Big Problems, Simple Solutions
Inventions are improving health and well-being in communities around the world. Speakers at recent TED events have shared simple and inexpensive solutions that can solve everyday problems.
FUEL BRIQUETTES （燃料砖）
In the developing world, smoke from indoor cooking kills more than 2 million children each year. In fact, it’s the number one cause of death of children under five. Amy Smith, founder of D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), discovered a way to make a safe cooking fuel. The material she uses is also free and plentiful: farm waste.
Smith invented a low-cost device that turns farm waste into fuel briquettes. These briquettes produce smoke that is less dangerous than the smoke from other fuel. They also burn hotter and last longer. Farmers can make these briquettes from readily available waste. This invention has an economic benefit, too. Farmers can buy the device for $2 and sell briquettes they don’t use. Smith estimates (估算) that this can increase a farmer’s income by $500 a month.
DISASTER SHELTERS
Over 31 million people worldwide lose their homes every year due to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes. After these disasters, many people live in terrible conditions—in tents or in large stadiums with no privacy. Graphic designer Michael McDaniel invented inexpensive and temporary housing for people in these situations.
Called the Reaction Ex, these shelters are small, one-room houses that comfortably hold up to four people. They’re made from a plastic that is strong, recyclable, and super light. In fact, they’re so light that they can be lifted by hand and are very portable as well. McDaniel hopes that his invention will provide an affordable solution to help people rebuild their lives after a natural disaster.
1. The key goal to invent the fuel briquettes is to________.| A．increase family income |
| B．make full use of farm waste |
| C．get free and plentiful cooking fuel |
| D．protect kids from dangerous cooking smoke |
| A．Light and affordable. | B．Heavy and recyclable. |
| C．Big and comfortable. | D．Small and breakable. |
| A．To explain design methods. | B．To introduce new inventions. |
| C．To report research findings. | D．To advertise latest products. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Henry Ford didn’t always pay attention in school. One day, he and a friend took a watch apart. Angry and upset, the teacher told them both to stay after school. Their punishment is was to stay until they had fixed the watch. But the teacher did not know Ford’s genius. In ten minutes, this mechanical wizard had repaired the watch and was on his way home.
Ford was always interested in how things worked. He once plugged up the spout of a teapot and placed it on the fire. Then he waited to see what would happen. The water boiled and, of course, returned to steam. Since the steam had no way to escape, the teapot exploded. The explosion cracked a mirror and broke a window. The young inventor was badly scalded (烫伤).
Ford’s years of curiosity and thinking paid off. He dreamed of a horseless carriage. When he built one, the world of transportation was changed forever.
1. Henry Ford __________ in school.| A．studied very hard | B．was absent-minded |
| C．never paid attention | D．did very well |
| A．punish his friend |
| B．stay at school until he had repaired the watch |
| C．go home at once |
| D．stay at school and take the watch apart |
| A．Henry Ford. | B．Ford’s friend. |
| C．Ford’s teacher. | D．A mechanic. |
| A．broke a mirror | B．broke a window |
| C．hurt Henry Ford | D．All of the above |
| A．was interested in everything |
| B．was the youngest inventor in the world |
| C．paid for a horseless carriage |
| D．built one of the earliest car |
【推荐2】Distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made both physical and social connections a touch more difficult to maintain. For Stanford University student Millie Salvato, being apart from her friend on the opposite coast has proved challenging. Sometimes a text or video call is not enough, and people in Salvato’s situation often long for a way to send a comforting hug from afar. In a new study detailed in IEEE Transactions on Haptics, she and her colleagues demonstrated a wearable sleeve that can simulate (模拟) human touch and convey social messages sent electronically.
Salvato and her team measured how 37 participants expressed social messages in different situations. In each test, one person wore a pressure-sensing device on an arm, and another touched it to respond to six different scenes: attention seeking, gratitude, happiness, calming, love and sadness. After collecting 661 touch movements, Salvato and her colleagues mapped the location and pressure of each. Next, they used a machine-learning algorithm (算法) to select the movements that were most reliable part of each response. Finally, they programmed a wearable sleeve to simulate these movements using eight built-in disks that vibrate when electronically signaled. “The instant it received signals, I could feel the touch and identify its intended meaning.” One participant reported.
