Researchers at Cornell University are one ste...

Researchers at Cornell University are one step closer to building robots that are more like humans. This new method is one you might not expect. However, a soft robot muscle that "sweats" to regulate its temperature. "Sweating takes advantage of evaporated (蒸发)water loss to rapidly dissipate heat and can cool below the environmental temperature. So as is often the case, biology provided an excellent guide for us as engineers."

The fingerlike devices are 3D printed, water powered, and can be used to grab things. They are made of two soft chemical materials: a base layer of (CH3) 2 CH-C3H5 NO covered in a multihole layer of (C3H5 NO)n. When the fingers reach a temperature of 30°C (86°F), the base layer reacts by shrinking, squeezing the water through the top pores (毛孔)in the top layer. The drying up is so efficient that the surface temperature of the actuator can drop by 21°C in just 30 seconds. That's three times more efficient than in humans. When wind from a fan is thrown into the mix, they cool down around six times as fast. The evaporation also cooled the object held by the actuator hand.

"The best part of this artificial strategy is that the heat regulation is based on the material itself," said T. J. Wallin, co-lead author, a research scientist at Facebook Reality Labs. "We did not need to have sensors or other components to control the sweating rate. When the local temperature rose above the set point, the pores would simply open and close on their own. "

While the result is exciting, it is only a first step. The robot has its weaknesses. The sweat can make the robot hand slippery, so the team is examining textures to improve its grasp. When the sweating takes place, the robot's mobility is also blocked and needs to refill its water supply.

"I think that the future of making these more biologically similar materials and robots is going to rely on the material composition," said co-lead author Rob Shepherd, an associate professor of mechanical and engineering. "This brings up a point about the importance of research involving several different academic subjects or areas, where really no one group has all the answers. "

1.Which can best replace the underlined word "dissipate" in paragraph 1?

A.turn down B.put aside

C.drive away D.take in

2.What can control the heating performance of the robot?

A.Its artificial material. B.Its accurate sensor.

C.Its sensitive devices. D.Its working surroundings.

3.What does paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A.The disadvantages of the robot.

B.The next step of the researchers.

C.The rules the robot has to follow.

D.The effect of the new development.

4.What can we infer from Shepherd's words?

A.The future of the robot is promising.

B.The similar materials are too difficult to develop.

C.Only working together can make the robot more successful.

D.The next step of his team is to search for suitable software.

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

It seems that we are one step closer to finding alien life and maybe a future home for humanity. Scientists from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) have found a new solar system filled with planets that look like Earth and could even support life.

The group of seven planets, which orbits a star called Trappist-1, is 40 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius(水瓶座). And three of them are in the so-called “habitable (宜居的)zone” ----the area around a star where liquid water is most likely to be found. This is important because water is a necessary ingredient for life.

All of the planets were found using a method called “transit photometry.” This works by watching out for when a planet passes in front of its host start. This blocks out a small amount of light, allowing us to see the planet and learn about its size.

“This is an amazing planetary system---not only because we have found so many planets, but because they are all surprisingly similar in size to the Earth,” astronomer Michael Gillon from the University of Liege in Belgium told The Independent.

Trappist-1 is a “dwarf star (矮星)” which is colder and shines dimmer than our sun. If a person were on one of the seven planets, everything would look a lot darker than usual. The amount of light heading toward our eyes would be about 200 times less than we get from the sun, according to The Independent.

Because of that, Trappist-1, together with many other dwarf stars, was never on the list of places where scientists look for alien life. but Michael Gillon, lead researcher behind the discovery, decided to give dwarf stars a chance. He built a telescope in Chile to observe 60 of the closest dwarf stars, and it turned out that Trappist-1 was worthy of the effort.

The researchers hope that they can spend more time watching the newly found planets to learn more about them. Even though more research is needed before determining whether these planets could really support life, the discovery is still encouraging. It shows just how many Earth-size planets could be out there.

“The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when,” NASA scientist Thomas Zurbuchen told the Telegraph.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the newly found planets?

A. It will take human beings about 40 years to travel to them

B. Some of them might have the proper conditions to support life

C. They are spread out in the habitable zone around Trappist-1

D. Underground ice has been found in some them

2.“Transit photometry” is a special method mainly used to ________.

A. tell apart different stars

B. test the brightness of stars

C. search for and measure planets

D. work out the distance between stars

3.We can infer from the article that _______.

