Zipped into a bag, it looks like a large umbrella. Unfolded, it goes along the street like any other bicycle.
It's the "A-bike", the brainchild (脑力劳动的产物) of British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who made history in the 1970s by developing the world's first pocket calculator. He described his new invention as "the world's smallest, lightest foldable bicycle".
"My original thought was that if you could have a bicycle that was dramatically lighter and more firm than the ones that exist today, it would change the way in which bicycles are used,"said Sinclair.
The mini-bike, showed in Singapore last week and set to go on sale worldwide in 2005 at a price of nearly US$300, is built for riders as heavy as 112 kilograms and is height-adjustable（可调整高度的）. It takes about 20 seconds to fold or unfold.
Its wheels are a quarter the size of those on a regular bicycle, but Sinclair promises a smooth ride for most cyclists. "You require no extra energy to ride the A-bike and it can go up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour)," he said. Constructed mainly of plastic, the 5.5-kilogram bicycle folds into a package of less than 0.03 cubic meters （立方米）.
Sinclair also invented the first pocket TV in 1984 and the futuristic C5 electric tricycle in 1985. He said he hoped the bicycle would attract common citizens, officials, campers or anyone needing transport for a short trip and he said the next step for the A-bike was to add an electric motor in a few years.
注意：修改10处，在横线上写出错误指出，并加以修改。
My summer travel started terribly .I was at the Shanghai Railway Station buy a ticket to Hang Zhou. I was going to visit a friend here and after that I would go to Xiamen for long holiday. I bought my ticket but turned around to pick up my bag from the floor and then I realized that someone had stolen it. Luckily I had all my money on my pocket, but the only clothes I had was those I had on. It felt very strange to travel without any luggages. When I finally arrived at my friend he lent to me lots of clothes. I feel very happy that I could change my clothes at last. | ①改为 ②改为 ③改为 ④改为 ⑤改为 ⑥改为 ⑦改为 ⑧改为 ⑨改为 ⑩改为 |
—________ What if she refuses me?
—________，we'll have to put the meeting off till tomorrow.
Newspaper is not only the most common media in our daily life, but also the oldest technique in the field of message publication.It is very late to see the modern newspaper in China.Until the end of the 19th century, those newspapers published by the Chinese official agents or private expresses hadn't started to become more and more.The newspaper called “Stories inside and outside China”was first published by Weixin Faction, in 1895, the 21st year of Guangxu Era in Qing Dynasty.It is one of the most influential newspapers published by the Chinese at that time.
In fact, the Chinese“Dibao”is the earliest and oldest newspaper in the world.In the West Han epoch, in order to strengthen the Royal power, the Han government carried out the“Jun xian zhi”．Every eparch should set up its office in the capital Chang'an, which has the same function as the provincial office in Beijing now.These offices were called “Di”s.Officers are selected by the eparchial government which they are responsible for, and sent to the “Di”to collecting the messages announced by the administrative agents or even the empire, then writing them on the bamboo placard, and deliver them to their shire leaders via the early post station for reading.So these placards with information were called “Dibao”s.
The continuous enforcement of central royal power in ancient China has also brought the development of “Dibao” into a_full_bloom. Although the name of “Dibao” had been changed for many times in the period from the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, to Qing Dynasty, its publication has never been interrupted.In addition to it, its essence and contents hadn't been changed a lot.
Notes：
①eparch n ． 地方官 ②administrative adj.管理的；行政的 ③placard n ． 布告
④shire n ． 郡 ⑤essence n ． 本质
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using Xray facilities (设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing Xray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognised in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926.Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity(辐射能) .Irene JoliotCurie died from leukemia on March 17,1956.
A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment?
As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower. A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle.
Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic and can be hard or soft, and able to change shape. Overtime it can also break down into the soil without giving out any toxic (有毒的) chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this new type of cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow.
Engineers have designed a small transparent (透明的)window to hold the seed. They have made sure it only grows when the phone is thrown away.
“We've only put sunflower seeds into the covers so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time，” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly (经常地) throwing their mobiles away. This means manufacturers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them.
Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists.
“The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don't have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it，” said Kerry Kirwan. She leads the research team, which is based at the University of Warwick in Britain.
