The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has just published a report on n
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The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has just published a report on new materials and has looked at the case of nanotechnology(纳米技术), which describes the science of the very small. Nanotechnology covers those man-made materials or objects that are about a thousand times smaller than the microtechnology(微电子技术)we use, such as the silicon chips of computers. Nanotechnology gets its name from the nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter. There are about 600 consumer products already on the market that use nanotechnology. Nanomedicine is also being developed to fight cancer and other fatal diseases. The Royal Commission found no evidence of harm to health or the environment from nanomaterials, but this “absence of evidence” is not being taken as “evidence of absence”. In other words, just because there are no apparent problems, this is not to say that here is no risk now or in the future. The commission is concerned about the pace at which we are inventing and adopting new nanomaterials, which could result in future problems that we are ill-equipped to understand or even find with current testing methods. One of the problems about nanotechnology is that when we make something very small out of a well known material, we may actually change the functionality of that material even if the chemical composition remains the same. Indeed, it is not the particle(颗粒)size that should concern us, but its functionality. Take gold, for example, which is a famously inert (惰性) substance, and valuable because of it. It doesn’t rust or corrode because it doesn’t interact with water or oxygen. However, a particle of gold that is between 2 and 5 nanometers in diameter becomes highly reactive. This is not due to a change in chemical composition, but because of a change in the physical size of the gold particles. How can a change in size result in a change of function? One reason is to do with surface area. Nanoparticles have relatively a much bigger surface area. It is like comparing the surface area of a basketball with the total surface area of many pea-sized balls with the same weight of the single basketball. The pea-sized balls have a surface area many hundreds, indeed thousands of times bigger than the basketball, and this allows them to interact more easily with the environment. It is this increased interactivity that changes their functionality—and makes them potentially more dangerous to health or the environment. 小题1:Why does the writer mention microtechnology in the first paragraph?A.to introduce the topic of nanotechnology | B.to help us better understand nanotechnology | C.to help us know more about microtechnology | D.to compare microtechnology with nanotechnology | 小题2:The example of the “gold” in the last paragraph is intended to show that_________.A.gold is valuable because it is an inert substance | B.an inert substance like gold doesn’t interact with water or oxygen | C.the function of gold is steady because it is an inert substance | D.the function of gold changes when made into something very small | 小题3:Which process explains that there might be risks in nanotechnology? A.expand surface area →increase interactivity → change functionality→cause possible dangers | B.expand surface area → change functionality → increase interactivity →cause possible dangers | C.increase interactivity → expand surface area → change functionality→cause possible dangers | D.increase interactivity → change functionality → expand surface area→cause possible dangers | 小题4:What does the passage mainly focus on?A.the introduction of nanotechnology and its wide use | B.the present use of nanotechnology and its future | C.the potential danger nanotechnology may bring us | D.the proposal to stop nanotechnology due to the potential danger |
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答案
小题1:B 小题2:D 小题3:A 小题4:C |
解析
试题分析:人们在生活中时常会碰到纳米技术这个术语,那么什么是纳米技术呢?纳米技术对我们是有害还是有益呢?本文作者认为没有证据能证明纳米技术对人类无害并不等于纳米技术对人类真正无害。作者在文中通过举例来说明纳米技术对物质性能的改变很可能会对人类和环境造成危害。 小题1:B推理判断题 。人们仅仅知道纳米技术这个术语,但是很多人不明白其含义,于是作者通过与微电子技术相对比,让读者更好的了解纳米技术,所以答案选B。 小题2:D 推理判断题。文章末段首先介绍One of the problems about nanotechnology is that when we make something very small out of a well known material, we may actually change the functionality of that material纳米技术会改变一种物质的功能,然后提出以黄金为例(Take gold, for example),由此可知作者用黄金这种物质为例来说明当黄金通过纳米技术被制成微小的物质时,它的功能性质会发生变化,答案选D。 小题3:A细节理解题。根据文章末段中用同等重量的篮球和很多豌豆大小的球相比The pea-sized balls have a surface area many hundreds,…… and this allows them to interact more easily with the environment. It is this increased interactivity that changes their functionality—and makes them potentially more dangerous to health or the environment.可以得知A选项的过程能准确反映纳米技术可能导致的危险,故答案选A。 小题4:C主旨大意题。文章首段向人们介绍了纳米技术,然后在第二段提出Nanomedicine is also being developed to fight cancer and other fatal diseases.,再从下文中通过举例来说明纳米技术可能对人类以及环境存在的危害,故C选项内容更能反映文章中心。 |
举一反三
A kitchen that gives step-by-step cooking instructions in French could inspire a revolution in language learning in the UK. By using a new technology, it speaks to you as you prepare a French dish. The kitchen breaks new ground by taking language learning out of the classroom and linking it with an enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity. The new kitchen is designed to be used in schools, universities and even people’s homes. It could also be an existing kitchen. The first version of the technology was tested in the kitchens of project partner Newcastle University. The kitchen could be available for schools and universities, and for the UK market by the June of 2014. The Newcastle University team is now working on ways to put it on the market. And the European Union has given money to begin programs in six other languages, including English Italian and Spanish. Finally, versions could be