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Mya Le Thai is a scientist studying at the University of California, Irvine. She recently discovered a process that may result in batteries that last forever. Thai said she had been discouraged that the batteries for her wireless devices degrade. Over time, they fail to charge fully.
Thai did not like to have keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet. She decided to do something about that problem.
At first, she and her team thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion(锂离子) batteries to last forever. Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. Most of these batteries have a life span of about 7,000 charging cycles before they die.
One of the reasons lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires(纳米线) to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. A human hair is thousands of times thicker, for example. Nanowires are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But Thai said their thinness also makes them weak. "Nanowires break over time," she said. "That's why they lose capacity."
But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a material. She and the team tested her theory. The team tried many coverings for the wires. PMMA was one of them. The nanowires were coated with PMMA and cycled through charges 200,000 times. The PMMA coated nanowires showed no evidence of damage. The results suggest that batteries could last forever, without losing charging ability.
Thai hopes to continue her research to understand why this material works so well and to see if any other material could create better results.
"It's kind of cool," she said. "I'm really glad people are showing interest in my work and not just in the work itself, but also in technology and energy."
1.What caused Thai to do research on the batteries?
A. Weak power of the batteries B. Her preference for batteries
C. Inconvenient use of batteries D. Her habit to use her computer
2.What’s the disadvantage of lithium-ion batteries?
A. They have a certain service life B. They need charging very often
C. They are not quite dependable D. They are easy to break down
3.Why did Thai try covering the nanowires with a certain material?
A. To make them thicker B. To carry more electricity
C. To make them safer to use D. To protect them from being damaged
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. All Batteries Would Be Replaced By Long-Last Ones
B. Lithium-ion Batteries Might Come to an End
C. Batteries That Last Forever Could Be Near
D. Batteries Would Work Without Recharging
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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Scientists at the University of Hawaii at Manoa studied a huge area in the eastern part of the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion－Clipperton Zone，or CCZ to find and study new sea species.
Diva Amon，a researcher at the University says usually deep sea biologists think there is not a lot living in the deep sea.
“But we found that actually there is quite a lot living there，and so that was really exciting. . . ” she says.
The group is studying the area because the CCZ，a huge and flat area of seabed，is known to have valuable minerals. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is allowing the company UK Seabed Resources Ltd. to explore the area on the Pacific Ocean floor for mining. However，the ISA said the company must first complete a biological study of the area before it can begin mining for metals. So，the company employed Amon and her group.
Amon says that more than half of the animals they collected were completely new to science. Her group discovered not only new species，but new genera (动植物的属) of animals.
Biological oceanographer Paul Snelgrove says that finding new species in the deep ocean is common. But，he said，finding a new genus “is really great”.
Amon warns that if mining happens across the whole area，the ecosystem would be largely destroyed. But，she says，we will find the least damaging way to make mining possible.
“There is a sort of scientific push to try and slow things down a bit so that the science can be done before. . . so it can be done with the least influence possible. . . ” she says.
“It’s likely we are going to develop at least some parts of these deep ocean environments and do it in a way that’s going to minimize (最小化) our influence，”says Paul.
1.What did scientists try to find out in the CCZ?
A.Whether there is life.
B.Whether there are valuable minerals.
C.What sea life exists there.
D.What metals lie under the sea floor.
2.What does Paul say about finding new sea species?
A.It’s something unusual.
B.It’s nothing to be surprised at.
C.It has a far－reaching effect on science.
D.It proves common species will change.
3.What is Amon’s attitude towards mining the CCZ?
A.Careful. B.Doubtful.
C.Unsupportive. D.Uninterested.
4.What does the underlined word “it” in the text refer to?
A.Mining.
B.A scientific push.
C.Finding the least damaging way.
D.Developing the ocean environments.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in social isolation( 隔离). “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed . For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
1.Which of the following is true of amusics?
A. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.
B. They love places where they are likely to hear music.
C. They can easily tell two different songs apart.
D. Their situation is well understood by musicians.
2.According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who _________.
A. dislikes listening to speeches
B. can hear anything nonmusical
C. has a hearing problem
D. lacks a complex hearing system
3.In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.
A. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier
B. she were seventeen years old rather than seventy
C. her problem could be easily explained
D. she were able to meet other amusics
4.What is the passage mainly concerned with?
A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.
B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.
C. Musical talent and brain structure.
D. Identification and treatment of amusics.
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
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For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
1.Which of the following is true of amusics?
A. They can easily tell two different songs apart.
B. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.
C. Their situation is well understood by musicians.
D. They love places where they are likely to hear music.
2.According to paragraph3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.
A. dislikes listening to speeches
B. can hear anything nonmusical
C. has a hearing problem
D. lacks a complex hearing system
3.What is the passage mainly concerned with?
A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.
B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.
C. Musical talent and brain structure.
D. Identification and treatment of amusics.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music sets them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”
1.Which of the following is true of amusics?
A. They can easily tell two different songs apart.
B. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.
C. Their situation is well understood by musicians.
D. They love places where they are likely to hear music.
2.According to paragraph3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.
A. dislikes listening to speeches
B. can hear anything nonmusical
C. has a hearing problem
D. lacks a complex hearing system
3.What is the passage mainly concerned with?
A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.
B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.
C. Musical talent and brain structure.
D. Identification and treatment of amusics.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Seth DeBolt is a plant scientist at the University of Kentucky US. He and other scientists wanted to find a source of fuel that poor people in rural areas of developing countries could use to make electricity.
The United Nations Development Program says a billion and a half people have no electricity. A billion others have an undependable supply.
Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural Indonesia. He saw that there was very little waste in the use of agricultural products. Everything that farmers grew was used for something. Even the remains of fruit that people did not eat were fed to chickens.
Little waste meant there was little that could be used for fuel. Growing a separate fuel crop would take land away from food crops. That was something Professor DeBolt did not want to do.
DeBOLT said, "The people at most risk with respect to energy poverty, typically they're the same people who have food insecurity issues as it is. And then any change in availability would be most damaging to that group of people."
But he found one item that was in plentiful supply and would not create competition between food and fuel. Coconut shells are generally thrown out. Yet Professor DeBolt says it has an "excellent" heating value. All someone needs is a way to release that energy.
DeBolt says he and his team see possibilities for coconut power. "Coconuts are growing here and these are the areas where there is possibility for energy poverty to be eased at least in part by these small-scale production systems."
The researchers say these systems could provide as much as thirteen percent of the energy needs of a country like Indonesia. Other tropical countries with large crops of coconuts and similar fruit could benefit, as well.
But DeBolt says this is not a perfect solution. There are technical questions, like how to safely deal with the dangerous waste produced in the process. And there needs to be money to get these projects started.
1.Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural areas of developing countries to________.
A. help farmers make full use of waste
B. seek certain materials to make electricity
C. persuade farmers to grow more coconuts
D. find a suitable place to carry out the experiment
2.DeBolt thought it was not a good idea to grow fuel crops because________.
A. there are plenty of coconuts
B. local farmers have no interest in it
C. it would make food problems worse
D. fuel crop has little use for local farmers
3.The last two paragraphs mainly tell us that coconut power________.
A. needs further experiments and efforts
B. can help solve energy problem perfectly
C. will cause technique and money problems
D. has drawn Indonesia's government attention
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Make Full Use Of Coconuts B. Make Power From Coconuts
C. A Perfect Solution D. Food And Energy Problems
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Scientists at the University of Oxford have developed new artificial intelligence software to recognize the faces of chimpanzees in the wild. The new software will allow researchers to significantly cut back on time and resources spent analyzing video footage.
“For species like chimpanzees, which have complex social lives and live for many years, recording their behavior from short-term field research can only tell us so much.” says Dan Schofield, researcher and DPhil student at Oxford University’s Primate Models Lab. “By using the power of machine learning to unlock large video footage, it makes it feasible to measure behavior over the long term. Observing how the social lives of a group change over several generations become possible as well.”
The computer model was trained using over 10 million images from Kyoto University’s Primate Research Institute (PRI) video footage of wild chimpanzees in West Africa. The new software is the first to recognize individuals in a wide range of poses, performing with high accuracy in difficult conditions such as low lighting, poor image quality and movement blur (模糊).
