Microwaves may be great at warming up food, but what about warming people?
Using microwaves to directly heat owners of a room would save much of the energy wasted by heating walls and furniture. And despite popular ideas about microwaves, this technique would be safe, according to Charles R. Burlier of the Microwave Research Center in Marlborough, New Hampshire. Low-power microwaves only penetrate (贯穿) the skin (low-power microwave penetration in a ham is about 0.2 inches, for example) and with no negative effects.
To test this idea, Buffler subjected himself to microwaves in a special room using a standard 500-watt, 2459 MHz magnetron (磁控管). He found that a person will start to feel warmth at about 20 milliwatts per square centimeter (mw. / sq. cm. ) ; a satisfactory feeling of warmth occurs between 35 and 50mw. / sq. cm. By comparison, a person standing in noonday summer sun feels the amount of 85 mw. / sq. cm. And a frozen meat pie in your microwave oven receives about 1000 mw. / sq. cm.
In houses of the future, each room could be provided with its own magnetron, says Buffler. When you stepped into the living room, for example, a motion detector (运动感应器)would turn on the magnetron, filling the room with low-power microwaves. In the same way that a microwave oven heats up a hamburger, but not the plate it’s on, you would feel warmth from the microwaves without changing the temperature of your coffee table. (You could, however, make your favorite easy chair even more comfortable by treating it with a radiation-absorbing chemical.)
While it might be some time before homeowners are comfortable enough with the idea to set up whole-body microwave heaters in houses, Buffler says microwaves may attract livestock(家畜) farmers. Lambs that are born outdoors in winter, for example, are frequently lost to cold. Microwaves could warm the lambs safely and quickly.
1.Which of the following can tell the main idea of the passage?
A．A new heating system. B．A new microwave oven.
C．A popular technique. D．The magnetron.
2.According to Paragraph 2, which of the following does not describe the characteristics of a microwave heater?
A．It directly heats people in a room.
B．It heats walls and furniture in a room.
C．It is safe.
D．It saves energy.
3.The test conducted by Buffler shows that when a person feels comfortable warmth, he receives about ________________.
A．20 mw. / sq. cm. B．40 mw. / sq. cm. C．60 mw. / sq. cm. D．85 mw. / sq. cm.
4.According to Paragraph 4, which of the following fills the room with low-power microwaves?
A．The magnetron. B．The motion detector.
C．The microwave oven. D．The radiation-absorbing chemical.
5.Which of the following statements about microwave heaters would Buffler most probably agree with?
A．Microwave heaters will soon be widely used by homeowners.
B．Microwave heaters sometimes make people feel uncomfortable.
C．Perhaps microwave heaters will be first used by livestock farmers, who wish to protect their lambs in winter.
D．Microwave heaters cannot be accepted by the public because they are somewhat unsafe.
As we all know, games play a very important role in the growth of children. Children should grow along with playing games, for, __1. playing games, they can not only acquire knowledge, but also cultivate their abilities to get along with others.
However, most children _ 2. (face) with a completely different situation. Most parents fear that games will prevent children from increasing new knowledge and __3.__ the children will fail in the future examinations. So, instead of __4.__ ( let ) the children 5. find and learn naturally from their surroundings, they force their children to take part in various kinds of classes, learning English, playing 6.__ piano or practicing drawing, etc. What’s more, some parents put 7. the children’s toys which are very useful in developing children’s imagination and practical abilities.
8. is a piece of good advice to those parents: 9. you want to expect your child to be able to accomplish something, you must first of all develop his ability to adapt to the new surroundings. That cram education can lead to nothing _ 10. a failure in the children’s growth.
A great many people are disappointed because of unrealistic expectations.
Walking up to a department store’s cloth counter, a(n) 1 young woman said, “I want to buy this material for a new dress. How much does it cost?”
“Only one 2 per yard,” replied the smirking (自鸣得意的) male clerk.
Not to be taken back by the funny words, the woman said,” That’s fine! I’ll take ten yards.”
With 3 written all over his face, the clerk 4 measured out and wrapped the cloth, then held it out teasingly, 5 forward to receive his “ 6 ”.
The woman got the package quickly from the clerk and pointed to a little old man standing beside her. “Grandpa will pay the bill instead of me,” she 7 .
