On Earth, sunlight can be covered by clouds and there is no sunlight at night. But in space, the sun shines all the time.
Imagine being able to use energy from the sun all the time. Scientists at Caltech (California Institute of Technology) are working on collecting sunlight in space and sending its energy to Earth. They have created a special tool called MAPLE for this project. MAPLE’s job is to test the idea of sending energy wirelessly(无线地) from space to Earth. It is a lot more difficult because we usually use wires to move electrical energy from one place to another.
To show that MAPLE could work, the scientists did a test. MAPLE sent energy to two devices (设备) 30 cm away in space. The energy was then turned into electricity, MAPLE sent energy to a lab at Caltech. The scientists were able to discover the energy, showing that it’s possible to send energy from the sun to Earth from space.
The scientists at Caltech are now trying to find ways to improve MAPLE. In the future, they hope to launch (发射) many large devices. Each will have huge solar panels (太阳能电池板), along with MAPLE devices to send the energy down to Earth wirelessly.
Using MAPLE, the scientists will be able to send the power to exactly where they want it, either in space or on Earth. Dr. Hajimiri, thinks that one day MAPLE could bring energy to places that need it, helping more people all over the world.
1. What does the underlined word “It “refer to?| A．Being able to use energy. |
| B．Collecting sunlight in space. |
| C．Sending energy to Earth from space. |
| D．Moving electrical energy to another place. |
| A．How the scientists tested MAPLE. |
| B．What problems the scientists faced. |
| C．What the scientists discovered in space. |
| D．How the scientists sent MAPLE to space. |
| A．Add more panels to MAPLE. |
| B．Send more large devices into space. |
| C．Do more scientific tests in the lab at Caltech. |
| D．Turn more energy from MAPLE into electricity. |
| A．It will be widely used soon. |
| B．It will take time to get popular. |
| C．It will be very useful to humans. |
| D．It will be hard for people to accept it. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Many of us may have experienced the surprise of seeing recommended(推荐的) songs after listening to certain songs on a music app. When we open shopping websites, we are more likely to see things that we might want to buy.
This is based on data (数据). Data is not only about numbers, but also information from almost every part of our lives: our location, shopping habits and interests. All of these are called “big data”.
President Xi Jinping called for China to speed up its big data level in order to better serve social and economic(经济的) development and improve people’s lives. He also asked for greater use of big data in areas like education, social safety and transportation.
In the past few years, we have seen big data being used more often in China. The role it plays in tourism is just one example. The data travelers share online is providing the tourism industry with a lot of information about the country’s scenic areas. After the data is analyzed (分析), different scenic areas can create their own online information for other travelers to see. The information not only tells travelers’ reviews, but also tells the scenic areas where services need to be improved.
Big data is important for economic development. With a growth rate of 30 percent, sales of big data services and products in China will reach l trillion (万亿) yuan yearly.
1. Big data is about ________.| A．songs and shopping lists | B．technologies and habits |
| C．pictures from websites | D．numbers and information |
| A．social safety | B．education | C．game | D．transportation |
| A．To make it a popular style. | B．To collect as much information as possible. |
| C．To better serve the development of China. | D．To improve China’s industry. |
| A．现场 | B．景区 | C．景象 | D．环境 |
| A．health magazine | B．movie report |
| C．science and technology magazine | D．storybook |
Many shopping malls now have areas with “VR Experience Area”. You may have entered one or two out of curiosity (好奇心) or you may think it’s just useless technology.
2016 has seen the introduction of many fancy products in the VR world, including Google’s Dovydream View and Samsung’s Gear VR.
2017 is going to be the year in which VR technology really starts to get popular. For a start, using VR has become normal in 2017. In fact, Microsoft and Intel have already started to discuss their plans for simpler and less expensive VR headsets (头戴式耳机).
As time goes by, there will be less and less discussion about whether or not people will accept VR technology.
| A．We like travelling to big cities. |
| B．Now it’s just a question of when. |
| C．More robots will be brought to factories. |
| D．But whatever your reaction is, one thing is for sure. |
| E．It is expected that VR products will become popular. |
| F．All of them offer an interesting look at the new opportunities that VR brings. |
| G．Therefore, many people will be able to have the experience about putting on a VR headset. |
【推荐3】① China has changed a lot in the years since I first moved here. One major development is the use of cashless payment (无现金支付), which has changed the way we live and shop.
② China is hardly the first country to have cashless payment. I used a debit card (借记卡) to pay for things without cash for years in the US. Now I can use my phone instead and it’s easy and convenient. One of the things I like most is that I can send and receive money directly (直接地) among my friends. It is much easier to pay for the meal when we eat out together. And it is also simple to travel. For example, I often scan a QR code (扫二维码) to pay for the bill of parking.
③ But like all technology, cashless payment has some problems as well. What happens if your phone gets lost or Internet connection doesn’t work? Not long ago, I went to a nearby store to buy some snacks. But when I got there, I found that the store’s Internet connection didn’t work. I couldn’t pay for the bill with my phone. And I didn’t have any cash with me. So I had to leave regretfully (遗憾地). So even though cashless payments are convenient, you should always carry a bit of cash.
④ Nowadays, there are lots of new technologies like cashless payment in China. It tells the world that this country develops very fast and many technologies even take the lead.
1. Where does the writer come from?| A．China. | B．America. | C．England. | D．Japan. |
| A．pay for the bill |
| B．send and receive money directly among friends |
| C．make it simple to travel |
| D．use when your phone gets lost |
| A．It has changed people’s life a little. |
| B．It is convenient, but we still need to carry a bit of cash. |
| C．It is really easier to pay for with cash than cashless payment. |
| D．We can avoid any possible problems with cashless payment. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐1】The job of protecting kids most often falls to parents. If they know about risks in and around their homes and communities, they can take steps to protect their children against the risks.
