We all have daily problems with technology, but how many of us can fix them? Mya Le Thai, a scientist from the University of California, Irvine recently discovered a process that might result in batteries that could last forever.
Thai said she was frustrated that the batteries for her wireless devices degraded. Over time, they failed to charge fully. Thai did not like to keep her wireless laptop connected to an electrical outlet. She decided to do something about that problem. At first, she and her team at UC Irvine thought about inventing a new battery. But as they experimented, Thai discovered something that might permit lithium-ion (锂离子)batteries to last forever. Lithium-ion batteries power most wireless devices. Over time, the batteries lose the ability to hold a charge. One of the reasons why lithium-ion batteries degrade is their use of nanowires (纳米线) to carry electricity. Nanowires are extremely thin. They are extremely efficient carriers of electricity, which makes them useful in batteries. But their thinness also makes them weak. ‘‘Nanowires break over time," she said. “That’s why they lose capacity.’’
But, Thai had a theory: The nanowires might last longer if covered with a gel. She and the team tested her theory. “ It was a long process and a lot of work," Thai said. The team tried many coverings for the wires. The nanowires were coated with a gel, PMMA, and cycled through charging 200,000 times. The gel showed no evidence of damage. The results suggested that batteries could last forever without losing charging ability.
Thai said 200,000 cycles amount to about three months on just one device. Thai hopes to continue her research to see if any other gel could work better.
Thai tells VOA she is enjoying the publicity about her discovery. She said she never expected her research to getmedia coverage. “It’s kind of cool,” she said. “I’m really glad people are showing interest in my work—not just in thework itself, but also in technology and energy.”
2、阅读下面短文,根据其内容写一篇60词左右的内容概要。
You might think that whether you choose a blue shirt or a yellow one to wear to work or college makes no difference to your day and those around you. However, an increasing number of experts argue that the colors we choose affect our mood, our career prospects and even our health.
The power of color has been used for centuries and we should be making the most of it in our lives. Color affects us to a greater degree than most of us realize. It is used increasingly by psychologists and therapists for influencing mood and state of mind, and for various types of treatments when we are ill. Some people even believe that the blind can benefit from the “vibrations(震动)” that color gives off.
Companies use color to great effect to encourage us to buy their products. For example, purple is seen as creative and mixes well with red, to show that a company has ideas and the power to make them happen. Orange and blue are also recommended colors for companies to use, because orange is the color of communication and blue suggests safety and security. So this could be a particularly good combination. Companies have found certain colors “speak” to specific age groups. They often use red to attract younger people to their products, for example, as it is vibrant and more youthful than colors like gold and navy, which older customers seem to prefer.
Wearing different colors can affect how you feel and how others react to you, so it is important to consider this when deciding what to wear in the morning. If you want people to take you seriously, then wearing navy blue or black is good. Blue would also be helpful for an interview or oral examination because it relaxes you and makes you feel calm. Red gets you noticed by everyone and makes you, the wearer, feel energetic, but be careful, as it can raise your pulse rate and not everyone wants this effect.
So think carefully before you leave the house. The colors you choose are a wonderful tool. Are you making the right impression—on yourself and on others?
