【推荐1】Many owners of electric cars have wished for a battery pack that could power their vehicle for more than a thousand miles on a single charge. Researchers have developed a lithium-air battery that could make that dream a reality. The new battery design could also one day power airplanes and trucks. The main new component in this lithium-air battery is a solid electrolyte instead of the usual liquid variety.

Batteries with solid electrolytes are not subject to safety problems with the liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion and other battery types, which can overheat and catch fire. More importantly, the solid electrolyte can potentially boost the energy four times, which translates into longer driving range.

For over a decade, scientists have been working overtime to develop a lithium battery that makes use of the oxygen in air. The lithium-air battery has the highest energy of any battery technology being considered for the next generation of batteries beyond lithium-ion.

The new solid electrolyte is composed of a material made from relatively inexpensive elements, compared with the past designs. Besides, the chemical reaction in lithium-ion only involves one or two electrons stored per oxygen molecule, while that for lithium-air battery involves four electrons. More electrons stored means higher energy.

The new design is the first lithium-air battery that has achieved a four-electron reaction at room temperature. It also operates with oxygen supplied by air from the surrounding environment. The capability to run with air avoids the need for oxygen tanks to operate, a problem with earlier designs. “With further development, we expect our new design for the lithium-air battery to reach a record of 1200 watt-hours per kilogram,” said Curtiss, a researcher. “That is nearly four times better than lithium-ion batteries.”

1. What contributes most to the lithium-ion battery?

A．Solid electrolytes.	B．Liquid component.
C．Lithium-ion.	D．Oxygen molecules.

2. What’s the problem with lithium-ion batteries?

A．They burn easily if overheated.	B．They are unsafe in production.
C．They damage the environment.	D．They require longer charging time.

3. How does the author organize Paragraph 4?

A．By presenting statistics.	B．By giving examples.
C．By analyzing cause and effect.	D．By making comparisons.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．Electric Cars Are Becoming More Popular	B．How Lithium-air Batteries Work
C．New Batteries Offer Longer Driving Range	D．What will Be Used to Power Airplanes

【推荐2】People You' ve Never Heard of Who Changed the World

It is a fact that most people live their lives unremarked by history. Whether by design or by accident , there are some pioneers whose achievements changed the course of history but whose names are unknown to us.

James Harrison

James Harrison has saved the lives of over two million people by donating his blood l,173 times, a Guinness world record. His blood produces a rare antibody (抗体) which cures the otherwise deadly Rhesus disease in unborn children. It has also been used in the development of a medicine anti - D, which will cure the Rhesus disease in children forever.

Lewis Latimer

After helping Alexander Graham Bell obtain his patent for the telephone, Lewis Latimer patented a carbon filament (碳灯丝 ) , which allowed light bulbs to burn for hours before burning out, much more useful than that invented by Thomas Edison. Latimer went on to invent many other useful devices, including a device which cooled and cleaned patients' rooms in hospitals.

Maurice Hilleman

Not all achievements require bravery and self - sacrifice. Take Maurice Hilleman for example. He found another way to change the world. He developed the mumps vaccine (疫苗) after his daughter got the illness. And he didn ' t stop there. In total, he has single - handedly developed over 40 vaccines, including eight commonly given to children. His work has saved millions of lives and prevented serious consequences due to the diseases.

Nils Bohlin

In 1959 Nils Bohlin patented a revolutionary design that has saved millions of lives-the three - point safety belt. After the initial resistance from drivers who hated being told what to do, and even for their own good, the three - point belt has become a standard feature in new cars around the world.

1. Whose patent allowed light bulbs to burn for hours before burning out?

A．Lewis Latimer.	B．Alexander Graham Bell.
C．Thomas Edison.	D．Nils Bohlin.

2. What' s the similarity between James Harrison and Maurice Hilleman?

A．They both set a Guinness world record.

B．They both had spirits of bravery and self - sacrifice.

C．Their contributions saved the lives of many children.

D．They devoted themselves to work because of familv members.

