第一篇：2014职称英语新增文章——理工类B级完美版
2014职称英语教材理工类B级新增文章
一、阅读判断
第8篇：What Is a Dream?（B级）
What Is a Dream?
For centuries, people have wondered about the strange things that they dream about.Some psychologists say that this nighttime activity of the mind has no special meaning.Others, however, think that dreams are an important part of our lives.In fact, many experts believe that dreams can tell us about a person's mind and emotions.Before modem times, many people thought that dreams contained messages from God.It was only in the twentieth century that people started to study dreams in a scientific way.The Austrian psychologist, Sigmund Freud, was probably the first person to study dreams scientifically.In his famous book, The interpretation of Dreams(1900), Freud wrote that dreams are an expressions of a person's wishes.He believed that dreams allow people to express the feelings, thoughts, and fears that they are afraid to express in real life.The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung was once a student of Freud' s.Jung, however, had a different idea about dreams.Jung believed that the purpose of a dream was to communicate a message to the dreamer.He thought people could learn more about themselves by thinking about their dreams.For example, people who dream about falling may learn that they have too high an opinion of themselves.On the other hand, people who dream about being heroes may learn that they think too little of themselves.Modem-day psychologists continue to develop theories about dreams.For example, psychologist William Domhoff from the University of California, Santa Cruz, believes that dreams are tightly linked to a person's daily life, thoughts, and behavior.A criminal, for example, might dream about crime.Dornhoff believes that there is a connection between dreams and age.His research shows that children do not dream as much as adults.According to Domhoff, dreaming is a mental skill that needs time to develop.He has also found a link between dreams and gender.His studies show that the dreams of men and women are different.For example, the people in men's dreams are often other men, and the dreams often involve fighting.This is not true of women's dreams.3 Domhoff found this gender difference in the dreams of people from 11 cultures around the world, including both modem and traditional ones.Can dreams help us understand ourselves? Psychologists continue to try to answer this question in different ways.However, one thing they agree on this: If you dream that something terrible is going to occur,you shouldn't panic.The dream may have meaning, but it does not mean that some terrible event will actually take place.It's important to remember that the world of dreams is not the real world.词汇：
psychologist n.心理学家 psychiatrist n.精神病学家（医生）Austrian adj.奥地利的 gender n.性别
注释：
1.SigmundFreud西格蒙德.费洛伊德(1856-1939)，犹太人，奥地利精神病医生及精神分析学家。精神分析学派的创始人。他认为被压抑的欲望绝大部分是属于性的，性的扰乱是精神病的根本原因。著有《性学三论》《梦的释义》《图腾与禁忌》《日常生活的心理病理学》《精神分析引论》《精神分析引论新编》等
2.Carl Jung:卡尔.荣格，瑞士著名精神分析专家，分析心理学的创始人
3.For example.the people in men’s dreams are often other men，and the dreams often involve fighting.This is not true of women’s dreams.例如，男人做梦会梦到男人，并且常与打斗有关;女人做梦与男人则不同。
练习：
1.Not everyone agrees that dreams are meaningful.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
2.According to Freud,people dream about things that they cannot talk about.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
3.Jung believed that dreams did not help one to understand oneself.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
4.In the past,people believed that dreams involved emotions.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
5.According to Dornhoff,babies do not have the same ability to dream as adults do.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
6.Men and women dream about different things.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
7.Scientists agree that dreams predict the future.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned
1.A这句话恰好表达了本文第一段的意思。即有些心理学家认为，人脑睡眠中的活动没有特别意义;而有些人则认为，梦可以揭示人的思维和情感。.2.A第三段的最后一句讲的是弗洛伊德认为梦反映了人们在现实情况下害怕表达的情感、想法或恐惧。此句与本叙述一致。
3.B第四段的第二句和第三句：Jung believed that the purpose of a dream was to communicate a message to the dreamer.(荣格认为梦的用途是向做梦者传递一个信息)He thought people could learn more about themselves by thinking about their dreams.(他认为人们通过思考所做的梦能够更好地了解自己)。他给出了两个例子来说明他的论点。
4.C文中没有提及。
5.A依据第六段，Domhoff研究得出：婴儿不像成人做那么多的梦，做梦是一种需要时间提高的技能。这就说明了婴儿不具备成人做梦的能力。
6.A本文第七段讲述了做梦与性别的关系。第二句更指出男人和女人做的梦是不同的。
7.B最后一段的倒数第二句讲的是：梦可能会有意义，但并不表示一些恐怖事情就一定会发生。因而不能预测未来。
译文：
什么是梦？
许多世纪以来，人们都对他们梦到的奇异事情感到疑惑。一些心理学家认为，这种大脑的夜间活动并没有特殊含义。另一些人则认为，梦是生命中重要的一部分。实际上，许多专家认为，梦能揭示人的心理和情感活动。
近代以前，很多人认为梦传递的是上帝的信息。直到20世纪，人们才开始从科学的角度研究梦。奥地利心理学家西格蒙德·弗洛伊德或许是第一个用科学的方法研究梦的人。在他的著作《梦的解析》(1900)中，弗洛伊德写道，梦是一个人愿望的表达。他认为梦打开了一扇窗，让人们得以表达在生活中不敢表达的情感、思想和恐惧。
瑞士精神病学家卡尔·荣格曾是弗洛伊德的学生，但他对梦的看法与弗洛伊德不同。他认为，做梦的目的是要给做梦的人传递一种信息。而人们想想自已做的梦，便能对自己有一个更深刻的了解。比如，如果梦到从高处坠落，那么他应该反思自己是不是白视过高。反过来，如果梦中自己成了英雄，应该想想平时可能太看低自己了。
现代心理学家还在继续发展关于梦的理论，来自位于圣克鲁兹的加利福尼亚大学的威廉·多姆霍夫就是其中一位。他认为，梦境和一个人的日常生活、思想和行为都紧密相关，比方说，一个罪犯就可能梦到犯罪。
多姆霍夫还认为，梦和年龄也有关系。他的研究表明，孩子不像成人做梦做的那么多。他认为，做梦也是一项心理机能，也需要随着年龄增长而发展。多姆霍夫还发现梦和性别之间的关系。通过研究，他发现男性和女性的梦境常常是不同的。例 如，在男性梦境中出现的通常是其他男性，而且常与打斗有关，而女性的梦境则不是这样。多姆霍夫通过研究包括来自现代文化以及传统文化背景在内的11种不同文化背景的人群梦境中的性别差异得出了上述结论。
梦能帮助我们更好地理解自己吗？心理学家还在尝试通过不同方式来解答这个问题，不过，有一件事他们是意见一致的：如果你梦到有不好的事要发生，不要慌张。梦可能会有意义，但也不意味着你梦到的一些恐怖事情就一定会发生。要记住，梦中的世界并不是真实的世界。
第10篇：The Biology of Music（B级）
The Biology of Music
Humans use music as a powerful way to communicate.It may also play an important role in love.But what is music, and how does it work its magic? Science does not yet have all the answers.What are two things that make humans different from animals? One is language, and the other is music.It is true that some animals can sing(and many birds sing.better than a lot of people).However,the songs of animals, such as birds and whales, are very limited.It is also true that humans, not animals ,have developed musical instruments.Music is strange stuff.It is clearly different from language.However, people can use music to communicate things--especially their emotions.When music is combined with speech in a song, it is a very powerful form of communication.But, biologically speaking, what is music?
