Which of these airports is out of business now?
| A．Lukla Airport |
| B．Princess Juliana International Airport |
| C．Gibraltar Airport |
| D．Kai Tak Airport |