New Science Books in Brief
Volume Control
By David Owen || $18. 23
“ For a deaf child, having hearing parents can be a serious disadvantage," notes Owen in this sensitive study of hearing. He suffers from tinnitus. Combining the science with individual experiences, Owen discusses hearing aids, sign language, Thomas Edison and noise levels in US cities—all in absorbing detail.
Reality Ahead of Schedule
By Joel Levy || $29. 04
This picture-packed book tours scientific advances sparked by ideas in science fiction. For example, Levy shows how H. G. Wells? s 1903 story The Land Ironclads inspired Winston Churchill to promote the development of the military tank. The title comes from a definition of sci-fi by Sydney Mead, an industrial designer widely known for his designs for science-fiction films.
Jet Stream
By Tim Woollings || $32. 95
The jet stream was discovered in the 1920s. In this analysis of its complex influence on weather, Woollings relates how the Japanese used the jet stream to launch trans — Pacific balloons in 1944. Today, the jet stream is very likely to be threatened by another product of human activity: rising carbon dioxide emissions.
Adventures of a Computational Explorer
By Stephen Wolfram || $22. 46
Stephen Wolfram, designer of the technical-computing system Mathematica, offers good stories in this collection of biographical essays. For example, he recalls himself as a six-year-old spotting a bite
taken out of the sun: a solar eclipse, something unknown to the other children.
1. What can we learn from Volume Control?| A．The science of hearing. | B．Practical ways to cure tinnitus. |
| C．Thomas Edison's great inventions. | D．Winston Churchill's great achievements. |
| A．Joel Levy. | B．H. G. Wells. |
| C．Sydney Mead. | D．Tim Woollings. |
| A．$18. 23. | B．$22. 46. | C．$29. 04. | D．$32. 95. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Sunglasses that can record videos
Snapchat, the popular social media app that allows users to share photos or short videos, or “snaps”, has taken the world by storm since its launch in 2011. Now, the company has done it again with the release of Snapchat Spectacles-stylish sunglasses that can record short videos.
To begin recording, the user taps a button on the left hand comer of the sunglasses. However, the camera can only record a 10-second-long video at a time.
The recording can be instantly downloaded to an Android phone or iPhone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and shared with friends and family through the Snapchat app. If a user does not have access to a phone, the film remains stored in the sunglasses.
To recharge the camera’s battery, the user simply places the Spectacles back into the bright yellow sunglasses case that comes with the purchase. What’s great is that the portable case can store enough power to charge the sunglasses up to four times, before the case itself needs recharging.
The Snapchat Spectacles, which were released on November 10, 2016, are priced at $ 130. While not cheap, they are a bargain when compared to Google Glasses, which cost $ 1, 500. But before you rush out to get yourself a pair, be warned that they are a little hard to find. For the past few weeks, the Snapchat Spectacles could only be bought in select American cities with limited stock.
On November 21, the company established its first semi-permanent storefront in New York City. Those wishing to obtain a pair or two (the maximum allowed) have to be prepared for a long wait. Judging from the over 500 people that patiently lined up outside the store long before it opened, Snapchat Spectacles’ fans do not appear to mind! Most probably the glasses will rank high on Christmas wish lists this year.
1. What is special about Snapchat Spectacles?| A．They allow users to share photos or short videos. |
| B．They can record short videos. |
| C．They can protect your eyes from strong sunshine. |
| D．They can help improve people’s eyesight. |
| A．its recording can be stored in the sunglasses |
| B．its battery doesn’t need to be recharged |
| C．it can take a very long video |
| D．it has easy access to the Internet |
| A．pay $1, 500 | B．go to certain cities in the US |
| C．place an order in advance | D．purchase the bright yellow sunglasses case |
| A．Snapchat Spectacles function better than Google Glasses |
| B．Snapchat Spectacles are not selling well outside the US |
| C．Snapchat Spectacles are enjoying great popularity |
| D．Snapchat Spectacles are of very high quality |
【推荐2】Washing clothes by hand sounds like a simple task, but for many women around the world it can do harm to their well-being and living. What would you do with your time if you could spend less time washing your clothes? “Paid work,” replied Aleas, a 49-year-old woman from a family of 10 with no access to an electric washing machine. She spent 8-12 hours every week washing everyone’s clothes by hand and described how the required body position of sitting on her feet caused her back pain.
Washing Machine Project provides low-income communities with an accessible washing solution. Its task is to help women save the time to take charge of their lives. “A mother or a child doesn’t have to spend 20 hours a week washing clothes by hand,” said Nav Sawhney, an engineering student at University of Bath in the UK.
Sawhney has created a movable washing machine that is operated by hand. He came up with the idea when Divya, a woman he met in southern India, explained the struggle of washing clothes without a machine. This burden is often shouldered by women and girls in many developing countries. Now, Sawhney’s washing machines, which he named Divya after the woman, could greatly reduce the time of washing clothes and allow women and young girls to receive education and have paid work.
