阅读理解。 Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物

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阅读理解。     Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable (可生物降解的) material
inspired by insects" hard outer shells. The material"s inventors say it has a number of possible uses and
someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from
shrimp (虾) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called "shrilk." It is thin, clear, flexible and strong.
     A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic"s toughness and flexibility represented a
revolution in materials science during the 1950s and "60s. Decades later, however, plastic"s very
durability (耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic
bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where
they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?
     Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer (肥料), and so
will enrich the soil.
     Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature,
found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plants. That makes shrilk low cost,
and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.
     Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexible when wet, so
they"re exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They"re also developing simpler production
processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products
inside the home. They"re even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it
new properties.1. Paragraph 1 of the passage is mainly about shrilk"s _________.A. remarkable design
B. interesting name
C. major features
D. basic elements2. What has become a concern about plastic?A. Using it properly.
B. Producing it cheaply.
C. Developing its properties quickly.
D. Evaluating its contributions fairly.3. According to the inventors, shrilk has great potential partly because _________.A. it can help plastic degrade
B. it can be found in living things
C. its mass production has been realized
D. its raw materials are abundant in nature4. What are the inventors doing in the lab?A. Replacing carbon fibers with shrilk.
B. Testing shrilk"s use in wet conditions.
C. Making shrilk out of used household goods.
D. Improving shrilk"s flexibility for medical purposes.5. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage? A. Recent Progress in Environmental Protection
B. Benefits of Insects in Scientific Research
C. The Harm of One-time Products
D. A Possible Alternative to Plastic

答案

1-5: CADBD

举一反三

阅读理解。     Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across
     America"s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices
and crop-eating insects. The country"s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in
line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of
farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
     Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of
encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of
America"s farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a
list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has
the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
     "There couldn"t be anything that"s more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren"t enough
qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture."
     In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food
production by 2050, she said.
     "I truly believe we"re at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record
high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm
     Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the
opportunity to be involved in agriculture."
     The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing
interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers" Coalition has also been pushing for state and
federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
     Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling
the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best
hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn
around the statistics. "Never before have we had the innovations (创新) in technology which have
led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been," he said. "There"s really a place
for everybody to fit in."1. What is the new challenge to American agriculture?A. Fewer and older farmers.
B. Higher fuel prices.
C. More natural disasters.
D. Lower agricultural output.2. Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?A. To draw federal agriculture officials" attention.
B. To select qualified agriculture graduates.
C. To clarify a recent blog posting.
D. To talk more students into farming careers.3. According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people
    because__________..A. the government will cover production costs
B. global food supplies will be even lower
C. investment in agriculture will be profitable
D. America will increase its food export4. What do the underlined words "to turn around the statistics" in the last paragraph mean?A. To re-analyze the result of the national census.
B. To increase agricultural production.
C. To bring down the average age of farmers.
D. To invest more in agriculture.

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阅读理解。     Medical drugs sometimes cause more damage than they cure. One solution to this problem is to
put the drugs inside a capsule, protecting them from the body-and the body from them-until they
can be released at just the right spot. There are lots of ways to trigger (引发) this release, including
changing temperature, acidity, and so on. But triggers can come with their own risks-burns, for example.
Now, researchers in California have designed what could be a harmless trigger to date: shining near-infrared light (NIR, 近红外线) on the drug in the capsule.
     The idea of using light to liberate the drug in the capsule isn"t new. Researchers around the globe have
developed polymers (聚合物) and other materials that begin to break down when they
absorb either ultraviolet (UV, 紫外线) or visible light. But tissues also readily absorb UV and
visible light, which means the drug release can be triggered only near the skin, where the light can
reach the capsule. NIR light largely passes through tissues, so researchers have tried to use it as a
trigger. But few compounds (化合物) absorb NIR well and go through chemical changes.
     That changed last year when Adah Almutairi, a chemist at the University of California, San
Diego, reported that she and her colleagues had designed a polymer that breaks down when it
absorbs NIR light. Their polymer used a commercially available NIR-absorbing group called
o-nitrobenzyl (ONB). When they catch the light, ONB groups fall off the polymer, leading to its
breakdown. But ONB is only a so-so NIR absorber, and it could be poisonous to cells when it
separates from the polymer.
     So Almutairi and her colleagues reported creating a new material for capsules that"s even better.This
one consists of a long chain of compounds called cresol groups linked in a polymer. Cresol contains
reactive(易反应的) components that make it highly unstable in its polymeric form, a feature Almutairi
and her colleagues use to their advantage. After polymerizing the cresols, they cap each reactive
component with a light-absorbing compound called Bhc. When the Bhcs absorb NIR light, the reactive
groups are exposed and break the long polymer into two short chains. Shining additional light continues
this breakdown, potentially releasing any drugs in the capsule. What"s more, Almutairi says, Bhc is 10
times better at absorbing NIR than is ONB and is not poisonous to cells.1. According to the passage, which of the following could be the best trigger?A. Temperature change.
B. NIR light.
C. Acidity change.
D. UV light.2. Why is ONB unsatisfactory?A. It breaks down when it absorbs NIR light.
B. It falls off the polymer and triggers drug release.
C. It has not come onto the market up till now.
D. It is not effective enough and could be poisonous.3. Which word can be used to complete the following process of changes?A. protected
B. formed
C. exposed
D. combined

