5.You never see them,but they're with you every time you fly.They record where you're going,how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally.Their ability to withstand (經(jīng)受)almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book.They're known as the black box.
When planes fall from the sky,as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean June 30,2009,the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong.So when a French submarine(潛水艇)detected the device's homing signal five days later,the discovery marked a huge step toward detennining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.
In 1958,Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction.That was the first model for a black box,which became a requirement on all US commercial flights by 1960.Early models often failed to withstand crashes,however,so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane一the area least subject to impact--from its original position in the landing wells(起落架艙).That same year,the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes,which were never actually black,be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.
Modem airplanes have two black boxes:a voice recorder,which tracks pilots'conversations,and a flight-data recorder,which monitors fuel levels,engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments.Placed in an insulated (隔絕的)case and surrounded by quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel,the boxes can withstand massive force and temperatures up to 2000°F.When submerged,they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft.Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447,which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009,are in water nearly that deep,but statistics say they're still likely to turn up.In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years,only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.
46.What does the author say about the black box?D
A.It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane.
B.The idea for its design comes from a comic book.
C.Its ability to ward off disasters is incredible.
D.It is an indispensable device on an airplane
47.What information could be found from the black box on the Yemeni airliner?A
A.Data for analyzing the cause of the crash.
B.The total number of passengers on the board.
C.The scene of the crash and extent of the damage.
D.Homing signals sent by pilot before the crash.
48.Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?C
A.New materials became available by that time.
B.Too much space was needed for its installation.
C.The early models often got damaged in the crash.
D.The early models didn't provide the needed data.
49.Why did the Federal Aviation Authority require the black boxes be painted orange or yellow?C
A.To distinguish them from the color of the plane.
B.To caution people to handle them with care.
C.To make them easily identifiable.
D.To conform to international standards.
50.What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?A
A.There is still a good chance of their being recovered.
B.There is an urgent need for them to be restructured.
C.They have stopped sending homing signals.
D.They were destroyed somewhere in Brazil.
分析 本文主要介紹了記錄飛機(jī)飛行數(shù)據(jù)的黑匣子的發(fā)展歷程和具體信息.
解答 46--50 DACCA
46.D 推理判斷題.根據(jù)第一段可知,黑匣子記錄了你去哪里,你飛得多快及飛機(jī)上的一切是否工作正常.即黑匣子是飛機(jī)上不可缺少的設(shè)備.故選D.
47.A 細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第二段When planes fall from the sky,as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean June 30,2009,the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong.說明這個(gè)黑匣子里是一些數(shù)據(jù),這些數(shù)據(jù)可以分析飛機(jī)墜毀的原因.故選A.
48.C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第三段Early models often failed to withstand crashes,however,so in 1965 the device was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane-the area least subject to impact-from its original position in the landing wells.說明之前的黑匣子經(jīng)常會(huì)在飛機(jī)墜毀中壞掉,現(xiàn)在重新進(jìn)行設(shè)計(jì).故選C.
49.C 細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)第三段最后The same year,the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes,which were never actually black,be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.說明人們把黑匣子粉刷成黃色或者橙色是為了容易尋找.故選C.
50.A 推理判斷題.根據(jù)文章最后一句In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years,only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.說明這架飛機(jī)的黑匣子還沒有找到,不過還是有可能性被找到的.故A正確.
點(diǎn)評 高考中選用的科技文往往反映的是當(dāng)今人類最先進(jìn)的科技水平和最新的科研成果.我們閱讀它的過程其實(shí)就是學(xué)習(xí)科學(xué)知識,掌握科技信息的過程.然后,理解文章,分析文章,以閱讀材料所提供的科學(xué)事實(shí)為依據(jù),同時(shí)得出的結(jié)論還應(yīng)符合基本的科普常識,對照時(shí)要特別注意范圍大小、程度高低、數(shù)量多少、條件與結(jié)果、方法與目的、成就與問題、可能性與現(xiàn)實(shí)性.在細(xì)心對照基礎(chǔ)上,經(jīng)過一番分析、綜合,然后就要根據(jù)題目要求對選項(xiàng)作出正確判斷了,這些判斷包括選項(xiàng)的表達(dá)是否符合原文的意思,對概念,文句的理解是否正確,對要點(diǎn)歸納是否全面等,從而排除錯(cuò)誤選項(xiàng),選擇最合適的答案.