After research in Iraq, Lebanon, the Philippines and Jordan, as well as India, Sawhney came up with a machine that uses only 10 liters of water every time, compared with 30 by a typical electric machine, extremely important in places where water is short. It’s also made out of things that are easy to get and replace, which means it doesn’t need much money to make it. Sawhney and his volunteers won the support of University of Bath, and already received orders from Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
1. What does washing clothes by hand mean to Aleas?| A．A hard way of making a living. |
| B．A simple method of killing time. |
| C．The tiring housework she has to do. |
| D．The family duty she volunteers to do. |
| A．She inspired the invention. | B．She helped with the design. |
| C．She was the first to order it. | D．She thought up the idea first. |
| A．It is cheap and water-saving. | B．It is mainly promoted in India. |
| C．It is shared by a community. | D．It is free to use. |
| A．To develop the market in developing countries. |
| B．To reduce women’s burden in low-income areas. |
| C．To take the place of traditional washing machines. |
| D．To wash clothes in an environmentally-friendly way. |
【推荐3】Scientists at the University of Central Florida (UCF) have created a new kind of paint that’s very light and very strong. The colors in the new paint aren’t at all like those in most paints. Instead, they’re more like the colors on a butterfly’s wings.
The colors in most paints come from pigments (色素)—small amounts of colored things mixed into the paint. For hundreds of years, humans have been blending different minerals, metals or chemicals together to produce different colors of paint. But nature has another way to create color, called “structural color”. Structural color comes from small shapes on the surfaces of things like wings or feathers. Normally, we never see the shapes that create these colors.
Researchers at Dr. Debashis Chanda’s lab at UCF weren’t really planning on making paint. They were trying to create a special mirrored surface. But they found super-tiny clumps (簇) of aluminum atoms (铝原子) on the surface. They realized that these clumps made colors when light hit them. So they turned their discovery into paint.
The new paint is so light that it could reduce the amount of fuel used by planes and cars. Normally, it takes about 500 kilograms of paint to cover a Boeing 747 airplane. It’d only take 1.3 kilograms of Dr. Chanda’s structural paint to do the same job. American Airlines once figured that cutting 30.4 kilograms from its flights could save 1,514,000 liters of fuel every year. Structural paint could save over 16 times as much.
In regular paints, pigments break down and become less bright over time. That’s not true for the new paint. “Once we paint something with structural color, it should stay for centuries,” says Dr. Chanda. Besides, the new paint doesn’t heat up like regular paint. The new paint can keep surfaces up to 16.6° Celsius cooler than normal paint.
The scientists know how to make small amounts of the new paint in the lab. Now they’re trying to figure out how to make large amounts of the paint cheaply, and hopefully, it will soon come onto the market.
1. What does the underlined word “blending” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Mixing. | B．Buying. | C．Creating. | D．Discovering. |
| A．Smartly. | B．Carefully. | C．Purposefully. | D．Accidentally. |
| A．By improving their quality. | B．By making them fly faster. |
| C．By reducing their weight. | D．By using more pigments. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Positive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Doubtful. |
【推荐1】Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.| A．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| B．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| C．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| D．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| A．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| B．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| C．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| D．people can live from 120 to 180 |
| A．a great effort |
| B．the conservative estimate |
| C．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| D．the idea of living beyond the present life span |
| A．No Limit for Human Life |
| B．Living Longer or not |
| C．Science,Technology and Long Living |
| D．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |
【推荐2】The year 2114 will be an eventful one for art.In May of that year in Berlin,the philosopher-artist Jonathon Keats’“century cameras”-cameras with a 100-year-long exposure time-will be retrieved from hiding places around the city to have their results developed and exhibited.Six months after that,the Future Library in Oslo,Norway,will open its doors for the first time,presenting 100 books printed on the wood of trees in the distant past of 2014.
As Katie Paterson,the creator of the Future Library,puts it:“Future Library is an artwork for future generations.”These projects,more than a century in the making,are part of a new way of“slow art”intended to push viewers and participants to think beyond their own lifetimes.They aim to challenge today’s short-term thinking and the brief attention spans of modern consumers,forcing people into considering works more deliberately.In their way,too,they are fighting against modern culture-not just regarding money but also the way in which artistic worth is measured by attention.
In a similar fashion,every April on Slow Art Day,visitors are encouraged to stare at five works of art for 10 minutes at a time-a tough ask for the average museum visitor,who typically spends less than 30 seconds on each piece of art.
