A Batterv's Worst Nightmare（噩梦）

　　Portable electronics that can be carried about easily are only as good as their batteries and,let's face it,batteries aren't very good,especially when compared with,say,petrol,which packs 100 times a battery's energy into an equal space．That's why a large group of mechanical engineers(centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,but with partners at other universities and companies)are hard at work in an effort to replace batteries with a tiny engine that runs on fuel．Imagine a battery-free life!When the fuel runs out in your laptop or mobile phone,you just fill up and go．

　　The engine — about the size of a ten-cent coin— starts with a combustion chamber（燃烧室）that bums hydrogen（氢）．Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers（硅片）in the same manner that computer parts are imprinted onto integrated circuits（集成电路）．The first engine is made up of five wafers．And since these wafers could be produced in much the same way as computer chips,they could probably be produced quite cheaply．

　　But the devil in all this nice detail is efficiency（效率）．Tiny engine parts don't always behave like their scaled-up parts of the first engine．Something between the parts can slow down the works,according to Columbia University professor Luc Frechette,one of the engine's designers．Extreme heat from the combustion chamber is also a problem,often leaking to other parts of the engine．

　　The scientists' goal is to create an engine that will operate at 10 percent efficiency— that is,10 times better than batteries operate．Frechette says that a complete system,with all parts in place and working,will be set up in the next couple of years,but commercial models aren't likely until at least the end of the next ten years．

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　　Money and meaning of life．

　　Recently,a professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called money and the meaning of life．He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day-to-day life has more meaning than we usually think．One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week．From the way they spend their money,they can see what they really value in life．

　　He says our relation with others often become clear in meaning,when money enters the picture．You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you are very good friends．But you will know him only when you ask him to lend you some money．If he does,it brings something to the relationship that seems stronger than ever before．Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn't．This person may say that he has a certain feeling,but if it is not carried out in the moneyworld,there is something less real about it．

　　Since money is so important to us,we consider those who have a lot of it to be very important．The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book．

　　Question:What is the most surprising thing you have discovered about being rich,because you are self-made man?

　　Answer:The most surprising thing is how people give me so much respect．I am nothing．I don't know much．All I am is rich．

　　People just have an idea of making more and more money,but what is it for?How much do I need for any given purposes in my life?In his book,the professor uncovered an important need in modern society,to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end．Money plays an important role in the material world,but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life．

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　　Ahnosl 55,000 people who have had a major impact on British society are profiled in a new 60volume book that has taken 12 years to compile．

　　It has cost more than ￡ 25 million and taken 10,000 writers to update the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography．

　　Murder victims Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger are among those joining the likes of Queen Victoria and Gandhi．

　　The new version of the dictionary,which was founded in 1882,costs ￡ 7,500 and takes up 12 feet of shelf space．

　　Projects director Robert Faber said Stephen Lawrence was included because his death triggered“dramatic developments in British policing and social policy”．

　　Women make up 10% of the entries— doublethe previous share— and include Queen Elizabeth I,Dusty Springfield,Linda McCartney and Virginia Woolf,whose father compiledthe first edition．

　　Alongside the famous names are less known individuals such as the inventor of snooker,army reservist（预备役军人）Neville Chamberlain．

　　Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger were both included because of the “overwhelming soulsearching（真挚的自我反省、深思）and examination of education and social policy”which followed their deaths．

　　Mr．Faber said,“These are not just people who were killed but people who had an impact．Jill Dando is there as much for her career but also because her death became a public event．”

　　“So many of these people have seized the public imagination and have contributed to public debate．”

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　　Biomass energy（生物能）,often forgotten as a promising alternative（替代物）to oil,received its day in the sun with the gathering of the Bio-Energy World Congress and Exposition in Atlanta,Georgia,late in April,1990．Nearly 1,700 scientists,businessmen,and policy-makers,one-quarter from the foreign nations,gathered for a week to discuss various means of squeezing usable energy out of trees,crops,manure,seaweed,algae,and urban waste．Biomass in the United States contributes 2.5 percent of the total supply,but this amount can be doubled by 2000 and then doubled again by the year 2010．

