Electric Backpack
Backpacks are convenient. They can hold your books, your lunch, and a change of clothes, leaving your hands free to do other things. Someday, if you don’t mind carrying a heavy load, your backpacks might also power your MP31 player, keep your cell phone running, and maybe even light your way home.
Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia2 and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole3, Mass. 4, have invented a backpack that makes electricity from energy produced while its wearer walks. In military actions, search-and-rescue operations, and scientific field studies, people rely increasingly on cell phones, global positioning system (GPS)5 receivers, night-vision goggles, and other battery-powered devices to get around and do their work.. The backpack’s electricity-generating feature could dramatically reduce the amount of a wearer’s load now devoted to spare batteries, report Rome and his colleagues in the Sept. 9 Science6.
The backpack’s electricity-creating powers depend on springs used to hang a cloth pack from its metal frame. The frame sits against the wearer’s back, and the whole pack moves up and down as the person walks. A gear mechanism converts vertical movements of the pack to rotary motions of an electrical generator, producing up to 7.4 watts.
Unexpectedly, tests showed that wearers of the new backpack alter their gaits in response to the pack’s oscillations, so that they carry loads more comfortably and with less effort than they do ordinary backpacks. Because of that surprising advantage, Rome plans to commercialize both electric and non-electric versions of the backpack.
The backpack could be especially useful for soldiers, scientists, mountaineers, and emergency workers who typically carry heavy backpacks. For the rest of us, power-generating backpacks could make it possible to walk, play video games, watch TV, and listen to music, all at the same time. Electricity-generating packs aren’t on the market yet, but if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!
詞匯：
backpack n.背包 watt n. 瓦（特）
receiver n. 接收機(jī) gait n. 步態(tài)，步法
night-vision goggle 夜視鏡 oscillation n. 擺動(dòng)
spring n. 彈簧 commercialize v. 商業(yè)化
vertical adj. 垂直的 mountaineer n. 登山運(yùn)動(dòng)員
rotary adj. 旋轉(zhuǎn)的
注釋?zhuān)?BR> 1.MP3 ：Internet上最流行的音樂(lè)格式，最早起源于1987年德國(guó)一家公司的EU147數(shù)字傳輸計(jì)劃，它利用MPEGAudioLayer3的技術(shù)，將聲音文件用1∶12左右的壓縮率壓縮，變成容量較小的音樂(lè)文件，使傳輸和儲(chǔ)存更為便捷，更利于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶(hù)在網(wǎng)上試聽(tīng)或下載到個(gè)人計(jì)算機(jī)。
2.Philadelphia：費(fèi)城[美國(guó)賓夕法尼亞州東南部港市]
3.Woods Hole：美國(guó)馬薩諸塞州的一個(gè)漁村，也是許多重要研究機(jī)構(gòu)所在地，如： the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Sea Education Association 以及 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
4.Mass.：Massachusetts 的縮寫(xiě)：馬薩諸塞州，美國(guó)東北部的一個(gè)州。
5.global positioning system (GPS)： 全球定位系統(tǒng)
6.Science：美國(guó)的 Science 雜志為國(guó)際上著名的自然科學(xué)綜合類(lèi)學(xué)術(shù)期刊，在世界學(xué)術(shù)界享有盛譽(yù)。 Science 雜志創(chuàng)刊于1880年，該雜志具有新聞雜志和學(xué)術(shù)期刊的雙重特點(diǎn)，每周除向世界各地發(fā)布有關(guān)科學(xué)技術(shù)和科技政策的重要新聞外，還發(fā)表全球科技研究最顯著突破的研究論文和報(bào)告。
練習(xí)：
1. Backpacks are convenient because
A) they can be very large
B) they can hold as many things as you want to carry.
C) your hands are freed to do other things.
D) you do not have to carry things with you.
2. What is the most important feature of the backpack invented by Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues?
A) It produces electricity for electronic devices while the wearer walks.
B) It can be used as cell phones, GPS in the military actions or field studies.
