1 . The history of microbiology begins with Dutch cloth maker named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, a man of no formal scientific education. In the late 1600s. Leeuwenhoek, inspired by the magnifying lenses(放大镜)he used to examine cloth, built some of the first-microscopes. He developed technique to improve the quality of tiny, rounded lenses, some of which could magnify an object up to 270 times. After removing some plaque from between his teeth and examining it under a lens, Leeuwenhoek found tiny twisting creatures, which he called “animalcules”.
His observations, which he reported to the Royal Society of London, are among the first descriptions of microbes(微生物). Leeuwenhoek discovered an entire universe invisible to the human eye. He found different microbes in samples of pond water, rain water, and human blood. He gave the first description of red blood cells, observed plant tissue, examined muscle, and investigated the life cycle of insects.
Nearly two hundred years later, Leeuwenhock’s discovery of microbes helped French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur to develop his “theory of disease”. This concept suggested that disease originates from tiny organisms attacking and weakening the body. Pasteur’s theory later helped doctors to fight infectious diseases including anthrax, diphtheria, polio, smallpox, tetanus, and typhoid. All these breakthroughs were the result of Leeuwenhoek’s original work. Leeuwenhoek did not foresee this legacy.
In a 1716 letter, he described his contribution to science this way: “My work, which I’ve done for a long time, was not pursued in order to gain the praise I now enjoy, but chiefly from a strong desire for knowledge, which I notice resides in me more than in most other men. And therefore; whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that the scientific community might be informed thereof.”
1. Which of the following best describes Leeuwenhoek?A.trained researcher with an interest in microbiology |
B.A curious amateur who made pioneer studies of microbes |
C.A talented scientist interested in finding a cure for disease |
D.A bored cloth maker who accidentally made a major discovery |
A.the discovery of microbes |
B.Pasteur’s theory of disease |
C.Leeuwenhoek’s contribution |
D.the origin of the tiny organism |
A.He admitted that many of his discoveries happened by chance. |
B.He considered his work to be central to later medical breakthroughs. |
C.He was greatly concerned with improving people’s living conditions. |
D.He believed the sharing of knowledge was a key to scientific progress |
a. Magnifying lenses were built.
b. The “theory of disease” was put forward
c. Microbes were discovered in samples of waters.
d. Leeuwenhoek’s first microscopes were successfully developed.
e. Leeuwenhoek explained his thoughts upon his own contribution.
A.a-d-c-e-b | B.d-a-c-e-b | C.a-c-d-b-e | D.d-a-e-b-c |
We were both in great anger. “Never set foot in this house again!” stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I wandered aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree.
But now … I don’t know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions and codes of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on th e streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived , I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself: “Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?”
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps. I can’t stand his outrageous(蛮横的)words: “I can’t throw you away, let alone these old papers?”
All the lights were off except father’s.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn’t know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any mercy or any moments of regret. After an argument he has the habit of creeping up in my sleep and then tucking me underneath the covers.
This was how he always was. He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. “Am I wrong?” I whispered, maybe… With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist(存在) at all. Love—it second to none.
1. Decide which is the best order of the following according to what happened in the passage.
a. I opened the door and entered the house.
b. Sadly I ran out into the street.
c. I reached the place where I lived and saw my house still brightly lit.
d. I thought of my father’s kindness towards me.
e. I walked about in the street without any aim.
A.b, e, d, c, a | B.b, e, c, d, a |
C.b, e, a, c, d | D.b, e, c, a, d |
A.The sight of the street lights. |
B.The sight of the empty street. |
C.The sight of a father with a child in his arms. |
D.The sight of light in his own house. |
A.perhaps the father is getting older and older. |
B.perhaps the son has already grown up. |
C.perhaps they never agree with each other. |
D.perhaps the father has got used to doing that. |
A.The father treats his son in an unfair way. |
B.The father is actually kind to his son. |
C.The father is neither kind nor cruel to his son. |
D.The father is always finding fault with his son. |
Do you have imagination? Do you like to solve problems? Can you? If so, you could be the next great inventor. “But I’m just a kid,” you might say! Don’t worry about a little thing like age. For example, one famous inventor — Benjamin Franklin — got his start when he was only 12. At that young age, he created paddles for his hands to help him swim faster. Finally his creation led to what we know is called flippers!