He was no doubt disappointed. But in the course of living, many people are 8 when others do not 9 their expectations. In order to be happy, some expectations must be dropped. These three particular 10 and unhealthy expectations are some of the main causes:
1. Expect too much 11 .When others say, “Thank you,” or in any way to show their gratitude, be happy. It is a gift!
2. Expect others to make you happy. They simply cannot do that. Make yourself happy and 12 your joy with others.
3. Expect not to be 13 . At times, people will simply not come through for you in the way you need. 14 them and move on.
Get rid of these three unrealistic expectations and you can begin to expect more 15 right away!
1. A．tricky B．attractive C．ugly D．generous
2. A．kiss B．pay C．dollar D．cent
3. A．happiness B．enjoyment C．expectation D．courage
4. A．hurriedly B．slowly C．patiently D．curiously
5. A．setting B．sitting C．leaning D．taking
6. A．reward B．payment C．bonus D．money
7. A．smiled B．begged C．waved D．thought
8. A．encouraged B．disappointed C．annoyed D．surprised
9. A．live up to B．go against C．go without D．hope for
10. A．reasonable B．proper C．unimportant D．unrealistic
11. A．profit B．kiss C．appreciation D．disappointment
12. A．spare B．share C．make D．control
13. A．put down B．let down C．taken down D．thrown down
14. A．Forgive B．Punish C．Blame D．Praise
15. A．happiness B．encouragement C．excitement D．pride
At the beginning of the twentieth century, many people thought that the Americanfamily was falling apart.A century later, we know that this was not the case. However,although the family is still alive in the United States, its size and shape were very different100 years ago.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, there were mainly two types of families in theUnited States: the extended and the nuclear. The extended family usually includesgrandparents, parents, and children living under the same roof. The nuclear familyconsists of only parents and children.
Today there are many different kinds of families. Some people live in “traditional” families, that is, a stay-home mother, a working father, and their own biologicalchildren. Others live in two-paycheck families, single-parent families, adoptive or foster,families, blended families (where men and women who were married before marry againand combine the children from previous marriages into the new families），childlessfamilies, and so on.
What caused the structure of the family to change? In the early 1900s the birthratebegan to fall and the divorce rate began to rise. Women were suddenly choosing to go tocollege and take jobs outside the home. In the 1930s and 1940s, many families faced seriousfinancial, or money problems during the Great Depression, when many people lost theirjobs. During World War II（1939-1945)，5 million women were left alone to take care oftheir homes and their children. Because many men were at war, thousands of these "war widows" had to go to work outside their home.
During the next ten years, the situation changed. There were fewer divorces, andpeople married at a younger age and had more children than the previous generation. It wasunusual for a mother to work outside the home during the years when her children weregrowing tip. Families began leaving cities and moving into single-family homes in thesuburbs. The traditional family seemed to be returning.
In the years between 1960s and 1990s, there were many important changes in thestructure of the family. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, the divorce rate doubled andthe birthrate fell by half. The number of single-parent families tripled, and the number ofcouples living together without being married doubled again. In fact, the single-parenthousehold, once unusual, has replaced the "traditional" family as the typical family in theStates. If we can judge from history, however, this will probably change again in thetwenty-first century.
The Changes of the American Family
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Main comparisons |
Contexts |
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Different___1____ |
There were two __2___ types of families in the past, ___3____, the extended and the nuclear. |
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Nowadays __4___types of families can be seen than before. |
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Changes in different ___5_____. |
In the 1900s and 1940s |
Many of the women had to work outside due to the __6___of money., thus causing the fall of __7__and the rise of divorce rate. |
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In the 1950s |
Divorce rate slided and there were more children . The families tended to be ___8___ again. |
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In the years between 1960s and 1990s |
Different types of familes__9____. Traditional families are no longer the typical ones in America. |
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A trend worth noting |
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Author’s opinion on changes |
The present structure is ___10____; it will experience changes again in the near future. |
Did Steve Jobs kill the music industry? That’s the question on many people’s lips since rock star Jon Bon Jovi accused the Apple boss of personally destroying the music industry.Bon Jovi centers his criticism on how he believes music downloading has robbed young people of what he calls the “beauty of buying an album”. “Kids today have missed the beauty of taking your pocket money and making a decision based on the jacket (封面), not knowing what the record sounded like,” he said.