If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain.The scientific evidence suggests that this is true.Sometimes people who suffer brain damage lose their ability to process language.However, they don't automatically lose their musical abilities.For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke in 1953.It injured the left side of his brain.He could no longer speak or understand speech.He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later.On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.This shows that the brain processes music and language separately.By studying the physical effects of music on the body, scientists have also learned a lot about how music influences the emotions.But why does music have such a strong effect on us? That is a harder question to answer.Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love have a strong connection.Music requires special talent, practice, and physical ability.That's why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone's.mate.For example, singing in tune or playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control.You also need a good memory to remember the notes.And playing or singing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition.Finally ,when a man sings to the woman he loves(or vice versa), it may be a way of showing off.However ,Miller's theory still doesn't explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply.For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.词汇：
automatically adv.自动地
note n．音符 stroke n．中风
注释：
1.It is also true that humans，not animals，have developed musical instruments：人研制出了乐器，而动物则不能。develop：研制，例如：Scientists are developing new drugs to treat cancer.科学家们正在研发新药用以治疗癌症。
练习：
1.Humans,but not animals, can sing.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
2.People can use music to communicate their emotions.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned.3.We use the same part of the brain for music and language.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
4.Geoffery Miler has done research on music and emotions.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
5.It's hard for humans to compose music.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
6.Memory is not an important part in singing in tune.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
7.Scientists does not know all the answers about the effects of music on humans.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
答案与题解：
1.B 第二段的第三句：It is true that some animals can sing(and many birds sing better than a lot of people).可以看出有些动物会唱歌，而不只人类会唱歌。
2.A第三段的第三句：However，people can use music to communicate things—especially their emotions.这句清楚表明，人们可以用音乐来表达情感。
3.B第四段说明：科学证明人们用大脑的不同区域处理语言和音乐。在第五段，作者用Vissarion Shebalin的例子进一步说明人脑处理语言和音乐的位置不同，Shebalin中风以后不能讲话也听不懂别人的话，但他却能创作乐曲。
4.A 第六段的第四句：Geoffrey Miller，a researcher at University College，London，thinks that music and love have a strong connection.这句说明Miller对音乐和爱(情感)的关系进行了研究，他得出的结论是：音乐和爱有密切的关联。
5.C文中没有提及创作乐曲是否困难。
6.B第六段有一句：You also need a good memory to remember the notes.此句说明必须具备好的记忆力记音符才能唱得符合调子。
7.A最后一段讲的是：科学家们需要做更多的研究才能解释为什么有些声音影响我们的情感会如此之深。也就是说，科学家不能全部解释音乐对人类的影响。译文：第十篇 音乐生物学
人们把音乐作为一种高效的交流方式，在爱情中它也可能会起到重要的作用。但是音乐是什么？它又是如何起到神奇的效果？科学界还没有给出答案。
哪两项事物使得人类不同于动物？一个是语言，另一个是音乐。当然一些动物会唱歌(并且许多鸟唱得比很多人都好听)，但是，动物的歌声是有限的，比如鸟类和鲸鱼。同样，是人类而不是动物开发出了乐器。
音乐是个奇怪的东西，它与语言有明显的不同。但是，人们能够用音乐去传达——尤其是情感。当音乐与歌曲中的语言结合在一起的时候，它就是一种强有力的表达方式。但是，从生物学来讲，音乐是什么？
如果音乐与语言真的不同，那么我们应该在大脑的不同区域内对音乐和语言进行加工处理，科学证据也证实了这一点。
有时，受过脑损伤的人会丧失他们处理语言的能力。但是，他们不会自动地丢失音乐才能。比如，维沙翁·舍巴林，一位苏联作曲家，在1953年得了中风。他的大脑的左半边受到损害，他再也不能说话或是理解别人的话，但是他仍然能够谱曲，直到十年后他离开人世。另一方面，中风有时会使人们丧失音乐能力，但是他们仍然能够说话也能听懂别人的话。这就说明大脑是分别加了处理音乐和语言的。通过研究音乐在人身体上的物理效应，科学家也了解到许多关于音乐是如何影响情感的。但是，为什么音乐对我们有如此强烈的影响？这是一个更难回答的问题。伦敦大学学院的研究员杰弗里·米勒认为音乐和爱有紧密的关，音乐需要特殊才能、练习和体能。这也许是一种方式让你展示你适合做某人的伴侣。比如，按调唱歌或者弹奏乐器需要有很好的肌肉控制力。你也需要有好的记忆力来记住音符。能正确地演奏或者唱出这些音符也证明你的听力也非常好。所以，当一个男人唱给他心爱的女人时(反之亦然)音乐就可能成为一种展示的方式。
然而，米勒的理论仍然不能解释为什么声音的特定结合可以深深地影响我们的情感。对于科学家来说，这显然是一个需要深入研究的领域。
二、阅读理解
第29篇：I'll Be Bach（B级）
I'll Be Bach
Composer David Cope is the inventor of a computer program that writes original works of classical music.It took Cope 30 years to develop the software.Now most people can't tell the difference between music by the famous German composer J.S.Bach(1685-1750)and the Bach-like compositions from Cope's computer.It all started in 1980 in the United States, when Cope was trying to write an opera.He was having trouble thinking of new melodies, so he wrote a computer program to create the melodies.At first this music was not easy to listen to.What did Cope do? He began to rethink how human beings compose music.He realized that composers' brains work like big databases.First, they take in all the music that they have ever heard.Then they take out the music that they dislike.Finally, they make new music from what is left.According to Cope, only the great composers are able to create the database accurately, remember it, and form new musical patterns from it.Cope built a huge database of existing music.He began with hundreds of works by Bach.The software analyzed the data: it broke it down into smaller pieces and looked for patterns.It then combined the pieces into new patterns;Before long,the program could compose short Bach-like works.They weren't good, but it was a start.Cope knew he had more work todo-he had a whole opera to write.He continued to improve the software.Soon it could analyze more.complex music.He also added many other composers, including his own work, to the database.，A few years later, Cope's computer program, called “Emmy”, was ready to help him with his opera.The process required a lot of collaboration between the composer and Emmy.Cope listened to the computer's musical ideas and used the ones that he liked.With Emmy, the opera took only two weeks to finish.It was called Cradle Falling, and it was a great success!Cope received some of the best reviews of his career, but no one knew exactly how he had composed the work.Since that first opera, Emmy has written thousands of compositions.Cope still gives Emmy feedback on what he likes and doesn't like of her music ,but she is doing most of the hard work of composing these days!
词汇：
original adj．有独创性的 collaboration n．合作 review n．评论
feedback n．反馈
注释：
1.J.S.Bach：约翰?塞巴斯蒂安?巴赫(德语：Johann Sebastian Bach，1685年3月31日--1750年7月28日)，巴洛克时期的德国作曲家，杰出的管风琴、小提琴、大键琴演奏家，同作曲家亨德尔和泰勒曼齐名。巴赫被普遍认为是音乐史上最重要的作曲家之一，并被尊称为“西方‘现代音乐’之父”，也是西方文化史上最重要的人物之一。
练习：
l.The music composed by David cope is about
A classical music.B pop music.C drama.D country music.2.By developing a computer software, David Cope aimed A to be like Bach.B to study Bach.C to write an opera.D to create a musical database
3.What did Cope realize about a great composer's brain?
A It forms new musical patterns all by itself.B It writes a computer program.C It can recognize any music patterns.D It creates an accurate database.4.Who is Emmy?
