Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri (MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with energy density (密度),” said Jae kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope (放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, recently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro/nano-electromechanical systems (M/NEWS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.
“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said. “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor (半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure (晶格结构) of the solid semiconductor, ” Kwon said. “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”
Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that the battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?
| A．He teaches chemistry at MU. |
| B．He developed a chemical battery. |
| C．He is working on a nuclear energy source. |
| D．He made a breakthrough in computer engineering. |
Jae Kwon gave examples in Paragraph 4 ________.
| A．to show chemical batteries are widely applied |
| B．to indicate nuclear batteries can be safely used |
| C．to describe a nuclear-powered system |
| D．to introduce various energy sources. |
Liquid semiconductor is used to ________ .
| A．get rid of the radioactive waste |
| B．test the power of nuclear batteries |
| C．decrease the size of nuclear batteries |
| D．reduce the damage to lattice structure |
According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery ________.
| A．uses a solid semiconductor | B．will soon replace the present ones |
| C．could be extremely thin | D．has passed the final test |
The text is most probably a ________.
| A．science news report | B．book review |
| C．newspaper ad | D．science fiction story |
When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously（同时的）about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what' s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can' t do both -- and they don' t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the subtle body language signals that reveal how the characters are feeling emotionally. Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully in order to maintain relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to relate the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls' mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author of Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents respond to the brain bias of their children. Since a girl’s brain is better organized to send and receive speech，we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.While watching TV with others, women Usually talk a lot because they
| A．are afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends |
| B．can both talk and watch the screen at the Same time |
| C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships |
| D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands |
After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to .
| A．experience the happy time again |
| B．keep a close tie with her |
| C．recommend her a new scenic spot |
| D．remind her of something forgotten |
What does the author want to tell us most?
| A．Women' s brains are better organized for language and communication |
| B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men. |
| C．Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts. |
| D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk |
| B．Talking Maintains Relationships |
| C．Women Love to Talk |
| D．Men Talk Differently from Women |
When you grow up, could you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? Besides, can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa. Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own. We don’t realize that people in other places often get married in very different ways—and with different motives.
In many countries, marriage is a practical matter. A marriage provides a safe and stable home for the husband and wife. It also joins two families, which benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy. Marriage also brings children, making sure the couple will be taken care of in old age. Because marriage is important for the whole family, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry.
Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals. Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple. In a typical Western wedding, the bride seeks good luck by wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” Something old represents the past. Something new represents success in the future. Something borrowed reminds the bride she can get help from her friends and family. And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband.
In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical. The wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing. The money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life. In Bermuda, the young couple plant a tree in the yard of their new home. Once they move in, they take good care of the tree and make it grow. The planting of the tree is a good metaphor（比喻） for marriage. A truly good marriage is something that grows with care.Which of the following statements does NOT support the idea “marriage is a practical matter”?
| A．The husband or wife may have a safe and stable home. |
| B．A marriage brings children to take care of the couple when they are old. |
| C．A marriage benefits both the couple’s families. |
| D．Parents have no duty to help their children get married. |
The underlined word “ritual” means .
| A．methods | B．ceremonies |
| C．behaviors | D．performances |
What can be the subject of this passage?
| A．People across the world get married in different ways and for different reasons. |
| B．Every culture had its own ways of bringing good luck to the young couple. |
| C．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care. |
| D．In many countries, marriage is a practical matter. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Parents choose a husband or wife for their child in India. |
| B．In many countries, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry. |
| C．In Bermuda, the wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing. |
| D．Something blue reminds the bride to be true to her husband in western wedding. |
“Mind over matter” is an English saying meaning that we can control our bodies with our minds. Now scientists are finding increasing evidence that our mind can have a great effect on our physical health. Since our mind influences how we feel, it’s not true to say if someone is ill just because he feels ill.