A. scientists will soon find an Earth-like planet that can support human life

B. researchers know a little about the environment on the newly found planets

C. dwarf stars have long been a popular choice in the hunt for Earth-like planets

D. the size of a planet is the top concern when scientists search for a “second Earth”

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Life in space soon?

B. Any aliens in space?

C. Trappist-1, a dark dwarf star

D. New record, seven new solar systems

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A super-reflective cooling coating

A team of Columbia University researchers thinks that painting buildings with a new type of coating could help. Some cities already use white roofs to try to cool buildings by reflecting sunlight. But the new coating developed by the scientists can help buildings even cooler.

"It's like snow," says Yuan Yang, an assistant professor at Columbia. Snow, he explains, is filled with micron-sized（微米级的）crystals of ice that create tiny pockets of air that scatter light—the effect that makes snow white rather than transparent like ice, and highly reflective. The researchers created a polymer（聚合物）coating that also has nano to-micro-scale pockets of air that turn it white. "Our paint can be much more reflective than normal paint," he says.

Regular white paint might reflect 85% of the sunlight that hits it. The new coating, depending on its thickness, could reflect as much as 99%. If used with colored paint, it's less effective, but also keeps buildings cooler than they would otherwise be; the coating is also less effective in areas with high humidity（湿度）. In a hot, dry city like Phoenix, the white coating could keep a building around 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the outdoor air on a summer day. Most Arizonans have air conditioning, and in a city where temperatures regularly reach well over 100 degrees, the coating isn't likely to replace it. But it could help buildings use less energy to stay cool. For the small fraction of residents there who don't have air conditioning, the coating could potentially help protect their health on the hottest days. In 2018, more than 155 people in Phoenix died in heat waves.

In places where air conditioning is currently uncommon, such as Seattle, where there were a record number of hot days last July, but only one-third of residents have air conditioning, the coating might help stave off （延缓）the need to install new systems. In the developing world, the coating could potentially help those who don't yet have electricity or who can't afford an air conditioner. But the biggest impact of the technology—which the researchers hope to commercialize—is likely to be its ability to help air conditioners use a little less electricity and help cut emissions. Without changes, the emissions from air conditioners are predicted to almost double by mid-century.

1.What is the key information the author wants to give in Para 2?

A.Why snow is reflective. B.What makes snow white.

C.What the polymer coating is. D.How the new coating works.

2.What does the underlined word “it" in Para. 2 refer to?

A.The ice. B.The snow.

C.The new coating. D.The normal painting.

3.What's Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A.The necessity of air conditioners in cities.

B.The effectiveness of the new technology.

C.The widespread use of the white coating.

D.The influence the hot weather has on health.

4.What's the biggest impact of the new coating?

A.Reducing emissions indirectly. B.Helping keep buildings warm.

C.Assisting the poor potentially. D.Stopping using air conditioners.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A Teenage Inventor

The world could be one step closer to quick and inexpensive Ebola detection thanks to a teenager from Connecticut.

Olivia Hallisey, a junior at Greenwich High School, was awarded $50,000 in the Google Science Fair for her new method that detects Ebola, a virus that causes bleeding from different parts of the body and usually causes death. Olivia’s method is to ask patients to put their saliva (唾液) onto a testing card. The card changes color if the person is catching Ebloa. Present Ebloa tests take up to 12 hours and cost $1,000. Olivia’s method, however, can be done just in 30 minutes for about $25. Besides, the sample (样本) doesn’t have to be put in a refrigerator thanks to the silk material Olivia uses to produce the testing cards.

Olivia was inspired to deal with this global problem after watching the news that more than 10,000 people died from Ebola in West Africa. She was particularly worried about the fact that, while the acts of involvement can improve survival rates, present detection methods are costly, time-consuming and require complex tools. Olivia got help from her science research teacher. She drew out directions from past research, and figured out detection systems that have proven to work with other diseases, including Lyme disease and yellow fever.

“What affects one country affects everyone,” Olivia told CNBC. “We have to work together to find answers to the huge challenges which cause harm to the global health.” The Connecticut’s teen, who hopes to become a doctor one day, was named the Google Science Fair winner in the competition of 20 competitors from across the globe. The fair is open to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 in most countries.

Olivia hopes her success will inspire other girls interested in science and computers. “I would just encourage girls to try it in the beginning, and remind them that they don’t have to feel naturally drawn or feel like they have a special talent for maths or science,” she told CNBC, “but just really look at something they are interested in and then think how to improve something or make it more enjoyable or relate it to their interests.”