Many parents realise the importance of safety around pools and at the beach. But they don’t pay much attention to bathtubs（浴缸）. When children are taking a bath, parents must stay by them. Most drowning cases happen when a child falls into a pool or is left alone when he or she is taking a bath. The younger the child is, the greater the risk is. Millions of kids are living in high levels of lead（铅）every day. Children under the age of 6 are especially easy to be harmed because their growing bodies get in more lead than grown-ups. Never put food in newspaper or printed paper. Reduce the food like popcorn and potato chips. Before eating fruit and vegetables, wash them with clean water.
Young children have the habit of putting things in their mouths. As a result, kids can’t breathe, or their throats can be hurt. Every patent should realise the dangers of this. Put small things away from kids. Check the things whose small parts can be taken off. Cut children’s food into very small pieces so that they can’t stay in children’s throats.
1. What should parents do to protect their children?| A．Keep their children at home all the time. |
| B．Work at a company that is close to their home. |
| C．Work at the community that they live in. |
| D．Pay attention to the risks near where they live. |
| A．溺水的 | B．戏水的 | C．奇怪的 | D．伟大的 |
| A．Don’t let a kid take a bath at any time. |
| B．Never let a kid eat popcorn or potato chips. |
| C．Don’t let a young kid hold small things in the hand. |
| D．Never eat the food packed in paper baps. |
| A．Children should learn to protect themselves against risks. |
| B．Parents are children’s first teachers on their growth. |
| C．Advice for children to keep themselves away from the risks. |
| D．Advice for parents to keep children away from the risks. |
What’s the best way to cut the cake?
The party is over, and there’s one tasty cake left. You should really share that last piece with your sister. And no fighting! How can you make sure that each of you ends up happily?
*I Cut, You Choose
One popular solution is “I cut, you choose”. In this method, one person cuts the cake （or whatever needs dividing）, but the other one gets to choose which half he or she wants. This way, the person doing the cutting will try to make sure the pieces are in similar size.
People have been dividing cakes, land, treasure and other things this way for thousands of years. But what do you do if three or more people want to divide a cake fairly?
*First Call
You can get a friend to help. She slowly moves a knife above the cake. You, your sister and your friend watch closely. Each one is ready to call out “Stop” as soon as the knife reaches a point about 1/3 of the way across. The first person to shout gets the first piece. The knife continues to move across the rest of the cake until a second person yells “Stop” . This way, each of you should end up with a piece that you are happy with.
Of course, once the first piece is chosen, you can also go back to the “I cut, you choose” method to divide the last bit.
Math experts believe that there can be other ways of sharing things. They may use other things like cups instead of a knife. It’s all part of getting people to share and stay happy.
根据短文内容, 判断下列各句子正（T）、误（F）。
1. If you and your sister want to share a cake, you can use “I cut, you choose” method.
2. People use “I cut, you choose” method only to divide food.
3. “First call” means to call someone up on the phone for the first time.
4. When we use “First call” to divide a cake, the first person to shout gets the first piece.
5. No matter what method or tool we use, the real meaning is to get people to share and stay happy.
【推荐3】In both Africa and Asia elephants are in great danger because of changes in their natural habitats (栖息地). People are moving into the elephants’ habitats and endangering their lives. In the country of Sri Lanka, there is one place where elephants are not only protected but also respected. It is called the Elephant Transit Home (ETH).
Set up in 1995, the ETH aims to protect and nurture baby elephants that are found hurt or living without their mothers in the wild. Every year about 30 baby elephants in Sri Lanka need help. As many as possible are brought to the ETH. There they are given food, shelter, and medical care. Most importantly, they are given the chance to be with other elephants and become part of a herd (象群).
A day at the ETH begins early in the morning when the baby elephants are given their first feeding of milk. During the day, each baby will drink an average of 13 gallons of milk. Older elephants are fed mostly coconut leaves and other native plants. Then the elephants are allowed to walk around, eating the grass and forming a herd. The cost of caring for the baby elephants is high. The ETH spends about $125,000 each year on powdered milk for the baby elephants.
At the ETH, workers try to reduce human connection with the elephants. They also try to increase bonds (联系) between the elephants. It usually takes three years for a baby elephant to be set free into its natural habitat. The elephants are sent back to the wild together with other orphans with whom they have bonded. This program helps them return to the wild as members of a herd that will communicate with each other and take care of each other.
The ETH is considered one of the best animal protection sites in the world. Not only are the elephants looked after, they are treated with respect. Most importantly, they go back to live in the wild, where they belong.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. What does the underlined word “nurture” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Set free. | B．Care for. | C．Stick to. | D．Take risks |
| A．It receives about $125,000 each year. | B．It is the largest animal protection site. |
| C．It helps to keep baby elephants safe. | D．It changes elephants’ habitats for the better. |
| A．train them to stay away from hunters | B．provide them with more living space |
| C．study them better in a natural environment | D．help them make it in the wild as a herd |
①Elephants become members of a herd in the wild.
②Elephants are given food, shelter and medical care.
③Baby elephants are taken back from the wild.
④Elephants are set free to their habitat.
| A．②—①—③—④ | B．③—④—①—② | C．②—③—④—① | D．③—②—④—① |
| A．To show the ways of wildlife protection. | B．To explain the danger baby elephants face. |
| C．To introduce an animal protection project. | D．To ask the readers to protect elephants. |
