Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer.
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called electrotexiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes tha have minds of their own ! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be mixed with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments.
If you think the weather has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wirefree, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these hightech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny ninevolt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100% shockproof, they say.
The electrotexiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. These keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These “laptap” devices are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirtcummobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wears include the denim (牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hoop and the electronic ski jacket with a builtin heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?
The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that ________.
| A．they feel smooth and soft |
| B．they use electricity as power |
| C．they can be washed in water |
| D．they are made from flexible materials |
How will researchers improve these hightech clothes?
| A．Body heat will be used as power. |
| B．The wearer will not get shocked. |
| C．A tiny ninevolt battery will work. |
| D．They will get charged automatically. |
The main purpose of the text is________.
| A．to advertise for an English company |
| B．to predict the future trend of the products in the company |
| C．to show how rapidly science develops |
| D．to introduce some intelligent (智能的) clothing in the company |
It can be inferred that the author's attitude towards the company is ________.
| A．negative (消极的) | B．casual | C．optimistic | D．doubtful |
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, but actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times. Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century BC.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.
Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
| A．China | B．Egypt | C．Greece | D．Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
| A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
| B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
| C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
| D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
| A．protection against rain | B．a symbol of honor and power |
| C．a shade against the sun | D．women’s decoration |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
| A．during the Middle Ages | B．in Rome | C．by the 18th | D．in Greece |
This passage talks mainly about_______________.
| A．when and how the umbrella was invented |
| B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
| C．the development of the umbrella |
| D．The history and use of the umbrella |
Before Alaska became part of the U.S., it had been owned by Russia. Trading posts and small settlements were scattered along the coast. The rest of land was left unexplored. The Russians were mainly interested in the wealth of furs from the vast herds of seals they found there.
By the mid-1800’s, most of the seal herds had been wiped out, and Russia no longer wanted to keep Alaska. William Seward, Secretary of State for President Johnson, believed the United States should buy Alaska from Russia. President Johnson wasn’t so sure it was a wise way to spend U.S. money, but he agreed to let Seward discuss it with the Russians. Acting quickly, Seward made a deal. On March 30, 1867, he signed an agreement for the U.S. to pay seven million dollars for the land.
Many people thought it was a foolish waste of America’s money. They called the deal “Seward’s folly”. Then gold was discovered in Alaska and public opinion changed quickly.
Seward did not live to see the true value of Alaska. He died in 1872, five years after making the purchase (购买). Each year, Alaska’s natural resources have brought in many times the $7,000,000 paid for it. Natural gas, coal, oil, lumber, seafood and other minerals, besides the gold first found, have made it a valuable addition to the United States. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States. The Russians wanted to sell Alaska because ______.
| A．they thought it wasn’t a good place |
| B．they thought it didn’t belong to Russia |
| C．they couldn’t find enough seals there |
| D．they wanted to earn more money from the U.S. |
When Seward signed the agreement, many people thought ______.
| A．he wasted U.S. money | B．it had its true value |
| C．it was a successful deal | D．he was clever |
Which of the following things was found first in Alaska?
| A．Gas. | B．Coal. | C．Oil. | D．Gold. |
Before 1959, the United States had ______.
| A．37 states | B．48 states | C．49 states | D．50 states |
The best title for this passage would probably be ______.
| A．Alaska, a beautiful place | B．Alaska with natural resources |
| C．Alaska, home to seals | D．Alaska, the 49th state of the U.S. |
The Peppered Moth, a kind of insect(昆虫), is found in England. It is light brown in colour and likes to settle(栖息) on trees which are also light brown. This makes the moth difficult to be seen and birds are less likely to notice and eat it.
But with the development of industry(工业) , smoke from factories began to reach the trees where the moth settled. It made the trees blacker. Then something very strange took place: in industrial areas, the Peppered Moth began to change colour. It became darker as well. Though the change took several years, some scientists soon notice that newly-born moths were a little darker than usual.
A scientist with the name Kettlewell decided to make a careful study of this phenomenon(现象). He marked some of the light moths and some of the darker ones, and set them free in the woods near Bermingham, an industrial city. Later, he recaptured(重新捕获) as many as the marked moths as possible. The results were as follows.
| |
light moths |
darker moths |
| Moths set free |
201 |
601 |
| moths recaptured |
34(16%) |
206(34%) |
Kettlewell's research (研究) was done in the early 1950s. Soon afterwards Britain introduced new laws to reduce smoke and factory pollution.
