2012职称英语第四部分阅读理解

2012职称英语第四部分阅读理解

阅读下面的短文。每篇短文的后面有 5个问题，每个问题有 4个备选答案。请根据短文的内容选择正确的答案。 第一篇 Ford Abandons Electric Vehicles

The Ford motor company?s abandonment of electric cars effectively signals the end of the road for the technology, analysts say.

General Motors and Hondaceased production of battery-powered cars in 1999, to focus on fuel cell and hybrid electric gasoline engines, which are more attractive to the consumer. Ford has now announced it will do the same.

Three years ago, the company introduced the Think City two-seater car and a golf cart called the THINK or Think Neighhor. It hoped to sell 5,000 cars each year and 10,000 carts. But a lack of demand means only about 1,000 of the cars have been produced, and less than 1,700 carts have been sold so far in 2002.

“The bottom line is we don?t believe that this is the future of environment transport for the mass market,” Tim Holmes of Ford Europe said on Friday. “We feel we have given electric our best shot.” The Think City has a range of only about 53 miles and up to a six-hour battery recharge time. General Motors? EVI electric vehicle also had a limited range, of about 100 miles.

The very expensive batteries also mean electric cars cost much more than petrol-powered alternatives. An electric Toyota RAV4 EV vehicle costs over $42,000 in the US, compared with just $17,000 for the petrol version. Toyota and Nissan are now the only major auto manufacturers to produce electric vehicles.

“There is a feeling that battery electric has been given its chance. Ford now has to move on with its hybrid program, and that is what we will be judging them on,” Roger Higman, a senior transport campaigner at UK Friends of the Earth, told the Environment News Service.

Hybrid cars introduced by Toyota and Honda in the past few years have sold well. Hybrid engines offer greater mileage than petrol-only engines, and the batteries recharge themselves. Ford says it thinks such vehicles will help it meet planned new guidelines on vehicle emissions in the US.

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However t it is not yet clear exactly what those guidelines will permit. In June, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler won a court injunction, delaying by two years Californian legislation requiring car-makers to offer 100,000 zero-emission and other low-emission vehicles in the state by 2003. Car manufacturers hope the legislation will be rewritten to allow for more low-emission, rather than zero-emission, vehicles. 词汇: hybrid / 5haibrid/n.杂种，混合物 adj.杂种 injunction / in5dVQNkFEn/n.命令；指令mileage / 5maIlIdV/n.英里数，英里里程 注释: 1. The Ford motor company:福特汽车公司。 Henry Ford (1863--1947)美国汽车制造商，他改进了以汽油为燃料的汽车，成立了福特汽车公司 (1903年)，并大量生产昀早的大众负担得起且广泛使用的 T型车。 2. General Motors:美国通用汽车公司 3. Honda:日本本田汽车公司

4. fuel cell:燃料电池，一种化学电池。

5. hybrid electric gasoline engines:电池和内燃机混杂使用的发动机，使用这种发动机的汽车被称为 : Hybrid electric vehicles，或 HEVs。

6. ? the company introduced the Think City two-seater car and a golf cart called the THINK, or Think Neighbor:福特汽车公司计划在公司内开发一种全新的品牌，建立了 Think Group.该研究机构分为两部分 : Think Mobility和 Think Technologies。Think Mobility开发 the Think City (一种电动汽车 )，Think Neighbor (一种高尔夫车 )，以及 Think Bike (一种电动自行车 )。Think Technologies开发燃料电池技术。

7. The bottom line is:在此的意思是“ the main or essential point”，即“关键之处是，实质问题是”。

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8. shot: an attempt, a try (尝试)。 9. Toyota:日本丰田汽车公司 10. Nissan:日本日产汽车公司

11. hybrid program:指上文提到的电池和内燃机混杂使用的新型汽车开发项目。 12. guideline:指导方针，规定 13. vehicle emissions:车辆排放物

14. Daintier Chrysler:戴姆勒克莱斯勒汽车公司。德国戴姆勒·奔驰公司集团与克莱斯勒汽车公司合并。练习:

1. What have the Ford motor company, General Motor’s and Honda done concerning electric cars? A They have started to produce electric cars. B They have done extensive research on electric cars. C They have given up producing electric cars. D They have produced thousands of electric cars.

2. According to Tim Holmes of Ford Europe, battery-powered cars A will be the main transportation vehicles in the future. B will not be the main transportation vehicles in the future. C will be good to the environment in the future. D will replace petrol-powered vehicles in the future.

3. Which auto manufacturers are still producing electric vehicles? A Toyota and Nissan. B General Motor’s and Honda. C Ford and Toyota. D Honda and Toyata.

4. According to the eighth paragraph, hybrid cars A offer fewer mileage than petrol driven cars. B run faster than petrol driven cars. C run more miles than petrol driven cars. D offer more batteries than petrol driven cars. 5. Which of the following is true about the hope of car manufacturers according to the last paragraph? A Low-emission cars should be banned.

B Only zero-emission cars are allowed to run on motorways.

C The legislation will encourage car makers to produce more electric cars. D The legislation will allow more low-emission to be produced.

答案与题解 :

1. C 第一段第一个句子告诉我们福特汽车公司放弃了电动汽年，第二段说通运汽年公司和本田汽车公司停止生产电动汽车。

2. B 第四段第一个句子是 Tim Holmes对电动汽车未来的评价，他认为未来的交通运输的大众市场不可能是电动汽车。

3. A 答案的依据是第六段昀后一句。 4. C答案的依据是倒数第二段第二句。

5. D 答案的依据是文意的昀后一句 : the legislation will be rewritten to allow for more lowemission. rather than zero-emission, vehicles。

第二篇 World Crude Oil Production May Peak

a Decade Earlier Than Some Predict

In a finding that may speed efforts to conserve oil, scientists in Kuwait predict that world conventional crude oil production will peak in 2014. This prediction is almost a decade earlier than some other predictions．Their study is in ACS’ Energy＆Fuels1．

Ibrahim Nashawi and colleagues point out that rapid growth in global oil consumption has sparked a growing interest in predicting \．\developed several models to forecast this point, and some put the date at 2020 or later. One of the most famous forecast models is called the Hubbert model2. It assumes that global oil production will follow a bell shaped curve3. A related concept is that4 of \Oil.\The term \Oil\indicates the moment in which world wide production Will peak, afterwards to start on irreversible decline．

The Hubbert model accurately predicted that oil production would peak in the United States in 1970. The model has since gained in popularity and has been used to forecast oil production worldwide．

However, recent studies show that the model is insufficient to account for5 more complex oil production cycles of

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some countries．Those cycles can be heavily influenced by technology changes, politics, and other factors, the scientists say.

The new study describes development of a new version of the Hubbert model that provides a more realistic and accurate oil production forecast．Using the new model, the scientists evaluated the oil production trends of 47 major oil-producing countries, which supply most of the world’s conventional crude oil6． They estimated that worldwide conventional crude oil production will peak in 2014, years earlier than anticipated. The scientists also showed that the world's oil reserves7 are

being reduced at a rate of 2.1 percent a year. The new model could help inform energy-related decisions and public policy debate, they suggest.

词汇：

Conserve v． 保护，保存 crude oil原油

spark v．闪耀；激发；鼓舞 curve n．曲线

irreversible adj．不可逆的，不可改变的 insufficient adj.充分的，不足的

注释：

1．ACS' Energy & Fuels：ACS是American Chemical Society(美国化学学会)的缩写。该学会成立于l876年，现已成为世界最大的科技协会。多年来，ACS一直致力于为全球化学研究机构、企业及个人提供高品质的文献资讯及服务。ACS出版的期刊有34种，这些期刊在化学领域中是被引用次数最多的化学期刊，Energy＆Fuels即是其中一本。 2．the Hubbert model：赫伯特模型是美国地质学家M．King Hubbert于1956年创建的，这是一个随时间增长的模型，Hubbert将其引入油气田开发，经推导使其成为一个可以预测油气田累积产量、瞬时产量、年产量和可采储量等多项开发指标的多功能预测模型。 3．a bell shaped curve：钟形曲线

4．that of peak oil：that指代concept。 5．account for：说明，解释

6．conventional crude oil：常规原油

7．oil reserves：石油储量。通常使用复数形式reserves。

练习：

1．Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word \A．flashed B．stimulated C．changed D．ended

2．The term \A．take the shape of a flat curve．

B．keep growing． C．keep declining．

D．start to decline after global oil production peaks． 3．Which of the following is NOT true of the Hubbert model?

A．It successfully predicted that oil production peaked in the U．S．in l 970． B．It has been used to predict oil production in many countries．

C．It is insufficient to explain oil production cycles in some countries． D．It provides a very realistic and accurate oil production．

4．What is the major achievement of the new study mentioned in the last paragraph? A．It predicts global oil production will peak in 2014． B．It predicts oil production will decline in 47 countries． C．It confirms further the effectiveness of the Hubbert model． D．It discovers a new trend of Worldwide oil production． 5．Who develop the new version of the Hubbert model?

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A．American scientists． B．Kuwaiti scientists． C．British scientists．

D．Scientists of 47 major oil-producing countries．

答案与题解：

1．B spark一词做及物动词使用时有\发动\、\激发\的意思，在此意为stimulated，即\引发\，这个句子的意思是：全球石油消费的快速增长已引发了对\石油峰值\预测的兴趣。

2．D此句接下来的句子中所提到的a related concept即是与a bell shaped curve相关的概念，也就是说，接下来的这个句子对a bell shaped curve做了解释，即世界石油生产达到最大峰值后将下降。

3．D 文章的第三段告诉我们，Hubbert预测模型精确地预测到美国石油生产于1970年将达到峰值。这一模型自受到公认后，已用于预测世界石油生产。第四段说，这一模型对于某些国家更加复杂的石油生产周期而言，其计算尚不充分。这些生产周期受到技术的改变、政策和其他因素的很大影响。所以，A、B和C都是对Hubbert模型的正确说明。

4．A选项8、C和D所述内容均未在文章中提到。最后一段告诉我们，科学家使用新的模型评估了47个主要的产油国家的石油生产趋势，并预计全球常规原油生产到2014年将达最高峰值。所以，A是答案。 5．B 短文第一段的第一个句子提供了答案。

第三篇 Citizen Scientists (C级)

Understanding how nature responds to climate change will require monitoring key life cycle event — flowering, the appearance of leaves, the first frog calls of the spring — all around the world. But ecologists can?t be everywhere so they?re turning to non-scientists, sometimes called citizen scientists, for help.

