职称英语理工类考试考前每日一练(27)

　　职称英语理工类考试考前每日一练

　　Smart Window

　　Windows not only let light in to cut down an electricity use for lighting.but the light coming through the window also provides heat.However，windows are not something people typically associate with being a cutting edge1 technology.Researchers are now working on new technologies that ena.ble a window to quickly change from clear to dark and anywhere in between with a flip of a switch2.

　　It took us a long time to figure out what a window really is.says Claes Granqvist.Hes a pro-fessor of solid-stale physics at Uppsala University in Sweden3 .Its contact with the outside world.You have to have visual contact with the surrounding world to feel well So windows and natural light are important for improving the way people feel when theyre stuck indoors.

　　Yet，windows are the weak link in a building when it comes to energy and temperature contr01.In the winter，cold air leaks in.When its hot and sunny，sunlight streams in.All of this sunlight carries lots of heat and energy.And all of this extra heat forces people to turn on their air conditioners.Producing blasts of cold air，which can feel so refreshing，actually suck up enormous amounts of electricity in buildings around the world.

　　Windows have been a major focus of energy research for a long time.Over the years.scientists have come up with a variety of strategies for coating，glazing，and layering windows to make them more energy efficient.Smart windows go a step further.They use chromogenic technologies which involve changes of color.

　　Electrochromic windows use electricity to change color.For example，a sheet of glass coated with thin layers of chemical compound such as tungsten oxide works a bit like a battery.Tungsten oxide is clear when an electric charge is applied and dark when the charge is removed，that is，when the amount of voltage is decreased，the window darkens until its completely dark after all electricity is taken away.So applying a voltage determines whether the window looks clear or dark.

　　One important feature that makes a smart window so smart is that it has a sort ofmemory All it takes is a small joh of voltage to turn the window from one state to the other.Then，it stays that way.Transitions take anywhere from 1 0 seconds to a few minutes，depending on the size of the window.The development of smart windows could mean that massive air conditioning systems may no longer need.In the future，Granqvist says，our buildings may look different.

　　词汇：

　　flip n. v.用手指轻弹，轻击

　　tungsten oxide氧化钨

　　air conditioner空调

　　joh n.v.震摇，颠簸，晃动

　　refreshing ad-i.使人清爽的

　　electrochromic adj.电致变色的

　　Glaze v.装玻璃，用玻璃覆盖

　　voltage n.电压

　　chromogenic adj.发色的

　　air conditioning空调，空调系统

　　注释：

　　1.cutting edge：本意为：刃口，刀刃;比喻意为：最先进的，科技含量最高的。

　　2.anywhere in between with a flip of a switch：就在开或关的一霎那。

　　3.Uppsala University in Sweden：瑞典的乌普萨拉大学。乌普萨拉是瑞典东部一座城市，位于斯德哥尔摩的西北方向。

　　练习：

　　1.Which of the following statements does not indicate the importance of windows as described in the first two paragraphs?

　　A.Windows can change from clear to dark to save energy.

　　B.Windows help to save energy by letting light in.

　　C.Windows help to save energy by providing heat.

　　D.Windows enable people to have contact with the outside world.

　　2.When are windows the weak link in a building?

　　A.In the cold winter.

　　B.In the hot summer.

　　C.When air conditioners are turned on.

　　D.Both A and B.

　　3.What are smart windows，according to Paragraph 4 ?

　　A.Windows that are coated.

　　B.Windows that are glazed.

　　C.Windows the color of which can be changed.

　　D.Windows that have many layers.

　　4.To make electrochromic windows change color，what is applied to the window glass?

　　A.Electricity.

　　B.Tungsten oxide.

　　C.A battery.

　　D.A VolIage.

　　5. What will be the benefit if the research on smart windows turns out to be successful, according to the last paragraph?

　　A. The buildings will look different.

　　B. Windows can be as large as you want.

　　C. We may not need air conditioners any more.

　　D. They are less expensive than traditional windows.