1.According to the passage, present Ebola detection methods ______.

A.must use a large amount of samples

B.may detect other deadly viruses as well

C.have proven to be ineffective in practice

D.require samples to be kept in refrigerators

2.What can we learn about Olivia’s method?

A.Time-consuming. B.Cheap.

C.Complex. D.Out-of-date.

3.What does the underlined word “drawn” in Paragraph 5 probably mean？

A.Attracted. B.Controlled.

C.Admitted. D.Exposed.

4.The Google Science Fair is intended for ______.

A.students B.doctors

C.inventors D.scientists

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A Teenage Inventor

The world could be one step closer to quick and inexpensive Ebola detection thanks to a teenager from Connecticut.

Olivia Hallisey, a junior at Greenwich High School, was awarded $50,000 in the Google Science Fair for her new method that detects Ebola, a virus that causes bleeding from different parts of the body and usually causes death. Olivia’s method is to ask patients to put their saliva (唾液) onto a testing card. The card changes color if the person is catching Ebloa. Present Ebloa tests take up to 12 hours and cost $1,000. Olivia’s method, however, can be done just in 30 minutes for about $25. Besides, the sample (样本) doesn’t have to be put in a refrigerator thanks to the silk material Olivia uses to produce the testing cards.

Olivia was inspired to deal with this global problem after watching the news that more than 10,000 people died from Ebola in West Africa. She was particularly worried about the fact that, while the acts of involvement can improve survival rates, present detection methods are costly, time-consuming and require complex tools. Olivia got help from her science research teacher. She drew out directions from past research, and figured out detection systems that have proven to work with other diseases, including Lyme disease and yellow fever.

“What affects one country affects everyone,” Olivia told CNBC. “We have to work together to find answers to the huge challenges which cause harm to the global health.” The Connecticut’s teen, who hopes to become a doctor one day, was named the Google Science Fair winner in the competition of 20 competitors from across the globe. The fair is open to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 in most countries.

Olivia hopes her success will inspire other girls interested in science and computers. “I would just encourage girls to try it in the beginning, and remind them that they don’t have to feel naturally drawn or feel like they have a special talent for maths or science,” she told CNBC, “but just really look at something they are interested in and then think how to improve something or make it more enjoyable or relate it to their interests.”

1.According to the passage, present Ebola detection methods ______.

A. must use a large amount of samples

B. may detect other deadly viruses as well

C. have proven to be ineffective in practice

D. require samples to be kept in refrigerators

2.What can we learn about Olivia’s method?

A. Time-consuming.　　 B. Cheap.

C. Complex.　　 D. Out-of-date.

3.What does the underlined word “drawn” in Paragraph 5 probably mean？

A. Attracted.　　 B. Controlled.

C. Admitted.　　 D. Exposed.

4.The Google Science Fair is intended for ______.

A. students　　 B. doctors

C. inventors　　 D. scientists

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

China launched its fifth Beidou orbiter into space on Sunday morning, moving it one step closer to its goal of building a navigation(导航) and positioning satellite network.

The Beidou, or Compass, system is being built to rival the US-developed GPS, the European Union's Galileo and Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System. It can allow travelers, drivers and military officials to know their locations.

The fifth orbiter was launched on top of a Long March 3A carrier rocket at 5:30 am on Sunday from Xichang of Southwest China's Sichuan province.

It is the third Compass satellite launched this year, following launches on Jan 17 and June 2.

The short interval of less than two months since the last launch demonstrated that "the country is stepping into a busy period of launching the Compass satellites", an unnamed official in charge of the project said last month.

The first two orbiters were launched in 2007 and 2009 respectively.

Sun Jiadong, the Beidou program's chief designer, said on June 21 in a TV interview that China would launch 13 to 15 Beidou navigation satellites into orbit by 2012 to form a network that provides regional service covering the neighboring areas.

And in about 10 years, the network would be expanded to include more than 30 satellites covering the globe, he said.

The system is a crucial part of the country's space infrastructure for providing navigation and positioning services in transportation, meteorology, petroleum prospecting, forest fire monitoring, disaster forecasting, telecommunications and public security.

In addition, a global positioning system is crucial to any country's national security and defense, said Ran Chengqi, an official in charge of the program, referring to the fact that the US initially built its GPS system for military purposes.

It is unimaginable for China to go without such a system, he said.

Earlier reports cited（引用） Song Xiaojun, a Beijing-based military expert, as saying that 90 percent of the world's current weapons systems need a global positioning system.

