Superconducting Materials

       The stone age, The Iron Age. Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead? The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff(超級材料). Material science -- once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. But superconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook pots and artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exotic plastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as have genetic engineering and computer science.

       The key to the new materials is researchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level. Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But by minimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are making far stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heat resistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm called Kyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp for years and never rust or corrode.

      A similar transformation has overtaken plastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks and helicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibrated or pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karate jackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter, which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable to molecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms; some plastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed to sunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable as metal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphite or other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible and have even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life by deflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.

       Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic(光學(xué)纖維的) cable that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.

       But new materials have no impact until they are made into products. And that transition could prove difficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can be said a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine the success or failure of a country in the near future.

How many new materials are mentioned in this passage?

A Two      B Three    C Four    D Five

Why does the author mention genetic engineering and computer science?

A To compare them with the new materials.

B To show the significance of the new materials on the future world.

C To compare the new materials to them.

D To explain his view point.

Why is transition difficult?

A Because transition requires money and time.

B Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change their equipment.

C Because research on new materials is very difficult.

D Because it takes 10 years.

Where lies success of a country in the New Age of superstuff?

A It lies in research.      B It lies in investment.

C It lies in innovation.    D It lies in application.

【小題1】B

【小題2】B

【小題3】A

【小題4】D


解析:

這是一篇介紹“超導(dǎo)材料”的論說文,采用一般到具體的分類寫作手法。先指出未來時代的材料屬于超導(dǎo)，然后再提出三種超導(dǎo)材料，再逐一說明。

答案詳解

【小題1】三種超導(dǎo)材料。答案再第一段最后一句“神奇的塑料、玻璃和陶瓷”。下面各段具體講這三種材料。第二段講陶瓷：“新材料之關(guān)鍵在于研究工作者不斷提高在分子水平上處理物質(zhì)的能力。舉陶瓷為例，由于它的脆性，長期來應(yīng)用范圍有限。但是通過改善導(dǎo)致脆性的微小缺陷，科學(xué)家制造出一種保持原有硬度和抗熱性，但堅實得多的陶瓷”。第三段講塑料�！邦愃频霓D(zhuǎn)折發(fā)生在塑料上，高強度的塑料建成了橋梁、溜冰場、直升機的葉輪。一種震動或推動就能發(fā)電的新型塑料用于電子吉他上，觸及傳感塑料用于機械手和空手道外衣上，它能自動記錄每次擊打�！焙竺嬲劶八芰侠梢蕴幚恚蛘咧圃炜煞纸膺�原的塑料制品。塑料內(nèi)加入其他化合物加強性能。第四段講有些高級材料由新的改變，最新的光纖電纜由玻璃制成，透明度極高，100英里厚的一塊其清晰度比一塊普通窗玻璃還高。

【小題2】說明這種新材料對未來世界的意義。答案在第一段：“神奇的塑料、玻璃和陶瓷一定會象生物工程和計算機一樣將改變世界�！�

A. 把它們和新材料相比較，這里不僅僅是比較，而是說明三者都具同樣的作用－－改變世界。 C. 把新材料比作它們。也不僅僅是比喻比擬。 與A一樣沒有說到核心電。D. 說明他的觀點。太籠統(tǒng)。

【小題3】轉(zhuǎn)折需要錢和時間。見最后一段“可是新材料只有制成產(chǎn)品才有影響，而這個轉(zhuǎn)折可能很困難，因為轉(zhuǎn)折需要長期的研究和投資�？梢赃@么說，在不久的將來，更牢牢地掌握如何把材料轉(zhuǎn)變成商品將決定一個國家之成敗�！�

B. 因為許多制造商不愿改變他們的設(shè)備。C. 因為新材料的研究非常困難。 D. 轉(zhuǎn)折要華上十年時間。這三項文內(nèi)沒有涉及。

【小題4】 在超級材料時代已過之成功在于應(yīng)用。

A. 在于研究。B. 在于投資。C. 在于革新。這三項都是應(yīng)用的部分前提。其中A和B文內(nèi)提到，C項文內(nèi)未涉及。

練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：

If _____ the same treatment again, he’s sure to get well.

　 A. giving 　 B. give  C. given 　 D. being given

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

   Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.

The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B, C, to about A, D, 1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路線)　, It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.

    The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接)　different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.

The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)

It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed         .

A. to remember the entire trade route       B. to know the making of products

C. to receive certain special training        D. to deal with a lot of difficulties

The Silk Road became less important because          .

A. it was made up of different routes        B. silk trading became less popular

C. sea travel provided easier routes         D. people needed fewer foreign goods

New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people          .

A. learned from one another               B. shared each other’s beliefs

C. traded goods along the route             D. earned their living by traveling

What is the best title for the passage?

