2014浙江杭州二中第五次月考（3月）英语试题答案(4)

    The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin color without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.
48. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
   A. people can not change their skin color without any pain
   B. the new discovery could lead to research into ways to change skin color safely
   C. pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin color as he liked
   D. scientists have found out that people’s skin color is determined by the gene
49. It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.
   A. nowadays people who want to change their skin color have to suffer a lot from the damage caused 
by the chemical treatment
   B. Europeans and Africans have the same gene
   C. the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer
   D. there are two kinds of genes
50. Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra-fish in order to _____________.
   A. find the different genes of humans’
   B. prove the humans’ skin color is determined by the pigment gene
   C. find out the reason why the Africans’ skin color is dark
   D. find out the ways of changing people’s skin color
51. The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that _____________.
   A. they are born light-skinned people
   B. light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gene for melanin production
   C. they have fewer activities outside      D. they pay much attention to protecting their skin
52. The writer’s attitude towards the discovery is ______________.
   A. neutral         B. negative       C. positive        D. unconcerned
D 
Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency. 
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. 
Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine. 
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines. 
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle(脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版税）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention. 
53. Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____________. 
A. people did not know how to put out the fire 
B. Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention
C. the sewing machines was couldn’t work finally 
D. workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire
54. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?   
A. Singer is an American inventor and manufacturer. 
B. The Singer sewing company became more practical.
C. The foot treadle helped to make the sewer’s hands free. 
D. Singer made improvements to the design of sewing machines.
55. Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elisa Howe a lifetime of royalties?
A. Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude.
B. Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer. 
C. Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it. 
D. Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine. 
56. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. A Stitch in Time Saves Nine                 B. The Case between Howe and Singer
C. Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine          D. The Early History of the Sewing Machine