Have you dreamed of building your own machine? Do you wish you could invent something new? Here we look at a few British inventions of recent times.
Adaptable glasses
Do you wear glasses? If so, can you imagine life without them? In 1985, Joshua Silver, a professor at Oxford University, asked himself, “Can I invent a pair of glasses that could be changed by the wearer?” He designed two plastic lenses（透鏡）that are filled with a special liquid. Using syringes（注射器）you change the liquid between the lenses until you can see clearly. The glasses are not beautiful but they are easy to use and cheap to make.
The wind-up radio
When you switch your TV on tonight, think about all those people without electricity. Thinking about this, Trevor Baylis came up with the idea of designing a radio that could be powered by hand. In common with Joshua Silver he wanted his invention to be cheap and easy to use. He wanted even the poorest people in developing countries, who don’t have electricity and cannot afford batteries, to use it. The radio has a generator (發(fā)電機(jī)) which is powered by turning a handle. In 1996 it won a BBC Design Award for Best Protect and Best Design.
The Dyson cleaner
In many homes around the world you can see a cleaner that looks like a spaceship. This is the Dyson vacuum (真空) cleaner which uses something called “cyclonic separation” to separate the dirt. You do not need a bag for your cleaner and it does not get blocked so it is very practical. The idea came to Sir James Dyson after he kept having problems with his vacuum cleaner. He decided he could design a better one and in 1993 he opened his own factory. The Dyson is now one of the best-selling cleaners in the UK and Dyson is believed to have earned over a billion pounds.
The Zapata fly-board
Ever dreamed of zooming through the water and leaping in the air like a dolphin? Now you can thanks to a fly-board, built by water sports enthusiast Frank Zapata. With it you can dive back in the water and out again. It’s possible to jump to incredible heights out of the water — over 30 feet. The basic fly-board model comes in at ￡4,200.
So keep dreaming and inventing. One day you might get it right.
【小題1】What can we learn about Adaptable glasses?

A．They are very expensive.B．The inventor is a student.
C．The glasses are fragile.D．They don’t look very nice.
【小題2】Which invention won an award?
A．Adaptable glasses.B．The wind-up radio.
C．The Dyson cleaner.D．The Zapata fly-board.
【小題3】The Dyson cleaner was invented with the purpose of _________.
A．helping people use cleaners more easily
B．making Dyson a rich businessman
C．keeping the house cleaner than before
D．taking the place of human cleaners


【小題1】D
【小題2】B
【小題3】A

解析試題分析：你是否夢想過制造屬于自己的機(jī)器？你想發(fā)明一些新東西嗎？這里是一些當(dāng)代的英國發(fā)明。文章主要介紹了四種發(fā)明創(chuàng)造。
【小題1】根據(jù)最后一句“The glasses are not beautiful but they are easy to use and cheap to make.”可知，可調(diào)整的眼鏡不美觀，但是使用方便，制作便宜。故選D。
【小題2】根據(jù)“In 1996 it won a BBC Design Award for Best Protect and Best Design.”可知，the wind-up radio獲過獎。故選B。
【小題3】根據(jù)“You do not need a bag for your cleaner and it does not get blocked so it is very practical.”和“He decided he could design a better one”可知，這種吸塵器很實用，發(fā)明它的目的是為了更容易使用。故選A。
考點(diǎn)：科技類短文閱讀

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
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　　Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
　　If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep!
【小題1】A good title for this passage is ____.

A．Sleep B．Dreams C．Good Health D．Work and Rest
【小題2】The word drowsy in the last paragraph means ____.
A．sick B．a(chǎn)sleep C．stand up D．a(chǎn) little sleepy
【小題3】This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _____.
A．dream more often B．have poor health C．nervous D．breathe quickly
【小題4】During REM, ____.
A．your eyes move quickly B．you dream C．you are restless D．both A and B
【小題5】The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is ______ .
A．a(chǎn)pproximately six hours B．a(chǎn)round ten hours
C．a(chǎn)bout eight hours D．not described here

