中学生百科英语.docx

中学生百科英语.docx

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中学生百科英语

中学生百科英语2:

Thoughts&Notions

01TheZipper

02ThePostageStamp

03PencilsandPens

04TheUmbrella

05TheMetricSystem

06ThaiBoxing

07SumoWrestling

08TarahumaraFootRaces

09OlympicSports

10Greatathletes

11ThePufferFish

12FoodsfromAroundtheWorld

13Chocolate

14TheBlueRevolution

15Twenty-OneDaysWithoutFood

16TheMarieCeleste

17TheRoanokeSettlement

18TheEasterIslandStatues

19TheTunguskaFireball

20MysteryoftheMonarchs

21TheHistoryofMoney

22MassMarketing

23Inflation

24DoingBusinessAroundtheWorld

25CreditCards

1TheZipper

Thezipperisawonderfulinvention.Howdidpeopleeverlivewithoutzippers?

Theyareverycommon,soweforgetthattheyarewonderful.Theyareverystrong,buttheyopenandcloseveryeasily.Theycomeinmanycolorsandsizes.

Inthe1890s,peopleintheUnitedStatesworehighshoeswithalongrowofbuttons.Clothesoftenhadrowsofbuttons,too.Peoplewishedthatclotheswereeasiertoputonandtakeoff.

WhitcombL.Judson,anengineerfromtheUnitedStates,inventedthezipperin1893.However,hiszippersdidn'tstayclosedverywell.Thiswasembarrassing,andpeopledidn'tbuymanyofthem.ThenDr.GideonSundbackfromSwedensolvedthisproblem.Hiszipperstayedclosed.

Azipperhasthreeparts:

1.Therearedozensofmetalorplastichooks（calledteeth）intworows.2.Thesehooksarefastenedtotwostripsofcloth.Theclothstripsareflexible.Theybendeasily.3.Afastenerslidesalongandjoinsthehookstogether.

Whenitslidestheotherway,ittakesthehooksapart.

Dr.Sundbackputthehooksonstripsofcloth.Theclothholdsallthehooksinplace.Theydon'tcomeapartveryeasily.Thissolvedtheproblemofthefirstzippers.

（212words）

2ThePostageStamp

Beforetheinventionofthepostagestamp,itwasdifficulttosendalettertoanothercountry.Thesenderpaidforthelettertotravelinhisorherowncountry.

Thenthepersonintheothercountrypaidfortherestofthetrip.Ifalettercrossedseveralcountries,theproblemwasworse.

RowlandHill,aBritishteacher,hadtheideaofapostagestampwithglueontheback.TheBritishpostofficemadethefirststampsin1840.TheywerethePennyBlackandtheTwopenceBlue.Apersonboughtastampandputitonaletter.Thepostofficedeliveredtheletter.Whenpeoplereceivedletters,theydidn'thavetopayanything.Thepostagewasprepaid.

PostagestampsbecamepopularinGreatBritainimmediately.Othercountriesstartedmakingtheirownpostagestampsveryquickly.

Therewerestillproblemswithinternationalmail.Somecountriesdidnotwanttoacceptletterswithstampsfromothercountries.Finally,in1874,aGermanorganizedtheUniversalPostalUnion（UPU）.EachcountryintheUPUagreedtoacceptletterswithprepaidpostagefromtheothermembers.Today,theofficesoftheUPUareinSwitzerland.Almosteverycountryintheworldisamemberofthisorganization.Ittakescareofanyinternationalmailproblems.

Today,postofficesineverycountrysellbeautifulstamps.Collectingstampsisoneofthemostpopularhobbiesintheworld,andeverystampcollectorknowsaboutthePennyBlackandtheTwopenceBlue.

（250words）

3PencilsandPens

Nooneknowswhoinventedpencilsorwhenithappened.ASwissdescribedapencilinabookin1565.Hesaiditwasapieceofwoodwithleadinsideit.（Leadisaveryheavy,soft,darkgraymetal.）Pencilsweren'tpopular,andpeoplecontinuedtowritewithpens.Theyusedbirdfeathersaspens.

Then,in1795,someonestartedmakingpencilsfromgraphite,andtheybecameverypopular.Graphiteislikecoal.（Coalisblack,andweburnitforheatandenergy.）Today,peoplemakepencilsinthesameway.Theygrindthegraphite,makeitintotheshapeofastick,andbakeit.Thentheyputitinsideapieceofwood.Onepencilcanwrite50,000Englishwordsormakealine55kilometerslong.

Peoplewrotewithfeatherpensandthenusedpenswithmetalpoints.Theyhadtodipthepointintoinkaftereveryfewletters.Next,someoneinventedafountainpenthatcouldholdinkinsideit.Afountainpencanwriteseveralpagesbeforeyouhavetofillitagain.

TwoHungarianbrothers,LadislaoandGeorgBiro,inventedtheballpointpen.

TheyleftHungaryandstartedmakingballpointpensinEnglandin1943,duringWorldWarII.Englishpilotslikedthepens.Theycouldn'twritewithfountainpensinairplanesbecausetheinkleakedout.Later,aFrenchcompanycalledBicboughttheBiros'company.

Somepeoplecallballpointpens"Bics."Australianscallthem"biros."Whateverwecallthem,weusethemeveryday.

（256words）

4TheUmbrella

Theumbrellaisaveryordinaryobject.Itkeepstherainandthesunoffpeople.

Mostumbrellasfoldup,soitiseasytocarrythem.

However,theumbrellahasnotalwaysbeenanordinaryobj