2015年综合类和理工类职称英语考试新增文章

第三篇 Across the Deserts

The Sahara Desert is the largest desert in the world. It stretches across Africa from Senegal to Egypt. The Sahara Desert is an unfriendly environment. During the day it's very hot, and at night it’s sometimes very cold. It is also difficult to find water in the Sahara.

In 2006, Kevin Lin, Ray Zahab, and Charlie Engle decided to do something very difficult. They made the decision to run across the Sahara Desert 4,300 miles (6,920km). It seemed impossible to do, but they wanted to try. The three men liked to test themselves, and this would be a very big test.

On the morning of November 2, Kevin, Ray, and Charlie started their trip across the Sahara. Every morning they began running at 5:00. At11 a.m. they stopped and rested until 5 p.m. Then they ran again until 9:30 in the evening. Each day they ran about 40 miles (64 km). Every day it was the same thing. They got up and ran. They listened to music on their iPods, and they ran and ran.

Kevin, Ray, and Charlie needed to eat a lot of food during their trip. Most people need about 2,000 calories of food each day. Kevin, Ray, and Charlie needed between 6,000 and 9,000 calories every day. That's a lot of food! They also needed to drink a lot of water.

The three men had some problems on their trip, and many times they wanted to quit and go home. It was often very hot (140°F/60°C) during the day, and the heat made them sick. Their legs and feet hurt. Sometimes it was very windy, and they couldn't see. One time they got lost. But they didn't quit. After 111 days, Kevin,

Ray; and Charlie successfully finished their trip across the Sahara Desert. They hugged each other and put their hands in the water of the Red Sea. Then they ran to a hotel to take a long shower.

词汇：

stretch v. 延伸，伸展

calorie n. 卡(路里)，小卡，大卡

quit v. 停止，放

注释：

1. ... made the decision to run across ...：......决正跑步横跨......

练习：

1. It’s not always hot m the Sahara Desert.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

2. Each day the men ran for approximately eight hours.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

3. In the middle of the day: the men usually stopped running.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

4. They sometimes felt sick because it was so hot.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

5. Sometimes they couldn't see the road because it was windy.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

6. Luckily, they never got lost.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

7. On their trip across the desert: the three men ran through five countries.

A. Right B. Wrong C. mentioned

答案与题解：

1. A 文中提到撒哈拉沙漠白天很热晚上有时很冷，所以不是总是很热。题干表述正确。

2. B 文中提到三人每天从早上5点开始跑一直到上午11点，又从下午5点开始跑到晚上9点半，所以总共跑10.5个小时。题干表述不正确。

3. A 文中讲到三人上午11点停下来休息一直到下午5点再继续跑，所以在一天的中午，他们停止跑步。题干表述正确。

4. A 原文中讲到高温使他们生病。所以题干表述正确。

5. A 文中提到有时刮起大风导致他们什么也看不到，所以他们会因为起风而看不到路。题干表述正确。

6. B 文中最后一段讲到他们有一次迷路了，所以不是从来没有迷路。题干表述不正确。

7. C 文中只提到他们挎越沙漠的长度，并没有提到穿过几个国家。所以，题干表述文

中没有提到。第六篇 Native American Pottery

There are several American Indian groups in the Southwest that still make beautiful pottery. Someof this pottery may be sold at fairly high prices. But the makers consider their work as more than a commercial enterprise. By using methods handed downfor generations, the potters express their pride in their cultural inheritance.

Some of the most interesting pottery is made by the Pueblo Indians. There are 21 individual pueblos in Arizona and New Mexico. Several are famous for their craftsmanship.To make a pot, these potters use a clay base and add long thin coils of clay toit in a spiral pattern. When they have reached the size they want, they use an implement such as a rock or shell to smooth the surfaces of the pot.

How a pot is decorated and fired depends on the traditions of the group making it. Traditional pottery produced by the Acoma, who have lived for centuries on a high mesa in NewMexico, is first painted with a clay slip. The resulting pots: which are prizedfor their delicacy and strength, may be left white. They may also be painted with black and white patterns or with a combination of black, orange, and brown.

Very distinctive black pottery comes from the San Ildefonso and Santa Clara pueblos. The black coloris the result of carbon being released from the animal manure in which the potis fired. Some artisans hand –rub this ware to a shiny gloss. Others cut patterns into it: resulting in a part shiny: part fiat surface. Potters at SailIldefonso make many types of wares. Potters at Santa Clara are especially known for wedding jars-jars with two necks connected by a handle.

Other groups such as the Hopi and the Cochiti also make pottery. Each group uses distinctive methods and produces distinctive forms and designs.

