One of the world’s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man’s most basic functions:visiting the toilet.Bill Gates’s charitable organization,the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future,which,they hope,would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So,what’s wrong with the traditional flush toilet?Firstly,it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.Secondly,they are more likely to cause pollution.This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world,where,according to United Nations estimates,unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations.Younger people are particularly at risk.Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1.5 million children a year.Finally,standard lavatories simply aren’t practical in remote areas.
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water,electricity or aseptic tank.It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents.28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair,in Seattle,USA.Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves,another which converted human waste into charcoal,and yet another which used urine for flushing.
But the winner was a solar­powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity. The team from the California Institute of Technology(CIT) picked up a prize of $100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn’t feel he’s flushing money down the toilet.After the Seattle event he said,“We couldn’t be happier with the response we’ve gotten.” Gates has even pledged $370 million more to the future toilet project.They hope to field test more prototypes over the next three years.
小題1:Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?
A.Because he wants to test people’s sense of creativity.
B.Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people.
C.Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion.
D.Because he can’t design this kind of things himself.
小題2:Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?
A.They waste too much water.
B.They might cause diseases.
C.They are not always practical.
D.They are too complicated to use.
小題3:The underlined word “l(fā)atrine” in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word “________” in the text.
A.looB.sanitation
C.diarrheaD.prototype
小題4:The team from CIT won the prize because their design ________.
A.can change human waste into electricity
B.can turn human waste into charcoal
C.can produce power with solar energy
D.can use urine for flushing

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:A
小題4:C

小題1: B
解析 根據(jù)第一段最后一句“...which,they hope,would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.”可知他希望這會改善全世界數(shù)以百萬人的衛(wèi)生環(huán)境。
小題2: D
解析 第二段講的是傳統(tǒng)抽水馬桶的問題。第二段第二句“Firstly,it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.”可對應答案A項;第三句“Secondly,they are more likely to cause pollution.”可對應答案B項;最后一句“Finally,standard lavatories simply aren’t practical in remote areas.”可對應答案C項。文中沒有提到D項。
小題3: A
解析 根據(jù)第一段前兩句可知toilet和loo是同義詞,也就是說loo是“廁所”的意思。根據(jù)第三段劃線詞所在的句子的意思可知,比爾·蓋茨提出的這個問題的挑戰(zhàn)性在于,人們要設計出一個不用流水,不用電和無菌桶的latrine。因此,latrine的意思應該是“廁所”。
小題4: C
解析 根據(jù)倒數(shù)第二段第一句“But the winner was a solar­powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity.”可知獲勝者設計了太陽能裝置,能產(chǎn)生氫氣和電。
練習冊系列答案
相關(guān)習題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

One day in 1965,when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle,a fourth­grade teacher approached me.She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge.“Could he help in the library?” she asked.I said, “Send him along.”
Soon a slight,sandy­haired boy in jeans and a T­shirt appeared.“Do you have a job for me?” he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System(杜威十進分類法) for shelving books.He picked up the idea immediately.Then I showed him a stack(摞) of cards for long­overdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them.He said,“Is it kind of a detective job?” I answered yes,and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced,“Time for break!”He argued for finishing the finding job;she made the case for fresh air.She won.
The next morning,he arrived early.“I want to finish these books,”he said.At the end of the day,when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis,it was easy to say yes.He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk,inviting me to dinner at the boy’s home.At the end of a pleasant evening,his mother announced that the family would be moving to a neighbouring school district.Her son’s first concern,she said,was leaving the View Ridge library.“Who will find the lost books?” he asked.
When the time came,I said an unwilling good­bye.I missed him,but not for long.A few days later he came back and joyfully announced,“The librarian over there doesn’t let boys work in the library.My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge.My dad will drop me off on his way to work.And if he can’t,I’ll walk!”
I should have had an idea such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go.What I could not have guessed,however,was that he would become a genius of the Information Age:Bill Gates,tycoon(企業(yè)巨頭) of Microsoft and America’s richest man.
小題1:What was the author when the story happened?
A.A teacher.B.A librarian.
C.A detective.D.A student.
小題2:Why was the boy sent to the library by the fourth­grade teacher?
A.He failed to finish his work on time.
B.He challenged the teacher in the class.
C.He disturbed all the other students in the class.
D.He needed something to do to challenge himself.
小題3:What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?
A.To rearrange the books according to the new system.
B.To put those overdue books back to the shelves.
C.To find out the books with wrong cards in them.
D.To put the cards back in the long­overdue books.
小題4:The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because ________.
A.he didn’t get along well with the librarian in the new school
B.he was not allowed to work in the new school’s library
C.he missed his old schoolmates and teachers
D.he had to walk a long way to go to school