Climate scientists are not present everywhere. Because there are so many places in the world and not enough scientists to observe all of them, they?re asking for your help in observing signs of climate change across the world. The citizen scientist movement encourages ordinary people to observe a very specific research interest — birds, trees,

flowers budding, etc. — and send their observations to a giant database to be observed by professional scientists. This helps a small number of scientists track a large amount of data that they would never be able to gather on their own. Much like citizen journalists helping large publications cover a hyper-local beat, citizen scientists are ready for the conditions where they live. All that?s needed to become one is a few minutes each day or each week to gather data and send it in. A group of scientists and educators launched an organization last year called the National Phenology Network. “Phenology”is what scientists call the study of the timing of events in nature.

One of the group?s first efforts relies on scientists and non-scientists alike to collect data about plant flowering and leafing every year. The program, called Project BudBurst, collects life cycle data on a variety of common plants from across the United States. People participating in the project — which is open to everyone — record their observations on the Project BudBurst website.

“People don’t have to be plant experts they just have to look around and see what’s in their neighborhood,” says Jennifer Schwartz, an education consultant with the project. “As we collect this data, we’ll be able to make an estimate of how plants and communities of plants and animals will respond as the climate changes.” 词汇： frog n. 蛙 neighbor(u)rhood n.近邻；邻近地区 Ecologist n. 生态学家 database n.数据库

Phenology n. 物候学 professional adj.专业的，职业的； n. 职业选手，专业人员 bud v.发芽，萌芽； n.芽，花蕾 注释:

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1. life cycle:生命周期，即生物发展过程的系列变化。

2. hyper-local beat: beat在此做名词用，意思是 :某类新闻报道，如， a business beat; 商业专题报道。这是近年来出现的新词。 Hyper-local beat即 hyper-local news指的是被传统新闻报道方式所忽略的小型社区或居民居住区里发生的相关信息报道。在美国由此而诞生了 hyper-local news website，专门对主流媒体所没有覆盖的地区所发生的事件进行报道，其形式多以网民，即短文中所提及的 citizen journalists，上传所在社区发生的事件报道、照片或视频为主。这是网络时代产生的又一新生事物。 3. data是复数形式，但常用做单数，所以这里的代词是 it。另参见昀后一段“ As we collect this data，?”。这里的 data也用作单数。

4. phenology:物候学或生物气候学，是气候学和生态学的边缘学科，主要研究气候环境对生物的影响。 5. communities:生态学词汇 :生物群落，记载比较相似的环境条件下在特定自然区域或环境中生活和互相影响的一群植物和动物。

练习：

1. Ecologists turn to non-scientist citizens for help because they need them A) to provide their personal life cycles. B) to observe the life cycle of plants. C) to collect data of the life cycle of living things. D) to teach children knowledge about climate change.

2. What are citizen scientists asked to do? A) To develop a specific research interest and become professional scientists. B) To send their research observations to a professional database. C) To increase their knowledge about climate change. D) To keep a record of their research observations.

3. In “All that’s needed to become one ? (paragraph2)”, what does the word “one” stands for? A) a citizen journalist. B) a citizen scientist. C) a scientist. D) a citizen.

4. What is NOT true of Project BudBurst? A) Only experts can participate in it. B) Everybody can participate in it. C) It collects life cycle data on a variety of common plants. D) It has its own website.

5. What is the final purpose of Project BudBurst? A) To study when plants will have their first buds. B) To find out the types of plants in the neighborhood. C) To collect life cycle data on a variety of common plants from across the United States. D) To investigate how plants and animals will respond as the climate changes.

答案与题解：

1. C第一段和第二段的第一句告诉我们，要在世界范围内观察气候对大自然中生物生命周期的影响，数量有限的科学家不可能足迹遍及天下，为此科学家求助于普通公民的参与。所以 C是正确选择。

2. B第二段第三句中 encourage ordinary people to observe?的主语是 The citizen scientist movement，即公民参与科学观察的运动。所以 D不是正确选择。 A和 C不符合文章的句意，因此也不是正确的选择。这个句子的大意是：这一运动鼓励普通公民根据自己的兴趣爱好进行科学观察，并将观察结果送交数据库，让专门领域的科学家做进一步的观察。 B正确表达了这个意思。 3. B one在这里是一个代词，其前置词是 citizen scientists，而不是 citizen journalists，这里的 one指的是 one of citizen scientists。所以 A、C和 D 都不是正确选择。这个句子的意思是，只要每天或每星期花上几分钟收集数据并发送出去，就能成为一个公民科学家。

4. A文章昀后一段说，这个计划向所有人开放 (open to everyone)，所以应选择 A。B、C、D所述内容都在该段中提到。

5. D C表述的内容是 Project Budburst所要做的工作，但其昀终的目的不仅仅是收集数据，而是研究气候变化对生物生命周期的影响。因此， D才是正确答案。 第四篇 Motoring Technology

1.2 million road deaths worldwide occur each year, plus a further 50 million injuries. To reduce car crash rate, much research now is focused on safety and new fuels. — though some electric vehicle and biofuel research aims at going faster. Travelling at speed has always been risky. One cutting edge area of research in motoring safety is the use of digital in-car assistants. They can ensure you don?t miss crucial road signs or fall asleep. The use of artificial intelligence software allows these assistants to monitor your driving and makes sure your phone or radio doesn?t distract you at a vital moment. Most

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crashes result from human and not mechanical faults.

Some safety developments aim to improve your vision. Radar can spotobstacles in fog, while other technology “sees through” high-sided vehicles blocking your view. And improvements to seat belts, pedal controls and tyres are making driving smoother and safer. The colour of a car has been found to be linked with safety, as have, less surprisingly, size and shape.

And alternatives to fossil-fuel based petrol, such as plant oils, are a hot area of research. Fuel cells based on hydrogen burn cleanly, and are the subject of a serious research effort.

But whatever is in the fuel tank, you don?t want a thief in the driving seat and there have been many innovations, some using satellite tracking and remote communications, to fight against car theft. These communication systems can also come into play if you crash, automatically calling for help.

Accidents cause many traffic jams, but there are more subtle interplays between vehicles that can cause jams even on a clear but busy road. Such jams can be analysed using statistical tools. Robotic drivers could be programmed to make traffic flow smoothly and will perhaps one day be everyone?s personal chauffeur, but their latest efforts suggest that won?t be soon. 词汇: distract /dis5trAkt/v.使??分心，使??分散注意力 pedal /5pedl/n.制动踏板 hydrogen /5haidrEudVEn/n.氢 interplay /5intE(:)5plei/n.相互影响；相互作用 radar /5reidE/n.雷达 fossil-fuel n.矿物燃料 innovation /7inEu5veiFEn/n. 革新，创新 chauffeur /5FEufE/n.（受雇于私人的）汽车司机注释：

1. biofuel:生物燃料。 bio(-)用于名词或形容词前，表示“使命”或“生物”。 2. cutting edge area: 昀先进的领域。 edge: an advantage（优势） 3. in-car assistants:车内辅助设施 4. spot:在此作动词用，意思是 :看见。

5. high-sided:高大的；其反义词为 low-sided:矮小的。 6. blocking your view:挡住你的视线

7. The colour of a car has been found to be linked with safety, as have, less surprisingly, size and shape:人们发现车的颜色与安全有关，令人不会感到惊讶的是，车的大小和形状也与安全有关。 as have, less surprisingly, size and shape可以理解为 as, less surprisingly, size and shape have been linked with safety。 8. fossil fuel:指煤、石油、天然气等矿物燃料。 9. fuel cell:燃料电池

10.satellite tracking and remote communications:卫星跟踪和远程通讯 11. come into play:起作用 练习:

1. What are researchers interested in doing as the road accidents worldwide increase to a shocking rate? A They are

developing faster electric vehicles. B They are analyzing road deaths occurring worldwide every year. C They focus their research on safety and new fuels. D They are designing fully automatic cars.

2. According to the second paragraph, most road accidents happen A because drivers fall asleep. B because drivers make mistakes. C because of engine failure. D because of speeding.

3. Which of the safety developments is NOT mentioned in the passage? A Radars that can help drivers to see obstacles in fog. B Devices that can help drivers to see through big vehicles. C Improvements in seat belts, pedal controls and tyres. D Windscreens that can help drivers to improve their vision.

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4. What is NOT the purpose of innovations that use satellite tracking and remote communications? A To prevent car thieves from getting into your car. B To call for help when one?s car crashes. C To call for help when the car gets jammed in the traffic. D To track the car down when it is being stolen.

5. What is true of robotic drivers? A It will take some time before robotic drivers can be put to practical use. B Robotic

drivers are not allowed to drive on busy roads. C Robotic drivers can never replace human drivers. D Robotic drivers are too expensive to use.

答案与题解 :

1. C 文章第一段的意思是 :在世界范围内，每年发生 120万起交通死亡事故，加上 5000万起伤残事故，因此，正在进行的许多研究的重点是安全问题和新燃料问题，尽管一些电动车和生物燃料的研究旨在达到更快的速度。所以， C是正确选项。

2. B 第二段昀后一句说，大多数汽车撞车事故是人为原因造成的，而不是机械故障的原因。所以 C是错误选项；A和 D中的 fall asleep和 speeding是人为原因，但只是部分人为因素，不能概全。

3. D文章中没有提到 windscreens (汽车挡风玻璃 )，所以 D是正确选项。其他几项均在文中提到。

4. C 根据第六段内容，使用卫星跟踪和遥控通讯方面的革新，其目的是防盗 (A和 D)和发生事故时求援（ B）。 C的内容在文中没有被提到，所以是正确选项。

5. A文章昀后一段说，为机器人司机编制程序后，它们就能使交通变得通畅，也许今后某一天，大家都拥有机器人司机，但是，这一天的到来还有待时日。 B、C、D的内容在文中均没有提到； A句说，要实际使用机器人司机还需时日，这显然与末段昀后一句表达的意思相吻合。 第五篇 Late-Night Drinking

Coffee lovers beware. Having a quick “pick-me-up” cup of coffee late in the day will play havoc with your sleep. As well as being a stimulant, caffeine interrupts the flow of melatonin, the brain hormone that sends people into a sleep. Melatonin levels normally start to rise about two hours before bedtime. Levels then peak between 2 am and 4 am, before falling again. “It?s the neurohormone that controls our sleep and tells our body when to sleep and when to wake,” says Maurice Ohayon of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center at Stanford University in California. But researchers in Israel have found that caffcinated coffee halves the body?s levels of this sleep hormone. Lotan Shilo and a team at the Sapir Medical Center in Tel Aviv University found that six volunteers slept less well after a cup of caffeinated coffee than after drinking the same amount of decal. On average, subjects slept 336 minutes per night after drinking caffeinated coffee, compared with 415 minutes after decal. They also took half an hour to drop off— twice as long as usual — and jigged aroundin bed twice as much.

