An early invention by Albert Einstein has been rebuilt by scientists at Oxford University. They are trying to develop an environmentally friendly refrigerator that runs without electricity.
We all know that modern fridges cause damage to the environment. They work by using a kind of man-made greenhouse gas called Freon (氟里昂), which is far more damaging than carbon dioxide.
Now Malcolm McCulloch, an electrical engineer at Oxford, is leading a three-year project to develop appliances that can be used in places without electricity.
His team has completed a prototype (样机) of a fridge patented in 1930 by Einstein. It used only pressurized gases to keep things cold. The design was partly used in the first refrigerators, but the technology was dropped when more efficient compressors (压缩机) became popular in the 1950s. That meant a switch to using Freon.
Einstein's idea uses butane (丁烷) and water and takes advantage of the fact that liquids boil at lower temperatures, when the air pressure around them is lower.
"If you go to the top of Mount Qomolangma, water boils at a much lower temperature than it does when you're at sea level and that's because the pressure is much lower up there," said McCulloch.At one side is the evaporator (蒸发器), a bottle that contains liquid butane. "If you introduce a new vapor above the butane, the liquid boiling temperature decreases and, as it boils off, it takes energy from the surroundings to do so," says McCulloch. "That's what makes it cold."
The gas fridges based on Einstein's design were replaced by Freon-compressor fridges partly because Einstein's design was not very efficient. But McCulloch thinks that by changing the design and replacing the types of gases used it will be possible to quadruple (翻两番) the efficiency.
However, McCulloch's fridge is still in its early stages. "It's very much a prototype," he said. "Give us another month and we'll have it working."
1. According to the passage, an early invention by Albert Einstein _______.
A.has been rediscovered because it costs much less and works more efficiently
B.is being redesigned because it could be used in places without electricity
C.has just been found to be energy-saving and environmentally friendly
D.will be fully made use of and become the fridge of the future
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.Freon was used in fridges long before the 1950s.
B.Freon is what makes current fridges big polluters.
C.McCulloch thinks he could improve Einstein's design by using other types of vapors.
D.The fridge Malcolm McCulloch and his team designed will be put into production soon.
3.We can learn from the text that the prototype completed _______.
A.changed the air pressure around it
B.was tested on the top of Mount Everest
C.increased the liquid boiling temperature
D.used only pressurized gases to keep things cold
4.McCulloch's words in Paragraph 6 _____.
A.serve as an explanation for the principle behind Einstein's fridge
B.give you the reason why Einstein's fridge was not efficient
C.tell you how to take advantage of low air pressure
D.show you how Einstein's fridge works
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
An early invention by Albert Einstein has been rebuilt by scientists at Oxford University. They are trying to develop an environmentally friendly refrigerator that runs without electricity.
We all know that modern fridges cause damage to the environment. They work by using a kind of man-made greenhouse gas called Freon (氟里昂), which is far more damaging than carbon dioxide.
Now Malcolm McCulloch, an electrical engineer at Oxford, is leading a three-year project to develop appliances that can be used in places without electricity.
His team has completed a prototype (样机) of a fridge patented in 1930 by Einstein. It used only pressurized gases to keep things cold. The design was partly used in the first refrigerators, but the technology was dropped when more efficient compressors (压缩机) became popular in the 1950s. That meant a switch to using Freon.
Einstein's idea uses butane (丁烷) and water and takes advantage of the fact that liquids boil at lower temperatures, when the air pressure around them is lower.
"If you go to the top of Mount Qomolangma, water boils at a much lower temperature than it does when you're at sea level and that's because the pressure is much lower up there," said McCulloch.At one side is the evaporator (蒸发器), a bottle that contains liquid butane. "If you introduce a new vapor above the butane, the liquid boiling temperature decreases and, as it boils off, it takes energy from the surroundings to do so," says McCulloch. "That's what makes it cold."