Can you imagine what would happen to the Peppered Moth as the air became cleaner again?The Peppered Moth began to change its colour in industrial areas because .
| A．it itself liked to |
| B．it could be like the colour of its living-place |
| C．it had to keep the balance of nature |
| D．it was usually dark brown |
From the results of Kettlewell's research, we can see that .
| A．many more of the light moths were killed or eaten |
| B．more than one-fifth of the light moths was not killed |
| C．three times as many dark moths were kept safe as light ones |
| D．more dark moths were killed in industrial areas |
As the air became cleaner, .
| A．the number of the light moths became larger |
| B．the total number of the light moths remained unchanged |
| C．there were more of the darker moths and fewer of the light ones |
| D．the darker moths changed into the light ones suddenly |
Welcome to Franklin Hotel. To make you stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities(设施) to the full.
Dining Room: Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Also the room staff(服务员)may bring breakfast to your room at any time after 7 a.m. If this happens, please fill out a card and hang outside your door when you go to bed. Lunch is from 12 to 2:30 p. m. Dinner is from 7:30 to 9 p. m.
Room Service: This operates 24 hours a day; phone the Reception desk(总台), and your message will be passed on to the staff.
Telephones: To make a phone call, dial(拨) 0 for Reception and ask to be connected. We apologized for delays(拖延) if the lines are very busy. There are also public telephones near the Reception desk. Tell Reception if early calls are needed.
Shop: The hotel shop is open for presents, gifts and goods from 9 a. m. to 5:30 p. m.
Laundry : We have a laundry in the building, and will wash, iron(烫) and return your clothes within 24 hours, ask the room staff to collect them.
Bar(酒吧): The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p. m. and 7 p. m. to 1 a. m.
Banking : The Reception staff will cash cheques and exchange(兑换) any foreign money for you.You would see this notice .
| A．in a hotel bar |
| B．in a hotel dining room |
| C．in a bedroom of a large international hotel |
| D．at the entrance of a small family hotel |
You have arrived at the hotel at 2 a. m. and want a quick meal. What should you do?
| A．Go to the hotel shop. |
| B．Go to the hotel bar. |
| C．Hang a message outside your door. |
| D．Phone the Reception desk. |
Your phone is powered off and the Reception desk is busy. The quickest way to make an urgent call is to .
| A．go to your room and phone from there. |
| B．use one of the phones in the entrance hall |
| C．ask the Reception desk to help you |
| D．go out and look for a public phone box |
The underlined word “laundry” (in Paragraph 6) probably means ________.
| A．phone box | B．shopping centre | C．clothes shop | D．washhouse |
The text tells us that .
| A．the hotel offers at least seven kinds of services |
| B．it's too difficult to stay up in this hotel |
| C．you can shop at any time inside the hotel |
| D．you'll have trouble without the money of the country where the hotel lies |
In 1955, a man named Raymond Kroc entered a partnership with two brothers named Mcdonald. They operated a popular restaurant in California which sold food that was easy to prepare and serve quickly. Hamburgers, French fries, and cold drinks were the main foods on the limited menu. Kroc opened similar eating places under the same name, “McDonald’s” and they were a quick success. He later took over the company and today it is one of the most famous and successful “fast-food” chains(连锁店) in America and the world.
Why was his idea so successful? Probably the most important reason was that his timing was right. In the 1950s, most married women stayed home to keep house and take care of their children. During the 1960s, the movement for equality(平等) between men and women and an economy(经济) that needed more families to have two money-earners resulted in many women returning to the workplace. This meant that they had less time and energy to do housework, so they depended more on fast-food restaurants.
Single parents also have little time to spend in the kitchen. People living alone because of divorce(离婚) or a preference for a “single lifestyle” also depend on this type of food, since cooking for one is often more trouble than it is worth.
Fast food is not part of the diet of all Americans. Another of the 1960s was called back-to-nature movement. More and more Americans based their diets on natural foods. This preference for natural foods continues to this day. These products can now be found not only in the special health food store but also in many supermarkets.The passage is mainly about ____.
| A．how and why “McDonald’s” became successful |
| B．the effect social and economic changes have on people’s eating habits |
| C．why Americans prefer natural food |
| D．American eating habits |
Which of the following was NOT a reason for Raymond Kroc’s success?
| A．His partnership with the McDonald brothers. |
| B．A changing economy. |
| C．The back-to-nature movement. |
| D．Women’s equality movement. |
We can infer from the passage that ____.
| A．natural foods can also be found in McDonald’s |
| B．many married women in America returned to work in the 1960s |
| C．McDonald’s fast food is popular among the young |
| D．divorce caused people to change their eating habits |
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