   A. The Silk Road ; Past and Present         B. The Silk Road; East Meets West

C. The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers    D. The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

You are a German living in Berlin. One day you’ re walk??ing down the street, minding your own business, when sudden??ly a stranger comes up with a smile on his face. After stopping you, he holds a small electronic device (裝置) close to his face and speaks slowly into it, saying, in English," Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut?" What should you do? (a) Run away; (b) Call the police; or (c) Listen closely for the device to say in German," Konnen Sie mir bitte sagen, welches sauerkraut haufen kann?"

The most proper answer would be (c) because the person in front of you is only a tourist trying to enjoy himself. The de??vice is said to be the world’s first portable(便攜的) translator — a hand-held microcomputer that at the same time translates one spoken language into another. The four-pound, battery-op??erated product is called the Voice, and it is the invention of Advanced Products and Technologies, an American electronics company. When the Voice is introduced in the Unite States in late April — at a price of (1,500 — it will be used to trans??late spoken English into Italian, German, French and Span??ish. The product comes with separate cartridges(盒式存儲器) for each of the four languages, which can be changed when the user travels from one country to another. It will be sold in Eu??rope soon after the US introduction, with cartridges that trans??late Italian, German, French and Spanish into English.

The Voice uses a microchip(微型集成電路片) to trans??late languages. It is Started by voice command and produces voice output through a built-in speaker. When the user makes a statement or asks a question, the Voice immediately repeats what has been said in another language.

The device held by the stranger is probably a kind of________.

A. a two-way radio                      B. language translator

C. easily-carried speaker                     D. a multi-functioned computer

. What does the last sentence of the first paragraph mean?

A. Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut?

B. Can I ask for some information from the police?

C. Would you like to try my device?

D. Would you not run away if I ask you where to buy some sauerkraut?

When the stranger says," Can you tell... sauerkraut?" he is ________.

A. learning German from his device

B. asking you the way to the sauerkraut shop

C. making fun of you with his device

D. testing his device for fun

Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?

A. The price of the hand-held microcomputer.

B. The function of the product Voice.

C. The producer pf the small electronic device.

D. The number of the device sold to the European coun??tries.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The public commonly associates steroid use with big-time athletics. But the drugs may be even more of a menace to teenagers. The synthetic hormones can stunt a young person’s growth by prematurely closing the ends of the long bones in the skeleton. That means a 1.7 metre, 15-year-old high school student who uses steroids “might get bigger but won’t get any taller”, according to a US doctor.

Nearly seven percent of boys in the US try steroids before the end of high school, according to a 1988 study by professors Charles Yesalis and William Buckley, of Penn State University. The estimate comes from a poll of 3,400 seniors in 46 public and private schools across the US.

“Abusers of Steroids did it to improve their appearance and to excel at sports,” Professor Yesalis said. “Parents, teachers and coaches make boys believe that to be an ideal male you need to have these. Then they say: ‘you can’t play games to have fun; you play games to win.’”

“Such attitudes put many high school athletes at high risk of becoming abusers of steroids,” said Mike Gimbel, director of Baltimore County Office of substance Abuse. “For these athletes, the pressure to perform is incredible,” he said. “It was inevitable that it would seep down to high school level.”

The word “big-time” in Paragraph 1 most nearly means “________”.

A. long time               B. good time            C. top rank               D. modern

Why are steroids even more of a threat to teenagers?

A. Because they make teenagers grow too tall.

B. Because they make teenagers get too big.

C. Because they prevent teenagers from getting taller and taller.

D. Because they give teenagers too much pressure.

Which of the following statements is implied but not mentioned?

A. School athletes have too much pressure.

B. Steroids can help people have lots of muscles.

C. The pressure chiefly comes from parents, teachers and coaches.

D. Girls are not interested in steroids.

Which of the following is a good title for this passage?

A. Drugs and Sports

B. The Pressure to School Boys are Too Much

C. School Boys are Interested in Drugs

D. School Athletes Risk Damage from Drugs

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well—she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."

Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.

"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."

Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all 1 need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy's wonderful dinners."

Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been leaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing—watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says, "It's one of the most moving experiences I've ever had. I could never go back to city life now." （08上海卷）

When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a______life.

A. satisfying                B. tough                      C. meaningless                    D. boring

The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______.

A. Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant                                                     

B. Kathy persuaded her to do so

C. Zoe got tired of the city life                                                                             D. Zoe loved Wales more than London

How docs Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

A. Tiresome and troublesome.                                                                 

B. Romantic and peaceful

C. Mentally exhausting but healthy                                                          

D. Physically tiring but rewarding.

Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.                                                  

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A misfortune may turn out a blessing.                                         

 D. Kill two birds with one stone.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：

. Ladies and gentlemen, please remain ________ until the plane has come to a complete stop.

A. seated B. seating

C. to seat D. seat

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：

—We have booked a room for today and tomorrow.

   —______, sir. 

   A. I’m sure      B. My pleasure  

   C. It’s all right       D. I’ll check

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：

It has been proved _______ violence on television has a bad effect on children.

A. whether     B. because      C. what       D. that

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案