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

One day I was doing a big clean­up when I ____ a knotted handkerchief with an old dark brown coin inside.I took one look and immediately ___ a forgettable time.
In 1991,I had spent five months in Niger,with sandstorms and great heat.Its ____ and beggars were my biggest and most constant complaint.Street beggars would continually reached out their hands,shouting “Gift!Gift!”
One day,I ___ for neighboring Burkina to work in a health clinic.
Arriving by taxi at our destination in Burkina,we began to ____.Out of the darkness,a motorbike with two men approached slowly.Without ____,one of the men grabbed my daypack as the motorbike swept close by.Within seconds,the two were out of sight,____ up by the night.
The bag had my passport,money,traveler’s cheques,camera,an airline ticket and other things ___ to me.I was in deep trouble.
In the weeks that followed,I ____guarded the rest of my valuables and regarded all ____ with suspicion.All I wanted was to leave this place.
Then,walking through Burkina’s streets,I met with an old woman.“Gift!Gift!” she cried.I’d had enough.I was ____ of the country:its poverty,its thieves,the heat,and the dust.I told her angrily,“A thief stole all my money and now I can’t ____ out of your country.I cannot give you anything.”
The beggar woman listened attentively and ___ my words.Then she reached ____ the folds of her dress.
“Then I will give you a gift,”she announced.Kindly,she placed an old,dark brown coin in my hand.I looked at it in ____.It was a very small amount of money  but for this woman,the coin ___ a meal.At that moment,I felt a shame.In spite of the ____,she was able to give me something priceless.
I saw then the ____ beauty of the people of Burkina—and appreciated deeply the quiet ____ of the poor.With the old woman’s gift,I hope never to part with the coin she gave me.With one small coin,she ____ my concept completely.
小題1:
A.cared aboutB.came across
C.looked forD.focused upon
小題2:
A.presentedB.gave
C.recalledD.reminded
小題3:
A.trafficB.dust
C.noiseD.climate
小題4:
A.headedB.made
C.stoodD.came
小題5:
A.moveB.unload
C.hideD.pass
小題6:
A.warning B.planning
C.thinkingD.a(chǎn)rranging
小題7:
A.hungB.put
C.swallowed D.cleared
小題8:
A.obviousB.expensive
C.familiarD.precious
小題9:
A.elegantlyB.cautiously
C.dependently D.frequently
小題10:
A.localsB.thieves
C.beggarsD.motorbikes
小題11:
A.proudB.conscious
C.sickD.a(chǎn)ware
小題12:
A.getB.run
C.comeD.rush
小題13:
A.a(chǎn)ttended toB.looked up
C.thought aboutD.wrote down
小題14:
A.forB.into
C.outD.a(chǎn)t
小題15:
A.orderB.vain
C.caseD.shock
小題16:
A.meantB.made
C.servedD.suggested
小題17:
A.dirtinessB.poverty
C.kindnessD.safety
小題18:
A.updatedB.unfolded
C.brokenD.unexpected
小題19:
A.momentB.a(chǎn)ction
C.dignityD.life
小題20:
A.changedB.damaged
C.foundD.a(chǎn)ccepted

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When 19-year-old Sophia Giorgi said she was thinking of volunteering to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation (基金會),nobody understood what she was talking about.But Sophia knew just how important Make-A-Wish could be because this special organization had helped to make a dream come true for one of her best friends .We were interested in finding out more,so we went along to meet Sophia and listen to what she had to say.
Sophia told us that Make-A -Wish is a worldwide organization that started in the United States in 1980.“It's a charity(慈善機構(gòu))that helps children who have got very serious illnesses.Make-A-Wish helps children feel happy even though they are sick, by making their wishes and dreams come true ,” Sophia explained .
We asked Sophia how Make-A-Wish had first started.She said it had all begun with a very sick young boy called Chris ,who had been dreaming for a long time of becoming a policeman .Sophia said lots of people had wanted to find a way to make Chris's dream come true—so, with everybody's help, Chris, only seven years old at the time,had been a “policeman” for a day.” When people saw how delighted Chris was when his dream came true, they decided to try and help other sick children too,and that was the beginning of Make-A-Wish,” explained Sophia.
Sophia also told us the Foundation tries to give children and their families a special, happy time.A Make-A-Wish volunteer visits the families and asks the children what they would wish for if they could have anything in the world.Sophia said the volunteers were important because they were the ones who helped to make the wishes come true. They do this either by providing things that are necessary,or by raising money or helping out in whatever way they can.
小題1:Sophia found out about Make-A-Wish because her best friend had________.
A.benefited from itB.volunteered to help it
C.dreamed about itD.told the author about it
小題2:According to Sophia,Make-A-Wish________.
A.is an international charity
B.was understood by nobody at first
C.raises money for very poor families
D.started by drawing the interest of the public
小題3:What is said about Chris in Paragraph 3?
A.He has been a policeman since he was seven.
B.He gave people the idea of starting Make-A-Wish
C.He wanted people to help make his dream come true.
D.He was the first child Make-A-Wish helped after it had been set up.
小題4:Which of the following is true about Make-A-Wish volunteers?
A.They are important for making wishes come true.
B.They try to help children get over their illnesses.
C.They visit sick children to make them feel special.
D.They provide what is necessary to make Make-A-Wish popular.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

