閱讀理解題
part A
Superconductor Ceramic 陶瓷)
An underground revolution begins this winter. With the flip (輕擊) of a switch, 30,000 homes in one part of Detroit will soon become the first in the country to receive electricity transmitted by ice-cold high-performance cables. Other American cities are expected to follow Detroit's example in the years ahead, which could conserve enormous amounts of power.
The new electrical cables at the Frisbie power station in Detroit are revolutionary because they are made of superconductors. A superconductor is a material that transmits electricity with little or no resistance. Resistance is the degree to which a substance resists electric current. All common electrical conductors have a certain amount of electrical resistance. They convert at least some of the electrical energy passing through them into waste heat. Superconductors don't. No one understands how superconductivity works. It just does.
Making superconductors isn't easy. A superconductor material has to be cooled to an extremely low temperature to lose its resistance. The first superconductors, made more than 50 years ago, had to be cooled to-263 degrees Celsius before they lost their resistance. Newer superconducting materials lose their resistance at -143 degrees Celsius.
The superconductors cable installed at the Frisbie station is made of a ceramic material that contains copper, oxygen, bismuth(鉍), strontium(鍶), and calcium(鈣 ). A ceramic is a hard, strong compound made from clay or minerals. The superconducting ceramic has been fashioned into a tape that is wrapped lengthwise around a long tube filled with liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is supercold and lowers the temperature of the ceramic tape to the point where it conveys electricity with zero resistance.
The United States loses an enormous amount of electricity each year to resistance. Because cooled superconductors have no resistance, they waste much less power. Other cities are watching the Frisbie experiment in the hope that they might switch to superconducting cable and conserve power, too.
31. What is the benefit of the revolution mentioned in the first paragraph?
A. With a flip of swish, electricity can be transmitted.
B. Other American cities can benefit from the high-performance cables.
C. Great amounts of power can be conserved.
D. Detroit will first receive electricity transmitted by the new electrical cables.
32. Compared to common electrical conductors, superconductors
A. have little or no electrical resistance.
B. can be used for a long time.
C. are not energy-efficient.
D. can be made easily.
33. At what temperature does the superconducting ceramic lose its resistance?
A. -143 degree Celsius.
B. -263 degree Celsius.
C. As long as it is ice-cold.
D. Absolute zero.
34. What element enables the ceramic tape to lower its temperature?
A. Copper.
B. Liquid nitrogen.
C. Clay.
D. Calcium.
35. According to the last paragraph, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Other cities hope they can also conserve power.
B. Other cities hope they can use superconducting cables soon.
C. Superconductors waste less power because of their low resistance.
D. The Fribie experiment is not successful.
參考答案
31.C。細節題。題幹：第一段中提及的這場革命的好處是什麼?利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第一段的最後一句，儘管A、B、D的內容都在第一段中被提及，但不是這場革命所帶來的主要利益。
32.A。細節題。題幹：與傳統的普通電導體相比，超導體__________。第二段的第二句和第四句提供了明確的答案：超導體幾乎沒有電阻，而普通導體都有一定的電阻。故選A。
33.A。細節題。題幹：在什麼溫度下，超導體失去電阻?利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第三段最後一句，由該句可知答案為A。B是50年前第一代超導體的溫度數。C和D都不是正確的說法。
34.B。細節題。題幹：什麼因素使得ceramic tape能降低溫度?利用題幹關鍵詞可以定位到第四段第四句，由該句可知答案為B。A和D中的copper和calcium是用來製造超導體的陶瓷材料的成分;C中的clay是陶瓷材料的來源。
35.D。細節題。題幹：根據最後一段所述，下列說法哪一項是不對的?A、B、C三個選項的資訊在最後一段中都提到了，只有選項D的意思沒提到，故選D。
part B
Centers of the Great European Cities
The centers of the great cities of Europe are meeting places by tradition. People gather there to drink coffee and chat late into the night. A mixture of locals and tourists make for an exciting, metropolitan atmosphere.
Squares, plazas (廣場) and arcades (拱廊) form the heart of Europe's cities.
Venice in Italy has the Piazza San Marco -- a beautiful square surrounded by shops, churches,restaurants and cafes. In Barcelona, Spain, La Bosqueria is a lively market with hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of goods. London's Covent Garden is filled with fruit and vegetable stalls by day and musicians, acrobats ( 雜技演員) and artists by night. The government buildings at the center of many cities often are architecturally impressive. In London, they serve as a beautiful backdrop ( 背景) to the coffee tables that line the streets and the banks of the Thames.
These vibrant (有活力的 ) hearts are the product of centuries of evolution, social historian Joel Garreau told US News and Worm Report recently. "The reason people think Venice is so great today is you don't see all the mistakes." said Garreau. "Those have all been removed." Most European cities were laid out before the invention of the car, so bars, restaurants and cafes were near to people's homes. Today, the focus of many Europeans' life has moved away from the centers.
They live in the suburbs and outskirts, driving to supermarkets to get their supplies. But on a continent where people treasure convention, there are still those who hold onto traditional ways,living and shopping locally. These people, together with tourists, provide the city centers with their reason for existence.
Coffee culture plays a part in keeping these city centers flourishing. This is particularly true of Paris whose citizens are famous enthusiastic conversationalists. This skill is developed over many hours spent chatting over espressos (濃咖啡) and cigarettes.
Religion also plays a role in developing sociable atmosphere. People in Roman Catholic countries used to visit the church on an almost daily basis. "Entire communities would gather in the same building and then move out to the markets, cafes and bars in the surrounding streets. An enormous example of this relationship between church and society is the Duomo. The huge marble cathedral in Florence, Italy is surrounded by bakeries and coffee shops, and caters not only to the tourist crowds, but also the local community.
36. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that each big city in Europe
A. has many large squares.
B. has many very magnificent sky-scrapers.
C. draws tourists in large numbers every year.
D. has a center where tourists meet their spouses.
37. Which statement is NOT true of Covent Garden?
A. It is crowded with people.
B. It is located in London.
C. It is filled with stalls.
D. It is surrounded by shops, churches, restaurants and cafes.
38. Why do people think that Venice is so great?
A. Because it is a famous tourist attraction.
B. Because you can reach anywhere by boat.
C. Because it is well-known for its merchants.
D. Because all the mistakes have been removed.
39. What are Parisians famous for?
A. Their pursuit of independence.
B. Their enthusiasm for conversation.
C. Their ability to keep the city flourishing.
D. Their devotion to developing a multiple culture.
40. The writer cites the Duomo in the last paragraph as an example to illustrate that_________.
A. there is a tight link between church and society.
B. all churches are magnificent.
C. old churches are very popular.
D. high-rise churches are impressive.