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously. Jason was determined not to go against their father’s wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother. He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you’ve been playing with his new computer.” Jason said, “He told us not to touch it.”
“He won’t find out.” Mark said, “I’ll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father’s equipment. But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
“It was a strange-looking machine –one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked. “It’s an experimental model,” his father had explained, “so don’t touch it under any circumstances.” But his warning only served to make Mark more curious. Without any further thought, Mark turned on the power switch. The computer burst into life and seconds later, the screen turned into colors, shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the center of the screen: “SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes!” Mark cried excitedly, “It’s a computer game. I knew it! Dad’s only been pretending to work. He’s really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen:
“ENTER NAMES         VOYAGER 1: …        VOYAGER 2: …”
Mark’s fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED. START TRANSPORT PROGRAM. AUTO-RETRIEVE INITIATED（自動回收程序已啟動）.”
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we’d better shut it off, Mark,” Jason yelled, reaching for the power switch. He was really frightened.
But his hand never reached the switch. A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen, wrapping the boys in its glow (光芒), until they themselves seemed to be glowing. Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life. And the boys were no longer there. On the screen, the letters changed.
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL. DESTINATION: MARS. RETRIEVE DATE: 2025.”
【小題1】Where did the boy’s father most likely work?

A．In an electronic factory.
B．In a computer company.
C．In a scientific research center.
D．In an information processing center.
【小題2】 Mark thought“SPACE TRANSPORTER”on the screen was the name of _________．       .
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C．a(chǎn) software producerD．a(chǎn)n astronomy program
【小題3】What happened to the boys at the end of the story?
A．They were blown into the air.
B．They were sent to another planet.
C．They were hidden in the strong light.
D．They were carried away to another country
【小題4】Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
A．He was afraid of being scolded.
B．He didn’t like the loud noise and light.
C．He didn’t want to play games any more.
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

For thousands of years, mankind has produced plants and animals to create more desired and useful plants and animals. For example, modern com has been produced to such a large size that it is no longer able to reproduce without man’s assistance. Modern dairy cows produce too much milk and if they are not often emptied of milk, they could leak, burst, become infected, and possibly die. Besides, most dogs raised by people can not survive in the wild even with special training.
Since natural evolution is extremely slow and mankind’s selective production programs only take a few generations to produce a completely new species, natural evolution has already taken a back seat to mankind’s production programs. In addition, mankind has successfully killed off several species all together. For example, there are no more European wolves in existence and mammoths (猛犸象) probably died out because of mankind. Even certain diseases have been permanently got rid of from the planet, and dozens of other diseases will soon be too. Again, natural evolution did i»t cause most of the destruction during man’s rule of the world.
Currently, scientists are creating new species with desired characteristics in the lab significantly faster than natural evolution creates new species. In a single generation, new species can be created and destroyed by mankind, while natural evolution could take thousands of years to do the same but only accidentally. Scientists are even able to replace defective (有缺陷的) or damaged genes with different genes to attempt to cure genetic defects. This is something that natural evolution could possibly never correct.
Eventually scientists will even be able to improve the quality of people. For example, imagine not only correcting your eyesight with gene treatment, but also ensuring that all of your children do not receive your old genes of poor eyesight too. Scientists will one day be able to improve the memory and intelligence of your children, so that they will do better in school and achieve more in life. Doctors and scientists will be able to customize (訂制) babies before they are born just like picking options at a car store.
【小題1】According to the first paragraph,______ .
A. man-made evolution has improved all species
B. man-made evolution has weakened some species
C man-made evolution can make up for all natural losses
D. natural evolution won’t happen without man’s assistance
【小題2】What does the underlined part “taken a back seat to” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Become powerful assistance to.  
B. Become a huge barrier to.
C Speeded up the process of.   
D. Played a less important role than.
【小題3】What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Why natural evolution happens so slowly.
B．The way scientists adopt to have genetic defects repaired.
C．The advantages of man-made evolution over natural evolution.
D．How scientists make use of man-made evolution to create new species.
【小題4】What can we infer from the passage?
A．Near-sighted parents will be able to produce babies with good eyesight in the future.
B．Doctors and scientists will be responsible for mass production of babies in the future.
C．It is natural evolution that is to blame for the destruction of European wolves and mammoths.
D．Children can now have their memory and intelligence improved with the help of gene treatment.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Pollutants coming from automobile operation have begun to cause many environmental problems. It has been calculated, for example, that 70% of the carbon monoxide(一氧化碳), 45% of the nitrogen oxides(氮氧化合物), and 34% of the hydrocarbon (碳?xì)浠衔? pollution in the United States can be traced directly to automobile exhausts (廢氣). In addition, rubber, motor oil and other materials accumulate on roadways and are washed into streams, with effects nearly as serious as those of untreated waste water.
In an effort to improve the situation, the U.S. government has made regulations on the use of the constituents (成分) of automobile exhaust gas that are known to cause air pollution. These constituents fall roughly into three types: hydrocarbons that pass through the engine unburned; carbon monoxide, also a product of incomplete burning; and nitrogen oxides which are formed when nitrogen and oxygen are in contact at high temperatures. Besides their own poisonous character, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides react in the presence of sunlight to form harmful smog. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are rather easily controlled by the use of higher burning temperatures in engines. Unfortunately, the conditions that produce minimum emission of hydrocarbons tend to raise emission of nitrogen oxides. In a way this difficulty is solved by adding recycled exhaust gas to the fuel mixture, thus avoiding the oversupply of oxygen that favors formation of nitrogen oxides.
California, which has the most strict air-pollution laws in the United States, requires further special compounding of gas to control emissions, and several states have ordered that alcohol be mixed with gas, as this will reduce emissions of the carbon monoxide by 35 per cent and the hydrocarbons by 15 per cent.
【小題1】The author uses figures in Paragraph 1 ________.