In the second phase of the experiment, the researchers woke the volunteers every three hours and asked them to give a urine sample, Shilo measured concentrations of a breakdown product of melatonin. The results suggest that melatonin

concentrations in caffeine drinkers were half those in decaf drinkers. In a paper accepted for publication in Sleep Medicine, the researchers suggest that caffeine blocks production of the enzyme that drives melatonin production.

Because it can take many hours to eliminate caffeine from the body, Ohayon recommends that coffee lovers switch to decaf after lunch. 词汇:

beware /bi5wZE/v.当心:小心 enzyme /5enzaIm/n.酶 caffeinated adj.含咖啡因的；加入咖啡因的 caffeine /5kAfi:n/n.咖啡因 stimulant /5stimjulEnt/n.兴奋剂 melatonin /7melE5tEunin/n.退黑激素 halve /hB:v/v.二等分；减半 hormone /5hC:mEun/n.荷尔蒙，激素 decaf n.脱咖啡因咖啡 neurohormone /njuErEu5hC:mEun/n. 神经激素urine /5juErin/n.尿 注释:

1. have a quick “pick-me-up” cup of coffee:喝一杯快速提神的咖啡。 pick-me-up意为“提神饮料”，这里用作定语。 2. play havoc with:干扰；??造成严重破坏。例如 : The noise of engines can play terrible havoc with a driver’s nerves.

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发动机的嘈杂噪声能严重扰乱驾驶员的神经。

3. Levels then peak between 2 am and 4 am, before falling again:褪黑激素的浓度在凌晨 2点和 4点之间达到昀高值，然后再次下降。 before在此处可以译为“然后”。

4. drop off:睡着。例如 : He dropped off in the armchair.他在扶手椅上睡着了。

5. jig around:辗转反侧。 jig意为“急动，蹦蹦跳跳”。例如: Stop jigging about, Billy, and just stand still for a moment.别到处乱蹦，比利，稳稳地站一会儿。

6. suggest:在这里不作“建议”解，它的意思是“间接地表明 ;暗示”。例如 : I’m not suggesting that the accident was your fault.我并不是说那事故是你的错。练习:

1. The author mentions “pick-me-up” to indicate that A melatonin levels need to be raised. B neurohormone can wake us up. C coffee is a stimulant. D decaf is a caffeinated coffee.

2. Which of the following tells us how caffeine affects sleep? A Caffeine blocks production of the enzyme that stops melatonin production. B Caffeine interrupts the flow of the hormone that prevents people from sleeping. C Caffeine halves the body’s levels of sleep hormone. D Caffeine stays in the body for many hours.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly discuss? A Different effects of caffeinated coffee and decaf on sleep. B Different findings of Lotan Shilo and a team about caffeine. C The fact that the subjects slept 415 minutes per night after drinking decaf. D The proof that the subjects took half an hour to fall asleep.

4. What does the experiment mentioned in paragraph 4 prove? A There are more enzymes in decaf drinkers’ urine sample. B There are more melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers’ urine sample. C Decaf drinkers produce less melatonin. D Caffeine drinkers produce less sleep hormone.

5. The author of this passage probably agrees that A coffee lovers sleep less than those who do not drink coffee. B we should not drink coffee after supper. C people sleep more soundly at midnight than at 3 am. D if we feel sleepy at night, we should go to bed immediately.

答案与题解 :

1. C pick-me-up指提神饮料，也就是一种剌激物，在这篇文章里具体指咖啡。所以，答案应选 C。 2. C 第二段的第三个句子谈到，“控制我们睡眠的是神经激素”，而这一段的昀后一个句子也告诉我们“含咖啡因咖啡能使这种睡眠激素减半”。这正是咖啡因影响睡眠的原理。

3. A第三段涉及的是一个实验，这个实验的目的是测试含咖啡因咖啡和脱咖啡因咖啡对睡眠的影响，该段主要谈论的是这个实验的结果。

4. D 第四段是第三段实验的继续，是该实验的第二个阶段。研究人员通过对志愿者尿样进行化验发现，咖啡因摄入者体内的褪黑激素仅为非咖啡因摄入者的一半。褪黑激素就是睡眠激素，所以，答案应该选 D。

5. B 文章的结尾谈到， “Ohayon建议爱喝咖啡的人午饭后应该换喝脱咖啡因咖啡”。另外，整个文章都在探讨咖啡因影响睡眠的机理，所以，作者大概会同意“晚饭后不应该喝咖啡”的说法。选项 A是一个全称判断，这等于说“所有喜欢喝咖啡的人都比不喝咖啡的人睡觉少”。这不一定，因为如果咖啡适量，喝咖啡的时间适当，咖啡不会影响睡眠。所以，作者可能不会同意这种说法。根据文章第二段第二个句子，选项 C是错的。根据文章第二段的第一个句子，我们体内褪黑激素 (睡眠激素 )的浓度在我们上床时间前两个小时开始上升，而这个时候我们会开始有困意。反过来说就是，人们并非一有困意就睡觉。所以，选项 D不是答案。

第六篇

第六篇 Making Light of1 Sleep

All we have a clock located inside our brains. Similar to your bedside alarm clock， your internal clock2 runs on a 24-hour cycle. This cycle，called a circadian rhythm，helps control when you wake，when you eat and when you sleep.

Somewhere around puberty，something happens in the timing of the biological clock. The

clock pushes forward，so adolescents and teenagers are unable to fall asleep as early as they used to. When your mother tells you it's time for bed，your body may be pushing you to stay up3 for several hours more. And the light coming from your computer screen or TV could be pushing you to stay up even later.

This shift4 is natural for teenagers. But staying up very late and sleeping late can get your body's clock out of sync

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with the cycle of light and dark5. It can also make it hard to get out of bed in the morning and may bring other problems，too. Teenagers are put in a kind of a gray cloud6 when they don't get enough sleep，says Mary Carskadon，a sleep researcher at Brown University in Providence，RI7 .It affects their mood and their ability to think and learn.

But just like your alarm clock，your internal clock can be reset. In fact，it automatically resets itself every day. How? By using the light it gets through your eyes.

Scientists have known for a long time that the light of day and the dark of night play important roles in setting our internal clocks. For years，researchers thought that the signals that synchronize the body's clock8 were handled through the same pathways that we use to see.

But recent discoveries show that the human eye has two separate light-sensing systems. One system allows us to see. The second system tells our body whether it's day or night.

词汇：

circadian/s3:'keidi?n/ adj. 昼夜节奏的，生理节奏的 adolescent/?d?u'les?nt/ n．青少年；adj．青少年的 puberty/ 'pju:b?ti/ n．发育；青春期

sync/si?k/ n. （口语）同步；和谐，协调 synchronize/'si?kr?naiz / V.（使）同时发生；（使）同步

注释：

1.make light of ：轻视，不在乎。例如： We should not make light of their achievements．我们不应当低估他们的成就。

2. your internal clock ：指的是第一句中的a clock located inside our brains ，也即是第二段第一句中的the biological clock （生物钟）。

3. stay up：不睡觉，熬夜

4. This shift：这种调整。指上文所描述的由于生理时间的变化青少年上床时间越来越晚的现 象。

5. get your body's clock out of sync with the cycle of light and dark ：打乱了你的生物钟与昼夜时间循环之间的平衡 6. gray cloud ：提不起精神的状态

7. Brown University in Providence， RI：位于美国罗得岛州普罗维登斯的布朗大学。RI是Rhode Island（罗得岛）的首字母缩写；Providence 是罗得岛州的首府。布朗大学是美国一流大学，

创建于1764 年，是世界闻名的美国“常春藤联盟”（还包括哈佛大学、耶鲁大学、普林斯顿大学、布朗大学、哥伦比亚大学、宾夕法尼亚大学、达特茅斯大学和康奈尔大学）中的一员。 8. the signals that synchronize the body's clock：平衡生物钟的光信号

练习：

1 .The clock located inside our brains is similar to our bedside alarm clock because A it controls when we wake，when we eat and when we sleep. B it has a cycle of 24 hours.

C it is a cycle also called circadian rhythm. D it can alarm any time during 24 hours. 2. What is implied in the second paragraph?

A Young children's biological clock has the same rhythm with that of the teenagers.

B People after puberty begin to go to bed earlier due to the change of the biological clock. C Children before puberty tend to fall asleep earlier at night than adolescents.

D Teenagers go to bed later than they used to due to the light from the computer screen. 3. In the third paragraph the author wants to tell the reader that A it is natural for teenagers to stay up late and get up late.

B staying up late has a bad effect on teenagers' ability to think and learn.

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C during puberty most teenagers experience a kind of gray cloud. D it is hard for teenagers to get out of bed in the morning.

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the fourth and fifth paragraphs? A Our biological clock resets itself automatically.

B light gets through our eyes and resets our biological clock.

C Our internal clock as well as the alarm clock can be reset automatically. D Our internal clock，like the alarm clock，can be reset.

5. According to the last two paragraphs， what did the previous researchers think about the human eye's light-sensing system?

A The human eye had two light-sensing systems. B The human eye had one light-sensing system.

C The human eye could sense the light of day more quickly than the dark of night. D The human eye could reset our internal clocks in accordance with the alarm clocks.

答案与题解：

1.B 第一段第二句提供了答案。句中的your internal clock 即指a clock located inside our Brains。

2. C 第二段主要内容是告诉读者，过了青春期（puberty），由于生物钟节奏的变化，青少年（adolescents and teenagers）比以前要晚睡几小时。所以C是该段所隐含的内容。 3. B 第三段的最后一句直接给出了答案。

4. C 根据第四和第五段的内容，闹钟和生物钟都可以重新设定时间，但生物钟能通过眼睛接

受的日光来自动调节生理节奏。所以A、B和D都是这两段中所述内容，C是正确选择，因为闹钟不能自动重新设定时间。

5.B 问题使用的是过去时，问的是研究者在最新发现（recent discoveries）之前对眼睛感光系统的认识，即，the signals that synchronize the body's clock were handled through the same

pathways that we use to see （眼睛所接受到的平衡生物钟的光信号同样作用于人类的视觉系 统），也就是说，研究者之前认为人类的眼睛只有一个感光系统。但最新发现却是，人的眼睛有两个感光系统。

第七篇 Sugar Power for Cell Phones

Using enzymes commonly found in living cells, a new type of fuel cell produces small amounts of electricity from sugar. If the technology is able to succeed in mass production, you may some day share your sweet drinks with your cell phone. In fuel cells, chemical reactions generate electrical currents. The process usually relies on precious metals, such as platinum. In living cells, enzymes perform a similar job, breaking down sugars to obtain electrons and produce energy.