词汇：

pottery n. 陶器

distinctive adj. 特别的，有特色的

enterprise n. 事业，产业，实业

inheritance n. 遗产

manure n. 肥料，粪肥

craftsmanship n. 手艺

artisan n. 精美，精致

注释：

1.... handed down for generations? ??世代相传??

2.?hand-rub this ware to a shiny gloss? ??亲手揉搓罐子表面，使它光泽平滑??

练习：

1.In the first paragraph the word “commercial” means_________.

A.having to do with advertising products on TV

B.having to do with advertising products on TV

C.large- scale

D.artistic

2.The second paragraph in the passage is developed mainly through_________.

A.steps in a process

B.description of objects

C.the telling of a story

D.examples

3.The Sail Ildefonso pueblo is known for_________.

A.black pottery

B.wedding jars

C.thin and delicate shapes

D.black, brown, and orange pots

4.Traditional methods of making pottery_________.

A.are rarely used anymore

B.take a lot of time

C.are not of interest to pottery collectors

D.will soon be complete replaced

5.Another good title for this passage would be_________.

A.How to Make a Pot

B.Living on a High Mesa

C.The Indians of Arizona and New Mexico

D.An Old Art Still Practiced

答案与题解：

1. B 前文提到一些陶器会以高价卖出，可以推测commercial在这里的意思是买卖交易。所以，答案是选项B。

2. A 第二段主要讲制作一个罐子的步骤，不是在对罐子的形态进行描述，也没有讲具体的例子或者故事。所以，答案是选项A。

3. A 第四段第一句话提到具有特色的黑色陶器是有圣伊尔德丰索部落的普韦布洛人制作的，最后一句提到圣克拉拉部落的陶器尤其以他的婚礼罐子闻名，选项C、D与题干无关，所以答案是选项A。

4. B 根据文中制作的陶器的过程可以推测出制作陶器的过程很复杂因而费时，选项A、C、D文中均有提及，故可排除。

5. D 本文主要介绍了美国本土一些印第安部落的陶器特点及制作过程。选项A过于片面，选项B、C 与文章主旨无关，因此答案是选项D。

第三篇 The Value of Tears

Tears can ruin make-up, bring conversation to a stop, and give you a runny nose. They can leave you embarrassed and without energy. However,crying is a fact of life?and tears are veryuseful. (1)These create a film over the eye's surface. This film contains a substance that protects your eyes against infection.

Tears relieve stress,but we tend to fight them for all sortsof reasons. \worry about showing their emotions. They’re afraid that once they lose control, they’ll never get it back,”explains psychologist Dorothy Rowe. (2) As adults we still fear the consequences of showing emotions.”

Almost any emotion—good or bad, happy or sad—can cause tears. Crying is a way that we release built-up emotions. Tears help you when you feel you are ready to explode because of very strong feelings. (3)

When some people become very stressed, however, they can’t cry. They may be feeling shock,anger, fear, or grief, but they repress the emotion. “Everyone has the need to cry,” says psychotherapist Vera Diamond. Sometimes in therapy sessions, patients participate in crying exercise (4) Diamond says it’s best to cry in safe, private places,like under the bed coversor in the car. That’s because many people get uncomfortable when others cry in front of them. In fact,they may be repressing their own need to cry.

In certain situations, such as at work, tears are not appropriate. (5) “But once you are safely behind closed doors, don't just cry,” Diamond says, she suggests that you act out the whole situation again and be as noisy and angry as you like. It will help you feel better. “And,” she adds, “once your tears have released thestress, you can begin to think of logical way to deal with the problem.”

Tears are a sign of our ability to feel. You should never be afraid to cry.

词汇：

make-up n. 化妆(品)

psychotherapist n. 心理治疗师

runny nose 流鼻涕

infection n. 感染，传染

release v. 释放

built up 组合的，拼合的

注释：

1. ?create a film over the eye’s surface ：??在眼睛的表面形成一层薄膜。

2. ?get it back?：??恢复??

3. ?act out the wholesituation again?： ??整个场景重现??

练习：

A It may explain why people who areafraid tocry often suffer more heart attacksthan people cry more freely.

B It’s good to hold backtears during a tense business discussion.

C Crying has good effects on the body.

D Even when you're not crying, your eyes producetears.

E They practice crying so that they can get used toexpressing emotion.

F As children we were sometimes punished for shedding tears or expressing anger.

答案与题解：

1. D 此空的上一句讲到眼泪很有用，后一句讲到眼泪的具体用处，并且句首是these，所以所填的这句应该有眼泪，根据上下文只有选项D最适合。选项C与前一句话意思重复。

2. F 下文提到作为成人，我们仍然害怕流泪，所填的这句应该讲我们还是孩子时对流泪的恐惧。所以，答案是选项F。

3. A 上文讲到哭能够帮助我们发泄心中的强烈情感，所以经常哭的人会比不常哭的人获得某种益处，根据上下文，只有选项A比较贴切。

4. E 上文提到患者要练习哭，这里应该讲练习哭的原因。所以，答案是选项E。

5. B 上一句提到在某些场合哭是不合适的，所以此处也应该具体解释不适合哭的场景，答案是选 第二十四篇 The Romance of Arthur

Most cultures have some sort of hero whorepresents the best values of what its people believe in. The unusual thingabout King Arthur is that legends of his heroism have persisted for severalcenturies and spread far beyond England, the place where they began.