　　Eight percent of Sweden's energy supply,for example,is presently coming from wood bark and pulp remainings,Sweden intends to raise this percentage by more intensive harvesting of waste food lying around in forests,and through the planting of so-called energy forests of fast-growing trees such as willow and birch．

　　Brazil is frequently pointed to as a nation with a major successful investment（投资）in energy coming from grains:it presently runs 330,000 automobiles on a water and alcohol（酒精）mixture,replacing 10 percent of its previous oil supply．Brazilian representatives（代表）at the conference said they wish to double this in five years,with a final goal of total replacement．Most of the cars are built at the factory to use the mixture,while older models are changed through low cost government programs．

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　　Not very long ago,the computer was a strange machine．Not many people understand it．Not many people said yes to it．Today,much of that is changing．The first computer system was introduced for use in business in the mid-1950s．Since then,the number of computer systems used in business,governments,and industries has grown rapidly．In September,2000,about 30,000,000 systems were in use in the United States．This figure is growing by tens of thousands every year．

　　The electric computer is an important part in our lives．Each year we use computer more and more to help us to collect data（数据）and to provide us with information．At one time,people thought computers were only useful for banks,department stores and governments but today the rapidly increasing number of computers are used for many other purposes．

　　Have you ever stopped to think how you are affected by a digital computer?The clothes you wear probably made with the help of a digital computer．The newspaper,the radio and television programs are often edited and prepared by the digital computers．

　　Computers today are playing important roles in education,transportation and medicine．They are used to predict the weather,to examine the river or ocean and to develop defence systems．They are being used by business,governments and industries．There is no reason to think that their uses will decrease．Computers will become a greater part of our lives．The effect of the computer is very great．

　　The list of its uses could go on and on．Although the first computer was only introduced in the mid-1950s,computers now affect millions of people in countless ways every day．

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　　Sweet potatoes are fat-free,high in fiber and full of the vitamins that research suggests reduce your risk of life-shortening diseases．To stay healthy,we must eat more fruits and vegetables,and sweet potatoes are a great source of beta carotene（胡萝卜素）and other carotenoids．According to a study of the diets of almost 90,000 nurses,eating about one cup a day of fruils and vegetables rich in carotenoids(which the body turns into vitamin A)can cut your risk of stroke in halt and reduce your risk of heart disease by 22 percent．Other resear chsuggests beta carotene protects against breast,lung and stomach cancers．

　　Beta carotene is the most famous member of the carotenoids family．In fact,a medium sized sweet potato contains nearly 12 mg of beta carotene(antiaging experts usually suggest 6 to 11 mg perday)．Sweet potatoes are also a low-fat source of vitamin E．Research has linked high E diets with a lower risk of heart disease．This vitamin pill in an orange jacket also packs a vitamin C punch-it has more C than apricots(a kind of fruit)．Research suggests that vitamin C protects against ailments ranging from cataracts(an eye disease)to cancer．In addition,A UCLA(University of California,Los Angels)study linked high vitamin C diets with a longer life．Recent studies have showed that antioxidant vitamins C,E and beta carotene fight a fierce battle against free radicals（自由基）,which cause cell（细胞）damage and lead to various illnesses．Therefore,to keep fit,eat more sweet potatoes．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　　Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water．To he human is to think．But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it．Tbinking about thinking is the key to critical（判断性的）thinking．When you think critically,you take control of your thinking processes（过程）．Otherwise,you might be controlled by the ideas of others．Indeed,critical thinking is at the heart of education．

　　The word“critical”here has a special meaning．It does not mean taking one view a-gainst another view,as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong．The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen-be-yond the pictures on TV,the untrue reports in the newspapers,and the faulty reasoning．

　　Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity．If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it,you are a critical thinker．If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas,characters,and facts,you are a critical thinker．

