A team of Australian and Japanese scientists are using the bacteria-killing (杀菌的) characteristics of the wings of insects, such as cicadas (蝉) and dragonflies, to create lab-made material that can kill up to 70 percent of bacteria. Insect wings have sharp points which destroy bacteria on contact. The new technology has a major influence on food storage because so much is wasted when bacterial growth goes into food. The new bacteria-killing food packaging will improve shelf life and reduce waste.
Professor Elena Ivanova from RMIT University’s School of Science said the team had successfully applied a natural fact to plastic. “We knew the wings of cicadas and dragonflies were highly-effective bacteria killers and could help inspire a solution, but replicating nature is always a challenge,”Professor Ivanova said. The breakthrough was a big step towards a non-chemical, antibacterial packaging solution for food manufacturing, she added.
Professor Ivanova and her colleagues first discovered that insect wings were natural-born bacteria killers a decade ago. The team is now working on improving the technology to find the best way to mass produce the bacteria-killing packaging. But the possible applications of the technology do not stop with packaging. In an earlier 2020 review published in Nature Reviews Microbiology, the researchers detailed how possible uses might one day even include defeating drug-resistant bacteria.
Professor Ivanova said that at the time finding non-chemical ways of killing bacteria was very important, with more than 700,000 people dying each year due to drug-resistant bacterial infection. Bacterial resistance to some medicine is one of the greatest threats to global health and regular treatment of infection is becoming increasingly difficult,” Professor Ivanova said. “When we look to nature for ideas, we find insects have developed highly-effective bacteria-killing systems. If we can understand exactly how insect-inspired patterns kill bacteria, we can engineer exactly these shapes to improve their effectiveness against infections.”
1. Why do wings of insects have the ability to kill bacteria?| A．They smell bad. | B．They are usually wet. |
| C．They move very fast. | D．They have sharp points. |
| A．copying | B．protecting | C．approaching | D．changing |
| A．What kind of shape the cells of insects have. |
| B．What’s our body’s defence system against infection. |
| C．What’s behind the bacteria-killing systems of insects. |
| D．Why so many people die of bacterial infection. |
| A．Smart Food Packaging Keeps Harmful Cells Away |
| B．Plastic-Based Bacteria-Killing Packaging Keeps Food Fresh |
| C．New Packaging Uses Drugs to Kill Harmful Bacteria in Food |
| D．Insect Wings Inspire New Bacteria-Killing Packaging |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】People get to know the world by reading news. Here are some pieces of news on what’s happening around the world.
Artist recycles rubbish into large trolls (怪物), Ohio, US
Artist Thomas Dambo has been making large trolls out of recycled rubbish to highlight how waste can be made into beautiful things. He has built three trolls at the Aullwood Audubon Center, a bird sanctuary (保护区). Its director, Alexis Faust, said, “I see the trolls as protectors of the birds and they help remind us that we need to do the same.”
Albatrosses (信天翁) break up more often, Falkland Islands
Albatrosses usually stay with the same partner for life. However, a recent study has found that more and more albatross couples are breaking up. This has been blamed on stress caused by changes in the environment, such as warming water, which means the birds must fly further to find food
Singing robots enter the classroom, Seoul, ROK
Seoul, the capital city of ROK, has sent robots to 300 nurseries (幼儿园) to prepare children for a high-tech future. The Alpha Mini robots can sing, dance and teach kung fu. One class discovered that they could ask their robot to speak on command. Teacher Byun Seo-yeon said the robots would help with children’s creativity.
Endangered tigers come back, Yakutin, Russia
Amur tiger footprints have been found in Yakutia Russia, for the first time in 50 years. The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger, is an endangered species. In the 1940s there were fewer than 50 left in the wild. Conservation (环境保护) efforts have seen its number increases in eastern Russia, from 330 in 2005 to 600 today.
