2010年职称英语考试基础篇精读荟萃(11)职称英语考试

文章作者 100test 发表时间 2010:01:02 15:43:34
来源 100Test.Com百考试题网

　　Passage Eleven (Superconducting Materials)
　　The stone age, The Iron Age.Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead?The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff. Material science --once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries ledby superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. Butsuperconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook potsand artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exoticplastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as havegenetic engineering and computer science.采集者退散
　　The key to the new materials isresearchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level.Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But byminimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are makingfar stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heatresistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm calledKyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp foryears and never rust or corrode.
　　A similar transformation has overtakenplastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks andhelicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibratedor pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karatejackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter,which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable tomolecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms. someplastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed tosunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable asmetal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphiteor other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible andhave even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life bydeflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.
　　Some advanced materials areold standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic cable that carry telephonecalls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 milesthick is clearer than a standard window pane.
　　But new materials have noimpact until they are made into products.And that transition could provedifficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can besaid a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine thesuccess or failure of a country in the near future.
　　1. How many newmaterials are mentioned in this passage?
　　[A] Two
　　[B] Three
　　[C]Four
　　[D] Five来源：考试大的美女编辑们
　 2. Why does the author mention genetic engineering andcomputer science?
　　[A] To compare them with the new materials.
　　[B] Toshow the significance of the new materials on the future world.
　　[C] Tocompare the new materials to them.
　　[D] To explain his view point.
　　3.Why is transition difficult?
　　[A] Because transition requires money andtime.
　　[B] Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change theirequipment.
　　[C] Because research on new materials is verydifficult.
　　[D]Because it takes 10 years.
　　4. Where lies success of acountry in the New Age of superstuff?
　　[A] It lies in research.
　　[B] Itlies in investment.
　　[C] It lies in innovation.
　　[D] It lies inapplication.来源：考试大的美女编辑们
　　Vocabulary
　　1. superstuff 超级材料
　　2. superconductingceramic 超导陶瓷
　　3. exotic 神奇的
　　4. shape 塑造，成型
　　5. brittleness脆性
　　6. polymer 聚合体职称英语培训
　　7. karate jacket 空手道外衣
　　8. touch sensor触及传感器
　　9. each punch and chop 每一个击、打
　　10. blot 玷污，损害风景的东西
　　11.tinker 修补，调整
　　12. amendable 服从于，遵循的
　　13. biodegradable 能生物递减分解的
　　14.six-pack rings 放六个罐子的环状物
　　15. decompose 分解
　　16. recyclable可循环(使用的)
　　17. infantryman 步兵
　　18. deflect 使偏斜，使转向
　　19. a new twist一个新的观点，方法