人教高中英语高二下UNIT18-3

       

                                                                                               INVENTIONS
         Computers that use light instead of electricity, "smart" clothes that can make phone calls and play music, house paints that change colour with the seasons, e-paper and ads that speak to you -- the list of amazing new inventions that seem to be just around the comer is long and inspiring. How many of these new technologies will actually become reality remains¹ to be seen, but it is clear that the next fifty years will be exciting. Here is a look at some of the new ideas that may shape our future.
                                          NOW YOU SEE IT , NOW YOU DON’T
         Researchers in Japan have invented a kind of paint that makes things invisible². It may sound incredible³, but the new paint reflects light in such a way that the human eye is fooled. The technology behind the paint is fairly⁴ simple: instead of letting the light rays bounce⁵ back in the normal way, the paint sends the light back to the source⁶. It is as if a basketball backboard was made so that a ball thrown at an angle⁷ would bounce right back at the person throwing it. The paint does not really make things disappear, but by changing the way the light bounces⁸ it does make it possible to "see through" objects. The technology has many potential uses. The paint could be used to make interesting clothes and to help doctors see through the skin of a patient and thus be able to work better. It may also be used to hide things that we do not want others to see.
                                                   DON’T TOUCH THAT KNIFE
 Most of us probably hope that we will never have to face major surgery⁹. Even though doctors are well-trained and modem¹⁰ technology makes it possible to save lives, many operations are still dangerous and painful. Now, however, scientists believe that they might be able to help doctors to cure patients with less risk. A new and very small robot has been invented. This robot can enter the human body through a small hole so that it is no longer necessary to cut the patient. Instead of using knives and other large tools, doctors can use a computer to move the tiny robot around. If the technology can be used on human beings, operations will be safer and less painful.
            THAT WILL NEVER WORK , OR WILL IT?
       The most exciting inventions are always the ones that have not yet been made. The tree challenge¹¹ for any inventor is to dare¹² to dream and believe that what seems impossible today may one day become possible. Among the many inventions that are being discussed by some scientists are several that may seem ridiculous¹³ to us. For example, one scientist is trying to build a device¹⁴ that will allow information to enter the human body. In early experiments, the scientist was able to send sound into humans and dolphins, with some success. He is now working on sending visual¹⁵ information to the brain, so that blind people could be able to "see". The scientist believes that it may be possible to "learn" by sending information to the brain.
       Other inventors are trying to make something out of nothing. One group of scientists think that it may be possible to make energy from space itself. According¹⁶ to their theories, what we think of as empty space does in fact contain energy in the form of movement. They describe space as true "perpetual¹⁷ motion¹⁸", that is, movement that never stops. They claim that there are energy fields everywhere -- because of the laws of physics, there are always small movements everywhere. For hundreds of years, people have tried to build machines that never stop, but the laws of physics show that it cannot be done. The "space motion ", however, could turn out to be endless. The scientists working on the programme believe that these fields of energy can be put to work. If they are successful, a new and cheap energy source will become available to us.
       It should be said that most scientists think that these inventions will never work. Perhaps they are right, but we would do well to keep in mind that many inventions that we now take for granted¹⁹ were greeted with doubt. People laughed at Benjamin Franklin's early discoveries and many other great scientists had to wait many years before their ideas were accepted. It is also important to remember that new inventions do not always work well in the beginning -- a good example is the first airplane, which only flew a very short distance.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 invisible   

adj.看不见的，无形的

参考例句：

• The air is full of millions of invisible germs.空气中充满了许多看不见的细菌。
• Many stars are invisible without a telescope.许多星辰不用望远镜便看不见。

3 incredible   

adj.难以置信的，不可信的，极好的，大量的

参考例句：

• Some planets run at incredible speed.某些星球以难以置信的速度运行着。
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.她的回答显示出不可思议的愚蠢。

4 fairly   

adv.公正地，正当地；相当；完全，简直

参考例句：

• I think I was quite fairly treated by the police.我认为警察对我非常公正。
• It fairly destroyed the machine.它将那部机器完全毁了。

5 bounce   

n.弹，反弹；冲劲，冲力；v.(使)弹起(跳起)

参考例句：

• She's got a lot of bounce.她浑身都是劲。
• The ball gave a high bounce.那球弹得很高。

6 source   

n.来源，水源；原始资料

参考例句：

• They mentioned you as a good source of information.他们说你消息灵通。
• All works of art have life as their source.一切文艺创作都来源于生活。

7 angle   

n.角，角度，立场，观点

参考例句：

• The high jumper took off at a bad angle.跳高运动员的起跳角度不好。
• The old house leans to the right at a dangerous angle.那所老宅向右斜得很危险。

8 bounces   

v.弹回( bounce的第三人称单数 )；（电子邮件）被退回；拒付；（朝某个方向）颠簸行进

参考例句：

• Although fatigue shows readily on Carter, he bounces back quickly. 卡特虽然容易显出疲劳的样子，但他恢复得很快。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A rubber ball bounces well. 橡皮球弹力好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 surgery   

n.外科，外科手术；手术室

参考例句：

• What time does surgery finish?门诊什么时间结束？
• Your condition is serious and requires surgery.你的情况很严重，需要动外科手术。

10 modem   

n.调制解调器

参考例句：

• Does your computer have a modem?你的电脑有调制解调器吗？
• Provides a connection to your computer via a modem.通过调制解调器连接到计算机上。

11 challenge   

n.挑战；v.向...挑战

参考例句：

• The job doesn't really challenge him.这项工作不能真正地考验他。
• She looked at me with challenge.她带着挑战的目光看着我。

12 dare   

n.敢，挑战；aux.敢；vi.敢；vt.敢于，勇于面对

参考例句：

• He didn't dare to look at her in the face.他不敢正眼看她。
• How dare you?Take your hand off me at once.放肆！马上把你的手挪开。

13 ridiculous   

adj.荒谬的，可笑的；荒唐的

参考例句：

• It is simply ridiculous to attempt such a thing.试图干这种事，简直可笑。
• It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life.这是我有生以来听到的最为荒唐可笑的事。

14 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。

15 visual   

adj.视力的，视觉的，观看的，直观的，看得见的，光学的

参考例句：

• The film is a visual art.电影是一种视觉艺术。
• His designs have a strong visual appeal.他的设计在视觉上很有感染力。

16 according   

adj.按照，根据

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• We must cut our coat according to our cloth this year.今年我们必须学会量入为出。

17 perpetual   

adj.永久的，长期的，无休止的

参考例句：

• He is on a perpetual search for truth.他毕生在寻求真理。
• The wind and the water were carrying on their perpetual quarrel.风和海水正进行着它们那永无休止的争吵。

18 motion   

n.打手势，示意，移动，动作，提议，大便；v.运动，向...打手势，示意

参考例句：

• She could feel the rolling motion of the ship under her feet.她能感觉到脚下船在晃动。
• Don't open the door while the train is in motion.列车运行时，请勿打开车门。

19 granted   

conj.假定，就算v.（退一步）承认( grant的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指正式地或法律上）同意；准许；让渡

参考例句：

• The president granted a general amnesty for all political prisoners. 总统大赦了所有的政治犯。
• She feared she would not be granted re-entry into Britain. 她担心不会获准再次踏足英伦。