Question

    Artificial flesh is growing ever closer to the real thing. Scientists in Australia have now created a new jelly-like material which they claim has the strength and lasting usage of actual skin, ligaments(韧带）,or even bone.

“With the special chemistry we’ve engineered in the hydrogel(水凝胶）,it can repair itself after it has been broken like human skin can,” explains chemist Luke Connal from the Australian National University. “Hydrogels are usually weak, but our material is so strong it could easily lift very heavy objects and can change its shape like human muscles do.”

Having a wet and soft material with such remarkable properties could be very important for the development of next-generation soft robotics and biomedical devices. Creating a shape-changing hydrogel that has multiple functions has proved an ongoing challenge for scientists, even with natural inspiration from sea creatures, such as jellyfish, sea cucumbers, and Venus fly traps.

While some hydrogels can withstand mechanical stress, others have self-healing properties, and a few more have the abilities to memorize shapes or change colours. As far as the ANU researchers know, no one else has been able to incorporate all these functions into one all-encompassing gel. At least, not at the speed and efficiency they’ve achieved.

Using this material, the researchers made extremely thin films of “flesh” without any breakage.

When these films were heated or cooled, they then changed into different shapes, bending one way or the other before returning back to their original state along with the temperature. If temperature is somehow used as a control, the authors think this gel could one day be moved like an artificial muscle. Researchers are trying to modify their temperature control technology accordingly and make a significant step towards turning this hydrogel into practical use.

1.What do you know about the new material according to the text?

A.It looks like the jelly and functions like the robot.

B.It can be easily repaired by scientists after being broken.

C.It is likely to be the most multifunctional hydrogel at present.

D.It can hardly go back to its original shape after heated or cooled.

2.What is the author’s attitude towards the future of the dynamic hydrogel?

A.Indifferent.

B.Neutral.

C.Negative.

D.Positive.

3.What is the best title for the text?

A.Getting scientific inspiration from nature.

B.Lifting heavy objects by dynamic hydrogels.

C.Creating a new kind of flesh with chemistry.

D.Enabling artificial robots to heal themselves.

4.What will the author most probably talk about in the following paragraph?

A.The characters of artificial flesh.

B.The creation of the dynamic hydrogel.

C.The shapes and colors of artificial flesh.

D.The application of the dynamic hydrogel.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.D

【解析】

本文是说明文。文章介绍了研究人员用化学方法创建了一种人造皮肤。科学家声称这种人造皮肤越来越像真的皮肤了。他们表示，这种材料具有真正的皮肤、韧带甚至骨骼的强度和耐用性。研究人员正努力推动将这种新型水凝胶付诸于实际应用中。

1.推理判断题。根据第二段中的“With the special chemistry we’ve engineered in the hydrogel(水凝胶）,it can repair itself after it has been broken like human skin can,” explains chemist Luke Connal from the Australian National University. “Hydrogels are usually weak, but our material is so strong it could easily lift very heavy objects and can change its shape like human muscles do.”可知，澳大利亚国立大学化学家卢克·康纳尔解释道：“我们研发的这种水凝胶拥有特殊的化学性质，它就像人类的皮肤那样，在受损后可以自行修复”。“水凝胶通常是很脆弱的，但我们研发的这种材料很强大，它可以轻松地举起特别重的物体，而且可以像人类的肌肉那样改变形状。”由此可知，这种新型材料可能是目前具备最多功能的水凝胶。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“If temperature is somehow used as a control, the authors think this gel could one day be moved like an artificial muscle. Researchers are trying to modify their temperature control technology accordingly and make a significant step towards turning this hydrogel into practical use.”可知，如果用温度作为控制，作者认为这种凝胶有一天可以像人造肌肉一样移动。研究人员正试图相应地修改温度控制技术努力推动将这种水凝胶付诸于实际应用中。由此可知，作者对动态水凝胶的未来持积极认可的态度。故选D。

3.标题判断题。通读全文尤其是第一和第二段可知，人造皮肤越来越像真的皮肤了。澳大利亚的科学家最近发明了一种新型果冻状材料，他们表示，这种材料具有真正的皮肤、韧带甚至骨骼的强度和耐用性。澳大利亚国立大学化学家卢克·康纳尔解释道：“我们研发的这种水凝胶拥有特殊的化学性质，它就像人类的皮肤那样，在受损后可以自行修复”。因此C项（用化学方法创建一种新的皮肤。）可以作为文章的最佳标题。故选C。

4.推理判断题。由最后一段的最后一句可知，研究人员正试图相应地修改温度控制技术并努力推动将这种水凝胶付诸于实际应用中。因此，在下一段中作者最有可能谈论动态水凝胶的应用。故选D。