1．We know the famous ones-the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells-but what about the less famous inventors？What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper（雨刮器）？Shouldn't we know who they are？
Joan Mclean think so．In fact，Mclean，a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range，feels so strongly about this matter that she's developed a course on the topic．In addition to learning"who"invented"what"，however，Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the"why"and"how"questions．According to Mclean，"When students learn the answers to these questions，they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try．"
So，just what is the story behind the windshield wiper？Well，Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902after a visit to Mew York City．The day was cold and stormy，but Anderson still wanted to see the sights，so she jumped aboard a streetcar．Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the winshield，she found hersefe wondering why there couldn't be a buolt-in devic for cleaing the window．Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham，Alabama，Anderson started drafting out solutions．One of her ideas，a lever（操作桿）on the inside of a vehicle that would contral an arm on the outside，became the first windshield wiper．
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It's hard to imagine driving without Garrett A．Morgan's traffic light．It's equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J．Blodgett's innovation that makes glass invisible，Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses？
56．By mentionong"traffic light"and"windshield wiper"，the author indicates that countless inventions areB．
A．beneficial，because their inventors are famous
B．beneficial，though their inventors are less famous
C．not useful，because their inventors are less famous
D．not useful，though their inventors are famous
57．Professor Joan McLean's course aims toD．
A．a(chǎn)dd colour and variety to students'campus life
B．inform students of the windshield wiper's invention
C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D．pre[are students to try theie own invention
58．Tommy Lee's invention of the unbreakable umbrella wasB．
A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D．not related to Professor Joan McLean's lectures
59．Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage？C．
A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers？
B．How to Design a Built-in Dervice for Cleaning the Window？
C．Shouldn't We Know Who Inventd the Windshield Wiper？
D．Shouldn't We Develop Invention Courses in Universities？
分析 一位物理學(xué)教授通過自己獨(dú)特的課程不但讓學(xué)生們了解了一些"小"發(fā)明家，同時也激發(fā)了學(xué)生們搞發(fā)明的潛能，鼓勵年輕人要善于把握發(fā)明的契機(jī)，推動社會的進(jìn)步．
解答 56．B 觀點(diǎn)態(tài)度題，根據(jù)第一段中的"…but what about the less famous inventors？"和文章末段首句"Today we benefit from countless…"可推知，作者認(rèn)為相對愛迪生和貝爾來說，雖然發(fā)明家知名度低，但這些發(fā)明是有益的． 所以本題答案為B．
57．D 細(xì)節(jié)理解題．根據(jù)題干可以定位到原文第二段，However處正是考點(diǎn)出題處，引號當(dāng)中的內(nèi)容正是證明了Mclean的觀點(diǎn)：when students learn the answers to these questions，…．prepared to recognize…inventing a try．可知，讓學(xué)生做好準(zhǔn)備去嘗試自己的發(fā)明是課程的宗旨．由 此可以看出選項D正是原文的同義替換．
58．B 推理判斷題．根據(jù)第三段中的虛擬語氣句"If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper's invention""I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive．"可知，雨刷器發(fā)明的故事正是他靈感的源泉．
59．C 主旨大意題．文章一開頭就點(diǎn)出文章主旨：shouldn't we know who they are？并且用了疑問句加強(qiáng)語氣，可見C選項正確．其他三個選項都相對片面．
點(diǎn)評 做閱讀理解時，做好簡單推理判斷題，要以表面文字為前提，以具體事實為依據(jù)進(jìn)行推理，做出判斷．這種推理方式比較直接，只要弄清事實，即可結(jié)合常識推斷出合理的結(jié)論．
