Many people rely on a cup of coffee or two to wake them up in the morning or pick them up during the working day, but now a chemist has come up with a speedy alternative to crafting a cup of coffee.
U.S. biochemist Ben Yu has created Sprayable Energy, which claims to be the world’s first caffeine - based topical energy spray. He said tired workers can spray a `shot` of caffeine onto their skin without experiencing a strong buzz, loading up on unnecessary calories or being stuck with a nasty aftertaste like they might get from drinking energy drinks or coffee.
The patent-pending caffeine spray is an odorless liquid that is absorbed through the skin and distributed through the body over a number of hours to deliver a caffeine hit that apparently lasts longer than guzzling a cup of coffee.
Each small aluminum bottle of Sprayable Energy contains around 160 sprays - the equivalent amount of caffeine to 40 cups of coffee and the creators say it is a much cheaper way of getting a caffeine fix than popping to a café. The only active ingredient in the spray is caffeine, which can naturally enter the human body through the skin by passing through cell membranes（细胞膜） as it is very similar to nicotine in structure. Each spritz of Sprayable Energy contains around a quarter of the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee, but apparently has the same effect as a full cup.
The website said: `The reason for this is our product not being ingested, isn’t almost entirely metabolized（新陈代谢） by the liver before entering your system and becoming available to your body.Thus, a smaller amount of caffeine can have just the same effect as a very large amount of caffeine ingested through an energy drink or cup of coffee. The website recommends that users apply the spray in places where they normally spritz perfume, such as the neck or wrists, but warns users not to exceed 20 sprays a day.
It claims that after spraying the product on the skin, users will feel awake and focused without being over-stimulated, which is common with coffee and energy drinks.What can we learn about Sprayable Energy from the passage? _______.
| A．A bottle of Sprayable Energyis cheaper than 40 cups of coffee. |
| B．Sprayable Energy lets users not worry about taking in unnecessary calories. |
| C．Sprayable Energy can be used at least 20 sprays a day |
| D．The caffeine spray is a colorless liquid that is absorbed through the skin. |
What can conclude from the passage ?
A, Sprayable Energy can be taken by mouth.
B. Before Sprayable Energy is absorbed by body, the liver entirely metabolizes it
C. Sprayable Energy has not already gone into mass production
D. each spritz of Sprayable Energy has the same effect as a full cup of coffeeYou will probably read this passage in the column of___________.
| A．Food | B．Health |
| C．Entertainment | D．Energy. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．Sprayable Energy----cheaper but more effective |
| B．Sprayable Energy----now or never |
| C．Sprayable Energy----a latest energy spray |
| D．Sprayable Energy----a new kind of coffee |
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Dear Betty,
My roommate’s family wants me to celebrate Thanksgiving Day with them in their home. I accepted the invitation, and I’m excited about going, but I’m a little nervous about it, too. The social customs in my country are different from those here, so I’m a little worried about making mistakes.
Should I bring a gift, such as candy or flowers? Should I arrive on time or a little late? At the dinner table, how can I know which fork or knife to use? How can I let the family know that I’m thankful for their kindness?
Yours,
Knowing Nothing
Dear Knowing Nothing,
It’s a good idea to bring a gift when you go to a dinner party. Flowers are always welcome, or you can bring a bottle of wine if you know the family drink it.
You should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late. Don’t get there early. If you are going to be more than fifteen minutes late, you should call and tell them.
Try to relax at the dinner table. If you don’t know how to use the right fork, knife or spoon, just watch the other guests, and follow them. If you still have no idea of what to do, don’t be shy about asking the person next to you; it’s better to ask them than to be silently uncomfortable and nervous.
If you like the food, say so. Of course, you’ll thank the host and hostess for the meal and for their kindness. It’s also a good idea to send a card to thank them the day after.
Yours,
Betty
41. Knowing Nothing wrote a letter to Betty to _____.
A. tell Betty some good news B. ask for some advice
C. answer some questions D. invite her to dinner
42. According to Betty, Knowing Nothing ______ when going to a dinner party.
A. can only bring some flowers
B. can’t bring wine
C. should arrive on time or five to ten minutes late
D. should arrive twenty minutes late
43. Betty does NOT advise Knowing Nothing to _____.
A. relax at the dinner table B. watch the other guests
C. ask the person beside him D. keep silent at table
Plastic is one of the most important technological discoveries of the 20th century. However, it may soon be replaced. The new development- liquid wood- can replace plastics in all branches of modern-day industries.
Plastic as a material enjoys the biggest demand in the modern world, but it does have a number of drawbacks. First and foremost, plastic isn’t recyclable. Secondly, it contains toxins (毒物) helping develop cancerous diseases. Finally, it’s made of oil and oil reserves aren’t endless.