1. What is the influence of the trolls?| A．More birds will be attracted. |
| B．More rubbish will be made by people. |
| C．More people will visit the bird sanctuary. |
| D．More people will be reminded to protect birds. |
| A．To teach children to make music. |
| B．To equip kids with literature. |
| C．To make children exercise more. |
| D．To develop children’s creativity. |
| A．Albatrosses live under threat. |
| B．Siberian tigers are dying out. |
| C．Albatrosses used to fly further to find food. |
| D．There are fewer Siberian tigers than 50 years ago. |
【推荐2】Clementine seemed to be missing apiece from her life’s puzzle for most of her life. Dropped off as a 3-year-old homeless dog near New Orleans, the dog stayed in the shelter for four months before being moved to Texas.
While living at an adoption center in Texas, the dog was adopted out twice to different families. Sadly, neither of those adoptions were successful. It turned out Clementine didn’t get along with smaller pets, and she had too much energy for the second family.
Meanwhile, Captain Robert Moree wanted to add a fire dog to the station. He’d just read a study about how dogs help firefighter scope with the pressure of their jobs, and he was eager to give the study a real life trial run! With the permission of the chief and other firefighters, he and a few colleagues visited the shelter. As soon as they met Clementine, they were smitten!
“They introduced us to Clementine,” Captain Moree recalled. “She started to like us, and we liked her instantly. Later that day, my driver, Bryan Wallen, and I decided to get her.”
Captain Moree officially adopted Clementine, but she definitely belonged to every person in the firehouse. She loved to hug the firefighters in between calls, and she was always nearby whenever anyone was preparing food. “She rides on the truck when we go out on calls” said Captain Moree. “She not only makes the station feel more like home during our 24-hour shifts but also keeps us excited to come to the station.”
Clementine has made such an amazing journey from a homeless dog to a hero dog. She was named Dog of the Year at the 2022 ASPCA Humane Awards!
1. Why did Clementine fail to stay in the second family?| A．She liked fire. | B．She was too active. | C．She ate too much. | D．She hated other pets. |
| A．moved | B．puzzled | C．attracted | D．surprised |
| A．Help put out fires. | B．Guard the firehouse. |
| C．Stay excited day and night | D．Reduce stress of firefighters. |
| A．She risked her life as a fire dog. |
| B．She has got many important awards. |
| C．She did an excellent job as a fire dog. |
| D．She remained homeless in her whole life. |
【推荐3】Thorny devils, rattlesnakes, kangaroo rats and more have developed smart ways for surviving in water-scarce(缺水的) environments.
Thorny devils
In Australian deserts live some animals known as thorny devils. These animals specialize in eating ants, which are also where they get their water.
But when ants are scarce, or conditions are even drier than normal, they have a backup. All they have to do is to kick the sand up onto their backs and let the network of tiny canals(沟渠) on their skins to catch small amounts of water and guide the liquid directly to their mouth.
Namib desert beetles
An ocean away in southwestern Africa, the Namib desert beetles pull off a similar trick. They use their backs as a cooler to catch water trapped in the morning fog. As the droplets grow in size, they run down the insects’ backs toward their mouths.
Desert rattlesnakes
Desert rattlesnakes of the western US are able to live on just one hearty meal a year. But without a drink of water now and then, the snakes would dry up and breathe their last in a few days.
So how do they survive way up in the Rocky Mountains, where water is scarce? Easy. They turn their bodies into bowls in the evening to collect the dew(露水). With their cold bodies flattened into a bowl, the dew gathers on their skin.
Kangaroo rats
These pocket-size animals in the US Midwest plains never drink water. They spend 75 percent of their time in underground holes to avoid the heat in the desert. They survive on a diet of dry grass seeds, which they first bury underground. Because the underground soil is wetter than the surface soil, stored seeds may absorb as much as 30 percent more water than ones above ground. So when the rats eat their seeds, they get both food and water.
1. Where do Namib desert beetles live?| A．In Australian deserts. | B．In the US Midwest plains. |
| C．In southwestern Africa. | D．In Canada’s Rocky Mountains. |
| A．They drink underground water. | B．They bury their backs to get water. |
| C．They don’t need water to survive. | D．They just use their food to gather water. |
| A．Thorny devils. | B．Desert rattlesnakes. |
| C．Kangaroo rats. | D．Namib desert beetles. |
【推荐1】Researchers at Cornell University are one step closer to building robots that are more like humans. This new method is one you might not expect. However, a soft robot muscle that "sweats" to regulate its temperature. "Sweating takes advantage of evaporated (蒸发)water loss to rapidly dissipate heat and can cool below the environmental temperature. So as is often the case, biology provided an excellent guide for us as engineers."
