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Researchers at the University of Bedforshire have developed a new technique for powering electronic device（装置）. The system, developed by Professor Ben Allen at the Centre for Wireless Research, uses radio waves as power.
Believed to be a world first, the team claims it could eventually eliminate (or get rid of) the need for conventional batteries. The university has now filed a patent application to secure the only rights to the technique.
Professor Allen and his team have created a system to use medium wave frequencies to replace batteries in small everyday devices like clocks and remote controls.
The new technique uses the “waste” energy of radio waves and has been developed as part of the university’s research into “power harvesting”. Professor Allen said that as radio waves have energy---like light waves, sound waves or wind waves---in theory, these waves could be used to create power.
“The emerging（新兴的）area of power harvesting technology promises to reduce our reliance on conventional batteries,” he said. “It’s really exciting way of taking power from sources other than what we would normally think of.”
The team is now waiting for the results of the patent application to secure recognition of the technique. Professor Allen said that the team’s achievements had all been done in their “spare time”. “Our next stage is to try and raise some real funds so that we can take this work forward and make a working prototype（模型）and maybe partner up with the right people and take this to a full product in due course,” he said.
“Power harvesting has a really important part in our future, because, just in this country, we dispose of somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 tones of batteries in landfill（垃圾填理）sites every single year－that is toxic chemicals going into the ground.”
He added that development of the product could also be “commercially beneficial”. “The market for this is several billion pounds. We’ve seen market predictions for 2020 which have these kinds of figures, so there’s a lot of commercial potential in this area,” he said.
Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Bedfordshire, Professor Carsten Maple, said, “This type of work is a reflection of the university’s growing reputation and experience in conducting innovative（创新的）research.”
1.From the text we know the new technique for powering electronic devices_____.
A. can be applied to all electronic devices.
B. uses radio waves to create power.
C. has replaced conventional batteries.
D. produces many toxic chemicals.
2.According to Professor Allen, power harvesting technology______.
A. makes every use of radio waves.
B. takes power from usual sources.
C. reduces our dependency on conventional batteries.
D. aims at huge commercial benefits.
3.What can we learn about Professor Allen and his team from the text?
A. They have made use of radio waves in their daily life.
B. They have raised a big fund to support their research.
C. They have gained a patent for their new technology.
D. They mainly did their research in their spare time.
4.What is Professor Carsten Maple’s attitude toward the new technique?
A. Critical. B. Favorable.
C. Conservative. D. Negative.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A. A new technique to create power.
B. A crisis concerning conventional batteries.
C. Some special sources of power.
D. The development of power harvesting.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin's experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog's eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy's DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate（代孕的）mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流产，发育不全) fetuses（胎）may be acceptable when you're dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996, Westhusin's phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy's mysterious billionaire owner; he's put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M's research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy's fine qualities after she does die. The prototype（原型；雏形）is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and super-smart. Missy's master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament（气质、性情）. In a statement of purpose, Missy's owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we're not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
1.By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.
A. human cloning is a foolish undertaking
B. animal cloning is absolutely impractical
C. human cloning should be done selectively
D. animal cloning is not worth the effort at all
2.What does the second paragraph tell us about Westhusin's dog cloning project?
A. Its success is already in sight.
B. It is progressing smoothly.
C. It is doomed to utter failure.
D. Its outcome remains uncertain.
3.By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin hopes to ________.
A. study the possibility of cloning humans
B. search for ways to modify its temperament
C. find out the differences between Missy and its clones
D. examine the reproductive system of the dog species
4.We learn from the passage that animal clones are likely to have ________.
A. a bad temper
B. defective（有缺陷的、有毛病的）organs
C. immune deficiency
D. an abnormal shape
5.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Cloning of Missy
B. Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning
C. Human Cloning Is Dangerous .
D. Westhusin Is Cautious about Cloning
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path .That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train,” she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long.
1.What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident？
A. She was not familiar with the road.
B. It was dark and raining heavily then.
C. The railway workers failed to give the signal.
D. Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.
2.The phrase “near miss” (Paragraph 2) can best be replaced by______.
