It is often observed that the aged spend much time thinking and talking about their past lives, (1)_____ about the future. These reminiscences are not simply random or trivial memories, (2)_____ is their purpose merely to make conversation. The old person"s recollections of the past help to (3)_____ an identity that is becoming increasingly fragile: (4)_____ any role that brings respect or any goal that might provide (5)_____ to the future, the individual mentions their past as a reminder to listeners, that here was a life (6)_____ living. (7)_____, the memories form part of a continuing life (8)_____, in which the old person (9)_____ the events and experiences of the years gone by and (10)_____ on the overall meaning of his or her own almost completed life. As the life cycle (11)_____ to its close, the aged must also learn to accept the reality of their own impending death. (12)_____ this task is made difficult by the fact that death is almost a (13)_____ subject in the United States. The mere discussion of death is often regarded as (14)_____ As adults many of us find the topic frightening and are (15)_____ to think about it—and certainly not to talk about it (16)_____ the presence of someone who is dying. Death has achieved this taboo (17)_____ only in the modern industrial societies. There seems to be an important reason for our reluctance to (18)_____ the idea of death. It is the very fact that death remains (19)_____ our control; it is almost the only one of the natural processes (20)_____ is so.
A. which
B. what
C. as
D. that
Sir Richard Friend is a tough man to track down. Phone calls to his two labs at Cambridge University go unanswered, and so do e-mails. In the end, a reporter has to leave a note in his campus pigeonhole. The elusive Friend is the unlikely instigator of what may be a revolution in electronics: plastics. (46)Although most electronic devices make use of silicon chips, Friend sees a future in which mobile phones, TVs, watches, computers and other devices incorporate inexpensive plastic chips.(47)Friend"s vision is based on his own discoveries, back in the "80s and "90s, that plastics can be used to make transistors, the basic element of chips, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which glow when electricity passes through them.His work has already yielded a new generation of lighter, thinner, brighter, cheaper and more flexible electronic screens for everything from lightweight mobile phones to disposable "talking" electronic greeting cards. (48)Now he"s working on devices that might bring us talking cereal boxes or advertising posters that light up and speak as you walk by.The materials might even be spray-painted onto walls that change color with the weather, or go into pillboxes that tell you when to take your medication. It sounds farfetched, but the basic technology is already at hand, E-books with flexible screens that can be rolled up and put into your pocket should start appearing in the next few years. (49)And plastic chips, which can be laid onto almost any surface, could be printed—just as ink is printed onto paper—onto any number of flexible surfaces.General Electric is working with the Department of Energy—to create large flexible sheets that could illuminate a room. If you think everything is digital now, just wait. (50)"Products in your fridge tagged with a chip would automatically change color after their sell-by date", says Peter Harrop, chairman of market-research firm IDTechEx.For his Cambridge students, Sir Richard has one word of advice: plastics.
It is often observed that the aged spend much time thinking and talking about their past lives, (1)_____ about the future. These reminiscences are not simply random or trivial memories, (2)_____ is their purpose merely to make conversation. The old person"s recollections of the past help to (3)_____ an identity that is becoming increasingly fragile: (4)_____ any role that brings respect or any goal that might provide (5)_____ to the future, the individual mentions their past as a reminder to listeners, that here was a life (6)_____ living. (7)_____, the memories form part of a continuing life (8)_____, in which the old person (9)_____ the events and experiences of the years gone by and (10)_____ on the overall meaning of his or her own almost completed life. As the life cycle (11)_____ to its close, the aged must also learn to accept the reality of their own impending death. (12)_____ this task is made difficult by the fact that death is almost a (13)_____ subject in the United States. The mere discussion of death is often regarded as (14)_____ As adults many of us find the topic frightening and are (15)_____ to think about it—and certainly not to talk about it (16)_____ the presence of someone who is dying. Death has achieved this taboo (17)_____ only in the modern industrial societies. There seems to be an important reason for our reluctance to (18)_____ the idea of death. It is the very fact that death remains (19)_____ our control; it is almost the only one of the natural processes (20)_____ is so.
A. under
B. above
C. beyond
D. within
It is often observed that the aged spend much time thinking and talking about their past lives, (1)_____ about the future. These reminiscences are not simply random or trivial memories, (2)_____ is their purpose merely to make conversation. The old person"s recollections of the past help to (3)_____ an identity that is becoming increasingly fragile: (4)_____ any role that brings respect or any goal that might provide (5)_____ to the future, the individual mentions their past as a reminder to listeners, that here was a life (6)_____ living. (7)_____, the memories form part of a continuing life (8)_____, in which the old person (9)_____ the events and experiences of the years gone by and (10)_____ on the overall meaning of his or her own almost completed life. As the life cycle (11)_____ to its close, the aged must also learn to accept the reality of their own impending death. (12)_____ this task is made difficult by the fact that death is almost a (13)_____ subject in the United States. The mere discussion of death is often regarded as (14)_____ As adults many of us find the topic frightening and are (15)_____ to think about it—and certainly not to talk about it (16)_____ the presence of someone who is dying. Death has achieved this taboo (17)_____ only in the modern industrial societies. There seems to be an important reason for our reluctance to (18)_____ the idea of death. It is the very fact that death remains (19)_____ our control; it is almost the only one of the natural processes (20)_____ is so.
A. encounter
B. confront
C. tolerate
D. expose