2016高考英语二轮阅读理解八十集之连载训练（69）
科普知识类
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU)researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density (密度),” said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope (放射性同位素)battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro/nanoelectromechanical systems(M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.
“People hear the word‘nuclear’and think of something very dangerous, “ he said. “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems. “
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor (半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure (晶格结构) of the solid semiconductor. “ Kwon said. “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”
Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that the battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.
1. Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?
A. He teaches chemistry at MU.
B. He developed a chemical battery.
C. He is working on a nuclear energy source.
D. He made a breakthrough in computer engineering.
2. Jae Kwon gave examples in Paragraph 4 .
A. to show chemical batteries are widely applied
B. to indicate nuclear batteries can be safely used
C. to describe a nuclear-powered system
D. to introduce various energy sources
3. Liquid semiconductor is used to .
A. get rid of the radioactive waste
B. test the power of nuclear batteries
C. decrease the size of nuclear batteries
D. reduce the damage to lattice structure
4. According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery .
A. uses a solid semiconductor
B. will soon replace the present ones
C. could be extremely thin
D. has passed the final test
5. The text is most probably a .
A. science news reportB. book review
C. newspaper ad D. science fiction story
【参考答案】1--5 、CBDCA
科普知识类
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface(BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated(展示) a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles,” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
1. BCI is a technology that can .
A. help to update computer systems
B. link the human brain with computers
C. help the disabled to recover
D. control a person’s thoughts
2. How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
A. By controlling his muscles.
B. By talking to the machine.
C. By moving his hand.D. By using his mind.
3. Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
A. scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair
B. computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair
C. scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair
D. cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair
4. The team will test with real patients to .
A. make profits from them
B. prove the technology useful to them
C. make them live longer
D. learn about their physical condition
5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Switzerland, the BCI Research Center
B. New Findings About How the Human Brain Works
C. BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
D. Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries
【参考答案】1--5 、BDCBC
科普知识类
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A,B,C或D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment—your cellphone or your wallet? Soon you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over an electronic scanner.
In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6, 800 of its stores. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U. S. , but we’re likely to see more wireless payment alternatives as something called near field communication(NFC) gets into America’s consumer electronics. Last December, some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public.
Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above a payment terminal—a contact-free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely adopted in the U. S. , a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction (交易) fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and-pay systems that use NFC-enabled credit cards, cellphone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale(POS) market. Three big cellphone service providers have formed a joint venture (合资企业) that will go into operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is “to lead the U. S. payments industry from cards to mobile phones.”
The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security. For instance, what’s to stop a thief from digitally pickpocketing you? “We’re still not at the point where an attacker can just brush against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone,” says Jimmy Shah, a mobile-security researcher. “Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for larger purchases.”
Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected. Your wallet isn’t.
1. What is predicted to happen in the U. S. ?
A. The expansion of cellphone companies.
B. The boom of pay-by-phone business.
C. The disappearance of credit cards.
D. The increase of Starbucks sales.
2. The NFC technology can be used to .
A. ensure the safety of shoppers
B. collect transaction fees easily
C. make purchase faster and simpler
D. improve the quality of cellphones
3. Three cellphone service providers form a joint venture to .
A. strengthen their relationship
B. get a share in the payments industry
C. sell more cellphones
D. test the NFC technology
4. According to the passage, what can users do if they lose their smart phones?
A. Stop the functioning of their phones.
B. Set up a password.
C. Get all the money out of their phones.
D. Cancel large purchases.
【参考答案】1—4、 BCBA