The earliest stories of King Arthur represent himas a warrior who fought and subdued the invading Norsemen in the years aroundA. D. 700. This much of the Arthurian tale is probably based on fact. Whethercalled Arthur or not, there is a body of

evidence supporting the existence ofsuch a warrior. It is the later embellishments of the tale whose authenticityis questionable. According to these, Arthur was born in a castle in Tintagel onthe stormy western coast of England and because he was the illegitimate son ofKing Uther Pendragon, he was spirited away by the magician Merlin and his trueidentity kept from him. He became king after freeing the sword Excalibur fromthe stone into which it was thrust. He married the beautiful Guinevere andassembled in his court all the noblest knights of the land, including Lancelot,with whom Guinevere would later be unfaithful to him. He was finally defeatedin battle by his illegitimate son Mordred, and his body was spirited away tothe isle of A Valon.

This romantic tale greatly appealed to the Englishand the French in the Middle Ages, when the code of chivalry-ideal qualities ofknighthood-constituted an important part of many stories. Tales of the heroismof Galahad, Percival, Gawain, and many other of Arthur's knights werecirculated as well.

In England today, there are many sites claiming apiece of the Arthurian an legend. There is a mined castle at Tintagel. NearGlastonbury are the remains of an ancient abbey where Arthur’s and Guinevere'sbodies were supposedly exhumed in the 12th century. Neither of these provesthat the legend is true, but they do keep its mystique alive.

词汇：

Arthurn.亚瑟(中世纪传奇故事中的不列颠国王，圆桌骑士团的首领)

authenticityn.可靠性，真实性

spiritv.偷偷地带走;拐走;绑架

warriorn. 战士，勇士

chivalryn. 骑士

subduev. 制服，慑服

embellishmentn. 美化，修饰

mystiquen. 神秘气氛

注释：

1. This much of theArthurian tale??：许多这类亚瑟王的故事

2. ...was spirited awayby ??被偷偷地带走??

练习：

1. King Arthur’s famer was ______

A. Lancelot

B. Avalon

C. Mordred

D. Uther Pendragon

2. The writer seems to feel that the truth aboutArthur is that he ______.

A. existed

B. was married to Guinevere

C. had many knights

D. was born at Tintagael

3. The information in the second paragraph ismostly presented in ______.

A. spatial order

B. order from latest to earliest

C. order from earliest to latest

D. order from least persuasive

4. In the last paragraph the word “exhumed” means_____

A. dug up from the grave

B. buried

C. quarreled over

D. built a church around

5. Another good title for this passage would be ______

A. Kings in the Seventh Century

B. The Knights of the Round Table

C. Real or Legend?

D. Arthur’s Marriage to Guinevere.

项B。

第九篇 Style, Not Fashion

Style goes way beyondfashion: It is the distinctive way we put ourselves together. It is a uniqueblend of spirit and substance-personal identity imposed oil and created throughthe world of things. _____ (1) It is what people really want when they aspireto be fashionable. (if they aren't just adorningthemselvesin status symbols).

Through clothes, wereinvent ourselves every time we get dressed. Our wardrobe is our visual vocabulary. Style is ourdistinctive pattern of speech, our individual poetry.

Fashion is the least of it.Style is, for starters, one part identity: self-awareness and self-knowledge._____ (2) And style requires security-feeling at home in your body, physically andmentally. Of course, like all knowledge, self-knowledge must be updated as yougrow evolve; style takes ongoing self-assessment.

Style is also one partpersonality: spirit: verve, attitude, wit, inventiveness. It demands the desireand confidence to express whatever mood one wishes. Such variability is notonly necessary but a reflection of a person's unique complexity as a humanbeing. _____ (3) In order to work, style must reflect the real self, thecharacter and personality of the individual; anything less appears to be

acostume?

Lastly, style is one partfashion. It's possible to have lots of clothes and not an ounce of style. Butit’s also possible to have very few clothes and lots of style. Yes, fashion isthe means through which we express style, but it takes fewer clothes to bestylish than you might imagine.

Whatever else it is, styleis optimism made visible. Style presumes that you are a person of interest:that the world is a place of interest that life is worth making the effort for.It also shows that you are morally responsible. It shows that you don't buythings at the whim of the marketplace or the urging of marketers. _____ (4) Styleexposes people's ambivalence over good looks. It always demonstrates that appearancesdo count. Deep down we suspect this, since we ourselves make judgments aboutothers from how they look.