The influence of the mind on how well we feel is the basis of what is known as the placebo effect. A placebo (which is Latin for “I shall please”) is a harmless, inactive substance. Patients are sometimes given placebo pills and begin to feel better because they believe that they have been given real drugs and expect to respond to them. The placebo effect is very strong: research on pain suggests that up to 30% of the effect of most painkillers is a placebo effect.
So if it is so powerful, why don’t doctors use it today?
According to Dr Persaud, they really do. “All these things like seeing a doctor, going to a hospital, and being scanned(扫描) have a very strong placebo effect,” he says.According to the first paragraph, if you feel ill.
| A．you don’t need to see a doctor |
| B．it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re physically ill |
| C．you are in good condition |
| D．it is obvious that you suffer from a serious disease |
The English saying “mind over matter” means that .
| A．a sound mind is less important than a good health |
| B．our mind has a strong effect on our body |
| C．our physical health has nothing to do with our mind |
| D．mental health mainly depends on our physical health |
According to the passage, placebos .
| A．may make patients feel worse |
| B．are not effective pills |
| C．are not real drugs |
| D．can relieve all kinds of pains |
From the passage it can be seen that there will be no placebo effect if a patient .
| A．is dressed in white | B．has a physical exam |
| C．takes placebo pills | D．sees a doctor |
“If it rings one more time, I’ll hang up,” Amy thought hopefully, as she waited for someone to answer. Apologizing wasn’t an easy thing to do.
“Hello,” a woman’s voice said. There was no backing out now.
“May I speak to Missy, please?”
“Just a minute.”
In much less than a minute, Missy was on the phone. “Hi, who’s calling?” asked the cheerful voice.
“It’s Amy. I just wanted to tell you that I’m sorry about what I said to you. I didn’t really mean it.” Amy paused, trying to think of what to say next.
“Thank you, Amy. No hard feelings.”
“Missy, you’re a very nice person. You’re a lot nicer than I am!”
Missy laughed. “You’re not so bad, Amy. By the way, I’ve got some great news. Mr.Grumbell said that you were the only candidate for class president. He talked me into being a candidate, too. Isn’t that cool?”
Amy didn’t think the news was cool. Missy was very popular; she’d get a lot of votes. Fortunately, Amy was in a gracious(亲切的) mood. “You’ll be a tough opponent（对手）, Missy,” she said. “May the best woman win.”
“Thanks, Amy,” Missy replied. “But you might even win.”
Amy had to laugh. “Hey, I’m the one who’s supposed to make comments like that!” Amy called Missy on the phone to .
| A．tell her that she was happy |
| B．tell her she needed a help |
| C．apologize to her |
| D．ask her to run for president |
Amy was hoping that no one would answer the phone because .
| A．she was too tired to talk |
| B．she felt uncomfortable when making apologies |
| C．she was afraid she had dialed the wrong number |
| D．she was wearing pajamas |
Missy let Amy know that she wanted something that Amy wanted. What was it?
| A．She wanted to have the most friends. |
| B．She wanted her own telephone. |
| C．She wanted mushrooms on her pizza. |
| D．She wanted to be class president. |
Ogilvie the detective arrived. Both the Duke and Duchess were extremely nervous.
The Duchess went to the door herself. The detective’s piggy eyes surveyed her. His gaze moved on to sweep the spacious, well-decorated room, and the Duke.
“Pretty neat set-up you’ve got.”Ogilvie said slowly.
The Duchess said sharply, “Imagine you didn’t come here to discuss the decoration.”
“No, Madame. I like nice things, though. Like that expensive car of yours. The one you keep here in the hotel.”
“In what way does our car concern you?”The Duchess had sat in a straight-backed chair.
“Now,” he said.“You two were in the hit-and-run.”
She met his eyes directly. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play games, lady. You saw the newspapers. There’s been plenty on radio, too.” Ogilvie’s words spat forth with sudden strength. “You listen to me. This city’s mad — everybody. When they find who killed that kid and her mother, and run away, what will they do? Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, there’ll be police here. But I come to you first, so you could tell your side of it to me.” The piggy eyes blinked, then hardened. “If you want it the other way, just say so.”