Even with no training, the participants correctly matched the simulated touches to the six scenes 45 percent of the time. For comparison, a previous study found participants could match scenes for touches from real human hands 55 percent of the time.
Gerling, a touch researcher at Harvard who was not involved in the study, said the invention was really surprising. But the study was small and needs to cover far larger groups of people to determine exactly which are the most desirable responses. Besides, he believes the sleeve surely will enjoy great popularity once launched on the market.
1. What were participants asked to do during the study?| A．Pick up reliable responses. | B．Model on electronic touches. |
| C．Respond to different situations. | D．Mark out programmed movements. |
| A．To keep track of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| B．To imitate human touch and express social messages sent electronically . |
| C．To enjoy great popularity once launched on the market. |
| D．To stress the significance of physical and social connections . |
| A．Covering more scenes. | B．Launching on the market. |
| C．Conducting further research. | D．Interviewing the participants. |
| A．Electronic Sleeves Helping Feel Virtual Touch |
| B．New Technology Improving Social Connections |
| C．New Sensing Device Increasing Physical Touches |
| D．Electronic Sleeves Responding to Different Situations |
【推荐3】Steel Vengeance, a world-record-breaking hybrid roller coaster, recently made its first public appearance at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio.
The ride is constructed from both wood and steel (钢). A steel running track on a huge wooden base allows the ride to provide the types of twists (扭转) and turns that are not possible on wooden roller coasters.
Steel Vengeance breaks ten world records, including tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster. “It is just a roller coaster that you want to ride again and again,” said Tony Clark, director of communications at Cedar Point. The 90-degree, 200-foot drop on the first hill takes your breath away.
At a recent event at Cedar Point, I experienced the excitement of the new ride first-hand. Thanks to my strong heart, I had a really cool time!
THE MAKING OF VENGEANCE
“The biggest part of making a roller coaster is planning it,” Clark said.
Jason McClure, general manager of Cedar Point, added: “We have to get a main idea of the basics of the coaster and then plan a budget.”
WOOD, STEEL, AND HARD WORK
Rocky Mountain Construction designed and built Steel Vengeance. About 1.2 million pounds of steel and 1.4 million boards of wood were used to build the ride.
Fred Grubb, co-founder of Rocky Mountain, noted that “people who design roller coasters for my company have to have first-hand experience building things with their hands, not just hold an engineering degree. When you have built things for yourself, you get it, and understand what will work.”
Clark was pleased with the results. “We at Cedar Point are so happy with how Steel Vengeance turned out,” he said.
McClure added: “What we put into this roller coaster was wood, steel, and a lot of hard work.”
1. What can we learn about Steel Vengeance?| A．It is going through tests. |
| B．It belongs to Rocky Mountain. |
| C．It is made from both steel and wood. |
| D．It was mainly designed by Fred Grubb. |
| A．It will last longer. |
| B．It cost less money. |
| C．It took less time to build. |
| D．It offers more kinds of twists. |
| A．Worried. |
| B．Excited. |
| C．Frightened. |
| D．Shocked. |
| A．hold an arts degree |
| B．be roller coaster lovers |
| C．be skillful at wood work |
| D．have built things themselves |
【推荐1】These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can open my eyes and improve my language skills. Of course, it can also help me to get good grades. Do you know how to read more and learn more? Here are some tips for you.
◆Clear your purpose for reading
Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.
◆Read only what you are interested in
No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may tell you the books they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.
◆Give up books that you don’t enjoy
You may have chosen books that you are interested in, and they are right to your purpose. But while you are reading them, there may still be some books that you don’t enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, give it up.Remember reading shouldn’t be a chore.
◆Set a reading goal
It is interesting that I read the books borrowed from libraries faster than those I buy. The reason is that the books I buy don’t have a due date! I don’t need to return those books.Having a reading goal helps you work out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day.Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book.