A a database
B a computer software
C a composer who helped David D an opera
5.We can infer from the passage that
A David Cope is a computer programmer.B David Cope loves music.C Bach's music helped him a lot.D Emmy did much more work than a composer.答案与题解：
1.A第一段的第一句：David Cope发明了一个可以编写出古典音乐的电脑软件。
2.c从第二段的第一句可以看出，David编写电脑软件的目的是写歌剧。A、B和D都属于创作歌剧的一部分。
3.D第二段的后半部分讲的是伟大的歌剧作者与一般的歌剧作者的不同之处是通过对数据进行准确的构建、记忆而后创作出新的音乐形式。
4.B从第五段第一句可知Emmy是一计算机软件。’
5.D从本文第一句可知David是一个作曲家，不是计算机程序员，所以排除A;B、C内容没有提及;从本文的第五段和第六段可知，Emmy大大提高了David的创作速度，最后一句，大部分困难的工作都由Emmy来做，所以作曲家只干一小部分工作。
译文：我也能成为巴赫
作曲家大卫·科普发明了一个电脑软件，它能写出古典音乐的原创作品。科普花了30年才完成这个软件，现在科普的电脑写出的作品与德国注明作曲家J.S.巴赫写的作品很相似，很少有人能分辨出其中的不同。
这一切始于1980年的美国，那时科普正在写一部戏剧，但是他无法创作出新的旋律，于是他编写了一个电脑软件来帮他编曲。最开始的时候，软件写出的乐曲并不动听。科普是怎么做的呢？他开始重新考虑人们作曲的方式。他认识到作曲家的大脑就像一个大数据库，他们先是吸收他们听过的所有音乐，然后去除他们不喜欢的，最后再根据留下的音乐来创作出新的旋律。科普认为，只有伟大的作曲家才能建立好数据库，并能熟记于心，从而创造出新的音乐。
科普根据现有的音乐建立了庞大的数据库，最开始的时候，数据库包含了几百部巴赫的作品。科普的软件将这些数据进行分析：首先它将音乐拆解成小的片段，从中找出固定模式，然后将片段组合成新的模式。不久，这个软件就能够写出和巴赫风格很像的小曲子。它们并不完美，但这只是个开始。
科普知道，他要做的还有很多——他得写出一整部歌剧。他进一步完善他的软件，不久他就能够写出更复杂的音乐了。他还在数据库中加入了一些其他作曲家的作品，其中也包括他自己的作品。
几年后，科普的软件“艾米”已经能够帮助他创作歌剧了。创作过程需要作曲家和艾米共同配合。科普聆听艾米写出的音乐片段，从中选取他认为好的。有了艾米的帮助，科普只用了两个星期就完成这部歌剧，叫做《摇篮坠落》。演出获得巨大成功，科普也得到了他有生以来最高的评价，但是没有人知道他究竟是怎样创作出这部歌剧的。
从那以后，艾米已经写了上千部作品。科普现在依然会给艾米反馈，告诉她自己哪些音乐是他喜欢的，哪些是不喜欢的，但是现在大部分艰巨的工作是由艾米来完成的。
三、补全短文
第10篇： How Deafness Makes It Easier to Hear（B级）
How Deafness Makes It Easier to Hear
Most people think of Beethoven's hearing loss as an obstacle to composing music.However, he produced his most powerful works in the last decade of his life when he was completely deaf.This is one of the most glorious cases of the triumph of will over adversity, but his biographer, Maynard Solomon, takes a different view.l.In his deaf world Beethoven could experiment, free from the sounds of the outside world, free to create new forms and harmonies.Hearing loss does not seem to affect the musical ability of musicians who become deaf.They continue to “hear” music with as much, or greater, accuracy than if they were actually hearing it being played.2.He described a fascinating phenomenon that happened within three months:“my former musical experiences began to play back to me.I couldn't differentiate between what I heard and real hearing.After many years, it is still rewarding to listen to these playbacks, to 'hear' music which is new to me and to find many quiet accompaniments for ali of my moods.”
How is it that the world we see, touch, hear, and smell is both “out there” and at the same time within us? There is no better example of this connection between external stimulus and internal perception than the cochlear implant.3.However,it might be possible to use the brain's remarkable power to make sense of the electrical signals the implant produces.When Michael Edgar first “switched on” his cochlear implant, the sounds he heard were not at all Clear.Gradually, with much hard work, he began to identify everyday sounds.For example,“ The insistent ringing of the telephone became clear almost at once.”
The primary purpose of the implant is to allow communication with others.When people spoke to Eagar, he heard their voices “coming through like a long-distance telephone call on a poor connection.” But when it came to his beloved music, the implant was of no help.4.He said, “I play the piano as I used to and hear it in my head at the same time.The movement of my fingers and the feel of the keys give added ' clarity' to hearing in my head.”
Cochlear implants allow the deaf to hear again in a way that is not perfect, but which can change their lives.5.Even the most amazing cochlear implants would have been useless to Beethoven as he composed his Ninth Symphony at the end of his life.注释：
1.the triumph of will over adversity:the successful overcoming of difficulty through determination用意志力战胜不幸
2.I couldn't differentiate between what/heard and real hearing: 我无法区别真正听到的和曾经听过的声音。
3.cochlear implant:a device, surgically placed in the ear, that changes sounds into electric signals 人工耳蜗;耳蜗植入
4.But when it came to his beloved mumble,flag, implant was of no help.但是，当听到钟爱的音乐时，人工耳蜗就毫无用处(我不用人工耳蜗就能听出来)。
5.The movement of my fingers and the feel of the keys give added clarity to hearing in my head:我手指的移动以及对琴键的感觉使我听到的声音在脑海里更加清晰
练习：
A.No man-made device could replace the ability to hear.B.When he wanted to appreciate music,Eagar played the piano.C.Still, as Michael Eagar discovered, when it comes to musical harmonies,hearing is irrelevant.D.Michael Eagar, who died in 2003,became deaf at the age of 21.E.Beethoven produced his most wonderful works after he became deaf.F.Solomon argues that Beethoven's deafness “heightened” his achievement as a composer.答案与题解：
1.F本段的开头讲：贝多芬的例子是一个意志力战胜失聪的极好的例子。但是，他的传记作家Maynard Solomon却持不同的意见。贝多芬的失聪不是一种灾难;相反，对他成为作曲家起到了促进作用。后一句解释了失聪是如何使贝多芬更好地创作。