No one should be penalizedfor not having style, of course, but those who have it are distinctive and thusmore memorable. _____ (5) They announce to the world that they are in commandof themselves.

词汇：

adorn v.装饰，使更美观

wardrobe n. (个人的)全部服装

suspect v.怀疑，猜想

wit n.风趣，说话风趣的人

blend v.混在一起，混合

ambivalence n.矛盾心理，矛盾心态

注释：

1.aspire to be fashionable:渴望赶上时尚潮流

2.an ounce of style: 一丁点的风格

3.atthe whim of:心血来潮(突发奇想)

练习：

A It is a way of capturing something vibrant,making a statement about ourselves in clothes.

B Fashion is part of sty1e.

C Rather, you focus on what is personallysuitable and expressive.

D You can’t have style until you have a senseof who you are.

E They create a unique identity for themselvesand express it through grooming and a few well-chosen clothes.

F People want to be themselves and to be seenas themselves.

答案与题解：

A 第一段都在解释什么是风格，六个选项中A、B、D三项都涉及风格，根据文章内容和句式的排比可以看出答案是选项A。

D 本段的主旨句是第二句话，本句是对主旨句的阐释，讲风格与自我认知的关系。只有选项D符合。

F 本段的主旨句是第一句话，全段在解释风格与个性的关系。所以，只有选项F符合。

C 前一句在讲有风格的人不是心血来潮，可以推测此处应该讲有风格的人应该是如何的。只有选项C的句意与其对照，且符合整个段意。所以，正确答案是选项C。

E 前一句讲有风格的人是独特的，因此也更容易被人记住，选项E在解释他们是通过什么方式做到这一点的。所以，选项E符合本段段意。

第十二篇 Men Smell of Cheese and Women of Onions

Little girls may be made of sugar and all things nice, but their armpits smell of onions. ______ (1) That’s the conclusion of research in Switzerland that involved taking armpit sweat samples from 24 men and 25 women after he had spent time in a sauna or ridden an exercise bike for 15 minute.

______ (2) “Men smell of cheese, and women of grapefruit or onion,” says Christian Starkenmann of Firmenich, a company in Geneva that researches flavours and perfumes for food and cosmetics companies.

The team found that the women's armpit sweat constrained relatively high levels of an odourless sulphur-containning compound – 5 milligrams per milliliter of sweat versus 0.5 milligrams in men.

When the researchers mixed this compound in the lab with bacteria commonly found in the armpit, the bugs turned it into a thiol - a previously discovered odour from armpits that is akin to onion.

“The more sulphur precursor we added, the more intense was the malodour,” says Starkenmann, whose team’s results appear in Chemical Senses. ______ (3)

The men, meanwhile, had relatively high levels of an odourless fatty acid which turned into a cheesy odour when exposed to the same types of bacteria. The balance of oniony to cheesy precursors in women’s sweat made it smell worse than men’s as rated by independent smell assessors.

______ (4) “We could make inhibitors that neutralise the precursors, or block the bacterial enzymes that do the conversion,” says Starkenmann.

Some researchers are sceptical that gender is the main deciding factor, arguing that the patterns found in Swiss volunteers might not apply to other populations with different diets and genetic background. ______ (5)

词汇：

armpit n. 腋(部)

malodour n.难闻的气味，恶臭

grapefruit n.葡萄柚

neutralize v.中和，抵消

sulphur n.硫

enzyme n.酶

thiol n.硫醇

注释：

1. smell of onions：.....闻起来像洋葱

2. ... is akin to onion：......近似于洋葱

练习：

A Bacterial enzymes turn the otherwise odourless precursor into the malodour.

B And while free of slug or snail odours, men’s armpits pack a powerful cheesy whiff.

C Most cases of skin odor is associated with break down of the compounds found in sweat by bacteria that live on the skin.

D Nest; the team hope to develop new ingredients for deodorants that fight the smells.

E The researchers found marked differences in the sweat from men and women.

F “Other factors include what you eat. what you wash with, what you weat and what genes you inherit,” says Tim Jacob of Cardiff University in the UK.