“Access to this large video footage has allowed us to use cutting edge deep neural networks to train models at a scale that was previously not possible.” says Arsha Nagrani, co-author of the study and DPhil student in University of Oxford. “Additionally, our method differs from previous primate face recognition software in that it can be applied to raw video footage with limited manual intervention (人工干预) or pre-processing, saving hours of time and resources.”
The technology has potential for many uses, such as monitoring species for protection. Although the current application focused on chimpanzees, the software provided could be applied to other species, and help drive the adoption of artificial intelligence systems to solve a range of problems in the wildlife sciences.
“All our software is available open-source for the research community.” says Nagrani. “We hope that this will help researchers across other parts of the world apply the same cutting-edge techniques to their unique animal data sets. As a computer vision researcher, it is extremely satisfying to see these methods applied to solve real, challenging biodiversity (生物多样性) problems.”
“With an increasing biodiversity crisis and many of the world’s ecosystems under threat, the ability to closely monitor different species and populations using systems will be important for protection efforts, as well as animal behavior research.” adds Schofield. “Interdisciplinary cooperation like this have huge potential to make an impact, by finding solutions for old problems, and asking biological questions which were previously not available on a large scale.”
1.What’s the function of the new artificial intelligence software?
A.Analyzing video footage in difficult conditions.
B.Recognizing the faces of chimpanzees in the wild.
C.Cutting edge deep neural networks to train models at a scale.
D.Saving hours of time and resources without manual intervention.
2.What does the underlined word “feasible” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.possible B.important
C.natural D.official
3.From the passage, we know that the artificial intelligence software could ________.
A.recognize individuals but not clearly
B.save time and resources only
C.help to protect different species
D.hardly solve biodiversity problems
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To introduce a new software.
B.To explain a measure.
C.To assess a project.
D.To describe a procedure.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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When David Carter started to study art at The University of Texas (UT)at Austin in 1971, he had big dreams of becoming an artist or a writer. But his study came to a stop at 23 after he hurt his hand in an unpleasant event. He developed schizophrenia(精神分裂症) later and spent many years without a home.
Carter liked to spend time around UT, because he dreamt of being able to continue his study in the university and becoming a writer. After running into Carter many times, UT student Ryan Chandler decided to interview him for a project for the Daily Texan, the student newspaper of UT.
“I interviewed him on Austin’s homeless problems. After I heard his story, we kept in touch and really became friends. I learned he wanted to get back to UT, so I decided to help him,” said Chandler. “He had got 87 hours, very close to a degree. Now, with changing degree requirements, he only has 64 hours to go.”
With the help of Chandler, who worked with the university office, Carter was assigned an adviser by UT’s College of Fine Arts. “It' s the greatest gift I’ve ever received,” Carter said. “He did what had to be done to get me back to school, and I couldn't have done it without him”
After seeing a magazine article about Carter, a UT schoolmate decided to pay his tuition fees (学费)without telling Chandler his name.
Doug Dempster, dean of the College of Fine Arts, said in a statement, “David Carter's decision to complete his degree is a testament (证明) to finishing well what was started, and stopped, even many years earlier. We welcome him back as we do many students each year whose education could not be completed easily. We’ re going to help him through his remaining course work.”
1.Why did Carter stop studying in the university?
A.He hurt an artist. B.He couldn’t afford his study.
C.He got a strange disease. D.He had a hand injury.
2.What was Chandler’s purpose in interviewing Carter?
A.To do a project on homelessness.
B.To know why he hung around UT.
C.To make friends with a homeless person.
D.To finish his homework on helping others.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Chandler?
A.Brave. B.Honest.
C.Warm-hearted. D.Strong-minded.
4.What can we learn from Dempster’s words in the statement?
A.He encourages Carter to study hard.
B.He supports students who never give up.
C.He calls on other students to help Carter.
