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Renault's new Twizy could be the future of motoring ... or at least a big part of it. This is not some crazy future concept -- this is a real vehicle, fully electric, and on sale now. Prices for the Twizy start at £6,690, with battery hire from £45 a month. But is it a car? Technically no, it' s classified under UK law as something closer to a moped (摩托自行车).
A two-seater (the passenger sits behind the driver), the Twizy runs on electric power only, and is designed to cover all those little trips we do. And as 87 percent of Europe’s drivers do less than 37 miles a day -- 50 per cent less than 12—there’s really no need to be burning gas for that sort of journey.
The Twizy is arguably the most unusual vehicle in this country. Other cars have been beautifully designed, others have been small, but no car has turned motoring on its head in quite the same way.
The Twizy’s batteries have a range of 62 miles, and it plugs into a standard socket like any other electrical equipment, going from flat to full power in three and a half hours. There are no full doors on the vehicle, so think of it like a covered moped with four wheels, but no noise and no need for a helmet. There's also a lower-powered type being designed, the Twizy 45, for which you don' t need a license.
Seeing the Twizy in the flesh, you' re surprised by how striking it looks. Sit in it and everything feels right --just car enough to be easy, but different enough to be exciting. With the battery underneath you, the vehicle is suckered (吸) to the road, and the electric power means it accelerates with real energy up to about 50 mph. You don't feel you need any more. In the UK, the weather alone may make it a good buy, but the lack of easy access to outdoor sockets is the biggest challenge. Only time will tell if this brave move answers enough problems to find a place in our lives.
1.According to Paragraph 1, Renault' s new Twizy________
A. is a concept car
B. is classified as a car
C. can be hired by the day
D. has been put on the market
2.Which of the following is TRUE about the appearance of the Twizy?
A. Attractive. B. Awkward.
C. Traditional. D. Colorful.
3.What do we know about the Twizy 45?
A. A helmet is needed to drive it.
B. It makes more noise than the Twizy.
C. You can drive it without taking a test.
D. Its batteries are better than the Twizy' s.
4.What will probably prevent the popularity of the Twizy?
A. Its low speed.
B. Its weak batteries.
C. Its limited inner space.
D. Its demand for outdoor sockets.
5.In which part of a magazine can we most probably read this text?
A. Travel. B. Technology.
C. Economy. D. Environment.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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When the terrible superstorm struck last October, New York got a taste of ______ its future could be.
A. which B. where C. how D. what
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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– What will motoring be like in the future?
– Most probably it will be ________ electric car, powered by ________ battery
A．the, a
B．the, the
C．/, a
D．an, /
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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The passport photographs of the future could turn out to be more than just another pretty picture if a new computer technique developed by Israeli scientists catches on.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University, in Israel, have invented a way to hide information such as a fingerprint or signature in color images. They believe this could improve passport safety or be used to produce product bar codes(条形码) or designs that cannot be seen.
“The papers can be faxed, scanned(扫描) and reprinted without hidden data disappearing,” New Scientist magazine said last week.
Joseph Rosen and a team of scientists worked out the new instrument by creating a mathematical model.
The model turns a fingerprint or signature into a series of numbers which are used to shape the dots that make up a color picture.
“Each dot can be forced out of the usual place slightly without noticeably changing the final appearance of the image,” the magazine said.
Several images that can be hidden in a single picture are scanned into a computer which does the work.
The hidden images or fingerprints cannot be shown until the picture is scanned again.
The computer rebuilds the fingerprint by measuring the displacement of the dots in the picture.
The magazine said that if he model is used for passport checkpoints the picture can be unscrambled(解码) to show the fingerprint or signature and checked against the person holding the passport.
The researchers are now working on a handheld, and instrument which could make unscrambling the hidden information easier.
1. The new passport photos will probably contain all EXCEPT _____.
A．one’s picture
B．one’s fingerprint
C．one’s signature
D．one’s blood type
2. The writer probably got the information about the new passport photos from ___.
A．Israeli scientists
B．a radio or TV
C．a newspaper
D．a magazine
3.What is the best title for the passage?
A．A New Computer Technique by Israeli Scientists
B．A New Way t Hide Information
C．The New Passport Photo: More Than Meets the Eye
D．Safe Passport Photos
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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DNA left at a crime scene could be used in the future to build up a picture of an offender’s face, it was revealed tonight.
