Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (縫合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. [來源:學,科Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle(腳踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版稅）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
【小題1】Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____________.
| A．people did not know how to put out the fire |
| B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention |
| C．the sewing machines was couldn’t work finally |
| D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire |
| A．Singer is an American inventor and manufacturer. |
| B．The Singer sewing company became more practical. |
| C．The foot treadle helped to make the sewer’s hands free. |
| D．Singer made improvements to the design of sewing machines. |
| A．Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude. |
| B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer. |
| C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it. |
| D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine. |
| A．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine |
| B．The Case between Howe and Singer |
| C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine |
| D．The Early History of the Sewing Machine |
【小題1】D
【小題2】B
【小題3】B
【小題4】D
解析試題分析：文章介紹了縫紉機的萌芽和早期發(fā)展歷程。以前都是手工操作，后來，不斷有人對縫紉機的發(fā)展做出了貢獻。
【小題1】細節(jié)題：根據(jù)第三段“he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.”可知，一些工人放火燒服裝廠是害怕因為機器的發(fā)明而丟掉工作。故選D。
【小題2】細節(jié)題：根據(jù)第五段第一句“Isaac Singer, another American inventor...”可知，A、D正確；根據(jù)“This improvement left the sewer’s hands free”可知，C正確；根據(jù)“the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical”可知，B項錯誤；故選B。
【小題3】根據(jù)最后一段的第一句“Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented”可知，Singer侵犯了Howe的專利，故選B。
【小題4】考查主旨大意。文章介紹了縫紉機的早期發(fā)展歷史，A、B、C太片面。故選D。
考點：考查科技類說明文短文閱讀
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Businesses are witnessing a difficult time，which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green.However，shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns.
Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago，while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy.
This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves.And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly.Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies，with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company’s environmental reputation was not good enough.
Harry Morrison，chief executive(主管)of the Carbon Trust，sympathizes：“I understand this situation where survival is very important now.But from environmental considerations，the clock is ticking—we don’t have much time.In addition，cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a mediumterm benefit for the brand.”
Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint，as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions(排放)．Those that have taken early action will have a head start.More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible.This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers.
The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing.“When companies are granted(授予) the standard，they can use a logo(標識) in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions，” Mr.Morrison said. (2010·福建，C)
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers. |
| B．Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions. |
| C．Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home. |
| D．Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers’ environmental awareness. |
| A．a(chǎn)ffect | B．change | C．disturb | D．reject |
| A．will benefit from cutting carbon emissions |
| B．should buy carbon allowances for shoppers |
| C．a(chǎn)re required to make up for their carbon emissions |
| D．have encouraged shoppers to take their custom elsewhere |
| A．have a strong desire to reduce costs |
| B．use the same logo in their marketing |
| C．gain advantages by taking early action |
| D．a(chǎn)ttract more shoppers by storing goods |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Fish species are expected to shrink in size by up to 24% because of global warming, say scientists.
The scientists argue that failure to control greenhouse gas emissions will have a greater effect on marine ecosystems than previously thought. Previous research has suggested that changing ocean temperatures would affect both the distribution and the reproductive abilities of many species of fish. This new work suggests that fish size would also be heavily affected.
The researchers built a model to see how fish would react to lower levels of oxygen in the water. As ocean temperatures increase, so do the body temperatures of fish. But, according to lead author, Dr William Cheung, from the University of British Columbia, the lower level of oxygen in the water is key. Warmer waters could decrease ocean oxygen levels and greatly reduce fish body weight. On the other hand, rising temperatures directly increase the metabolic rate of the fish's body function. This leads to an increase in oxygen demand for normal body activities. So the fish will run out of oxygen for growth at a smaller body size.
The research team also used its model to predict fish movements as a result of warming waters. The group believes that most fish populations will move towards the Earth's poles at a rate of up to 35km per decade. "So in, say, the North Sea," says Dr Cheung," one would expect to see more smaller-body fish from tropical waters in the future."
Taking these factors into consideration, the research team concludes that fish body size will shrink between 14% and 24%, with the largest decreases in the Indian and Atlantic oceans.
When compared with actual observations of fish sizes, the model seems to underestimate what's actually happening in the seas. The researchers looked at two case studies involving North Atlantic cod and haddock. They found that recorded data on these fish showed greater decreases in body size than the models had predicted.
Dr Alan Baudron, from the University of Aberdeen, UK, believes smaller-sized fish could seriously affect the ability of fish to reproduce. "Smaller fish produce fewer and smaller eggs which could affect the reproductive potential of fish stocks," he said.
