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The dream of flying like Buzz Lightyear never dies. For years, space-age inventors have tested one wearable jet pack after another. And time after time, the designs have been grounded by dangerous fuels, excessive weight, or very loud noise levels. Now a Canadian inventor has sidestepped those weaknesses with an aquatic jet pack. Designed for travel over lakes or oceans, it’s driven by pressurized water, not burning rocket fuel.
When Raymond Li first told the idea for the aquatic jet pack to his friends, they said he must be nuts. How could a jet pack carry that much water? Its thrust-to-weight rate would be so low and it would never become airborne. Thrust-to-weight rate is a measure of the forward force produced compared with the weight of the vehicle. A vehicle with a low thrust-to-weight rate is relatively heavy for the amount of force it generates.
Li's genius idea was to place the jet pack’s engine and its water pump in a separate boat. The pump would draw water from the lake the boat was floating on. It would then force the water under pressure through a hose connected to the jet pack. The hose would be long enough to let the pack go up as high as 8.5 meters (28 feet) in the air.
Today, Li's invention, the Jetlev-Flyer, is ready to go into production. The pack itself, complete with jet nozzles （管嘴） and handlebars, weighs just 14 kilograms. The boat is a floating pod. To take off, the operator hits a trigger on a handlebar, which starts the pump, and then turns the throttle. Two streams of high-velocity water shoot through the hose and out the nozzles, lifting the operator into the air. The operator hovers there or pushes down on the handlebars, zooming forward at speeds of up to 64 kilometers per hour, pulling the pod behind.
1.All the following factors contribute to the failure of inventing a wearable jet pack EXCEPT ______.
A. excessive water B. unbearable noise C. unsafe fuels D. too much weight
2. The underlined word “sidestepped” in Para. 1 most probably means ________.
A. improved B. reduced C. avoided D. solved
3. Raymond Li’s friends found his idea for the aquatic jet pack was ________.
A. exciting B. crazy C. realistic D. creative
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. His friends encouraged him to do the invention.
B. He put the engine and its water pump in the same boat.
C. The success of his invention lies in his bravery.
D. His invention finally succeeded and will go into production.
5.Which is the right order to make the Jetlev-Flyer take off?
a. The throttle is turned. b. The operator is lifted into the air.
c. A trigger is hit. d. Two streams of water shoot out.
The pump is started.
A. c, e, a, d, b B. c, e, a, b, d C. e, c, d, b, a D. e, a, c, d, b
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It has been a dream for 30 years but now the world’s first flying car is set to hit the roads this year.
Ever since the “Back to the Future” movies lit up our screens in the 1980s，designers have dreamt of cars that could take to the sky at the push of a button．And now pilots can order their own “roadable” plane for just £ 127,000.
The plane, which has fold-out wings that span(翼展)17.5ft，has a range of flying distance of 460 miles and can be up to 115 mph．Back on the land，it can also travel at“highway speeds”in car mode(模式)．
Fueling the 19ft. long plane couldn’t be simpler----you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up．
A spokeswoman said, “You can keep you ‘light-sport airplane’ in your garage.But because it needs a short runway to take to the air, you will have to drive to your local airport，fly up to 460 miles, land，and drive directly to your destination．You will always be ready to drive or fly．"
The spokeswoman added,“Never let bad weather change your trip.You call simply divert(改道)and continue on the ground until the weather clears.”
There is no risk to you—This is only the chance for you to be the first at your home field to unfold your wings and fly into the future．
1.According to the text, the“roadable”plane________.
A. can fly at“highway speeds”in car mode
B. is 19ft long and 17.5ft wide inside
C. is a kind of car with fold-out wings
D. can only travel on the highway
2.We can infer that in the“Back to the Future”movies_________. ‘’
A. cars can fly in the sky
B. pilots have no cars to drive
C. pilots can’t afford a“roadable”plane
D. there are some skillful pilots
3.The last sentence of the text aims to__________．
A. ask people to unfold their wings and fly into the future
B. show people the use of the“roadable”plane
C. tell people only the“roadable”plane can fly in the future
D. call on people to buy the“roadable”plane
4.If you meet with a thunderstorm in your“roadable”plane in the skies，you can ________ ．
A. land in a nearby airport until it clears
B. 1and and drive on the ground
C. turn back home until it clears
D. fly high up to 460 miles
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Flying like a bird has been the dream of humans since ancient times. Last week a group of modern birdmen put their courage on their wings and challenged gravity in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
“Yes, you can buy a ticket and fly to another city. But running with your own wings and feeling your feet ready to take off is totally different,” Dong Fang, said in an excited voice. He is one of 41 students from Hangzhou No. 14 Middle School to test their home-made aircrafts in the playground. Inspired by the International Bognor Birdman Competition in the UK, Ni Wangyue, a teacher in high school is holding a similar event. The Bognor Birdman competition started in 1971 in the England coastal city Bognor. People ran off the end of a pier (码头) with their own aircraft in an attempt to “fly” the farthest distance.
