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.
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.
1. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.
A. her 10th book is much better
B. her winning the Pulitz
er is unexpected
C. the media is surprised at her works
D. she likes being recognized by her readers
2. Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
A. She published a poetry textbook.
B. She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C. She started a poets’ group with others.
D. She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.
3. What can we learn about “Versed”?
A. It consists of three parts.
B. It is mainly about the American army.
C. It is a book published two decades ago.
D. It partly concerns the poet’s own life.
4. Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.
A. should write more B. has a sweet voice
C. deserves the prize D. is a strange professor
5. What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice.
Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain t
o climb.
1. What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
A. Using too much packaging.
B. Recycling too many wastes.
C. Making more products than necessary.
D. Having more material than is needed.
2. The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
A. the tendency of cutting household waste
B. the increase of packaging recycling
C. the rapid growth of super markets
D. the fact of packaging overuse
3. According to the text, recycling ______.
A. helps control the greenhouse effect
B. means burning packaging for energy
C. is the solution to gas shortage
D. leads to a waste of land
4. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A. Unpackaged products are of bad quality.
B. Supermarkets care more about packaging.
C. It is improper to judge quality by packaging.
D. Other products are better packaged than food.
5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Fighting wastefulness is difficult.
B. Needless material is mostly recycled.
C. People like collecting recyclable waste.
D. The author is proud of their consumer culture.
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones-a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki's son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people-225 to date-who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000-in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."
| 1． |
Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
|
| 2． |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for.
|
| 3． |
According to the text, Kody.
|
| 4． |
What can we learn about Fight It?
|
| 5． |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas.
|
On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad, New Mexico. She hadn’t seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks. Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms(节奏). In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave, 30 feet in depth.
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice. Her living place had been very comfortable, but there had been nothing to tell her the time. She’d had no clocks or watches, no television or radio. There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21℃.
The results were very interesting. Stefania had been in the cave for over four months, but she thought she had been there for only two. Her body clock had changed. She hadn’t kept to a 24-hour day, she had stayed awake for 20-25 hours and then had slept for 10 hours. She had eaten fewer meals and had lost 171bs in weight as a results! She had also become rather depressed（抑郁）.
How had she spent her time in the cave? As part of the experiment she’d done some physical and mental tests. She’d recorded her daily activities and the results of the tests on a computer. This computer had been specially programmed for the project. Whenever she was free, she’d played cards, read books and listened to music. She’d also learned French from tapes.
The experiment showed that our body clocks are affected by light and temperature. For example, the pattern of day and night makes us wake up and go to sleep. However, people are affected in different ways. Some people wake up naturally at 5:00 am, but others don’t start to wake up till 9:00 or 10:00 am. This affects the whole daily rhythm. As a result, the early risers, on the other hand, are tired during the day and only come to life in the afternoon or evening!
1. Stefania stayed in the cave for a long time because ______.
A. she was asked to do research on mice
B. she wanted to experience loneliness
C. she was the subject of a study
D. she needed to record her life
2. What is a cause for the change of Stefania’s body clock?
A. Eating fewer meals.
B. Having more hours of sleep.
C. Lacking physical exercise.
D. Getting no natural light.
3. Where does the text probably come from?
A. A novel. B. A news story. C. A pet magazine. D. A travel guide.
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedrooms TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1,000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don’t rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人)may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15. Those with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2½ hours for those who had no education beyond high school.
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest, while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest.
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn’t have TVs in their bedrooms.
1. According to the California study, the low-scoring group might____________.
A. have watched a lot of TV B. not be interested in math
C. be unable to go to college D. have had computers in their bedrooms
2.What is the researchers’ understanding of the New Zealand study results?
A. Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV.
B. Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest.
C. TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds.
D. The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain.
3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A. More time should be spent on computers.
B. Children should be forbidden from watching TV.
C. TV sets shouldn’t be allowed in children’s bedrooms.
D. Further studies on high-achieving students should be done.
4. What would be the best title for this text?
A. Computers or Television
B. Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children’s Learning Habits