C) It is small and convenient.
D) It is light and easy to carry.
3. The word “springs” in Paragraph 3 means
A) a small stream of water flowing naturally from the earth.
B) the season of the year, occurring between winter and summer.
C) the act or an instance of jumping or leaping.
D) a length of metal wound around, which returns to its original shape after being pushed.
4. According to Paragraph 4, what does Rome plan to do?
A) To make the backpack more comfortable for the wearer.
B) To put the backpack on the market.
C) To test the advantage of the backpack.
D) To promote the backpack in a newspaper or on television.
5. What is implied in “if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!”
A) You will be too excited to watch the traffic.
B) Enjoying electronic devices while walking may invite traffic accidents.
C) It is not possible for you to get such a backpack.
D) It is wise of you to have such a backpack.
參考答案解析:
1. C 第一段告訴我們，因?yàn)楸嘲梢匝b許多東西，所以可以將雙手解放出來(lái)做其它事情：to free your hands to do other things.
2. A 第二段的第一句說(shuō)，Lawrence C. Rome 及其同事們發(fā)明的這種背包，當(dāng)背著背包走路時(shí)，會(huì)有電能產(chǎn)生；該段最后一句告訴我們，背包的這種性能可減少背包的重量，因?yàn)椴槐財(cái)y帶備用電池。
3． D “springs”在此是彈簧的意思。spring是一個(gè)多義詞：泉水（A）、春天（B）、彈跳（C）。
4． B 第四段最后一句的意思是：Rome計(jì)劃將這種背包商業(yè)化，即，推向市場(chǎng)。A、C、D在文中均未提到。D的意思是為背包做廣告。
5． B 這個(gè)句子的字面意思是：如果你終于得到這樣的背包，過(guò)馬路時(shí)一定要兩面都看看。也就是說(shuō)，不要因?yàn)橥瑫r(shí)玩著游戲、聽(tīng)著音樂(lè)、看著電視，太專(zhuān)注以致不注意來(lái)往車(chē)輛了。
Backpacks are convenient. They can hold your books, your lunch, and a change of clothes, leaving your hands free to do other things. Someday, if you don’t mind carrying a heavy load, your backpacks might also power your MP31 player, keep your cell phone running, and maybe even light your way home.
Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia2 and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole3, Mass. 4, have invented a backpack that makes electricity from energy produced while its wearer walks. In military actions, search-and-rescue operations, and scientific field studies, people rely increasingly on cell phones, global positioning system (GPS)5 receivers, night-vision goggles, and other battery-powered devices to get around and do their work.. The backpack’s electricity-generating feature could dramatically reduce the amount of a wearer’s load now devoted to spare batteries, report Rome and his colleagues in the Sept. 9 Science6.
The backpack’s electricity-creating powers depend on springs used to hang a cloth pack from its metal frame. The frame sits against the wearer’s back, and the whole pack moves up and down as the person walks. A gear mechanism converts vertical movements of the pack to rotary motions of an electrical generator, producing up to 7.4 watts.
Unexpectedly, tests showed that wearers of the new backpack alter their gaits in response to the pack’s oscillations, so that they carry loads more comfortably and with less effort than they do ordinary backpacks. Because of that surprising advantage, Rome plans to commercialize both electric and non-electric versions of the backpack.
The backpack could be especially useful for soldiers, scientists, mountaineers, and emergency workers who typically carry heavy backpacks. For the rest of us, power-generating backpacks could make it possible to walk, play video games, watch TV, and listen to music, all at the same time. Electricity-generating packs aren’t on the market yet, but if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!
