Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British company by Cambridge University, has, however, invented a novel way to _ this. In return for a deposit of around $10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with a solar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity, a battery that can deliver a three amp current to store this electricity, and a lamp whose bulb is a light-emitting diode . The firm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough to light two small rooms and to power a mobile-phone charger for seven hours. Then, next day, it can be put outside and charged back up again. The trick is that, to be able to use the electricity, the system's keeper must buy a scratch card--for as little as a dollar--on which is printed a reference number. The keeper sends this reference, plus the serial number of the household solar unit, by SMS to Eight19. The company's server will respond automatically with an access code to the unit. Users may consider that they are paying an hourly rate for their electricity. In fact, they are paying off the cost of the unit. After buying around $80 worth of scratch cards--which Eight19 expects would take the average family around 18 months--the user will own it. He will then have the option of continuing to use it for nothing, or of trading it in for a bigger one, perhaps driven by a 10-watt solar cell. In that case, he would go then through the same process again, paying off the additional cost of the upgraded kit at a slightly higher rate. Users would therefore increase their electricity supply steadily and affordably. According to Eight19's figures, this looks like a good deal for customers. The firm believes the average energy-starved Kenyan spends around $10 a month on oil--enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps--plus $2 on charging his mobile phone in the market-place. Regular users of one of Eight19's basic solar units will spend around half that, before owning it completely. Meanwhile, as the... How much would users pay for the cell and scratch cards before they own a 2.5-watt solar cell? A) Around $10. B) Around $80. C) Around $90. D) Around $180.
C
(Question)
Spider webs are one of the most fascinating examples of animal architecture. The most beautiful and structurally ordered are the round webs. The main function of the web is to stop and hold flying insects,long enough for the spider to catch them. In order to do so,the threads of the web have to stand the forces from large and heavy insects as well as environmental forces from wind and rain for at least a day in most cases. The round web is found to have two main characteristics. The first is its geometry,which consists of an outer frame and a central part from which threads radiate outward. Enclosed in the frame are capture spirals winding round and round from the web center out to the frame. The whole web is in tension and held in place by anchor threads,which connect the frame to the surrounding plants or objects. The second and perhaps most important characteristic is the material with which it is built. Spider silk is a kind of natural material that gives this lightweight fiber a strength comparable to that of steel, while at the same time making it very elastic . Two types of silk threads are used in the web. One is highly elastic and can stretch to almost twice its original length before breaking and, for most types of spiders, is covered in glue. This type is used in the capture spiral for catching and holding insects. The other is stiffer and stronger,and is used for the radius,frames and anchor threads,which allows the web to stand forces and to keep its structural strength through a wide range of environmental conditions. What is this passage mainly about? A) The wisdom of spiders. B) The function of round spider webs. C) The structure of round spider webs. D) The challenges for spider webs.
(Answer)
C
Ques: More college graduates in China are seeking for work experience instead of advanced degrees, a survey shows. The practical approach, coupled with a record number of students graduating from college, is expected to strengthen competition in the job market, analysts said. More than 76 percent of university students said they wanted to work after earning their degrees this summer, up from 68.5 percent in 2012 and 73.6 percent last year, according to poll results from Zhaopin.com, a major online agency, Zhu Bo. The annual survey also shows that about 20 percent university graduates chose to further education after graduation, while about 3 percent wanted to start their own businesses. Zeng Hao ,a 25-year-old media major, managed to land a job in a publishing company in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, before he received his master's degree from the University of Macau in June. " Work experience really matters in the publishing industry" he said. Wei Guihong , a program administrator at Nanjing University, said about 60 percent of the school's graduates entered the labor market every year. "More and more students majoring in a foreign language choose to go abroad to continue their studies to improve their language skills," she said continuously, "That's perhaps a bright future." Liu Junsheng , a researcher at the Labor and Wage Institute of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, believes that economic conditions play a vital role in shaping college graduates' choices ."There were fewer job opportunities in the market. " he said. "Although academic degrees still matter, more and more employers value job seekers' work experience." he said. The Zhaopin.com survey shows that each of the graduates sent resumes on average to about 28 potential employers and received five interview opportunities. From the text, we know that the real expert on employment is _ A) Zhu Bo B) Zeng Hao C) Liu Junsheng D) Wei Guihong
Ans: C
Do you have bright ideas? Ideas or inventions that change society or, at least, make life easier for somebody? Perhaps we all do sometimes, but we don't often make the idea a reality. Recently, in Britain, there was a competition called British Designers for Tomorrow. The competition encourages young people to carry out their bright ideas. There were two groups in the contest: Group One was for schoolchildren under 16; Group Two was for schoolchildren over 16, and there were eleven prize-winners altogether. Neil Hunt, one of the prize-winners, was called "Sunshine Superman". It's important when people study the weather to be able to record sunshine accurately. We need to know how many hours of sunshine we have and how strong it is. Most sunshine recorders only record direct sunlight. Neil's is more accurate and this is very important for research into the way of using solar power. You can do so much with animated cartoon. Look at Simon West's idea for animated road signs. He uses pictures which appear to move as you go nearer to or farther from them. This isn't a new idea. But it is new to use these pictures on road signs. "We found that people were more likely to see moving signs," said Simon. So now, you can really see rocks falling, trains moving, horses running or a car falling over the edge of a cliff. Quite a warning! The ideas in the competition were so inventive that we are surprised that British industry doesn't ask more schoolchildren for suggestions. Perhaps this will be the start of "pupil power!" Neil Hunt's design would finally lead to the improvement of the way of_. A) recording direct sunshine B) knowing how strong sunlight is C) using the energy of the sun D) recording the hours of sunshine
C