In science, people copy ideas from nature to solve problems or to create products. This is called biomimiery(仿生学). Its influence can be seen in many everyday products.
Nearly ten years ago, swimwear was influenced by nature. The Speedo Fastskin, a swimsuit, was seen at the Beijing Olympics and worn by 28 of the 33 gold medal winners. The technology is based on the rough patterns on a shark's skin, which allows the shark to swim faster.
Protecting astronauts' eyes from the sun's rays is very important but protecting their eyes from other dangerous radiation is also necessary. Scientists studied how eagles clearly recognize the animals they want to eat. They discovered that eagles have yellow oil in their eyes which fihers(过滤) out harmful radiation and allows them to see very clearly. They copied this oil and it is now used by astronauts and pilots in Eagle Eyes glasses. Besides protecting eyes from all the dangerous rays, these sunglasses also improve seeing in different weather conditions such as fog, sunlight or just normal light.
In another development, a car company has developed a new car which is based on the shape of the boxfish. Engineers chose to copy the boxfish skeleton(骨架) to make their Bionic Car because of its strength and low weight. Tile boxfish's bony body protects the animal's insides from injury in the same way as a car needs to protect the people inside it. This shape also means the car has less air resistance and so uses less fuel.
1.How many biomimicry products are mentioned in this passage?
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2.What does the shark's skin allow a shark to do?
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3.What special feature(特征) of eagle eyes was copied to make sunglasses?
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4.What two features of a boxfish skeleton make it good for engineers to copy?
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5.Do you think biomimicry will be more common in the future? Why or why not?
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Jack London is a famous American writer. His most widely known book is Call of the Wild, the story of the adventures of a large dog in the frozen north. Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. His family was very poor, and Jack hadto leave school to make money. He worked hard at many different jobs. Later, Jack returned to school, but he didn't stay long. He wrote, "Life and pocket were both too short." II1 1897, he went to Alaska to find gold. Instead, he found ideas there for his books and stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were successful and he became rich and famous in his twenties. Jack London was not a happy man, however. In poor health, he took his own life in 1916.
The 1.of Jack London | |
What is he? | An2. writer. His most famous book is Call of the Wild, the adventure of a dog in the very3. north. |
His experience | Born in a 4. family, he had to leave school to make money . Later, he returned to school for a 5. time. In 1897, he went to Alaska to look for6. .Then he returned home and began to 7. . He became famous famous and rich in his 8.. |
How did he die? | He was rich but unhappy. He was in poor9. . He killed himself at the age of 10.. |
Bruce and Kelly are brother and sister. They enjoy 1. (play) sports. In just a month they 2. (be) high school students. Bruce is deciding between badminton and volleyball. Kelly is thinking about whether to try a sport she never played, or go with one she knows, like baseball.
Maybe many students face the same problem. For most students,3. (choose) which sports to do in high school is hard because they never played an 4. (organize) sport before, and they are not sure what they will most enjoy.
Sports 5. (mean) to be fun. If there is a sport you really enjoy but you aren't sure if you can play it well, just 6. (try) out. What's the worst that can happen? If you don~t like it, you can always try another sport.
1.You must look both __________ (side) of the way before crossing the roads.
2.Bosses would like ___________ (they) secretaries to be careful and hard-working.
3.Compared with the new railway station, the old one seems even __________ (good).
4.I have been to Hong Kong once. I want to go there for a __________ (two) time.
5.The little boy held up the box _________ (easy).
around, couple, different, exchange, got up, sat down
1.The ____________ students will come tomorrow. We can't wait to meet them.
2.For the coming weekend, I will go ______________ the city by bike.
3.The young ____________ fell in love with each other when they met for the first time.
4.If you watch the pictures carefully, you will find something_________________ .
5.Ann _______ from her chair when the teacher came in.
Carrots are easy to grow and easy to harvest. They taste good. And they contain a lot of carotene( 胡萝卜素).
When people think of carrots, they usually say it's a vegetable that is long, thin and orange. But carrots come in many different sizes and shapes. And not all carrots are orange. For example, Paris Market carrots are about five centimetres around. Belgian White carrots are, as their names suggest, white.
For the best results, carrots should be grown in sandy soil that does not hold water for a long time. The soil also should have no rocks. To prepare your garden for carrots, dig up the soil, loosen it and turn it over. Then, mix in some plant material. Weather, soil conditions and age will affect the way carrots taste. Experts say warm days, cool nights and a medium soil temperature are the best conditions for growing carrots that taste great.
Carrots need time to develop their full sugar content. This gives them their taste. The best way to judge if a carrot is ready to be harvested is by its color. Usually, the brighter the colour, the better the taste.
If the ground does freeze in your part of the world, simply cover your carrot garden with a thick layer(层) of leaves or straw. This will prevent the ground from freezing. You can remove the ground cover and harvest the carrots as they are needed.
Carrots are one of the world's most popular vegetables. They can be cooked and prepared in many different ways.
1.Carrots are_____________________ .
A. long, thin and orange B. of different colours and shapes
C. small and round D. orange and white
2.Carrots need all the following to grow well EXCEPT____________ .
A. sunshine B. sandy soil C. much water D. plant material
3.We know from the passage that carrots________________ .
A. are very beautiful plants B. are a kind of very delicious fruit
C. only grow in warm areas D. are likely to be affected by cold