1. According to the passage,the writer might be a .| A．teacher | B．doctor |
| C．student | D．scientist |
| A．To get the latest news and communicate with friends. |
| B．For pleasure or knowledge. |
| C．To open their eyes and improve their language skills. |
| D．To get good grades. |
| A．Keep on reading. |
| B．Set a reading goal. |
| C．Read the books your friends love. |
| D．Give up the book. |
| A．how to read more and learn more |
| B．how to choose a good book |
| C．how to read faster |
| D．why we should read more books |
【推荐2】Sure, there’s no one-size-fits-all way to personal health. But if there’s a secret to physical exercise success, this could be it.
Whether you want to lose weight or grow high, it’s no secret that staying active is an essential and necessary part of a healthy lifestyle. But as for exactly how much exercise you should be doing, it all depends on your exercise goals.
Still, there are general rules that anyone should follow, according to the personal trainer Tom Mans. Many people show the one thing that finally made them love exercise. “The type of exercise you do finally depends on your ability, goals, likes and dislikes, equipment available, what injuries you have, and how much time you have available,” Tom Mans told The Independent. Sadly, hitting the gym once or twice a week won’t cut it. Four or five times a week is perfect; however, Mans said you should aim to hit the gym at least three times each week in order to see real results. “A frequent gym routine exposes your body to a lot of training equipment throughout the week, which enables the body to adapt, get stronger, slimmer and fitter,” Mans said. “There are many exercise motivation secrets that actually work in the Internet. You can learn them easily.”
“Each exercise should last for about 45 minutes to one hour,” Mans said. His preferred routine includes a 10-minute warm-up, 30 to 40 minutes of weight training, and five to 10 minutes of cooling down and expanding.
According to Mans, it’s best to take a day’s rest between weight-lifting exercises to allow your muscles to recover. You need recovery days for those muscles to rest, just like you need sleep every day. Think of your recovery days as days for your muscles to sleep. Lifting without the proper rest and recovery can lead to big issues like extreme tiredness, and mood swings. So take a day off after exercise, but make sure to have other movements in those days to stay active.
1. What decides your amount of exercise?| A．Your intention. | B．Your weight. | C．Your salary. | D．Your lifestyle. |
| A．Go to waste. | B．Bring about tiredness. |
| C．Take effect. | D．Increase weight. |
| A．To have more time to sleep. |
| B．To get help from personal trainers. |
| C．To do some gentler movements. |
| D．To make muscles return to a normal state. |
| A．Best ways to keep healthy | B．Effective ways to lose weight |
| C．Suggestions about how to grow high | D．How often and how long to exercise |
【推荐3】Succulents (多肉植物) are plants with parts that are thick and fleshy, usually to stay wet in hot and dry climates. They are easy to grow well.
Step 1
Get the pots ready. The actual pot size will depend on the size of the plant, neither too large nor too small.
*There should be 3 or more holes at the bottom of the pot. Clay (陶土) pots are the best.
*Fil1 of the pot with gravel (沙砾).
Step 2
Prepare your soil. If you don't want to use one of the ready-made succulent mixes available on the market, prepare your own.
Step 3
Succulents prefer bright light; therefore, place the pots in an area where there is plenty of sunlight. An ideal sun exposure will be from early morning to 12 noon during the summer.
Step 4
Fill the pots up to the desired level with the potting mix so that the tip of the roots will touch it Then, hold the plant carefully at the center of the pot, allow the roots to hang inside and place the potting mix loosely around the roots until it covers them up.
Step 5
Water your plant. The first watering will be done on the third day of planting. The plant needs the soil to be dry for the first two days so that any harm to the root system can heal.
Step 6
Fertilize (施肥), during the summer growing season, as you would with other houseplants. Stop fertilizing entirely during the winter. The nitrogen content (含氮量) of the fertilizer should always be very low.