答案与题解：

1. B 前一句讲女孩的腋下气味，后一句解释说这是一项研究成果，所以为了完整性，此处应该讲男性腋下的气味是怎么样的。所以，正确答案是选项B。

2. E 上一段结尾处介绍了这个研究的基本情况，本段又具体讲了一下试验结果，所以此处句首所填的句子应该起到承上启下的作用，并且是本段的中心句。只有选项E概括了本

段的主要内容。

3. A 前一句提到加入越多的硫前体，恶臭味就越浓烈，由此可以推测出后面应该讲到恶臭味出现的原因。所以，正确答案是选项A。

4. D 根据本段第二句话可以判断出，这句应该讲研究团队接下来要怎么做。所以，正确答案是选项D。

5. F 本段第一句话在讲其他研究者怀疑有其他因素的影响，可以推测本句会进一步阐释其他因素。所以，正确答案是选项F。

理工类：

第九篇 An Essential Scientific Process

All life on the earth depends upon green plants. Using sunlight, the plants produce their own food. Then animals feed upon the plants. They take in the nutrients the plants have made and stored. But that’s not all. Sunlight also helps a plant produce oxygen. Some of the oxygen is used by the plant, but a plant usually produces more oxygen than it uses. The excess oxygen is necessary for animals and other organisms to live.

The process of changing light into food and oxygen is called photosynthesis. Besides light energy from the sun, plants also use water and carbon dioxide. The water gets to the plant through its roots. The carbon dioxide enters the leaves through tiny openings called stomata. The carbon dioxide travels to chloroplasts, special cells in the bodies of green plants. This is where photosynthesis takes place. Chloroplasts contain the chlorophylls that give plants their green color. The

chlorophylls are the molecules that trap light energy. The trapped light energy changes water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and a simple sugar called glucose.

Carbon dioxide and oxygen move into and out of the stomata. Water vapor also moves out of the stomata. More than 90 percent of water a plant takes in through its roots escapes through the stomata. During the daytime, the stomata of most plants are open. This allows carbon dioxide to enter the leaves for photosynthesis. As night falls, carbon dioxide is not needed. The stomata of most plants close. Water loss stops.

If photosynthesis ceased, there would be little food or other organic matter on the earth. Most organisms would disappear. The earth’s atmosphere would no longer contain oxygen. Photosynthesis is essential for life on our planet.

词汇：

nutrient n.营养物

organism n.生物体，有机体

carbon dioxide n.二氧化碳

chloroplast n.叶绿体

molecule n.分子

vapor n.水蒸气

oxygen n.氧气

photosynthesis n.光合作用

chlorophyll n.叶绿素

glucose n.葡萄糖

cease v.停止

注释：

1.Then animals feed upon the plants.动物以植物为食。

练习：

1.In the first paragraph，the word “excess” means

A heavy.

B extra.

C green.

D liquid.

2.Which of the following does not move through a plant’s stomata?

A Carbon dioxide.

B Water vapor.

C Oxygen.

D Food.

3.In the title, the term Essential Scientific Process refers to

A photosynthesis.

B the formation of glucose.

C global warming.

D water getting to the roots of plants.

4.This passage is primarily developed by

A explaining a process.

B telling a story.

C comparing and contrasting.

D convincing the reader of plants’ importance.

5.Another good title for this passage would be

A Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.

B Plants and Their Roots.

C How Photosynthesis Works.

D Why Our Earth Needs Water.

答案与题解：

1.B 前文讲到，植物产生的氧气一部分被植物自身消耗了，但植物消耗的氧气量远小

于它们产生的氧气，因此可以推测这句话的意思应该是剩余的氧气对于动物以及其他生物体的生存是至关重要的。excess在句中的意思是“超额的”，与extra“额外的”意思相近。

2.D 从第三段的第一、二句得知，二氧化碳、氧气和水蒸气都能从气孔中通过，唯一一个没有提到的是food“养分、食物”，因此该题选D项。

3.A 文章通篇都在讲Photosynthesis，即光合作頌钠作用和重要性，文章结尾又重申了Photosynthesis is essential for life on our planet，因此选A项。B项是光合作用的一个部分，C、D项则毫不相干。

4.A 文章先是介绍了进行光合作用所需的原料和组织，又介绍了光合作用的过程，因此整个逻辑应该是解释过程，而不是讲故事或比较对比。D项是“向读者说明植物的重要性”，这确实是文章的一个目的，但不是文章的组织方式。

5.C 文章的主题是光合作用的基本原理，因此选项C。A、B项在文中有提及，但不是主旨，D项与本文无关。

第五篇 A Record-Breaking Rover

NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity has boldly gone where no rover has gone before—at least in terms of distance. ____1____

On July 27, after years of moving about on Martian ground, the golf-cart-sized Opportunity had driven more than 24 miles, beating the previous record holder—a Soviet rover sent to the moon in 1973.

“This is so remarkable considering Opportunity was intended to drive about 1 kilometer and was never designed for distance,” says John Callas, the Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager.

____2____ “But what is really importantly is not how many miles the rover has racked up, but how much exploration and discovery we have accomplished over that distance.”