But far from killing the industry, many young people today think Jobs has been a blessing (带来幸运的人), offering you instant, and selective access to a whole world of music.
Keith Staskiewicz at Enthertainment Weekly speaks for the feelings of many music lovers. He believes listening to MP3s rather than records or CDs “just save money” and doesn’t “remove the sense of discovery they get from new music”. Staskiewicz also argues that it’s wrong to blame Jobs and Apple for destroying anything. “Change is just part of the business,” Staskiewicz said. “No doubt in 50 years, Justin Bieber will complain about how kids don’t listen to ipods anymore.”
For now, though, it appears that music downloading is set to continue for the near future.
According to Summer Redstone, chairman of media company Viacom, iTunes has “resurrected(复兴) the music industry by creating a legal, affordable purchasing system for fans”.
But recent surveys suggested that, despite the “legalizing(合法化)” of music downloading through sites like iTunes, young people are still choosing to download music illegally. A report by Jupiter Research suggested that illegal downloading sites are used three times as much as legal ones. The problem, according to its analyst Mark Mulligan, is how today’s youth grow up viewing music as something they can get for free.
He said, “Unless the musci industry can shift these consumers while they are young away from free consumption to paid music formats(格式), they may never develop music purchasing behavior and the recording industry could suffer long-term harm.”
1.Which one is TRUE about young people nowadays?
A．They are music lovers and are willing to save money to enjoy music.
B．The majority of them download music through legal sites like iTunes.
C．They are most likely to go back to the store to buy albums in the near future.
D．They are robbed of the change of enjoying music by Apple.
2.According to Mark Mulligan, the best solution to the problem of illegal music downloading is to_______.
A．legalize music downloading through sites like iTunes
B．help young people get used to paying for music
C．offer young people instant and selective access to a variety of music
D．create an affordable purchasing system for fans
3.What is the main point of the article?
A．How Steve Jobs and Apple destroyed the music industry.
B．Why young people prefer downloading music to buying albums.
C．The problem of illegal downloading of music.
D．Different opinions on effects of music downloading.
The human body has hundreds of muscles. The three types are skeletal(骨骼的) muscles, smooth muscles and cardiac, or heart muscles. Each kind of muscle has a special job to do.
The skeletal muscles are attached to the bones; they actually hold the skeleton together. Strong cords, called tendons(肌腱), help connect these muscles to the bones. Skeletal muscles give us strength and allow us to move in many ways. If you look at skeletal muscles through a microscope, you will see that it has bands of fibers that look like stripes(条纹). These stripes are called striations. Skeletal muscles usually move because the brain has sent a conscious message to them telling them what to do. This is called voluntary movement.
Another type of muscle is smooth muscle. Unlike skeletal muscle, smooth muscle does not have striations. This is found in organs such as the stomach, the bladder(膀胱), the lungs and the eyes. Smooth muscles are smaller than the skeletal muscles and they move involuntarily. The brain tells these muscles what to do, but we aren’t even aware of it. For example, we don’t have to think about breathing or digesting food. The smooth muscles just do their jobs automatically. For this reason smooth muscles are sometimes called involuntary muscles.
Like smooth muscle, cardiac muscle also works involuntarily. It is a very thick muscle that is found only in the walls of the heart. Its job is to pump blood out of the heart and into blood vessels called arteries(动脉). The arteries help carry the blood to all parts of the body. When the cardiac muscles relax, they let blood back into the heart. Cardiac muscles have striations, just like skeletal muscles do.
1.When we _______, the job is done by smooth muscles.
A．close our eyes B．kick a ball C．hug our friends D．lift a suitcase
2.Skeletal muscles and heart muscles are alike because_______.
A．both can move voluntarily
B．both are thick muscles
C．both are bigger than smooth muscles
D．both have stripes called striations
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Heart muscles are very important because they give us strength and allow us to move.
B．The heart of human beings completely consists of heart muscle.
C．The skeletal muscles are connected to the bones by tendons.
D．Smooth muscle does its work without receiving message from the brain.
