56. B　 推理判断题。根据第一段内容结合下文可推断，作者提到交通信号灯、雨刮器等发明，是想说无数的发明对人类十分有益，虽然它们的发明者没有太大的名气。

59. Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?

A　 How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?

B　 How to Design a Built-in Dervice for Cleaning the Window?

C　 Shouldn’t We Know Who Inventd the Windshield Wiper?

D　 Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?

58．Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _________.

A. not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer

B. inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper

C. due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm

D. not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures

57.Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.

A. add colour and variety to students’ campus life

B. inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention

C. carry out the requirements by Mountain University

D. pre[are students to try theie own invention

56.By mentionong “traffic light”and “windshield wiper”,the author indicates that countless inventions are　　　 .

A.beneficial,because their inventors are famous

B. beneficial,though their inventors are less　 famous

C.not useful, because their inventors are less famous

D. not useful, though their inventors are　 famous

5.(2011·江苏卷)A

We know the famous ones-the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells -but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)？Shouldn’t we know who they are?

Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who”invented”what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the”why” and ”how” questions. According to Mclean,”When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”

So,just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well,Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to Mew York City.The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights ,so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the winshield,she found hersefe wondering why there couldn’t be a buolt-in devic for cleaing the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would contral an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.

　　 Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A.Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J.Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

75. 推理判断题。选D。除去前两段引入，第三段主旨句(首句)的意思是每个文明都会探索周围文明以减低危险，第四段主旨句(首句)说的是探索使得我们能够发现潜在能源。第五段主旨句(首句)说的是探索使得很多人发现解决问题的有用资源。总的来说，就可归结为，太空探索可以帮助我们很多，避免很多问题。

74. 细节题。答案选C。按照问题顺序一致原则，答案应当出现在最后两段。在最后一段的首句我们找到了一个极端词用以定位。While earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets.直接由翻译可知，人类的适应能力使我们在其他星球的居住成为可能。

73. 词义猜测题。选C。根据spin off 前面的we have already benefited from other spin off 关键词 benefit，受益。而spin off后面的including … 说的全是获得的利益，如improvements in earthquake prediction. 地震预测的进步等等，而不是什么生存机会，或者潜在资源。所以选C。

72. 主旨题。答案选A。第二段是典型的总分总结构，主旨句在段首段尾。Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup as human beings. 主要原因在于人类基因。Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible. 而B选项错在fight这个词。CD没提及。