The fingerlike devices are 3D printed, water powered, and can be used to grab things. They are made of two soft chemical materials: a base layer of (CH3) 2 CH-C3H5 NO covered in a multihole layer of (C3H5 NO)n. When the fingers reach a temperature of 30°C (86°F), the base layer reacts by shrinking, squeezing the water through the top pores (毛孔)in the top layer. The drying up is so efficient that the surface temperature of the actuator can drop by 21°C in just 30 seconds. That's three times more efficient than in humans. When wind from a fan is thrown into the mix, they cool down around six times as fast. The evaporation also cooled the object held by the actuator hand.
"The best part of this artificial strategy is that the heat regulation is based on the material itself," said T. J. Wallin, co-lead author, a research scientist at Facebook Reality Labs. "We did not need to have sensors or other components to control the sweating rate. When the local temperature rose above the set point, the pores would simply open and close on their own. "
While the result is exciting, it is only a first step. The robot has its weaknesses. The sweat can make the robot hand slippery, so the team is examining textures to improve its grasp. When the sweating takes place, the robot's mobility is also blocked and needs to refill its water supply.
"I think that the future of making these more biologically similar materials and robots is going to rely on the material composition," said co-lead author Rob Shepherd, an associate professor of mechanical and engineering. "This brings up a point about the importance of research involving several different academic subjects or areas, where really no one group has all the answers. "
1. Which can best replace the underlined word "dissipate" in paragraph 1?| A．turn down | B．put aside |
| C．drive away | D．take in |
| A．Its artificial material. | B．Its accurate sensor. |
| C．Its sensitive devices. | D．Its working surroundings. |
| A．The disadvantages of the robot. |
| B．The next step of the researchers. |
| C．The rules the robot has to follow. |
| D．The effect of the new development. |
| A．The future of the robot is promising. |
| B．The similar materials are too difficult to develop. |
| C．Only working together can make the robot more successful. |
| D．The next step of his team is to search for suitable software. |
【推荐2】Can you imagine a bicycle that has an iPhone on its handle and provides navigation tools and fitness information, along with data collectors that measure air pollution? This is just the beginning of the list of things that this dynamic new bicycle, known as the Copenhagen Wheel, is capable of. The biggest characteristic of this bike is its red hub (轮轴) on the back wheel, where the brain of the bike stores power, increases speed, monitors the rider’s exercise, and collects data from the air and the environment. The data that is collected is put onto a public website so citizens can find out what their city’s atmosphere is like during the day.
The Copenhagen Wheel comes to us from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S.A. It was developed by a part of MIT that is putting “intelligence” into everyday things that are a part of the infrastructure (基本设施) of our cities. Researchers from MIT chose the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change to show off the new bicycle, and early feedback (反馈) was very positive.
The goal of the Copenhagen Wheel project is to promote (促进) cycling by lengthening the distance people can cover. In addition, the makers ensure the whole bike riding experience is smoother so that even steep (陡峭的) roads are no longer a problem for comfortable cycling. This new bicycle is also perfect for protecting the environment, and many big cities are making plans to encourage their citizens to use this two-wheeler when they go to and from work. The director of the Copenhagen Wheel project, Christine Outram, expects that this new bike will help lead the charge of smart transportation into the 21st century. She is fully convinced that many big cities will see the benefits of promoting this type of cycling to their citizens.
