1 . On paper, hydrogen（H2）looks like a dream fuel. Coal, oil, and natural gas produce carbon dioxide, which warms the earth when burned, Hydrogen produces pure water. Hydrogen packs more energy into less space than a battery（but certainly less than petrol）. Also, empty tanks（燃料箱）can be refilled with hydrogen much faster than refilling empty batteries with electricity.
While in practice, things are trickier. Storing a meaningful amount of hydrogen gas requires pressing it several hundred-fold. Changing it into the liquid form is another option, but it should be cooled to-253C. Both processes require a heavy and strong tank. While a 700 bar tank is acceptable for a city bus or a truck, adapting it for use in small vehicles is very difficult because the pressure during refilling would be too great.
The solution? Powerpaste.
A German team of researchers, led by Marcus Vogt, have come up with an interesting "powerpaste", which can store hydrogen energy at atmospheric pressure, ready for release when needed. It is so named because it comes in tubes and looks like toothpaste（牙膏）, not in its traditional form of gas.
The main ingredient（原料）of the paste is magnesium hydride, a substance that reacts with water to form hydrogen. The escaped hydrogen can then be directed into a fuel cell, where it reacts with oxygen from the air to produce electric power.
Refueling is very simple, as instead of going to a filling station, drivers and riders can simply replace an empty tube with a new one and refill the water tank.
Given that powerpaste only begins to break down at temperatures of around 250℃ it remains safe even when a vehicle stands in the baking sun for hours.
However, we will have to be patient. Just because researchers have succeeded in developing a new fueling way does not mean that we can expect to see such vehicles on the road anytime soon. It will indeed be several years before this concept is turned into reality.
1. As a fuel, what is the advantage of hydrogen over oil?| A．Refilling empty tanks will be more convenient. |
| B．It is less likely to worsen global warming |
| C．More energy can be packed in the same space. |
| D．It will produce pure water for people to drink. |
| A．The practical difficulties to use hydrogen as fuel in small vehicles. |
| B．The detailed processes of adapting a strong tank in small vehicles. |
| C．The differences in fueling between large vehicles and small ones. |
| D．The tricks of building strong tanks in small vehicles. |
| A．inexpensive | B．powerful | C．convenient | D．environment-friendly |
| A．Powerpaste-driven vehicles sometimes move very slowly on the road. |
| B．Practical use of powerpaste-driven vehicles will not come very soon. |
| C．Powerpaste-driven vehicles can only work after being in the sun for hours |
| D．It will be years before the researchers work out the concept of powerpaste. |
2 . Growing salad in space is a step closer to becoming a reality, thanks to hundreds of thousands of young people who helped conduct an out-of-this-world experiment.
The project started in 2015, when British astronaut Tim Peake took a million rocket seeds with him on his journey to the International Space Station (ISS). The seeds spent six months there before they were sent back to Earth in 2016. In a message sent from the ISS, Peake said the science experiment was to find out if the conditions in space, such as lack of gravity, affected the seeds’ ability to grow.
Around 600,000 pupils at 8,600 schools in the UK were then asked to grow the rocket seeds that had been to space, along with regular seeds that had never left the planet. Peake described the experiment as “one of the largest and most inspirational experiments of its kind”.
The results of the study, which have just been published, found that the space seeds grew more slowly than the ones that had stayed on Earth, because they had aged quicker. Researchers on the experiment said this was due to the stresses of space travel, such as the zero-gravity atmosphere and high levels of cosmic rays, which slowed the growth of the plants. Cosmic rays are high-energy, fast-moving particles(微粒) made up of tiny bits of atoms. Most of them come from outside the solar system, although some come from the Sun.
Now researchers are hopeful that if the seeds are properly protected, it might be possible to grow plants during future space missions to other planets. Dr Jake Chandler, from Royal Holloway, University of London, who led the study, said, “the prospect of eating home-grown salad on Mars may be one small step closer”.