developed for any language cuisine(烹饪法)in the world. Professor Paul says, “By international standards, the UK students are now poor when it comes to learning languages—a problem that certainly has an economic influence. We believe that developing skills in a country’s language and its cuisine will help change the trend.” On a computer fixed into the kitchen, the user first selects the French recipe(菜谱)they want to follow. Digital sensors built into dishes, containers and other equipment then communicate with the computer to make sure the right instructions are given at the right time, the user can ask the computer to repeat an instruction, or translate it into English, simply by pressing the touch screen. After cooking, the user can test what they have learned by carrying out a short test on the computer. All grammar and vocabulary has been carefully selected to make sure that using the kitchen adds to basic proficiency(熟练)in understanding French. Now three easy-carrying versions of the kitchen are being prepared. They’re to be fixed in Newcastle University and at Institute Francais, a London-based charity devoted to teaching the French language. 小题1:The new kitchen is designed mainly to __________.A.increase people’s interest in cooking | B.teach people how to cook French dishes | C.offer people a new way to learn languages | D.help cooks learn spoken French in the kitchen | 小题2:Which of the following is TRUE about the kitchen?A.It has versions in six languages now. | B.It is already available for sale in the UK. | C.It has received strong support from the EU. | D.It can be used only in schools and university. | 小题3:When a person is using the kitchen, ___________.A.it will give him a test on his cooking skills | B.it can translate French into another language | C.the cooking process will stop if he goes wrong | D.he must be careful so as not to make mistakes | 小题4:What would be the best title for the text?A.UK students have problems in language learning. | B.New technology helps students learning cooking. | C.An enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity. | D.A Talking Kitchen That Teaches You French. |
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What"s going to happen in the future? Will robots take over our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen 10 to 30 years later from now, according to the BBC. 1.Digital money We used to pay with cash for everything we bought. Now when we swipe(刷) our bus pass or use a credit card to shop online, money is spent without us even seeing it. In fact, we are already using one type of digital money. You have to admit that using a card is much easier than searching your pockets for change. It is also safer than carrying a lot of cash. When ATM cards were first introduced, they were not accepted everywhere. But now it"s hard to live without them. People in Sweden completely stopped using cash last year, according to the Associated Press, and the US might be next. 2.Bionic(能力超人的)eye It"s no longer something only in a scifi movie. People who are blind may have a chance to get their sight back—by wearing bionic eyes. A blind eye can no longer sense light, but a bionic eye can use a camera to “see” the environment and send data directly to the brain. Although the bionic eye that"s out now only allows patients to see lights and unclear shapes, a highresolution(高清晰度的) version could be just a few years away. 3.Selfdriving cars Everything is going automatic these days—washing machines, ticket selling machines and even cars. Unlike a human driver, a selfdriving car won"t get distracted by a phone call, the radio or something outside the window. Sensors and cameras on the car would allow it to stick strictly to the rules of the road and keep a safe distance from other cars. This would greatly reduce the number of road accidents. You could even take a nap while the car drives itself. Many vehicle companies are now planning selfdriving cars. “By 2040, driverless vehicles will be widely accepted and possibly be the dominant vehicles on the road,” said Jeffrey Miller, professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, US, in Wired magazine. 小题1:The underlined word “distracted” in the article is closest in meaning to “________”.A.directed | B.discouraged | C.attacked | D.disturbed | 小题2:Jeffrey Miller"s attitude towards selfdriving cars is ________.A.optimistic | B.pessimistic | C.doubtful | D.cautious | 小题3:Which section is the article most likely to be found in the newspaper?A.Learning Kit | B.Campus Trends | C.Entertainment | D.Technology |
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One might expect that the evergrowing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holidaymakers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the longterm future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere. And every month another rockbound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’. However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of seaside holidays, overcrowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal. Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests, full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holidaymakers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants. Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The onetime farmer is now the servant of some multinational organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn"t happier in his village working his own land. Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people. The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning worldwide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years" time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed. 小题1:What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?A.The Pacific island is a paradise. | B.The Pacific island is worth visiting. | C.The advertisement is not convincing. | D.The advertisement is not impressive. | 小题2:The example of Nepal is used to suggest ________.A.its natural resources are untouched | B.its forests are exploited for farmland | C.it develops well in health and education | D.it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists | 小题3:What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4?A.They are happy to work their own lands. | B.They have to please the tourists for a living. | C.They have to struggle for their independence. | D.They are proud of working in multinational organizations. | 小题4:Which of the following determines the future of tourism?A.The number of tourists. | B.The improvement of services. | C.The promotion of new products. | D.The management of tourism. | 小题5:The author"s attitude towards the development of the tourist industry is ________.A.optimistic | B.doubtful | C.objective | D.negative |