2.D该句是本段的开头，根据后一句：他描述了在3个月之内发生的奇妙的现象：我之前的音乐经历开始在脑中回放。再有后一句的what I heard and real hearing可以判定D是恰当的。
3.A依据前一句：只有人工耳蜗才能使外部刺激和内心感知联系起来(失聪的人通过人工耳蜗听到外部的声音)。人工耳蜗就是一种man-made device，后一句也是在讲人工耳蜗的功能。所以A是对的。
4.B依据后一句的play the piano呼应When he wanted to appreciate music.Eagar played the piano，可以断定答案为B。
5.C前一句讲人工耳蜗的作用：它能使失聪的人听到声音，尽管不完美，但改变了他们的生活;Still表示转折，该句承上启下，虽然人工耳蜗能帮助失聪的人，但 谈到音乐的和声时听力就无关紧要了(听力不起作用)。所以后一句讲贝多芬在他生命的最后时刻创作第九交响曲时，无论多么完美的人工耳蜗对他来说都没有用。
译文：第十篇 如何让失聪的人更容易听见
大多数人把贝多芬的听力受损看作是他作曲的障碍。然而，他的最有力量的作品正是在他人生的最后十年里创作出来的，那时他完全失聪。
这是最值得称道的用意志战胜不幸的案例之一，但是他的传记作家梅纳德·所罗门却持不同的观点。梅纳德认为，贝多芬的失聪“促进了他作为作曲家的成就，在他完全失聪的世界里，他能摆脱外在世界声音的干扰，自由地创作新的表现形式与和声。”
听力受损似乎不会影响失聪的音乐家的音乐才能。他们能继续“听见”音乐，与他们能真正听见音乐相比，他们“听”得同样准确，甚至更准确。
2003年去世的迈克尔·伊加，在他21岁时失聪。他曾经描绘过一幅发生在三个月内的迷人的事情：“我之前的音乐经历开始在脑中回放，我无法区别真正听到的和曾经听过的东西。许多年以后，听到这些回放，“听见”对我来说是新鲜的音乐，为我所有的情绪找到伴唱仍然是有所收益的。”
内心的感受？把外在刺激和内在感知相结合的最好的例子就是耳蜗植入。没有任何人工的装置能代替听觉能力，但是，利用大脑非凡的能力来理解植入物产生的电信号还是有可能的。
当迈克尔·伊加最先“开启”题的人工耳蜗时，他听到的声音一点都不清楚。经过艰苦的努力，他渐渐地开始辨认出日常的声音，比如他说道“持续的电话响声几乎是立刻就变得清晰了。”
耳蜗植入最主要的目的就是能够与人交流。当人们与伊加交谈时，他能听到他们的声音“像是从接触不良的长途电话中传来的”。但是当听他钟爱的音乐时，耳蜗植入就毫无用处。每当伊加想要欣赏音乐时，他就开始弹钢琴。他说“我像往常那样弹奏钢琴，同一时间在头脑中就听见它。我手指的移动以及对琴键的感觉使得头脑中听到的声音更加“清晰”。
耳蜗植入让耳聪的人以一种不完美的方式再次听见声音，但是它改变了他们的生活。尽管如此，正如迈克尔·伊加发现的那样，当涉及到音乐和声时，听力就无关紧要了。甚至最完美的耳蜗植入对贝多芬在他生命的最后阶段创作第九交响曲也毫无用处。
第二篇：2014全国职称英语理工类新增文章--小抄版
2014年职称英语理工类
第二部分 阅读判断第八篇 What Is a Dream?
1．Not everyone agrees that dreams are meaningful.2．According to Freud, people dream about things that they
cannot talk about.A Right
3．Jung believed that dreams did not help one to understand
oneself.4．In the past, people believed that dreams involved emotions.5．According to Domhoff, babies do not have the same ability
to dream as adults do.6．Men and women dream about different things.A Right7．Scientists agree that dreams predict the future.*第十篇The Biology of Music：
1．Humans, but not animals, can sing.2．People can use music to communicate their emotions.A
3．We use the same part of the brain for music and language.4．Geoffery Miler has done research on music and emotions5．It‟s hard for humans to compose music.6．Memory is not an important part in singing in tune.7．Scientists does not know all the answers about the effects of music on humans.第四部分 阅读理解第二十九篇I’ll Be Bach 1．The music composed by David cope is about 2．By developing a computer software，David cope aimed 3．What did cope realize about a great composer‟s brain?
4．Who is Emmy? 5．We can infer from the passage that D Emmy did
much more work than a composer.第五部分 补全短文第十篇How Deafness Makes It Easier to Hear
Most people think of Beethoven‟s hearing loss as an obstacle to composing music.However, he produced his most powerful works in the last decade of his life when he was completely deaf.This is one of the most glorious cases of the triumph of will over adversity1, but his biographer, Maynard Solomon, takes a different view._In his deaf world Beethoven could experiment, free from the sounds of the outside world, free to create new forms and harmonies.Hearing loss does not seem to affect the musical ability of musicians who become deaf.They continue to “hear” music with as much, or greater, accuracy than if they were actually hearing it being played._2_ He described a fascinating phenomenon that happened within three months: “my former musical experiences began to play back to me.I couldn‟t differentiate between what I heard and real hearing.2 After many years, it is still rewarding to listen to these play backs, to „ hear‟ music which is new to me and to find many quiet accompaniments for all of my moods.”
How is it that the world we see，touch，hear，and
smell is both “out there” and at the same time within us? There is no better example of this connection between external stimulus and internal perception than the cochlear implant3.__3 However, it might be possible to use the brain‟s remarkable power to make sense of the electrical signals the implant produces.When Michael Edgar first “switched on” his cochlear implant, the sounds he heard were not at all clear.Gradually, with much hard work, he began to identify everyday sounds.For example, “The insistent ringing of the telephone became clear almost at once.”
The primary purpose of the implant is to allow
communication with others.When people spoke to Eagar, he heard their voices “coming through like a long-distance telephone call on a poor connection.” But when it came to his beloved music, the implant was of no help.4 __4_ He said, “I play the piano as I used to and hear it in my head at the same time.The movement of my fingers and the feel of the keys give added „ clarity‟ to hearing in my head.5”
Cochlear implants allow the deaf to hear again in a way that is not perfect，but which can change their lives.the most amazing cochlear implants would have been useless to Beethoven as he composed his Ninth Symphony at the end of his life.
