The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live-affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演員) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment-roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back-for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.
小題1:The passage is mainly about ________.
A.future travelB.big ideas and dreams
C.a(chǎn)dvanced technologyD.the influence of travel
小題2:We learn from the passage that flying cars ________.
A.will operate only in the sky
B.will be more expensive than common cars
C.will have few bad effects on the environment
D.won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have
小題3: With Jet Packs, we can do all the following EXCEPT ________.
A.a(chǎn)ttend a partyB.clean high windows
C.go shoppingD.have a long journey
小題4:As for driverless taxis, we can infer that ________.
A.we can go wherever we want in them
B.they will be both convenient and safe
C.it costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars
D.they will be operated by computers as well as by people

小題1:A
小題2:C
小題3:D
小題4:B

試題分析:本文敘述了未來的交通工具,文中敘述了飛行的汽車可以從地里出發(fā),然后乘坐飛行的汽車去各個(gè)城市或城鎮(zhèn),它們的好處對(duì)環(huán)境的污染;可以坐Jet Packs這種飛行器去參加聚會(huì)或購物等這樣的活動(dòng);乘坐無人駕駛的出租車,自己按照預(yù)定的目的地,電腦操縱可以到達(dá)目的地,它消耗的能量比小汽車或公交車的消耗都低。
小題1:主旨大意題。根據(jù)關(guān)于對(duì)于未來的旅行,故選A。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
對(duì)環(huán)境有很少的影響,故選C。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.對(duì)于Jet Packs,我們可以參加聚會(huì),清洗窗子和購物,只有選項(xiàng)D,沒有提到,故選D。
小題4:推理判斷題。根據(jù)對(duì)于無人駕駛的出租車,它們是既方便又安全的,故選B。
點(diǎn)評(píng):主旨大意題,就是指那些針對(duì)文章的主要內(nèi)容、主題、標(biāo)題或?qū)懽髂康乃O(shè)置的問題。這類題主要考查同學(xué)們?cè)诶斫馊牡幕A(chǔ)上運(yùn)用概括、判斷、歸納、推理等邏輯思維方法對(duì)文章進(jìn)行高度概括或總結(jié)的能力。
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face; Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost (教務(wù)長) of Yale, who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor—a position equivalent to university president in America.
  Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc, have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
  The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board ultimately picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist (活動(dòng)家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a distinctively American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
  Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student number. The decline in government support has made funding-raising an increasing necessary ability among administrators and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
  In the past few years, prominent schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”
  Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind of promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective on established practices.
小題1:What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?
A.Institutions worldwide are hiring administrators from the U.S.
B.A lot of political activists are being recruited as administrators.
C.American universities are enrolling more international students.
D.University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.
小題2:What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?
A.The political correctness.
B.Their ability to raise funds.
C.Their fame in academic circles.
D.Their administrative experience.
小題3:What do we learn about European universities from the passage?
A.The tuitions they charge have been rising considerably.
B.Their operation is under strict government supervision.
C.They are strengthening their position by globalization.
D.Most of their revenues come from the government.
小題4:Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard as its vice-chancellor chiefly because _____.
A.she was known to be good at raising money
B.she could help strengthen its ties with Yale
C.she knew how to attract students overseas
D.she had boosted Yale’s academic status
小題5:In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?
A.They can enhance the university’s image.
B.They will bring with them more international faculty.
C.They will view a lot of things from a new perspective.
D.They can set up new academic disciplines.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Legends about the development of coffee are varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political tricks, and the pursuit of wealth and power.
According to one story, a sheepherder named Kaldi, as he tended his sheep, noticed the effect of coffee beans. He noticed that the sheep became excited after eating the red “cherries" from a certain plant when they changed pastures (牧場). He tried it himself, and was soon as overactive as his sheep. Another story relates that a monk happened to discover that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help him stay awake.
Another legend gives us the name for coffee, “mocha”. Omar, an Arabian was thrown to the desert with his followers to die of starvation. In desperation, Omar had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. Not only did the soup save the group, but the residents of the nearest town, Mocha, took their survival as a religious sign. The plant and its beverage (飲料) were named Mocha to honor this event.
Coffee was introduced much later to countries beyond Arabia, whose inhabitants believed it to be a tasty thing and guarded its secret as if they were top secret military plans. The government forbade transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations. The actual spread of coffee was started illegally. One Arab named Baba Budan smuggled (走私) beans to some mountains near Mysore, India, and started a farm there. Early in this century, some of those original plants were found still growing fruitfully in the region.
Coffee today is grown and enjoyed worldwide, and is one of the few crops that small farmers in third-world countries can profitably export.
小題1:What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
A.A sheepherder used coffee beans to keep sheep excited.
B.Coffee was a special kind of red cherry from a certain plant.
C.A sheepherder and a monk accidently discovered coffee’s effect.
D.Sheep ate a lot of coffee beans while they changed pastures.
小題2:Which of the following involves political tricks?
A.Kaldi’s story.B.The monk’s story.
C.Omar’s story.D.Baba Budan’s story.
小題3:Mocha is originally the name of ______.
A.a(chǎn) townB.a(chǎn)n ArabianC.a(chǎn) kind of coffee D.a(chǎn) sheepherder
小題4:What can be the best title for the text?
A.The Secret of CoffeeB.The Tales of Coffee
C.People’s Love for CoffeeD.The Function of Coffee