So you don’t have to be an adult to be an inventor. One thing you do need, though, is something that kids have plenty of: curiosity and imagination. Kids are known for looking at things in new and unique ways.
So what should you do if you have what is a great idea for an invention? Talk to a friend or family member about it. Get input from others about your idea. Then ask them to help you create a working model — called a prototype (原型) — of your idea.
Once you have a prototype, you can test it. Sometimes your idea turns out to be not as great as you thought. At other times, though, you realize it is a good idea and your prototype can help you figure out how to make it even better.
If your idea is really a good one, an adult can help you contact companies that might be interested in it. You will also want an adult’s help to get a patent (专利权) for your idea, so that it is protected and can’t be stolen by someone else. If you need some inspiration, consider these kids and their inventions:
Jeanie Low invented the Kiddie Stool when she was just 11. It’s a folding stool that fits under the kitchen sink. Kids can unfold it and use it to reach the sink all by themselves.
At the age of 15, Louis Braille invented the system named after him that allows the blind to read.
Chelsea Lanmon received a patent when she was just 8 for the “pocket diaper”, a new type of diaper that includes a pocket for holding baby wipes and powder.
1. By saying “But I’m just a kid”, you probably mean you ________.A.are too young to achieve anything |
B.can do anything though you are young |
C.are old enough to become an inventor |
D.have to learn knowledge from other people |
A.a patent—a prototype—a good idea—an invention |
B.an invention—a good idea—a patent—a prototype |
C.a good idea—a prototype—an invention—a patent |
D.a prototype—a patent—a good idea—an invention |
A.Jeanie Low. | B.Benjamin Franklin. | C.Chelsea Lanmon. | D.Louis Braille. |
A.Kids have curiosity and imagination |
B.There are some world famous inventors |
C.Kids are exactly like adults in a way |
D.It is possible for kids to be inventors |
4 . Donating blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. The donation process from the time you arrive until the time you leave takes about an hour. The donation itself is only about 8—10 minutes on average. The steps in the process are:
Step 1: Registration
1. Our staff and volunteers will sign you in and go over basic eligibility (资格) and donation information.
2. You will read information about donating blood, and will be asked to show a donor card,driver’s license, or other form(s) of ID.
Step 2: Health History & Mini-Physical
1. You will answer some questions during a private and confidential interview about your health history and places you have traveled.
2. We will check your temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin (血红蛋白) level present in a sample of blood.
Step 3: The Donation
1. We will clean an area on your arm and insert a brand new clean needle for the blood draw. This feels like a quick pain and is over in seconds.
2. The actual donation takes about 8—10 minutes, during which you will be seated comfortably. Certain donation types, such as platelets (血小板) or red cells can take up to 2 hours.
3. When approximately a pint of blood has been collected, the donation is complete and a staff person will place a bandage on your arm.
Step 4: Refreshments
1. After donating, you should have a snack and something to drink in the refreshments area. You can leave the site after 10—15 minutes and continue with your normal daily activities.
2. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment knowing that you have helped save lives.
1. Which of the following can be a proper title for the passage?A.The process of blood donation |
B.The benefits of blood donation |
C.The importance of blood donation |
D.The preparations for blood donation |
A.go over his basic donation information |
B.show something to prove his identity |
C.answer some questions about his health history |
D.have his temperature and blood pressure checked |
a. clean an area on the donor’s arm
b. let the donor sit comfortably
c. place a bandage on the donor’s arm
d. draw the blood
e. insert a needle
A.a,b,d,e,c | B.b,a,c,e,d |
C.c,b,a,e,d | D.b,a,e,d,c |
5 . Robert Ballard was born in 1942. From an early age, he loved the sea. Baliard grew up in Southern California. He spent his free time at the beach near his home. He enjoyed fishing and swimming. He even learned to dive.
