C
The world’s first plastic magnet (磁性) to work at room temperature has passed the elementary test of magnetism. Its creators at the University of Durham in the UK have used it to pick iron filings (铁屑) from a laboratory bench.
In 2001, chemists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln claimed to have created the world’s first plastic magnet, but it only worked below 10 Kelvin (开氏温度). Other researchers have made plastic magnets, but generally they only function at extremely low temperatures, or their magnetism at room temperature is too weak to be business use.
So the Durham team can claim to have made the first plastic magnet that could be used in everyday products. One of the most likely applications is in the magnetic coating of computer hard discs, which could lead to a new generation of high-capacity discs.
Jerry Torrance, a material scientist who is an adviser to some of the world’s largest electronics and engineering companies, including IBM, describes the work as “a great scientific breakthrough”. However, he says that practical applications are probably still a long way off.
At first the new polymer (聚合物) showed little sign of magnetism, and after three months the researchers had reached the point where they felt that trying to induce (诱发) magnetism in this polymer was a waste of time. “Just as we were about to give up and try a different way, we decided to check the samples for a last time,” says Sean Giblin.
It was a fortunate decision, because over the months the original polymer had developed magnetic characteristics. Further groups of polymer proved its magnetism and ruled out the possibility that the magnetism had been caused by pollution. In addition, X-ray diffraction data (衍射数据) showed an increase in the straight line of the polymer chains over three months, which probably accounts for the increase in magnetism.
Although the polymer’s magnetism is weak compared with metal magnets, the researchers are confident that they can improve it. And in addition to computer hard discs, the team thinks that plastic magnets could have important medical applications because organic magnetic materials are less likely to be rejected by the body.
64. The plastic magnets made by the chemists from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and other researchers couldn’t be used in everyday products because .
A. they didn’t pass the elementary test of magnetism
B. they couldn’t pick up iron filings from a laboratory bench
C. they wouldn’t work at room temperature
D. they could only be used at high temperature
65. The increase in magnetism over the months is probably caused by .
A. checking the samples B. a wise decision
C. pollution
D. the increase in the straight line of the polymer chains
66. The plastic magnets could be used .
A. to compare with the metal magnets
B. to coat computer hard discs
C. to produce medicine
D. to lower the temperature
67. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Birth of Practical Plastic Magnet
B. The World’s First Plastic Magnet
C. A Fortunate Decision
D. The Applications of Plastic Magnets
“Children who eat less salt and drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks may significantly lower their risks of obesity,” researchers recently reported in the journal Hypertension.
“Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a significant source of calorie intake in children,” said Feng J. He, a researcher at St George’s University of London, England. “It has been shown that sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to obesity in young people.” They wanted to know whether there is a link between salt intake and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption.
Dr He and colleagues analyzed data from a 1997 national survey of more than 2,000 people between 4 and 18 in Britain. “We found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank less fluid,” said He. “From our research, we estimated that 1 gram of salt cut from their daily diet would reduce fluid intake by 100 grams per day.”
The researchers also found that children eating a lower-salt diet drank fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks. From their research, they predicted that reducing salt intake by 1 gram each day would reduce sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption by 27 grams per day, after. “If children aged 4 to 18 cut their salt intake by half, there would be a decrease of about two sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child, so each child would decrease calorie intake by almost 250 kilocalories per week,” Dr He said.
In previous studies, researchers found that a low-salt diet lowers blood pressure in children, and prevents the development of high blood pressure later in life. “Both high blood pressure and obesity increase the risk of having strokes and heart attacks,” Dr He said.