1. How should you prepare a pot for a succulent?| A．Try to avoid using clay pot. | B．Fill 1/2 of the pot with gravel. |
| C．Use a pot that is 3 times the size of the plant. | D．Use a pot with at least 3 holes at the bottom. |
| A．10 am-12 pm. | B．12 pm-2 pm. | C．2 pm-4 pm. | D．4 pm-6 pm. |
| A．Not fertilizing it during the winter. | B．Fertilizing the plant on the third day after planting. |
| C．Making the fertilizer yourself. | D．Using a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. |
【推荐1】TECFIDERA
What is TECFIDERA?
● TECFIDERA is a prescription (处方) medicine used to treat people with multiple sclerosis, a serious illness that gradually destroys your nerves, making you weak and unable to walk.
● It is not known if TECFIDERA is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.
Before taking and while you take TECFIDERA, tell your doctor if you have or have had low white blood cell counts or any other medical conditions.
Tell your doctor if you are:
● pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TECFIDERA will harm your unborn baby.
If you become pregnant while taking TECFIDERA, talk to your doctor about joining in the TECFIDERA Pregnancy Registry. You can join in this registry by calling 1-800-456-2255. The purpose of this registry is to monitor the health of you and your baby.
● breastfeeding (母乳喂养) or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TECFIDERA passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take TECFIDERA or breastfeed.
How should I take TECFIDERA?
● Take TECFIDERA exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
● The recommended starting dose (剂量) is one 120 mg capsule taken by mouth 2 times a day for 7 days.
● The recommended dose after 7 days is one 240 mg capsule taken by mouth 2 times a day.
● TECFIDERA can be taken with or without food.
● Swallow TECFIDERA whole. Do not press, chew, or put capsule contents in food.
● Protect TECFIDERA from light. You can do this by storing the capsules in their original container.
Throw away opened TECFIDERA after 90 days.
What are the possible side effects of TECFIDERA?
TECFIDERA may cause serious side effects including decreases in your white blood cell count, sickness, redness, stomach pain and so on.
Redness and stomach problems are the most common reactions, especially at the start of the treatment, but they should decrease over time. Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms and they bother you or do not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of TECFIDERA. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 1-800-FDA-1088.
1. Before taking TECFIDERA, your do NOT have to tell your doctor if you are ______.| A．under 18 years old | B．breastfeeding |
| C．expecting a baby | D．above 90 years old |
| A．Increasing the dose by 2 times every 7 days. |
| B．Never dividing the capsule by any means while taking it. |
| C．Taking it exactly as the instructions show. |
| D．Never taking it on an empty stomach. |
| A．contact FDA | B．report your doctor for prescribing the wrong medicine |
| C．have a high white blood cell count | D．have some eye problems |
【推荐2】Every day，it is easy to see advertisements in English all around us．Look at your own bags and clothes，and at the bags and clothes of your classmates．How many different advertisements can you see which use English words?
Often bags and clothes show the name of the company that made them．This is a popular form. A special picture or symbol called a logo(标识语) is sometimes used Logos appear on many different products. They are popular because when you see a logo, it is hard to forget that product or company.
It is common to see advertisements on TV and hear them on the radio. Most advertisements are very short sometimes. The advertisers use a short sentence which is easy for people to say and remember. Nike, for example, has a simple English sentence which is used all around the world: “Just do it.” Advertisements often use funny situations as well. It is simple to remember it.
All advertisements are designed to make people buy a product. An advertisement for a soft drink, for example, might show a group of young people who are having fun. The young people are all drinking the soft drink. Advertisers are saying to you, “Why don’t you buy this drink and be like these people? You can be young and modern.”
You might think that advertisements are not after you, but the next time you buy a soft drink, ask yourself this question：Why am I buying this particular product?
1. A good logo is ______ .| A．easy to remember | B．a useful product | C．difficult to understand | D．easy to buy |
| A．English | B．long | C．funny | D．new |
| A．Advertisements for Bags and Clothes | B．Advertisements on TV and Radio |
| C．Advertisements for Soft Drinks | D．Advertisements around Us |
【推荐3】Vanuatu is an island nation in the South Pacific. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. But for those who are interested in adventure and sport, there is a lot to do. Vanuatu’s islands offer visitors two of the most exciting and dangerous activities in the world: volcano (火山) surfing and land diving.