A．to reflect the rapid growth of automobile use
B．to highlight the importance of environment protection
C．to show the consequence of automobile exhausts
D．to criticize the low quality of cars
【小題2】How are nitrogen oxides formed according to the text?
A．Nitrogen and oxygen are put together in great heat.
B．Carbon monoxide and oxygen are mixed together.
C．Hydrocarbons pass through the engine.
D．Nitrogen is burned incompletely.
【小題3】Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A．Carbon monoxide can be controlled in the engine.
B．Smog will form when hydrocarbons meet nitrogen oxides in the sunlight.
C．Hydrocarbons have no poisonous character themselves.
D．The conditions that decease emission of hydrocarbons will increase emission of nitrogen oxides.
【小題4】According to the text, alcohol is added to gas in order to ______.
A．increase awareness of environment protection
B．control air pollution
C．increase the fuel efficiency
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Culture helps human societies survive in changing natural environment．For example, the end of the last Ice Age, beginning about 15,000 years ago, brought a big challenge to which humans had to adapt．Before this time, large parts of the northern hemisphere were covered in great sheets of ice that contained much of the earth' s water．In North America, large animals that wandered the vast tundra （冰原） provided people with food and materials for clothing and simple shelters．When the earth became warm, large Ice Age animals disappeared, and many land areas were covered by rising sea levels from melting ice．But people survived, they developed new technologies and learned how to survive on new plant and animal species． Finally some people settled into permanent villages, durable houses and farms．
Cultural adaptation has made humans one of the most successful species on the planet． Through history, major developments in technology, medicine, and nutrition have allowed people to reproduce and survive in ever-increasing numbers．The global population has risen from 8 million during the Ice Age to about 6 billion today．
However, the successes of culture adaptation can also create problems in the long run．Over the last 200 years, people have begun to use large quantities of natural resources and energy and to produce a great amount of material and chemical wastes．The global population now consumes some important natural resources—such as petroleum, wood, and minerals—faster than nature can produce them．Many scientists believe that in the process of burning fuels and producing wastes, people may be changing the global climate in unpredictable and possibly harmful ways．Thus, the adaptive success of the present-day global culture of production and trade may be temporary．
【小題1】What is the first paragraph mainly talking about?

