科学家开发出可自动升温或降温的衣服材料
It is one of life’s everyday frustrations, putting on a jumper only to get too hot and have to take it off again. But scientists may now have an answer—a self-cooling jumper. Researchers have created a material which heats up when someone gets too cold. But it also detects when they are warm enough and releases heat to maintain the perfect temperature.
The clothing is made out of regular wool already used in sportswear but coated with a super-thin layer of metal. Its creators claim it is far better than breathable sportswear which is already available, altering the body’s temperature by 35 per cent, while existing clothing only manages five per cent. The material can be washed like a regular jumper and is expected to be only around £4 ($5) more expensive.
Professor Min Ouyang, who helped to create the material from the University of Maryland, said, “This material was created with the idea of making sure that someone can remain comfortable. They do not have to take off clothing, then put on clothing, to try to reach a comfortable temperature. If someone is sitting in an office and they feel hot, they don’t need to turn on the air conditioning or change their clothing.”
Researchers took wool which is already used in sportswear as their starting point. This was coated in carbon nanotubes which are as thin as a human hair. The metal detects if someone is getting slightly warm, as their skin becomes damp with sweat. This causes the fabric to shrink and pull closer together, creating an electric charge that sends heat out of the body. But if someone starts feeling a bit chilly again, the material will expand, with the metal pulling in warmth from the air outside.
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1.What does the underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refer to?
A The jumper.
B The material.
C The heat.
D The temperature.
解析：选B。词意指代题。根据第一段第三句Researchers have created a material which heats up when someone gets too cold.可知是科学家们发明了一种能根据人体温度自动升温的材料，由画线单词所在句子中的but一词可知是在承接上句的内容，由此可知it即指代上句中的material，故选B。
2.What’s the advantage of the new-material clothing compared with the regular sportswear?
A It doesn’t need a super-thin layer of metal.
B It can control a large range of body temperature.
C It doesn’t need to be washed like regular clothes.
D It costs much less money to buy this kind of clothes.
解析：选B。细节理解题。根据第二段第二句Its creators claim it is far better than breathable sportswear which is already available, altering the body’s temperature by 35 per cent, while existing clothing only manages five per cent. 可知这种衣服能够调控的体温范围更大，故选B。
3.What’s the design concept of this material according to Professor Min Ouyang?
A Making a lot of money.
B Abandoning dependence on air conditioning.
C Saving time of change clothes.
D Making people comfortable.
解析：选D。细节理解题。根据第三段第一句的This material was created with the idea of making sure that someone can remain comfortable.可知设计者的初衷是让人们穿得更加舒适，故选D。
4.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph？
A Why researchers used carbon nanotubes.
B How the metal detects body temperature.
C How the special material works.
D When the fabric creates an electric charge.
解析：选C。段落大意题。通读最后一段的内容可知，此段主要介绍的是这种新型面料的工作原理，故选C。