Question

Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.

“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density(密度)”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope(放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”

Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.

“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”

His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半導體). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.

“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶體結構) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”

Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.

1. Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?

A. He teaches chemistry at MU. 

B. He developed a chemical battery.

C. He is working on a nuclear energy source.

D. He made a breakthrough in computer engineering.

2. Jae Kwon gave examples in Paragraph 4_________.

A. to show chemical batteries are widely applied.

B. to introduce nuclear batteries can be safely used.

C. to describe a nuclear-powered system.

D. to introduce various energy sources.

3. Liquid semiconductor is used to _________.

A. get rid of the radioactive waste  

B. test the power of nuclear batteries.

C. decrease the size of nuclear batteries

D. reduce the damage to lattice structure.

4. According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery _______.

A. uses a solid semiconductor       

B. will soon replace the present ones.

C. could be extremely thin          

D. has passed the final test.

5. The text is most probably a ________.

A. science news report        B. book review   

C. newspaper ad               D. science fiction story

Answer 1

【小題1】C

【小題2】B

【小題3】D

【小題4】C

【小題5】A

解析:

【語篇解讀】本篇文章新聞報道。報道介紹了教授Kown的一項新的電池發明以及這種電池的特征。

【小題1】細節理解題。由文章第一段最后一句“University Of Missouri researchers are developing a nuclear energy resource that is smaller， lighter and more efficient.”可知。這里的researchers包括了 Jae Kwon。

【小題2】細節理解題。根據第四段第二句“However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices”可知。

【小題3】細節理解題。根據第六段最后一句“By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”可知。that problem指上文提到的“Part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure of the solid semiconductor”。

【小題4】細節理解題。根據文章最后一句“Kwon said that the battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair.”可知。

【小題5】推理判斷題。本文介紹了一種新型的電池以及這種電池的特征，由此推測這是一篇與科學相關的新聞報道。