When researchers previously used enzymes in fuel cells, they had trouble keeping them active, says Shelley D. Minteer of St Louis University. Whereas biological cells continually produce fresh enzymes, there?s no mechanism in fuel cells to replace enzymes as they quickly degrade.

Minteer and Tarnara Klotzbach, also of St Louis University, have now developed polymers that wrap around an enzyme and preserve it in a microscopic pocket. “We tailor these pockets to provide the ideal microenvironment for the enzyme, Minteer says. The polymers keep the enzyme active for months instead of days.

In the new fuel cell, tiny polymer bags of enzyme are embedded in a membrane that coats one of the electrodes. When glucose from a sugary liquid gets into a pocket, the enzyme oxidizes it, releasing electrons and protons. The electrons cross the membrane and enter a wire through which they travel to the other electrode, where they react with oxygen in the atmosphere to produce water. The flow of electrons through the wire constitutes an electrical current that can generate power.

So far, the new fuel cells don?t produce much power, but the fact that they work at all is exciting, says Paul Kenis, a chemical engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “Just getting it to work,” Kenis says, “is a major

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accomplishment.”

Sugar-eating fuel cells could be an efficient way to make electricity. Sugar is easy to find. And the new fuel cells that run on it are biodegradable, so the technology wouldn?t hurt the environment. The scientists are now trying to use different enzymes that will get more power from sugar. They predict that popular products may be using the new technology in as little as 3 years.

词汇: enzyme /5enzaIm/n.酶 proton /5prEutCn/n.质子 electrode /I5lektrEJd/n.电极 membrane /5membrein/n.膜，薄膜 platinum /5plAtinEm/n.铂，白金 oxidize /5Cksi7daiz/v.氧化 electron /I5lektrRn /n.电子 glucose /5^lu:kEus/n.葡萄糖 degrade /di5^reid /v.降解 biodegradable /7baiEudi5^reidEbl/adj.能进行生物降解的 polymer /5pClimE/n聚合物 embed /im5bed/v.埋置，插入microenvironment /9maIkrEJIn`vaIErLnmEnt/n.微环境 注释: 1. St Louis University:圣路易斯大学。建于 1818年，是密西西比州西部昀老的大学。

2. the University of Illinois:伊利诺斯大学，该大学有多个校区 : Urbana-Champaign校区、Chicago校区、Springfield校区、以及网络大学 Global Campus。 3. Urbana-Champaign: 见注释 2。

练习：

1. According to the first paragraph, when can we share our sweet drinks with our cell phones? A When enzymes can be commonly found in living cells. B When the technology of producing a new type of fuel cell appears. C When the technology of a newtype of fuel cell is suitable for mass production. D When the technology of mass producing cell phones appears.

2. What trouble did Minteer and Klotzbach have in their research? A They had trouble keeping enzymes in fuel cells active. B They had trouble keeping biological cells active. C They had trouble producing fresh enzymes. D They had trouble finding mechanism for producing enzymes.

3. According to Paragraph 5, electrons are released A when bags of enzyme are embedded in the new fuel cell. B when glucose from a sugary liquid goes through the enzyme. C when the enzyme oxidizes the glucose from a sugary liquid that goes through a pocket. D when the enzyme oxidizes the sugary liquid that goes through a pocket.

4. What is exciting about the new fuel cells? A Their limitless power generation capacity is amazing. B Their limited power generation capacity is a good beginning. C Their limited power generation capacity is the result of great efforts. D Their limitless power generation capacity is a major accomplishment.

5. According to the last paragraph, what is NOT true of the new fuel cells? A The new fuel cells run on sugar that is easy to find. B The new fuel cells are environment friendly. C The new fuel cells are biologically degradable. D It will take some time before the new fuel cells can be used in popular products.

答案与题解 :

1. C A和 D明显不是正确答案。 B不是正确选择，因为只有当这种新的燃料电池被大规模生产时，才有可能实现用甜饮料给手机提供电能。

2. A文章第三段的第一句是问题的答案。

3. C该段第二句子“ When glucose from a sugary liquid penetrates a pocket, the enzyme oxidize it, releasing electrons and proton，”中的 it指代 glucose，而不是 a sugary liquid，因此 C是正确选择。

4. B 第六段的大意是，尽管这种新型燃料电池还不能产生很多电能，但是，它能够产生电能的事实就已经是很大的成就了，因而激动人心。所以只有 B是正确答案。

5. D 文章的昀后一段指出了这种新型燃料电池的优点， A、B、C所述内容。昀后一句说，科学家预计，在不到三年的时间里这种新技术便可在大众的流行产品中使用，所以 D是正确选择。 第八篇 Eiffel Is an Eyeful

Some300 meters up, near the Eiffel Tower’s wind-whipped summit the world comes to scribble. Japanese, Brazilians, Americans — they graffiti their names, loves and politics on the cold iron — transforming the most French of monuments

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into symbol of a world on the move.

With Paris laid out in miniaturebelow, it seems strange that visitors would rather waste time marking their presence than admire the view. But the graffiti also raises a question:Why, nearly 114 years after it was completed, and decades after it ceased to be the world?s tallest structure, is la Tour Eiffel still so popular?

The reasons are as complex as the iron work that graces a structure some 90 stories high. But part of the answer is, no doubt, its agelessness. Regularly maintained, it should never rust away. Graffiti is regularly painted over, but the tower lives on. “Eiffel represents Paris and Paris is France. It is very symbolic,” says Hugues Richard, a 31-year old Frenchman who holds the record for cycling up to the tower?s second floor — 747 steps in 19 minutes and 4 seconds, without touching the floor with his feet. “It?s iron lady, it inspires us,” he says.

But to what?After all, the tower doesn?t have a purpose. It ceased to be the world?s tallest in 1930 when the Chrysler Building went up in New York. Yes, television and radio signals are beamed from the top, and Gustave Eiffel, a frenetic builder who died on December 27, aged 91, used its height for conducting research into weather, aerodynamics and radio communication.

But in essence the tower inspires simply by being there — a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will.To the technically minded, it? s an engineering triumph. For lovers, it?s romantic.

“The tower will outlast all of us, and by a long way,” says Isabelle Esnous, whose company manages Eiffel Tower. 词汇: Eiffel Tower (法国巴黎的 )埃菲尔铁塔 rust/rQst/ν.生锈(rust away锈烂掉) eyeful /5aiful/n.一饱眼福的景象，引人注目的景象 scribble /5skribl/v.乱涂，乱画 graffiti /^rE5fi:ti:/v. & n.涂写，涂画 frenetic /fri5netik/adj.极度激动的，狂乱的 agelessness n.永恒，永不过时的人 iron work铁制品；铁工aerodynamics /7ZErEudai5nAmiks/n.空气动力学 注释:

1. Eiffcl Is an Eyeful:埃菲尔铁塔万人瞩目。由于 Eiffel和 Eyeful读音相似，使用 Eyeful而不是其他的词是有其修辞效果的。埃菲尔铁塔是埃菲尔·古斯塔夫 (Gustave Eiffel, 1832-1923法国工程师 )为 1889年的巴黎博览会设计的，该塔在塞纳河南岸，高 300米(984英尺)。埃菲尔铁塔的法文是第二段昀后一句中的“ Ia Tour Eiffel”。 2. some:意为“approximately; about” (大约，将近 )。如：Some 40 people attended the rally.大约有 40个人参加了集会。 3. the world comes to scribble: 世界各地的人们来此涂鸦。

4. graffiti:在此用作 graffito的动词形式，意思是“涂鸦，在墙或其他表面上创作的画或铭刻”。

5. transforming the most French of monuments into symbol of a world on the move:使昀有法兰西色彩的纪念碑成为动感世界的象征。 the most + adj. + of +n.意为“在??中昀为??的”。如:

Beethoven is the greatest of musicians.贝多芬是昀伟大的音乐家。 On the move:在运动中。 6. in miniature:小型的，小规模的，缩影的。

7. ? would rather waste time making their presence than admire the view：宁愿花时间留下到此一游的痕迹，而不去观赏风景。 would rather ? than：宁愿 ??不??，如：He would rather stay at home watching DVD than go to the cinema.他宁愿呆在家里看 DVD，而不愿到电影院去看电影。

8.在原句Why is la Tour Eiffel still so popular?的Why与In Tour Eiffel still so popular?之间插入了 nearly 114 years after it was completed, and decades after it ceased to be the world’s tallest structure. 9. grace:在此作动词，意为“ to give beauty, elegance, or charm to” (使??优美、优雅或具有魅力 )。

10. Hugues Richard:法国自行车运动员，多次打破自行车运动的世界纪录，于 2002年 4月 8日以 19分钟零 4秒的成绩骑自行车登上埃菲尔铁塔的第二层，第六次打破自行车运动的世界纪录。 l1.“It’s iron lady, it inspires us,”：“这是铁娘子，能让人产生灵感。 ”it指埃菲尔铁塔。

12. But to what?这是一个省略，接着上段 Hugues Richard的话发问，完整的句子可以是 :But what does it inspire people to?

13. the Chrysler Building: 是美国纽约帝国大厦 (the Empire State Building)建成之前，世界第一高楼，共 77层，设计师是 William Van Alen。

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14. ? a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will ??一张空白的画布，任游客自由遐想。 15. To the technically minded:对于那些善于从技术角度考虑问题的人来说 ;从技术的角度来说。

16. “The tower will outlast all of us, and by a long way.”:这座塔将在我们所有的人离去后长久存在。 out last:意为“to last longer than”(比??持久 )。out-：前縀，意思是“比??更??，如 : Women are said to outlive men.据说女人比男人长寿。 by a long way:意思是“大大地”。练习:

1. Why does the author think the Eiffel Tower is transformed into symbol of a world on the move? A Tourists from all over the world come to the Eiffel Tower by car or by plane. B Tourists of all nationalities come to scribble on the cold iron of the tower. C The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world. D The Eiffel Tower represents all the towers in the world.

