普通高中课外英语阅读材料

　　在安静的高中教室里头，有人阅读英语课外资料，有人则复习语文写作，而有的则是拼命地在做高中数学题目，你们呢?在做什么呢?今天为大家奉上，时间难得普通高中课外英语阅读，何不深入了解一下让自己的收获更多呢?

　　普通高中课外英语阅读(一)

　　Expanding memory

　　COMPUTER companies keep competing to build smaller devices (装置). They are finding new ways to put data (数据) into less space on a memory chip (内存芯片).

　　Computers have been made smaller to fit on to the desktop, smaller again to fit on our laps and again to fit into our shirt pockets (口袋).

　　Now, Stuart S. P. Parkin, an IBM researcher, is looking into a new idea in an IBM lab. If it proves successful, electronic devices could hold 10 to 100 times the data in the same amount of space.

　　That means the iPod that today can hold up to 200 hours of video could store every single TV program broadcast (播放) during a week on 120 channels.

　　Parkin thinks he is close to a breakthrough. This could increase the amount of data stored on a chip.

　　At present the flash drives (闪存卡) business is growing quickly. They are used in digital cameras, cellphones and PCs. Flash drives with multiple (多个) memory chips store up to 64 gigabytes (十亿字节) of data. A single chip is expected to reach about 50 gigabytes in the next five years.

　　However, flash memory has a problem. Although it can read data quickly, it is very slow at storing it. That has led the industry on a hunt for new storage technologies.

　　Scientists say Parkin's new computer memory, called "racetrack memory (赛道内存)", could begin to replace flash memory in three to five years.

　　普通高中课外英语阅读(二)

　　Rocky path to success

　　HE only finished fourth in this year's Super Boy talent show. But it didn't stop him capturing (俘获) the hearts of thousands of fans. He can hit high notes with ease. And he is very modest.

　　Jason Zhang (张杰), 25, shed sweat and tears all the way through the competition, but he never gave up.

　　"No matter how life treats him, he always fights back bravely," said Wu Chunyan, a Senior 2 student in Hubei. "He has never lost his dream of being a singer."

　　The road to fame is always rocky, and Zhang is no exception. As a college student he was majoring in tourism. He was considering becoming a tourist guide (导游) after graduation until he entered a singing competition.

　　His life changed after he competed in My Show. He won first place and signed with a record company. "I was very excited and regarded it as a way to take me closer to my dream," he said.

　　But the company gave him little money to make music and slowly began to ignore him. Zhang even borrowed money to buy costumes. "Life has its ups and downs. But the tough (艰难的) reality only makes me stronger," he said.

　　He forgot he was once a champion of a talent show and joined Super Boy. His decision got support from his family who worked hard to make ends meet. His mother sold rice noodles (米线) on a street in his hometown, but she said she would "support him forever."

　　"I have the dream to buy a large house for my parents, where my mom can get a large window sill (窗台) to grow flowers," said Zhang.