When Ballard wasn't at the ocean, he loved reading about it. At age 10, he read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a book which describes the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo. Ballard decided he wanted to be like Captain Nemo when he grew up. His parents helped him follow his dream.
Ballard was a hardworking student. He spent many years learning all he could about the ocean. By the age of 28, he was an expert. In 1970, he took a job as a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. There he studied underwater mountains of the Atlantic Ocean. He came up with ways to predict volcanoes under the oceans. Working with other scientists, Ballard also found previously unknown sea animals. These animals lived far below the ocean's surface, where scientists had believed no animals could live.
By the 1980s, Ballard's interests changed. He developed unmanned vehicles to explore the ocean bottom. His first find, the wellknown ship Titanic, made Ballard famous. He was not happy with just one big find, however. He looked for—and found—other wellknown ships. One was the German battleship Bismarck. Another was the U. S.S. Yorktown, an aircraft carrier that sank during World War Ⅱ.
Today Robert Ballard is still an underwater explorer. He also heads an organization that encourages students to learn about science. Ballard hopes that some of the students will follow in his footsteps. After all, the world's huge oceans are mostly unknown. Who knows what remains to be discovered under the sea?
1. When Ballard worked at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, he ________.A.explored the undersea world by ship |
B.thought of ideas to predict underwater volcanoes |
C.found some unknown sea animals alone |
D.set up an organization to teach students science |
a. He found the German battleship Bismarck.
b. He read a book about Captain Nemo.
c. He found the famous ship Titanic.
d. He became an expert in science.
A.b—c—d—a | B.d—b—c—a |
C.d—c—a—b | D.b—d—c—a |
A.Ballard was greatly influenced by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. |
B.Ballard didn't like fishing and swimming in his childhood. |
C.Ballard's parents felt disappointed at his undersea adventures. |
D.Human beings have explored more than half of the sea. |
Natural leaves are able to change sunlight and water into energy. It is known as photosynthesis (光合作用).Now researchers have found a way to imitate this seemingly simple process.
The artificial leaf developed by Daniel Nocera and his colleagues at MIT can be seen as a special silicon chip with catalysts (催化剂).Similar to natural leaves,it can split water into hydrogen and oxygen when put into a bucket of water. The hydrogen and oxygen gases are then stored in a fuel cell,which uses those two materials to produce electricity,located either on top of a house or beside the house.
Though the leaf is only about the shape of a poker card,scientists claimed that it is promising to be an inexpensive source of electricity in developing countries. “One can imagine villages in India and Africa not long from now purchasing an affordable basic power system based on this technology,” said Nocera at a conference of the American Chemical Society.
The artificial leaf is not a new idea. The first artificial leaf was invented in 1997 but was too expensive and unstable for practical use. The new leaf,by contrast,is made of cheap materials,easy to use and highly stable. In laboratory studies,Nocera showed that an artificial leaf prototype (原型) could operate continuously for at least 45 hours without a drop in activity.
The wonderful improvements come from Nocera's recent discovery of several powerful,new and inexpensive catalysts. These catalysts make the energy transformation inside the leaf more efficient with water and sunlight. Right now,the new leaf is about 10 times more efficient at carrying out photosynthesis than a natural one. Besides,the device can run in whatever water is available;that is,it doesn't need pure water. This is important for some countries that don't have access to pure water.
With the goal to “make each home its own power station” and “give energy to the poor”,scientists believe that the new technology could be widely used in developing countries,especially in India and rural China.
1. Which of the following orders correctly shows how the artificial leaf is used to produce electricity?
a.artificial leaves split water into hydrogen and oxygen
b.the hydrogen and oxygen gases are stored in a fuel cell
c.the artificial leaves are put in water
d.the fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity
A.c,a,b,d | B.c,b,a,d |
C.b,c,a,d | D.c,a,d,b |
A.build up more power stations in the world |
B.provide cheaper energy for developing countries |
C.offer people in developing countries access to pure water |
D.gain a deeper understanding of the photosynthesis process |
A.an introduction to the history of artificial leaves |
B.a mixture of water power and solar energy |
C.giving energy to the poor |
D.an invention copying photosynthesis |