【小題1】What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Global warming makes fish smaller. |
| B．Global warming makes fish decrease in numbers. |
| C．Global warming affects the fish distribution. |
| D．Global warming affects the ability of fish to reproduce. |
| A．The rising body temperatures. |
| B．The lower level of oxygen in the water. |
| C．The increasing metabolic rate. |
| D．The normal body activities. |
| A．more big fish will be born in the sea |
| B．fish tend to swim towards the shore |
| C．fish tend to move towards the warm areas |
| D．fish tend to move towards the colder areas |
| A．make an exact prediction of | B．make too low an estimate of |
| C．make too high an estimate of | D．make a careful study of |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Way back in 1662，John Evelyn，a brilliant Englishman known for his detailed diaries，wrote about disastrous effects of coal-burning on the city of London .In it,he described an infernal scene of smog．a(chǎn)ir filled with “Columns and Clouds of Smoke’’given out by small industries and residences that burned coal for fuel．
I found the description in the 2003 book When Smoke Ran like Water，by epidemiologist(流行病學家)and environmental advocator(倡導者)Devra Davis．In it,Davis looks back at several historic pollution events and their disastrous effect on human human health-and at how these phenomena were often Ignored or even actively covered up by then people in charge at that time.
As Davis points out，John Evelyn was ahead of his time when writing about how London’s polluted air affected the well-being of its residents．It wasn’t until nearly 300 years later,after what became well-known as the Great Smog of 1952，that the government began to address the problem in a systematic way．
For four days．Between December 5th“and 9th“，due to all accident of the weather pattern，the city was buried in a heavy fog .People were still burning coal for fuel，and low-grade coal at that time， because 0f wartime condition．A temperature inversion(轉(zhuǎn)向)trapped the smoke from the city’s fires， creating a black cloud in which people could barely find their way down the most familiar streets
Some tried to protect themselves，but most people simply went about their business. But l952’s fog was far worse than any other in memory．In the same week of the previous year, 1852 people had died in London；inl952，that number was 4703 And the deaths didn’t stop when the weather changed and the fog lifted．Davis and her colleagues analyzed data from the next several months and found that about 13000 more people died between December and March than one would have predicted from historical averages Many of them died of pneumonia(肺炎)．The government，she writes．Tried to blame a bad flu season．Her detailed analysis found that explanation simply did
not pan out．
Davis writes that even today in this country ,we still have not completely absorbed the lessons of similar events．Sixty years the killer fog lifted in London，people are dying preventable deaths and suffering life．changing illnesses，simply because they must breathe the air of the cities where they live
【小題1】The passage is written to
| A．warn people of the danger from air pollution |
| B．introduce London’s Great Smog of l952 |
| C．blame the government for the smog |
| D．explain the reasons for air pollution |
| A．imaginary | B．a(chǎn)dventurous | C．unbelievable | D．a(chǎn)nnoying |
| A．people burned wood for fuel |
| B．a(chǎn) forest fire created a black cloud over the city |
| C．the government ignored the smog |
| D．most people went abouttheirbusine00 |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you thought that they were just happy．After all，you probably sing or whistle when you are happy．
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy．However，they sing most of the time for a very different reason．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory
Do you know what a“territory”is? A territory is an area that an animal，usually the male，claims(聲稱)as its own．Only he and his family are welcome there．No other families of the same species(物種)are welcome．Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome．If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you，you might shout．Probably this would be enough to frighten him away．
If so，you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him．A bird does the same thing．But he expects an outsider almost any time，especially at nesting(筑巢) season．So he is screaming all the time，whether he can see an outsider or not . This screaming is what we call a bird’s song，and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away．
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs．
You can see that birds have a language all their own．Most of it has something to do with attracting mates and setting up territories．
【小題1】Some scientists believe that most of the time birds’singing is actually ．
| A．a(chǎn) way of warning | B．a(chǎn)n expression of happiness |
| C．a(chǎn)n expression of anger | D．a(chǎn) way of greeting |
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted． |
| B．An area which a bird considers to be its own． |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other． |
| D．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its Voice． |
| A．Because they want to invite more friends |
| B．Because they want to find outsiders around． |
| C．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away． |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears． |
| A．By comparing birds with human beings． |
| B．By reporting experiment results． |
| C．By describing birds’ daily fife． |
| D．By telling a bird's story． |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Around the world coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are facing threats(威脅) brought by climate change and great changes in sea temperatures. While ocean warming has been the primary focus for scientists and ocean policy managers, cold events can also whiten corals. A new study by scientists compared damaged to corals exposed to heat as well as cold stress. The results show that cool temperatures can cause more damage in the short term, but heat is more destructive(破壞性的) in the long run.
Climate change is widely known to produce warming conditions in the oceans, but extreme cold-water events have become more frequent and serious as well. In 2010, for example, coral reefs around the world faced on of the coldest winters and one of the hottest summers on record.
During a unique experiment, corals under cold temperatures suffered greater damage in just days compared with heat treated corals. Yet the researchers found that corals were eventually able to adjust to the cold conditions, make their health stable and continue to grow. However, over the long term corals subjected to heat suffered more greatly than those in cold, with evidence of severe whitening and growth stoppage, which leads to death.
The coral’s ability to adjust to cool temperatures surprised the researchers, who say the study’s results show the complexities(復雜性) of monitoring coral health in response to different environmental factors(因素).
“Global warming is associated with increases but also decreases of temperatures,” said Deheyn, one of the researchers. “Not much has been known about the comparative effects of temperature decrease on corals. These results are important because they show that corals react differently to temperature differences, which is important for future management of coral reefs in the field of climate change.”