A first step towards genetic mugshots has been taken by researchers in the US who link specific DNA markers with face shape. To identify the genes, they focused on known mutations(突变) that cause changes of the face and head. Normal versions of these genes were found to influence individual features. For instance, one gene affected the lips, another the shape and configuration of bones around the eyes, and a third the appearance of the mid-face and skull. In total, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
Lead scientist Professor Mark Shriver, from Pennsylvania State University, said: “We use DNA to match to an individual or identify an individual, but you can get so much more from DNA. Currently we can’t go from DNA to a face, or from a face to DNA, but it should be possible.” The implications are far reaching, raising the possibility of creating a data bank of facial types based on genetic markers. DNA from a crime scene could then be used to produce a rough image of the face of an offender or victim. Such genetic mugshots may be more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits” based on witnesses’ recollections. Other uses of the technique might include proving the identity of fathers in paternity cases, or visualising our remote ancestors from fossil DNA.
The scientists wrote in the online journal Public Library of Science Genetics: “Such predictive modelling could be forensically useful; for example, DNA left at crime scenes could be tested and faces predicted in order to help to narrow the pool of potential suspects. Further, our methods could be used to predict the facial features of descendants, deceased ancestors, and even extinct human species. In addition, these methods could prove to be useful diagnostic tools.” The team developed a model which first established a range of physical face shapes from people of mixed West African and European ancestry from the US, Brazil and Cape Verde. Measurements were taken of thousands of point co-ordinates on grids placed over 3D images of the faces.
Statistical methods were then used to determine the relationship between facial differences and the effects of gender, ethnic ancestry and individual gene variants.
1.The underlined word “mugshots” in the second paragraph most probably means _________.
A. different faces B. characteristics C. pictures of faces D. genders
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. DNA has been used to build up a picture of an offender’s face.
B. It may be much easier to catch criminals with the help of DNA.
C. In all, 20 genes had “significant effects” on facial appearance.
D. One gene can affect more than one part of your face.
3.According to Professor Mark Shriver, we know_________.
A. they can merely match to an individual or identify an individual
B. there is a possibility of going from DNA to a face
C. DNA could be used to produce a rough image of an offender’s face
D. this technology is more reliable than computer-generated “e-fits”
4.What is the most possible title of the passage?
A. Creating a data bank of DNA
B. Recognizing the DNA of criminals
C. Predicting the location of offence using DNA
D. Building image of offender’s face from DNA
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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What will the future be like? Good or bad? A lot of science-fiction writing imagines a world which is dark and scary. In Blade Runner, Harrison Ford hunts robots in a chaotic (混乱的) Los Angeles. Planet of the Apes shows a hopeless future for humankind.
There's a word to describe the kind of future world which often appears in science fiction: dystopia. It means an imagined place where things are unpleasant or bad. The opposite is utopia. But does tomorrow's world have to be so disappointing?
No. A new project wants to use the power of science fiction to inspire people to create a better future. Project Hieroglyph brings together writers, scientists, engineers and artists to create optimistic stories about things which really could happen in the next 50 years.
It's just a matter of making an effort. Experts say it's easier to create a dystopia than write a feel-good story. There's more conflict in a world full of problems, and stories are interesting when there are a lot of problems to solve. No challenge, no story!
But the project produced a book with some promising plots. One of them is about environmentalists who fight to stop entrepreneurs (创业者) from building the first hotel in Antarctica. Well, there's conflict there and it seems reasonable, so it could be a good story.
But will these stories actually change anything or just keep us entertained? Ed Finn, the book's editor, thinks the former. He says: "A good science-fiction story can be very powerful. It can inspire hundreds, thousands, millions of people to do something that they want to do."
The influence of science fiction can already be seen in modern research, says Professor Braden Allenby. He asks: "Why are people working on, for example, invisibility cloaks (斗篷)? Well, it's Harry Potter, right?"
Time will tell how far we can go. Let's dream big and think outside the box. Who knows the wonderful things we can come up with?
1.The underlined word “utopia” in paragraph 2 most probably means “______’.
A. a real world where people can do anything they like
B. an imagined place where things are unpleasant or bad
C. an imaginary perfect world where everyone is happy
D. a wild and terrible place where no one can live happily
2.Experts say it’s easier to create a dystopia than a feel-good story because ______.
A. a dystopia needs less imagination
B. a feel-good story is more interesting
C. there is no conflict in a feel-good story
D. there are more problems to solve in a dystopia
3.Professor Braden Allenby takes “invisibility cloaks” as an example ______.
A. to cause readers’ attention
B. to amuse science fiction readers
C. to introduce a science fiction story
D. to show the influence of science fiction
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. What is science fiction?
B. Can science fiction help us?
C. What will man do in the future?
D. Shall we live a better life in the future?
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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Forget chip fat, sugar cane or rapeseed oil — the latest source of biofuel could be watermelons. Scientists have discovered that the fruit is a great source of sugar that can be readily distilled (蒸馏) into alcohol to power cars and farm machinery.