3. What was drivers' initial attitude to the three - point seat belt?

A．They were content with it.	B．They refused to use it.
C．They accepted it calmly.	D．They got excited about it.

【推荐3】Homes are usually warmed with radiators (暖气片). Some homes are warmed by floor heating. Now, a new way of heating is being developed by using the “wallpaper” on your walls. This wallpaper is not decorative. It actually goes under and not over the wall-electrically heats a room. And this type of heating technology heats objects, even people, instead of the air and this helps you feel warmer.

The electric heating panels which are hidden in the wall are connected to the main electrical panels of your home. Each room can be used independently through an app so you do not have to heat unused rooms. It takes around 20 minutes to heat a room.

With rising prices for home heating, the panels seem like the right way to go. “It makes me happy that I don’t rely on gas.” Kris Bilski, an early user, said. An estimated 23 million homes in the UK are connected to the gas grid (网) but the government wants to phase out gas-fired boilers by 2035. Home heating is responsible for 17 percent of greenhouse gas emissions so removing fossil fuel-based heating will help the environment.

The new electric heating systems are available for private homes and the company is currently testing the new technology in public housing in some cities. The versions being tested can be installed (安装) while people are still living in the apartment so it makes installation a lot easier.

Heating your home with this type of technology does not heat your water, so an additional heating system is required. You can use an energy efficient heater.

While the wallpaper is greener, electricity in the UK is very costly. So it is not an economic way to heat homes unless there is a renewable energy source like solar panels used. Still, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels will go a long way to green the UK and help the country meet its climate targets.

1. What is special about the wallpaper compared with radiators?

A．It is decorative.

B．It is unseen.

C．It is traditional.

D．It is more efficient.

2. What does the underlined phrase “phase out” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Restore gradually.

B．Improve greatly.

C．Stop using.

D．Complete developing.

3. What is one of the advantages of wallpaper heating system?

A．It’s easy to be adjusted.	B．It looks beautiful.
C．It heats up instantly.	D．It fits all buildings.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the use of this wallpaper heating system in the UK?

A．Disapproving.

B．Unknown.

C．Enthusiastic.

D．Doubtful.

【推荐1】As we all know, science is developing faster than ever before. Recently, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly showed a photo of the orange zinnia (百日菊) online. It is the first flower to ever bloom (开花) in space and has attracted much attention all over the world. This may be the most exciting news in the field of science. The zinnia in the picture is so beautiful and looks similar to that on earth. Kelly cared for it for more than a month.

Scientists chose the zinnia flower species because it has a longer growth cycle. As a result, it can help them understand how plants flower and develop in microgravity (微重力)

“While the plants haven’t grown perfectly,” said Gioia Massa, the NASA science team leader, “I think we have gained a lot from this, and we are learning both more about plants and how to better operate between the ground and the station.”

This was not the first time that scientists had tried to grow the zinnia in space. Other astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) began growing the colorful flowers last year. However, the zinnia leaked (渗漏) water out of the tips of the leaves. What was worse, the spread of bacteria was wrecking its growth. Kelly then took over the operation and began taking care of the zinnia as he would in his own garden.

The ISS also successfully grew red romaine lettuce in July 2015. Kelly even took a bite of the harvested plants and posted the photo. NASA’s new experiment using the plant growth system will be started later. Astronauts will try to grow Chinese cabbage, dwarf tomatoes and so on.

1. Why does the zinnia draw public attention?

A．It looks beautiful and special.

B．It blooms in such a short time.

C．It is the first life to be found in space.

D．It is the first flower to bloom in space.

2. What does Gioia Massa mean in Paragraph 3?

A．The zinnia grows well beyond her expectation.

B．Many difficulties exist in space exploration.

C．The experiment helps better understand plants.

D．This experiment is completely different.

3. What does the underlined word “wrecking” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Strengthening.	B．Destroying.
C．Balancing.	D．Spotting.

4. Where does the text probably come from?

A．A news report.	B．A research plan.
C．An advertisement.	D．A science textbook.