The liquid wood technology is likely to replace plastic and providing mankind with new materials for many years ahead. Norbert Eisenfreich, a senior researcher at the Faunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology in Germany (ICT), said that arboform, the new material, is made of lignin(木素质）, which can be obtained from soft tissues of wood. Once mixed with several other matenals, it turns into solid and non-toxic alternative for plastics.
ICT team leader Emilia Regina Inone-Kauffmann said the wood-working industry separates wood into three basic components, including lignin. Lignin isn’t used for the production of paper. Specialists of ICT mixed lignin with several natural materials and thus invented the material which could be melted and molded (铸型）.
When solid, arboform looks like plastic and possesses tho qualitie of polished wood. It can be used for the production of any items. Arboform is already used for the production of car parts which require extra strength. In addition, liquid wood can be recycled repeatedly. The material preserved all of its qualities even if it’s reprocessed ten times.
However, the new invention doesn’t enjoy an extensive use due to the high content of sulfur(硫) in it. German researchers are sure to reduce the amount of sulfur by 90% very soon to make arboform usable for home needs.According to the passage, plastic_______.
| A．helps us to reduce the use of petrol |
| B．helps to protect our environment in some way |
| C．does harm to our society in some way |
| D．has been replaced by the newly discovered material |
What’s the advantage of arboform over plastic?
| A．It is easier made from natural oil. |
| B．It is more widely used in household |
| C．It is recyclable and friendly to environment. |
| D．It contains no poisonous materials. |
The underlined word “altemative” in Paragraph 3 means_______.
| A．lignin or arboform | B．soft tissues of wood |
| C．plastics or wood | D．mixture of several materials |
It can be concluded that German researchers will focus their future work firstly on_______
| A．the material’s extensive use | B．the content of sulfur in arboform |
| C．the production cost of arboform | D．the qualities of liquid wood |
The main purpose of the text is to___________.
| A．introduce liquid wood which will replace plastic |
| B．show readers how to produce arboform |
| C．advertise the new material-arboform |
| D．advertise new products made of arboform |
The day before the deadline for this article,I had no clue what I was going to write about. I took my problem to the editor-in-chief, and.he said to me:“Don’t worry; you’re creative. ”
I’m not sure where the editor-in-chief reached the conclusion that I was “creative”. Maybe it was through the poems I wrote. Personally, I simply enjoy writing because it’s fun. There’s also the fact that I can’t draw or do anything else creatively, I’m equally sure that there are people in the boat on the other side who can make things look excellent, but can’t write a poem.
At this point you probably want to ask me what poetry and art have to do with engineering. For one, it makes you a more rounded person, making you a better engineer. More importantly, as an engineer, you will be faced with many problems every day. There are some that can be solved by consulting a textbook, but more often than not, you will need that thing in your brain to put together things in a completely original combination to solve the problem at hand.
Think of the wonderful things that creative engineers have done. Civil engineers have made the road more long-lasting so we don’t have to close them for repairs as often. Coming up with a new innovation (创新) is similar to writing a good poem. It’s not some-thing you plan to do. The critical moment comes unexpectedly in the middle of nowhere. You don’t think about what you’re doing, you simply do. After some mad struggling you take a look at the end product and say to yourself, “This is a masterpiece. ” This is perhaps the greatest personal satisfaction one can
experience.
So all you engineers out there get out and do something creative. I don’t care if it’s writing a poem or a computer program, just be natural and do something creative.This passage mainly deals with_______.
| A．the creativity of engineers | B．the power of editor-in-chief |
| C．engineering in general | D．a way of thinking |
In the author’s opinion, writing poems can_______.
| A．show one is creative | B．make him happy |
| C．bring him in lots of money | D．have an effect on one’s mental health |
According to the author, art can help an engineer to_______.
| A．find the solutions to problems | B．learn to write poetry |
| C．be courageous in face of challenges | D．get along well with others |
Coming up with a new innovation is similar to writing a good poem in that both are_______.
| A．logically developed | B．strictly planned |
| C．experience- based | D．naturally creative |
The greatest personal satisfaction of an engineer comes from_______.
| A．planning his work successfully | B．building things quickly |
| C．finishing his work innovatively | D．writing good poems naturally |
For many of us, cartoon strips are simply one of our pastimes. The popular Japanese manga(漫画) provides us with an escape from reality into a world of fantasy, adventure and romance.With much less text and pictures running for pages, it fits perfectly into today’s fast, throwing away city lifestyle.
But Tsai Chih-chung,a famous Taiwanese illustrator (漫画家), doesn’t agree.He believes cartoons can be a bridge connecting traditional Chinese culture and wisdom with the modern world in a much wittier and more acceptable way.
