高三英语 阅读复习第三期 科普知识与现代技术7(1)

备战2021年高考英语·爱尚阅读专题07 科普与信息技术【美文阅读1】导读：妈妈总是告诉我们如果我们在暗处看书会弄坏眼睛。

这种说法有科学依据吗？Some facts about vision scienceMom always told us we'd go blind if we read in the dark. Does science ①back her up? Jim Sheedy, a doctor of vision science and director of the Vision Performance Institute at Oregon's Pacific University, sets his sights on the truth.Dark MatterTurns out, our parents were wrong. “②There is no reason to believe nor evidence to support that anylong-term damage to the eyes or change in the physiology to the eyes can be caused by reading in the dark,” Dr. Sheedy says.That is not to say that nocturnal page-turning won't lead to discomfort or fatigue.The lack of light will cause the pupils to dilate, ③resulting in a smaller depth of field—the distance between the nearest and farthest object that the eye considers to be in focus. Dr. Sheedy says the added effort to change focus and the effort to change the angle of the lines of sight between the two eyes will likely make your eyes feel tired and your body spent. But, of course, that's often the object of reading under the covers.Seeing ClearlyDr. Sheedy says he assures his students that there isn't enough evidence to argue that what you do with your eyes leads to myopia. 'The predominant determinant of myopia is genetics.' No link to long-term damage has ever been conclusively shown, says Dr. Sheedy. 'It's an old tale, a ploy used by moms to get kids to go to sleep when they wanted them to,' he says.Electronic AgeReading on a tablet device won't damage your eyes, Dr. Sheedy says. His team has studied various fonts, computer displays and pixel resolutions, and found the difference in effect on the eye between reading e-ink and the printed word to be negligible.He adds that pixel density and screen resolution have reached the point at which the eye doesn't know which it is seeing. So if reading a printed book in dim light is fine, so is reading a Kindle or iPad.Moving from Dark to LightThe eyes adapt quickly when going to the light—④emerging from a tunnel into the sun, say—but going to the dark 'requires the regeneration of photo pigments, and that takes some time to reach full dark-adaptation,' says Dr. Sheedy.Adjusting to the dim light next to your bed should only take seconds. But when going from bright light to maximum darkness, studies have shown, eye sensitivity continues to change for up to 25 minutes, he says.'Ever wonder why a pirate wears patches? It's not because he was wounded in a sword fight,' says Dr. Sheedy. Seamen must constantly move between the pitch black of below decks and the bright sunshine above.视觉科学的一些事实妈妈总是告诉我们如果我们在暗处看书会弄坏眼睛。

阅读微技能训练10—科普类阅读I.科普类文章的特点科普知识与现代技术是高中课程标准规定的话题之一。

此类题材的文章涉与内容广泛，如天文地理、生物医药、发明创造、计算机技术等等。

这类文章的总体特点是：科技词汇多，句子结构复杂，理论性强，逻辑严谨。

具体说来它有以下几个特点：1. 文章中词汇的意义比拟单一、稳定、简明，不带感情色彩，具有单一性和准确性的特点。

2. 句子结构较复杂，语法分析较困难。

为了描述一个客观事物，严密地表达自己的思想，作者经常会使用集多种语法现象于一体的长句。

3. 常使用被动语态，尤其是一些惯用被动句式。

4. 科技环保类文章在高考英语试题中出现的频率最高，一直是高考的主要测试内容，此类文章一般为说明文，但也常常夹杂着表示和议论，并经常出现一些较新的科技名词或术语。