And sellers reject 360,000 tons of “substandard” fruit every year in America alone which could be used as an economical way to make fuel. The waste from US growers could produce nearly two million gallons (nine million litres) of biofuel per year.
In the study, researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture set out to determine the biofuel potential of juice from rejected watermelons —those not sold due to cosmetic imperfections, and currently ploughed back into the field. About a fifth of each yearly watermelon crop is left in the field because of surface blemishes (瑕疵) or because they are misshapen.
Dr. Wayne Fish, who led the team, found that 50 percent of the fruit was fermentable (可发酵的) into alcohol which could provide valuable fuel.
“We’ve shown that the juice of these watermelons is a source of readily fermentable sugars, representing an unexploited raw material for alcohol biofuel production,” he said.
The study, published in the journal Biotechnology for Biofuels, discovered that watermelons could produce around 20 gallons of fuel per acre from fruit that otherwise would go to waste.
Production of biofuels has been targeted by Western governments as a way to support renewable energy targets.
The European Union has a target for 2010 that 5.75 percent of transport fuels should come from biological sources, but the target is unlikely to be met.
The British government’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation requires five percent of the fuel sold at the pump by 2010 to be biofuel.
1.The passage mainly tells us ______.
A．watermelon juice will be the largest source of renewable energy
B．the advantages of fuel made from watermelons
C．Western countries aim at producing biofuels
D．watermelons could be used to make fuel
2. It can be learned from the text that ______.
A．about two gallons of fuel could be made from rejected fruit per acre
B．sellers in the world throw away 360,000 tons of watermelons every year
C．half of the watermelons were fermentable into alcohol to provide energy
D．five percent of fuel is required to be biofuel from watermelons by 2010 in Britain
3.The underlined word “cosmetic” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.
A．fresh
B．sweet
C．surface
D．inside
4.We can infer from the passage that ______.
A．it will cost a lot to make biofuel from watermelons
B．Western countries are engaged in biofuel study but still have a long way to go
C．watermelon juice has been used as a source of sugars to produce alcohol biofuel
D．the European Union is likely to meet its target of transport fuels from biological sources
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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A new study has found that social media could be affecting the sleep of young adults.
The study is a project of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine. They found that young people who often use social media are more likely to suffer from sleep disorders than those who use social media less. The researchers say doctors should ask young adults about their use of social media when treating sleep issues.
“This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can influence your sleep.” said Jessica C Levenson. She was the lead author of a report on the study.
The researchers set out to examine the connection between social media use and sleep among young adults. Levenson noted that these young adults are possibly the first “generation to grow up with social media.”
The researchers wanted to find out how often young people used social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Credit and Tumbler. For the study, they gave questionnaires to nearly 1,800 adults, aged 19 to 32. On average, members of the study group used social media sites one hour a day. They also "visited various social media 30 times per week.”
Thirty percent of the study's participants reported having serious problems with sleeping. Those people who used social media a lot were three times more likely to have a sleep disorder. And those who spent the most time on social media were two times as likely to suffer from sleep disturbances.
Levenson said the number of times a person visits social media is a better predictor of sleep problems than overall time spent on social media. If this is true, she adds, then practices that stop such behaviors may be the most effective.
1.What's the main idea of the text?
A. The researchers focus on social media.
B. The researchers manage to handle sleep problems.
C. Doctors treat young patients.
D. Social media affects sleep.
2.When treating sleep problems, doctors are advised to ________.
A. offer some advice about giving up social media
B. ask the patients about young adults’ use of social media
C. give young adults some medicine
D. ask about the patients' living conditions
3.How did the researchers mainly carry out the study?
A. By doing online research. B. By giving an example.
C. By collecting published data. D. By doing questionnaires.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Men are more likely to suffer from a sleep disorder than women.
B. People often using social media are less likely to have a sleep disorder.
C. Using computers less helps avoid sleep problems completely.
D. Sleep problems can be determined by the times of a person visiting social media.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Decades ago, I was one of the unhappiest men in New York. I was selling motor-trucks for a living. I didn't know what made a motor-truck run. That wasn't all: I didn't want to know. I despised (看不起）my job, I despised living in a _______furnished room filled with cockroaches (蟑螂). When I _______out for a fresh necktie, they scattered in all directions. I despised eating in dirty restaurants _______filled with cockroaches.
I came back to my lonely room each night with a sick headache _______by disappointment and bitterness. Was this life? Was this the adventure I had _______? Was this all life would ever_______to me —working at a job I despised, living with cockroaches, and eating bad food? I _______for leisure to read and to write the books I had dreamed of writing back in my college days.