Like the Future Library,the century cameras are very much a project for cities,since it’s in cities that time runs fastest and the pace of life is fastest.“Since I started living in a city,I’ve somehow been quite disconnected,”Anne Beate Hovind,the Future Library project manager,who described how working on the library drew her back to the pace of life she knew when she was growing up on a farm in her youth,told The Atlantic magazine.
Works like Future Library and the century cameras raise all sorts of questions.Will any of the cameras survive?Will any of Future Library works be any good?What will future generations make of century art,and will they see it as the gift that it’s intended to be?More specifically,for those of us struggling with“a crisis of attention”,the question seems to be:How can we adopt this attitude now,in everyday life?When we struggle to look up from our mobile phones,how can we look beyond the present moment and think broadly and generously across time?
1. What will happen in May 2114 in Berlin according to the article?| A．A camera produced 100 years ago will be exhibited. |
| B．The Future Library will open its doors for the first time. |
| C．Photos with a 100-year exposure time will be developed and exhibited. |
| D．Books printed on the wood of trees planted in 2014 will be displayed in the city. |
| A．brought back | B．put away |
| C．replaced | D．repaired |
| A．started in the late 20th century in Germany |
| B．is pushing people to spend more money on works of art |
| C．aims to promote modern culture |
| D．encourages people to pay more attention to works of art |
| A．People living in urban areas are likely to feel more connected to the outside world. |
| B．Katie Paterson is very optimistic about the survival of the century cameras. |
| C．Anne Beate Hovind believes the Future Library will be a perfect solution to the current crisis of people paying attention. |
| D．There remain a lot of doubts about works like the Future Library and the century cameras. |
【推荐3】In the future we might live somewhere other than Earth, like Mars. Some people ask how this will be possible. Well, Mars is in fact a lot the same as the earth. The days are almost the same as those on the earth. However, the two planets vary in temperature.
Since there is mostly carbon dioxide on Mars, it would be quite difficult for a human to just land on it. So, special types of homes and space suits have to be designed. The space suits should be almost like the ones astronauts use now, and except that they have to be warmer so that the astronauts can survive the cold temperatures. The space suits must also be able to withstand (承受) high pressure and potentially dangerous radiation that can kill.
The houses should be similar to our homes today with a slight difference. All of the houses and other buildings should be built inside a large dome (圆顶状物) or bubble. The domes should be made out of glass, and would also be able to prevent radiation from affecting the people inside. The domes will be connected to a machine (like plants which turn carbon dioxide into oxygen).
With Mars’ population growing, how would the people on its surface get fresh food and water? Just like humans use domes, they can also use domes to grow plants. However, the domes where the plants are grown must be built to expand. Once we upgrade the domes to a larger size then we can grow more food by cultivating (种植) more plants. To get the food or come in connect with other domes, there will be long narrow tunnels like roads that connect to each dome separating them by several doors so that the pressure in each dome can remain the same.
On Mars, so many other things are available to us. As humans, we can have access to rare and fairly expensive metals that aren’t very easy to get hold of on Earth, and a colony on Mars enhances (提高) our chances of finding these metals. So when someone here on Earth says that going to Mars is impossible, please tell them that they’ll never know it until they try and they may try very soon. After all it’s our future. Why not make it on Mars?
1. It is difficult for humans to live on Mars because of all the following EXCEPT _________.| A．too much radiation | B．cold temperature |
| C．lack of enough oxygen | D．lack of houses |
| A．we can find rare and expensive metals there easily |
| B．we’ll get too bored to live on the earth in the future |
| C．our technology will become much advanced |
| D．we want to know more about the unknown world |
| A．Pessimistic | B．Uncertain | C．Optimistic | D．Opposed |
【推荐1】We’re searching for women aged 18-34 working to achieve success in their chosen field and make the world better. This is a chance to highlight your work and win a prize pool worth more than $100,000. Six finalists will be flown to Sydney to attend the Women of the Future event to be held later in the year, and the overall winner will receive:
·A $40,000 investment (投资) in a 12 Month Term Account with La Trobe Financial.
·A full-page advertisement in The Australian Women’s Weekly and Marie Claire to pro mote (促进) her cause (事业).
·Additional exposure and support for her cause in Marie Claire.
To enter, tell us in 250 words or less about yourself and how you would use the prize to achieve your dreams and benefit others. More information is available at https:// www. aremedia. com.au/com petitions/.
The nomination (提名) stage begins on June 16, 2023 and closes on July 22, 2023 at11:59 pm. There are two stages of the awards, nomination stage and winner determined. These awards are only open to females from Australian between 18 and 34 years of age before June 16, 2023. Participants must be able to travel to Sydney on the date of the event, October 5, 2023. One entry permitted per person/group. This is a game of skill not chance. The promoter is Are Media Pty Limited (ABN18053273546).
