12.The year of 2014saw smart people always busy inventing useful things,which have hepled to make the world better,smarter and a little for fun.Now,let's take a look at some of the inventions.
Super banana
Australian biogeneticist(生物遗传学家) James Dale visited Uganda,a poor African country,in the early 2000s,where he found that 15-30percent of children under 5were at risk of going blind because they did not get enough Vitamin A.Dale also learned that people there love bananas.They eat three to 11bananas a day.So he came up with the idea to plant bananas containing added nutrition in order to improve Ugandans'health.With the help of Bill Gates'foundation,Dale developed the"super banana".He added a gene to the fruit,making it rich in Vitamin A.
Coaching basketball
Basketball is popular worldwide,partly because you only need a hoop(篮筐) and a ball to play the game.But this simple game has experienced a technology makeover this year with the development of a smart-sensor basketball.
The ball,called the 94Fifty Basketball,has nine sensors inside.They can tell you anything from how fast you are going to how accurate your shot angles are.
With a Bluetooth chip inside,the basketball can connect to your smartphone and tell you in the voice of a coach to"snap your wrist (传旋转球)",or"go faster",depending on the data.
The Hovercraft
Thanks to the California-based company Hendo,flying past your friends on a floating board could soon become a reality.
The Hovercraft has four small engines.These create a special magnetic field which produce enough force to lift the board off the ground.
At the moment,the hoverboard(悬浮滑板) can only float an inch off the ground for 15minutes and must fly over a metal material.It's expensive too,at $10,000 (61,810yuan),but the company hopes that one day the technology could be used.
Wireless electricity
Most of us could not bear to live without wireless Internet.We use it every day for everything from our phones to our cars.But one company wants to go a step further,by combining wireless technology with electricity.
That's right,no more tangled (缠绕的) wires and no more having to sit and hold your cell phone near a power socket(插座) in the corner of the room.WiTricity,a US company,has invented technology that can power objects up to 2.4meters away.It uses a special plug-in coil (线圈) that creates a magnetic field!
28.Which of the following statements would James Dale agree with?D
A.Children in Uganda should eat fewer bananas.
B.Vitamin A is largely found in fruits like bananas.
C.Super bananas are definitely a safe biological product.
D.people's eating habits can be used to develop new food.
29.What is the biggest advantage of the 94Fifty Basketball?B
A.The sensors hidden inside can help players run faster in a game.
B.It can help players to improve their shooting and ball handling skills.
C.It allows players to connect to their smartphones while playing basketball.
D.The bluetooth chip inside allows its users to listen to music while playing basketball.
30.What can we learn about the Hovercraft from the text?C
A.It enables its users to float off the ground freely.
B.It can work on many different kinds of surfaces.
C.It still needs to improve its power and efficiency.
D.It is an affordable means of transport for a family.
31.What do the hovercraft and wireless electricity have in common according to the text?A
A.They create magnetic fields to produce power.
B.They apply technologies to many things in life.
C.They apply technologies which can produce electricity.
D.They use wireless technology to improve their products.
分析 本文是一篇新闻报道类阅读.主要介绍了2014年几项重大的发明.其中有超级香蕉--包含更多的营养、智能篮球--帮助提高投篮技术、气垫飞船--未来的交通工具和无线供电--给生活带来便利.
解答 28.D 细节推理题.根据第二段Dale also learned that people there love bananas.They eat three to 11bananas a day.So he came up with the idea to plant bananas containing added nutrition in order to improve Ugandans'health.With the help of Bill Gates'foundation,Dale developed the"super banana".He added a gene to the fruit,making it rich in Vitamin A.可知Dale 了解到当地人非常喜欢吃香蕉,所以他想到了一个办法--种植一种包含更多营养的新香蕉,被称为"超级香蕉".由此推知,人们的饮食习惯可以用来形成新的事物.故选D.
29.B 细节判断题.根据第四段They can tell you anything from how fast you are going to how accurate your shot angles are.可知这种球可以帮助我们提高投篮技术.故选B.
30.C 细节理解题.根据第八段At the moment,the hoverboard(悬浮滑板) can only float an inch off the ground for 15minutes and must fly over a metal material.可知它目前行驶距离较短,也就是电池电量较少,并且只能在金属路面上行驶,所以它在电池和材料方面都需要提高.故选C.
31.A 细节理解题.根据第七段These create a special magnetic field which produce enough force to lift the board off the ground.和最后一段It uses a special plug-in coil (线圈) that creates a magnetic field!可知气垫飞船和无线供电都用到了磁场.故选A.
点评 本文考察学生的理解推断能力以及细心程度,只要抓住文章的关键词,采用寻读的方法查找细节,就能找到正确答案.