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阅读理解。     The Internationa1 Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time,
enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like
that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explore
what lies undersea for very short periods of time.
     They are therefore never able to fully explore the deep inside areas of our oceans. However, if
French architect Jacques Rougerie has his way, that will change soon.
     Jacques has designed a ship that will allow researchers to spend a long period of time observing the
sea life and conducting experiments. The huge l67ft. ship, named "Sea Orbiter", consists of two areas-one
above the water where the scientists and crew will live, and a lower pressurized deck (甲板), where
scientists will be able to spend as much time as they wish. Since it is powered by sea currents and wind,
he expects it to drift (漂流) along the oceans slowly, taking about two years to circumvent the globe.
     Jacques will make their life as comfortable as possible in the ship. Besides being equipped with the
latest sailing tools and communication equipment, the ship will also have a gym, a television and a DVD
player! And these guys will not be eating freeze-dried food like astronauts. Instead, Jacques, an accomplished chef, plans on cooking them delicious meals every day.
     The biggest problem to this giant ship is the cost, which is expected to be over $500 million-per ship!
However, Jacques, who strongly believes that the secrets of our oceans may be the key to solving global
warming and a vital supply for food and medicine in the future, is confident he will be able to convince
governments all over the world to help out, and expects to start construction on not one, but four or five
of these amazing ships soon!1. Why can"t ocean researchers explore the deep oceans for a long time?A. Because they can"t stand the high water pressure.
B. Because it"s too cold in deep ocean.
C. Because time for experiments is too limited.
D. Because it"s dangerous to observe the sea life.2. The underlined word "circumvent " probably means      .A. fly away
B. go around
C. travel through
D. move into3. From the fourth paragraph we can learn that      .A. Jacques intends to design the ship mainly for sightseeing and traveling
B. living a comfortable life helps to do the ocean research quickly
C. it"s much more expensive to eat freeze-dried food
D. researchers on Jacques " ship will live more comfortably than astronauts4. In Jacques" opinion, which of the following is not the purpose of the undersea research?A. To find supply for food in the future.
B. To find supply for medicine in the future.
C. To draw governments" attention to the construction of the ship.
D. To solve the global warming.5. Which of the fol1owing would be the best title for the text?A. Sea Orbiter-the ship of the future
B. A new way to explore the deep oceans
C. A great architect-Jacques Rogerie
D. Travel around the globe in Sea Orbiter

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阅读理解。     Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in
the country.    The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.    As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit (押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.
      Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two tofour years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.    "This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas," says Wang Lan , a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group (EIC), a Beijing-based
company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.    However, in the past few years,
many of Wang"s student clients (客户) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the
language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change
in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.
       A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her  postgraduate
studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.    "According to the previous
deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850).
Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents," Li says.
      She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.    "I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I
return to China," she says.    Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to
study abroad, according to the report by EIC.1. What"s the main idea of the passage?   A. Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia.
B. Australia is a most attractive place for students in China.
C. Australia widens window of opportunity for international students.
D. More students will work in Australia after their graduation.2. Which of the following is NOT the content of the new regulations?  A. The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified.
B. The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced.
C. Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult.
D. After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia.3. After the new regulations are passed, _______ .    A. more students will come to Australia to work
B. more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia.
C. the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students
D. more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia4. How much can Li"s parents save according to the new regulations?  A. 550,000 yuan
B. 140,000 yuan
C. 410,000 yuan
D. 86,850 yuan 5. Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation? A. The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness.
B. They can earn more money in Australia.
C. Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever.
D. They have to do so according to the new regulations.

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阅读理解。     Chinese are very generous when it comes to educating their children . Not caring about the money,
parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England , the United States or
Australia . They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will learn a musical
instrument or ballet or other classes which will give them a head start in life . The Chinese believe that the
more expensive an education is , the better it is . So the parents will spend an unreasonable amount of
money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.
     However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is
usually very cheap.
     Parents can see that their children"s skills vary , skilled in some areas while poor in others . What most parents fail to realize though , is that today"s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.
The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well , but parents aren"t teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident , happy and clever.
     Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking , sewing and doing housework .
Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that the will need later in life . Cooking demands
patience and time . It"s an enjoyable but difficult experiment . A good cook always tries to improve his
cooking , so he will learn to work hard and gradually to finish his job successfully . His result , a well-cooked dinner , will give him much satisfaction and a lot of self-confidence.
     Some old machines , such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your children to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest He will spend hours looking at them , trying to fix them ; your child
might become an engineer when he grows up . These activities aren"t merely teaching a child to read a
book , but rather to think , to use his mind . And that is more important.1. Parents in China , according to this passage ,           . A. are too strict with their children
B. are too rich to educate their children
C. have some problems in educating their children correctly
D. are too poor to educate their children 2. Generally speaking , children"s skills          .A. come from their parents
B. have nothing to do with their education
C. may be different
D. have something to do with their marks in the exams3. The write of this passage doesn"t seem to be satisfied with           .  A. the parents" idea of educating their children
B. the education system
C. children"s skills
D. children"s hobbies4. Doing some cooking at home helps children            . A. learn how to serve their parents
B. learn how to become strong and fat
C. benefit from it and prepare themselves for the future
D. make their parents believe that they are clever5. According to the last paragraph , we can conclude that          .   A. broken radios and television sets are useful
B. one"s curiosity may be useful for his later life
C. an engineer must fix many broken radios
D. a good student should spend much time repairing radios

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