“From the very beginning , I
didn’t expect my students to create a real plane or break any records. I told them the competition is more for seeing how far your imagination can stretch,” Said Ni. He was surprised to see his students create 10 different aircrafts with all kinds of material available in the past month. Many students said that they learnt much more in the process of creating their planes than in ordinary classes.
Jing Yuchen and his team named their plane “Weiming E”, which means an unknown goose. The 17-year-old boy deeply believes their goose of steel pipe and sailcloth will honour its name by successfully making it fly.
“Our work is much more imaginative than others. With several colourful balloons on its back and a pair of light plastic wings, it surely is the most eye-catching work, if not the best,” said Yu Liang, another student.
“Although most of those home-made aircrafts cannot really take the boys flying, the boys’ braveness and creativity in this project will encourage every one of them to fly high in the future,” Ni said.
1.The purpose of the competition is to ___________.
A. prepare to create more real planes.
B. let students break some records.
C. run off the end of a pier.
D. encourage braveness and creativity.
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. There were 41 students taking part in the competition.
B. A similar kind of competition started in 1971.
C. The teacher didn’t expect his students could create 10 different aircrafts.
D. Most of those home-made aircrafts could take the boys flying.
3. By saying “you can buy a ticket and fly to another city”, the writer actually means ___________.
A. if you want to take part in the competition you have to buy a ticket.
B. people who take part in the competition have to fly to another city.
C. people can pay to get a chance to go to another place by air.
D. the students have to fly to another city in their home-made aircrafts.
4.Why did the teacher organize this activity?
A. He wanted to develop students’ imagination.
B. He wanted his students to have the feeling of flying.
C. He wanted his students to break records.
D. He wanted to increase his students’ grades.
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The dream of flying into outer space, cherished by the Chinese people for centuries, will soon come true.
China launched its fourth unmanned spacecraft （飞船）“Shenzhou Ⅳ” on December 30 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province. It was the 27th consecutive（连续的 ）and successful launch of China - made rockets since October 1996. This launch has made it more realistic for China to send a person into space on its own following Russia and the USA.
Qi Faren，leading designer of the spacecraft system, said all the functions （功能） designed for manned flights have withstood （经受住）the test of three previous, successful launches and return landings of the “Shenzhou” spaceships.
China launched the “Shenzhou Ⅰ ”, “Shenzhou Ⅱ ”and “Shenzhou Ⅲ ”spacecrafts in 1999,2001 and 2002 respectively.
“Shouzhou Ⅳ” was to make it a more comfortable place in which astronauts can live and work. All parts of the application system for manned flight are aboard the “Shenzhou Ⅳ”craft in all test flights.
China’s manned flight programme began in 1992. A number of unmanned test flights will be launched before Chinese astronauts are sent into space.
Leading scientists in charge of China’s manned space programme said the successful launch of the “Shenzhou Ⅳ” laid a solid foundation for the country’s future task of sending Chinese astronauts to outer space.
The spacecraft returned to the earth on January 5, after completing seven experiments in space.
Officials at the centre said that“ Shenzhou Ⅴ”, a manned spacecraft, is expected to be launched later this year.
1.How many countries can send a person into space on its own by now？
| A．Not mentioned. | B．3. | C．4. | D．2. |
2..China’s manned flight programme began in ________.
| A．1992 | B．October 1996. | C．1999 | D．January 2003 |
3.As a matter of fact, ________ .
| A．“Shenzhou Ⅴ ”has been launched |
| B．“Shenzhou Ⅳ” was a manned spacecraft |
| C．“Shenzhou Ⅲ ”and“ Shenzhou Ⅳ” were not launched in the same year |
| D．the dream of man flying into outer space has come true in China |
4..Which is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．The Successful Launching of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
| B．The Landing of “Shenzhou Ⅳ ”. |
| C．Chin a’s Manned Flight Programme. |
| D．The Third Country Sending a Person into Outer Space. |
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He never dreamed of ________a chance for him to win the first prize in the race.
A. there being B. there to be
C. it was D. it being
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The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars (and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient and affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy—or even worsen—the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport—an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing (叫车) services.
A study from the University of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure (基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues (责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.
Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people，and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
1.According to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.
A. provide better services to customers
B. help deal with transportation-related problems
C. cause damage to our environment
D. make some people lose jobs
2.As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern？
A. Management. B. Side effects. C. Affordability. D. Safety.
3.What does the underlined word “fielded” in Paragraph 4 probably mean？
A. Replaced. B. Employed. C. Shared. D. Reduced.
4.What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars？
A. Doubtful. B. Sympathetic. C. Disapproving. D. Positive.
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___ against cancer for many years, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, who died at the age of fifty-six, made technology fun.