【推荐2】The long, white robot weighs more than 450 kilograms. Like other robots, it is equipped with cameras and mechanical arms to automatically perform many different jobs.

Angus is a major part of operations at Alexander’s indoor robot farm about 40 kilometers south of San Francisco. The 743-square-meter farm uses a hydroponic system that grows plants without soil. The plants grow inside equipment that provides a continuous flow of water. The indoor farm uses electrical light instead of sunlight.

This kind of farm uses much less water and does not require human labor to run. The main job for Angus is to transfer thousands of plants around the farm, from small containers to larger ones as they grow. Angus also carries plants to another robot that does not have a name yet. Angus moves slowly to complete its work. But the robot is very strong and can lift about 300 kilograms.

For now, the farm uses humans to collect vegetables and other crops when they are ready. But Alexander says he is working on a robot that will eventually take over that job too.

Alexander helped start the company Iron Ox after leaving Google, where he worked on robotics at the company’s Google X project. He teamed up with another former Google employee, Jon Binney. Together they founded Iron Ox.

Iron Ox’s website says the hydroponic growing system uses 90 percent less water. It also says the growing method is up to 30 times more productive than growing crops on land.

Alexander says growing food robotically throughout the year in major cities will provide more consistent(一致的) and fresh products. Most of the vegetables sold in the U.S. are grown in California, Arizona, Mexico and other nations. That means many people in the U.S. cities are eating vegetables that are nearly a week old by the time they arrive at stores.

Indoor farms operate all year round and are not generally affected by bad weather. This will permit the company to provide a steady flow of goods without major price changes.

1. What does a “hydroponic system” provide to the plants?

A．Sunlight.

B．Fertilizer.

C．Water.

D．Soil.

2. How does Angus work in the farm?

A．It provides water for the plants.

B．It directs other robots to work.

C．It works on collecting vegetables.

D．It is in charge of moving plants.

3. What do we know about Alexander?

A．He started to work on robotics after leaving Google.

B．He started a company with Binney.

C．He works on collecting crops.

D．He started Iron Ox by himself.

4. What’s the advantage of Alexander’s farm?

A．The vegetables from his farm sell at a higher price.

B．The vegetables from his farm are more nutritious.

C．It uses electrical light instead of sunlight.

D．It uses less water but produces more.

5. Which of the following can be a suitable title of the test?

A．Robot Farm, the Future of the Agriculture

B．Robot Farm, Aiming to Bring Fresher Food to the U.S. Cities

C．Alexander, an Extraordinary Scientist on Robotics

D．Hydroponic System, the New Way of Farming

【推荐2】The artificial control of the weather, known as weather modification, seems like something out of a science fiction novel, but now it seems to have become a reality. Weather Modification International, a North Dakota-based company, is using planes to target clouds and draw out more rain from them.

The concept behind the practice, which is called cloud seeding, has been around for decades. But there is new urgency due to climate change and a rapidly growing global population, which have disrupted (中断) global water supplies.

Weather Modification describes cloud seeding as "an improvement"of the natural raining process. The technology makes storms more efficient by getting additional moisture (水汽) out of clouds.

"If there are no clouds in the sky that have any moisture in them, then we can't do anything."said Brian Kindrat, an aircraft captain at Weather Modification. "What we can do is tap into what is there and assist mother nature."

To do this, pilots target clouds with lots of moisture and put small amounts of a silver iodide (碘化银) mixture. The water in the clouds condenses (凝结) and becomes heavy. Then, it falls to the ground as rain.

The company sees cloud seeding as part of a solution for droughts (干旱). "We aren't going to solve large climate shifts in areas, but if you went back and you looked in California and said if we had an additional 10%, 15%, 20% of snowpack and rain over the last 10 year...it would be significantly different." said Neil Brackin, president of Weather Modification. "With such a program as cloud seeding, additional water for cities and agriculture is available. In fact everybody can benefit from it." Brackin added.

