tion is made of a ceramic material
that contains copper．oxygen．bismuth(鉍)。strontium(鍶)．a(chǎn)nd calcium(鈣)．A ceramic is a
hard．strong compound made from clay or minerals．The superconducting ceramic has been
fashioned into a tape that is wrapped lengthwise around a long tube filled with liquid nitrogen．
Liquid nitrogen is supercold and lowers the temperature of the ceramic tape to the point where it
conveys electricity with zero resistance．
The United States loses an enormous amount of electricity each year to resistance．
Because cooled superconductors have no resistance．they waste much less power．0ther cities
are watching the Frisbie experiment in the hope that they might switch to superconducting cable
and conserve power．too．
36 What is the benefit of the revolution mentioned in the first paragraph?
A With a flip of swish．electricity can be transmitted．
B Other American cities can benefit from the high·performance cables．
C Great amounts of power can be conserved．
D Detroit will first receive electricity transmitted by the new electrical cables
37 Compared to common electrical conductors，superconductors
A have little or no electrical resistance．
B Can be used for along time．
C are not energy-efficient．
D can be made easily．
38 At what temperature does the superconducting ceramic lose its resistance?
A-143 degree Celsius．
B一263 degree Celsius．
C As long as it is ice-cold．
D Absolute zero．
39 What element enables the ceramic tape to lower its temperature?
A Copper．
B Liquid nitrogen．．
C Clay．
D Calcium．
40 According to the last paragraph，which of the following statements is NOT true?
A Other cities hope they Can also conserve power．
B Other cities hope they Can use superconducting cables soon．
C Superconductors waste less power because of their low resistance．
D The Fribie experiment is not successful．
第三篇
The Science of the Future
Until recently，the“science of the future”was supposed to be electronics and artificial
intelligence．Today it seems more and more likely that the next great breakthroughs in
technology will be brought through a combination Of those two sciences with organic chemistry
and genetic engineering．This combination is the science of biotechnology．
Organic chemistry enables us to produce marvelous synthetic(合成的)materials．However,
it is still difficult to manufacture anything that has the capacity of wool to conserve heat and also
tO absorb moisture．Nothing that we have been able to produce so far comes anywhere near the
combination of strength．1ightness and flexibility that we find in the bodies of ordinary insects．
Nevertheless．scientists in the laboratory have already succeeded in“growing”a material
that has many of the characteristics of human skin．The next step may well be“biotech hearts and
eyes”which can replace diseased organs in human beings．These will not be rejected by the body,
as is the case with organs from humans．
The application of biotechnology to energy production seems even more promising．In 1996
the famous science．fiction writer，Arthur C．Clarke，many of whose previous predictions have
come true。said that we may soon be able to develop remarkably cheap and renewable sources of
energy．Some of these power sources will be biological．Clarke and others have warned us
repeatedly that sooner or later we will have to give up our dependence on non-renewable power
sources．Coal，oil and gas are indeed convenient．However，using them also means creating
dangerously high levels of pollution．It will be impossible to meet the growing demand for
energy without increasing that pollution to catastrophic(災(zāi)難性的)levels unless we develop
power sources that are both cheaper and cleaner．
It is attempting to think that biotechnology or some other “science of the future” can solve
our problems．Before we surrender to that temptation we should remember nuclear power．Only a
few generations ago it seemed to promise limitless，cheap and safe energy．Today those promises
1ie buried in a concrete grave in a place called Chernobyl，in the Ukraine．Biotechnology is
unlikely．however, to break its promises in quite the same or such a dangerous way．
41 According to the passage，the science of the future is likely to be
A electronics．
B biotechnology．
C genetic engineering．
D nuclear technology．
42 Organic chemistry helps to produce materials that are
A as good as w001.
B as good as an insect’s body．
C not as good as natural materials．
D better than natural materials．
43 Accor
that contains copper．oxygen．bismuth(鉍)。strontium(鍶)．a(chǎn)nd calcium(鈣)．A ceramic is a
hard．strong compound made from clay or minerals．The superconducting ceramic has been
fashioned into a tape that is wrapped lengthwise around a long tube filled with liquid nitrogen．
Liquid nitrogen is supercold and lowers the temperature of the ceramic tape to the point where it
conveys electricity with zero resistance．
The United States loses an enormous amount of electricity each year to resistance．
Because cooled superconductors have no resistance．they waste much less power．0ther cities
are watching the Frisbie experiment in the hope that they might switch to superconducting cable
and conserve power．too．
36 What is the benefit of the revolution mentioned in the first paragraph?
A With a flip of swish．electricity can be transmitted．
B Other American cities can benefit from the high·performance cables．
C Great amounts of power can be conserved．
D Detroit will first receive electricity transmitted by the new electrical cables
37 Compared to common electrical conductors，superconductors
A have little or no electrical resistance．
B Can be used for along time．
C are not energy-efficient．
D can be made easily．
38 At what temperature does the superconducting ceramic lose its resistance?
A-143 degree Celsius．
B一263 degree Celsius．
C As long as it is ice-cold．
D Absolute zero．
39 What element enables the ceramic tape to lower its temperature?
A Copper．
B Liquid nitrogen．．
C Clay．
D Calcium．
40 According to the last paragraph，which of the following statements is NOT true?
A Other cities hope they Can also conserve power．
B Other cities hope they Can use superconducting cables soon．
C Superconductors waste less power because of their low resistance．
D The Fribie experiment is not successful．
第三篇
The Science of the Future
Until recently，the“science of the future”was supposed to be electronics and artificial
intelligence．Today it seems more and more likely that the next great breakthroughs in
technology will be brought through a combination Of those two sciences with organic chemistry
and genetic engineering．This combination is the science of biotechnology．
Organic chemistry enables us to produce marvelous synthetic(合成的)materials．However,
it is still difficult to manufacture anything that has the capacity of wool to conserve heat and also
tO absorb moisture．Nothing that we have been able to produce so far comes anywhere near the
combination of strength．1ightness and flexibility that we find in the bodies of ordinary insects．
Nevertheless．scientists in the laboratory have already succeeded in“growing”a material
that has many of the characteristics of human skin．The next step may well be“biotech hearts and
eyes”which can replace diseased organs in human beings．These will not be rejected by the body,
as is the case with organs from humans．
The application of biotechnology to energy production seems even more promising．In 1996
the famous science．fiction writer，Arthur C．Clarke，many of whose previous predictions have
come true。said that we may soon be able to develop remarkably cheap and renewable sources of
energy．Some of these power sources will be biological．Clarke and others have warned us
repeatedly that sooner or later we will have to give up our dependence on non-renewable power
sources．Coal，oil and gas are indeed convenient．However，using them also means creating
dangerously high levels of pollution．It will be impossible to meet the growing demand for
energy without increasing that pollution to catastrophic(災(zāi)難性的)levels unless we develop
power sources that are both cheaper and cleaner．
It is attempting to think that biotechnology or some other “science of the future” can solve
our problems．Before we surrender to that temptation we should remember nuclear power．Only a
few generations ago it seemed to promise limitless，cheap and safe energy．Today those promises
1ie buried in a concrete grave in a place called Chernobyl，in the Ukraine．Biotechnology is
unlikely．however, to break its promises in quite the same or such a dangerous way．
41 According to the passage，the science of the future is likely to be
A electronics．
B biotechnology．
C genetic engineering．
D nuclear technology．
42 Organic chemistry helps to produce materials that are
A as good as w001.
B as good as an insect’s body．
C not as good as natural materials．
D better than natural materials．
43 Accor