着重从不同侧面考查学生筛选、提取、推断信息的能力。

考生假设经常阅读英语报刊，具备丰富的课外知识，并积累一定的时新词汇，对解读此类文章会大有帮助。

[Example 1]Animals can move from place to place，but plants cannot.When an animal is under attack，it can run away or fight back. Plants certainly cannot run away，and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend themselves by using both physical and chemical means.Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example，the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.Some plants，such as the oak tree，have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material；eating such grasses wears down the animal’s teeth.Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar bites a tobacco leaf，the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China，for instance，has prickly leaves，and each prickle contains poisonous venom.A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future.1. The holly plant has more spines on the lower leaves because most animals_____________.A. are not tall enoughB. like the lower leaves onlyC. are not clever enoughD. can get the lower leaves easily2. To defend themselves，oak trees use___________.A. chemical meansB. physical meansC. bitter chemicalsD. sandy materials3. How does tobacco protect itself against an attack from a caterpillar?A. Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means.B. Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar.C. Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked.D. Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away.4. What would be the best title for this passage?A. Plants and AnimalsB. How Plants Defend ThemselvesC. Attacks and DefensesD. How Animals Eat Plant LeavesSummary: 这类文章的主要命题形式有事实细节题、词义猜测题、推理判断题以与主旨概括题等，其中细节和推理判断题居多。

高三英语阅读复习第三期科普知识与现代技术15【导读】本文介绍未来的一款可以替代智能手机的眼镜，它带有有地图和GPS功能，但对于一般的消费者来说，价格有点承受不起，但是预计前景看好。

Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include." I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open," said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you." As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs," said Sam Biddle, who writes for . " We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things," he added, "and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars. "9to5Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones."It's just like smartphones 10 years ago," Weintraub said. "A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural," he said. " There's gonna be improvements to that, and this a step there. "【文章大意】本文是一篇科普文，介绍未来的一款可以替代智能手机的眼镜，它带有有地图和GPS功能，但对于一般的消费者来说，价格有点承受不起，但是预计前景看好。

备战2021年高考英语·爱尚阅读专题07 科普与信息技术【美文阅读1】导读：妈妈总是告诉我们如果我们在暗处看书会弄坏眼睛。

这种说法有科学依据吗？Some facts about vision scienceMom always told us we'd go blind if we read in the dark. Does science ①back her up? Jim Sheedy, a doctor of vision science and director of the Vision Performance Institute at Oregon's Pacific University, sets his sights on the truth.Dark MatterTurns out, our parents were wrong. “②There is no reason to believe nor evidence to support that anylong-term damage to the eyes or change in the physiology to the eyes can be caused by reading in the dark,” Dr. Sheedy says.That is not to say that nocturnal page-turning won't lead to discomfort or fatigue.The lack of light will cause the pupils to dilate, ③resulting in a smaller depth of field—the distance between the nearest and farthest object that the eye considers to be in focus. Dr. Sheedy says the added effort to change focus and the effort to change the angle of the lines of sight between the two eyes will likely make your eyes feel tired and your body spent. But, of course, that's often the object of reading under the covers.Seeing ClearlyDr. Sheedy says he assures his students that there isn't enough evidence to argue that what you do with your eyes leads to myopia. 'The predominant determinant of myopia is genetics.' No link to long-term damage has ever been conclusively shown, says Dr. Sheedy. 'It's an old tale, a ploy used by moms to get kids to go to sleep when they wanted them to,' he says.Electronic AgeReading on a tablet device won't damage your eyes, Dr. Sheedy says. His team has studied various fonts, computer displays and pixel resolutions, and found the difference in effect on the eye between reading e-ink and the printed word to be negligible.He adds that pixel density and screen resolution have reached the point at which the eye doesn't know which it is seeing. So if reading a printed book in dim light is fine, so is reading a Kindle or iPad.Moving from Dark to LightThe eyes adapt quickly when going to the light—④emerging from a tunnel into the sun, say—but going to the dark 'requires the regeneration of photo pigments, and that takes some time to reach full dark-adaptation,' says Dr. Sheedy.Adjusting to the dim light next to your bed should only take seconds. But when going from bright light to maximum darkness, studies have shown, eye sensitivity continues to change for up to 25 minutes, he says.'Ever wonder why a pirate wears patches? It's not because he was wounded in a sword fight,' says Dr. Sheedy. Seamen must constantly move between the pitch black of below decks and the bright sunshine above.视觉科学的一些事实妈妈总是告诉我们如果我们在暗处看书会弄坏眼睛。

