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.

Adaptable 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 wind-up 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 a BBC Design Award for Best Protect and Best Design.

The Dyson cleaner

In many homes around the world you can see a cleaner that looks like a spaceship. This is the Dyson vacuum (真空) 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 best-selling cleaners in the UK and Dyson is believed to have earned over a billion pounds.

The Zapata fly-board

Ever dreamed of zooming through the water and leaping in the air like a dolphin? Now you can thanks to a fly-board, 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 fly-board model comes in at ￡4,200.

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

1.What can we learn about Adaptable glasses?

A. They are very expensive.                                                  B. The inventor is a student.

C. The glasses are fragile.                                            D. They don’t look very nice.

2.Which invention won an award?

A. Adaptable glasses.                                                           B. The wind-up radio.

C. The Dyson cleaner.                                                           D. The Zapata fly-board.

3.The Dyson 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

Le Trung, 33，has spent ￡14,000 creating Aiko，who he describes as“in her 20s”with a 32,23,33 figure，shiny hair and delicate features.

She can speak English and Japanese and is so good at mathematics that she can do Mr.Trung's accounts.

Mr.Trung，from Brampton in Ontario，Canada，said he has never had time to find a real partner，so he designed and created his ideal woman using the latest technology.

The former software programmer has taken out credit cards and loans，sold his car and spent his life savings on perfecting his“fem­bot”.

Now he is desperate to find a corporate sponsor(资助者)to help him complete and perfect Aiko.

He said，“Aiko is what happens when science meets beauty.”

 "I want to make her look，feel and act as human as possible so she can be the perfect companion."

    "I talk to her a lot，and hope to improve her knowledge."

"So far she can understand and speak 13,000 different sentences in English and Japanese，so she's already fairly intelligent."

"Aiko recognize faces and says hello when any of my family come around to visit. She helps me pick what to have for dinner and knows what drinks I like."

"She even helps me with directions when we're going somewhere."

"When I need to do my accounts，Aiko does all the maths. She is very patient and never complains."

"She doesn't need holidays，food or rest and she will work almost 24­hours a day. She is the perfect woman."

Mr.Trung has designed Aiko with a touch­sensitive face and body so she reacts in a natural way if she is shown affection or hurt.

 He said，"She has all senses except for smell."

1.Why did Le Trung spend much money creating Aiko?

A. Because he prefers Aiko to a real person.

B. Because he is too busy to find a partner.

C. Because he thinks Aiko is very beautiful.

D. Because he thinks Aiko is worth much money.

2. According to the passage，what is Aiko?

A. Aiko is a female person.

B. Aiko is Mr.Trung's girl friend.

C. Aiko is a robot that looks like a beautiful woman.

D. Aiko is a perfect woman.

3. Aiko can do the following things EXCEPT ________.

A. that she can understand and speak English and Japanese

B. that she can do maths questions very well

C. that she can smell the strange smell

D. that she can help to receive some familiar guests

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The reason for Le Trung creating Aiko.

B. The introduction to a new scientific product－Aiko.

C. Aiko's ability or functions.

D. The process of making Aiko.

"Efficiency is the by-product of comfort," says Dr. Erwin Tichauer of New York University. To prove this____, Dr. Tichauer uses his capability to find_____ways to do things. _____, he felt that the traditional kind of pliers(钳子）______a better design. The usual____limited hand movement and used unnecessary force because it bent the_____. So he designed a pair of pliers to allow the wrist to remain in a comfortable position.

     To improve the design of______and then make work easier, Dr. Tichauer____the old tools. He asks such questions as: why ____a stepladder have four legs____three are more stable? Why dose a screwdriver (螺丝刀) have to be made with straight handles? After testing his____, he has invented a new tool that causes less muscle injury and is more efficient. 

   Tichauer is not interested in getting ____ from his inventions. In fact, he says, "We _____ people to steal from us. At New York University, we do not patent(注册专利）knowledge or invention."__ __companies have adopted some of his inventions.

     As a biochemist, as well as inventor, Dr Techauer____the effect of stress on areas of the body. Even easy______work may put heavy stress on small areas of body and____causes a serious disease. Thus his studies of workers in factories who use the____tool all day long are extremely____in learning about the damage on human body? Dr. Techauer knows that he can not redesign the ____ so he redesigns the tool!