D.He suggests other students learn from Carter.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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A famous study was done in a school by a professor from a university．At the start of the school year，the teachers were given the names of five children．They were told that these five were the most excellent students in the class．But the fact was that these students were only average，and they were not the best students at all．Well，guess what? At the end of the year，all the five average students scored among the highest in the class．
What made these average students change so much to become top students? The only difference was the change in their teachers’ attitude．Because the teachers believed that these five kids were the top students，they expected more from them．And so these five average students began to believe and expect more from themselves．So they worked harder to do as well as they could．
Do you know? If you expect the best from people，they’ll usually want to give you their best．A great leader said，“Treat a person just how he appears to be on the outside，and you’ll make him even worse．But treat a person like he’s already a success，and you’ll help make him the best he can be．”
Like the true story of 7-year-old Johnny，his teacher got so angry with him that one day she said，“Johnny，you’re the naughtiest(最顽皮的) boy in this class．I’m sure you’ll never change．”The next year Johnny had a new teacher．And on the first day of class，she met with Johnny after school and said，“Johnny，I’ve heard a lot about you! But do you know that I don’t believe a word of it．”And every day after that，this new teacher treated Johnny as if he was one of the smartest students even when Johnny did naughty things．Later on，Johnny became a school leader．Because that’s the power of our belief and attitude toward children．
1．The professor started his research by ________．
A．telling the five students to work harder than ever before
B．teaching the five children himself
C．telling the teacher the five students were the best in the class
D．asking the five children to find a new teacher
2．The five average students became top students mainly because of ________．
A．the professor’s study B．the change in the professor’s attitude
C．the teachers’ hard work D．the change in the teachers’ attitude
3．Why did the writer tell us the story of 7-year-old Johnny?
A．To show the importance of encouragement．
B．To show that the boy was clever enough．
C．To let us know the famous boy．
D．To let us know how good his new teacher was．
4．According to the story，we can learn that ________．
A．the research began at the end of the school year
B．the students scored highest only because they worked hard
C．if you expect the most from people，you’ll get the least
D．little Johnny liked his new teacher very much
5．What does the passage mainly tell us?
A．If you want to get more，you should have new teachers．
B．Attitude and belief can change a person．
C．A professor’s study can help you score highest．
D．Only teachers can make you a top student．
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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If you are interested in studying at an American university, you have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The test is widely known as the TOEFL. It is the most widely used language exam for American universities.
There are two major kinds of the TOEFL test. The first is the IBT, or Internet-based Test. It is offered in most of the world and accepted by nearly every university and scholarship program in the United States.The other kind of the test is called the Paper-based Test or PBT. The PBT is less costly to take and does not require use of the Internet.
But how to get started with TOEFL? Here are some tips.
1. Plan ahead ---It takes a long time to improve your TOEFL score. Do not expect a big lift in your test results after two weeks. You will have to spend a lot of time and energy.
2. Master the basics first ---You should have to be good at basic English before you take the test. If you score below 500 on the PBT or 70 on the IBT, study for a few months and come back to the TOEFL later.
3. Get a study guide --- It is easy to find study guides for the IBT. Pearson, Barron's, ETS, and Kaplan all produce quality materials. Take a practice test once or twice a month. The best study guides will have explanations in the answer key.
4. Use outside resources --- Remember, you are learning a language, not a test. You can improve your TOEFL score by making English part of your daily life. Some simple ways are listening to English speakers, watching movies and reading newspapers. Some others are reading English textbooks, sending and reading text messages in English, and writing online in English.
The best way to do well on the TOEFL is to know English well.The real goal of the test is to measure how well a student can communicate in English-speaking classroom.
If you want to know more, please click here.
1.If you want to study in an America university, you have to_________.
A. be very rich and work hard
B. be well prepared to take the TOEFL test
C. ask an English teacher to help you
D. prepare for a month before taking the TOEFL test
2.From the passage we can learn that___________.
A. the IBT is more expensive to take and requires use of the Internet.
B. Pearson is a person who teaches quality materials.
C. If you score 500 on the PBT,you can pass the TOEFL test.
D. If you are good at reading ,you can pass the TOEFL test.
3.The real purpose of the TOEFL is to , according to the passage.
A. get more foreign students to study in American universities
B. let foreign students know more about American universities
C. measure one’s communicating ability in English.
D. improve foreign students’ skills of taking tests
4.Where does the passage most probably come from?
A. A website B. A lesson
C. A science book D. A novel
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析