2014年高三英语阅读复习第三期科普知识与现代技术9【导读】俗话说：一心不得二用。

真的有什么科学依据吗？People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted (分心) and can’t focus on one activity. And “those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things,” said David Sanbonmatsu, a psych ologist at the University of Utah.Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and a sked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking (寻求刺激) or imperative (冲动) they were. T hey then evaluated the participants’ multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.“People multitask not because it’s going to lead to greater productivity, but because they’re distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important.” Sanbonmatsu said. Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, s aid one limitation of the study was that it couldn’t find out whether people who start out less focused toward multitasking or whether people’s recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. “People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations.” said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. “This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they’re dangerous.”【文章大意】本文是一篇研究报告。

高三英语阅读复习第三期科普知识与现代技术8 【导读】科技可以改变生活，也能制造出更多的麻烦。

The technology is great. Without it we wouldn’t have been able to put a man on the moon, explore the ocean’s depths or eat microwave sausages. Computers have revolutioniz ed our lives and they have the power to educate and pass on knowledge. But sometimes this power can create more problems than it solves.Every doctor has had to try their best to calm down patients who’ve come into their surgery waving an Internet print-out, convinced that they have some rare incurable disease, say, throat cancer. The truth is usually far more ordinary, though: they don’t have throat cancer, and it’s just that their throats are swollen. Being a graduate of the Internet “school”of medicine do es not guarantee accur ate self-health-checks.One day Mrs. Almond came to my hospital after feeling faint at work. While I took her blood sample and tried to find out what was wrong, she said calmly, “I know what’s wrong; I’ve got throat cancer. I know there’s nothing you doctors can do about it and I’ve just got to wait until the day comes.”As a matter of routine I ordered a chest X-ray. I looked at it and the blood results an hour later. Something wasn’t right. “Did your local doctor do an X-ray?”I asked. “Oh, I haven’t been to the doctor for years,”she replied. “I read about it on a website and the symptoms fitted, so I knew that’s what I had.”However, some of her symptoms, like the severe cough and weight loss, didn’t fit with it—but she’d just ignored this.I looked at the X-ray again, and more tests confirmed it wasn’t the cancer but tuberculosis (肺结核)—something that most certainly did need treating, and could be deadly. She was lucky we caught it when we did.Mrs. Almond went pale when I explained she would have to be on treatment for the next six months to ensure that she was fully recovered. It was certainly a lesson for her. “I’m so embarrassed,”she said, shaking her head, as I explained that all the people she had come into close contact with would have to be found out and tested. She listed up to about 20, and then I went to my office to type up my notes. Unexpectedly, the computer was not working, so I had to wait until someone from the IT department came to fix it. Typical. Maybe I should have a microwave sausage while I waited?【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文，题材是科普文章。