OPPORTUNITY

The solar-powered Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit, landed on Mars 10 years ago on a mission expected to last 3 months. ____3____

Spirit stopped communicating with Earth in March 2010, a few months after it got stuck in a sand pit. But Opportunity has continued to collect and analyze Martian soil and rocks.

During its mission, Opportunity has captured, and sent back to Earth, some 187,000 panoramic and microscopic images of Mars with its cameras. ____4____

MARATHON ROVER

The rover doesn’t seem to be ready to stop just yet. If Opportunity can continue on, it will reach another major investigation site when its odometer hits 26.2 miles. ____5____

Researchers believe that clay minerals exposed near Marathon Valley could hold clues to Mars’s ancient environment1. Opportunity’s continuing travels will also help researchers as they plan for an eventual human mission to the Red Planet.

词汇：

Mars rover n. 火星车

panoramic adj. 全景的

odometer n. 里程计

rack up v. 积累

microscopic adj. 微观的

注释：

1.could hold clues to Mars’s ancient environment：含有与火星早期环境有关的线索。

练习：

A It has also provided scientists with data on the planet’s atmosphere, soil, rocks, and terrain.

B He works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

C Scientists call this site Marathon Valley, because when the rover reaches the area, it will have traveled the same distance as the length of a marathon since its arrival on Mars.

D Opportunity has been working on Mars since January 2004.

E The objective of the rovers was to help scientists learn more about the planet and to search for signs of life，such as the possible presence of water.

F Since arriving on the Red Planet in 2004, Opportunity has traveled 25.01 miles, more than any other wheeled vehicle has on another world.

答案与题解：

1.F 前文讲“机遇号”在距离上比之前的任何漫游车行进的距离都长，因此接下来应该讨论关于行进距离的问题。

2.B 前文引入了一个新人物John Callas，而后文是他说的一些话，因此这里应该填写的内容是对这个人的进一步介绍。

3.E 前文讲了同时被送入太空的两台漫游车“机遇号”和“勇气号”，因此下文应该对它们的情况进行介绍，而关于发射目的的介绍在这里是合适的。

4.A 前文讲到“机遇号”给地面传回了许多照片，而选项A中讲到它还给地面传回了许多其他信息，在这里是一致的。

5.C 前文讲漫游车在行进到26.2英里的时候会到达一个地点，而后文提到了马拉松谷这个地方 第二十二篇 Real World Robots

When you think of a robot, do you envision a shiny, metallic device having the same general shape as a human being, performing humanlike functions, and responding to your questions in a monotone voice accentuated by high-pitched tones and beeps? This is the way many of us imagine a robot, but in the real world, a robot is not humanoid at all. Instead a robot often is a voiceless, box-shaped machine that efficiently carries out repetitive or dangerous functions usually performed by humans. Today’s robot is more than an automatic machine that performs one task again and again. A modern robot is programmed with varying degrees of artificial intelligence—that is, a robot contains a computer program that tells it how to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, drawing conclusions, and learning from past experience.

A robot does not possess a human shape for the simple reason that a two-legged robot has great difficulty remaining balanced. A robot does, however, move from place to place on wheels and axles that roll and rotate. A robot even has limbs that swivel and move in combination with joints and motors. To find its way in its surroundings1, a robot utilizes various built-in sensors. Antennae attached to the robot’s base detect anything they bump into. If the robot starts to teeter as it moves on an incline, a gyroscope or a pendulum inside it senses the vertical differential. To determine its distance from an object and how quickly it will reach the object，the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path2. These and other sensors constantly feed information to the computer, which then analyzes the information and corrects or adjusts the robot’s actions. As science and technology advance, the robot too will progress in its functions and use of artificial-intelligence programs.

词汇：

envision v. 想象，预想

device n. 装置

accentuate v. 强调，重读

artificial intelligence n. 人工智能

limb n. 臂

antennae n. 天线

incline v. 倾斜

pendulum n. 钟摆

ultrasonic adj. 超声的

metallic adj. 金属的

monotone n. 单调的

humanoid adj. 像人的

axle n. 轮轴

rotate v. 旋转

swivel n. 旋转

teeter v. 摇晃

gyroscope n. 陀螺仪，回转仪

vertical n. 直立的

注释：

1.To find its way in its surroundings...：为了在周围找到路??

2.the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path：机器人发射激光束和超声波，反射到障碍物上(以此来探知路径)。

练习：

1.Another good title for this passage would be

A Robots: Taking the Place of Humans.

B Artificial Intelligence Programs.

C Today’s Robots and How They Function.

D Modern-Day Sensors.

2.Artificial intelligence is

A the unnatural way in which robots move.

B a voiceless, box-shaped machine that performs repetitive tasks.

C sensors such as antennae and a gyroscope.

D a computer program that imitates human intellectual processes.

3.The last paragraph suggests that future robots will be

A more humanlike in behavior and actions.

