Can noncombustion technology create a no-pollution way to drive?Imagine pulling into a service station to fuel up your car. But not at the gas pump or electric battery charger --at the air pump! That's not hot air, either! The next generation of cars may run on thin air. Wouldn't that be an incredible way to cut both pollution and dependence on foreign oil? If you've ever inflated a balloon and then let it go, you've got the basics to test-drive the amazing MiniCAT, currently being developed by Noteur Development International (MDI), headquartered in Luxembourg. Invented by Formula One racing car designer Guy Negre, this experimental vehicle is unlike any car you've ever seen. While your family's traditional car or SUV draws its horsepower using combustion, the only fuel that MiniCAT needs (CAT stands for Compressed Air Technology) is the air we breathe. Start with about 25,000 gallons of air. Now, press it all into a space smaller than your school locker--because that's the size of two super-strong, high-pressure air tanks, made from fiber and fixed beneath the air car. _ that much air inside those small tanks generates an internal pressure of over 4,000 pounds per square inch. That's over 300 times normal air pressure. When this cold, high-pressure air enters MiniCAT's unique engine, it interacts with warmer air to create pressure waves that pump the engine's engineered pistons to move the car. MiniCAT's projected top speed is 60 miles per hour, with a range of 120 miles on a full air supply. What is the passage mainly about? A) Ways to cut down air pollution. B) Cars that run on thin air. C) Formula One racing car designer. D) Dependence on foreign oil.
B
(Question)
Just the mention of the TOEFL, GRE and GAMT exams brings a thought of long hours of dull paper work. But that idea is becoming increasingly out of date. As planned, computerized tests will begin next year which will bring a series of changes from test psychology to scoring techniques. From computer - equipped rooms, examinees will answer the questions on a computer. If they are sure about their choices, they can pass to the next question by pressing the entry "next". Then another question will be randomly selected from a vast test item bank and appear on the screen. After answering all the questions, examinees can choose the entry "quit" if they are not satisfied with their performance, or "score" if they want to see the result. Scores will be calculated immediately and appear on the screen. By that point, student's marks are official--there is no going back. Since they greatly shorten the painful waiting process-which used to be two or three months, computerized tests have won worldwide popularity. Besides, there will be no rushing to the registration offices( )for these exams. Computerized tests will be given every workday in an exam center with all three kinds of tests being held in the same room. All test takers need to do is to call the exam center and book their seats for a particular day. In addition it will become technically possible to apply new testing procedures. In the past,each examinee had the same set of test items despite differences in their ability. Under a computerized system, however, if the computer judges an answer is right, a question of a relatively difficult nature will follow. But if an examinee continues to give wrong answers and is judged as un-qualified by the computer system, he will be automatically _ the chance to go further in the test. If an examinee is not satisfied with his performance _ . A) he can admit defeat and give it up B) he can ask the computer to give some advice C) he can ask another chance within a few days D) he is allowed to do it once again
(Answer)
A
Ques: A handsome man can earn a fifth more than an average-looking colleague but a beautiful woman is not paid a penny more than her average-looking colleague, new research has shown. The study by senior economists found that being good-looking meant male workers could earn 22 percent more than average-looking colleagues. Researchers said good looks did not give women a similar advantage. Andrew Leigh, a former economics professor at the Australian National University who co-authored the report, said: "Beauty can be a double-edged sword for women." "Some people still believe good looks and intelligence are incompatible in women, so a good-looking women can't be that productive, but it doesn't affect men's pay." He said that although he believed good-looking women may also earn more, the research did not support his theory. The research found that handsome men in all jobs, from manual labour to highly-paid professional careers, can earn 22 percent more than their colleagues doing the same work. Men with below-average looks face a battle in the office, with ugliness reducing a man's earnings by 26 percent compared to an average-looking worker. Former male model, Caitlan Mitchell, 28, who has a first class degree in history from Edinburgh University and now works for a cosmetics company, told theSunday Times:' It gives you confidence, and I suspect people tend to warm to you more quickly." The study, named Unpacking the Beauty Premium, was the largest exercise of its kind and repeated a survey from 1984 to see if the beauty premium had changed. Leigh said the research showed people in the workplace were "lookist "and he hoped the findings would encourage employers to remove their prejudice. What is the main idea of the text? A) Employees should pay more attention to their appearance. B) Males and females should be treated equally in interviews. C) Good-looking men tend to earn more. D) Beautiful female interviewees aren't popular in interviews.
Ans: C
New research shows sheep are clever People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents . Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead. Young fish prefer noisy neighbors A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best! Butterflies are disappearing A new study has shown that 17 species of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage? A) Geography. B) Culture. C) Travel. D) Nature.
D