科普知识与现代科技一、阅读理解1 You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain-sensing umbrella.The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬) built into a street lamp,” he said.The Lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand Sensors(传感器) then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360° motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone is using the Lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.According to the designer, the Lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike. Each Lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed(安装) at 2 metres off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.While there are no plans to take the Lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department, and insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.1.For what purpose did Belyaev create the Lampbrella?A.To predict a heavy rain.B.To check the weather forecast.C.To protect people from the rain.D.To remind people to take an umbrella.2.What do we know from Belyaev's words in Paragraph 2?A.His creation was inspired by an experience.B.It rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg.C.Street lamps are protected by canopies.D.He enjoyed taking walks in the rain.3.Which of the following shows how the Lampbrella works?A.motor→canopy→sensorsB.sensors→motor→canopyC.motor→sensors→can opyD.canopy→motors→sensors4.What does Paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the Lampbrella?A.Its moving speed.B.Its appearance.C.Its installation.D.Its safety.5.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?A.The designer will open a company to promote his product.B.The Lampbrella could be put into immediate production.C.The designer is confident that his creation is practical.D.The Lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow.2 Scientists around the world have been studying the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean known as El Nino (厄尔尼诺). The appearance of El Nino is known to affect the weather around the world. Scientists still do not completely understand it. Yet they now find they can use it to tell about the future in different areas of the world.One example is the work of two scientists at Columbia University in New York, Mark Cane and Gordon Eshel. A scientist of Zimbabwe(津巴布韦), Roger Buckland worked with them. They have found that when El Nino appears, Zimbabwe has little or no rain. This means corn crops in Zimbabwe are poor. The last El Nino was in 1991 to 1993. That was when southeastern Africa suffered a serious lack of rain.The scientists wrote about their recent work in the publication(出版物)Nature. Their computer program can tell when an El Nino will develop up to a year before it does. They suggest that this could provide an effective early warning system for southern Africa, and could prevent many people from starving.1.El Nino is known as ___.A.the changing of the weather in southern AfricaB.the warming of waters in the Pacific OceanC.the weather which brings drought(旱灾)to AfricaD.the weather phenomenon(现象)that brings heavy rains to Africa2.Scientists study El Nino in order that ___.A.they can provide a kind of early warning to the place that will suffer from droughtB.they can tell why Zimbabwe has little or no rainC.they can do some research work in this field.D.they can put all this information into their computers.3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?A.Scientists come to understand how El Nino appears.B.Three scientists from the USA work on this subject.C.Southern Africa suffered a serious drought and many people died from hunger.D.El Nino has something to do with Zimbabwe’s poor crops.4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?A.The computer is used in this research work.B.Scientists know when an El Nino appears by means of the computer program.C.The scientists published their results of the research work.D.Nature is the name of the article written recently by the scientists.5.What’s the best title for this passage?A.Appearance of El Nino is Predictable(可预测的)B.Drought in ZimbabweC.Early Warning SystemD.Weather in Africa3. Organic(有机的)farming is a type of agriculture that benefits from the recycling and use of natural e of dried plants not only saves money,but also ensures the growth of crops.The technique is characterized by the use of green manure(肥料),biological pest control methods and special farming techniques to keep soil productivity.Limiting the use of man-made chemicals or completely doing away with them reduces the risk of diseases. Today,organic farming is a major and preferred industry around the world. Organically grown food products have a huge market,with farmlands covering about 10% of the total world-farmland cover. The hard work of Sir Albert Howard,the Father of Organic Farming, has paid off.Advantages of Organic Farming:(1)The economics of organic farming are characterized by increasing profits through reduced water use and reduced soil erosion(侵蚀).(2)Organic farming produces the same crops as those produced through traditional farming methods,but uses half the energy,and holds 40% more topsoil.(3)Farming the organic way enables farmers to get rid of weeds without the use of any chemicals.(4)The use of green pesticides(杀虫剂)is environmentally friendly and does no harm to human’s health.Disadvantages of Organic Farming:(1)Organic methods of farming produce less,compared to traditional farming techniques.