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Environmental problems are becoming more and more serious all over the world. For example, cars have made the air unhealthy for people to breathe and poisonous gas is given off by factories. Trees on the hills have been cut down and waste water is being poured continuously into rivers. Furthermore, wherever we go today, we can find rubbish carelessly disposed.
There are different kinds of pollutants, each of which comes from different sources. It is necessary to identify the source of pollution, in order to make a policy to eliminate them.
Different products, processes and activities of our industrialized world together form the major source of pollution. The forms of pollution can be mainly divided into three kinds—solid, liquid and gas.
These pollutions have greatly damaged our planet and continue to do so. In fact, pollution is threatening our existence. The whole ecological balance of the earth is changing. Massive destruction of environment has brought about negative effects and even posed a great threat to man’s existence.
We must face the situation that exists and take action to solve our environmental problems. For instance, new laws must be passed to place strict control over industrial pollution, the public must receive the education about the danger of pollution and so on.
The earth is our home and we have the duty to take care of it for ourselves and our later generation. Fortunately, more and more people have realized these problems. Measures have been taken to deal with these situations by the government. Laws have been passed to stop pollution, I hope the problems will be solved in the near future and our home will become better and better.
小題1: How many examples of environmental problems are given in the first paragraph?
A.2 B.3 C.4 D.5
小題2: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.In all there are three kinds of pollution
B.If people continue to pollute our planet, there will be no trees.
C.Industrial pollution has been completely controlled.
D.Laws have been passed to stop pollution and protect our environment.
小題3: The sentence “We hope that all these measures will be effective and bring back a healthy environment” can best be put at the end of paragraph _____.
A.2 B.3 C.5 D.6
小題4: The writer’s attitude towards the future of the earth is _____.
A.despair B.negative C.optimistic D.hopeless

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.
However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (隕石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 –  visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.
Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直徑), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.
But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly  –  how much time we have to stop it.
If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left –  to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.
小題1:The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.
A.show that asteroids fall from space frequently
B.a(chǎn)lert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space
C.inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces
D.suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe
小題2:The underlined word “vulnerable” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A.unprotected B.lonely C.stupid D.self-important
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE about the meteor that fell to the Earth in Russia?
A.It passed by the Earth at a close distance.
B.It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago.
C.It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth.
D.It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community.
小題4:What is the main idea of the article?
A.Learning about asteroids and meteors.
B.The threats of objects from space and possible solutions.
C.NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space.
D.How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, but considering all the positive effective coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide an orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to present themselves in a neat(整潔的)and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation(猶豫) and consideration. No matter what the school’ s policy is, there are only specific essential(基本的) pieces to the wardrobe(服裝) that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality(個(gè)性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.
小題1:What would be the best title for the text?
A.How to dress properly.
B.The history of school uniforms.
C.The advantages of school uniforms.
D.How to deal with pressure in school.
小題2:Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________________.
A.is just a tradition that students should follow
B.makes students feel less pressure in study
C.helps students put more effort into their studies
D.makes students lose their independence and identity
小題3:The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in Paragraph 3 probably means “___________”.
A.a(chǎn) school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money
B.a(chǎn) school uniform should be worn every day
C.parents will have to go to the bank many times
D.parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform
小題4:We can infer from the text that school uniforms _________.
A.a(chǎn)re not popular with fashion designers
B.were not accepted by parents in the past
C.will be designed by students themselves
D.will be more fashionable in the future
小題5:The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ___________.
A.negativeB.supportiveC.doubtfulD.unclear

