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A huge cloud of dust rose and an overpass disappeared. This was the scene in Zhuzhou,Hunan Province on May 17.Nine people were killed and 16 injured.
Things were similar last year in the Sichuan earthquake. Thousands of people were buried in the ruins and lost their lives. What if we could have warned them?
People are always racking their brains to find a way of preventing buildings’ collapse. Better materials and technology help,but they are not a solution.
Just like humans,a building has its own life cycle from “birth” to “death”.If we know when a building is going to collapse,we can repair it in advance or get out of it before it falls.
Now,scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks. The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes or bridge supports.
The research was led by Nancy Sottos,a professor at the university’s Beckman Institute,and Douglas Davis,a graduate research assistant.
The secret behind the color­changing material is a type of molecule (分子).A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds. Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle,holding hands. Each person stands for one atom,your hands represent the bonds,and the entire circle represents a molecule. If one person lets go of his or her hands,the molecule changes color.
The research team put the molecule into a soft material. When the researchers stretched the material,it turned bright red for a few seconds before it broke into two pieces. When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material,without breaking it,it only turned a little red.
The major problem is that light can get rid of the red color. When the team shone bright light on the molecule,the broken bond was fixed,and the color disappeared.
If the bright light keeps the red color from appearing,the material’s warning system will be useless. Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color­changing molecules can be used outside the lab.
小题1:What does the passage mainly introduce?
A.The collapse of an overpass in Zhuzhou,Hunan Province.
B.The Sichuan earthquake
C.A material that turns red before it breaks.
D.A way of preventing building from collapsing.
小题2:The underlined words “racking their brains” in the third paragraph mean ________.
A.suffering a lotB.collecting beyond imagination
C.losing a lotD.thinking very hard
小题3:Which of the following is a WRONG statement?
A.Thousands of people died from the collapse of buildings in the Sichuan earthquake because they hadn’t been warned.
B.There is no building that will never collapse.
C.A new material has been applied to buildings to warn people of collapse.
D.A color­changing material can turn red before it breaks.
小题4:What can we infer from the passage?
A.The color­changing molecules are certain to be used outside the lab.
B.There will be no collapse with the help of the color­changing material.
C.There is a long way to go before the material can be applied.
D.The problem caused by bright light will be solved by scientists.

小题1:C
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:C

试题分析:这篇文章主要介绍了一种在坏掉之前可以变成红色的材料,介绍了材料变色的原理。这种新型的材料处于研究阶段,还没有应用于建筑,在这种材料被应用之前,还有很长一段路需要走。
小题1:主旨题:根据Now,scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks. The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes or bridge supports.可知这篇文章主要介绍了一种在坏掉之前可以变成红色的材料, 故选C。
小题2:猜词题:根据People are always racking their brains to find a way of preventing buildings’ collapse. Better materials and technology help,but they are not a solution.可猜出racking their brains意思是很努力地想,故选D。
小题3:细节题:根据Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color­changing molecules can be used outside the lab.可知这种新型的材料处于研究阶段,还没有应用于建筑,故选C。
小题4:推断题:根据If the bright light keeps the red color from appearing,the material’s warning system will be useless. Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color­changing molecules can be used outside the lab.可知从文章可以推断出在这种材料被应用之前,还有很长一段路需要走,故选C。
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科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

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科目:高中英语 来源:不详 题型:阅读理解

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A team at the University of Missouri is developing a system that can analyze pictures using a 5,000-year-old Chinese principle, which is based on the flow and balance of positive and negative energies in the body, and uses the tongue as a key to learning about a person’s physical health, or “zheng” according to Chinese medicine.
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A.the latest development of smart phones
B.a traditional Chinese medical principle
C.the changes in one’s flow and energy
D.symptoms related with the state of the body
小题2:According to Chinese medicine, zheng refers to ________.
A.one’s body temperatureB.the physical health of a person
C.the possible disease of a personD.the color and coating of one’s tongue
小题3:The study led by Dong Xu proves _________.
A.the effect of the software
B.the software’s great prospect
C.the advancement of smart phones
D.the greatness of Chinese medicine
小题4:The underlined word “ailments” can be replaced by _________.
A.analysisB.effectsC.illnessesD.applications
小题5:It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
A.the software still needs improvement
B.the subjects in the study are all gastritis
C.the software has been in market for a year
D.the subjects in the study are classified by age

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