【小題1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Corals are unable to adjust to temperature changes. |
| B．Cold temperature causes greater damage to corals. |
| C．Hot temperature helps coral reefs to grow quickly. |
| D．Heat and cold damage corals in their own ways. |
| A．scientists used to pay no attention to the effect of cold events on corals |
| B．2010 witnessed one of the greatest temperature differences on record |
| C．corals prefer warmer conditions to cold temperatures in the long run |
| D．global warming has nothing to do with the decrease of temperature |
| A．corals may continue to grow in cold events after a few days |
| B．cold events help corals grow more quickly in a short time |
| C．corals show no response to hot temperatures in the first days |
| D．corals are whitened mainly because of warm temperatures |
| A．news report | B．scientific study | C．great imagination | D．natural conditions |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners.
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine (跑步機). Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot (赤腳).
Researchers from the JKM Technologies company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study.
They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels.
The study appeared in the official scientific journal of The American Academy of Physical Medicine.
The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running.
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel.
Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings.
But the researchers do not suggest that runners immediately start running barefoot. They say it takes some training. And there can be risks, like running when your feet are too cold to feel if you get injured.
The study was partly supported by Vibram, which makes a kind of footwear that it says is like running barefoot. The findings have gotten a lot of attention. But the researchers say there are many problems in the way the press has reported in their paper. So they have tried to explain their findings on a Harvard Website.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Walking in high heels could cause less serious effects than running barefoot. |
| B．Two new discoveries encourage people to run in high heels. |
| C．Running in shoes is partly good to runners. |
| D．Two new studies prove running without shoes is beneficial to runners in most cases. |
| A．Toes. | B．Hips. | C．Feet. | D．Legs. |
| A．The way that we run by landing on the front or middle of our foot could avoid damaging our heel. |
| B．We should start running barefoot in no time. |
| C．Running in modern running shoes could cause more serious effects than running in high heels. |
| D．We won’t be injured if we run barefoot. |
| A．Persuasive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Supportive. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
【小題1】What is the colour of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?
| A．Blue. | B．Light yellow. |
| C．Red. | D．Dark reddish purple. |
| A．Because their spine is in active use. |
| B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity. |
| C．Because they keep growing backwards. |
| D．Because their spine becomes more bent. |
| A．In the long run，our brain probably works harder than our heart. |
| B．When our brain senses the spinning，we will feel dizzy. |
| C．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans. |
| D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain. |
| A．To give advice on how to stay healthy. |
| B．To provide information about our body. |
| C．To challenge new findings in medical research. |
| D．To report the latest discoveries in medical science. |
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
In most situations, light helps us see. But when it comes to looking at the night sky, light is actually a kind of pollution. It prevents our view of some of life’s most striking sights: stars, planets, and even galaxies(銀河系).
“When I was a little boy, I loved the night sky. I remember looking up and the sky was filled with stars. I became an astronomer because I was amazed by their beauty,” says Robert Gent, “Now in most big cities kids can’t see the stars like I did.”
Normally, about 2,500 individual (單個的) stars are visible to the human eyes without using any special equipment. But because of light pollution, you actually see just 200 to 300 and fewer than a dozen from some cities. Only one in three Americans can see our own galaxy with the naked eyes. Those people live far away from the lights of big cities, office buildings, and shopping malls.
Fortunately, there’s an inexpensive and useful way. If we shine lights down at the ground instead of up into the sky, and use lower brightness levels, we can save big amounts of energy and keep the beauty of the night sky. Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night, making sure enough shine for safety without creating much light pollution.
Light pollution affects more than our view of the heavens and can harm wildlife. Migrating birds(候鳥) sometimes fly over cities and become confused by the brightness, flying in circles until they drop from exhaustion. Sea turtles need dark beaches for nesting and won’t approach bright lights. Too much light at night may even affect human health. For all these reasons, researchers are working on ways to use lights only when and where they are truly needed. Everyone deserves to look up at the sky.
【小題1】According to the text, using our naked eyes, ________.
| A．people in remote areas can see more stars than those in big cities |
| B．over one third Americans can see our own galaxy |
| C．a(chǎn)bout one in three Americans in big cities can see our own galaxy |
| D．Americans can only see 200 to 300 stars |
| A．save the electricity |
| B．make sure of migrating birds’ safety |
| C．let you count the number of stars |
| D．a(chǎn)void much light pollution |
| A．The cause of light pollution. |
| B．The way to reduce light pollution. |
| C．The effect of light pollution. |
| D．People’s attitude towards light pollution. |
| A．a(chǎn)ir pollution | B．tiredness | C．breath | D．brightness |
| A．Light Pollution | B．Seeking the Sky | C．Stars in the Sky | D．City Pollution |
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互聯(lián)網(wǎng)違法和不良信息舉報平臺 | 網(wǎng)上有害信息舉報專區(qū) | 電信詐騙舉報專區(qū) | 涉歷史虛無主義有害信息舉報專區(qū) | 涉企侵權(quán)舉報專區(qū)
違法和不良信息舉報電話：027-86699610 舉報郵箱：58377363@163.com