Question

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

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.D

2.B

3.A

【解析】

试题分析：你是否梦想过制造属于自己的机器？你想发明一些新东西吗？这里是一些当代的英国发明。文章主要介绍了四种发明创造。

1.根据最后一句“The glasses are not beautiful but they are easy to use and cheap to make.”可知，可调整的眼镜不美观，但是使用方便，制作便宜。故选D。

2.根据“In 1996 it won a BBC Design Award for Best Protect and Best Design.”可知，the wind-up radio获过奖。故选B。

3.根据“You do not need a bag for your cleaner and it does not get blocked so it is very practical.”和“He decided he could design a better one”可知，这种吸尘器很实用，发明它的目的是为了更容易使用。故选A。

考点：科技类短文阅读