专限时训练(二十九) [科普知识型阅读理解(一)]
(限时：每篇7分钟)
(一)
How you end a computer session depends on how you use the computer, your views on energy conservation (能源的节约),
and what you have been told about how your decision will affect your investment’s longevity: will frequent starting and stopping cause its circuits(电路) to burn out sooner?
Rest easy, your computer is more likely to be damaged by a virus picked up from the Internet than by being turned off and on too much. They are also energyefficient: such efficiency has reached the point where most computers place themselves in sleep mode if they remain idle (闲置的) for a certain period of time. So your computer will likely slip into sleep mode anyway, even if you leave it on overnight.
Sleep mode itself, once a pretty unreliable option—you never knew if you would be able to wake your computer without having to reboot (重新启动)
it—has been vastly improved with newer operating systems. If you want your computer to consume as little energy as possible when not in use, shut it down. If you want it to consume zero energy, you’re going to have to unplug (拔去……的电源插头) it.
Your computer can be in only three states: on, sleep or off—each of which draws some level of electric current.A computer that is “on” will either be actively processing information or sitting idle, depending on whether the user is typing a document, reading an email or has stepped away briefly. The amount of wattage (瓦特数) drawn when the computer is on varies greatly depending on whether it is a laptop or a desktop computer. The latter uses more energy because desktop power supplies are less efficient and require a separate and often larger, powerhungry monitor.
It also varies based on the type of work being done: complex calculations requiring intensive processing are more powerhungry, whereas writing or Web browsing consumes far less electricity.
()1.If sleep mode goes wrong, what will probably happen to your computer?
A．It will consume as little energy as possible.
B．It is more likely to be damaged by a virus picked up from the Internet.
C．It will have to be rebooted when used again.
D．It has to be shut down and unplugged.
D. whether the computer systems are new.
()
B．a desktop computer is larger than a laptop computer in size
C．a desktop computer performs more kinds of work than a laptop computer
D．a desktop computer is not energyefficient
()5.Which of the following is implied in the first two paragraphs?
A．Frequent starting and stopping can damage a computer.
B．A computer’s longevity depends more on the proper way you use it.
C．A virus picked up from the Internet is likely to damage a computer.
D．The more often you use a computer, the more smoothly it works.
(二)
When top engineers in Germany wanted to build a more energyefficient car, they headed to the natural history museum to study dolphins and sharks. But it was the boxfish (盒子鱼)that interested them.
“We were surprised when this clumsylooking fish became our model for designing an aerodynamic (空气动力学的)car”，says Thomas Weber. He is the research and development chief for the car company Daimler. An aerodynamic design reduces wind drag and increases fuel efficiency.
The boxfish may look clumsy, but it can start, stop，back up and zigzag (曲折前进)through the water with ease. And it does all this using surprisingly little energy. Daimler’s bionic (仿生学的)car is modeled on the fish’s boxy skeletal (骨骼的) system. Like the fish, the car is fast and drives easily. It’s efficient too.
The science behind natureinspired inventions is called biomimicry (生物仿生). Biologist Janine Benyus came up with the term. As cofounder of the Biomimicry Guild, she has worked with cereal companies，sneaker designers and others to develop products based on Nature’s best ideas.
This month，the Nature’s 100 Best List will be revealed at the World Conservation Congress (代表大会)in Barcelona，Spain. Benyus coauthored the list of natureinspired designs with economist Gunter Pauli.
In Zimbabwe，a country in southern Africa，engineers designed energyefficient buildings modeled on termite (白蚁)mounds (土堆). The buildings use vents (孔) to keep the air flowing and the temperature cool.
A company in Atlanta，US，developed a selfcleaning paint modeled on the lotus (荷花)leaf. When the paint dries，it becomes bumpy (不平的)，just like the lotus leaf. Rain drops form on the bumps and roll off，carrying dirt along with them.
Nature has done billions of years of research. Only the bestdesigned products have survived. Companies owe Mother Nature a debt for all that hard work，says Benyus.
For scientists and inventors, the possibilities for copying nature are limitless. Technology may never be as efficient as nature, or as colorful. But that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to learn from the world around us. Take a walk outside. Watch a squirrel climb up a tree. Look closely at the veins (纹理)of a leaf. Hear the birds chirping in the trees. Such small details may help solve big problems in the future.
()6.Which is TRUE according to the passage?
A． In America a selfcleaning paint was modeled on the lotus flower.
B． Zimbabwe engineers learned from termites to create highly advanced heating systems.
C． After the boxfish，many other ideas of new products are borrowed from nature.
D． Nature is a good source to turn to for improving technology.
()7.The clumsylooking boxfish interested the scientists because of the following reasons EXCEPT that________.
A． it swims using little energy
B． being boxy, it looks quite like a car
C． some engineers had researched on how to swim easily in the water
D． it is a speedy swimmer
()8.Why did top engineers in Germany go to the natural history museum?
A． They wanted to pay a visit to the animals there because they were so lovely.
B． They wanted to carry out a research of boxfish and dolphins.
C． They wanted to search for a model to base on for building a moreefficient car.
D． They wanted to study the science of survival.
()9.We can infer all of the following from the passage EXCEPT ________.
A． it is believed that the creation of the airplane might have originated from the bird flying in the sky
B． the atmosphere on the earth cannot be transferred into the original idea
C． dolphins and sharks may become the source of scientists，inventions or creations
D． if you observe and explore nature，you may make great discoveries or become great inventors
()10.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A． How Daimler’s bionic car came into being.
B． Nature has inspired a lot of inventions and will continue to.
C． Scientists and inventors’ contribution to modern industry comes from nature.
D． The Nature’s 100 Best List.
(三)
If cars had wings，they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2017.The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its carplane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2017.
“It’s the next ‘wow’ vehicle，”said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh.“Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don’t fly.”
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying—a process the company says takes one minute—and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you’re good to go. When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don’t have to store it at an airport—you park it in the garage at home.
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal(临界)conditions.
The Transition’s price tag: $194,000. But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS. Another option is a fullplane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option，” Gersh said.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. “We’re working very closely with them, but there are still some remaining steps，” Brown said.
()11.We can learn from the first paragraph that________.
A．carplanes will be popular in 2017
B．people might drive a carplane in 2017
C．both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land
D．Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts
()12.It takes the carplane one minute to________.
A．fold and unfold its wings
B．unfold wings for flying
C．land in the airport
D．meet flying safety regulations
()13.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land.
B．To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes.
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home.
()14.The underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refers to________.
A．the radio
B．the transponder
C．the GPS
D．the fullplane parachute
()15.What’s the best title for the passage?
A．Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Corner
B．Which To Choose: A Ferrari Or A CarPlane?
C．A More Convenient And Cheaper Way To Fly
D．Cars With Wings Can Fly As Fast As Plane
专限时训练(二十九)
(一)