Scientists report
they have created the smallest device to carry electrical current ever made. The
device _____ (1) a transistor. It is about one-million times smaller than a
grain of sand.
Transistors are
used in many electronic devices to control the flow of electrical current. True
transistors can turn the flow of electricity on and off. They also have the
ability to increase electrical current.
Extremely small
transistors are used in computers. They form part of what is called an
integrated circuit. Powerful integrated circuits have large numbers of
transistors. Scientists have developed smaller transistors year after year to
produce more powerful integrated circuits.
However,
the new transistor may represent the smallest possible size for this kind of
device. The area that carries electrical current in the new transistor is about
_____ (2) of a single molecule.
Lucent
Technologies’ Bell Labs in
Scientists Hendrik
Schon, Zhenan Bao and Hong Meng created the new transistor. It is so small that
it is put together chemically. The scientists used a chemical process to attach
carbon-based molecules to gold. The process creates molecule-sized openings that
carry electricity.
The
molecules also chemically form a molecule-sized device that controls electrical
current. Releasing and stopping electrical current permits electronic processors
to move and store information. This simple ability to start and stop electrical
current forms the language used by most computers.
The new
transistor is still being developed. However, researchers at Bell Labs
have already connected together several of the transistors into a circuit. They
also say the chemical process for creating the transistors appears to work well.
Yet, the
new extremely small transistors may be too small. One scientist at
Hewlett-Packard Laboratories worries that connecting so many molecule-sized
devices together would prove to be almost impossible.
(Mario Ritter, VOA Special English Science
Report,
1. The missing word in (1) is
a. ( ) calls
b. ( ) is called
c. ( ) is nominated
d. ( ) is calling
e. ( ) nominates
2. The missing word in (2) is
a. ( ) the width
b. ( ) the depth.
c. ( ) the height.
d. ( ) the length
e. ( ) the tilth
3. The
underlined word in the text could be replaced by:
a. ( ) although
b. ( ) likewise
c. ( ) but
d. ( ) so that
e. ( ) despite
4. Select
the alternative that does not correspond to the text.
a. ( ) Scientists have created a device which
is about one million times smaller than a grain of sand.
b. ( ) Tiny transistors are used in
computers.
c. ( ) The first transistor was invented by
scientists from Lucent Technologies’ Bell Labs in 1947.
d. ( ) Researchers are still working on the
new transistor.
e. ( ) In 1956
the physicians William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain were awarded
the Nobel Prize for their discovery.
5. Write
T if the statement is True and F if the statement is False
a.
( ) True transistors are able to
increase electrical current.
b. (
) Extremely small transistors are part of an integrated circuit.
c.
( ) A large number of transistors
are needed to integrate circuits.
d. (
) The new transistor is put together chemically.
e. ( ) One scientist at Hewlett Packard
Laboratories objects to the size of the transistors.
Questão 1. A alternativa correta é a letra b. Preste atenção ao uso da voz passiva.
Se você respondeu a letra c, que também apresenta uma forma passiva, errou, pois o verbo nominate significa propor um nome como candidato.
Vejamos o
exemplo: Who was nominated for the Presidency?
Questão 2. A alternativa correta é a letra a (the width = a largura)
Analisemos, então as outras alternativas:
b. a palavra depth se refere à profundidade.
c. a palavra height se refere à altura.
d. a palavra length se refere ao comprimento.
e. a palavra tilth significa cultivo da terra.
Questão 3. A alternativa correta é a c. Preste atenção ao contexto e lembre-se que however exprime contraste de idéias.
Vejamos como poderíamos traduzir as outras palavras: although = embora (concessão)
Likewise = da mesma forma
So that = para que (finalidade)
Despite = apesar de
É importante lembrar que in spite of pode ser usado no lugar de despite. Observe, entretanto, que a primeira é seguida pela preposição of e a última não.
Questão 4. Esta é tricky! Veja que a questão pede a alternativa que não corresponde ao texto. Sendo assim, a resposta é a letra e e observe que a pegadinha esta no fato de eu ter utilizado a palavra physician (médico) quando a palavra correta para o contexto seria physicists (físicos).
Questão 5. As respostas são: T; T; F; T; F
Analisemos as respostas falsas: alternativa c é falsa. Compare a sentença extraída do texto com a sentença dada em c:
Powerful integrated
circuits have large numbers of transistors
A large
number of transistors are needed to integrate circuits.
Não tem nada a ver com o texto. Furada!!!!
A alternativa e é falsa, pois isso não é dito no texto. Leia atentamente a última sentença do texto.