Have you dreamed of building your own machine? Do you wish you could invent something new? Here we look at a few British inventions of recent times.

Adaptive glasses

Do you wear glasses? If so，can you imagine life without them? In 1985，Joshua Silver，a professor at Oxford University，asked himself，“Can I invent a pair of glasses that could be changed by the wearer？”He designed two plastic lenses(透镜) that are filled with a special liquid.Using syringes(注射器) you change the liquid between the lenses until you can see clearly.The glasses are not beautiful but they are easy to use and cheap to make.

The wind­up radio

When you switch your TV on tonight，think about all those people without electricity.Thinking about this，Trevor Baylis came up with the idea of designing a radio that could be powered by hand.In common with Joshua Silver he wanted his invention to be cheap and easy to use.He wanted even the poorest people in developing countries，who don't have electricity and cannot afford batteries，to use it.The radio has a generator(发电机) which is powered by turning a handle.In 1996 it won the BBC Design Award for Best Product and Best Design.

The Dyson vacuum(真空) cleaner

In many homes around the world you can see a cleaner that looks like a spaceship.This is the Dyson vacuum cleaner which uses something called “cyclonic，separation” to separate the dirt.You do not need a bag for your cleaner and it does not get blocked so it is very practical.The idea came to Sir James Dyson after he kept having problems with his vacuum cleaner.He decided he could design a better one and in 1993 he opened his own factory.The Dyson is now one of the bestselling cleaners in the UK and Dyson is believed to have earned over a billion pounds.

The Zapata Flyboard

Have you ever dreamed of zooming through the water and leaping in the air like a dolphin? Now you can thanks to a flyboard，built by water sports enthusiast Frank Zapata.With it you can dive back in the water and out again.It's possible to jump to incredible heights out of the water—over 30 feet.The basic flyboard model comes in at ￡4，200.

So keep dreaming and inventing.One day you might get it right.

16．Which might be the best title for the passage?

A．Greatest Inventions  B．Scientists' Stories

C．Magic Glasses  D．Beautiful Minds

17．What can we learn about adaptive glasses?

A．They are very expensive.

B．The inventor is a student.

C．The glasses are fragile.

D．They don't look very nice.

18．Which invention won an award?

A．Adaptive glasses.

B．The wind­up radio.

C．The Dyson vacuum cleaner.

D．The Zapata Flyboard.

19．The Dyson vacuum cleaner was invented with the purpose of ________．

A．helping people use cleaners more easily

B．making Dyson a rich businessman

C．keeping the house cleaner than before

D．taking the place of human cleaners

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
My grandparents built and lived in a small 600-square-foot cottage for most of their adult lives. They actively practiced living a 1 life. Saving and avoiding overspending was their life 2 for their whole life. 3 seeking satisfaction through material items, they chose to spend 4 time together, with family, and in nature.
Over the years my grandparents noticed 5 changes in their community. Every year more farmland was 6 to build larger and larger homes. With houses’ prices 7, many of their neighbors sold their little homes and lands. 8 only their small house was still on the block, surrounded by a sea of tall buildings. Countless family members 9 my grandparents to expand their home. But they didn’t want a bigger place and were 10 with what they had.
　　In many ways, I’ve modeled my life after my grandparents. Through their example I learned an important 11: It is absolutely possible to live a small and fulfilling life.
　　My grandparents lived in a small home, but they owned a(n) 12 garden. They loved gardening deeply because it not only 13 their grocery bill, but also improved their health and gave them a(n) 14 to be outside. They said, “15 you live in a small home or an apartment, you don’t have to give up gardening.”
My grandparents avoided lifestyle creep(攀比) by paying for their own home in cash and building it themselves. They also recycled and 16 everything. For instance, they drove the same car for over 15 years and didn’t buy anything new until their stuff was 17 worn out.
My grandparents taught me that living well on 18 isn’t about feeling bad for myself. 19, it’s about giving yourself the time, freedom, and money to seek your dreams. You know: Becoming debt free, living in a smaller home, and others are a few ways to 20 your life.