第三篇：2012年职称英语理工类新增文章(带习题翻译)
2012年职称英语理工类
新增文章
阅读理解（6篇）
…… …… …… ……3页
第六篇 Making Light of1 Sleep 第十九篇 Graphene's Superstrength*第三＋八篇 “Life Form Found” on Saturn's Titan *第四十篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety +第四＋五篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety +第四十六篇Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as “Ecosystem Engineers”
完形填空（6篇）
…… …… …… ……20页
第三篇 Germs on Banknotes
第十篇 Chicken Soup for the Soul：Comfort Food Fights Loneliness *第十一篇 Climate Change Poses Major Risks for Unprepared Cities *第十二篇 Free Statins With Fast Food Could Neutralize Heart Risk +第十三篇 Solar Power without Solar Cells +第十五篇 “Liquefaction” Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage
注：
1、+表示A级文章；*表示B即文章；其他为C级文章；
2、阅读理解，请参见第3页；完形填空，请参见第20页； 3、2012年词汇部分与2011年教材相比未作任何变化。
阅读理解
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 3 upfor several hours more.And the light coming from your computer screen or TV could be pushing you to stay up even later.This shift is natural for teenagers.But staying up very late and sleeping late can get your body's clock out of sync 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，RI.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:'keidiən/ adj.昼夜节奏的，生理节奏的 adolescent/ædəu'lesənt/ n．青少年；adj．青少年的 puberty/ 'pju:bəti/ n．发育；青春期 sync/siŋk/ n.（口语）同步；和谐，协调
synchronize/'siŋkrənaiz / 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：.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.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。
第十九篇
Graphene's Superstrength1
Big technology comes in tiny packages.New cell phones and personal computers get smaller every year，which means these electronics require even smaller components on the inside.Engineers are looking for creative ways to build these components，and they've turned their
2eyes to graphene，a superthin material，made of carbon，that could change the future of electronics.This year's Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov from the University of Manchester4，UK.for the discovery of graphene.Graphene isn't just small, it's“the thinnest possible material in this world，” says Novoselov.He calls it a“wonder material.”It's so thin that you would need to stack about 25,000 sheets just to make a pile as thick as a piece of ordinary white paper.If you were to hold a sheet of graphene in your fingers，you'd have no idea because you wouldn't be able to see it.Carbon is one of the most abundant elements in the universe.Every known kind of life contains carbon.Graphene is a sheet of carbon，but only one atom thick.You don't have to look far to find grapheme —it's all around you.If you want this high-tech wonderstuff6，all you need is a pencil，paper and a little adhesive tape.Use the pencil to shade a small area on the paper, and then apply a small piece of adhesive tape over the area7.When you pull up the tape，you'll see that it pulls up a thin layer of some of the shading from your pencil.That layer is called graphite，one of the softest minerals in the world.Now stick the same piece of tape on another sheet of paper and pull the tape up —there should be an even thinner layer，this time left on the paper.Now imagine that you do this over and over，until you get the thinnest possible layer of material on the paper.This layer would be only one atom thick，and you wouldn't be able to see it.Graphite is made of layers of graphene，so when you get to the thinnest possible layer，you've found graphene.词汇：
graphene/ 'græfi:n/ n．石墨烯
abundant/ə’bʌndənt / adj．丰富的，充裕的 atom/ 'ætəm/n．原子
adhesive/ əd'hi:siv/ n．胶粘剂； adj.黏着的 stack/stæk/ v．使成堆，堆放 graphite / 'græfait / n．石墨
注释：
51.superstrength：超强的力量。该词是一个合成词，由两部分组成，super（超级的）和strength（力量）。2.superthin：超薄。见注释1。
3.Nobel Prize for Physics ：诺贝尔物理学奖
4.the University of Manchester：曼彻斯特大学。这是一所位于英国曼彻斯特市的公立研究型大学，创建于1851 年。
5.If you were to hold a sheet of graphene in your fingers：句子使用的是虚拟语气，因为不可能将几乎肉眼看不到的石墨烯放在指尖上。
6.wonderstuff：神奇物。该词为合成词，由wonder（神奇）和stuff（东西）两个词构成。wonderstuff 指的是第二段提到的wonder material。
7.apply a small piece of adhesive tape over„ ：将一小片胶带敷在„„上。
练习：.What would change the future of electronics according to engineers? A Big technology.B Creative ways.C Graphene.D Both A and B.2.According to the second and third paragraphs，what is true of graphene? A It can be used to make paper.B It is possible to see it with our naked eye.C It is easy to find graphene.D It is possibly the thickest material in the world.3.Which of the following can be used to replace the word “apply”in paragraph 4? A request.B polish.C use.D put.4.Which of the following is NOT meant in the last two paragraphs? A Graphene is made of graphite，one of the softest materials in the world.B Graphite is made of layers of graphene，the thinnest material in the world.C When we get to the thinnest possible layer of graphite，we find graphene.D With a pencil，a sheet of paper and a piece of adhesive tape，we can find graphene.5.Graphene's superstrength lies in the fact that A It is the thinnest material in the world.B It is made of the most abundant elements in the world.C It can help to make electronic components smaller.D It helps engineers to produce more sensitive electronic products.答案与题解：
1.C 第一段最后一句提供了答案：工程师将眼光投向石墨烯，一种由碳原子组成的超薄材料，这种材料能够改变电子产品的未来。
2.C 第二段倒数第二句告诉我们，25,000 层石墨烯才能堆砌成一张普通白纸的厚度，这是为了说明石墨烯是多么的薄，而不是说它可以用来造纸，所以A不是正确答案。第三段最后一句说明石墨烯就在我们周围，因此C是答案。B和D的表述内容都与该两段内容不符合。
3.D apply...over：将„„涂（敷）在„„上。
4.A 最后两段告诉我们，用一张纸，一支铅笔和一片胶带就能找到石墨烯；无数层石墨烯构成石墨，当铅笔留在纸上的石墨被胶带剥离到最薄一层时，我们就得到了石墨烯。因此只有A不是最后两段的表述内容。
5.C 第一段提供了答案。随着电子产品越来越小，需要更小的电子组件（components)，而石墨烯作为最薄的材料可以帮助工程师实现这一目标。这就是石墨烯力量所在。
*第三＋八篇 “Life Form Found” on Saturn's Titan
Scientists say they have discovered hints of alien life1 on the Saturn's moon2.The discovery of a sort of life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini,which pointed to,the existence of methane-based form of life on Saturn's biggest moon.Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are“breathing” in Titan's dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titan's planet-like surface covered with methane lakes and rivers.This,they say,points to the existence of some“bugs”5 consuming the hydrogen at the surface of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.“We suggested hydrogen consumption because it's the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan,similar to the way we consume oxygen on Earth,”says NASA scientist Chris McKay.“If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life,it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth.” To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere,though there are liquid-water-based microorganisms on Earth that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product.On Titan, where temperatures are around 90 Kelvin6(minus 290 degrees Farenheit),a methanebased organism would have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes, but not water itself.Water is frozen solid on Titan's surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.Scientists had expected the Sun's interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of acetylene on Titan's surface.But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titan's surface can very well have a non-biological explanation,said Mark Allen,a principal investigator7 of the NASA Titan team.“Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-biological explanations are addressed,”Allen said.“We have a lot of work to do to rule out8 possible non-biological explanations.It is more likely that a chemical process,without biology,can explain these results.” 词汇：
Saturn /'sætən/ n．土星 methane/'mi:θein/ n．甲烷，沼气 Titan/'taitən/ n．土卫六 acetylene/ə'setili:n/ n．乙炔 alien/'eiljən/ n．外星人；adj．外星球的；相异的 conservatism/kən'sʒ:vətizəm/ n．保守主义,守旧
3注释：
1.hints of alien life：外星生命迹象。
2.the Saturn's moon：指土卫六（Titan)。土卫六又称泰坦星，是土星卫星中最大的一颗。3.NASA：美国国家航空航天局的缩写，全称是： National Aeronautics and Space Administration。4.spacecraft Cassini：卡西尼号探测器，以出生于意大利的法国天文学家卡西尼的名字命名，其任务是环绕土星飞行，对土星及其大气、光环、卫星和磁场进行深人考察。1997 年10 月15日，重六吨的“卡西尼”号星际探测器被发射飞往土星的轨道。这是上世纪发射的最后一艘行星际探测的大飞船。“卡西尼”号用了将近七年时间，在2004 年7月1日飞达土星轨道。5.bugs：微生物。非正式口语表达，所以使用了引号。
6.Kelvin：可翻译成“绝对温度”。Kelvin Scale，绝对温标，开氏温标，是由Kelvin 勋爵于19世纪中叶发明的温度计量方法，其零度相当于摄氏一273.15“ C，被认为是宇宙中最低温度。这种温度计量方法多为科学家使用。
7.principal investigator：研究项目负责人 8.rule out：排除„„的可能性
练习：.What have scientists found about Saturn? A They have found a new moon orbiting Saturn.B They have found methane-based life on Saturn.C They have found methane-based life on Titan.D They have found earthlike life on a Saturn's moon.2.What do scientists say about Titan? A There are life clues there.B There is acetylene there.C Water on Titan exists in the form of ice.D Rivers and lakes there contain life formls.3.To date,scientists have not yet detected this form of life.(paragraph 5)What does”this form of life“ refer to? A Water-based life.B Methane-based life.C Liquid-water-based microorganisms.D Gas-based life.4.What can be inferred from what Allen said? A Scientists have different arguments over whether there is life on Titan.B Scientists all agree that there is life on Titan.C Scientists all suggest that a biological explanation is reasonable.D Scientists all agree that a non-biological chemical reaction is a possible explanation.5.Which of the following can replace the title of this passage? A Earthlike Living Beings Found on Titan.B Finding of One More Moon of Saturn.C Titan,a New Satellite Found.D A different Life Form, a Possibility.答案与题解： 1.C 短文的第一段提供了答案。该段告诉读者，科学家在土星的卫星土卫六（Titan）上发现了生命的迹象，这些生命的存在是以甲烷为基础的。
2.A根据第二段“Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are 'breathing' in Titan's dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen.”，说明土卫六（Titan）有生命迹象。因此A是答案。
3.B this form of life 指的是土卫六（Titan）上以甲烷为生命基础呼吸氢气的生物，即该文讨论的主题。
4.A科学家至今对土卫六是否存在生物有不同的观点和解释。Allen 说要做出土卫六上有生
物的结论，首先必须对Titan 上没有生物的观点做出回应；要排除土卫六上可能没有生物的观点，我们还须付出努力。所以只有A是正确选择。
5.D该短文的主题是，科学家在土卫六（Titan）上发现了一种与地球生物不同的生命形式的迹象，即以甲烷为生命基础呼吸氢气的生物，但科学家还未能最后验证这一发现。第四段中的一个句子能够揭示该短文的主题：“If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life, it would bedoubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth.”