He was driving home one cold evening on a country road when he saw an old lady,stranded on the side of the road.He stopped to give her a ____.“Why don’t you wait in the car where it is warm,Madam?It won’t take me long.” he said.“____,my name is Joe.”
She had a flat tire.Joe crawled under the car and changed the tire.But he got dirty and his hands hurt.She couldn’t thank him ___ and asked him how much she ____ him.He told her that if she really wanted to ____ him back,the next time she saw someone in ____ of help,she could give that person the ____ they needed,and Joe added,“And think of me.”
She drove off with gratefulness.A few miles ____ the road the lady saw a small ____.She went in.The waitress who was nearly eight months pregnant,____ her with a sweet smile.The old lady ____ how someone like her who seemed so poor could be so genuinely happy and how she could ____ her enthusiasm in her work in such inconvenient conditions.Then Joe’s words ____ her.After the lady finished her meal,the waitress went to get her ____ from a hundred­dollar bill.____,the lady stepped right out the door.
When the waitress came back,she noticed a note on the table,___ “I’m helping you because someone once helped me.If you really want to pay me back,here is ___ you can do—Do not let the chain of love ____ with you.”
The waitress went home that night with the ____ tip and what the lady had written.With the baby ___ next month,she and her husband needed money.She knew how worried her husband was and as he lay sleeping next to her,she whispered,“Everything’s going to be all right.I love you,Joe.”
小題1:
A.surpriseB.hand
C.sympathyD.glance
小題2:
A.Just in caseB.As you wish
C.For one thingD.By the way
小題3:
A.enoughB.right
C.straightD.extra
小題4:
A.chargedB.provided
C.owedD.offered
小題5:
A.payB.bring
C.putD.hold
小題6:
A.honorB.favor
C.needD.possession
小題7:
A.guidanceB.a(chǎn)ssistance
C.a(chǎn)cquaintanceD.consequence
小題8:
A.downB.off
C.besideD.beyond
小題9:
A.bankB.grocery
C.gas stationD.restaurant
小題10:
A.introducedB.greeted
C.identifiedD.spotted
小題11:
A.thoughtB.suspected
C.wonderedD.questioned
小題12:
A.taste B.measure
C.remainD.maintain
小題13:
A.struckB.moved
C.obtainedD.reminded
小題14:
A.tipB.change
C.orderD.service
小題15:
A.Moreover B.Otherwise
C.HoweverD.Eventually
小題16:
A.writingB.showing
C.goingD.saying
小題17:
A.howB.whichC.whatD.whether
小題18:
A.combineB.end
C.disagreeD.deal
小題19:
A.honestB.generous
C.modestD.graceful
小題20:
A.dueB.ready
C.bornD.likely