詞匯：
backpack n.背包 watt n. 瓦（特）
receiver n. 接收機(jī) gait n. 步態(tài)，步法
night-vision goggle 夜視鏡 oscillation n. 擺動(dòng)
spring n. 彈簧 commercialize v. 商業(yè)化
vertical adj. 垂直的 mountaineer n. 登山運(yùn)動(dòng)員
rotary adj. 旋轉(zhuǎn)的
注釋?zhuān)?BR> 1.MP3 ：Internet上最流行的音樂(lè)格式，最早起源于1987年德國(guó)一家公司的EU147數(shù)字傳輸計(jì)劃，它利用MPEGAudioLayer3的技術(shù)，將聲音文件用1∶12左右的壓縮率壓縮，變成容量較小的音樂(lè)文件，使傳輸和儲(chǔ)存更為便捷，更利于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)用戶(hù)在網(wǎng)上試聽(tīng)或下載到個(gè)人計(jì)算機(jī)。
2.Philadelphia：費(fèi)城[美國(guó)賓夕法尼亞州東南部港市]
3.Woods Hole：美國(guó)馬薩諸塞州的一個(gè)漁村，也是許多重要研究機(jī)構(gòu)所在地，如： the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Sea Education Association 以及 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
4.Mass.：Massachusetts 的縮寫(xiě)：馬薩諸塞州，美國(guó)東北部的一個(gè)州。
5.global positioning system (GPS)： 全球定位系統(tǒng)
6.Science：美國(guó)的 Science 雜志為國(guó)際上著名的自然科學(xué)綜合類(lèi)學(xué)術(shù)期刊，在世界學(xué)術(shù)界享有盛譽(yù)。 Science 雜志創(chuàng)刊于1880年，該雜志具有新聞雜志和學(xué)術(shù)期刊的雙重特點(diǎn)，每周除向世界各地發(fā)布有關(guān)科學(xué)技術(shù)和科技政策的重要新聞外，還發(fā)表全球科技研究最顯著突破的研究論文和報(bào)告。
練習(xí)：
1. Backpacks are convenient because
A) they can be very large
B) they can hold as many things as you want to carry.
C) your hands are freed to do other things.
D) you do not have to carry things with you.
2. What is the most important feature of the backpack invented by Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues?
A) It produces electricity for electronic devices while the wearer walks.
B) It can be used as cell phones, GPS in the military actions or field studies.
C) It is small and convenient.
D) It is light and easy to carry.
3. The word “springs” in Paragraph 3 means
A) a small stream of water flowing naturally from the earth.
B) the season of the year, occurring between winter and summer.
C) the act or an instance of jumping or leaping.
D) a length of metal wound around, which returns to its original shape after being pushed.
4. According to Paragraph 4, what does Rome plan to do?
A) To make the backpack more comfortable for the wearer.
B) To put the backpack on the market.
C) To test the advantage of the backpack.
D) To promote the backpack in a newspaper or on television.
5. What is implied in “if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!”
A) You will be too excited to watch the traffic.
B) Enjoying electronic devices while walking may invite traffic accidents.
C) It is not possible for you to get such a backpack.
D) It is wise of you to have such a backpack.
參考答案解析:
1. C 第一段告訴我們，因?yàn)楸嘲梢匝b許多東西，所以可以將雙手解放出來(lái)做其它事情：to free your hands to do other things.
2. A 第二段的第一句說(shuō)，Lawrence C. Rome 及其同事們發(fā)明的這種背包，當(dāng)背著背包走路時(shí)，會(huì)有電能產(chǎn)生；該段最后一句告訴我們，背包的這種性能可減少背包的重量，因?yàn)椴槐財(cái)y帶備用電池。
3． D “springs”在此是彈簧的意思。spring是一個(gè)多義詞：泉水（A）、春天（B）、彈跳（C）。
4． B 第四段最后一句的意思是：Rome計(jì)劃將這種背包商業(yè)化，即，推向市場(chǎng)。A、C、D在文中均未提到。D的意思是為背包做廣告。
5． B 這個(gè)句子的字面意思是：如果你終于得到這樣的背包，過(guò)馬路時(shí)一定要兩面都看看。也就是說(shuō)，不要因?yàn)橥瑫r(shí)玩著游戲、聽(tīng)著音樂(lè)、看著電視，太專(zhuān)注以致不注意來(lái)往車(chē)輛了。