(2)Organic agriculture does little to fight global climate change.Though organic farming practices are recognized as giving out less CO2,but not to a significant degree.However,though there are some disadvantages to organic farming,farms where organic methods for cropping have been used have more advantages than traditional anic agriculture is surely better in the long term.1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 shows that Sir Albert Howard________.A.worked hard for nothingB.succeeded in organic farmingC.spent all his time on organic farmingD.didn’t expect organic farming to be successful2.According to the passage,compared to traditional farming,organicfarming________.a.is more environmentally friendlyb.produces a lot more foodes less energyd.results in more weeds in the farmlande.is better for human’s healthA.abcB.acdC.aceD.bce3.The author’s attitude toward organic farming is________.A.anxiousB.hopelessC.unclearD.optimistic4.The writer wrote this passage to tell us________.A.the development of agricultureB.what kind of food is being grown at presentC.why organic farming is so popular around the worldD.what organic farming is and its advantages and disadvantages4. Getting stuck in a traffic jam is one of the most boring problems for people living in big cities.The fact that you’re moving so slowly leads too stress,anger and the wish that your car could just fly over the traffic like an airplane.Soon,however, that wish could come true .On May 8, US car-renting company Uber showed off what it described as “the transportation mode of the future: on-demand air transport,”reported ABC News .According to Nikhill Goel, head of products for Uber Air, the company's air taxi service may launch test flights in the US cities of Dallas and Los Angeles , as well as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, as early as 2020. If everything goes according to plan, passengers will be able to fly to work by 2023 .When the Olympics comes to Los Angeles in 2028 . Uber “expects to have hundreds , if not thousands , of its aircraft in the skies.” Goel told Newsweek .So what would Uber's flying vehicles be like ?They are small , electric aircraft that take off and land vertically (垂直地) , ther give off zero emissions (排放) and are quiet enough to operate in cities .Just like an airplane , the vehicles will have fixed wings to help them glide . But while a helicopter has just one big fixed rotor (定量) . Uber's vehicles will have multiple rotors , which will help increase fuel efficiency (效率) while reducing emissions and noise.Because of these fixed wines and multiple rotors . Uber’s flyingtaxis“should be quieter and safer than a helicopter.” reported ABC News .However , the service still has a long way to go before it's ready to accept passengers.For example , to avoid any potential accidents . Uber is working with NASA to study air traffic control problems associated with low-flying aircraft. But just as Dubai's Mayor Betty Price said in a news release . “This program is revolutionary and future -oriented (面向未来的). ”1.Uber 's flying taxis are expected to start to take passengers in _______.A.2020B.2023C.2028D.20302.How are ber s flying taxis different from helicopters?A.They have one big rotorB.They need more fuel to fly.C.They have fewer fixed wingsD.They should be quieter and safer3.Which is true about the flying cars according to the passage?A.They can be as efficient as airplanes and helicoptersB.They must be in larger number a few years later.C.They nearly do no harm to the environment.D.They will surely help passengers avoid accidents4.What is the passage mainly about?A.Ubers plan to launch flying taxisB.The advantages of Ubers flying taxisC.Different opinions about Uber's flying taxisD.The difficulties Uber is facing in testing flying vehicles5. In today’s world, understanding how to analyze big data is a significant tool for students, scientists, and citizens alike-and a key topic during both speeches at the 2017 Research Teachers Conference.During their speeches, Lisa Purcell, Senior Scientist at Regeneron and Ruth Krumhansl, founder of the Oceans of Data Institute, both offered recommendations to more than 200 teachers at the conference on how to effectively use big data in the classroom.“Having a lot of data is worthless unless you can make sense of it, ” Ruth said. “We have a responsibility to help our students make wise decisions in a very complex world.” R uth explained that she is always seeking to increase data literacy(数据素养能力)and transform science education using big data. With these resources, students can conduct a variety of big data research projects -all from the classroom. Moreover, even students interested in non-STEM(科学、技术、工程、数学)careers like consulting or business analytics can benefit from understanding how to analyze and understand data sets.Lisa stressed that teachers have the power to change the world by providing the next generation with the correct analytical tools and approaches to handle such large quantities of information. “You can train the next generation with them to do whatever, whether it’s dealing with climate change, creating a vaccine (疫苗) for Ebola, or becoming the next Pres ident of the U.S. or Prime Minister of Canada,” Lisa said.Understanding big data is critical to students’ success in school and their future careers. According to Ruth, students should begin working with data from a young age. This will enable students to practice analytical thinking as early as possible, and to begin asking important questions about what is going on in our world. And big data can help answer questions that students have. “Students are interested in what is known, but they get more exc ited about what is not known,” she said.1.According to Paragraph 2, we know the speeches of Lisa and Ruth _______.A.advise students to increase data literacyB.ask teachers to know how to analyze big dataC.show the significance of big data in non-STEMD.advise teachers to apply big data in the classroom2.What can we know about Ruth?A.She was a real specialist in analyzing big data.B.She laid the base for students to do big data projects.C.She stressed the important role of teachers in using big data.D.She made outstanding achievements with the help of big data.3.Which of the following may Lisa agree with?A.Teachers are given the power to change the world.B.Teachers should try to transform science education.C.Teachers can help students apply big data to many fields.D.Teachers know the importance of big data for students.4.What may be the best title for the passage?A.How can students analyze big data?B.How can students make use of big data?C.Big data-a significant tool in today’s classroomD.Big data-a necessary subject for students to learn6. Every November, Time magazine picks out what it calls “The 25 Best Inventions” of the year. Here, Teens has chosen some of the most