*第四十篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, the psychologists at the University of Chicagol1 Sian Beilock and Susan Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn:If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math.”If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement3 said Levine.In other words,girls may end up learning math anxiety from their teachers.The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are,then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn--and teach.The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone.Researchers use the word “anxiety” to describe such feelings: anxiety is uneasiness or worry.The new study found that when a teacher has anxiety about math, that feeling can influence how her female students feel about math.The study involved 65 girls,52 boys and 17 first-and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest.The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed that a math superstar had to be a boy.Then the researchers turned to the teachers:To find out which teachers were anxious about math,the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt.A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example,was probably anxious about math.Boys,on average,were unaffected by a teacher's anxiety.On average,girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did.Plus,on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy,20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math--and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.54“This is an interesting study,but the results need to be interpreted as preliminary and in need of replication with a larger sample,” said David Geary,a psychologist at the University of Missouri7 in Columbia.词汇：
snowball /'snəubɔ:l/雪球；滚雪球式增长的事 replication/repli'keiʃən/ n ．重复，复现 superstar/'sju:pəsta:/ n．超级明星
练习：
1.University of Chicago：芝加哥大学。位于美国伊利诺伊州芝加哥市，是世界一流的私立大学，创建于1891 年。
2.keep getting math-anxious female teachers：一直由对数学有焦虑感的女教师教授数学。此处getting是having的意思，math-anxious指的是上文中提到的对数学没有自信的心理状态。另见第三段最后一句对anxiety的解释。
3.snowball effect on their math achievement：在数学成就上的雪球效应。其含义是：在数学上越来越没有信心。
4.end up learning math anxiety from their teachers：最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。End up doing something：最终会做某事 5.sales receipt：销售清单
6.in need of replication with a larger sample：需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证。replication 在量化实证研究中的意思是“重复（实验）”。
7.the University of Missouri：密苏里大学。位于密苏里州，是美国一所公立研究型大学，创建于1839年。
练习：
1.What is the result of the research at the University of Chicago,according to the first paragraph? A Girls comfortable with their own math skills are better than boys at math.B Girls uncomfortable with their own math skills are not as good as boys at math.C Female teachers' math skills have influence over girl students' math skills.D Female teachers' confidence in their math skills is related to girl's math skills.2.What is implied in the third paragraph? A Math teachers,like math learners,do not like the subject due to its difficulty.B A difficult subject like math may affect teachers' confidence in teaching the subject.C Teachers are more anxious teaching math than their students learning math.D Math is so difficult that no teachers like to teach it.3.According to the experiment,those teachers were probably anxious about math when they felt A nervous memorizing the numbers of a sales receipt.B helpless saving the numbers of a sales receipt.C uneasy reading the numbers of a sales receipt.D hopeless filling in the numbers of a sales report.4.The sixth paragraph tells us that the research findings A prove a strong link between female teachers' math anxiety and their female students' math achievements.B show that male students are less likely to be affected by their math anxiety than female students.C provide strong evidence that math superstars are more likely to be males than females.D discover a strong link between teachers' math anxiety and their students' math achievements.5.David Geary thinks that A the study is interesting but it is based on unreliable research process.B the research results need to be retested based on a larger sample.C the research results need to be reinterpreted to be meaningful.D the study is well based and produces significant results.答案与题解：
1.D 该段告诉我们女教师的想法（what female teachers think）和女学生的学习（what female students learn）之间有很大的关联度，也就是说，女教师如果对自己的数学技能没有自信，她的女学生很可能相信男孩子会在数学方面超过女孩子。
2.B 第三段的大意是，数学对任何人来说都可能有难度（The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone)，如同学生，教师也会觉得数学难学和难教，这就是研究者所言的焦虑。所以，可以推断，作者是要告诉我们，教师会因为数学这门学科的难度而对教授该课程不自信。其他选项都不是该段所要表达的内容。
3.C 第五段第三句“To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math,such as when reading a sales receipt”指出了答案。memorizing the numbers；意为“记住数字”；saving the numbers意为“保存数字”；filling in the numbers意为“陆续编入数字”，而且文中没有提到a sales report；它们均不是答案。
4.A 短文的第六段是对前一段所述调查数据结果的讨论，即，男学生较少受对数学有焦虑感的教师影响，而那些数学成绩较低的女生都有对数学有焦虑感的教师（girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests)，而且，所有认为男生数学肯定比女生强的女生，其数学教师都是有数学焦虑感的女教师（all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.)。D所以不是正确的选择，因为只提到teachers 和students,而不是female teachers 和female students。
5.B 根据David Geary的说法，实验结果还是初步的（preliminary)，需要更大的样本对其进行重复验证（in need of replication with a larger sample)。他没有认为该实验的过程不可靠，所以A不是正确选项；他认为实验样本不够大，所以D也不是正确选项。
+第四＋五篇 Small But Wise On December 14,NASA1 blasted a small but mighty telescope into space.The telescope is called WISE and is about as wide around as a trashcan.Don't let its small size fool you:WISE has a powerful digital camera, and it will be taking pictures of some the wildest objects in the known universe,including asteroids,faint stars,blazing galaxies and giant clouds of dust where planets and stars are born.“I'm very excited because we're going to be seeing parts of the universe that we haven't seen