The gas fridges based on Einstein's design were replaced by Freon-compressor fridges partly because Einstein's design was not very efficient. But McCulloch thinks that by changing the design and replacing the types of gases used it will be possible to quadruple (翻两番) the efficiency.
However, McCulloch's fridge is still in its early stages. "It's very much a prototype," he said. "Give us another month and we'll have it working."
1. According to the passage, an early invention by Albert Einstein _______.
A.has been rediscovered because it costs much less and works more efficiently
B.is being redesigned because it could be used in places without electricity
C.has just been found to be energy-saving and environmentally friendly
D.will be fully made use of and become the fridge of the future
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A.Freon was used in fridges long before the 1950s.
B.Freon is what makes current fridges big polluters.
C.McCulloch thinks he could improve Einstein's design by using other types of vapors.
D.The fridge Malcolm McCulloch and his team designed will be put into production soon.
3.We can learn from the text that the prototype completed _______.
A.changed the air pressure around it
B.was tested on the top of Mount Everest
C.increased the liquid boiling temperature
D.used only pressurized gases to keep things cold
4.McCulloch's words in Paragraph 6 _____.
A.serve as an explanation for the principle behind Einstein's fridge
B.give you the reason why Einstein's fridge was not efficient
C.tell you how to take advantage of low air pressure
D.show you how Einstein's fridge works
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Albert Einstein, ________ life had once been very hard, was given the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921
A. of whom B. for whom C. for whose D. in whom
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Karaoke, which was invented by the Japanese, ______ both wonders and problems.
A. has been produced B. was produced C. produced D. has produced
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Albert Einstein was an extraordinary physicist, but no artist. Pablo Picasso could paint anything, but he had no talent for science. Lionel Messi is great at soccer, but nobody talks about his singing ability.
This specialization of talent may seem normal, but it may be a modern phenomenon. In English, we have a term for people with broad knowledge and skills: “Renaissance man (or woman)”. It refers to the European Renaissance, a time when it became common to study a wide range of subjects. This led to complex works of art, invention and philosophy that transformed European culture.
The classic Renaissance man was undoubtedly Leonardo da Vinci, who died 500 years ago. Even today, he is regarded as one of the great creative minds of the Italian Renaissance. “He was hugely influential as an artist and sculptor but also greatly talented as an engineer, scientist and inventor,” says the BBC.
At 14, Da Vinci became an apprentice (学徒) of the popular sculptor and goldsmith Andrea del Verrocchio. Young Leonardo learned how to draw and paint in his workshop, but he was also introduced to chemistry, metallurgy and carpentry. He acquired so many skills that it became natural for him to try new things. The man who would design a flying machine and a military tank set his life course during these early years.
It is interesting to note that his skills as a draftsman (画师) were important in both his artistic and his scientific activities. For instance, he made marvelously detailed drawings of moving water, but not really for artistic reasons. As The Conversation notes, Da Vinci wanted to learn about moving water so he could benefit people. For this purpose, he eventually drew up plans for canals.
Da Vinci was also fascinated by anatomy (解剖学). He dissected (切开) bodies and drew detailed pictures of what he saw. These drawings anticipated the future of scientific medicine.
Apart from his scientific drawings, Da Vinci had a genius for painting lifelike images of people. Even today, this ability stands out in works like the Mona Lisa (1503). With her famous smile, we recognize her as a flesh-and-blood human like ourselves.
The best epitaph (碑文) for Da Vinci may be his own words:”Learning never exhausts the mind.” His numerous projects over 67 years make it clear that his mind was never exhausted. Five centuries after his death, his life and work inspire would-be Renaissance men and women everywhere.
1.“Renaissance man” is mentioned mainly to____.
A.show that people in the past were less talented
B.compare the great minds of the Renaissance
C.introduce Da Vinci as a representative
D.show how Da Vinci created the world
2.What do we know about Da Vinci?
A.He learned anatomy in his childhood.
