Invention is a creative process. An open and curious mind enables one to see beyond what is known. Seeing a new possibility, a new connection or relationship can spark(引发) an invention. Inventive thinking frequently involves combining concepts or elements from different fields that would not normally be put together. Sometimes inventors skip over the boundaries between separate fields. Ways of thinking, materials, processes or tools from one field are used as no one else has imagined in a different field.
Play can lead to invention. Childhood curiosity like playing in a sand box, imagination can develop one’s play nature—an inner need according to Carl Jung. Inventors feel the need to play with things that interest them, and to explore, and this internal drive brings about interesting creations.
Inventing can also be an obsession(痴迷). Inventors often imagine a new idea, seeing it in their mind’s eye. New ideas can arise when the conscious mind turns away from the subject or problem; or when the focus is on something else; or even while relaxing or sleeping. An unusual idea may come all of a sudden! For example, after years of working to figure out the general theory of relativity, the solution came to Einstein suddenly in a dream “like a giant die making an unforgettable impress, a huge map of the universe summarized itself in one clear vision”.
Invention can also be accidental. Insight(洞察力) is also an important element of invention. It may begin with questions or doubt. It may begin by recognizing something unusual. It may be useful and it could open a new way for exploration. For example, the odd metallic color of plastic made by accidentally adding too much catalyst(催化剂) led scientists to explore its metal-like properties(性能). They then invented electrically conductive plastic and light emitting(散发) plastic—an invention that won the Nobel Prize in 2000 and has led to new kind of lighting, display screens, wallpaper and much more.
Title: 1
| A(n) 3 process |
◆Look 2 than we know now. ◆Give combining concepts or 4 elements from different fields. ◆No one can 5 this before. |
| An obsession |
◆ 6 often imagine a new idea. ◆An unusual idea may come 7 . |
| A(n) 8 |
◆A vital element of invention is 9 . ◆It may open a new way for exploration. ◆Accidental actions can 10 to innovation. |
Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.
This was no ordinary class. The students who came together were all science or engineering professors at Cornell University. They had interrupted their research to accept an invitation to take part in an unusual experiment: “an interesting week of poetry”. This class was part of a study to answer the questions: Why is science difficult for many non-science students?
The students in the poetry class listened to lectures and took notes. They had reading tasks and had to write three short papers. All students noticed one thing—the importance of spoken words. In science and engineering classes, the instructors put tables and drawings on the blackboard. But in this poetry class, the instructors just talked. They didn’t write anything on the board.
The scientists and engineers noticed one similarity between science and poetry. In both subjects, students need to find layers of meaning. Some layers are simple, clear, and on the surface; other layers are deeper and more difficult. This search for different levels of meaning doesn’t happen much in undergraduate science classes, but it is important later, in graduate school. And it is always important in humanities(人文科学).
Both the poetry instructors and their students learned something about teaching from this experience. One poetry instructor, for example, now sees the importance of using informational charts as he teaches. Most of the scientists agreed on several points. First, humanities classes might help science students to see patterns and decide which information is important. Second, the poetry class was fun. One engineer decided, “We need to change the way we teach engineering to make it an enjoyable experience for students.” But perhaps the most important result of the experience was this: All of the professors began to think about how they teach and how they can teach better.
（Note： Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TWELVE WORDS.）Why was this class very unusual?
The experiment was designed to help teachers find out ________.
The poetry class was different from science and engineering classes in that __________.
What influence did the experiment had on those professors?
Goals are the guides all through our life. We all have goals that we are moving towards and making a great effort to achieve. This is a good thing. Or can it be bad? How many of us never reach our goals and yet we have tried so hard and really thought about nothing else? I believe the mistake most of us make is that we do not focus on our present situation.
Let me explain. Most of us see our present situation as a stepping stone that we use simply as a means of reaching our final destination. We don’t take time to truly appreciate where we are today and all the great things we already have in our lives. We should focus our attention on the journey and not on the destination, or we will miss the beautiful scenery along the way.
Let’s use our job as an example. Now most of us want a promotion. We have plans to become the manager or general manager in our companies. Unfortunately, most of us will never reach the goal, but will watch others achieve our goal instead.
What we should be doing is focusing on the job we are currently in now. Forget where we want to get to and just focus on the present. You see, what we can control is our performance in our current job. We can decide to be the best we possibly can in our current job. Now this may mean further education to have the skills we currently do not have. It may mean working harder to produce better results than our colleagues. It could simply be a change of attitude, such as stopping complaining and becoming a more devoted and supportive employee. By doing our current job to the best of our abilities, we in fact give ourselves the best chance of promotion.