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Tony Hawken, 57, is divorcing his wife Xiu Li, 51, Britain’s wealthiest woman entrepreneur(企業(yè)家), because he says he doesn’t like being rich and is ‘not in the habit’ of spending lots of money.
The pair traded up their semi-detached home in South Norwood, London, and bought a £1.5million house in Surrey.
Li, who is now worth $1.2billion (£700million) according to Forbes, quickly settled into a life which included sipping a £900 bottle of wine on a luxurious yacht.
However, Mr Hawken says he felt more comfortable getting lunch in his local Wetherspoon’s.
Despite his sudden wealth he continued to buy books from charity shops, and shunned dear clothes.
In an interview with The Times, he said: ‘I think it made me uncomfortable because I’m not in the habit, I don’t like spending lots of money — I’ve been brought up that way.
‘Until recently I was never a wealthy person. I’ve been moderately comfortable because I have been careful with my money.’
Now the couple have decided to part, Mr Hawken will walk away with just £1million, but says it will be enough for him.
He added: ‘I have got a settlement which is not great, but it’s enough for me because I don’t have an extravagant lifestyle. I won’t have to work if I’m careful.’
On a recent trip to China, Mr Hawken said his wife took him on a yacht and treated him to a £900 bottle of wine, but he prefers his local Wetherspoon pub.
‘I’m getting a little pay when you consider her potential wealth, but I don’t really want to fight it.’
Mr Hawken met Li on a blind date while he was still a teacher and she was studying English.
The couple married, but as Li’s business took off the couple spent more and more time apart. Mr Hawken says the couple have spent most of the relationship apart.
Far from driving them apart, Mr Hawken believes the distance kept them together, and says they would have divorced a long time ago if they were under the same roof.
Mr Hawken says his only regret is not getting a divorce sooner, but he didn’t push for it over fears it would affect the couple’s teenage son William, now 17.
Mr Hawken no longer teaches full-time, but instead gives free tuition to under-privileged children. 
小題1:Tony Hawken is divorcing his wife Xiu Li because________.
A.he doesn’t affect his son.
B.they spent less and less time together.
C.he is no longer a teacher.
D.he isn’t used to spending a lot of money.
小題2:what does the underlined word “shunned”mean in the fourth paragraph?
A.enjoyB.preferC.a(chǎn)voidD.expect
小題3:From the passage, we inferred that ________.
A.Tony Hawken gave up teaching, because of his sudden wealth.
B.Tony Hawken wanted to divorce sooner.
C.Tony Hawken lived a rich life.
D.Tony Hawken didn’t care about his son.
小題4:From the passage,we know that Xiu Li________.
A.doesn’t like Mr Hawken.
B.is richest woman in China.
C.is wealthiest woman entrepreneur in Britain.
D.is studying English now.
小題5:which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Mr Hawken wants to get a lot of money by divorcing
B.When Mr Hawken dated Xiu Li,she was an English teacher.
C.Mr Hawken believes it was the distance that kept them apart.
D.As many passed, Mr Hawken still kept his own lifestyle.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The sun had gone behind a cloud. I was very tired and wanted nothing in the world so much as to be at home. At last I got to the gate of Hide Park. But this was worse than ever; there were buses there—high and terribly red cars, taxis and still more buses in an endless line. Everywhere there were people hurrying past or waiting to get into the buses, while I stood lost in the middle of them.
I was ready to cry. In despair, I crossed the street on to an “island”, where I found a policeman. I took my last bit of courage in both hands and said, “Please, sir, where is Addison Road?” He began to explain, but when he saw that I couldn’t understand he became helpless, too. “Are you French at school?” A few minutes later, he smiled and raised his hand. How wonderful! The traffic stopped. Even the red buses stood still and waited until I had crossed the road.
小題1:That        is the most probable reason why she was tired out.
A.it had been very hot by then
B.the writer had been standing lost for a long time
C.the writer had been completely lost
D.the writer had been wandering in the park for a long time
小題2:Because the writer was made so worn out,          .
A.she wanted nothing on earth but her home
B.she thought it perfect to stay at home
C.she would never leave her home at all
D.she didn't get to the park on time.
小題3:In this passage “island” means           .
A.a(chǎn) piece of land surrounded by water
B.a(chǎn) raised place in a busy street where people may be safe from traffic
C.a(chǎn) safe place that can only be used by policemen
D.a(chǎn) safe place that nobody can use without permission
小題4:Why did the traffic stop? Because            .
A.a(chǎn)ll the drivers could understand French
B.perhaps a certain driver had broken the traffic rules
C.a(chǎn)ll the drivers knew the policeman very well
D.the policeman was directing the traffic
小題5:In which country do you think the story happened?
A.Switzerland.B.France.C.England.D.A certain non-English speaking country.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