B.He designed a military tank in his later years.
C.He invented 67 things in his lifetime.
D.His drawings were both artistic and scientific.
3.Which of the following best describes Da Vinci?
A.Hardworking and humorous.
B.Knowledgeable and creative.
C.Imaginative and easygoing.
D.Open-minded and generous.
4.How would the author probably describe Da Vinci’s painting style?
A.Realistic. B.Mysterious. C.Abstract. D.Modern.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Look out! Don’t get close to the building. It _________.
A. was rebuilt B. has been rebuilt C. is being rebuilt D. had been rebuilt
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The secret of carrier pigeons' unbelievable ability to find their way home has been discovered by scientists: the feathered navigators follow the roads just like we do.
Scientists now believe the phrase "as the crow (乌鸦) flies" no longer means the shortest most direct route between two points. They say it is likely that crows and other day birds also choose AA-suggested routes, even though it makes their journeys longer.
Scientists at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using global positioning satellite (GPS) and got a surprising result. The birds often don't use the sun to decide their directions.
Instead they fly along motorways, turn at crossing and even go around roundabouts (绕道) , adding miles to their journeys.
"It really has knocked our research team sideways to find that after a decade-long international study, pigeons appear to ignore their inbuilt directional instincts (本能) and follow the road system," said Prof Tim Guilford, reader in animal behavior at Oxford University's Department of Zoology.
Guilford said pigeons use their own navigational system (导航系统) when doing long distance trips or when a bird does a journey for the first time.
"But once homing pigeons have flown a journey more than once, they can fly home on a habitual route, much as we do when we are driving or walking home from work," said Guilford.
"In short, it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road. They are just making their journey as simple as possible."
1.What would be the best title of the passage?
A. How Pigeons Find Their Ways Home? B. Why Pigeons Can Fly long Distance?
C. Birds Follow Roads as We Do. D. Why Crows Fly the Shortest D stance?
2.What does the words "the feathered navigators" refer to?
A. The crows. B. The pigeons. C. Day birds. D. Animals that can fly.
3.Scientists used to think that homing pigeons often find their directions ____.
A. by global positioning satellite B. by the sun
C. by the road system D. by following other birds
4.Why do homing pigeons tend to follow the road system daring the r journey?
A. Because they don't have their inbuilt directional instincts now.
B. Because their own navigational system doesn't work.
C. Because it is too hard to use their own navigational system.
D. Because it is easier to make journey simple by following road system.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Our apartment has been hit by a “hurricane”. Every bit of furniture is _______ with paper chains, scissors, tape and modeling clay. _______, I’m so exhausted tonight, recovering from a surgery.
The phone rings—for the sixth time in less than an hour. We know it is my mother, again. A stroke claimed her brain, but not her life. She is troubled by a severe mental _______— She has no idea that she has _______ the things she is about to say a million times. Nor can she recall I had a _______.
Each time she calls, I play a game with _______ called “How Good a Person Can I Be?” I’ve won five rounds of the game tonight; I am due for a _______ this time.
“Mom!” I _______. “You are not being removed from your home! And we visited two days ago!” Silence. Then:
“I was only calling to say hi.” My mother continues, “Why are you yelling?”
I sink into the couch, aware that my daughter is _______. She hears me scold my mother and lose my _______. I have not only failed at being a good person; I have failed at being a good _______ to my daughter.
“Can I talk to Grandma Ellie?” My five-year-old _______ the phone. _______, I hand it over.
Then, I hear my mother _______ through the receiver. “Sweetheart! How are you? Did you go to school today?”
What magic is this? All she says is “Hi, Grandma,” Out of the phone comes a waterfall of good _______. My mother tells her how much she loves her and how lovely her voice sounds.
I am not tired or angry; I am _______ inside, watching my kindergartner _______ her fragile grandmother with such skillfulness. I’m fascinated by their _______.