But there are concerns about cloud seeding's long-term impacts. For example, it's unclear how making it rain in one state affects a neighboring state. It's also up for debate who "owns" the water―such as which state or country―that comes out of the clouds. There are also environmental questions, such as ones related to the long-term impacts of silver iodide.

Although some critics may have concerns about companies impacting the weather, the company denies that it's "playing God". "We're not really playing God. I think that's really overstating what we're doing."Brackin said. "We're being very specific and environmentally friendly in what we're doing to enhance the natural raining."

1. What can we learn about cloud seeding from paragraph 2 and 3?

A．It has not been put into practice yet.

B．It will enable people to control the weather at will.

C．It is a new concept put forward recently.

D．It can help deal with drought.

2. What did Brian Kindrat want to say about Weather Modification？

A．It can create rain magically.

B．It can only depend on nature.

C．It has the ability to change nature.

D．It can produce rain from any cloud.

3. What can be inferred from Brackin's words in the last paragraph？

A．He is full of confidence in the future of cloud seeding.

B．He thinks the existing cloud seeding needs to be improved.

C．He disagrees with the criticism aimed at the impact of cloud seeding.

D．He believes cloud seeding can do much more than increasing rainfall.

4. What's the author's attitude to the practice of cloud seeing？

A．Objective

B．Critical

C．Approving

D．Doubtful

【推荐1】Scientists from Imperial College London have found that using virtual reality(VR)headsets can reduce sensitivity to pain, by immersing(沉浸)people in icy Arctic scenery. In a study published in Pain Reports, a team from Imperial used VR video to reduce people’s sensitivity to ongoing pain and sharp shooting pain.

According to the researchers, the findings add to the growing evidence for the potential of VR technology to help patients with long-term pain. Beyond the distracting effect, they think VR may actually cause the body’s own inbuilt pain-fighting systems to start working.

Dr Sam Hughes, the first author on the paper, said "Our work suggests that VR may be getting involved in processes in the key parts of our inbuilt pain-fighting systems and are helpful in regulating the spread of increased sensitivity to pain.

To test their theory, researchers applied a cream containing capsaicin(辣椒素)-the chemical that makes your mouth bum-to 15 healthy volunteers. The capsaicin makes the skin more sensitive to painful stimuli(刺激)like a very small electric shock.

In the first trial, participants were then asked to rate the pain caused by the capsaicin cream on a scale of 0-100 (from 'no pain' to 'worst pain possible' )while either watching a VR scene of Arctic exploration through a headset, or looking at a still image of an Arctic scene on a monitor. Under the same conditions, they were also asked to say when a stimulus applied directly to the skin area is considered as painful.

The team found that ongoing pain was reduced following VR immersion, and that sensitivity to painful stimuli was also reduced. However, the same effect was not seen in people who looked at still images of the polar environment.

They explain that while the findings made at the beginning are encouraging, the study is limited by the small number of healthy participants, without long-term pain. However, the researchers believe VR could hold a bright future to treat patients with long-term pain who have poor inbuilt pain fighting systems.

1. How can VR possibly help long-term pain sufferers?

A．By making their pain-fighting systems function.

B．By drawing their attention to fighting pain.

C．By controlling the spread of pain sensitivity.

D．By slowing down their brains' reaction to pain.

2. Which step comes first in their theory testing?

A．Making a capsaicin cream.

B．Putting on virtual reality headsets.

C．Applying capsaicin cream to the skin.

D．Looking at pictures on a computer screen.

3. What conclusion can be drawn from the trial?

A．Still images helped to ease people's pain.

B．VR immersion was the key factor in pain reduction.

C．Healthy people were less sensitive to VR than pain sufferers.

D．Capsaicin cream brought people more pain than electronic stimulus.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．The team feels confident about future VR treatment.

B．The researchers will work on the side effect of VR.

C．VR treatment can be applied in other medical fields.

D．The trial only has an effect on short-term pain patients.

【推荐2】Have you ever heard of invisible ink? You may have seen it in movies. When light is shone on the paper which invisible ink is written on, you can read it!

As magical as this seems, the change in color is due to science. The ink is absorbing higher energy light and giving lower energy light. This reaction is an example of fluorescence（荧光）.