A．How the human beings survived in the Ice Age．
B．What the situation was like during the Ice Age．
C．What caused the Ice Age to come to an end．
D．Why the Ice Age was very important．
【小題2】To deal with the problems, human beings should ______according to the passage．
A．stop developing any longer
B．reduce the overuse of natural resources
C．stop the global warming and using natural resources
D．save more animals in case they all die out
【小題3】Which of the following is the problem caused by cultural adaptation according to the passage?
A．A very developed culture came into being．
B．New technologies have been developed．
C．Natural resources have been used up．
D．Human activities have done damage to the balance of nature．
【小題4】Which of the following can be the best tide of the passage?
A．Natural Environment Should Be Protected．
B．The Success of Cultural Adaptation Is Not Permanent．
C．The Global Population Is Increasing Since Ice Age．
D．Human Beings Are Capable of Surviving on Earth.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Swimming is one of those activities that can be learned early in life. Little children can learn to swim as soon as they walk. In fact, you need the same skills in walking as in swimming. However, I believe that five is the best age to learn. By five or six, a child knows fear of water, a very important thing to know. It's wise to be afraid to recognize true danger. Young ones understand that the water can sometimes be very dangerous.
To really benefit from swimming, every swimmer should learn as soon as possible, these four basic strokes; butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and crawl. I feel that one of these-the breaststroke-is different from the others, since some young swimmers use this stroke naturally, without any training.
In swimming there are certain rules every swimmer should follow:
1. Never swim alone! No matter how good you are in the water, don't risk drowning(溺死) by swimming alone. If you swim by yourself, with no life guards or friends with you, you may get into trouble.
2. Don’t go beyond your abilities. Most swimmers know enough not to swim too far from the bank or the beach. Showing off by doing dangerous tricks is not good.
Swim safely and you will continue to swim and alive.
3. Don’t smoke. Swimming depends on a healthy body; good lungs are part of it.
4. Work at any activity that builds muscles.
【小題1】 Little children can learn to swim as soon as _____.

A．they can talk B．they start walking
C．they have no fear of the water D．they are five or six years old
【小題2】The author believes that swimming beyond your abilities is_____.
A．good B．sensible C．dangerous D．smart
【小題3】According to the passage, you should not swim alone because_____.
A．the water is too cold
B．your parents would not be happy
C．something in the water might attack
D．you might drown

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Going green seems to be fad(時尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the tow of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My life and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic(有機(jī)的)stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
【小題1】What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Going Green.B．Protecting the Planet.
C．Keeping Open-MindedD．Celebrating Our Green Year.
【小題2】 It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.
A．they were expected to follow the green fad
B．they didn’t know how to educate other people
C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy
D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks
【小題3】What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?
A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.
B．They ignore others’ ungreen behavior.
C．They chose better chemical cleaners.
D．They sold their home-made food.
【小題4】What can we infer form the last paragraph?
A．The government will give support to the green people.
B．The couple may continue their project in the future.
C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas.
D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign.

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middle­school students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system.
EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach(擴(kuò)展)investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space.
While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs—involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground.
In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, said，“EarthKAM is a payload(有效載荷)by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it's just awe­inspiring！”So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view.
Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station's research facilities.
【小題1】How have thousands of students experienced similar excitement as astronauts?

A．In the space station. B．In the spaceship.
C．Using a camera system. D．Teaming up with astronauts.
【小題2】What equipment should the students need for the research?
A．Computer. B．Recorder. C．Telephone. D．Radios.
【小題3】What doesn't belong to the next generation of flight controllers for space programs?
A．University students' controlling the camera system.
B．University students' operating the camera system.
C．University students' related activities from the ground.
D．University students' investigating Earth from space.
【小題4】Who are responsible for EarthKAM?
A．The astronauts. B．The students.
C．The investigation developers. D．The teachers.
【小題5】What's the main idea of the last paragraph?
A．DR.Sally Ride explains the details of EarthKAM
B．Why the team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online.
C．EarthKAM provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have.
D．Brion Au explains the details of EarthKAM.

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