1. Who would most probably attend the event?| A．A woman, 23, USA. | B．A woman, 37, China. |
| C．A graduate, 22, Japan. | D．A girl, 18, Australia. |
| A．A chance of being the cover person of Marie Claire. |
| B．Making friends with the last overall winner. |
| C．An opportunity of promoting her cause. |
| D．A $140,000 prize. |
| A．The judges of the event. | B．The closing date of nomination. |
| C．The number of the participants. | D．The fields participants can choose. |
| A．A women’s magazine | B．A brochure |
| C．A guide book | D．A science book |
【推荐2】Beijing was the first Chinese city to be equipped with a subway station in 1971. By the end of 2020, Beijing subway had had 24 subway lines in operation, 428 subway stations, and covered a total route length of 727 kilometers.
Quick Facts about the Beijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is the world’s second-largest subway system by route and length, following the Shanghai Metro.
By the end of 2019, the Beijing Subway has been equipped with automatic ticket machines that can scan smartphones for payment.
Subway logo: The Beijing Subway logo, located at subway access points, is a white ‘G’ with a ‘B’ inside it on a square blue background.
Beijing Subway Tickets Price
Downtown Subway Prices
The prices of Beijing subway tickets are based on distance traveled, starting from 3 yuan for the first 6 kilometers (4 miles) except the Airport Express. After 6 km, the price increases by 1 yuan for each further 6 km until the trip distance reaches 30 km (20 miles). So, a 40-km (25-mile) trip would also cost 7 yuan.
Airport Express Subway Ticket Prices
The Capital Airport Express ticket price is fixed at 25 yuan per ride. The prices of Daxing Airport Express are divided into different classes. The ordinary class price varies with distance from 10 yuan to 35 yuan and the business class price is fixed at 50 yuan per ride.
How to Buy the Tickets
In Beijing, most passengers pay for their tickets by Transportation Smart Card (Yikatong). Passengers can buy the card or tickets at ticket counters or vending machines in every station. If you are going to stay in Beijing for a long time, the Smart Card is much better for your transit in Beijing. Since 2017, single-trip tickets can be purchased with a mobile phone app.
Notes
The subway tickets are valid for only one day.
Children shorter than 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) cannot take a subway train alone.
Children below 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) travel for free when accompanied by an adult.
1. Which statement is right about the Beijing Subway?| A．The first Beijing Subway station was built in 2019. |
| B．The Beijing Subway is the largest subway system by length in China. |
| C．You can only purchase tickets through a mobile phone app in advance. |
| D．The most popular way to buy tickets is using Transportation Smart Card. |
| A．3 yuan | B．4 yuan | C．6 yuan | D．10 yuan |
| A．A poster. | B．A newspaper. | C．A guidebook. | D．A report. |
【推荐3】EXPERIENCE COLUMBIA
HOT ATTRACTIONS
◆RIVERBANKS ZOO & GARDEN
It is home to more than 2,000 animals and one of the nation’s most beautiful botanical gardens. With more than 350 species from around the world, Riverbanks Zoo is one of the largest mid-sized zoos in the country.
Hours: 9:00a. m.—5:00p. m. daily.
Admission: Adults (13—61) $19. 95
Children (2—12) $16. 95
◆EDVENTURE
The South’s largest children’s museum has 300 exhibits to inspire children to experience the joy of learning. Where else but EdVenture can children drive a real fire truck, anchor the news or visit another country?
Hours: Monday—Sunday 9 am.—5 pm.
Admission: Members Free
Children and Adults: $11. 95
◆SOUTH CAROLINA STATE MUSEUM
The stories of South Carolina come alive through the exhibits and collections of the State Museum. Plus, a new 4-D theater provides popular movies that excite all ages. Museum members are invited to night-sky observing and more on Tuesday nights!
Hours: Mon. Wed.—Fri.: 10 am.—5 pm.
Tues.: 10 am.—10 pm.
Sat.: 10 am.—6 pm.
Sun.: Noon—5 pm.
Admission: Adults (13—61) $8. 95
Children (3—12): $6. 95
◆SALUDA SHOALS PARK
Saluda Shoals Park is a sensitive riverfront park that invites visitors to experience the treasures of the Saluda River through exceptional educational and cultural opportunities.
Fun-filled Family Activities Nightly! (except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas night)
Free for activities: apply with Holiday Lights admission ($20/car; $40/15-passenger vehicle; $ 60/bus).
1. How much should a young couple with a 2-year-old son pay to enjoy various plants and animals?
| A．$24. 85. | B．$ 39.9. | C．$56.85. | D．$ 35.85. |
| A．The State Museum. | B．EdVenture. |
| C．Saluda Shoals Park. | D．Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. |
| A．Enjoying free family activities every night. |
| B．Visiting the exhibits on Sunday morning. |
| C．Having a fantastic 4-D visual feast. |
| D．Observing the amazing night sky on Tuesday nights. |