Letting go of success
I want to make the most of every day. And, like most people, I've____ that the best way to do it is to let go of past failures. But that's not all. One can never fully ____ today while thinking too much about past successes, either. People never ____ while resting comfortably on their laurels (榮譽). The ___ is that sometimes our successes hold us back more than our failures!
I once ____ a story about the Oscar owner, actor Clark Gable. A friend ____ Gable one afternoon at the actor's home. She brought along her ____ son, who was playing happily with toy cars on the floor. He____ he was racing those cars around a great track, which in ____ was an imaginary circle around a golden statue (雕像). The small statue the boy played with was actually the Oscar Clark Gable ____ for his performance in the 1934 movie It Happened One Night.
When his mother told him the time had come to ____, the little boy asked the actor, “Can I have this?” ____ to the Oscar.
“Sure, ” he smiled. “It's yours.”
The horrified mother ____. “Put that back immediately!”
Giving the child the golden statue, Clark Gable said, “Having the Oscar around doesn't mean anything to me;   ____it does.” The actor seemed to know that past success could be a ____ hammock (吊床) upon which he may be tempted to____, rather than a springboard setting him to begin a new start.
You may have learned to let go of past ____ and mistakes in order to free the present. But will you forget past successes and achievements in order to free the ____? Will your past be a springboard or a restful hammock?
“I like the ____ of the future better than the history of the past,” said Thomas Jefferson. I ____. After all, the future, not the past, is where the rest of your life will be lived.
小題1:A discovered   B. inferred     C. hoped    D. worried
小題2:
A.spendB.liveC.understandD.enjoy
小題3:
A.struggleB.workC.succeedD.learn
小題4:
A.storyB.factC.ideaD.news
小題5:
A.wroteB.toldC.knewD.heard
小題6:
A.sawB.recognizedC.metD.visited
小題7:
A.carefulB.smallC.lonelyD.clever
小題8:
A.pretendedB.believedC.insistedD.suggested
小題9:
A.realityB.caseC.turnD.need
小題10:
A.caredB.a(chǎn)skedC.wonD.looked
小題11:
A.a(chǎn)ctB.leaveC.playD.wait
小題12:
A.runningB.gettingC.pointingD.shouting
小題13:
A.objectedB.noticedC.sufferedD.breathed
小題14:
A.sellingB.keepingC.earningD.sharing
小題15:
A.specialB.comfortableC.expensiveD.necessary
小題16:
A.restB.cheatC.stopD.sit
小題17:
A.difficultiesB.eventsC.failuresD.a(chǎn)chievements
小題18:
A.timeB.futureC.bodyD.brain
小題19:
A.ideaB.meaningC.dreamsD.thoughts
小題20:
A.obeyB.permitC.wishD.a(chǎn)gree

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:完形填空

I wanted to be just like those big kids I saw wearing their medals and carrying their ribbons(綬帶). So I____the cross­country team at my school.
However, I was very slow in the team. In races, I would finish almost____. I'd always have to____in the longer races.The__ __races and at least 100 people competing in it made me really____. Every time I stopped, 10 people would__ __me. But I still couldn't push myself to keep going, even though I____watching them go by me. After every race, I'd go home and burst into tears.
Then one of my friends joined the cross­country team, too. She never got tired and didn't get cramp(抽筋) in her legs. I just didn't understand how that was____! I'd been running much longer than she had, but she could run__ __while I had to suffer. She even came 8th in a big race with over 200 people in it! My____was lower than ever and I wanted to quit badly.
I didn't, ____. Even a whole month before a race, I'd get so nervous that I felt like I might give up. Still, I____to quit. I still had that____appearing in my mind and I hung on to it.
Finally, I realized the reason why the bigger races made me so nervous was that I was always worried that I wasn't____for them. I started to practice at home almost every day. I____a plan that had me running almost three kilometers every day, which helped me build up a steady____.
When the time came for the big race, all the practice really____. I stopped only once and my pace was much better.
I was____of myself for sticking with it even though it was really hard and I'd even wanted to quit. I showed myself that I was____enough to keep going. That was what made me feel good about myself and gave me confidence.
The next time I'm faced with a tough____, I will know that I can take it up. None of this would ever have happened if I had quitted!
小題1:
A.likedB.a(chǎn)dmiredC.supported D.joined
小題2:
A.bestB.firstC.lastD.least
小題3:
A.stopB.rest C.breathe D.suffer
小題4:
A.excitingB.tiring C.interesting D.disturbing
小題5:
A.nervous B.frightened C.sadD.a(chǎn)ngry
小題6:
A.help B.encourage C.leave D.pass
小題7:
A.missedB.hatedC.a(chǎn)voided D.escaped
小題8:
A.equal B.reasonable C.fair D.tolerable
小題9:
A.quicklyB.easilyC.happilyD.hopefully
小題10:
A.strength B.demand C.goalD.confidence
小題11:
A.yet B.eitherC.thoughD.still
小題12:
A.refusedB.decidedC.failedD.wanted
小題13:
A.lesson B.faithC.future D.picture
小題14:
A.suitable B.a(chǎn)ctiveC.readyD.well
小題15:
A.took out B.mapped outC.figured outD.let out
小題16:
A.pace B.raceC.willD.level
小題17:
A.set off B.paid off C.got offD.took off
小題18:
A.sure B.a(chǎn)wareC.proudD.a(chǎn)fraid
小題19:
A.strongB.patientC.steady D.devoted
小題20:
A.jobB.sport C.competitionD.challenge

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案