1. Why did Tim Peake take seeds to ISS?| A．To explore the secret of gravity. |
| B．To have astronauts grow salad in ISS. |
| C．To arouse young kids’ interest in salad. |
| D．To test the space influence on seeds’ growth. |
| A．Encouraged. | B．Interested. | C．Confused. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The results of the study is disappointing. |
| B．The space seeds age more slowly than the earth ones. |
| C．The earth seeds grow faster than the space ones. |
| D．Most of the particles come from the solar system. |
| A．Students will help out in space salad study. |
| B．Man will probably eat salad grown on other planets. |
| C．More pupils will be involved in salad growing. |
| D．Man will mainly depend on salad grown on Mars. |
3 . Unless you are like Nasty Gal’s founder Sophia Amoruso, the passwords you use to access your email and the endless other accounts you need for work aren’t filled with intention. With increasing security requirements, it’s likely your word/number combinations are becoming even less memorable. But new research suggests it may not be long before you won’t need to memorize passwords.
“Brainprint”, published in Neurocomputing, reveals that the brain’s reaction to certain words could be a unique identifying code — like a fingerprint — that could eventually replace passwords.
In a small experiment, the researchers measured the brains’ signals of 45 volunteers as they read through a list of 75 acronyms such as FBI and DVD. The word-recognition response differed so much between each participant that a second experiment using a computer program could identify each one with 94% accuracy.
It’s not enough to feel totally secure, but promising enough to hint at the future of securing sensitive information.
The advantage of using such a biometric system (生物识别系统) is that it can be used for continuous verification (验证), New Scientist points out. Passwords or fingerprints only provide a tool for one-off identification. Continuous verification could in theory allow someone to interact with many computer systems at the same time or even with a variety of intelligent objects, without having to repeatedly enter passwords for each device.
As Hollywood has illustrated, it’s simply a matter of cutting off a finger to steal that person’s identity. “Brainprints, on the other hand, are potentially cancellable,” said Sarah Laszlo, assistant professor of psychology and linguistics at Binghamton University and co-author of the study, “So, in the unlikely event that attackers were actually able to steal a brainprint from an authorized user, the authorized user could then ‘reset’ their brainprint.”
Until now, brain signals have been a challenge to understand. This experiment leaped over the obstacle by focusing on the brainwaves from the specific area that reads and recognizes words. The signal is therefore clearer and easier to measure.
The problem, so far, is that the brain signal is still not as accurate as scanning someone’s fingerprint, and initially requires sticking diodes (二极管) on your head in order to get a read. That’s ok, according to Zhanpeng Jin, assistant professor at Binghamton University and coauthor of the study, because brainprint isn’t going to be mass-produced any time soon. He says the researchers foresee its use at places such as the Pentagon, where the number of authorized users is small, and they don’t need to be continuously verified the way you do to access your mobile device or email.
Better keep your memory sharp, at least a little while longer.
1. In paragraph 5, “one-off identification” refers to the identification that _______.| A．happens as part of a regular series | B．interacts with intelligent objects |
| C．can be verified continuously | D．needs repeated verification |
| A．fingerprints can be canceled once stolen | B．brainprints are theft-proof and resettable |
| C．attackers can steal and replace brainprints | D．users have the authority to cancel brainprints |
| A．brainprints will sharpen users’ memory | B．brainprints will become easier to be measured |
| C．brainprints will receive narrow application | D．brainprints will eventually replace fingerprints |
| A．Brainprints: A New Way to Replace Passwords |
| B．Brainprints: A Unique Device to Identify Codes |
| C．Brainprints: A Quicker Way to Access Your Email |
| D．Brainprints: A Securer Device to Identify Brain Signals |
4 . Predictions for Automation by 2040
Experts have given their top predictions for what house technology will revolutionise home living in the near future.
House Robots
Predicted to start appearing in households in the 2030s, they will be able to load the dishwasher and put away pots and pans, fold the laundry, change sheets and move furniture.
Multi-Function Drones(无人机)
Tiny drones will be commonplace in the 2030s. Some will pick up small spots of dirt, clean surfaces, water plants and monitor security around the home. Some will shine an infrared beam(红外光束)at the room's occupants to warm them as they move around the house.
AI Butlers(人工智能管家)
They are best imagined as extremely advanced versions of Siri or Alexa. They will be able to take control of all rountine life administrator like paying bills, managing subscriptions, doing your shopping and constantly monitoring ways to save you time and money.
