What do butterfly wings have to do with computer screens? What do birds have to do with high speed trains?
These may sound like strange things to put together. But scientists, inventors, and designers are doing just that. They are learning from nature to create new technology.
The word biomimicry (仿生学) combines two words: biology and mimicry. So people using biomimicry try to use examples in nature to design new technology.
Biomimicry is not a new idea. People have been studying nature for hundreds of years. Leonardo DaVinci used birds as models to invent his flying machine. And when the Wright Brothers made the first successful airplane, they also studied birds. In 998, Janine Benyus, a natural science writer and teacher, wrote a book about biomimicry. To develop her interest in the subject, Janine Benyus started the Biomimicry Institute.
The Biomimicry Institute is a non-profit organization. It brings together scientists, designers, inventors and many other people. It offers classes to teach people biomimicry. It provides money for people to research and test new technologies. And it wants all people, from children to adults, to think about new ways to learn from nature.
People involved with the Biomimicry Institute believe that biomimicry can help solve many of the world’s problems. Often, new technologies can harm nature, but this is not true for biomimicry. Let’s look at some examples.
Butterflies have colorful wings because light shines off them in a special way. Scientists want to copy these same ways to make light shine off computers. They hope this will make for more colorful screens.
Another example of biomimicry is the bullet train. It travels at speeds of over 250 kilometers per hour! But it had a problem: it made too much noise!
Through the observation of birds, scientists thought about a kind of bird, the kingfisher(翠鸟). The kingfisher can dive into water without making any noise because of the shape of its beak(喙). Researchers thought that if they could design the front of the train like this beak, the train would be quieter. Well, it worked!The first paragraph is written to_____.
| A．start a discussion | B．make a brief summary |
| C．introduce the topic of the text | D．test readers' knowledge on science |
Why did Janine Benyus set up the Biomimicry Institute?
| A．To honor the Wright Brothers. |
| B．To show her recent inventions. |
| C．To gather talented people for her research. |
| D．To explore the link between nature and technologies. |
We know from the text that the Biomimicry Institute _____.
| A．earns a lot by giving classes on biomimicry | B．tells people about their technologies |
| C．gives free support to scientists | D．teaches children about birds |
The author gives the two examples at the end of the text to show _______.
| A．biomimcry works harmoniously with nature | B．the fast development of modern technology |
| C．how biomimcry changes our life | D．how nature inspires scientists |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Biomimicry is widely used in the world. |
| B．People copy nature to create new technologies. |
| C．The Biomimicry Institute was set up for science. |
| D．Birds play an important part in new technologies. |
LONDON—Here’s a new warning from health experts：Sitting is deadly.
Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for long periods—even if you also exercise regularly—could be bad for your health.And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place—at the office，at school，in the car or before a computer or TV—just the overall number of hours it occurs.Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat，have a heart attack or even die.
In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine，Elin EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.
While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity，they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
“After four hours of sitting，the body starts to send harmful signals，”said EkblomBak.She explained that genes regulating(调节) the amount of glucose(葡萄糖) and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise，spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful.Tim Armstrong，a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization，said people who exercise every day—but still spend a lot of time sitting—might get more benefit if that exercise was spread across the day，rather than in a single bout(一回)．
Still，in a study published in 2009 that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years，researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk，whether or not they exercised.
“We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad，” said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge，who led the Canadian study.“But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior，the better.”
Figures from a U．S. survey in 20032004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting，from working at their desks to sitting in cars.
Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous，and what might be possible to offset those effects.
“People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits，” EkblomBak said.“But when they’re in the office，they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible，” she said.What is the best title for the text?
| A．Not Sitting Too Much While Working |
| B．How to Avoid Sitting Too Much |
| C．Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly |
| D．More and More People Sit Too Much |
According to the research，________.
| A．the more time you spend in exercising in a single bout(一回)，the healthier you will be |
| B．those who often sit too much are sure to grow fat or suffer from a heart attack |
| C．regular exercise is effective to get rid of the side effects of sitting too much |
| D．you had better not sit for more than four hours in a single bout |
How does the danger of sitting too much affect the human body?
| A．It results in a higher death risk. |
| B．It increases glucose and fat in the body. |
| C．It makes a person unable to exercise long enough in a day. |
| D．It causes the gene to fail to balance the glucose and fat in the body. |
The underlined word “offset” in Paragraph 10 most probably means “________”．
| A．improve | B．avoid |
| C．ignore | D．achieve |
Being organized is an important skill for school and life.When you’re well organized，you can stay focused，instead of spending time hunting things down and getting sidetracked.What does it mean to be organized？For schoolwork，it means having one notebook or place where you store all your assignments，so you know what you have to do and when.Keeping clearly labeled binders or folders for handouts and keeping all your schoolwork neat and in a specific place—these are the main parts of organization.