The mess in our apartment still _______ around me. I listen to my daughter whispering to her grandmother, caring for her with extreme _______.
1.A.covered B.decorated C.mixed D.filled
2.A.What’s more B.Above all C.Worse still D.Needless to say
3.A.disorder B.fitness C.performance D.function
4.A.created B.completed C.confirmed D.repeated
5.A.stroke B.surgery C.headache D.problem
6.A.my daughter B.myself C.my mom D.my grandma
7.A.success B.winner C.quarrel D.fall
8.A.whisper B.explain C.yell D.promise
9.A.imitating B.witnessing C.laughing D.sleeping
10.A.belief B.face C.temper D.way
11.A.friend B.companion C.caregiver D.example
12.A.reaches for B.picks up C.plays with D.hangs up
13.A.Excitedly B.Aimlessly C.Wordlessly D.Unwillingly
14.A.call out B.break down C.give up D.set out
15.A.ideas B.cheers C.relationship D.applause
16.A.shocked B.weak C.firm D.soft
17.A.teach B.bother C.handle D.acknowledge
18.A.exchange B.declaration C.voices D.behavior
19.A.counts B.settles C.expands D.disappears
20.A.conditions B.confidence C.efforts D.patience
高三英语完形填空简单题查看答案及解析
The Palace Museum has put on many attractions since it ___________ in 2017.
A.had been rebuilt B.was rebuilt C.had rebuilt D.rebuilt
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
David Miles, an Australian inventor has been accused of cheating desperate farmers by charging up to $50,000 Australian dollars for delivering rain on demand without so much as explaining the technology behind his business.
On the official Miles Research website,Miles explains that in the 1990’s he realized that it was possible to influence weather patterns by creating a bridge between ‘the present’ and a ‘near-future event’ in the physical space-time continuum. He found that by applying small amounts of energy intelligently, even a large, messy weather system approaching from the future could be eased.
While somewhat fascinating, Miles’ explanation does little to explain how he is able to bring rainfall to the lands of farmers. He makes references to famous but debatable concepts like “the butterfly effect”. “We were advised against patenting because if basically exposing how it works, there will be a lot of big companies that invest in hunting out patents,” Miles said “I understand the doubts,the only other way is to fully prove up our science and physics. If we did that, we'll lose it, it will be taken up as a national security interest and it’ll then be weaponized.”
Miles' claims raised suspicions for obvious reasons, including a since-deleted section of his company website, which claimed that his technology used “electromagnetic scalar waves”,which scientists say don’t even exist.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has warned people against doing business with him, but the Australian inventor claims the ACCC is only trying to defame him and his company, as in reality they are success based - if it doesn’t rain, they don’t get paid.
“Consumers signed the agreement that if by the end of June they receive 100mm, they pay $50,000, if they only receive 50mm, they would only pay $25,000. Anything under half,we don’t want to be paid,” Miles said of a handful of Wimmera farmers who agreed to take him up on his offer to deliver rain.
Believe it or not, one of the farmers who paid David Miles for his so-called rain-making capabilities told ABC Radio that he was quite happy with the results.
1.David Miles claims to be capable of ________.
A.influencing the weather system
B.predicting the future events
C.reducing the atmospheric temperature
D.easing the gravitational energy
2.ACCC issued warning against doing business with Miles because________.
A.he charged too much for the services provided
B.there was no solid science to hack up his technology
C.his practice was a threat to national security interest
D.he didn’t officially patent his technology with ACCC
3.According to Miles,how much will be paid if the farmers receive 15mm of rain?
A.$50,000. B.$25,000.
C.$12,500. D.$0.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Miles needed safer facilities for his business.
B.Miles brought about good crops as expected.
C.Miles wasn’t discouraged by the critics.
D.Miles was arrested by the local police.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
With exports________an important role in its economic growth now, this province has been affected by the global economic downturn.
A.played B.to play C.playing D.play
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析