Reverse Microwave
It is designed to cool things down in seconds so wines and beers can be chilled in seconds rather than hours.
Washing Balls
A tennis-ball sized ultrasonic(超声的)device that uses ultrasound(超声)to clean. It will be placed inside a pile or bucket of clothing to clean clothes without the need for a bulky(庞大的)washing machine.
Super Smart Fridges
They will learn what you eat, record when stocks are low, and even recommend recipes.
1. Which is NOT needed with multi- function drones?| A．Broom. | B．Computer. | C．Fridge. | D．Washing machine. |
| A．Backward. | B．Opposite. | C．Multifunctional. | D．Changeable. |
| A．They can record what they have. | B．They will be environmentally friendly. |
| C．They will learn to cook to people's taste. | D．They can offer people instructions for preparing dishes. |
5 . What you will become in the future depends a lot on what you are doing to yourself now.
You can be brilliant, unforgettable or interesting as long as you believe that you are the creator of yourself.
Don’t hope that life is easier. Don’t let others get you down and stop you from achieving what you set out to achieve.
Learn to be courageous. Go and discover your unique attributes and learn to move away from your comfort zone. Take a vigorous action.
| A．Don’t stop being the best of yourself. |
| B．You can also be a failure if you are not responsible for your future. |
| C．So you don’t need a fortuneteller to tell you what your future life will be. |
| D．Remember, you are the creator of yourself. |
| E．Be in charge of yourself and as you move towards your life goal, |
| F．Tell yourself that you are in charge and the world will not be able to resist a person on a successful path. |
| G．Once you know what you want to achieve each little step you take every day will bring you closer to your goal. |
6 . Those concerned that robots are taking over the world can rest easy-for now. Though the androids have proved useful at performing ordinary tasks, they are not ready for prime time. At least that appears to be the case at Japan’s cutting-edge Henn-na Hotel chain where over half of the robot staff is being replaced by humans.
The first Henn-na Hotel opened in July 2015, where guests were greeted and checked-in by either a family-friendly English-speaking dinosaur robot or a Japanese-speaking humanoid. Autonomous robots stood ready to help guests carry luggage to their rooms, while a cute doll-shaped android called Churi, placed inside each room, provided them with information about nearby attractions. Even the hotel’s garbage cans were robotic.
Not surprisingly, the lodging, recognized in 2016 as the world’s first robot-staffed hotel by Guinness World Records, drew in curious visitors from all around the world.
But as the years have passed, the hotel’s main draw — its employees — are becoming less of a novelty (新颖) and more of a bother. Also as the robots are “aging”, they are costing more to repair and maintain. Earlier this month, the hotel chain’s parent company H. I. S. announced that it had decided to “fire” over half of the robot employees and replace them with humans. Among them are the chain’s two robot receptionists. In addition to scaring young guests, they are also unable to photocopy guests’ passports-a requirement when checking into a Japanese hotel--forcing human employees to step in each time. Also, out are the cute Churi robots, which have proved unable to answer even the simplest questions and annoyed guests by interrupting their conversations.
While this is a setback, the company’s officials are not discouraged. They plan to continue with their ambitious expansion plans and believe the human-robot interaction is a learning process.“When you actually use robots, you realize there are places where they aren’t needed.” said one of the officials.
1. What could robots in the first Henn-na Hotel do?| A．Offer guests traffic information. | B．Help guests pack their luggage. |
| C．Greet guests in English or Japanese. | D．Direct guests to check in at the front desk. |
| A．They cause trouble to customers. | B．They ignore instructions. |
| C．They annoy human employees. | D．They are beyond repair. |
| A．They think highly of their interaction with customers. |
| B．They are against the use of state-of-art equipment. |
| C．They plan to hire more cute Churi robots. |
| D．They’ve realized the limitations of robots. |
| A．Robot Employees-Ready for Prime Time |
| B．Japanese Hotel Chain Expands Ambitiously |
| C．Robot Employees-a New Novelty for Hotels |
| D．Japanese Hotel Chain “Fires” Robot Employees |
7 . By the year 2050, a fifth of the world’s cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions and environments that currently don’t exist in any major cities, according to new research. A team of scientists at the Crowther Lab in Switzerland produced the report, which described the climate for 520 major cities 30 years in the future.