1. 1.
   1. A.
      dull
   2. B.
      simple
   3. C.
      single
   4. D.
      busy
2. 2.
   1. A.
      attitude
   2. B.
      experience
   3. C.
      principle
   4. D.
      standard
3. 3.
   1. A.
      Rather than
   2. B.
      More than
   3. C.
      Other than
   4. D.
      Apart from
4. 4.
   1. A.
      shopping
   2. B.
      work
   3. C.
      break
   4. D.
      quality
5. 5.
   1. A.
      obvious
   2. B.
      delicate
   3. C.
      enjoyable
   4. D.
      flexible
6. 6.
   1. A.
      improved
   2. B.
      ruined
   3. C.
      discovered
   4. D.
      distributed
7. 7.
   1. A.
      taking up
   2. B.
      making up
   3. C.
      going up
   4. D.
      turning up
8. 8.
   1. A.
      Probably
   2. B.
      Suddenly
   3. C.
      Instantly
   4. D.
      Eventually
9. 9.
   1. A.
      forced
   2. B.
      encouraged
   3. C.
      persuaded
   4. D.
      ordered
10. 10.
    1. A.
       content
    2. B.
       angry
    3. C.
       cautious
    4. D.
       familiar
11. 11.
    1. A.
       lesson
    2. B.
       theory
    3. C.
       truth
    4. D.
       sentence
12. 12.
    1. A.
       small
    2. B.
       special
    3. C.
       ordinary
    4. D.
       huge
13. 13.
    1. A.
       reduced
    2. B.
       handled
    3. C.
       checked
    4. D.
       handled
14. 14.
    1. A.
       platform
    2. B.
       stage
    3. C.
       excuse
    4. D.
       solution
15. 15.
    1. A.
       As if
    2. B.
       Even if
    3. C.
       Only if
    4. D.
       What if
16. 16.
    1. A.
       sewed
    2. B.
       created
    3. C.
       sold
    4. D.
       reused
17. 17.
    1. A.
       thoroughly
    2. B.
       generally
    3. C.
       nearly
    4. D.
       hardly
18. 18.
    1. A.
       more
    2. B.
       less
    3. C.
       better
    4. D.
       worse
19. 19.
    1. A.
       What’s more
    2. B.
       As a result
    3. C.
       On the whole
    4. D.
       On the contrary
20. 20.
    1. A.
       risk
    2. B.
       manage
    3. C.
       limit
    4. D.
       destroy

One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:  

For washing the car...........................................$5.00 

For making my own bed this week...................$1.00 

Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50 

Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25 

Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00 

Getting a good report card................................$5.00 

And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00 

Total .......................................................... ......$14.75 

His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote: 

For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge

For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............No Charge

For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................No Charge

When you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................No Charge

Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”“All paid.”.

1.What’s the best title for this passage?

2.The writer wrote the passage in order to ______.

3.How do you think of the mother in the passage?

4.From the last passage we know that ______.

One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:  
For washing the car...........................................$5.00 
For making my own bed this week...................$1.00 
Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50 
Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25 
Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00 
Getting a good report card................................$5.00 
And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00 
Total .......................................................... ......$14.75 
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote: 
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..............No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose............................No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love...................................No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”“All paid.”.

1. 1.

   What’s the best title for this passage?

   1. A.
      Part-time Job
   2. B.
      Mother’s Love, No Charge
   3. C.
      Payment for House Work.
   4. D.
      Greedy Mother
2. 2.

   The writer wrote the passage in order to ______.

   1. A.
      show that children should be paid for their housework
   2. B.
      show that children should not be paid for their housework
   3. C.
      show a clever way of teaching children
   4. D.
      tell children how to spend their spare time
3. 3.

   How do you think of the mother in the passage?

   1. A.
      Clever.
   2. B.
      Greedy.
   3. C.
      Cold-hearted.
   4. D.
      Selfish.
4. 4.

   From the last passage we know that ______.

   1. A.
      the boy got all the money he wanted
   2. B.
      the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
   3. C.
      the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
   4. D.
      the mother was angry with what the boy said