I knew I had everything to gain and _______to lose by giving up the job I despised. So I quitted the work I hated and_________I had studied in the Teachers’ College, preparing to teach, I would make my living teaching adult classes in night schools. Then I would have my __________ free to read books, prepare lectures, and write novels.
What subject should I teach? As I looked back and__________my own college training, I saw that public speaking was of more __________value to me than everything else I had studied in college because it had__________out my lack of confidence and given me the courage to deal with people. It had also made__________that leadership usually favors the man who can get up and speak his mind.
Then I started teaching in night schools, where I had to show__________ results quickly. These __________didn't come for college credits. They came for one reason only: to solve problems. They wanted to stand up on their own feet and say a few words at a business meeting without fainting from__________. They wanted to call on a(n)__________custome
r without, having to walk around the block three times to get up__________. They wanted to develop self-confidence, I had to__________my students--I had to help them. By doing this, I found my true calling and happiness.1.A. well B. cheap C. fully D. partly
2.A. sought B. reached C. stood D. set
3.A. abruptly B. barely C. probably D. properly
4.A. fed B. raised C. aroused D. followed
5.A. stepped out for B. looked forward to C. worked up to D. gone in for
6.A. happen B. cater C. mean D. see
7.A. asked B. longed C. searched D. went
8.A. everything B. anything C. something D. nothing
9.A. once B. while C. since D. after
10.A. moments B. days C. months D. years
11.A. checked B. took C. recalled D. evaluated
12.A. practical B. economical C. inner D. technical
13.A. given B. wiped C. carried D. got
14.A. essential B. solid C. clear D. simple
15.A. concrete B. accurate C. absolute D. various
16.A. salesmen B. customers C. children D. adults
17.A. disappointment B. fright C. bitterness D. depression
18.A. unique B. earnest C. regular D. tough
19.A. Interest B. hope C. courage D. expectation
20.A. assist B. organize C. lead D. motivate
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Throw out the bottles and boxes of drugs in your house．A new theory suggests that medicine could be bad for your health．This new theory argues that healing （the process of becoming healthy and strong again） is at our fingertips：we can be healthy by doing Reiki on a regular basis．Supporters of medical treatment argue that medicine should be trusted since it is effective and scientifically proven．They say that there is no need for spiritual methods such as Reiki, Yoga，Tai Chi．These waste our time，something that is quite precious in our material world．There is medicine that can kill our pain and x-rays that show us our broken bones．We must admit that these methods are very effective in the examples that they provide．However, there are some “everyday complaints”such as back pains，headaches，which are treated currently with medicine．When you have a headache，you take an Aspirin；when you cannot sleep，you take Xanax without thinking of the side effects of these．When you use these pills for a long period，you become dependent on them；you cannot sleep without them．We pay huge amounts of money but never get better．How about a safer and more economical way of healing?When doing Reiki to yourself，you do not need anything except your energy so it is very economical．Also，there are no side effects and it is scientifically explained．
They also claim that serious illnesses such as HIV／AIDS and cancer cannot be treated without drugs．They think so because these patients spend the rest of their lives in the hospital taking medicine．How can Reiki make these people healthy again? It is very unfortunate that these patients have to live in the hospital losing their hair and weight because of the side effects of the medicine they take．Actually，instead of drugs which are expensive and have many side effects，you can use your energy to overcome the hardships of life，find an emotional balance，leave the stress of everyday life and let go of the everyday worries．
Some people may still hold that in our material world，everything depends on time．How
would it be possible to find time to do Reiki?In fact，Reiki does not require more than 15 minutes of our time．It is less time consuming than medicine if we think of all the time we spend taking medicine for some complaints and taking some more for the side effects as well．
1.The author's attitude towards Reiki is________．
A．uninterested B．serious
C．positive D．doubtful
2.Which statement does the passage lead you to believe?
A．Reiki will soon become the most popular exercise around the world．
B．Reiki is an effective treatment but not scientifically explained．
C．Reiki can make people less dependent on drugs．
D．Reiki is a kind of cheap drug but works well．
3.How many advantages of Reiki are mentioned in the last two paragraphs?
A．One． B．Three． C．Five． D．Seven．
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．A New Way of Treating Illness．
B．Health and Healing at Your Fingers．
C．The Advantages and Disadvantages of Reiki．
D．The Advantages and Disadvantages of Medicine．
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
r without, having to walk around the block three times to get up__________. They wanted to develop self-confidence, I had to__________my students--I had to help them. By doing this, I found my true calling and happiness.