Dr He recommends that parents check labels and choose low-salt food products. “Small reductions in the salt content of 10 to 20 percent cannot be detected by the human salt taste receptors (感受器) and do not cause any technological or safety problems,” Dr He said.According to the passage, obesity is directly linked to ______.
| A．high-salt foods |
| B．sugar-sweetened soft drinks |
| C．high blood pressure |
| D．strokes and heart attacks |
Compared with previous studies, the recent one found that ______.
| A．a lower-salt diet may mean less sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption |
| B．a low-salt diet keeps children out of high blood pressure |
| C．children face the risk of having strokes and heart attacks |
| D．low-salt food products do not do harm to people’s health |
Which of the following statements would Dr He agree to?
| A．The less salt people eat, the healthier people become. |
| B．Children should reduce fluid intake in their daily life. |
| C．No high-salt food products will be available in shops. |
| D．A low-salt diet may prevent both high blood pressure and obesity. |
After reading the passage, who should take effective action?
| A．Children. | B．Parents. | C．Doctors. | D．Researchers. |
A baby ape born in the UK is settling into a new life in a German zoo after flying from Birmingham to Frankfurt – taking a seat in the business class.
The three-month-old male bonobo（倭黑猩猩）, who is going to live with a family of German apes, was considered too young and too weak to travel cargo(货物) class, a spokeswoman for the UK's Twycross Zoo told CNN.
Instead, the tiny ape named Bili checked in for the Lufthansa flight with special travel documents, including a fake passport in the name of "Bili the Bonobo" -- before taking a seat in the plane with a trainer from Frankfurt Zoo, who had flown over to be with him on his unusual journey.
"He was with his keeper all the way to make him feel more comfortable and relaxed, rather than being in a cage," said spokeswoman Kim Riley. "I just wish I'd been there to see the other passengers' faces.They muse have been amazed"
Bonobos are considered particularly intelligent primates(灵长类动物).Sharing 99.6 percent of our DNA, they are the human species' closest relation in the animal world.
Bili was rejected by his mother after falling ill shortly after his birth and has required extensive nursing and medical care.
Zookeepers in Frankfurt hope he can get along with an adult female bonobo which has been trained to raise babies with hands. The zoo's bonobo community will also play with Bili, helping him to master social skills. Bili will spend 30 days alone at the zoo before being introduced to his new family,” Riley said. What is this passage mainly about?
| A．A baby ape takes a flight to his new home in Germany |
| B．A baby ape needs much nursing and medical care |
| C．A baby ape left his mother shortly after his birth |
| D．A baby ape became ill shortly after his birth |
Why was the ape arranged to take a seat in the business class?
| A．Because he didn’t need a plane ticket in the business class |
| B．Because he needed nursing and care all the time |
| C．Because there was no seat left in the cargo class |
| D．Because he was too young and too weak to travel cargo class |
The underlined word “rejected”in paragraph 6 probably means“___”.
| A．looked after |
| B．given up |
| C．locked up |
| D．stared at |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．The ape will not be alone in his new home |
| B．The ape doesn’t want to get along well with others |
| C．The ape will be taught to raise babies with his hands |
| D．The ape will be sent to live with his new family immediately he arrives |
Surfing the Internet for fun will make you a better employee, according to an Australian study.
The University of Melbourne study shows that people who use the Internet for their own reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive than those who do not. Study author Brent Coker said, "Surfing the Internet at times helps increase an employee's attention."
"People need to relax for a bit to get back their attention," Coker said on the university's website."Having a short break, such as a quick surfing of the Internet, helps the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total Internet attention for a day's work, and as a result, increases productivity (生产效率)," he said.
According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work surf the Interne t for their own reasons during office hours. Among the most popular surfing activities are searching for information about products, reading online news, playing online games and watching videos. "Firms spend a lot of money on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online," said Coker. "That's not always a good idea."
However, Coker said the study looked at people who surfed the Internet in moderation (适度), orwere on the Internet for less than 20 percent of their total time in the office. "Those who spend too muchtime surfing the Internet will have a lower productivity than those without." he said. What does the University of Melbourne study mainly show?
| A．People who surf the Internet are good employees. |
| B．Not everyone surfs the Internet for fun during office hours. |
| C．Surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity. |
| D．The Internet is becoming more and more important in people's life. |
According to Paragraph 3, Brent Coker would most probably agree that ______.
| A．the longer a person's mind rests, the better attention he will have |
| B．surfing the Internet is the best way to increase productivity |
| C．workers should have a long break during office hours |
| D．workers should let their minds rest now and then |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as one of the most popular surfing activities?
| A．Watching videos. |
| B．Reading online news. |
| C．Reading online novels. |
| D．Playing online games. |
The underlined word "block" in Paragraph 4 means "______".
| A．prevent |
| B．organize |
| C．keep |
| D．separate |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Spending too much time surfing the Internet reduces productivity. |
| B．Those who never surf the Internet have the lowest productivity. |
| C．Most people don't surf the Internet in moderation during office hours. |
| D．People should spend as little time as possible surfing the Internet. |
London is the capital of Britain.It is located in the southeast plain of England.The Thames River goes through this city.