　　Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration．They take time,and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in to-day's world:fast foods,instant coffee,and self-developing film．If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence（智力）,you may learn some-thing new from a story about Albert Einstein．The first time Banesh Hoffman,a scien-tist,was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein,Hoffman was too nervous to speak．But Einstein immediatelyput Hoffman at ease by saying,“Please go slowly．I don't understand things quickly．”

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　　If you walk slowly through downtown Helsinki（赫尔辛基）during the day,taking in the splendid 19th century buildings,white boats and noise of passing trams（有轨电车）,you will start to understand why it is called a city of two colors:white and blue．

　　The sea is always present in Helsinki．When you take a walk over the great open space of the central square,you will hear seabirds screaming．When you take the tram,suddenly and unexpectedly,you are faced with a calm,shining blue sea．You may notice that people in Helsinki do not rush about as in other cities．Instead,they walk along the roads,politely letting other people by．

　　A usual way to see Helsinki for the first time is to start out by the boats．You will walk by the elderly women selling fish and vegetables in the market square and find yourself in front of a beautiful park．You may enjoy a pleasant walk in the park for afew hours and then take the tram．Trams are the perfect way to get around in Helsinki．Watching the old houses,parks,theatres,churches,shops,restaurants and people in the streets,you may have a slightly sad film feeling to it．

　　The pale summer nights are another wonder in the city．Following the waterfront（滨水区）of the city after sunset,you couldn't help stopping and listening to the sweet silence,interrupted only by the screaming seabirds and leaving fishing boats．

　　However,in some way,Helsinki is also the most modern city in northern Europe．You will surely want to visit the．White Glass Palace,the modern art museum,and all those extremely popular cafes and design stores．

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　　International Studies(BA)

　　Key features

　　·Recognizes the“global community”（国际社会）

　　·Has close connections with practical research

　　·Much of the teaching is done in small discussion groups

　　About the course

　　The course gives you chances to know great power politics between nation states．It will provide more space to study particular issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union,third world debt,local and international disagreement,and the work of such international bodies as the United Nations,the European Union,NATO,and the World Bank．

　　The course puts theories into the working of the international system with close attention to particular countries．You will also have a better knowledge of methods of solving the international problems．

　　Related（相关的）eonrses

　　BA(Hons)Community Management

　　BA(Hons)Public Policy and Management

　　Employment possibilities

　　International organizations

　　International business

　　Earth Science(BSc)

　　Key features

　　·Based on key courses and the latest research findings

　　·Pays much attention to practical skills

　　·Offers chances for fieldwork（实在考察）

　　About the course

　　The demand for natural resources is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the future of mankind．Graduates in Earth Science will play an important role in meeting this demand,and in knowing the meaning of using the natural resources．The course covers geography and geology．You will carry out fieldwork in the UK and possibly overseas,and a research in an area of interest to you in the final year．

　　Related courses

　　BSc(Hons)Geography

　　BSc(Hons)Geology

　　Employment possibilities

　　Mineral,oil,water or other related engineering industries

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阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

　　There are thousands of products of all colors and shapes in a supermarket,making you believe that they are worth a try．How?Packaging（包装）is the silent but persuading salesman．

　　There on the shelves,each bottle,can,box,and jar has been carefully designed and measured to speak to the inner self of the consumer（消费者）,so that he is buying not only a product but also his belief in life．Scientists have studied consumer behavior recently and found that the look of the package has a great effect on the “quality”of the product and on how well it sells,because“Consumers generally cannot tell between a product and its package．Many products are packages and many packages are products,”as Louis Cheskin,the first social scientist studying consumers' feeling for packaging,noticed．

　　Colors are one of the best tools in packaging．Studies of eye movement have shown that colors draw human attention quickly．Take V8 for example．For many years,the bright red color of tomatoes and carrots on the thin bottle makes you feel that it is very good for your body．And the word“green”today can keep food prices going up．

　　Shapes are another attraction．Circles often suggest happiness and peacefulness,because these shapes are pleasing to both the eye and the heart．That's why the roundyellow“M”signs of McDonald's are inviting to both young and old．

　　This new consumer response（反应）to the colors and shapes of packages reminds producers and sellers that people buy to satisfy both body and soul．

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