interesting ones.Ember MugIt’s hard to always keep coffee a t the right temperature, especially in winter. It’s too hot to drink at first, but before we know it, it gets too cold and loses all its taste. The perfect level of warmth for a cup of coffee only lasts for 37 seconds, which makes the Ember Mug a great invention. It keeps your coffee or tea at a certain temperature, anywhere between 45℃ and 62℃, once you set it through a smartphone app.Tasty One TopTV cooking shows make cooking look so easy, but it’s almost impossible to get the recipes to cook the same as how the professionals cook. However, the Tasty One Top DIY cooking companion is here to help. Developed by Buzzfeed, the cooker can be connected to a smartphone app, which has more than 1,700 recipes and videos. You choose a recipe and the app will let the cooker know what to do. For example, it’ll tell you when to turn your steak or when to add certain ingredients.JiboSmart speakers from companies like Amazon and Xiaomi have added a lot of fun to our lives, but they’re still just facele ss speakers. However, Jibo, developed by MIT professor Cynthia Breazeal, has brought smart technology to life. Said to be “the world’s first social robot for the home”, Jibo looks like a cartoon character. Inside its “head”, there are various sensors and c ameras, which allow it to recognize faces and speech. It can also set alarms, remind you of important things, tell you the weather and read news or messages from your friends and family.1.How can Tasty One Top help people?A.By teaching people how to cook.B.By offering people different recipes.C.By saving energy while cooking.D.By offering different kinds of cooking apps.2.What can Jibo probably be?A.A cartoon character.B.A faceless robot.C.A family assistant.D.A smart alarm.3.What is the purpose of the passage?A.To advertise high-tech products.B.To introduce some new inventions.C.To encourage subscription to Time.D.To tell about some “tasty” products.7. Call small, organic agriculture really feed the world? Won’t we need science to produce enough food as the world population is growing to 9 billion by 2050? The answer to both questions is YES—but that science may look different than you think.We’ve been told that the only way we’ll be able to feed the growing population is through the science of GM(转基因)crops and chemicals. But the latest scientific studies are saying just the opposite. In study after study, the message about agriculture is: To feed the world, we need to support sustainable(可持续的)agriculture on different. Local, family farms that work with nature.In 2008, an international study found that sustainable agriculture, not GM crops, shows more hope of ending hunger. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (know as the IAASTD), calls for a change of the world’s food and farming systems.The Assessment said that industrial agriculture has greatly destroyed the world’s soils and other natural resources, and now is doing harm to water, energy, and weather safety. The report warns that expensive, short-term ways—including GM crops—are not likely to cut down long-term hunger, and could even make environment and social problems worse in many places.A recent report by the UN Environment Program shows that food problems will become more serious because of environment problems and strongly supports sustainable agriculture on small family farms. It also showed that a worldwide change to organics could actually increase the world’s food production by as much as 50%--enough to feed a population of 9 billion people with the land we have now. GM crops, once popular, are now being questioned worldwide.1.How can we feed the growing population of the world according to the passage?A.In expensive, short-term ways.B.By encouraging industrial agriculture.C.By developing small, organic agriculture.D.Through the science of GM crops and chemicals.2.We can learn from the last paragraph that there will be no food problems if_________.A.the world supports sustainable agricultureB.we increase a lot of farm landC.the environment problems are solvedD.all the small family farms are used3.Which of the following can best describe sustainable agriculture?A.the science of GM cropsB.Working on small family farms.C.a fast way to increase t he world’s food production.D.An approach to agriculture without harming the environment.4.What might be talked about if there is one more paragraph?A.The causes of food problems.B.The disadvantages of GM crops.C.The development of industrial agriculture.D.The disadvantages of sustainable agriculture.8. NASA might be famous for sending rockets up to space quickly. But it will be more famous for making your next holiday come more quickly.The space agency is working on a new plane, which could solve the problems of supersonic(超音速的) flight and vastly increase the speed of journeys abroad. If successful, the plane would be able to fly between New York and London in just three hours. And it would reduce the time spent flying other journeys by a half, since it could be used more broadly. Until now, the problem with such planes has been the sonic boom(声爆), made famous by the original Concorde. That happens when a plane reaches supersonic speeds.It is a thunderous noise that upsets people on the ground---- disturbing animals and even causing physical problems to materials and houses underneath. It was that effect that led Congress to ban such planes from being used over the US land, a decision that in turn was responsible for Concorde’s failing to b e commercially used.In view of the problem, the space agency has developed a new technology and tried it out in wind tunnels, and now believes that it could be put to commercial use. That plane will fly as high as 55,000 feet---- far higher than normal planes---and make a sound of only 60 decibels. That’s far less than 90 decibels thrown out by normal planes, and is roughly in line with a car on the motorway or a busy restaurant.