The results showed that 77 percent of the world’s cities will experience a surprising change in climate conditions by 2050, and 22 percent of the 520 cities will see conditions that are not currently experienced by any existing major cities.
In China in 2050, the climate of Xi’an, in Shanxi province, will be similar to that of current day Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho in southern Africa, with the maximum temperature of the warmest month likely to increase by 4.59℃. Chongqing in southwest China will resemble the climate of Swaziland capital Mbabane, as the warmest temperature is predicted to rise by 5.1℃.
Scientists predict summers in Europe will get warmer by an average of 3.5℃ and European winters will see temperature rises of 4.7℃. London’s climate will be more similar lo Barcelona, and Madrid’s to Marrakech.
The Crowther Lab hopes the analysis will motivate decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent or address some of the climate effects due to the threat of climate change. The report also found that cities in tropical regions will experience smaller changes in average temperature but will be controlled by shifts in rainfall regimes. This may lead to a noticeable increase in unexpected events, and severe droughts.
“Across all scientific fields, the greatest challenge in climate science is no longer the precise measurement of climate change impacts, but inspiring people to picture is actual effects in order to motivate action,” said Tom Crowther, senior scientist und founder of the Crowther Lab.
1. According to the research, among the 520 cities by 2050, about ________ cities will experience the climate conditions that no major cities currently have experienced.| A．400 | B．114 | C．260 | D．104 |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By doing experiments. | D．By explaining theory. |
| A．To compare the climate change of the major cities of the world. |
| B．To inspire people to picture its actual effects in order to motivate action. |
| C．To inspire decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent some climate effects. |
| D．To show most word’s cities will experience a striking change in climate conditions. |
| A．World Temperature | B．Current Climate Change |
| C．Big Titles in the World | D．Future Climate Change in Most Big Cities |
8 . In the near future, IOT （Internet of Things） will drive huge innovation （革新）in the way our food is grown. Plants will have a "voice"， not a human voice, but a voice based on data that can tell people, computers, and machines when, for example, they are thirsty, or need more sun, medicine, etc.
Take vertical （垂直的）farms, for example. Farming is moving indoors where the growth of plants can be monitored and controlled. The facilities are built vertically, so growing areas can be put in piles. This greatly reduces the amount of land needed for farming.
From an IOT point of view, vertical farms are connected in two ways. First, small sensors （传 感器）in the soil or connected to plants tell a control system exactly how much light, water, and nutrients are needed to grow the healthiest crops. Sensors will also tell vertical fanners when crops are nearing their peak for harvesting at just the right time to make sure it's still fresh when it reaches its final destination.
Second , vertical farms will be connected to other networks and information systems, including databases that track local demand. For example local restaurants may input when they need fresh food supplies. And vertical farmers could get that information so they know which crops to grow in what quantities. This type of IOT system would have been unimaginable a generation ago.
Today, vertical farms are being experimented. Yet, the numbers point to a bright future for the industry especially as the world's population continues to grow. For example, Green Sense Farms in Chicago is able to harvest crops 26 times a year using 85 percent less energy, one-tenth the water, and no pesticides. A side benefit of lower energy use is lower C02 output of two tons per month, with the added benefit of creating 46 pounds of oxygen every day.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Voice machines help plants speak up. |
| B．Farmers are all turning to vertical farming. |
| C．IOT has brought great innovation to our future life. |
| D．Vertical farms driven by IOT are a future for agriculture. |
| A．By recording farmers harvesting crops. |
| B．By monitoring farmers working in their fields. |
| C．By analyzing information to preserve crops. |
| D．By passing information on to a control system. |
| A．Expand the output of crops. | B．Match supply with demand. |
| C．Determine the needs of farmers. | D．Move restaurants onto farms. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unconcerned. |
| C．Hopeful. | D．Doubtful. |
9 . The Ig Nobel Prize (搞笑诺贝尔奖) hands out awards for “achievements that first make people laugh, then make them think.” Sometimes the world of design can feel the same way: a pen that can detect cancer mid-surgery, for example. But a musical instrument engineered for zero gravity? Perhaps less so. Nevertheless, both are driven by the desire to improve lives.
