A Battery's Nightmare 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 mobile phone, you just fill up and go. The engine---about the size of a ten-cent coin---starts with a combustion chamber that burns hydrogen. Its tiny parts are etched onto silicon wafers in the same manner that computer parts are etched onto integrated circuits . 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 _ in all this nice detail is efficiency. Tiny engine parts don't always behave like the bigger parts of the first engine. Something between the parts can slow down the works, according to Columbia University Professor LucFrechette, 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 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. According to the passage, the title suggests that _ . A) batteries should be greatly improved B) petrol will be used instead of batteries C) the time of batteries will be gone forever D) pollution problems caused by batteries must be solved
C
(Question)
Every year, it costs British students more and more to attend university. Students are graduating with larger and larger debts. So is a college degree really worth it? In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. As a result, more than 80 percent of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. They use the loan to pay for tuition fees and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan. The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with a debt of around PS12,000 (122,952 yuan). It means graduates have to struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan when they reach April after graduating. If you start to earn over PS15,000 (153,630 yuan) a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary. You might think that a person with a degree would find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in "white collar jobs" seem to have a degree, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over . All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money. Even before the credit crisis started, the BBC stated: "The number of British students at UK universities has fallen for the first time in recent history, from 1.97 million in 2007 to 1.96 million last year." Meanwhile, the British universities offer more and more of the available places to richer international students rather than poorer British students. What does the future hold for British higher education? Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? A) More Profits for the Banks B) College Life in the UK C) Welcome! International Students D) UK Universities Students Become Poorer
(Answer)
D
Ques: "Choo, Choo!" Here comes the Chunnel train. Get aboard if you want to learn more about this underground transportation system. This is an unusual form of transportation, because it is a tunnel that trains travel through and not an actual form of transportation. The Chunnel is actually the English nickname for the Channel Tunnel. In French, it is called le tunnel sous la Manche. It is a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. It connects Cheriton in Kent, England with Sangatte in northern France. It is the second longest rail tunnel in the world. Did you know that the British and the French had a race whi1e they were building the Chunnel? The race was to see who could get to the middle of the tunnel first. The British won by a little bit. It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1994. The completed Chunnel cost about $ 21 billion. But it all paid off, because it became very popular, very quick. Millions of people use it. Now it is getting even more popular. There are three complete tunnels in the Chunnel. The two outside ones are the passenger trains. The small inner one is a guidance train. The guidance train is not used for transportation. Each track is exactly parallel to each other. There are four different train systems in the Chunnel. The Eurostar is a high speed passenger service that connects London, Paris, Brussels, and Lille. The Eurotunnel shuttle is a rail ferry service. These shuttles carry cars. These are railcars that allow drivers to drive their vehicles on and off. There are also two Eurotunnel goods service trains. Now you know more about the Chunnel. Everybody off, this is the last stop. The text can most probably be _ . A) found in a textbook B) read in a magazine C) broadcast on a train D) heard in a railway station
Ans: C
It's the dirty little secret many shampoo companies don't want you to know. When you wash your hair with certain traditional chemical shampoos, you may actually be removing your hair and scalp of their natural oils. These shampoos generate a thick bubble to clean hair, they can also create dryness, curl, dullness, and color fade. We then spend a lot of time and money on products that are effectively repairing the damage caused by shampoo. Chaz Dean got tired of clients leaving his salon _ t their color and the feeling of their hair---brassy and dull. He knew the main cause was likely their shampoo, so he started experimenting with various ingredients, including natural herbs and botanicals, that he knew had cleansing and hydrating properties. The result was a totally new approach to the way we cleanse our hair. It's called WEN(r) Cleansing Conditioner. WEN(r) contains a super-hydrating natural herbs and botanicals mixture of glycerin, chamomile , rosemary, calendula, and Cherry bark, which when combined, will both cleanse the hair as well as give shine and softness, even to damaged hair. WEN(r) is a 5-in-1 formula that takes the place of your shampoo, And the most amazing thing about it is that it cleanses without bubble. Instead, when mixed with water, it creates a smooth bubble for shiny, healthy-looking, manageable results. The first time you try it certainly feels strange, but the results speak for themselves. Before being marketed, WEN(r) went through extensive consumer tests, and the results were impressive. More than 90 percent of the participants in the studies reported that their hair was more shiny, less frizzy, and had more bounce. WEN(r) is recommended for all hair types, and once you start using it, it will become the only cleanser/conditioner you will want to include in your daily routine. Right now, WEN(r) is offering an easy way for online shoppers to try the product. Now you just pay less than $30 and have a 60 day money back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied. Click... Where does the passage come from ? A) magazine B) website C) newspaper D) text
B