'Efficiency is the by-product of comfort,' says Dr. Erwin Tichauer of New York University. To prove this statement, Dr. Tichauer uses his inventive genius to find easier ways to do things. For example, he felt that the traditional kind of pliers needed a better design. The usual design limited hand motion and used unnecessary force because it twisted the wrist. So he designed a pair of pliers that do not bend the wrist.
    Dr. Tichauer uses electronic machines to measure the amount of muscular energy a worker uses, the number of movements he makes, and the amount of heat in his body tissues. One instrument, the myograph, connected to a muscle by a wire, measures the intensity and velocity of an activity. In this way it shows how difficult a job is. The myograph(肌力记录仪)also discovers the dangerous features of a tool before it can hurt someone.
    To make work easier, Dr. Tichauer examines and tests the efficiency of old tools. He asks such questions as: Why must a stepladder have four legs when three are more stable? Why must a screwdriver have a straight handle? After he has tested his theories, he invents a new tool that causes less muscle strain and is more efficient. Some of his inventions are seen on these pages.
    Tichauer is not interested in getting rich from his inventions. In fact he says, 'We encourage people to steal from us. At New York University we do not patent knowledge or invention.' Commercial companies have adopted some of his inventions.
    As a biochemist, as well as inventor, Dr. Tichauer studies the effect of stress on areas of the body. Even easy physical work may put heavy stress on one small area of the body and in time cause a serious disease. Thus his studies of workers in factories who use the same tool all day long are extremely valuable in learning about the vulnerability of the human body. Dr. Tichauer knows that he cannot redesign the body so be redesigns the tool!
单选题     Which of the following would be the best title for the passage? ______
 
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 主旨大意题。文章第一段开始就提到：效率是追求舒适的副产品。整篇文章讲述的就是纽约大学的Dr. Tichauer为了验证这一点所展开的一些研究及其发现。一、二、三段讲的就是Dr. Tichauer的一些具体研究对象。通过这些研究证实了文章开头提出的观点。第四段是Dr. Tichauer对待自己发明的看法。第五段是他从人体的角度看待发明工具这件事。综合考虑，只有D项概括最为准确。
单选题     One instrument, the myograph measures the intensity and ______.
 
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】 细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句“One instrument, the myograph, connected to a muscle by a wire, measures the intensity and velocity of an activity”可以知道，myograph(肌力记录仪)是用来测量一项活动的强度和速度。因此答案选择A项(一项活动的实际速度)。
单选题     Which of the following is true? ______
 
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 细节判断题。根据文章第三段的第一句“To make work easier, Dr. Tichauer examines and tests the efficiency of old tools”可以知道，Dr. Tichauer检查并测试了旧工具的效率，即传统工具的效率，因此D项正确。A、B项原文没有提到。根据第三段可知，Dr. Tichauer并没有制造四角活梯，只是对其进行了改造，C项说法错误。
单选题     A biochemist is an expert in scientific study ______.
 
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】 细节解释题。根据文中最后一段第一句“As a biochemist, as well as inventor, Dr. Tichauer studies the effect of stress on areas of the body”可知：Dr. Tichauer是一个生物化学家，他研究的是身体不同部位受到压力的影响。由此可以推断一个生物化学家就是研究生物体的化学反应的。因此答案为C。文中并没有提到植物，因此其它选项可排除。
单选题     We may infer that ______.
 
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】 细节推断题。根据文中第四段第一句话“Tichauer is not interested in getting rich from his inventions”可知，Dr. Tichauer对发明的经济利益不感兴趣，因此B项正确，A项错误。根据原文第四段第三句话“At New York University we do not patent knowledge or invention”可知，Dr. Tichauer并没有取得发明专利，因此C项错误。根据原文第四段最后一句“Commercial companies have adopted some of his inventions”可知，有商业公司采用了Dr. Tichauer的部分发明，但并没有提到有付给他薪水，因此D项错误。