So the best thing for all of us to do to achieve our goals is to just focus on what we have and where we are now. Do the best and be the best we possibly can in our current situations, and we will give ourselves the very best chance of reaching our goals in the future. We have heard the old sayings and they are true: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”, “Patience is a virtue”, and so on.
Have patience, have appreciation of what we already have, and take time to help ourselves be the very best we can. Do these things and we will all reach our goals, but more importantly, we will enjoy our life every day.
| Title |
Focus on the present |
| Theme |
To (76) ______ our goals, we should focus on what we have and where we are now. |
| Common (77)______ |
﹡We do not focus on our present situation. ﹡Most of us see our present situation as a stepping stone to our final destination. ﹡We do not spend the time truly (78)______ where we are today and what we already have in our lives. |
| (79)______—our job |
﹡(80)______ the thought of getting promoted. What we should do is (81)______ our best to do our current job. ﹡To be the best in our current job, we should get further education, work harder than (82)______, stop complaining and (83)______ ourselves to our job. |
| Conclusion |
If we are (84)______, grateful for what we have, and take time to help ourselves be the very best we can, we can not only (85)______ in the future, but also enjoy our life every day. |
Hair loss can be an emotionally troubling experience for some women. Luckily, experts do have suggestions on how to treat and prevent this condition.
According to Dr. Robert Jones of the Hair Transplant Center in Oakville, ON, hair loss in women is largely genetically determined—he estimates that nearly 80 to 90 percent of hair loss in both men and women is due to a family history of the condition. But some women can experience hair loss as the result of a thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy hormones or because of side effects of medicines such as antidepressants and birth control pills. Nick Dimakos, founder of SureThik International in Toronto, agrees stress and lower-than-normal levels of estrogen (雌性激素) are other contributing factors to hair loss in females. Low levels of iron and over-use of chemical hair products such as artificial dyes (染料) can also lead to thinning hair, which can be especially difficult for women, for whom hair loss is much less socially acceptable than it is for men. “Women lose about 25 percent of their hair before even noticing there’s a problem,” Dimakos says. “It can be devastating (毁灭性的) for them.”
There is no surefire (一定成功的) way to prevent hair loss, but there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of hair you lose. Dimakos recommends visiting your doctor because early discovery and treatment can prevent unnecessary hair loss. He also recommends using mild hair products, avoiding hair dyes or extensions, avoiding smoking and taking vitamin B12 if you suspect hair loss may be in your future. Wearing hair in a ponytail (马尾辫) or braid (辫子) regularly can also lead to weakened hair that is likely to fall out, so it may be best to avoid wearing these styles too often.
Of course, if your hair begins to lose, you’d better seek treatment.
• Hair transplants
Very few women turn to hair transplants because unlike men, women suffering from hair loss usually have thinning hair all over their heads rather than only in one area. If there is not enough hair somewhere else on the head that can be taken to fill in the gaps, a transplant cannot be performed.
• Minoxidil
Found in Rogaine, an over-the-counter (OTC) product, this is a medicine that lowers blood pressure. But it can also slow down or stop hair loss, says Dimakos. This option may work for some women, but it is important to consult your physician before taking any type of medication.
| The truth about hair loss in women |
||
| What (71) hair loss? |
(72) factor |
A large (73) of hair loss is due to a family history of the condition. |
| Health condition and stress |
A thyroid dysfunction, stress, pregnancy hormones and low levels of estrogen and iron all lead to hair loss. |
|
| Side effects of medicines |
Some medicines lead to hair loss. |
|
| Chemical hair products |
Over-use of such products may cause hair to (74) . |
|
| Women’s ignorance |
About 25 percent of their hair is lost before women (75) there is a problem. |
|
| How can you prevent hair loss? |
Visit the doctor. |
Doctors may help you (76) it early and treat hair loss in time. |
| Adopt a healthy (77) . |
Avoid smoking and take vitamin B12. Avoid hair dyes or extensions. |
|
| Wear your hair properly. |
Avoid wearing hair in a ponytail or braid (78) . |
|
| How can you (79) hair loss? |
Hair transplants |
A transplant can be performed if there is enough hair somewhere else on the head that can be taken to fill in the gaps. |
| Minoxidil |
The medicine can slow down or stop hair loss if (80) properly. |
认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡相应题号的横线上。
The standard of living of any country means the average person's share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country’s standard of living, therefore, depends first and foremost on its ability to produce wealth. "Wealth" in this sense is not money, for we do not live on money but on things that money can buy, “goods” such as food and clothing, and "services" such as transport and entertainment.
A country's ability to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a very large degree upon a country's natural resources, such as coal, gold, and other minerals, water supply and so on. Some regions of the world are well supplied with coal and minerals, and have a fertile (肥沃的)soil and a favorable climate; other regions possess perhaps only one of these things, and some regions possess none of them. The USA is one of the wealthiest regions of the world because she has vast natural resources within her borders(边疆), her soil is fertile, and her climate is of great variety. The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, is one of the least wealthy.
Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn them to use. Sound and stable (稳定的)political conditions, and freedom from foreign invasion(侵略), enable a country to develop its natural resources peacefully and steadily, and to produce more wealth than another country equally well served by nature but less well ordered.
Another important factor is the technical efficiency(效能) of a country's people. Old countries that have, through many centuries, trained up numerous(无数的) skilled craftsmen and technicians are better placed to produce wealth than countries whose workers are largely unskilled.
Wealth also produces wealth. As a country becomes wealthier, its people have a large margin(富余)for saving, and can put their savings(储蓄) into factories and machines which will help workers to turn out more goods in their working day.
| Title |
People's (1)_____ standard |
| Meaning |
The average share of the goods and services for people (2) _____ by the country. |
| Some factors that (3) _____ the standard of living of any country |
▲ Wealth depends (4) _____ upon a country's natural resources such as coal, gold, other minerals, water supply and a fertile soil and a favorable climate ▲ Next to natural resources comes the ability to turn (5) _____ resources to use. ▲ The (6) _____ efficiency of a country's people is another important factor |
| The comparison between the USA and the Sahara Desert |
▲ The USA has vast natural resources, her soil is fertile, and it has (7) _____ climate ▲ The Sahara Desert, on the other hand, is one of the (8) _____ |
| The (9) _____ of wealth |
▲ Wealth also produces wealth. ▲ Wealthy people can put their savings into factories and machines which will help workers to (10) _____ out more goods in their working day. |
Made In The USA: An Export Boom
In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession, one of the few things the U．S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U．S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”
Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U．S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.
Competitive In A Global Market
Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world.“We export to 36 countries，” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz.“We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”
It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.
Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland－based brewery. Caruso says，“Even in those top beer－producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”
Services Are Exports, Too
Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.
“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry，” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.
And There Are Other Factors
So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything? Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist.“A lot of it is being driven by smart machines，” he tells Raz，“The U．S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”
China factors a lot in America's export economy, too.“Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.
Will Jobs Grow, too?
“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.”Cowen says.“So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”
So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U．S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization(两极) of economic outcomes.
Made In the USA: An Export Boom
| Outline |
Details |
|
| The purpose of increasing exports |
*To help America make a (1)______ from the economic recession *To help raise the nation's (2)______ rate |
|
| The current situation |
*American exports have risen (3)______ thirty－four percent up to now *There has been an increase in exports in everything *The export boom does not necessarily (4)______ every business or worker |
|
| (5)______ contributing to the export boom |
(6)______products |
Even in those top beer－producing countries, people try craft beer from Flying Dog, a brewery (7)______ in Maryland |
| Various products |
A variety of products are provided around the world，services (8)______ for 25% |
|
| Lower costs |
*(9)______ take the place of labor, helping companies reduce wages *China, who used to take (10)______ of cheap labor, has given way to America in exports to some extent because of its increasing production |
[1] The health of our children and young people matters to us, and it matters to them. We should help them understand what makes and keeps them healthy and what to do when they have worries, are not feeling so good, or are simply ill.
[2] While health promotion, the process of enabling people to manage and improve their own health, plays a key role. a key significant and early point of private contact with health services for a teenager is their GP. While GPs continue to improve in terms of their confidence and ability to make a child patient feel comfortable, it is not yet a guaranteed good experience for teenagers—they may not always while talking to a doctor and some express feeling embarrassed while seeking advice from their GP
[3] Thus, two changes are required Firstly, better professional development. GPs do have some training in child development but it is not enough After all, learning how to talk to 12-18 year olds, and even more importantly, how to listen to what they have to say and encourage them to speak up; and to be confident that they understand what is said to them before they leave, takes time Secondly, we can include young people as the "teachers" here to help GPs learn how to interact effectively with their younger patients. GPs would benefit from feedback about their manners, the quality and simplicity of their communication and their way of explaining treatments and next steps - going beyond theory to learning by doing.
[4] In addition. children and young people are those with the time and energy to put into making our communities healthy. As enthusiastic learners, teenagers contribute through voluntary activities far more than adults and are deeply interested in the health services. And in doing so they are able to educate themselves in ways which can change lives.What's the author's purpose of writing this passage? (no more than 15 words )
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
What's the meaning of the underlined word "interact" in Paragraph 3? (no more than 3 words)
Complete the following statement according to Paragraph 4. (no more than 5 words)
Young people can make contributions to the health services by_______ ____.Du you think teenagers should participate in the health services? State your reasons.(no more than 20 words)
粤公网安备 44130202000953号