Volcano Surfing
On Tanna Island, Mount Yasur rises 300 meters into the sky. Yasur is an active volcano, and it erupts (喷发) almost every day, sometimes several times a day. For centuries, people have climbed this mountain to visit the top. Recently, people have also started climbing Yasur to surf the volcano. In some ways, volcano surfing is like surfing in the sea, but in other ways it is very different.
Land Diving
Most people are familiar with bungee jumping, but do you know bungee jumping started on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu and is almost fifteen centuries old? The activity, first called land diving, is part of a religious ceremony (仪式). A man ties tree vines (树藤) to his legs. He then jumps head-first from a high tower to touch the earth with the top of his head — without breaking the vine. Every spring, island natives (men only) still take part in this amazing activity.
1. According to the passage, Mount Yasur .| A．is no longer active | B．is on Pentecost Island |
| C．erupts almost every day | D．rises 800 meters into the sky |
| A．People can climb it easily. | B．People can make money. |
| C．People can watch snow on it. | D．People can surf the volcano. |
| A．It is not dangerous at all. |
| B．It was first called “bungee jumping”. |
| C．It is a traditional activity in Vanuatu. |
| D．It came to Vanuatu from another country. |
【推荐1】Li Ao, a famous Taiwan writer, TV commentator, historian and lawmaker, arrived in Beijing for his first visit to the mainland in 56 years.
Li, 70, said he was driven not by nostalgia(怀旧) but by curiosity, insisting he did not come to see the old China he had lived in, but rather “to see the new China”.
During a 12-day visit, he will speak to students at three top universities---Peking University tomorrow, Tsing Hua University on Friday and Shanghai’s Fudan University next Monday.
He will meet schoolmates of his former primary school in Beijing, visit the Palace Museum and participate in TV programmes and online chats.
Waving his new passport before departing Monday from Taipei, Li said he was eager to make his first trip since his family left the mainland in 1949.
After visiting Beijing, he will head to Shanghai, where he will give a lecture at Fudan University. After that he will visit Hong Kong and then return to Taiwan on September 30.
Last week, at a conference organized by Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television, Li said he hoped the trip would promote cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits.
Li was born in the city of Harbin in Northeast China and grew up in Beijing. At the age of 14, he moved with his family to Shanghai and from there to Taiwan in 1949.
He is well-known by mainland intellectuals(知识分子) for his satire, sharp commentaries and criticism.
He is also honored as a loyal advocate(拥护者)of China’s reunification(重新统一), which he believes is “irresistible”, and has maintained that the sooner reunification comes, the more beneficial it will be for Taiwan.
In a related development, Peking University authorities say Li will be permitted to read some ancient books, which are rarely shown to the public.
Beijing’s No. 4 Middle School, where Li once studied, also says it plans to give him his student card as a gift. Li published his autobiography(自传) in 2001. His novels include “Mountaintop Love”.
1. What’s the purpose of Li Ao’s visit to the mainland?| A．To drop in on his relatives and friends. |
| B．To come to see the old China he had lived in. |
| C．To have a peaceful talk with Chinese government. |
| D．To see the new China and promote cultural exchanges across the Taiwan Straits. |
| A．Nanjing University | B．Fudan University |
| C．Tsinghua University | D．Peking University |
| A．Li Ao moved to Taiwan at the age of 14 from Shanghai. |
| B．after visiting Shanghai. Li Ao will also visit Hong Kong. |
| C．Li Ao’s visit to Beijing begins on September 20. |
| D．Beijing’s No. 4 Middle School is Li Ao’s mother school. |
| A．Famous writer arrives on mainland | B．Li Ao, a famous writer |
| C．Li Ao’s speech to the college students | D．A peaceful trip to mainland |
【推荐2】We have a real crisis in this country in the basic understanding of science. It affects our global competitiveness as a country, our national security, and the effectiveness of our social system. The misunderstanding about science is blinding our eyes.