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Meet the “Tutor Kings and Queens” “If you want to be a top tutor, it definitely helps if you are young and attractive. Students look at your appearance,” said Kelly Mok, 26, a “tutor queen” at King"s Glory, one of Hong Kong"s largest tutorial establishments. Richard Eng from Beacon College, a former secondary school teacher, is often credited with being the first of Hong Kong"s “star tutors”. “In school all the teachers look the same, there"s no excitement,” he said. The celebrity tutor phenomenon is a result of the huge growth in outofschool tutoring in Asia. It is fuelled by highly pressured examination systems and ambitious parents wanting their children to secure places at top universities and highstatus secondary schools. In societies where success is_equated_with good exam results, parental anxiety converts into a “steady stream of revenue(收入)” for tutoring establishments, according to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The tutoring industry, or “shadow education” as the ADB calls it, has become very widespread in Asia, fed by the growth in universities and the rising proportion of school leavers aiming for university. Hong Kong University"s professor Mark Bray, one of the authors of the ADB study, said a staggering 72% of finalyear school students in Hong Kong now go to private tutors. It"s not just Hong Kong. Tutoring has “spread and intensified(强化) in Asia and become more commercialized,” said Professor Bray. In South Korea, 90% of primary school children attend such classes. In China, New Oriental Education and Technology has grown to become one of the largest tutoring schools in Asia with around 2.4 million students this year. In South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, tutorial schools use star tutors to attract even more students. 小题1:According to Kelly Mok, tutors ________.A.have a lot in common with school teachers | B.benefit much from their appearances | C.become more and more popular in the world | D.have much more pressure than in the past | 小题2:Who is probably a “tutor king” in Hong Kong?A.Kelly Mok. | B.Richard Eng. | C.Mark Bray. | D.Not mentioned. | 小题3:What Professor Bray says in this passage means that ________.A.the number of school leavers is increasing | B.tutoring may improve achievement for individual students | C.star tutors have attracted 2.4 million students | D.more and more students in Asia go to private tutors | 小题4:The underlined part in Paragraph 4 is similar in meaning to ________.A.is equal to | B.leads to | C.results in | D.is different from | 小题5:Where is this passage probably taken from?A.An English newspaper. | B.A travel guide. | C.A fashion magazine. | D.A physics book. |
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What would it be like to take a walk on the surface of Mars? If you could design the tallest building in the world, what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J.K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check emails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. “With the Internet, you can go back 11,000 years in time, or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet.” said Russell, Web search expert of Google. “The whole scope of history and the world is open to you.” There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere,do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. “What"s the background of the place; what"s the history?” says Russell. “I like to tell my kids, ‘Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.’” Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting a new Web site. Navigate the world in 3D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom(快速移动) into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef. With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong"s famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon"s surface with Armstrong"s fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin. When you"re exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers. 小题1:The author uses questions in the first passage to ________.A.introduce the topic of the paragraph | B.question the possibility of realizing the dream | C.attract the readers" attention | D.let the readers answer it | 小题2:How do you travel around the world in a day according to the passage?A.By taking the time shuttle. | B.By making use of the Internet | C.By watching 3D films. | D.By finding a tourism company in Google | 小题3:Russell thought ________.A.the students spent too much time on the Internet | B.the students shouldn"t chat and play games online | C.the students could solve their problems through the line | D.the students should learn knowledge instead of chatting online | 小题4:What"s the purpose of the passage?A.Encourage the kids to spend more time online. | B.Encourage the kids to do some research on science. | C.Encourage the kids to learn to use the computer. | D.Encourage the kids to explore the world online. |
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