3before,”said Ned Wright, a scientist who directs the WISE project.Since arriving in space,the WISE telescope has been circling the Earth,held by gravity in a polar orbit4(this means it crosses close to the north and south poles with each lap5).Its camera is pointed outward,away from the Earth,and WISE will snap a picture of a different part of the sky every 11 minutes.After six months it will have taken pictures across the entire sky.The pictures taken by WISE won't be like everyday digital photographs,however.WISE stands for“Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.”As its name suggests,the WISE camera takes pictures of features that give off infrared radiation6.Radiation is energy that travels as a wave.Visible light, including the familiar spectrum of light that becomes visible in a rainbow,is an example of radiation.When an ordinary digital camera takes a picture of a tree,for example,it receives the waves of visible light that are reflected off the tree.When these waves enter the camera through the lens,they're processed by the camera,which then puts the image together.Waves of infrared radiation are longer than waves of visible light, so ordinary digital cameras don't see them,and neither do the eyes of human beings.Although invisible to the eye,longer infrared radiation can be detected as warmth by the skin.That's a key idea to why WISE will be able to see things other telescopes can't.Not everything in the universe shows up in visible light.Asteroids,for example,are giant rocks that float through space 一but they absorb most of the light that reaches them.They don't reflect light,so they're difficult to see.But they do give off infrared radiation, so an infrared telescope like WISE will be able to produce images of them.During its mission WISE will take pictures of hundreds of thousands of asteroids.Brown dwarfs are another kind of deep-space object that will show up in WISE's pictures.These objects are“failed” stars 一which means they are not massive enough to jump start9 the same kind of reactions that power stars such as the sun.Instead,brown dwarfs simply shrink and cool down.They're so dim that they're almost impossible to see with visible light, but in the infrared spectrum they glow.词汇：
trashcan / 'træʃ,kæn/n．垃圾箱 infrared/'infrə'red/ adj．红外线 asteroid/'æstərɔid/ n.小行星 dwarf/dwɔ:f/ n.矮星 注释：
1.NASA（美国国家航空航天局）是缩写词，全称是National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2.the wildest objects ：任何你能想象得到的天体。wild 有“未被人驯养的”“荒唐的”“离奇的” 87
意思。
3.faint stars, blazing galaxies：指的是那些只能看到微弱的光和因燃烧而无法观察到的天体。4.polar orbit：极地轨道。指轨道平面与赤道面夹角为90的人造地球卫星轨道。人造卫星运行时能到达南北极区上空，即卫星能飞经全球范围的上空。需要在全球范围内进行观测和应用的气象卫星、导航卫星、地球资源卫星等都采用这种轨道。5.lap：一圈。原指竞赛场的一圈或游泳池的一个来回，如： She overtook the other runners on the last lap.她最后一圈超过了其他参赛者。6.infrared radiation：红外线辐射
7.spectrum of light：光谱，即，光辐射的波长分布区域。
8.Brown dwarfs：褐矮星。褐矮星非常暗淡，很难发现它们，要确定它们的大小就更加困难。9.jump start: 启动 练习：.What is so special about WISE? A It is small in size but carries a large camera.B It is as small as a trashcan.C Its digital camera can help astronomers to see the unknown space.D Never before has a telescope carried a digital camera in space.2.Which is NOT the synonym for the word “snap” in the third paragraph? A make.B shoot.C take D photograph.3.The camera on WISE A is no different from an ordinary camera.B does not see infrared radiation while the ordinary camera does.C catches the infrared radiation while the ordinary camera does not.D reflects light that human eyes can see.4.Which of the following is NOT correct about“asteroids” according to paragraph 7? A Asteroids float through space giving off visible light.B Asteroids do not reflect light that reaches them.C It is difficult to take asteroids' pictures by ordinary cameras, D The WISE telescope can take pictures of asteroids 5.What is implied in the last paragraph? A Brown dwarfs give off visible light.B Brown dwarfs give off infrared radiation.C Brown dwarfs are power stars like the sun.D Brown dwarfs are impossible to see with the WISE telescope.答案与题解：
1.C 短文的第一和第二段提供了答案。WISE 的特殊之处就在于，虽然体积小，但它的数码相机能拍到任何天体，所以能够帮助天文学家观测到宇宙空间中（in the known universe）的未知天文现象。其他选项都不是短文表达的意思。
2.A snap 是个多义词，可以解释为“拍照”，更为确切的意思是“拍快照”。这里shoot, take 和photograph 都是snap 的同义词。
3.C 短文第六段和第四段提供了答案。人类的肉眼和普通相机看到的光是visible lights，看不见。
红外线辐射（infrared radiation)，而WISE 的相机能够看到。
4.A 短文第七段第二句说并非所有的宇宙中的物体都会发出可见光，比如asteroids，所以A是正确选项。其他选项的内容都可以在该段中找到。5.B 最后一段的第一句说，褐矮星能出现在WISE 照片中，根据上文对WISE 望远镜的描述只有WISE 望远镜才能拍到红外线射线，所以B是正确选择。
+第四十六篇
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as “Ecosystem Engineers”
Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as “ecosystem engineers” and predators.The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients in the soil.This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain.Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university's Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said:“Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers.They're also very territorial and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators.All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area.”
“In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it.What we found is that despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups4.They genuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web,” Sanders said.The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants, both species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK.It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers.At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.Dr Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said:“What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the bigger effect — thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering.”
Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass5 but also because they act as ecosystem engineers.Ant biodiversity6 is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness.However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem． Ants are important in below ground processes8 through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms.词汇：
predator /' predətə/ n．食肉动物
nutrient/' nju:triənt/ n ．营养物；adj．营养的
32decomposer/,di:kəm'pəuzə/ n．腐生物；分解体 prey/prei/ v．捕食；n．被捕食的动物 subtlety/ 'sʌtlti/ n，微妙，精妙 herbivore/ 'hʒ:bivɔ: / n ．食草动物
注释：
1.the University of Exeter ：埃克斯特大学。1851 年建校，位于英国西南部重要商业中心埃克斯特市，是英国著名的传统大学之一。2.nest building ：筑巢
3.territorial ：领地的。在此用来形容蚂蚁的本性，即具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力保卫自己的领地。
4.an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups ：其他动物群体在数量和品种上的增长。
5.biomass ：物质名词，由bio和mass 两部分组成，意为“生物量”“生物质”。6.biodiversity ：物质名词，由bio和diversity 两部分组成，意为“生物多样性”。7.the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem ：蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。8.below ground processes ：土壤下面的（工作）过程，即影响生态环境的过程。练习：.Why are ants compared to ecosystem engineers? A Because they build their own nests.B Because they collect food.C Because their activity affects the environment.D Because they are predators.2.As predators, ants A prey on small as well as large animals.B collect nutritious food from the soil C collect food as decomposers.D prey on species much higher up the food chain.3.Dir Sanders' study centered on how ants A can manage to thrive in huge numbers.B defend their resources and territory against other predators.C attack those invading animals for survival.D produce such a big impact on the environment.4.What does paragraph 6 tell us? A Ants bring about a negative influence to an area when their population is small.B Ants bring about a positive influence to an area when their population is small.C Ants' predation counteracts the positive influence they may have on an area.D At higher density, ants produce a positive influence on an area.5.What still remains unclear about ants, according to the last paragraph? A What roles do ants play in the ecosystem in which they live? B How do ants affect the animal diversity in a given ecosystem? C How do human activities affect ants' influence on a given ecosystem? D How do ants alter the physical and chemical environment? 答案与题解：