For home stuff，being organized means having a place to put your things and putting them back as you go.It means hanging your coat up instead of dropping it on the floor or throwing it on a chair.It means keeping your schoolbag，your shoes，and your clean underwear in the same places so you always know where to find them.
Planning is part of being organized，too.Planning means deciding what you will do and when you will do it.Calendars，lists，and schedules can help you plan.You can buy or draw a calendar and keep it near your workplace.Making a schedule or a “todo” list for yourself is a good idea.Looking at your list helps you keep track of what you need to do.Add new things as you get assignments，and check off things when you’ve done them.Use your list to help you decide which thing is the most important to work on first.
It takes some extra efforts to organize yourself and your stuff.But once you’re organized，you feel great.The less time you spend hunting around for things or panicking about homework，the more time you have for better things，like reading a good book or playing.According to the first paragraph，“being organized” probably means “________”．
| A．looking for something with others here and there |
| B．doing something according to the plan made ahead of time |
| C．getting together every now and then |
| D．telling you what you have to do every day |
If you are well organized at home，you will________.
| A．leave all the things as they are |
| B．hang your coat on a chair |
| C．know where your clean underwear is |
| D．ask your mom where your shoes are |
Which one of the following is the right order of being organized?
a．Deciding what you have to do and when.
b．Finding a notebook where you can write down your “todo” list.
c．Getting rid of the things that have been done in the list.
d．Making a “todo” list for yourself.
| A．b，a，d，c | B．a，d，c，b |
| C．c，b，a，d | D．d，c，b，a |
What may be the best title for this passage?
| A．Planning Is Part of Being Organized |
| B．A Good Beginning Is Half Done |
| C．Being Organized—an Important Skill |
| D．Where There Is a Will There Is a Way |
The dark chocolate is one of the favourite food choices by many.The taste is simply irresistible，the smell is tempting and the feel of every bite is surely what you are craving for.
Aside from the taste，you simply cannot resist it because it has a lot of benefits when it comes to your health.Our health is our priority(首要事情) when it comes to the choice of our foods.If you worry that the chocolate is bad for your health then here is a list of the effects of dark chocolate to health especially when taken with the right amount every day.
First of all，it contains a component called flavonoid(类黄酮) which acts as an antioxidant(抗氧化剂)．The_antioxidants_fight_the_common_signs_of_aging.The antioxidants are also good for the heart.Studies have shown that people who ate foods rich in antioxidants have low incidence of heart diseases.
Aside from the antiaging and healthy heart benefits，the dark chocolate can also lower blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol(胆固醇) to as high as 10%.Lowering of blood pressure in patients of high blood level is good because it will lower the risks of stroke and certain health crisis.Low levels of blood cholesterol are also good for the heart and take away the risk of blood vessels which may harden for too much cholesterol in them.
Lastly，do you know the feeling of being overjoyed after jogging？This feeling is like extreme happiness.Dark chocolates will give you the feeling of pleasure and happiness.If you are feeling that the world has turned against you，then a chocolate can be a mood lifter.It is an antidepressant.Usually when we feel so bad，we would crave to eat more food.If you are looking for something to eat during your bad moments try to take a bite from a dark chocolate and feel good somehow after it.
These are commonly the effects of chocolates to health.It can benefit you especially if taken in moderate amounts.Approximately,100 grams of chocolate or less a day is already enough according to studies.If you have taken too much，try to lessen on your other meals for the day.It is all about nutrition and taking the right amount of food in order to get the health benefits that it can provide to you.According to the text，________.
| A．many people like the dark chocolate for its taste |
| B．the dark chocolate is the best choice for most people |
| C．nobody could resist the tempting smell of the dark chocolate |
| D．only a bite of the dark chocolate will make you addicted to it |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 suggests that dark chocolates ________.
| A．are the best choices for the aged |
| B．are usually used as an antioxidant |
| C．can keep you stay young forever |
| D．can make you look younger than your real age |
What can we learn from Paragraph 5?
| A．If you are depressed dark chocolates will make you delighted. |
| B．If you are feeling bad you will crave to eat dark chocolates. |
| C．If you eat some dark chocolates you will get overjoyed. |
| D．If you are hungry the best food is dark chocolates. |
What is the purpose of the author writing this text?
| A．To introduce the black chocolate to patients with high blood level. |
| B．To encourage us to eat as many chocolates as we can. |
| C．To introduce the black chocolate and its health effects. |
| D．To increase the sale of the black chocolate. |
Did you get a flu shot this year？For the first time，the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US is recommending that all children aged from 6 months to 18 years receive the flu vaccine.