The Duchess—three centuries and a half of in-born pride behind her—did not give in easily. Springing to her feet with great anger, gray-green eyes burning, she faced the detective straightly. Her tone would have frightened anyone who knew her well. “You unspeakable blackguard! How dare you!”
Ogilvie said nothing. But the Duke cut in, “It's no go, old girl, I’m afraid. It was a good try.” Facing Ogilvie, he said, “What you accuse us of is true. I was driving the car and killed the little girl.”
“That’s more like it,” Ogilvie said, “now we’re getting somewhere.”
The Duchess sank back into her chair. She asked, “What is it you know?”
“I’ll tell you, I got a curious nature. You and your wife drove home, you were driving, after a drink. Last night I saw you come in—through the basement, looking shaken, the pair of you. I got wondering why. Like I said, I got a curious nature.”
The Duchess breathed, “Go on.”
“Late last night the word was out about the hit-and-run. I went over the garage and took a quiet look at your car. On your car you got a damaged headlight. There’s plenty of blood.”
“Oh, my God!”A hand to her face, the Duchess turned away.
Her husband asked, “What do you suggest?”
The fat man rubbed his hands together, “Like I said, I come to hear your side of it.”
The Duke said desperately, “What can I possibly say? You know what happened. You’d better call the police.”
“There’s no way bringing back the kid nor her mother. Besides, what they’d do to you, Duke, you wouldn’t like it at all. I was hoping,” Ogilvie said, “that you could suggest something.”
The Duke said uncertainly, “I don’t understand.”
“I understand,” the Duchess said. “You want money. You came here to blackmail(讹诈) us.”
The house detective shrugged(耸肩). “Whatever names you call things, they don’t matter to me. All I come for is to help you people out of trouble. But I’ve got to live too.”
“You’d accept money to keep silent about what you know?”
“I think so.”
“How much do you want?”
The piggy eyes blinked.“Ten thousand dollars.”
“What would we receive in return?”
The fat man seemed puzzled. “Like I said, I keep quiet about what I know.”
“No.” The statement was clear. “We will not pay you.”
Ogilvie’s round face reddened, “Now listen, lady....”
She cut him off. “I won’t listen. Instead, you will listen to me. We won’t pay you $10,000. But we will pay you $25,000. In return, you will drive our car north.”
“$25,000,” she repeated. “$10,000 now. $15,000 more when you meet us in Chicago.”
The fat man’s piggy eyes were focused upon hers. The silence hung. Then, he gave the slightest of nods.The Duke and Duchess were extremely nervous because they ________.
| A．knew the detective would harm them |
| B．were afraid to meet a stranger at night |
| C．thought the detective would search them |
| D．had just got involved in a traffic accident |
By saying “This city’s mad—everybody” Ogilvie wanted to ________.
| A．frighten the Duke and his wife |
| B．ask for money for the victims |
| C．show concern for the couple |
| D．punish the law-breakers himself |
In the eyes of the Duke and Duchess, Ogilvie was _____________.
| A．professional, brave but dirty |
| B．smart, sensitive and helpful |
| C．greedy, tough but flexible |
| D．honest, clever and reliable |
Which of the sentences from Ogilvie defeated the Duchess completely?
| A．“Now, you two were in the hit-and-run.” |
| B．“On your car you got a damaged headlight. There’s plenty of blood.” |
| C．“Now I know what I know, and if I do what by rights I should, there’ll be police here.” |
| D．“Last night I saw you come in—through the basement, looking shaken, the pair of you.” |
The Duchess finally succeeded in ________.
| A．protecting their inborn pride |
| B．turning the disadvantage into a chance |
| C．make friends with the detective |
| D．rejecting the detective’s blackmail |