2. What seems strange to the author? A Visitors prefer wasting time scribbling to enjoying the view. B Visitors spends much time watching other people scribbling. C Only Japanese, Bruziliuns and Americans like to mark their presence. D Scribbling spread from country to country.

3. Which statement is NOT true of Hugues Richard? A He is a cyclist. B He is a record holder. C He climbed 747 steps up the tower in 19 minutes and 4 seconds.

D He cycled up to the tower’s second floor.

4. What did the builder use the Eiffel Tower for? A Sending radio and television signals all over the world. B Conducting research in various fields. C Giving people inspiration. D Dernonstrating French culture.

5. Which of the following is nearest in meaning to “(The Eiffel Tower is like) a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will”? A Visitors can do whatever they want on the tower. B Visitors can paint on the tower whatever they want. C Visitors can imagine freely what the tower represents. D Visitors can draw on a blank canvas provided by the Tower management company.

答案与解释 :

1. B第一段提供了答案。见注释 3、4、5。

2. A 第二段第一句中的句型 would rather do something than do something else，也可以用 prefer doing something to doing something else的句型来表达。所以， A是正确答案。句型解释见注释 7。

3. C第四段告诉我们， Hugues Richard蹬车上塔，打破世界纪录。 C不是正确选项，因为他 cycling up to the tower’s second floor，而不是 climbing up the tower。

4. B A不是正确选项，因为 Gustave Eiffel没有也不可能使用该塔向全世界发射电视信号。第五段的昀后一句提供了答案。

5. C第六段的大意是 :对不同的人，埃菲尔铁塔有不同的象征意义。见注释 14。 第九篇 Egypt Felled by Famine

Even ancient Egypt's mighty pyramid builders were powerless in the face of the famine that helped bring down their civilisation around 2180BC. Now evidence gleaned from mud deposited by the River Nile suggests that a shift in climate thousands of kilometres to the south was ultimately to blame — and the same or worse could happen today.

The ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile?s annual floods to irrigate their crops. But any change in climate that pushed the African monsoons southwards out of Ethiopiawould have diminished these floods.

Dwindling rains in the Ethiopian highlands would have meant fewer plants to stablise the soil. When rain did fall it would have washed large amounts of soil into the Blue Nile and into Egypt, along with sediment from the White Nile.

The Blue Nile mud has a different isotope signature from that of the White Nile. So by analysing isotope differences in mud deposited in the Nile Delta, Michael Krom of Leeds University worked out what proportion of sediment came from each branch of the river.

Krom reasons that during periods of drought, the amount of the Blue Nile mud in the river would be relatively high. He

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found that one of these periods, from 4,500 to 4,200 years ago, immediately predates the fall of the Egypt?s Old Kingdom.

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The weakened waters would have been catastrophic for the Egyptians. “Changes that affect food supply don?t have to be very large to have a ripple effect in societies.” says Bill Ryan of the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.

“Similar events today could be even more devastating,” says team member Daniel Stanley, a geoarchaeologist from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C.. “Anything humans do to shift the climate belts would have an even worse effect along the Nile system today because the populations have increased dramatically.” 词汇:

glean /^li:n/v.搜集 monsoon /mCn5su:n/n.季风

dwindle /5dwindl/vi.逐渐变少，这渐变小； vt.使变少， sediment /5sedimEnt/n.沉积；沉积物 使变小 signature /5si^nitFE/n.签名；特征

isotope /5aisEutEup/n.同位素；核素 observatory /Eb5zE:vEtEri/n.天文台 geoarchaeologist n.地质考古学家 注释:

1. the River Nile：尼罗河 2. Ethiopia：埃塞俄比亚 3. the Blue Nile：青尼罗河 4. the White Nile：白尼罗河

5. the Smithsonian Institution：史密森学会 (由英国化学家、矿物学家 James Smithson捐款于 1846年在美国首都华盛顿创建 ) 练习:

1. Why does the author mention “pyramid builders”? A Because they once worked miracles. B Because they were well-built. C Because they were actually very weak. D Because even they were unable to rescue their civilisation.

2. Which of the following factor was ultimately responsible for the fall of the civilisation of ancient Egypt? A Change of climate. B Famine. C Flood. D Population growth.

3. Which of the following statements is true? A The White Nile is the trunk of the River Nile. B The White Nile is the trunk of the Blue Nile. C The White Nile is a branch of the Blue Nile. D The White Nile and the Blue Nile are branches of the River Nile.

4. According to Krom, Egypt?s Old Kingdom fell. A immediately after Cl p .riod of drought. B immediately alter a period of flood. C just before a drought struck. D just before a flood struck.

5. The word “devastating” in the last paragraph could be best replaced by A “frustrating”. B “damaging”. C “defeating”. D “worrying”.

答案与题解：

1. D 这道题问的是：作者为什么提及“建筑金字塔的人”？文章开头有这么一句话，中文意思是：即使古埃及伟大的金字塔建筑者面对那场在公元前 2180年促使他们的文明毁灭的饥荒也无能为力。 D说的是：甚至是他们也不能挽救他们的文明。因此， D是正确的答案。 A说的是：他们曾创造过奇迹。 B说的是：他们很强壮。 C说的是：他们其实很弱。

2. A 这道题问的是：下面列出的几种因素中哪一种是造成埃及文明毁灭的根本性因素 ? A说的是：气候的变化。第一段中有这样一个子句：? a shift in climate ? was ultimately to blame ?昀终须归咎于气候的变化。在第一题的题解中，我们提到了“饥荒”与“古埃及文明毁灭”的关系。但“饥荒”是表层的因素，“气候的变化”才是古埃及文明毁灭的深层的因素。因此， A是正确的答案。 B：饥荒。 C：水灾。 D：人口增长。

3. D 这道题问的是：下面列出的几种陈述哪一种是正确的 ? D说的是：青尼罗河和白尼罗河是尼罗河的支流。第四段中的昀后一句话是这么说的 : ? worked out what proportion of sediment came from each branch of the river. ??找到了来自河的每条支流的沉积物的比例。这里的“河”是指“尼罗河”，“每条支流”是指上文所说的“青尼罗河”和“白尼罗河”。因此， D是正确的答案。A：白尼罗河是尼罗河的干流。 B：白尼罗河是青尼罗河的干流。 C：白尼罗河是青尼罗河的支流。显然，这些都不是答案。

4. A 这道题问的是：根据克罗姆所说古埃及王国毁灭发生在什么时候 ? A说的是：就在一个时期的干旱之后。第五段有这么一个句子：? one of these periods ? immediately predates the fall of the Egypt’s Old Kingdom.其中的一个时期??就发生在古埃及王国毁灭之前。可以看出， A应该是正确的答案。 B：就在一个时期的水灾之后。 C：就在遇到一次旱灾之前。 D：就在遇到一次水灾之前。

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5. B devastate是及物动词，意思是：使荒芜；破坏。 devastating既是现在分词，又是形容词，此处不是动词 devastate的现在分词，因为它后面不跟名词短语。因此只能是形容词。它的意思是：破坏性的。 frustrate是动词，意思是：使受挫；受挫。 frustrating是现在分词，同时也是形容词。作形容词时，它的意思是：失望的。可以看出，它跟 devastating的意思相差很远。 It was frustrating to be out of government for the next four years. damage破坏，毁灭。 damaging是它的现在分词，但它本身也是形容词，意思是：破坏的或毁灭的。跟 devastating意思相近，是合适的选择。 defeat：击败。 His guerrillas detaefed the colonial army in 1954. Worry：担忧，发愁。 Worrying：令人担忧的，令人发愁的。 It is very worrying that petrol bombs have been brought into a fight between two secondary schools.

第十篇 Young Female Chimps Outlearn Their Brothers

Young female chimps are faster and better learners than young male chimps, suggests a new study, echoing learning differences seen in human girls and boys.

While young male chimps pass their time playing, young female chimps carefully study their mothers. As a result, they learn how to fish for tasty termite snacks over two years before the boys.

Elizabeth Lonsdorf, now at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, US, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, spent four years watching how young chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania learned “cultural behavior”. The sex differences in learning hehavior were “consistent and strikingly apparent”, says the team. The researchers point out that similar differences are seen in human children with regard to skills such as writing. “A sex-based learning differences may therefore date back at least to the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans,” they write in the journal Nature. Chimps make flexible tools from vegetation and then insert them into termite mounds, extract them and then munch the termites clinging onto the tool. The researchers used video cameras to record this feeding behavior and found that each chimp mother had her own technique, such as how she used tools of different lengths.

Analysis of the six infants whose ages were known showed that girl chimps were an average of 31 months old when they succeeded in fishing out their termites, where the boy chimps were aged 58 months on average. Females were also more skillful at getting out more termites with every dip and used techniques similar to their mothers while males did not. Instead of studying their mothers, the boy chimps spent a significantly greater amount of time frolicking around the termite mound. Behaviors such as playing or swinging might help the male infants later in life when typically male activities like hunting or fighting for dominance become important, suggest the researchers.

Lonsdorf adds that there are just two main sources of animal protein for chimps — the termites or colobus monkeys. “Mature males often hunt monkeys up trees, but females are almost always either pregnant or burdened with a clinging infant. This makes hunting difficult,” she says. “Adult females spend more time fishing for termites than males.” So becoming proficient at termite fishing could mean adult females eat better. “They can watch their offspring at the same time. The young of both sexes seem to pursue activities related to their adult sex roles at a very young age.”

词汇: chimp /tFimp/ (口语) = chimpanzee n.黑猩猩 out learn v.在学习上胜过 munch /mQntF/v.用力嚼；津津有味地吃 frolic /5frClik/n.嬉戏 v. (-icked；-icking)嬉戏 termite /5tE:mait/n.自蚁 offspring /5RfsprIN/n.子孙，后代colobus /5kClEbEs/n.疣猴 注释:

1. suggests a new study：倒装句，正常话序是 a new study suggests：一项新的研究表明。

2. echoing learning differences seen in human girls nnd boys：与人类女孩男孩之间的学习差异相仿。 3. fish for：捕获。 fish: to catch or pull as if fishing捕鱼似地捞。 4. Tanzania：坦桑尼亚，非洲中东部国家，位于印度洋沿岸。 5. with regard to：关于，在??方面 6. date back to：回溯至

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7. with every dip：猩猩是用植物作为工具来捕食自蚁，因此这里的意思是，每次将植物插入蚁穴。 8. burdened with a clinging infant：身上吊着小猩猩。

9. becoming proficient at termite fishing：分词短语在句中充当主语，意为：学会有效地捕获白蚁。 10. pursue activities related to their adult sex roles：进行与它们成年后的性别角色有关的活动。练习:

1. Why do young female chimps learn faster than young male chimps at fishing for termites? A Because young female chimps don’t play with their brothers. B Because young female chimps begin to study their mothers earlier. C Because young male chimps never learn to fish for termites. D Because young male chimps are not interested in termites. 2. What are the tools with which chimps fish for termites? A Tree branches. B Vegetation. C Fruits. D Grass.