Vaccines battle diseases caused by bacteria and viruses.A weakened form of the germ (病菌) is introduced into the body.The body makes special substances called antibodies (抗体) to fight the germs.If the actual germs were to attack，the antibodies would fight.Because there are many kinds of flu viruses，scientists must create a new vaccine formula (处方) each year.Researchers must make a prediction.
It is like forecasting the weather.Sometimes they are right on，and sometimes they are off.But even when the vaccine does not closely match circulating flu types，it can make the illness less serious.
“The flu vaccine is not as effective as the polio (小儿麻痹症) vaccine or the measles vaccine，” says Dr.William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.“It’s not a great vaccine，but it is in fact quite a good vaccine.”
But a flu vaccine doesn’t work for everyone.There are certain people who should be careful about taking it，because the vaccine is produced in eggs.Those who are allergic (过敏的) to eggs should not take it.If you have a fever，you should wait until you recover.
Some people are afraid that they might get the flu from the flu shot.Scientists say that it is not possible，because the viruses in the flu shot are inactivated.But some minor side effects such as lowgrade fever and body ache could occur.If they do，they begin soon after the shot and usually last only one to two days.
Did you know？Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by putting a virus into a healthy person.In 1796，English scientist Edward Jenner placed some infected material under a boy’s skin.The underlined word “vaccine” (in Para.1) refers to________.
| A．virus used for fighting against disease |
| B．antibody to fight the germs |
| C．formula to fight against disease |
| D．germ to be injected into the body |
By saying “It’s not a great vaccine，but it is in fact quite a good vaccine.” (in Para.4)，William Schaffner means the flu vaccine________.
| A．is as effective as the polio and the measles vaccines |
| B．is worse，compared with the polio and the measles vaccines |
| C．does help to make illness less serious |
| D．is quite good because it works for everyone |
We can infer from the passage that________.
| A．those who are not allergic to eggs can take the flu vaccine |
| B．not all the flu vaccines are effective for everyone |
| C．you should go to a doctor if you have a fever after taking the flu vaccine |
| D．it is possible that some people might get the flu from the flu shot |
When people take the flu vaccine，________.
| A．they’ll be allergic to eggs |
| B．their bodies will ache for 5 days |
| C．they probably have a low fever |
| D．they won’t catch a flu ever after |
As you can see，water works hard in your body every day.That’s why it’s important to give your body the water it needs to carry out all its different jobs.On a regular day，your body loses 2 to 3 quarts of water—enough to fill a 2liter soda bottle.You probably guess that water is lost when you sweat—especially on a hot day.
But your body also loses water in an almost invisible way—evaporation (蒸发)．Water escapes from your body through your skin and in your breath.How？Your breath contains droplets (小滴) of water that are usually too tiny to see.They become visible for a quick second in the cold when you can “see your breath”．But water evaporates this way all year round.Your skin also contains water，which escapes in tiny droplets that go into the air.The water in your skin evaporates into the air，but fortunately，your body can replace the water it loses so your skin doesn’t dry out.
Eating and drinking is one way to replace the water your body loses.Most foods have a lot of water in them，especially fruits and vegetables.Grapes，watermelons，oranges，and cantaloupes are delicious and full of water.
But you can’t rely_on food alone to get that water back，and that’s why it’s also a good idea to drink water every day.You might have heard someone say that people need to drink 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) of water each day.Depending on how much water you’re getting from foods and other liquids,6 to 8 cups might not be necessary.If you eat a lot of fruits and vegetables，or you like to eat soup every day，you’ll get some of the water your body needs.You should drink enough water every day because________.
| A．your body needs too much water |
| B．water does all kinds of jobs in your body |
| C．your body loses a lot of water every day |
| D．the more water you drink the better you feel |
Water in your body loses by the following ways EXCEPT________.
| A．breathing | B．evaporating |
| C．sweating | D．eating |
Your body has to give enough water to your skin in order to________.
| A．keep the water in your skin clean |
| B．stop your skin from drying out |
| C．stop the water from losing |
| D．keep your skin clean all the time |
What does the underlined phrase “rely on” in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．Eat up. | B．Receive. |
| C．Depend upon. | D．Digest. |
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