Year after year a dedicated Swedish chemist worked to find a substance which, when (1) nitroglyoerine (__油), would make explosives safer to handle (2) weakening their force. He had a personal (3) scientific reason to pursue his search, because his (4) brother had been killed when a can of nitroglycerine (5) exploded. The oily liquid had been (6) for so many disasters that its (7) had finally been outlawed by many countries.
While (8) a new formula one morning, the doctor broke a test tube and gashed (划开) his finger. He was daubing (涂搽) the (9) with collodion (火棉胶), a coating solution of gun -cotton dissolved in ether- alcohol (乙醚), (10) the idea struck him - mix collodion with the nitroglycerine! (11) . was the answer. The new mixture, (12) blasting gelatine (爆胶), was not only (13) safe to handle as dynamite, but it was also one - and - a - half times more powerful! In fact, so powerful (14) that it paved the way for a whole new (15) in construction and engineering. Mines were (16) , roads were built, and canals were cut at a speed once (17) impossible. It had another use, also - death and destruction in warfare. Its inventor had believed that the power of his new (18) would so awe the military mind that it would actually be a deterrent to war. (19) it became a weapon that brought death to millions of soldiers and (20) .

A:weapon B:mixture C:explosive D:discovery

In 1956, when the cold war was at its peak, America deployed a "secret sonic weapon", as a newspaper headline put it at the time. That weapon was Dizzy Gillespie, a famed jazz musician, who was given the task of changing the world’s view of American culture through rhythm and beat. Crowds poured into the street to dance. Cultural diplomacy died down after the cold war ended. But the attacks of September 11th 2001 convinced the State Department to send out America’s musicians once again to woo hearts and minds with melody.
Rhythm Road, a program run by the State Department and a non-profit organization, Jazz at Lincoln Centre, has made informal diplomats out of both musicians and audiences. Since it began in 2005, musicians have travelled to 96 countries. One band went to Mauritania, a country in northwestern Africa, after last year’s coup; many depart for countries that have strained relationships with America. The musicians travel to places where some people have never seen an American.
Jazz, so participants in the program, is well-suited to diplomacy. It is collaborative, allowing individuals both to harmonize and play solo—much like a democracy, says Ari Roland, who plays bass for a band that left New York to tour the Middle East on March 31st. Jazz is also a reminder of music’s power. It helped break down racial barriers, as enthusiasts of all colors gathered to listen to jazz when segregation was still the law of the land.
The State Department spent 10 million U.S. dollars on cultural diplomacy programs in the year to September 30th 2008. But most expect funding for the initiative to increase under Barack Obama, who pledged his support for cultural diplomacy during his campaign. Rhythm Road now sends out hip-hop and bluegrass bands as well.
There are some dissenters. Nick Cull, the director of the Public Diplomacy Program at the University of Southern California, thinks that these diplomatic projects would be more productive if they were not administered by the same agency that oversees the country’s foreign-policy agenda. And there is also clamor for Mr. Obama to appoint a secretary of culture in his cabinet. What good, they ask, is sending American culture abroad, when the country is not giving it proper attention at home
What is the position of cultural diplomacy in American politics

A:It has always been highly valued throughout history. B:It was a vital weapon in the second half of the 20th century. C:It was neglected for decades after once being successful. D:It was welcomed by American citizens during the war.

A laser beam can be turned into a______ (dead) weapon.

A laser beam can be turned into a （　） weapon.

A:dead B:deathly C:dying D:deadly

A laser beam can be turned into a ______ weapon.

A:dead B:deathly C:dying D:deadly

What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapon to change the course of asteroids

A:It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem. B:Further research should be done before it is proved to be capable. C:It may create more problems than it might solve. D:It is a waste of money because a violent coming course of asteroids with the earth is very. unlikely.

A laser beam can be turned into a ______ weapon.

A:dead B:deathly C:dying D:deadly

Passage 1

A:because the Japanese military had not surrendered B:because they wanted to kill more Japanese people C:because they wanted to show off the new weapon D:because the atomic bomb was the best weapon