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收縮) and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said: "Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart."
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr Garfinkel said, "The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don't see - and guide whether we see fear."
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner(掃描儀) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person's feeling of fear. “We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear," Dr Garfinkel said.
"We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder."
小題1:What is the finding of the study?
A.One's heart affects how he feels fear.
B.fear is a result of one's relaxed heartbeat.
C.fear has something to do with one's health.
D.Ones fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
小題2:The study was carried out by analyzing _______.
A.volunteers' heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures
B.the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions
C.volunteers' reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans
D.different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication
小題3:Which of the following is closest in meaning to "mechanism" in Paragraph 6?
A.Order.B.system.C.machine.D.treatment.
小題4:This study may contribute to _______.
A.treating anxiety and stress better
B.explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety
C.finding the sky to the heart-brain communication
D.understanding different fears in our hearts and heads

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

There is a common belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever considered spelling unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, quite different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (優(yōu)先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to en­courage a child to express himself freely in writing without holding him back with spelling.
If spelling becomes the only point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will write only words within his spelling range (范圍). That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience:“This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling mistakes.” It may have been a sharp criticism(批評(píng)) of the pupils technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad thing for the teacher who had omitted (略過) to read the composition, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw atten­tion to the mistakes, but if his priority had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more hope to seek improve­ment.
小題1:The expression “play safe” probably means ____.
A.to write carefullyB.to do as teachers say
C.to use dictionaries frequentlyD.to avoid using words one is not sure of
小題2:Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that____.
A.students will be able to express their ideas more freely
B.teachers will have less trouble in correcting mistakes
C.students will have more trust in writing
D.students will learn to spell words correctly
小題3:The writer seems to think that the teacher’s judgement on that sensitive piece of writing is____.
A.reasonableB.unfairC.foolishD.careless
小題4:The major point discussed in the passage is _______.
A.the importance of developing writing skills
B.the importance of spelling
C.the correct way of marking composition
D.the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

How could we have thought so wrongly of as banana peel that it always hits the garbage? Utility of anything seems to be in the eyes of the beholder. The banana peel hasn't been an exception.
What most of us looked at as waste was converted to a thing of utility by Prithwis Mukhopadlyay, a 14-year-old prodigy. This Bengali boy, nourished in the US, Lake Junior High in Woodbury, Minnesota, has come up with an idea to convert banana peels to biogas.(生物氣).
It's well known that almost any organic waste can be converted to biogas. But why biogas from banana peel has hit the news is because it produced five times as much biogas as manure(糞), a commonly used source for producing biogas, in the experiments Prithwis conducted.  
He filled two airtight containers, one with manure and the other with banana peels. Then he mixed each content with water and connected them to empty jars via pipes to collect the gas produced. He placed a heater next to each jar and measured the gas collected for 60 days. His studies proved that banana peels produced five times more biogas than manure.
This project titled 'Comparison analysis: Eco-friendly source of energy for the future,' earned him a spot in Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. This weekend, the young whiz is to showcase his research work along with 40 other finalists at Washington. "Initially, I thought of doing a project that would reduce global warming. Things changed after I visited a biogas plant in a village in India during my summer vacations. It was an amazing experience," Prithwis says.
小題1:Why could Prithwis's finding receive the attention of the media?
A.Because he is a prodigy.
B.Because he is of Bengali descent.
C.Because he used an extremely rare organic waste to produce biogas.
D.Because his research proved that banana peels can produce more biogas.
小題2:Where did Prithwis derive his inspiration  from?
A.Lake Junior High.   B Discovery Channel.
C.  India.            D.His laboratory at home.
小題3:This article probably appeared in a _________ magazine.
A.gourmet B.science C.computer D.fashion

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案