3. Which of the Following is true about chimps fishing for termites according to paragraph 6? A Males often compete with females in fishing for termites. B Males could get out more termites with every dip. C Females could get out more termites with every dip. D Males are good at mastering technique for fishing for termites.

4. How did the researchers explain the fact that boy chimps spent more time on playing? A They like hunting. B They enjoy fighting. C It helps them to stay fit. D It will make them good fighters and hunters in the future.

5. According to the last paragrnph, which of the following is NOT true? A Adult chimps hunt monkeys while young chimps fish for termites. B The main source of animal protein for male chimps is colobus monkeys. C The main source of animal protein for female chimps is termites. D Female chimps fish for termites while watching their children.

答案与题解 :

1. B 根据第二段的内容，雄性小猩猩将时间用来玩要，而雌性小猩猩则研究她们母亲的行为，因此，她们比雄性小猩猩早两年学会捕食白蚁。 A、D文中没有提到， C与问题没有关系。

2. B第五段的第一个句子告诉我们，猩猩用植物作成方便的工具，用来捕食白蚁。 A、C和 D均是错误的。

3. C 该段告诉我们，对六只小猩猩的分析表明，雌性小猩狠不但较早学会捕食白蚁 .而且能比雄性小猩猩更为熟练地捕食到更多的白蚁。所以， B和 D都不是正确选项。 A项内容文中没有提到。

4. D A、B和 C都是错误的，因为文中没有捉到雄性小猩猩喜欢猎食和打斗，也没有提及玩耍能使他们更健康。D是正确答案。第七段昀后一句说，他们喜欢玩耍的行为有助于他们长大后的生活，因为，到那时，他们要猎食和争权夺位。

5. A 根据昀后一段的内容，成年雄猩猩主要猎食生活在树上的一种叫做 colobus（疣猴）的猴子，而雌性猩猩捕食白蚁。所以 A是正确选项。 B、C和 D的内容均可在该段中找到。 第十一篇 The Net Cost of Making a Name for Yourself

Companies are paying up to $10,000 to register a domain name on the Internet even though there is no guarantee that they will get the name they want.

The task of registering domains ending in . com, . org, . edu and . net is at present contracted out by the US government to the Virginia-based company Network Solutions. The contract runs out this year, and the government wants to bring in a different scheme.

But last year, an ad hoc committee of the Internet?s great and goodrevealed its own plan. This involved setting up seven new domains, each indicating the kind of business or organisation using that name. The committee recruited 88 companies around the world to act as registrars for its . firm, . shop, . web, . arts, . rec, . info and . nom domains. The US government has still to give the system its blessing, and may yet push ahead with its original scheme. Despite this, the 88 registrars have heen taking applications for several months. They are due to start registering names this month with the Internet Council of Registrars, which grew out of the ad hoc committee.

To prevent conflicting names from being registered, the council will take one name from each registrar in turn before going back for the second name in their queues, and so on. This has led to a flourishing trade, with companies trying to buy a

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place near the head of the queue. Global Names of Singapore is charging $10,000 to make sure a request for a name is the first one it sends off to the central database. Other registrars are charging nonrefundable deposits for places at the top of the queue. David Maher, chairman of the Policy Oversight Committee that is helping to set up and oversee the system, says that all registrars are subject tolocal laws regarding consumer protection and competition. But he says that the committee “will not act as an enforcement body in this area.” 词汇： domain /dEu5mein/n.领域，范围 queue /kju:/n.（排队等候的）队伍 scheme /ski:m/n.计划.方案 nonrefundable /9nCnrI`fQndEbl/adj.不能退款的 ad hoc /5Ad5hCk/adj.专门的，特别的 oversee /5EuvE5si:/v.监督，监管registrar /7redVis5trB:/n.注册处 注释: 1. domain name：域名 2. run out: 到期，期满；用完。如 : The agreement will run out at the end of this month. 合约这个月底到期。 The paper is running out. 纸张快用完了。 3. ad hoc: 特别(的)，专门的（地）。源于拉丁语。

4. the great and good: (国际互联网的 )头面人物，大人物，佼佼者

5. each indicating the kind of business or organisation using that name：是带有自己的主语 each的独立主格结构，起伴随状态的作用。

6. give the system its blessing中的 blessing原意为“祝福，祝愿”，此处引申为“同意，支持”。又如 : This plan has my blessing. 这项计划得到了我的同意。 7. push ahead with: 推进，推行。如 : The government is pushing ahead with its nuclear plan. 政府正在推行它的核计划。 8. due to: 预定；到期。如： The plane is due to take off at 8:15 am. 飞机预定上午 8:15起飞。 9. be subject to此处意为“必须服从于或遵守??（规定、纪律、法律等）”。例如： We are all subject to the law of nature. 我们都要受自然规律的支配。

10. enforcement body.执法单位练习:

1. The domain name “. edu” is operated by A the US government. B the company Network Solutions. C Internet Council of Registrars. D both A and B.

2. The . firm, . shop, . web, . arts, . rec, . info and . nom domains are NOT run by A a temporary committee organized by Internet’s influential services. B the US government. C 88 regist rars. D Internet Council of Registrars.

3. Global Names of Singapore is A a company which applies for a name on the Internet. B a registrar. C a company under the supervision of Policy Oversight Committee. D the central database.

4. How can a company successfully register a name with the Internet? A It must pay up to $10,000 or a nonrefundable deposit. B Its application must be the first one at the top of the registration queue. C It must get approval from the Policy Oversight Committee. D Both A and B.

5. What is the meaning of the phrase “net cost” in the title? A The amount of money covering the basics. B The registration fee for a domain name on the Internet. C The amount of money for the construction of a network in a company.

D The amount of money paid to the Internet service annually. 答案与题解 :

1. B从第二段可知， .edu等四个域名已由美国政府承包给 the company Network Solutions，目前的所有权或是 使用权仍在该公司。

2. B 从文章第三段中 The US government has still to give the system its blessing ?这句话可知，对题中所列出 的七个域名美国政府并不参与其运作。 3. B通过昀后一段第三、四句可得出答案。

4. A 从昀后一段可找出答案。 Policy Oversight Committee只不过起构建域名注册系统以及监督的作用，文中并

未提及注册域名需得到他们的同意。

5. B 这里的“net”是一个双关语，它可解释为“净”，如: net cost (净代价)。同时还有“网”的意思，如 : Internet。 从本文判断，后者的意义是主要的。所以选项 B应是昀恰当的。

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第十二篇 Florida Hit by Cold Air Mass

In January, 2003, the eastern two-thirds of the United States was at the mercy of a bitterly cold air mass that has endangered Florida?s citrus trees, choked northern harbors with ice and left bewildered residents of North Carolina?s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow.

The ice chill deepened as temperatures fell to the single digits in most of the South, with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark as far south as parts of interior South Florida. Temperatures in Florida plunged, with West Palm Beach dropping to a record low of 2 degrees.

“We couldn?t believe how cold it was,” said Martin King, who arrived this week in Orlando from England. “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another cont.”

The temperature plunge posed a threat to Florida?s US $9.1 billion-a-year citrus crop, more of which is still on the trees. Growers were hurrying to harvest as much of the fruit as possible before it was damaged by cold.

“Time is of the essence in getting fruit to the plant,” said Tom Rogers, a citrus grower who expected to see damage to oranges and grapefruit at that time.

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush signed an emergency order to eliminate the weight limit on trucks so citrus growers could get as much fruit to market as possible.

Casey Pace, a spokeswoman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said growers had sprayed trees with sprinklers, which created a layer of ice and helped maintain a temperature near freezing. Citrus trees are considered in danger of damage if the temperature drops below minus 2 degrees Celsius for four hours or more. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 contimeters blanketed the Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

词汇: citrus /5sItrEs/n.柠檬，柑橘，柑橘属果树 sprinkler /5spriNklE/ n.洒水器，洒水车 spokeswoman /5spEuks7wumEn/n.女发言人 Celsius /5selsjEs/ adj.摄氏的

bewilder /bi5wildE/v.使迷惑；使为难；把??弄湖涂 shorts /FC:ts/n.宽松运动裤，男用短衬裤 注释:

1. at the mercy of：意为 “without any protection against；helpless before”(任由??摆布；在??面前无助 )。如： They were drifting in an open boat, at the mercy of the storm. 他们在一敞篷船中漂泊，任由暴风雨摆布。 2. air mass：大气团

3. choked：意为“to become blocked up or obstructed”(被堵塞或阻碍 )。

4. left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow: (冷空气团 )让北卡罗来纳州沿岸地区的居民不知所措，不停地铲着尺把深的积雪。 leave:意为“ cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state”(使处于某一特定状态 )。up to: (数目)到??之多，如 : up to 100 men可这一百人 5. as temperatures fell to the single digits：当气温下降到个位数

6. an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark: (气温)前所未有地骤降至冰点以下。 dip：意为“to drop suddenly”(骤降)：freezing mark：意为“freezing point”(冰点，凝冻点 )。

7. dropping to a record low of 2 degrees：创纪录地降至 2度之低。 record:在此作形容词用，意为“创纪录的”。 8. Orlando：奥兰多，美国佛罗里达州 ( Florida)中部城市，由于靠近迪斯尼世界而使得该城市成为一个旅游名城。 9. posed a threat：造成威胁。 pose：“造成，形成（问题 )”。如： to esipo an obstacle to (成为??障碍 )。 10. of the essence：非常重要的

11. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 centimeters：厚度从薄薄的一层到 30厘米的雪。 range from ? to:在??范围内变化；从??到??范围，如： ages that range from two to fiver(两岁至五岁年龄段 )。dusting：少量的、撒

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于某物表面的东西，如 : Sidewalks were covered with a dusting of new snow.人行道上覆盖着一层薄薄的新雪。 12. blanket(ed):在此作动词用，意思是“ to cover as if with a blanket”，如：Levaes blanketed the ground.叶子覆盖了地面。练习:

1. Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs? A The cold air mass was a threat to Florida’s citrus crop. B The temperature in the United States except the South dropped below the freezing mark. C The northern harbors were blocked with ice. D The eastern two thirds of the United States was hit by cold air mass.