The British have lived there for about 3,000 years.The Roman Empire intruded into(侵入)Britannia Island in 54BC.The Romans built the first wooden bridge over the Thames River.
London is a world-famous cultural city. There are many famous cultural sites.It is one of the world’s great tourist destinations.About eight million people visit London every year.
The largest museum is the British Museum, which was built in the 18th century.There are many ancient cultural relics of Britain and of other countries in the museum.The London Tower stands on the southeast of Tower Mountain.It was once a palace, and it is now an exhibition center.Westminster Hall is located on the west bank of the Thames River and wasd built in 750AD.It is the largest Gothic building of the world and was a palace in the past, too.
The Clock Tower, which is about 97 meters high, is located northeast of the parliament.The famous “Big Ben” weighs about 21tons and its big pendulum is about 305 kilograms.Hyde Park is one of the great parks in the world and it is in the west district of London.There is a free forum there and some people give speeches there every week.They can say almost anything, but they can’t attack the Queen or support violent revolution. Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．London lies in the southeasdt plain of England |
| B．The British first lived in London thousands of years ago |
| C．People can enjoy a walk along the Thames River in London |
| D．The Roman Empire intruded into Britannia Island over 2,100 years ago |
What are the last two paragraphs mainly about?
| A．Some famous cultural sites in London |
| B．Some famous museum in London |
| C．What makesd London famous all over the world |
| D．The place which travelers usually visit when in Britain |
If you are interested in the largest Gothic building of the world, you would go to visit ___.
| A．the British Museum |
| B．the London Tower |
| C．Westminster Hall |
| D．the Clock Tower |
We learn from the passage that ___.
| A．London reveives millions of visitors every month |
| B．only in the British Museum can you see ancient cultural relics of Britain |
| C．the famous “Big Ben”in the Clock Tower is about 97meters high |
| D．not everything can be talked about in the forum at Hyde Park |
In order to start a business online now, there are a few steps you need to complete
The very first step you need to complete is to have a product or service idea.A good idea to make money online should be an idea that excites you, an idea that others will be interested in, and an idea that not many other people are trying
Once you have your business ready to go,you need to go ahead and get a website.You will need to buy a domain name(域名)and host it with a company on the Web.You domain name should be as simple as possible and it should also be related to your products.After this you can go ahead and get your site built up.
You can either do this yourself or you can pay someone else to do this.The site itself doesn’t have to be anything special.
The final step for starting your business online is to have a way to make money.For this, you need to have a merchant account that will let you sell things and make money.Your merchant account should accept as many forms of payment as possible.
Once your site is up and running,you can begin marketing the site.You need to creat contents(articles,social networking sites,blog entries,ect.)and post it on the Internet so that you can attract as many potential(潜在的)customers as possible.
That’s how easy it is to start a business online now.In no time at all you will be making money online. We infer the writer wrote this passage to tell us ___.
| A．how to set up a website |
| B．how to start a business online |
| C．how to make some pocket money |
| D．how to become famous nowadays |
According to Paragraph 2, a good idea to make money online probably should be an idea that ___.
| A．you are not excited about |
| B．othersd will not be interested in |
| C．almost everyone knows |
| D．few people are trying |
According to the writer, which of the following may NOT be something necessary to do?
| A．Building up a website |
| B．Having a simple domain name |
| C．Making your site asd special as possible |
| D．Hosting the domain name with a company on the Web |
After reading the passage, we infer that___.
| A．it costs no money to start a business online |
| B．not everyone is allowed to start a business online |
| C．you need to have as many merchant accounts as possible |
| D．it is better if the website domain name is related to the products you sell |