1.This news report was probably released________.

A．in January, 2010  B．in June, 2010       C．in July, 2010      D．in August, 2010

2.The Compass System is expected to finally cover________in the future.

A．China                                                 B．China and its neigh boring areas

C．Asia, Europe and Oceania                     D．the earth

3.At the very beginning, the GPS system was built to help________.

A．military officers to judge their locations B．travelers to know their locations

C．drivers to reach their destinations easily D．hunters to find wild animals smoothly

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Monkeys prefer heavy metal to classical music, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin whose findings are published this week in Biology Letters.

Scientists played a selection of music to a group of South American cotton-top monkeys but the only sound that got a reaction were from the heavy metal band Metallica. They were seemingly disinterested in Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis and Bach, but after the beautiful sound of Master of Puppets by Metallica was played the monkeys calmed down.

"Monkeys interpret rising and falling sounds differently than humans. Oddly, their only response to several samples of human music was a calming response to the heavy-metal band Metallica," said Professor Charles Snowdon, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Rather than making them excited or aggressive, the heavy metal tracks had a comforting effect. Dr Snowdon, who teamed up with National Symphony Orchestra musican David Teie, also played the monkeys music composed specifically for them. Although they enjoyed Metallica, they were much more interested in these pieces.

A melody(乐曲) based on the short calls of scared monkeys led to anxiety levels rapidly growing, researchers found, while one based on long calls the creatures make when they are happy had a calming effect.

Frans B.M. de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University who studies animals, said the findings appear to say more about how monkeys respond to the sounds they make than they do about music or the evolution of music.

Dr Snowdon no longer has a monkey colony to use in his research, but he said his co-author David Teie is exploring the concept of music for cats.

"If we understand how we can affect their emotional states through using musical sound and aspects of our speech, maybe those of us living with companion animals can have a better relationship with them, too," Snowdon said.

1.The research mentioned in the passage is mainly about ______.

A. the change of music over time         B. animals’ response to music

C. special music for animals               D. the origin of music

2.When the monkeys heard the music they liked, they ______.

A. looked anxious                       B. became restless

C. felt at ease                             D. made long calls

3.According to the passage, the monkeys are most interested in the music ______.

A. of Led Zeppelin                        B. of Miles Davis

C. of Metallica                            D. specially composed for them

4.The aim of the research, according to Professor Snowdon, is to ______.

A. build better ties between animals and humans

B. compare monkeys and cats in term of music

C. develop new music based on animals’ calls

D. find better ways to keep animals under control

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.

Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.

The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.

Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”

1.By “a one-way street” (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.

A. university researchers know little about the commercial world

B. there is little exchange between industry and academia

C. few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university

D. few university professors are willing to do industrial research

2.What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?

A. Flexible work hours.

B. Her research interests.

C. Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.

D. Prospects of academic accomplishments.

3.Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.

A. do financially more rewarding work

B. raise his status in the academic world

C. enrich his experience in medical research

D. exploit better intellectual opportunities

4.What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?

A. Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market.

B. Develop its students’ potential in research.

C. Help it to obtain financial support from industry.

D. Gear its research towards practical applications.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial (商业的) world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial (金钱的) considerations.

Helen Lee took a 70％cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects (前景) of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.

The influence of a salary cut is probably less serious for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a medicine company before returning to university as a post doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual chances.

Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more important, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the change to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential (潜力) in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”

1.By “a one-way street” in Paragraph 1, the author means ______.

2.The underlined word “deterrent” most probably refers to “something that ______”.

3.What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?

4.What can industrial scientists do when they come to teach in a university?

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.

　Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.

　The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.

　Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”

1.By “a one-way street” in Paragraph One, the author means ________.

A. university researchers know little about the commercial world

B. there is little exchange between industry and academia

C. few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university

D. few university professors are willing to do industrial research

2.The underlined word “deterrent” most probably refers to something that ________.

A. keeps someone from taking action      B. helps to move the traffic

C. attracts people’s attention              D. brings someone a financial burden

3.What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?

A. Flexible work hours.

B. Her research interests.

C. Her preference for the lifestyle on campus.

D. Prospects of academic accomplishments.

4. Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.

A. do financially more rewarding work

B. raise his status in the academic world

C. enrich his experience in medical research

D. exploit better intellectual opportunities

5.What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?

A. Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market.

B. Develop its students’ potential in research.

C. Help it to obtain financial support from industry.

D. Gear its research towards practical applications.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析