“As long as we can get endorsement from the general public, the plane will probably be something that’s acceptable,” said Peter Coen, project manager for NASA’s commercial supersonic research team, in a new Bloomberg report. “If we get approved, we will have the full-sized version of the plane tried out and the plane will b e put into use.”1.Why does the author mention Concorde?A.To suggest the rapid development of planes.B.To stress the negative effect of sonic booms.C.To introduce how a commercial plane is designed.D.To show Congress’ important role in making planes.2.What is the fourth paragraph mainly about?A.The basic data of the new plane.B.The working principle of the new plane.C.The problems of the new plane.D.The potential market of the new plane.3.What does the underlined word “endorsement” in paragraph 5 mean?A.Responsemitment.C.InvestmentD.Agreement4.What is the purpose of the passage?A.To inform people of NASA’s new plane.B.To prove the disadvantages of supersonic flight.C.To explain why speed matters in supersonic flight.D.To clarify some misunderstandings about commercial planes.9. 2017 was an influential year for artificial intelligence, not just in terms of the advancement of the technology itself, but also for the development of our understanding of AI’s influence on our society.When we talk about AI, often we focus on the belief that it is going to take away certain types of jobs. However, we often ignore the fact that this technology will also slowly spread into most of our lives during work.I refer to this as the difference between AI and IA: artificial intelligence vs. intelligence augmentation (智能增强). Despite the great steps we’ve made in AI development and will continue to make in 2018, we are still years away from AI fully replacing human jobs. However, we are much closer to seeing the influence of AI spread into almost every job and the growth in human intelligence.Take a doctor for example: AI will soon be able to test and diagnose (诊断) common diseases more quickly and accurately than humans. Now, doctors can spend more of their time explaining the possible diagnoses, communicating with patients and developing unique, reliable treatment plans that are most effective for each specific patient.Algorithms (算法) are desirable for their ability to make well-informed decisions quickly and accurately, allowing us to focus on the parts of our job that are most important. But that same power allows algorithms that are making incorrect decisions to do so with greater speed and widespread influence than humans have ever had.2018 will be the year that companies purchasing AI products don’t just ask about the predictive power of an algorithm-they will make sure that algorithms are tested in advance, greatly reducing their potential unexpected influence.1.What do most people mainly focus on AI?A.AI can be completely controlled.B.AI will replace certain human jobs.C.AI is advanced technology.D.AI will gradually spread into our lives.2.Why does the author mention the doctor?A.To prove AI will make more doctors unemployed.B.To prove AI always makes right decisions.C.To prove AI will change the way we work.D.To prove AI can make treatment plans.3.What is the author’s attitude towards AI and IA?A.Objective.B.Negative.C.Optimistic.D.Uninterested.4.What will probably the following paragraph refer to?A.To tell the readers how AI can be closely controlled.B.To compare the very difference between AI and IA.C.To explain to us why an Algorithm is so important.D.To predict the development of AI in the year of 2018.10. If asked if space exploration should continue, most Americans would give an immediate response either in favor of continuing or in favor of ending space exploration. A common response would be that space exploration is a waste of money. An average American, uneducated on the subject, might believe that the government is wasting billions of dollars on the research that has no value. Someone strange to the subject might say that a space shuttle goes up once in a while and that is about all that happens. Research is ongoing and continues when there are no shuttles being launched. This also costs the government money. Does the extreme cost of space exploration make sense?One argument is that the government is wasting money on the research not being used on Earth. Actually, the money goes to workers and scientists that support National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) missions (任务), and goes to major companies that play important roles in major sectors of the US economy. Boeing is a partner of NASA for aircraft, the same company that makes commercial aircraft for the airline industry.Another benefit to continuing space exploration is the many technologies it provides. The artificial(人造的) heart resulted from experiments on the space shuttle. The handheld Jaws of Life used to save victims from car accidents resulted from the system used to separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets. Insulation(隔热板) in homes that keeps them warm and energy efficient is based on the technology used to insulate the space shuttle.There are direct benefits to the economy provided by NASA missions as well as those technologies. These advances are found in food, building materials, medical procedures and the vehicles we drive. While it can be proven that billions of dollars that could be used elsewhere is being spent on space exploration, the benefits it provides outweigh the terrible aspects. As a matter of fact, the money spent helps to improve the quality of our lives.1.How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?A.By offering analyses.B.By making comparisons.C.By giving some examples.D.By presenting research findings.2.The function of Jaws of Life is to _______.A.save people from traffic accidentsB.do experiments on the space shuttleC.keep houses warm and energy efficientD.separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets3.In the author’s opinion, space exploration _______.A.has changed our life completelyB.costs too much of our timeC.benefits us in many waysD.has nothing to do with us4.What would be the best title for the text?A.Benefits of space exploration.B.Is space exploration worth the cost?C.How to make space exploration affordable.D.Missions of the NASA space shuttle program.参考答案一、阅读理解答案：1.C; 2.A; 3.B; 4.D; 5.C解析：1.细节理解题。