We know that an awful lot of teachers who are teaching science today have not been properly empowered to do so. School frequently isn’t testing whether you understand something but whether you’re familiar with it. What’s Newton’s second law? You say F=ma, and you get an A. That does not reflect a deep understanding of Newtonian mechanics. Science education is not just a body of facts; it’s a process. To present it with appeal and excitement you need to picture it as a detective story—asking questions, making observations, and collecting evidence. You test and you fail but, you know, failure can lead to discovery.
Another challenge we face is that science is often viewed as too hard, for experts only. But I don’t actually think it’s that difficult. People see science every day. They look outside and see weather and nature. They push a button in their house and the lights go on. Everybody’s dealing with science every day. They just don’t call it that. And it’s important they do. In fact, science is determining the quality and outcomes of their life.
Science needs creativity. And one of the best ways to be creative is to think “out of the box”. However, we need more courage when we come to practice. Take me for example. Very early in my teens I decided to educate myself. I realized I would never be a very good student because I didn’t like teachers judging me by what I thought were arbitrary (主观臆断的) standards. I decided I’d let the world judge me by whether I could do something of value—solve a problem or build something. That’s why I quit school early and risked everything to start a company. I risked everything I had because I had nothing to lose. I’d rather fail at trying to do something really big than succeed at being medium.
“When’s the right age to think creatively?” you may ask. I’d say in the womb (母腹)! Kids don’t have anxieties about trying to avoid failure. They are full of imagination and much more willing to fail. Just watch a 3-year-old. They touch everything, and if it hurts they don’t touch it again. They learn everything at a breathtaking rate. Start to think out of the box as early as you can, because it’s more likely to take you to places that you can’t predict, schedule and budget for. Do all that when you can bear the insecurity.
1. According to the passage, science teachers should ________.| A．train students’ memory for right facts | B．focus more on the learning process |
| C．present interesting detective stories | D．abandon frequent science examinations |
| A．science is intended for experts only | B．it’s important to see weather and nature |
| C．people can determine the quality of life | D．we should realize science is around us |
| A．school education may do little good to students |
| B．teachers sometimes judge their students unfairly |
| C．people need to take an unusual path to be creative |
| D．failure at a big thing is better than a small success |
| A．Questioning. | B．Encouraging. |
| C．Praising. | D．Complaining. |
Mrs Turner’s telephone number was 3463, and the number of the cinema in town was 3464. People often made mistakes and telephoned her when they actually wanted the cinema.
One evening the telephone rang and Mrs Turner answered it. A tired man’s voice came over the phone, “At what time does your last film begin?”
“I’m sorry,” said Mrs Turner, “but you have the wrong number. This is not the cinema.” “Oh, it began twenty minutes ago?” said the man. “I’m sorry about that. Well, good-bye.” Mrs Turner was very surprised, so she told her husband. He laughed and said, “No, that wasn’t a mistake. The man’s wife wanted to go to the cinema, but he was feeling tired, so he telephoned the cinema. His wife heard him, but she didn’t hear you. Now they will stay at home this evening, and the husband will be happy.”
1. When the tired man telephoned Mrs Turner by mistake, she was _______.| A．angry | B．not at all surprised | C．pleased | D．surprised |
| A．wanted the cinema but called a wrong number. |
| B．said something that had nothing to do with her answer. |
| C．asked her silly questions that she didn’t know how to answer. |
| D．was angry with himself for having made the mistake. |
| A．The Turners lived near the cinema. |
| B．Both of the Turners didn’t want to go to the cinema. |
| C．The man didn’t want to go to the cinema with his wife that night. |
| D．The man’s wife was angry for what her husband had done. |
| A．made fun of his wife |
| B．could enjoy himself alone that night |
| C．could relax (使休息) himself at home |
| D．could have a good time at home with his wife |
| A．that it’s tiresome to answer a wrong phone call |
| B．that wives are easier to be fooled by their husbands |
| C．nothing but a joke |
| D．that it’s wrong for husband and wife to fool each other |