2. According to the second paragraph, in which area(s) did the temperature fall below zero? A Most of the South. B Parts of interior South Florida. C West Palm Beach. D All of the above.

3. King’s statement that “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat.” shows thut A he was caught by the sudden cold. B he needed formal clothes. C fashion in Florida is tempting. D Florida is hot compared with England.

4. Governor Jeb issue the emergency order because he A thought speed limit for trucks was unreasonable.

B tried to improve the traffic condition of the express ways.

C wanted to encourage trucks to transport as much fruit to market as possible. D wanted to stop trucks from carrying too much fruit to market.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to the last paragraph? A Sprinklers were used to protect citrus trees from heing damaged. B Citrus trees would be damaged if the temperature drops below minus 2℃ for four hours. C The Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia were covered with snow. D Florida Citrus Mutual sprayed trees with sprinklers for citrus growers.

答案与解释：

1. A 第二段中就有冷气团侵袭到 most of the South，所以，B是不符合原意的。

2. B ? with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark as far south as parts of interior South Florida.在南至南佛罗里达州腹地的一些区域，气温前所未有地降至冰点以下这句话说明 B是正确选项。在 most of the South,气温降至 10℃以下，在 West Palm Bench，气温虽然降至历史昀低，但有 2℃。

3. A 佛罗里达位于炎热的南方。 King只带了短裤、 T恤。到了佛罗里达，寒潮来了，他只好去买御寒衣服。 4. C 第六段中“ Jeb Bush signed an emergency order to eliminate the weight limit on trucks so citrus growers could get as much fruit to market as possible.”这个句子提供了答案。 5. D 选项 A、B、C文章中都提到，而且， A、B、C的内容都符合原意，唯有 D不正确。因为，文章中只是说 Florida Citrus Mutual (佛罗里达柑橘互助协会 )通报了柑橘种植人采取的防冻措施，并没有说这个协会自己采取了防冻措施。

第十三篇 Invisibility Ring

Scientists can?t yet make an invisibility cloak like the one that Harry Potter uses. But, for the first time, they?ve constructed a simple cloaking device that makes itself and something placed inside it invisible to microwaves. When a person “sees” an object, his or her eye senses many different waves of visible light as they bounce off the object. The eye and brain then work together to organize these sensations and reconstruct the object?s original shape. So, to make an object invisible, scientists have to keep waves from bouncing off it. And they have to make sure the object casts no shadow. Otherwise, the absence of reflected light on one side would give the object away.

Invisibility isn?t possible yet with waves of light that the human eye can see. But it is now possible with microwaves. like visible light，microwaves are a form of radiant energy. They are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes radio waves, infrared light, ultraviolet rays, X rays and gamma rays. The wavelengths of microwaves are shorter than those of radio waves but longer than those of visible light.

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The scientist?s new “visibility device” is the size of a drink coaster and shaped like a ring. The ring is made of a special material with unusual ability. When microwaves strike the ring, very few bounce off it. Instead, they pass through the ring, which bends the waves all the way around until they reach the opposite side. The waves then return to their original paths. To a detector set up to receive microwaves on the other side of the ring, it looks as if the waves never changed their paths - as if there were no object in the way! So，the ring is effectively invisible. When the researchers put a small copper loop inside the ring it，too，is nearly invisible. However，the cloaking device and anything inside it do casts a pale shadow. And the device works only for microwaves, not for visible light or any kind of electromagnetic radiation. So Harry Potter?s invisibility cloak doesn?t have any real competition yet.

词汇: invisibility /in5vizEbiliti/n.看不见，无形 spectrum /5spektrEm/n.光说 cloak /klEuk/n.斗篷，披风 infrared /5infrE5red/adj.红外线的 microwave /5maikrEuweiv/n.微波 Ultraviolet ray 紫外线 reconstruct /5ri:kEn5strQkt/v.以重建 gamma ray伽马射线 radiant /5reidjEnt/adj.辐射的 wavelength /5weivleNW/n.波长 electromagnetic /IlektrEJ5mA^nItIk/adj.电磁的 coaster /5kEustE/n.托盒，垫子注释:

1. an invisibility cloak见注释2。本文题目 invisibility Ring即invisibility cloak构成。

2. Harry Potter: Harry Potter是英国女作家 J. K. Rowling魔幻系列小说笔下的男主人公。在故事中，他的父亲留给他一件隐身衣，即 invisibility cloak。练习:

1. Harry Potter is mentioned in the passage，because scientists A can now make an invisible cloak of the same kind as he uses. B try to make an invisible cloak of the same kind as he uses. C try to invent a device similar in idea to the invisible cloak he uses. D know that it is possible to make an invisible cloak of the same kind.

2. What is true of microwaves? A Their wavelengths are shorter than those of visible light. B Their wavelengths arc longer than those of visible light. C They are different from visible light as they are a kind of radiant energy. D They are visible to the human eye.

3. What is NOT true of the invisibility device? A It is made of a special material with unusual ability. B Microwaves bounce off it when they strike it. C Microwaves pass through it when they strike it. D It bends the microwaves all the way around until they reach the opposite side.

4. What does the word “coaster” mean in the passage? A A disk or plate placed under a drinking glass to protect a table top. B A vessel engaged in coastal trade. C A roller coaster. D A resident of a coastal area.

5. Harry Potter's invisibility cloak doesn't have any real competition yet, because A scientists have not found out how his cloak works. B the cloaking device is a total failure.

C the cloaking device works only for microwaves.

D the cloaking device works only for visible light.答案与题解： 1. C 文章的第一段告诉我们，科学家还没有发明哈里 ·波特使用的那种隐身衣，所以不能选 A;该段还告诉我们 ,科学家已制造了一种装置，这种装置能使自身或置于其中的物体不被微波发现，所以 C是正确选择。也就是说，科学家发明的隐形装置和哈里波特的隐身衣仅仅在概念上相同，这同时说明 B和D是错误的选择。

2. B 第三段昀后一句中告诉我们， A是错误选择， B是正确选择。该段第三句说，微波与可见光一样都是一种辐射能，所以 C的说法是错误的，不能选择；根据该段第一句 : with waves of light taht the human eye can see和第三句: Like visible light 可以得知 D是错误的说法，也不能选择。

3. B 第四段第三句说，当微波到装置表面， very few bounce off it。very few是几乎没有的意思，所以选择 B。其他选择所述内容都可以很容易在该段中找到。

4. A 第四段第一句告诉我们，科学家的这个隐形装置和一个杯垫差不多大小，所以 A是正确选择。 Coaster是一个多义词，其他几个选择是该词的其他意思。 B:从事沿海贸易的船； C：过山车，摩天轮； D:海岸地区居民。 5. C A句在短文中没有提到；按文章的内容 B不是正确的说法；文章昀后一段说， And the device works only for microwaves，not for visible light，所以，C是正确选择。 第十四篇 Japanese Car Keeps Watch for Drunk Drivers

A concept car developed by Japanese company Nissan has a breathalyzer-like detection system and other instruments that

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could help keep drunk or over-tired drivers off the road. The car?s sensors check odors inside the car and monitor a driver?s sweat for traces of alcohol. An in-car computer system can issue an alert or even lock up the ignition system if the driver seems over-the-limit. The air odor sensors arc fixed firmly and deeply in the driver and passenger seats, while a detector in the gear-shift knob measures perspiration from the driver?s palm.

Other carmakers have developed similar detection system. For example, Sweden?s Volvohas developed a breathalyzer attached to car?s seat belt that drivers must blow into before the engine will start.

Nissan?s new concept vehicle also includes a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a drivers alertness by monitoring their eyes. It will sound an alarm and issue a spoken warning in Japanese or English if it judges that the driver needs to pull over and rest.

The car technology is still in development, but general manager Kazuhiro Doi says the combination of different detection system should improve the overall effectiveness of the technology. “For example, if t he gear-shift sensor was bypassed by a passenger using it instead of the driver. the facial recognition system would still be used,” Doi says. Nissan has no specific timetable for marketing the system, but aims to use technology to cut the numher of fatalities involving its vehicles to half 1995 levels by 2015.

The car?s seat helt can also tighten if drowsiness is detected, while an external camera checks that the car is keeping to its lane properly. However, Doi admits that some of the technology, such as the alcohol odor sensor, should be improved. “If you drink one beer, it?s going to register, so we need to study what?s the appropriate level for the system to activate,” he says.

In the UK, some research groups are using similar advanced techniques to understand driver behavior and the effectiveness of different road designs.

词汇: breathalyzer /5breWElaizE/n. 呼气酒精检测器 gear-shift knob换档把手 sensor /5sensE/n. 传感器 bypass /5baIpB:s/v.绕过 alert /E5lE:t/adj.警惕的 facial /5feiFEl/adj.面部的 alertness / E5lE:tniz/n.警报 fatality /fE5tAliti/n.死亡事故 dashboard /5dAF7bC:d/n.仪表板，挡泥板 tighten /5taitEn/v.绑紧 perspiration /7pE:spE5reiFEn/n.排汗 drowsiness /5drauziniz/n.昏昏欲睡 odor /5EudE/n.气味 activate /5Aktiveit/v.使活动、使激活ignition /i^5niFEn/n.点火 注释: Japanese company Nissan日本日产公司

Sweden’s Volvo:瑞典的沃尔沃公司 pull over and rest: (把车)开到路边休息

UK:大不列颠和北爱尔兰联合王国 (United Kingdom)的缩写。United Kingdom的缩写: 联合王国 .英国。练习:

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Japanese concept car? A It has a sensor system that could issue a warning if the driver is drunk. B It has sensors that detect traces of alcohol inside the car. C It has sensors locked up in the ignition system. D It has a breathalyzer-like detection system.

2. What has Volvo developed? A The same detection system mentioned in t he previous paragraph. B A breathalyzer attached to a car’s seat belt. C A smart car scat belt. D An intelligent engine.

3. What is the function of the camera mentioned in Paragraph 4？ A It monitors the driver’s eyes to sec if he needs a rest. B It judges if the driver wants to pull over. C It judges if the driver wants to take a rest. D It issues an alarm when the driver speaks.