He has interpreted Lao Zi, Confucius, Mencius，Zhuang Zi and Sun Zi and made their works accessible to a global audience. He has also produced two books about Zen (禅宗), introducing oriental philosophy. His cartoons are humorous yet full of wisdom and are admired as an easy way to learn Chinese classics.
After avoiding the public for ten years, Tsai made a comeback in late April with seven new works. But does his age, 61, work as a gap between him and his young readers? Tsai doesn’t think so. The topics he has covered range from philosophy in a time of individuality to the learning and memorizing techniques used at school. “Every child is a genius and has the potential beyond his own imagination, ” he said.
If popular Japanese manga is purely for entertainment, Tsai’s work, to a large extent, is to light the power of thinking in a light-hearted way. Tsai uses differenr forms of water to refer to people. In his eyes some people are like an ocean, some are like vapor, while others may be ice or
rain. But in essence(本质上)they share a similarity-human being’s forever chasing for the true and the good. “The person who thinks over life issues is not necessarily a scholar or a philosopher,” he said. “I’ve dedicated my whole life to thinking and individual freedom, not making a living.”What is the main idea of the first paragraph in the passage?
| A．Japanese manga is a simple way of killing time. |
| B．What Japanese manga is mainly about. |
| C．Japanese manga presents a world of fantasy, adventure and romance. |
| D．Why Japanese manga is so popular. |
The underlined word “it” in paragraph l refers to_______.
| A．much less text | B．Japanese manga |
| C．pictures running for pages | D．an escape from reality |
In Tsai Chih-chung’s opinion, cartoon_______.
| A．connects traditional Chinese culture and wisdom |
| B．helps connect Chinese classics with modern world |
| C．uses a wiser and acceptable way to draw cartoons |
| D．builds up a bridge between cartoons and illustration |
Compared to Japanese manga, Tsai’s works are_______
| A．mainly designed for a pure time killer for all |
| B．more popular with young readers in China now |
| C．to inspire people to think in a cheerful way |
| D．much more interesting and instructive |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about Tsai Chih-chung?
| A．He values more thinking and personal freedom than making a living. |
| B．He says that one who thinks over life is either a scholar or a philosopher. |
| C．He thinks some people are like ocean, some like vapor, while others like ice cream. |
| D．Tsai devoted his life to creating cartoons in order to make money. |
You’re rushing to work and a man ahead of you collapses on the sidewalk. Do you stop to help? In a study of by-standers, it was found that some people avert their gaze and keep on walking rather than stop and get involved.
“There is a tendency to decide that no action is needed.” says a psychologist. “The first thoughts that pop into your mind often keep you from offering help. In order to take action, you have to work against them.” Here are some common thoughts that might prevent you from helping.
● Why should I be the one? I’m probably not the most competent person in this crowd. You might think someone older or with more medical knowledge should offer assistance.
● What if he doesn’t really need my help? The fear of embarrassment is powerful; no one wants to risk looking foolish in front of others.
● No one else looks concerned- this must not be a problem. We can follow the people around us, but most people tend to hold back their emotions in public.
“If you spot trouble and find yourself explaining inaction, force yourself to stop and evaluate the situation instead of walking on,” says the psychologist. “Then retry to involve other people; you don’t have to take on the entire responsibility of being helpful. Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, ‘It looks like we should do something.’ Or asking someone if an ambulance has been called and, if not, to call for one. Once you take action, most people will follow you.”Which is NOT the common thought that stops you from helping others?
| A．I’m not the very person capable of setting the problenu. |
| B．It looks like we should do something. |
| C．It must not be a problem as no one else is concerned. |
| D．He doesn’t really need my help. |
According to a study of by-standers, what will some people do when a man ahead falls down on the sidewalk?
| A．They will call for help and then walk away. |
| B．They will stop and offer help. |
| C．They will turn away their eyes and go on walking. |
| D．They will laugh at him. |
We learn from the last paragraph that if we spot ttouble, _______．
| A．we sbould call the ambulance as soon as we can. |
| B．we should take on the whole responsibility and do something alone. |
| C．we should stop and evaluate the situation and try to make other people follow. |
| D．we should turn to other people and ask them to take on the responsibility |
In order to offer others your timely help, you need to_______．
| A．ask others for help and call the police |
| B．get along well with the passers-by who spot the trouble |
| C．go directly to the police station |
| D．work against the rirst thoughts that prevent you offering help |
The main purpose of the text is to tell readers_______．
| A．to give others a hand | B．to be more competent |
| C．not to risk looking foolish | D．to stop and evaluate the situation |
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