1. What’s the key characteristic of the Copenhagen Wheel?| A．The red hub. | B．The fast speed. |
| C．The data collector. | D．The iPhone on its handle. |
| A．To record the rider’s fitness information. | B．To monitor the condition of the bicycle, |
| C．To help improve riders’ exercise plans. | D．To show what the environment is like. |
| A．They doubted it. | B．They welcomed it. |
| C．They were surprised by it. | D．They were uninterested in it. |
| A．To improve public transportation. | B．To make steep road riding comfortable. |
| C．To encourage citizens to do more cycling. | D．To make citizens’ riding safer than before. |
【推荐3】Best Inventions
Sun Power
People who buy solar panels (嵌板）for their home hope to help the environment and save some money. But they end up with large metal boxes on their roof. Tesla, a car company, solved the problem. The solution is the Solar Roof. It is a series of tiles (瓦) made to look like traditional roofing material while using the power of the sun. Tesla developed it with SolarCity, a longtime provider of solar panels. It is now available to the public.
Talking Tech
Echo gives users the ability to talk to their tech. Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana do that too. But in many ways，Amazon’s version，Alexa, which is built into Echo，is more powerful. Alexa has grown since it was put on the market in 2014, and today, you can use it to turn on the lights, order a pizza, and more. Echo costs $ 180. Amazon recently developed a junior version, the $ 50 Echo Dot.
Spin and Roll
Goodyear is reinventing the wheel. It introduced its Eagle 360 spherical tire (球形轮胎) in March, 2016. The tires allow cars to move in many directions, including sideways, and at angles to handle slippery surfaces. The key is magnetic levitation (磁悬浮). Tires are fixed to cars, but Eagle 360s float beneath them. They’re meant for self-driving cars of tomorrow.
Cycle Safety
Jeff Woolf had a serious bike crash. If he hadn’t been wearing his helmet, he would have been badly hurt. He wondered why so many riders didn’t wear helmets. That turns out it was mostly because helmets were big and hard to carry around. Woolf, an engineer, came up with Morpher. The helmet is made from interwoven plastics (交错编织的塑料). It is strong, but it’s also flexible enough to fold almost totally flat. That makes it easy to carry. Morpher is priced at $ 119.
1. What we can know about the Solar Roof?| A．It is designed for cars. | B．It is currently on the market. |
| C．It is costly but energy-saving. | D．It consists of large metal boxes. |
| A．Chat with their friends. | B．Control their tech through voice. |
| C．Reduce noise in their home. | D．Save money on their purchases. |
| A．It is fastened to cars. | B．It is a self-driving system. |
| C．It is environmentally-friendly. | D．It is intended for autonomous cars. |
| A．It prevents bike crashes. | B．It is conveniently foldable. |
| C．It can be bought worldwide. | D．It is cheaper than traditional helmets. |
【推荐1】Benjamin Franklin clearly knew how to get things done. After scanning the long list of Benjamin Franklin’s achievements, one can only come to one conclusion that the American man probably never had a wasted day in his life. When he was 84 years old, he became a successful author, printer, politician, postmaster, inventor, musician, and diplomat.
There's much we can learn from Benjarin Frankin's work habits and opinions on life that can increase our own productivity. Here are some ways Franklin overcame lazy, wasted days.
Start a group and share knowledge. When Franklin was 21, he was a struggling printer in Philadelphia. To increase his connections and to learn more about his industry, he created a group. The group was in great need of books, but books were expensive. Franklin helped start a library where books were bought and lent to members. This sharing of knowledge, experience, and connections helped Franklin become a famous and respected printer in Philadelphia.
Attack opportunities. "To succeed," Franklin wrote,” jump as quickly at opportunities as you can." We can all agree, but when an opportunity comes we often look the other way. It's because the opportunity isn't dressed the way we expect. We often think that the opportunity was only in the form of a golden egg or a million-dollar lottery ticket or a new job offer. But more often than not, the opportunity comes in smaller, less beautiful packages.
Time is something in short supply. Franklin wrote “Lost time is never found again." This may sound like it came from the pen of a poet, but it's really an inspirational call to action. Franklin worked, created, and lived knowing that time is scarce. He never put off his work.
While Franklin was an able inventor we can be sure that his notebook contained a few unsuccessful ideas . Franklin wrote,“ Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.'