B more like automatic machines.

C better able to move on inclines.

D better equipped with laser light sensors.

4.The writer begins the passage by comparing

A the shape of a human being with a box.

B a modem robot with a fictional robot.

C an imaginary machine with a human.

D a computer program with artificial intelligence.

5.The word humanoid means

A lacking human characteristics.

B anything having the appearance of a humanoid.

C being void or vacant.

D having a human form or characteristics.

答案与题解：

1.C 从文中得知，文章主要介绍了机器人和它们的运行方式，因此选择C选项。

2.D Artificial是“人工”的意思，intelligence是“智能”的意思。另外从文中得知，机器人使用artificial intelligence能够进行与人类类似的推理分析等活动，因此可知它是一种类似人类智能的计算机程序。

3.A 最后一段讲机器人的发展方向是更加智能，能够自己判断并修正行为，而不仅仅是完成重复性的工作。

4.B 文章开头的时候作者让读者描述他们脑海中的机器人概念，并随后介绍了实际的机器人是怎样的，因此选择B选项。

5.D 从humanoid的词根human可看出这个词是形容与人类有关的特征。另外根据文章

对这个词的描述可以得出这个词是表示和人类类似的特征，不管是外形上，还是行为方式上。

，因此这里应该是关于这个地点的介绍。

第九篇 Lightening Strikes

Three years ago a bolt of lightning all but destroyed Lyn Miller’s house in Aberdeen—with her two children inside. “There was a huge rainstorm,” she says, recalling the terrifying experience. “My brother and I were outside desperately working to stop floodwater from coming in the house. Suddenly I was thrown to the ground by an enormous bang. ____1____ The door was blocked by rubble, but we forced our way in and found the children, thankfully unharmed. Later I was told to be struck by lightning is a chance in a million.” In fact, it’s calculated at one chance in 600,000. Even so, Dr Mark Keys of AER Technology, an organisation that monitors the effects of lightning, thinks you should be sensible. “I wouldn’t go out in a storm—but then I’m quite a careful person.” He advises anyone who is unlucky enough to be caught in a storm to get down on the ground and curl up into a ball, making yourself as small as possible.

Lightning is one of nature’s most awesome displays of sheer power. ____2____ 250 years ago, Benjamin Franklin, the American scientist and statesman，proved that lightning is a form of electricity, but scientists still lack a complete understanding of how it works.

____3____ Positive electrical charges streaming upwards from trees or church spires may glow and make a buzzing noise, and people’s hair can stand on end. And if you fear lightning, you’ll be glad to know that a company in America has

manufactured a hand-held lightning detector which can detect it up to 70 kms away, sound a warning tone and monitor the storm’s approach.

Nancy Wilder was playing golf at a club in Surrey when she was hit by a bolt of lightning. Mrs Wilder’s heart stopped beating, but she was resuscitated and, after a few days in hospital, where she was treated for bums to her head, hands and feet, she was pronounced fit again. Since that time，she has been a strictly fair weather golfer1. ____4____ The best place to be is inside a car!

The largest number of people to be struck by lightning at one time was in September 1995 when 17 players on a football pitch were hit simultaneously. The most extraordinary aspect of the strike was the fact that 11 of the victims—seven adults and four children—had burn patterns of tiny holes at 3 centimetre intervals on each toe and around the soles of their feet.

Harold Deal, a retired electrician from South Carolina, USA, was struck by lightning 26 years ago. He was apparently unhurt, but it later emerged that the strike had damaged the part of the brain which controls the sensation of temperature. ____5____

Animals are victims of lightning too2.Hundreds of cows and sheep are killed every year, largely because they go under trees. In East Anglia in 1918, 504 sheep were killed instantaneously by the same bolt of lightning that hit the ground and travelled through the entire flock. Lightning is also responsible for starting more than 10,000 forest fires each year world-wide.

词汇：

bolt n. (闪电)道

sheer adj. 绝对的

resuscitate v. 使复苏

flock n. 群

rubble n. 碎石

spire n. 尖顶，尖塔

instantaneously adv. 即刻，突如其来地

注释：

1.she has been a strictly fair weather golfer：她变成了一个只在晴朗天气才打高尔夫的人。

2.Animals are victims of lightning too：动物也会受到雷击的伤害。

练习：

A No wonder the ancient Greeks thought it was Zeus, father of the gods, throwing thunderbolts around in anger.

B In fact, a golf course is one of the most dangerous places to be during a thunderstorm.

C Lightning has long been hailed as one of the most impressive displays of nature’s power.

D When I picked myself up, the roof and the entire upper storey of the house had been demolished.

E Occasionally there are warning signs.

F Since then the freezing South Carolina winters haven’t bothered Harold, since he is completely unable to feel the cold.

