Question

Here’s a simple challenge: name a famous inventor. Perhaps Leonardo da Vinci springs to mind. Or the pioneer of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. But you might be hard-pressed to name many female inventors, even though women are behind some of the most widely used technologies in the modern world.

For example, where would we be without the windscreen wiper? Back on a freezing winter’s day in 1902, Mary Anderson was traveling by tram through New York city. Snow was falling, forcing the driver to stop repeatedly and get out to clear it. Each time the door opened, Mary suffered. She had a brainwave: why not make something that could be operated from inside the vehicle? And that’s exactly what she did.

Let’s step in from freezing New York for our next invention. The dishwasher dates back even earlier to the 19th Century, and to the dinner parties thrown by a lady called Josephine Cochrane. As a frequent host, she wanted a machine that could wash dishes faster than people. Her response was to develop what was to become the first commercially successful dishwasher.

Need something to do while the dishwasher is on? How about a round of Monopoly（强手棋游戏）? One of the most popular board games around, the rules were first drawn up by a lady called Elizabeth Magie, and patented in 1904.

To an altogether different kind of innovation: Kevlar is the lightweight fibre used in bulletproof（防弹）vests. The material is used by millions every day and has saved countless lives and is strength-lo-weight ratio is five times higher than steel.

Finally, one of the most important inventions of the 20th Century must surely be the computer programme. The world of programming is unbalanced among men and women, with men taking home around 30% more pay than their female partners on average. But back in the 1940s and 50s, women were at the forefront of this new field and Grace Hopper was one of them.

1.What do we know about the inventions mentioned in the text?

A. They were mostly made in the 20th century.

B. They all used high technology.

C. Their inventors came from families of good education.

D. They were all made by accident.

2.Why did Mary Anderson invent windscreen wiper?

A. The winter was extremely cold there.

B. She was forced to clear the snow by others.

C. The car she drove made her suffer a great deal.

D. She was sick of the driver getting out to clear the window.

3.Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the text?

A. Josephine Cochrane wanted a machine that operated automatically.

B. The game invented by Magie was popular merely among teenagers.

C. Kevlar is the super tough fibre and stronger than steel.

D. Grace Hopper was good at computer programming.

4.What is the best title of this passage?

A. Women can be Great Inventors

B. The Most Useful Inventions by Women

C. The Most Widely Used Technologies

D. Women Made Greater Contributions than Men

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

试题这是一篇说明文。计算机程序设计应该是个男性工作的领域，仅从目前的从业人数来看，男性程序员的人数超过女性从业人数，但曾经一度不是这样的。本文就为读者介绍了一些由女性发明的日用品。

1.细节理解题。由第二段的“Back on a freezing winter’s day in 1902”和第四段的“The dishwasher dates back even earlier to the 19th Century”；第五段的“ One of the most popular board games around, the rules were first drawn up by a lady called Elizabeth Magie, and patented in 1904.以及最后一段的“Finally, one of the most important inventions of the 20th Century must surely be the computer programme.”可知，文章中提到的发明大部分是20世纪发明的。故选A。

2.细节理解题。由第二段的“Each time the door opened, Mary suffered. She had a brainwave: why not make something that could be operated from inside the vehicle? And that’s exactly what she did.”可知，每次司机开门下去擦玻璃，Mary Anderson都挺受苦，这导致她产生了一个想法：为什么不制造一些可以在车内操作的东西呢？于是她发明了雨刷。故选D。

3.细节理解题。由第四段的“One of the most popular board games around, the rules were first drawn up by a lady called Elizabeth Magie, and patented in 1904.”可知，最受欢迎的棋盘游戏之一 ，最初是由一位名叫Elizabeth Magie的女士起草的，并于1904年获得专利，但并没有说仅受青少年的欢迎。因此推断B项Magie发明的游戏仅受青少年欢迎是错误的。故选B。

4.标题判断题。纵观全文可知，第一段是主题段，由“But you might be hard-pressed to name many female inventors, even though women are behind some of the most widely used technologies in the modern world.”并结合下文的举例可推断，文章主要讲述了一些由女性发明的日用品。因此推断A项“女性可以成为伟大的发明家 ”为最佳标题。故选A。