1.A. argument       B. impression                    C. statement         D. expectation

2.A. unusual                    B. easier               C. new                          D. correct 

3.A. Especially         B. What's more                 C. Meanwhile                 D. For example

4.A. followed                  B. showed                       C. needed                     D. proved

5.A. design           B. habits               C. materials                    D. work

6.A. body               B. finger                      C. hand                  D. wrist

7.A. pliers             B. a tool                        C. a stepladder        D. screwdrivers

8.A. tests                       B. uses                 C. fixes                  D. destroys

9.A. could             B. will                           C. would                       D. must

10.A. if                  B. because           C. when                        D. once

11.A. inventions      B. theories                     C. tools                         D. questions

12.A. recognized     B. famous              C. excited                     D. rich

13.A. encourage              B. prevent             C. warn                        D. forgive

14.A. Modern                 B. Research                      C. Commercial         D. Industrial 

15.A. teaches                 B. studies              C. produces                   D. discovers

16.A. physical         B. daily                 C. office                 D. research 

17.A. in time                  B. in addition                    C. immediately                D. commonly

18.A. wrong                   B. old                            C. same                  D. heavy

19.A. suitable                 B. valuable             C. logical                D. practical

20.A. work                    B. study                C. labor                  D. body

Steven Jobs, the designer of Apple Computer, was not clever when he was in school. At that time, he was not a good student and he always made troubles with his schoolmates. When he went into college, he didn’t change a lot. Then he dropped out（退学）. But he was full of new ideas.
After he left college, Steven Jobs worked as a video game designer. He worked there for only several months and then he went to India. He hoped that the trip would give him some new ideas and give him a change in his life.
Steven Jobs lived on a farm in California for a year after he returned from India.
In 1975, he began to make a new type of computer. He designed the Apple Computer with his friend in his garage. He chose the name “Apple” just because it could help him to remember a happy summer he once spent in an apple tree garden.
His Apple Computer was so successful that Steven Jobs soon became famous all over the world.
He often said, “I live in order to change the world, there aren’t any other reasons. The only way to have a great achievement is to love your own career. If you can’t find your favorite career, go on looking for it and never give up.”
This is Steven Jobs, though he is dead, his spirit and achievements still influence our lives.
【小题1】Steven Jobs was not a good student in school because he ________.

  Windsurfing is a sport that combines sailing and surfing．In 1948，twenty-year-old Newman Darby first thought of using a handheld sail to contro1 a small boat．Darby did not apply for a patent(专利)for his design at first．However，he is recognized as the inventor of the first sailboard．

Californians Jim Drake，a sailor and engineer，and Hoyle Schweitzer，a surfer and skier received the patent for a sailboard．They called their design a windsurfer．The early windsurfer boards measured 3．5 meters long and weighed 60 pounds．Later in the l980s，Newman Darby did apply for and receive a design patent for a one—person sailboat．

  In the late l940s，Newman Darby found he could control a 3-meter-long sailboat and make turns even without a rudder(舵)．In l964 he designed the first universal joint(万向接头)to go along with a flat bottom sailing boat．This sailboard was equipped with a universal joint，a board and a kite—shaped free sail and thus windsurfing was born．

  Naomi Darby，Newman’s wife，was the first woman windsurfer and helped her husband build and design the first sailboard．She sailed while standing up，controlling the boat without the use of a rudder．She tilted(倾斜)the sail to change directions．This was something that had never been done before．

  Hoyle Schweitzer began producing sailboards in the early 1970s．The sport became very popular in Europe．By the late 1970s，windsurfing fever had Europe firmly in its grasp with one in every three families having a sailboard．

  The first windsurfing world championship was held in 1973．Windsurfing first became an Olympic sport for men in l984 and for women in l992．

1.Jim Drake and Hoyle Schweitzer received the patent for the design of      ．

    A．a sailboard called windsurfer    B．a kite—shaped free sail

    C．the first universal joint        D．a one—person sailboat

2.What can we learn from the text?  

    A．Hoyle Schweitzer was a sailor and Jim Drake was a surfer．

    B．Newman Darby’s wife supported him in his invention．

    C．Newman Darby was the first to tilt the sail to change directions．

    D．The first world windsurfing competition was held in the late l970s．

3.Which is the correct order of the following events?

  a．Newman Darby thought of controlling a boat with a handheld sail．

  b．Newman Darby received his design patent．

  c．Windsurfing became popular in Europe．

  d．Windsurfing became an Olympic sport for women．

  A．acbd    B．abcd    C．acdb     D．bacd

4.What is the main idea of the text?

  A．The invention of windsurfing． B．How windsurfing was popular in the world．

  C．The history of windsurfing．  D．How windsurfing became an Olympic sport．