答案与题解：

1.D 前文讲到“我”被爆炸击中，因此后文要讲被击昏然后醒来之后的事，D项符合。

2.A 前文讲闪电是大自然绝对力量最可怕的展现方式之一，而宙斯在古希腊是力量的化身，古希腊人认为雷电产生的原因是宙斯发怒并投掷闪电。

3.E 后文讲到闪电来临之前的一些征兆，还讲到有一种产品可以预告闪电。此处要填的是该段的主题句，即闪电到来之前会有一些征兆。

4.B 前面讲到在高尔夫球场上被雷击的一个事例，后文讲闪电来临之时最安全的地方是汽车里，因此要填的句子应该是讲在高尔夫球场不安全。

5.F 前文讲Harold因为雷击丧失了感受温度的能力，F选项中关于他再也不怕冬天的寒冷的描述符 第十三篇 Affectionate Androids

Computers are now powerful enough to allow the age of humanoid robots to dawn1. And it won’t be long before we will see realistic cyber companions, complete with skin, dexterity, and intelligence.They will be programmed to tend to your every need.

Will we ever want to marry robots? Artificial intelligence researcher David Levy has published a book claiming human-robot relationships will become popular in the

next few decades. ____1____

Will humans really be able to form deep emotional attachments to machines? It will, in fact, be relatively easy to form these strong attachments because the human mind loves to anthropomorphize: to give human attributes to other creatures—even objects.

For example, researchers in San Diego recently put a small humanoid robot in with a toddler playgroup for several months. ____2____The children ended up treating it as a fellow toddler. When it lay down because its batteries were flat，the kids even covered it with a blanket.

In a few decades, when humanoid robots with plastic skin look and feel very real, will people want to form relationships with them? What if the bots could hold a conversation? And be programmed to bethe perfect companions—soul mates, even? ____3____ And like those toddlers inthe experiment, they will be very accepting of them.

The next question, then, is whether there is anything wrong with having an emotional relationship with a machine. Even today there are people who form deep attachments to their pets and use them as substitutes for friends or even children. Few consider that unethical.

____4____ For those who always seem to end upmarrying the wrong man or woman, a robotic Mr. or Ms. Right could be mighty tempting. As the father of artificial intelligence, Marvin Minsky, put it when asked about the ethics of lonely older people forming close relationships with robots: “If a robot had all the virtues

of a person and was smarter and more understanding, why would the elderly bother talking to other grumpy old people?”

A robot could be programmed to be as dumb or smart, as independent or subservient, as an owner desired. And that’s the big disadvantage. Having the perfect robot partner will damage the ability to form equally deep human-human relationships. People will always seem imperfect incomparison. When you’re behaving badly, a good friend will tell you. ____5____

People in relationships have to learn to adapt toeach other: to enjoy their common interests and to deal with their differences.It makes us richer, stronger, and wiser. A robot companion will be perfect at the start. However, there will be nothing to move the relationship to grow to greater heights.

词汇：

affectionate adj. 深情的

dexterityn. 灵巧，敏捷

anthropomorphize v. 赋于人性，人格化

grumpy adj. 脾气暴躁的

cyber adj. 计算机的

tendv. 照料

bot n. 机器人

subservient adj. 屈从的，奉承的

注释：

1.Computers are now powerful enough to allow the age of humanoid robots to dawn：计算机技术已经足够成熟，能够支持人形机器人的诞生和普及，进入人形机器人的时代。

练习：

A.It’s easier to have a robot companion instead of a human friend.

B.But a sophisticated robot will probably be even more attractive.

C.And if you want to go ahead and tie the knot with your special electronic friend，Levy saidthat such marriages will be socially acceptable by around 2050.

D.However, few owners will program their robots to point out their flaws.

E.Maybe your generation could resist, but eventually there will be a generation of people who grow up with humanoid robots as a normal part of life.

F.The bot knew each child because it was programmed with face and voice recognition，and it giggled when tickled.

答案与题解：

1.C 前文讲到David在书中认为人与机器人的关系在几十年后将变得普遍，因此接下来应该继续讲这种普遍性是怎样的。

2.F 前文讲在圣地亚哥的一个实验，研究人员将机器人放在儿童游乐园里，要填的句子应该是介绍这个机器人。

3.E 前文提了几个问题，是关于我们对人与机器人关系的看法，而后文讲“他们”会乐于接受，因此要填的句子应该是两类人的对比。E项讲我们这一代人可能会反对，但下一代人就不一定了，符合意思。

4.B 前文讲有人和宠物发展深厚关系，后面讲的是与机器人发展深厚关系的吸引人之处，因此这里应该讲机器人做伴侣的好处。

5.D 前文讲好朋友会在你犯错的时候指出来，这里应该是表示对比——机器人不会这么做。

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