4. According to Doi, A the overall effectiveness of the detection technology has improved. B Nissan is making a timetable to market the detection system. C it is impossible to improve the overall effectiveness of the detection system. D Nissan aims to improve the detection technology to reduce the fatality rate. 30

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 6? A An external camera checks that the car is going properly. B

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The car will automatically keep to its lane. C The seat belt will tighten when the driver is found drowsy. D The technology of the alcohol odor sensor should be improved. 答案与题解 :

1. C 选项 A、B、D所述内容都可在短文的第一、第二段中找到。第二段昀后一个句子告诉我们，传感器装在司机和乘客的座椅里，而不是在点火系统里，所以选择 C。 2. B 短文第三段告诉我们，沃尔沃公司也发明了一种相类似的酒精检测装置，安装在保险带上，所以 B是正确选择。 3. A 第四段描写了安装在概念车仪表板上的照相机的功能。相机跟踪司机的眼睛的活动，从而监测司机是否保持清醒状态，如果发现司机需要停车休息，使用英语或日语发出警告。所以除 A以外，其他选择都不正确。

4. D 短文第五段说，这种监测技术仍然在发展之中，使用不同的监测系统应能改进这项技术的整体有效性，所以 A和 C都不是正确选择。该段的统后一句说，日产公司并不准备将这种监测系统推向市场，但它的目标是使用这种技术到 2015年将日产车的事故率年减少到 1995年的一半。所以 B也不是正确选择，只有 D表达了 Doi的意思。 5. B选项 A、C、D在短文第六段部能战到，但是却找不到选项 B所表达的意思。 第十五篇 Winged Robot Learns to Fly

Learning how to fly took nature millions of years of trial and error—but a winged robot has cracked it in only a few hours, using the same evolutionary principles. Krister Wolff and Peter Nordin of Chalmers University of Technology (CUT) in Gothenburg , Sweden, built a winged robot and set about testing whether it could learn to fly by itself, without any pre-programmed data on what flapping is or how to do it.

To begin with, the robot just twitched and jerked erratically. But, gradually, it made movements that gained height. At first, it cheated—simply standing on its wing tips was one early short cut. After three hours, however, the robot abandoned such methods in favor of a more effective flapping technique where it rotated its wings through 90 degrees and raised them before twisting them back to the horizontal and pushing down.

“This tells us that this kind of evolution is capable of coming up with flying motion,” says Peter Bentley, who works on evolutionary computing at University College London. But while the robot had worked out how best to produce lift, it was not about to take off. “There?s only so much that evolution can do,” Bentley says. “This thing is never going to fly because the motors will never have the strength to do it,” he says.

The robot had metre-long wings made from balsa wood and covered with a light plastic film. Small motors on the robot let it move its wings forwards or backwards. up or down or twist them in either direction.

The team attached the robot to two vertical rods, so it could slide up and down. At the start of a test, the robot was suspended by an elastic band. A movement detector measured how much lift, if any, the robot produced for any given movement. A computer program fed the robot random instructions, at the rate of20 per second, to test its flapping abilities. Each instruction told the robot either to do nothing or to move the wings slightly in the various directions.

Feedback from the movement detector let the program work out which sets of instructions were best at producing lift. The most successful ones were paired up and “offspring” sets of instructionswere generated by swapping instructions randomly between successful pairs. These next-generation instructions were then sent to the robot and evaluated before breeding a new generation, and the process was repeated. 词汇: flap /flAp/v.振翅；拍打，拍动 rotate /rEu5teit/v.旋转，转动 twitch /twitF/v.猛抽；抽动 balsa /5bRlsE/n.轻木 jerk /dVE:k/v.猛拉；急扭 offspring /5RfsprIN/n.后代；结果，产物 erratically /i5rAtik/adj.飘忽不定地；不稳定地 swop /swCp/v.交换；交流 注释：

1. Learning how to fly took nature millions of years of trial and error:自然界里的飞行学习用了几百万年的时间反复实践和磨炼。

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2. crack: to break through (an obstacle) in order to win acceptance or acknowledgement: 突破（障碍） 3. set about:开始做，着手 4. To begin with: 首先 5. short cut: 捷径

6. in favor of:原意为“赞成；支持”。这里，?? the robot abandoned such methods in favor of a more effective flapping technique意为:??这个机器人放弃了这样的方法，而去使用一种更为有效的扇动翅膀的技术。 7. be capable of: [指物]有可能，可以?? 8. come up: to manifest itself; arise 出现。 9. while:虽然，尽管 10. lift:升高

11. if any:若有的话。确切意思是 :如果它能升高的话。

12. ... fed the robot random instructions:给机器人输入随意设定的指令。 fed是feed的过去式。 13. at the rate of:以??的速度 14. pair up:把??配成一对

15.“offspring”sets of instructions:指的是将成功的指令配对后的结果。“ offspring”本来是后代的意思，在此修饰sets of instructions，所以加了双引号。练习:

1. Which of the following is NOT true of what is mentioned about the winged robot in the second paragraph? A The two professors of CUT built the winged robot B The two professors of CUT tested whether the winged robot could learn to fly. C The two professors of CUT programmed the data on how the robot flapped its wings. D The two professors of CUT tried to find out if the robot could fly by itself.

2. How did the robot behave at the beginning of the test? A It rotated its wings through 90 degrees. B It twitched but gradually gained height. C It was twitched and broke down. D It landed not long after the test.

3. Which of the following is nearest to Peter Bentley’s view on the winged robot? A The winged robot could never really fly. B The winged robot did not have a motor. C The winged robot should go through further evolution before it could fly. D The robot could fly if it were lighter.

4. What measured how much lift the robot produced? A Two vertical rods. B A movement detector. C An elastic band. D Both B and C.

5. What does “the process” appearing in the last paragraph refer to? A Pairing up successful inst ructions. B Sending instructions to the robot. C Generating new sets of instructions for evaluation. D All the above.

答案与题解 :

1. C A、B、D在第二段中都提到过。 C是错误的，因为文中说，教授们测试机器人是否会自己学会飞行，而且预先没有对翅膀扇动的方式进行数据设定。

2. B第三段描述了机器人如何学习飞行的过程。第一句和第二句是问题的答案。 3. A第四段主要是 Peter Bentley对飞行机器人的看法。他认为前文描述的进化过程只能使机器人有一些飞行的动作，而要让其起飞则永远不可能，因为不可能有如此大功率的发动机。所以 A是正确选项 4. B答案在第六段的第三句中。

5. D文章昀后一段具体描述在机器人的进化过程中，指令的进化过程。成功的指令配对后产生新一代的指令，将指令输入机辑人，经筛选再进行成功指令配对，再产生新一代指令，如此反复进行。所以 D是正确选项。

第十六篇 Japanese Drilling into Core of Earth

In what resembles a journey to the center of the Earth, Japanese scientists have launched the world?s first attempt to bore a hole into the red-hot core of a volcano and unlock the secrets of deadly eruption.

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A 50-meter-high oil-rig-like derrick perched on the scrubby slopes of Japan?s Mount Unzen will begin drilling through the volcano?s crust next week in a bidto sample the magma bubbling below.

The aim is to study how the liquefied rock causes menacing gas buildup, said team leader Setsuya Nakata, of the University of Tokyo?s Earthquake Research Institute.

“Gassing is important because it controls the explosivity of eruptions,” Nakata said. “The results can be expanded to anti-disaster research.”

Mount Unzen , a wind-swept 1.486-meter dome on the southern island of Kyushu, is a perfect model. It erupted in 1991, showering avalanches of hot rocks over a nearby town, killing 43 people and leaving nearly 2,300 homeless. Another 11.000 people were evacuated from the area until 1995, when the volcano had stabilized.

The results are particularly important to a nation like Japan, where the meteorological agency monitors 20 dangerous peaks. Perhaps Japan?s most famous volcano is snowcapped Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707 and sprinkled Tokyo with ash. The drilling on Mount Unzen will begin very soon from an altitude of 850 meters on its northwest slope. Scientists hope to tap a magma vent around sea level by August and extract a 200-meter-long core sample by summer 2004.

Boring into the glowing magma at that level would normally be impossible, because of its fiery 700 degree Celsius heat. Thus, a slurry of water will be pumped into the drill shaft to cool the magma and allow the drill head to cut through. Nakata said there is no danger of triggering another eruption.

词汇: rig/ri^ /n.钻探平台 bubble / 5bQbl/v.冒气，沸腾 derrick / 5derik/n.钻塔 liquefy /5likwifai/v.（使）液化 perch / pE:tF/v.位于 menace /5menEs/v.威胁 scrubby / 5skrQbi/adj.长满矮树丛的 dome /dEum/n.圆顶 explosivity /[iks5plEusiviti/n.爆炸性 meteorological /7mi:tjErE5lCdVikEl /adj.气象的 avalanche / 5AvE7lB:nF/n.雪崩 vent /vent/n.出口 evacuate /i5vAkjueit/v.疏散 sprinkle /5spriNkl /v.撒 stabilize /5steIbIlaIz/v.稳定 magma /5mA^mE /n.岩浆 crust /krQst/n.地壳 slurry /slurry/n.泥浆 unlock / 5Qn5lCk/v.解开 shaft /FB:ft/n.井注释: 1. in a bid: 企图，努力 a在 in a bid之后，可接动词不定式，如 : The two sides negotiated again and again in a bid to find a solution. 双方进行一次又一次的谈判，努力寻求一个解决方案。

2.below: below指的是 below the crust。 3.Scientists hope to tap a magma vent around sea level by August and extract a 200-mcterlong core sample by summer 2004:到 8月底，科学家希望在约为海平面高度的地方引出一个岩浆口，到 2004年夏末，提取长度为 200米的样本。 4. Nakata said there is 110 danger of triggering another eruption: Nakata说，不存在引发火山新一轮爆发的危险性。练习:

1. According to the passage, Mount Unzen A erupted in 1707. B erupted in 1991. C erupted in 1995.

D several times in the last century.

2. According to the passage, the study of the Mount Unzen volcano may benefit Japan in all the following aspects EXCEPT

A finding causes of volcano eruptions. B helping to launch anti-disaster research.

C looking into the connection between liquified rocks and gas buildup. D predicting volcano eruptions.

3.Why is this research project so important to Japan?

A. Because Japan has many living volcanos. B Because Japan wants to turn Mount Fuji to a dead volcano. C Because volcano gas could be a source of energy. D Because Japan is testing a new way of drilling into the earth.

4. The drilling site on Mount Unzen is A around the sea level. B on the northeast slope of the mountain. C about half way up the mountain. D as high as 1,486 meters.

5. The title of this passage Japanese Drilling into Core of Earth actually means that they A drill a hole into the core of a volcano. B bore into the rocks near the volcanic vent. C conduct an imagery journey to the core of a volcano. D regard

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