A. close hit B. heavy loss
C. narrow escape D. big mistake
3.Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?
A. Modern technology is what we can’t live without.
B. Digital technology often falls short of our expectation.
C. Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.
D. GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.
4.In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is _______.
A. one-sided B. reasonable
C. puzzling D. well-based
5.What is the real concern of the writer of this article?
A. The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.
B. The relationship between human and technology.
C. The shortcomings of digital devices we use.
D. The human unawareness of technical problems.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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请阅读下列应用文和相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。首先请阅读下列书籍的封面及基本信息：
How to do just about anything on a computer
Make the most of your computer with this easy-to-follow guide packed with hundreds of valuable tips, practical projects, and problem-solving pointers. Organized in four sections, the book takes you from your initial computer set-up to creating your own iTunes account. Each chapter follows a similar step-by-step illustrated format so you will always feel as if you have an instructor at your side.
B. A Gate at the Stairs
"A Gate at the Stairs" is writer Lorrie Moore's first book in over ten years. It takes place in 2001 shortly after the terrorist attacks on America. It tells about a young girl named Tassie who attends college in the Midwest. She takes a job as a babysitter for a woman and her husband who have adopted a child of mixed race. It is a funny, sad and emotional story about marriage, race, family, terrorism and war.
C. The Magicians and The Magic King
Take one part Harry Potter, another part The Chronicles of Narnia, plus some new parts all the author’s own, season them liberally with adult themes — these are definitely not books for children — and you have this most readable, imaginative pair from author Grossman. Quentin Coldwater passes the entrance exam for Brakebills magic college and learns to master the art thereof, while also learning that “Fillory,” the fantasy world of his favorite book series as a child, is real. But there are demons within and without, and the life of magic and adventure isn’t always a happy one.
D. Bear
Few animals are as closely associated with humans as bears. Tracing the evolution of the bear family, the author discusses extinct types, such as the cave bear and the giant short-faced bear, as well as describing the eight species that exist. It explores the bear-human relationship and how human perceptions of bears have changed over time. Drawing from cultures around the world, it discusses the various legends and myths, including the ceremonies and taboos that surround hunting, killing and eating bears. "Bear" will appeal to all those interested in the past, present and future of these extraordinary creatures.
E. Cutting for Stone
"Cutting for Stone" was written by the medical doctor and writer Abraham Verghese. It is a powerful story about twin brothers born in a Catholic hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their mother, an Indian nurse at the hospital, dies in childbirth. Their father, a British doctor, flees as soon as they are born. The brothers are raised by two Indian doctors who live at the hospital. One brother later moves to the United States. This is a story about the extremes of love, family, and medicine.
F. You Can't Teach Until Everyone is Listening
This book offers six simple, practical, and doable steps for managing your classroom! This concise guide shows teachers how to prevent misbehaviors—rather than react to them—and emphasizes the importance of: Establishing your role as a proactive classroom facilitator; creating a safe environment for learning; and, establishing a relationship of trust with your students. "You Can't Teach Until Everyone is Listening" is meant to strengthen every teacher's confidence and effectiveness in creating positive and productive classrooms and helping students to grow and learn to their greatest potential.
下面是一些读者的基本情况,请把相关读者和他们需要的书籍匹配起来。
1.Zhang Ying is preparing for further study in the USA. Therefore, he is interested in reading some books about American life, including college life, family, cultural diversity and even terrorist attacks.
2.Charlie, who attends college in the Midwest, majors in medicine. He is fond of reading stories about family and love, especially those related to his future career.
3.Kate, who teaches children of mixed race in a primary school in the Midwest, finds it difficult to manage her class effectively. Now she is eager to find a book which helps improve her teaching.
4.Daisy is a nurse in an Indian hospital. She is an experienced nurse, but she is not skilled at using the computer. She wants to learn how to set up her computer, send and receive e-mail securely, share files, and scan documents.
5. Tired of reading magic novels like Harry Potter or The Chronicles of Narnia, Henry’s interest turns to animals that have a close relationship with humans, such as dogs, cats and even fierce animals.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析