Have you ever taken off a sweater and felt a surprising shock? That’s static electricity, the buildupof an electric charge. It occurs when two items rub againsteach other, and electrons are transferred from one thing or person to another. If an object has an excess of electrons, it becomes negatively charged. On the other hand, when something has a lack of electrons, it naturally becomes positively charged. Opposite charges attract, so when a negatively charged object comes into contact witha positively charged one, the electrons will flow from the negative object to the positive one until the charges are balanced.
When the human body carries an excessive positive charge, it ismore prone togeneratestatic electricity. This flow of electrons causes the spark or shock that you feel when you touch a metal object after walking across a carpeted floor with socks on, for example. What’s more, static electricity is more common in thewinter than in the summer. This is because the air is typically drier in the winter, and dry air doesn’t conduct electricity as well as moist air. Hence, it’s easier for static charges to accumulate on objects.
Although static electricity is usually harmless, it can beannoying and sometimes even painful. There are a few things you can do to minimizestatic electricity. One effective way involves using a humidifierto add moisture to the air, which increases the humidity in your home and helps prevent static electricity from building up. In addition, since dry skin can also contribute tostatic electricity, keeping your skin moisturized can also make the buildup of static charges less likely.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
(A) Static charges can occasionally cause discomfort.
(B) Preventing the skin from dryness can help reduce static electricity.
(C) If an item collects too many electrons, it results in a negative electric charge.
(D) There are no known methods to combat the phenomenon of static electricity.
2. Why does static electricity occur more in the winter?
(A) There is more rain in the winter.
(B) The air has a lower level of humidity.
(C) Cold objects don’t transfer electrons well.
(D) Opposite charges attract each other more easily.
3.Which of the following flows of particlesis correct about the occurrence of static electricity?
答案: 1.D 2.B 3.B
單字片語整理
Words in Use
●
static
[ˋstætɪk]
a. . 停滯不動的；靜電的
Gold prices have remained static for the past few
weeks.
過去幾週以來黃金的價格停滯不前。
Rubbing your feet on the floor can cause a build-up
of static electricity.
把腳放在地板上摩擦可以造成靜電增加。
高中 Level 6
●
charge
[tʃɑrdʒ]
vt. & vi. 收費；充電
vt. 控訴
n. 收費；控訴；負責
The company charged me NT$500 for fixing the television.
那家公司向我索取新臺幣 500 元的電視修理費。
Stores in this country all charge for plastic bags.
此國商店的塑膠袋都要收費。
Did you charge the battery for the digital camera?
數位相機的電池你充電了嗎？
Your cellphone went dead. You should let your battery charge.
你手機沒電了。你電池應該要充電了。
The police charged the man with robbery.
警方以強盜罪起訴該名男子。
The booklet is free of charge.
這本小冊子是免費的。
Luke was arrested on a charge of car theft.
路克因被控偷車罪而被捕。
Who takes charge of this department?
誰負責這個部門？
多益綠色
英檢初級
高中 Level 2
●
transfer
[trænsˋfɝ]
.vt. & vi. 調離；移轉
n. 調任
轉帳
三態
transfer / transferred / transferred
The CEO decided to transfer Neil to a Seattle-based law firm.
公司執行長決定要調任尼爾到總部設於西雅圖的律師事務所。
Can you transfer $1,000 into my account by Friday?
你能否在週五前把 1,000 美元匯到我的帳戶呢？
Sophie asked for a transfer to the company’s branch office in Europe.
蘇菲請調至歐洲的分公司。
The amount of $10,478 has been transferred to your company's account.
金額為 10,478 美元的款項已匯入貴公司帳戶。
高中 Level 4
●
excess
[ɪkˋsɛs]
n. . 過量
a. 過多的
=
surplus
Anexcess of vitamins can be harmful to your health. 過量的維他命可能對健康有害。
It is unwise to do a job that is in excess of one's ability.
做自己能力所不及的工作是不智的。
Roger loves drinking beer at his leisure, but he never does it to excess.
羅傑閒暇時喜歡喝啤酒，但他從不過度。
You can donate your excess food to the local food bank to help the homeless.
你可以把多餘的食物捐給當地的食物銀行，來幫助街友。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 6
●
generate
[ˋdʒɛnə͵ret]
vt. 產生（光、電、熱）；造成，引起
The dam generates electricity for the local community.
該座水壩發電供當地社區使用。
Tourism generates more income for the seaside resort.
旅遊業為濱海勝地帶來較多的收入。
多益藍色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
spark
[spɑrk]
n. 小火花
vt. 激發，引發
vi. 冒火花
During a gas leak, any small spark could cause an explosion.
瓦斯漏氣時，一點小火花都會引起爆炸。
Reading that famous writer’s novels can spark my imagination and creativity.
閱讀那位名作家的小說可激發我的想像力及創造力。
The movie sparked an interesting conversation.
這部電影引發了有趣的討論。
Dad was fixing the car when something suddenly started sparking.
老爸正在修車時，某個東西突然冒出火花。
高中 Level 4
●
conduct
[kənˋdʌkt]
vt. 處理；指揮（樂團）
Police have conducted an investigation into the case.
警方已就該案件進行調查。
The local orchestra was conducted by my piano teacher, Mr. Evans.
本地的管絃樂團是由我的鋼琴老師艾文斯先生擔任指揮。
多益金色
英檢中級
高中 Level 5
●
accumulate
[əˋkjumjə͵let]
vt. & vi. . 累積
Samuel quickly accumulated a large fortune by
investing in the stock market.
薩姆爾藉由投資股票市場而累積了一大筆財富。
A thick layer of dust accumulated on my desk
because I hadn’t cleaned it for a year.
一層厚厚的灰塵積在我桌上，因為我已一年沒清理過桌子
了。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 6
●
minimize
[ˋmɪnə͵maɪz]
vt. 使降到最低 ; 輕描淡寫
The medicine the doctor gave you should minimize your pain.
醫生給你的藥應該可以將你的疼痛降至最低。
Tom tends to minimize his health problems because he doesn’t want others to worry about or feel sorry for him.
湯姆往往對他的健康問題輕描淡寫，因為他不想讓別人替他 擔心或難過。
多益金色
英檢中高
高中 Level 5
●
humidity
[hjuˋmɪdətɪ]
n. 溼氣，溼度
=
moisture
I hate summer because of the humidity.
我討厭夏天，因為溼氣太重。