Light is a very broad term that describes a range of electromagnetic rays, including gamma rays, infrared light（红外光）and ultraviolet light. One part of the electromagnetic visible light is the colors that we can see with the human eye. These rays travel in curvy lines and each type of the ray is characterized by a different wave pattern. For example, Gamma rays have a shorter wavelength than infrared light. Shorter wavelength is connected with higher energy, so gamma rays also have more energy than infrared light.

Corals（珊瑚）are animals that live underwater. And the corals in the Red Sea exhibit fluorescence. Why is this happening? Scientists have shown that fluorescent objects absorb higher energy light and release lower energy light. Since the corals of the Red Sea are deep in the water where there is very little visible light, scientists theorize that these corals absorb ultraviolet light and produce visible light. They have special photo proteins, which enable them to change invisible light to visible light.

Fluorescence is not just used to create pretty colors. Corals have developed photo proteins for a biological reason. The visible light is used by algae（海藻）, which are eaten by the coral, to make food through photosynthesis（光合作用）. The visual character of these photo proteins could also be used for biomedical research. They can highlight cells and cell structures under a microscope.

Isn't it amazing that a simple organism that we don't think very much of is not only grand but could also have so many potential uses in medical research!

1. The author mentioned invisible ink to________.

A．describe its various uses in movies

B．analyze the many changes in colors

C．prove the magical power of science

D．give an explanation of fluorescence

2. What can we learn about fluorescent corals from the passage?

A．They take in higher energy light.

B．They cannot live in visible light.

C．They are invisible deep in water.

D．They produce more infrared light.

3. Why are the corals in the Red Sea fluorescent?

A．To make full use of photosynthesis.

B．To make their appearances colorful.

C．To provide light for algae to make food.

D．To defend themselves from being eaten.

【推荐3】People are social creatures and we depend on our relationships with others for our health and happiness. While we can individually make efforts toward slow living, finally we need the support of others and community organizations to be successful. Slow Cities meet this need. Like Slow Food, the Slow Cities movement started in Italy. Its organization is known as Cittaslow, which has spread to about 30 other countries throughout the world since 1999.

Cittaslow has set up 50 goals and principles, which supports communities as they protect the environment and build upon their own special qualities reflecting their historical roots as well as their strong desire or ambition for the future. This is not about nostalgia and following tradition closely; rather it is a call to refuse the forces of the same types that result in every place looking and feeling like every other place. By gathering together with others who share the same opinions or interests, we can start to include new projects to further improve the quality of life in our communities by using our imagination.

The basic part of Slow Cities is the idea that our health and happiness partly depend upon a healthy connection to the people and place where we live. The growing Sunday Parkways movement is just one great example of an activity that combines many of the well-being goals for cities in a fun, healthy, and family-oriented way. The Cittaslow website is designed as a place where ideas like these can be explored and exchanged.

The Slow Cities movement is not just about improving the quality of life of the citizens; it also encourages communities to develop their friendly and generous behavior towards guests, offering them an organized event, for example, a concert, a sporting event so that visitors can go through what is different and special about the area, really learning about the local culture. Slow Cities invite people to slow down so that they can see and connect with the rich diversity of the world where they live as well as the diversity of the world around them.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To show that human beings need social activities.

B．To stress that it is necessary to have Cittaslow.

C．To prove that the Slow Cities movement is getting popular.

D．To explain the relationship between health and happiness.

2. What does Cittaslow encourage the people in communities to do?

A．Be creative and improve their quality of life.

B．Be responsible and reflect on their historical development.

C．Be well prepared and try to continue their local customs.

D．Be grateful and value the good old days that they have had.

3. As for Slow Cities, what is necessary for a healthy and happy life?

A．The activities and community culture.	B．The opinions and childhood education.
C．The neighbors and living environment.	D．The experiences and family background.

4. After coming to Slow Cities a traveler would be likely to become　 　.

A．stubborn

B．hard-working

C．open-minded

D．strong-willed