A．Fighting B．To fight C．Fought D．Having fought
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For many years, Bruce Bexler dreamed of going to the lands no human had explored and discovered rare, unknown species. That might sound like an impossible dream, but Bexler turned it into a reality.
In December 2015, he, together with a team of Australian and American scientists, adventured into a rain forest on the island of New Guinea. They were the first people ever to enter the region. “As we were dropped on the ground by helicopter, we found no trails anywhere; it was really hard to get around,” Bexler says.
Within minutes of landing, the team spotted a black chicken-like bird. The scientists soon determined that the creature was a type of honeyeater-the first new bird species to be sighted on New Guinea in 60 years. The honeyeater wasn’t the only surprise for them. They discovered more than 40 previously unknown plant and animal species. “We were like kids in a candy store?’ Bexler recalls. “Everywhere we looked, we saw amazing things we had never seen before.”
The new found species didn’t shy away from the scientists. Two long-nosed echidnas even let the visitors pick them up and take them back to camp to study them. Bexler thinks the animals weren’t scared because they had never seen humans before. He explains, “This area gives scientists a place where they can study the behaviours of animals that have not yet learned to be afraid of people.”
Bexler and his team did not have enough time to study the area completely. “We just scratched the surface, Bexler says. “Anyone who goes there will come back with a mystery.”
1.Which word can best describe Bruce Bexler?
A. Adventurous. B. Cautious.
C. Optimistic. D. Reliable.
2.What does the underlined sentence suggest in the third paragraph?
A. They enjoyed the experience of being in a candy store.
B. They were very excited about what they discovered.
C. They were misbehaving like naughty children.
D. Their next search might help them get sugar.
3.Why did the long-nosed echidnas allow the scientists to take them back for their study?
A. The scientists were very friendly to them.
B. The scientists were skilled in handling animals.
C. They had been well-trained by the local people.
D. They had never been threatened by people.
4.We can infer from Bexler’s words in the last paragraph that .
A. the scientists have learned enough about the deep rain forest
B. the area is likely to keep untouched in the future
C. more unknown plants and animals are to be discovered there
D. whoever goes there can uncover the mystery of the forest
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完形填空
For most of the eight years they have been married, Ryan has never received a hug from his wife, Tracy. He has not even received a ________ “hello” or a smile. Tracy has been ________ since 2008. But this is not a story about the ________outcome of a young lady. Rather, it is about a man who has stayed ________to his wife, nursing her night and day, making sure she is as ________ as possible.
Ryan and Tracy ________ in a friend’s home in 2003. “She was beautiful and interesting to talk to,” Ryan says of his first ________ of Tracy. In 2005, they got married and were very happy. However, a call put the couple’s life in________ a month after their daughter was born. Ryan was at work when a neighbor called to inform him that Tracy had been ________ to the hospital.
________ , he ran to the hospital. When he got there, he knew his ________ had been treated for fever. However, the fever did not ________after Tracy received that medical treatment.
Tracy’s breathing became labored and was________ to speak. The medical examination ________ she developed an infection damaging her nerve system. Tracy went into a coma(昏迷) and a few days later, though she regained consciousness, she________ could not move her lower legs. “She was admitted to hospital for four months and ________doctors did all they could, her ________ got worse,” Ryan says. She could no longer ________ her legs, and lost the ability to give voices.
“Those four months are the most ________time I have ever had. I have never stopped hoping and praying she will regain her________ ,” Ryan says with a smile, “I miss her laughter, and wonder what kind of a mother she would be to our daughter.”
1.A. happy B. simple C. different D. basic
2.A. weak B. alone C. ill D. cruel
3.A. magic B. exciting C. unexpected D. sad
4.A. true B. strange C. rude D. useful
5.A. comfortable B. special C. safe D. conscious
6.A. married B. stayed C. met D. worked
7.A. impression B. expression C. discussion D. attention
8.A. danger B. trouble C. surprise D. silence
9.A. dashed B. rushed C. pushed D. carried
10.A. Angry B. Confident C. Anxious D. Proud
11.A. daughter B. friend C. neighbor D. wife
12.A. slow down B. go down C. look down D. burn down
13.A. ready B. eager C. unwilling D. unable
14.A. revealed B. repeated C. agreed D. admitted
15.A. even B. instead C. still D. again
16.A. though B. after C. since D. when
17.A. attitude B. examination C. condition D. pain
18.A. clean B. remove C. touch D. move
19.A. wonderful B. difficult C. ridiculous D. important
20.A. position B. power C. confidence D. health
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Ann never dreams of _____ for her to be sent abroad very soon.
A. there being a chance B. there to be a chance
C. there be a chance D. being a chance
didn’t expect my students to create a real plane or break any records. I told them the competition is more for seeing how far your imagination can stretch,” Said Ni. He was surprised to see his students create 10 different aircrafts with all kinds of material available in the past month. Many students said that they learnt much more in the process of creating their planes than in ordinary classes.