One of the world’s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man’s most basic functions:visiting the toilet.Bill Gates’s charitable organization,the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future,which,they hope,would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So,what’s wrong with the traditional flush toilet?Firstly,it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.Secondly,they are more likely to cause pollution.This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world,where,according to United Nations estimates,unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations.Younger people are particularly at risk.Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1.5 million children a year.Finally,standard lavatories simply aren’t practical in remote areas.
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water,electricity or aseptic tank.It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents.28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair,in Seattle,USA.Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves,another which converted human waste into charcoal,and yet another which used urine for flushing.
But the winner was a solarpowered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity. The team from the California Institute of Technology(CIT) picked up a prize of $100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn’t feel he’s flushing money down the toilet.After the Seattle event he said,“We couldn’t be happier with the response we’ve gotten.” Gates has even pledged $370 million more to the future toilet project.They hope to field test more prototypes over the next three years.
1.Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?
A.Because he wants to test people’s sense of creativity.
B.Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people.
C.Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion.
D.Because he can’t design this kind of things himself.
2.Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?
A.They waste too much water.
B.They might cause diseases.
C.They are not always practical.
D.They are too complicated to use.
3.The underlined word “latrine” in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word “________” in the text.
A.loo B.sanitation
C.diarrhea D.prototype
4.The team from CIT won the prize because their design ________.
A.can change human waste into electricity
B.can turn human waste into charcoal
C.can produce power with solar energy
D.can use urine for flushing
Heading overseas on a business trip or just for pleasure any time soon?If so,have you thought about what you are going to do about communication?You may need to arrange cab service or get directions to an attraction,not to mention you want to stay in touch with the folks back home.
Hope you aren’t counting_on your personal cell phone.Industry experts estimate that most American cell phones won’t work overseas due to compatibility (兼容性) issues.And even if yours did work,the roaming (漫游) charges would be too high.
So what are your choices?You could rent a phone with a local number in the country you’re traveling to,but that wouldn’t do you much good if you’re constantly on the go.A more costeffective way would be to rent a satellite phone from a company like Global Cellular Rental.
The process is amazingly fast and simple.All you have to do is to log onto the company’s website,www.globalcellularrental.com,and place an order.The site will show you the countries you will be traveling to and ask you how long you will need the phone.The company then ships a cell phone directly to you anywhere in the world.The phone arrives with complete instructions.
The traveler also learns his overseas phone number well in advance,enabling him to inform all vital contacts of the number before he ever steps on a plane.
Roaming rates are usually 80 percent less than those charged by American service providers.Calls back to the US can be discounted 40 percent or more.The rentals cost is just $5 per day,and discount packages are available for longterm rentals of two months or more.
This cell phone solution is becoming so popular that Global Cellular Rental actually has relationships with hotel chains around the world to keep phones in stock for hotel guests.And for those whose journey really takes them off the beaten track,the company can also rent satellite phones to them.These phones work anywhere in the world as long as you are outside.
1.The underlined words in Paragraph 2 mean “________”.
A.throwing away B.depending on
C.complaining about D.figuring out
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.You must place an order on its website.
B.Discount packages need to be applied in advance.
C.The Global Cellular Rental is an American company.
D.The company doesn’t help those travelers to remote areas.
3.Which shows the costeffective aspect of the satellite phone when an American user travels in Beijing?
A.The roaming rates are 20% discount compared to American local service.
B.Calls back to the US cost 60% less compared to American local service.
C.The rental cost is $150 per month if you rent for three months.
D.Forty percent or more discount is available when he calls back to the US.
4.How many ways of overseas communications by phone are mentioned in the passage?
A.2. B.3.
C.4. D.5.
I stood there outside of the classroom with the other students,waiting for the supervisor(监考老师) to open the door,and ____ filled the heart.
When we were finally inside the classroom,I realized how ____ it was.The heater hadn’t been on and the ____ were as cold as ice.Alright then,the supervisor started to walk around,____ everyone’s calculator to make sure they were “approved devices”(允许使用的工具).
At around 8∶25,the test started.I was ____ my way through word problems,grammar sections,and reading and ____ sections.The supervisor kept walking around the room,___ each student’s extra pencils and ____ sharpening them for us.
I turned the ____ when instructed to,____ it wasn’t another math section and it wasn’t.It was a reading section——____!I started reading the excerpt(片段) given and was ____ to discover that it wasn’t a boring piece about astrology(星象) or biological science.____,it was an excerpt from a romantic novel.I became little ____ with reading it and at times I wanted to say “Aww” aloud.My heart was ____ swooning(沉醉) and I think I was ____.Hopefully I got the questions from that section ____ because I actually had fun answering them.Who knew the SAT could actually bring ____?
It was about 1∶00 p.m.when the test was over.I got out of the classroom with ____.As I was walking outside the building,I was thinking that the test was no longer a bitter ____ for the first time in my life.
1.A.happiness B.nervousness
C.calmness D.sadness
2.A.amazing B.disappointing
C.tiring D.freezing
3.A.seats B.walls
C.floors D.hearts
4.A.seeing B.taking
C.checking D.preparing
5.A.looking B.pacing
C.making D.showing
6.A.comprehension B.thinking
C.guessing D.recitation
7.A.bringing in B.putting down
C.picking up D.showing off
8.A.kindly B.slightly
C.directly D.slowly
9.A.door B.direction
C.pencil D.page
10.A.finding B.praying
C.deciding D.imagining
11.A.terrible B.great
C.sure D.no
12.A.frightened B.worried
C.shocked D.regretted
13.A.However B.Therefore
C.Also D.Rather
14.A.carried away B.worn out
C.tired D.confused
15.A.suddenly B.totally
C.over D.again
16.A.reading B.sleeping
C.smiling D.whispering
17.A.right B.ready
C.clear D.possible
18.A.hope B.joy
C.interest D.trouble
19.A.relief B.hunger
C.strength D.courage
20.A.attempt B.fact
C.process D.experience
—I expect that everything will turn out as you wish.
—________.
A.All right B.Certainly
C.I’d like to D.The same to you
—So you missed the English class this morning?
—________.I arrived 20 minutes after it started.
A.Not exactly B.Not necessarily
C.Not nearly D.Not likely
—Honey,let’s go out for dinner.
—________I don’t have to cook.
A.Forget it! B.That’s great!
C.Why? D.Go ahead!