The pen, musical instrument and more could be found at the Global Grad Show, which has rapidly become a regional networking opportunity with large commercial value, but that hasn’t stopped grassroots innovation from pushing through.
The graduate show, organized by author and designer Brendan MeGetrick, brought together 150 student projects from 100 universities including MIT and Harvard, and countries as diverse as Jordan. Chile and Pakistan. Schools, McGetrick told CNN, are “where one finds design in its purest and most potentially valuable form.”
“Free from the commercial pressures of professional life, the next generation of designers is channeling their craft to improve the world,” he added. “The next generations do not have the luxury to hope that the present issues will be solved. They anticipate the worst and see how they might channel their talents and training to invent tools that we will need before we urgently need them.
This year’s winner of the Global Grad Show, Mirjam de Bruijn said: “I think we should stop thinking that we can do it on our own. I think designers, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs should start working together. As a designer, I see too many great solutions that are not being used because their design is bad, and I am sure that scientists or technologists think the same with some designs that look better than they actually work.”
1. A pen and a musical instrument are mentioned to show ________.| A．some designs are ridiculous but meaningful | B．some achievements are serious but useless |
| C．some instruments are supernatural but handy | D．some surgeries are risky bout reasonable |
| A．By leaching skills and knowledge. |
| B．By offering scientific researches. |
| C．By providing commercially valuable opportunities. |
| D．By inspiring the invention ol the urgently needed tools. |
| A．wants to work out the present issues eagerly |
| B．hates to make their designs on their own |
| C．feels angry for those solutions not being used |
| D．tends to find design in its purest form |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. | B．Two heads are better than one. |
| C．Great minds think alike. | D．Birds of a feather flock together. |
10 . The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has been a major marketing event for Victoria’s Secret for more than two decades. Over the years, it grew into a luxurious fashion show, with music from pop stars，plus bright costumes and diamond decorated dresses. However, the fashion show is about to undergo a big change. The lavish event, featuring some of the world’s top models performing in its signature costumes, will no longer air on network television on account of the declining television ratings and increased criticism.
People aren’t watching like they used to. According to The Times, the show’s viewership has dropped about 2/3 within five years. Last year the show dropped to 3. 3 million viewers from 9. 7million viewers in 2013. Besides, its reluctance to change has been made even more obvious with the emergence of competitors like Rihanna’s company Savage X Fenty，American Eagle Outfitter Inc’s Aerie and ThirdLove, which aim to be more friendly to women of different shapes, colors and backgrounds. To some extent，the days of network television viewers being able to admire supermodels in Victoria’s Secret costumes performing on the catwalk are over.
Leslie Wexner，the chief executive of L Brands which is the parent company of Victoria’s Secret said in a statement that he and his colleagues are taking a fresh look at every aspect of the business from advertising, marketing and brand positioning,todigital business and cost accounting.
“Fashion is a business of change. We must evolve and change to grow.” Wexner said the company will focus the rest of the year on developing exciting content and it will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age.
Since the annual event attracts hundreds of celebrities, high-profile entertainers and performers each year，the influence of this fashion show still couldn’t be ignored. Changes may pave new ways for its favorable development and a major makeover will boost the careers of supermodels as always, and provide them with a more excellent platform.
1. What is true about the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?| A．It will be canceled due to the decreased television rating and increased criticism. |
| B．It has lost audience's enthusiasm for watching models performing on network TV. |
| C．It actively brings in new changes and learns from competitors to be more friendly to women. |
| D．It is a visual feast concentrating on charity with the performances of pop stars and world’s top models. |
| A．fashion is a field lack of changes |
| B．the Victoria’s Secret will insist on developing in its old way |
| C．senior leaders of the Victoria’s Secret feel desperate about its dilemma |
| D．the Victoria’s Secret is going to explore thrilling content which will achieve breakthrough in fashion |
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Optimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