1. Benjamin Franklin succeeded in many ways mainly because______.| A．he was very clever and popular. | B．he could make good use of his time. |
| C．he often shared knowledge with others. | D．he could do many things at the same time. |
| A．writing. | B．invention. |
| C．music. | D．printing. |
| A．are easy to catch hold of. | B．are difficult to see and attack. |
| C．are often dressed the way we expect. | D．always come in the form of a golden egg. |
| A．Franklin wrote a lot of famous poems. | B．Franklin sometimes wasted time. |
| C．Franklin never met with failures. | D．Franklin learned from failures. |
【推荐2】Living abroad to study can certainly be an interesting experience but is that alone a good enough reason for spending years far away from home? To make the experience truly worthwhile, there has to be a goal behind the decision to study abroad. This may be a wish to perfect language skills in a foreign language environment, or a clever move in your career development. You must also consider the costs, not just of living and studying abroad, but of applying. Most universities now charge application fees for international students.
If after considering these points you are sure that you want to apply to study abroad, your next step is to choose the right programme of studies. Research your choices and select carefully. You must do your homework well. Most universities have information online but you can also email and ask them to send you more details. You can find a lot of information on school ranking from education websites. But read carefully. Different universities emphasize different strengths. Don’t just think about the university’s reputation; look for the most suitable for your goals.
Next, you must deal with a large pile of paperwork. This involves filling in application forms, preparing your school records, and getting reference letters. Reading the instructions and requirements of the universities carefully is of great importance. Sadly, many fine applicants get kicked out in the first round, simply because they don’t follow the application procedure properly.
Money is another important consideration. Some scholarships are provided by governments, others by schools and colleges. This information, again, can be found on the Internet. If you find a scholarship that is suitable for you, follow the application procedure carefully; the earlier you apply, the better your chance of getting it.
1. Why does the author think studying abroad is truly worthwhile according to paragraph1?| A．It is a chance to develop your career. | B．It is an interesting experience. |
| C．It is fun to travel around the world. | D．All your friends are doing so. |
| A．The names of all the professors. |
| B．How good the school is compared to others. |
| C．How much the courses cost. |
| D．Where the school is located. |
| A．Buy an airplane ticket, read the instructions and requirements, and study. |
| B．Write a reference letter, do paperwork, and study. |
| C．Prepare reference letters, prepare school records, and fill in the application form. |
| D．Prepare school records, do paperwork, and work hard. |
| A．lose money in the first round | B．get accepted in the next round |
| C．fail to get to the next round | D．get kicked by a professor |
【推荐3】An American company has developed a new technique (技术) to make bread stay fresh for 60 days.
Scientists found that a kind of mould (霉菌) caused bread to go bad. The new technique kills the mould and keeps the food for longer time. This means there will be less waste of food in the world in future.
Food waste is a big problem in most developed countries. In the US, an average (普通的) family throws away 40% of the food they buy, which adds up to $165bn every year, about 330 million tons in weight. Bread takes a larger part. In the UK, 32% of the bread they buy is thrown away as waste when they can still be eaten.
The bread usually goes mouldy (发的) in around 10 days, but the American company says the new technique will keep the bread free from mould for two months.
”We treated a piece of bread in a special machine. At 60 days it had the same amount of mould as it was first made,“ says Mr. Stull, the leader of the company.
Although there are a lot of bread makers interested in the new technique, few customers like the idea. They say they don’t think a piece of bread which lasts for 60 days tastes good.
”We’ll have to make our customers accept the idea. But it will take some time,“ says Mr. Stull.
1. What is the key point of the new technique?| A．It can prevent the world from wasting food. |
| B．It kills the mould and keeps bread fresh for longer time. |
| C．It keeps the same amount of mould. |
| D．It makes bread taste good. |
| A．Nearly half. | B．A quarter. | C．More than half. | D．About one-third. |
| A．Food waste can be reduced immediately (立刻) with the new technique. |
| B．We will buy bread that can last longer. |
| C．Few customers are sure about the technique. |
| D．Poor countries are in great need of food. |
| A．A new technique has been invented to keep bread fresh longer. |
| B．There is great waste of food in developed countries. |
| C．There is a kind of mould that causes food to go bad. |
| D．Customers don’t like food that lasts for two months. |