2014年高三英语阅读复习第三期科普知识与现代技术12【导读】手机能控制你家的洗衣机，你听说过吗？For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphoneapp(application).Strange though it may seem —“my wife already does that” was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week — Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install (安装) a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them “smart”.Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it’s Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners is at work or on the bus.Samsung says it’s not just something ne w — the app connection actually has some practical uses.“If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryerfor the time when you come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go,” said spokesperson Amy Schmid t.The company also says that with electricity rate(电价)varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do —enable laziness. Rather thangetting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.【文章大意】本文是一篇科技说明文，介绍了一种可以用智能手机控制的洗衣机。

领兑市安插阳光实验学校高三英语阅读复习第三期科普知识与技术14【导读】白色垃圾充斥着我们这个，已成为“白色污染”，但家发明了一种可替代性的环保材料。

Harvard researchers have created a tough, low-cost, biodegradable(可生物降解的) material inspired by insects’ hard outer shells. The material’s inventors say it has a number of possible uses and someday could provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. The material, made from shrimp(虾) shells and proteins produced from silk, is called “shrilk.” It is thin, clear ,flexible and strong.A major benefit of the material is its biodegradability. Plastic’s toughness and flexibility represented a revolution in materials science during the 1950s and ‘60s. Decades later, however. plastic’s very durability(耐用性) is raising questions about how appropriate it is for one-time products such as plastic bags, or short-lived consumer goods, used in the home for a few years and then cast into a landfill where they will degrade for centuries. What is the point of making something that lasts 1,000 years?Shrilk not only will degrade in a landfill, but its basic components are used as fertilizer(肥料)，and so will enrich the soil.Shrilk has great potential, the inventors said. Materials from which it is made are plentiful in nature, found in everything ranging from shrimp shells, insect bodies to living plant. That makes shrilk low cost, and its mass production possible should it be used for products demanding a lot of material.Work on shrilk is continuing in the lab. The inventors said the material becomes flexibleWhen wet ,so they’re exploring ways to use it in wet environments. They’re also developing simpler production processes, which could be used for non-medical products, like for computer cases and other products inside the home. They’re even exploring combining it with other materials, like carbon fibers, to give it new properties.【文章大意】本文主要介绍了一种可以替换塑料的更环保的材料。