1.C 短文的第一段提供了答案。A不是正确答案，因为并不是因为蚂蚁会筑巢才被誉为生态系统工程师，而是因为它们筑巢和获取食物的方式改变了土壤的营养水平，为整个食物链提供了很好的生态环境
（见第二段）。
2.A答案能够从短文的第三段直接找到。该段告诉我们，蚂蚁的掠食范围很广，甚至包括比它们体积更大的动物（larger animals)。prey 在这里的意思是“捕猎，捕食”，作为动词，后面跟介词on或upon。
3.D Dirk Sanders说：“In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it.”（第五段）所以，D是正确选择。句中the subtleties of it 的意思是：蚂蚁对环境影响的精妙之处。
4.B 短文第六段第二句的大概意思是，蚂蚁数量小（a low density of ants）的话，能使其他动物的品种和数量增加（increased the diversity and density of other animals），从而给环境带来积极影响；第三句说，如果蚂蚁的数量大（At higher densities），就不可能产生同样的影响，或者是相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵销蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。第七段Dr Frank van Veen 表达了大体相同的内容。
5.C 最后一段的第二和第三句提供了答案。第二句告诉我们，蚂蚁极易受人类的影响（these organisms are highly responsive to human impact），第三句告诉我们，科学家还不清楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用（”it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem.”）。
完形填空
第三篇 Germs on Banknotes People in different countries use different types of 1 yuan in China, pesos in Mexico, pounds in the United Kingdom, dollars in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.They may use 2 currencies, but these countries, and probably all countries, still have one thing 1in common: Germs on the banknotes.Scientists have been studying the germs on money for well over2 100 years.At the turn of the 20th 3 , some researchers began to suspect that germs living on money could spread disease.Most studies of germy money have looked at the germs on the currency 4 one country.In a new study, Frank Vriesekoopand other researchers compared the germ populations found on bills of different 5.Vriesekoop is a microbiologist at the University of Ballarat in Australia.He led the study, which compared the germ populations found on money 6 from 10 nations.The scientists studied 1,280 banknotes in total;all came from places where people buy food, like supermarkets street vendors and cafes, 7 those businesses often rely on cash.Overall, the Australian dollars hosted the fewest live bacteria----no more than 10 per square centimeter.Chinese yuan had the most----about 100 per square centimeter.Most of the germs on money probably would not cause harm.What we call “paper” money usually isn't made from paper.The U.S.dollar, for example, is printed on fabric that is mostly 8.Different countries may use different 9 to print their money.Some of the currencies studied by Vriesekoop and his 10 such as the American dollar were made from cotton.Others were made from polymers.The three 11 with the lowest numbers of bacteria were all printed on polymers.They included the Australian dollar, the New Zealand dollar and some Mexican pesos.3
4The other currencies were printed on fabric made 12 of cotton.Fewer germs lived on the polymer notes.This connection suggests that 13 have a harder time staying alive on polymer surfaces.Scientists need to do more studies to understand how germs live on money-----and whether or not we need to be concerned.Vnesekoop is now starting a study that will 14 the amounts of time bacteria can stay alive on different types of bills.Whatever Vriesekoop finds, the fact remains: Paper money harbors germs We should wash our 15 after touching it;after all5, you never know where your money 's been.Or what's living on it 词汇：
pesos/pi:səvs/ n ．比索 bacterium /kæk'tiəriəm/ n ．细菌（单数）germ/dʒə:m/ n．病菌 bacteria /bæktiəriə／细菌（复数）
banknote/bæŋknəvt/ n．纸币 centimeter/senti,mi:tə。/ n．厘米
microbiologist /,maikrəv,baiɔlədʒist/n.微生 polymer/pɔlimə / n.［高分子」聚合物 物学家 harbor/ha:bə/ v．怀有，藏有 vendor/vendəI/n．小贩
注释：
1.have one thing in common ：有一个共同点
2.well over ：大大超过
3.Frank Vriesekoop : Frank Vriesekoop 博士是巴拉瑞特大学的食品微生物学家，他率领一个全球研究小组对至少10个国家的纸币展开了分析。他的研究结果是：相对于比较落后贫穷的国家，富裕发达国家的纸币所携带的病菌较少。重要的是，世界各地纸币上的病菌数量都没有达到令人担心的程度。研究还发现纸币使用的年限和材质对纸币的污染程度也有影响。
4.University of Ballarat in Australia：澳大利亚巴拉瑞特大学。该校建立于1994年，位于维多利亚省的巴拉瑞特市。5.after all：毕竟
练习: 1.A coins B money C cheques D loans 2.A different B clean C hard D foreign 3.A anniversary B year C decade D century 4.A along B with C within D outside 5.A countries B areas C regions D provinces 6.A delivered B borrowed C gathered D designed 7.A because B though C when D where 8.A plastic B rubber C cotton D paper 9.A languages B colors C substances D materials 10.A family B team C advisor D boss 11.A expenses B banks
C statements
D currencies 12.A nearly B mostly 13.A dirt B water
C likely D merely
C germs D oil
D command D clothes 14.A compare B connect C conduct 15.A arms B hands C face 答案与题解: 1.B 冒号后面说的是各国使用钱币的名称:“yuan in China，pesos in Mexico，pounds in the United Kingdom，dollars in the United States，Aus往'alia and New Zealand”，所以填人的词必 定与这些钱币有关，而且应该是钱币的总括词。因此选 money 最为恰当。coins 是“硬币”，cheques 是“支票”，loans是“贷款”，它们都不会是答案。
2.A 本题的句子说的是:虽然各国使用的纸币各不相同，它们有一个共同点，那就是纸币上 有病菌。四个选项中 different 是答案。
3.D 选century 最合理。选 anniversary(周年)，year(年)或decade都不合逻辑。4.C 本段第二句提供了解答本题的线索。Frank Vriesekoop 的研究与以前的科学家的研究不同，他比较了各国钱币上的病菌数量，在他之前的科学家的研究范围局限于一个国家的纸币。四个选项中只有 within 表达“在(一个国家)里”的意思。
5.A 经过第四题选词的思索过程，本题的形容词很自然会在 different 之后用 countries，指不同的国家。
6.C 上一句说 Vriesekoop 比较不同国家纸币携带病菌的数量。本题的句子明确指出他对比 的纸币涉及十个国家。四个选项中只有 gathered(收集)与上下文的意思相匹配。7.A 填词所在的句子与前面的主句存在因果关系。为什么要从食品店和食品摊收集纸币
呢?因为这些地方常要用现金支付。本题答案是 because。8.C fabric 是“织物”，其制作原料不会是 plastic(塑料)或 rubber(橡胶)。选 paper 也不对，因为本句是说明纸币的制作原料通常不是纸。制作 fabric 的原料是 cotton(棉花)，这是合 乎常理的。而且该段倒数第二句也提供了答案。所以答案是 cotton。
9.D 本段说纸币的材料一般不是纸，通常是用棉花织物或高分子聚合物制作的。所以选择
materials(材料、原料)是正确的。
10.B 本题应当选 team。与 family(家庭成员)，advisor(顾问)或 boss(老板)合作研究不是 没有可能，但总有些离谱。与团队合作研究比较合理。
11.D 本段第二句提供了线索，它列出三种纸币，即 the Australian dollar，the New Zealand dollar 和 some Mexican pesos。选 currencies 是最合理的。另外三个选项都不合适;expenses 是“支出”，banks 是“银行”，statements 是“账单”。12.B 本题只有选 mostly，上下文意思才连贯。13.C 前一句说用高分子聚合物制作的钱币含菌数量较少。本题的句子接着分析说，在高分子聚合物上存活较难。谁存活较难？当然是病菌。本题答案是germs0 dirt, water 和oil 是 非生物，不存在生存的问题。
14.A 四个选项填入句子后，句子成了： “„compare/connect/conduct/command the amounts of time bacteria can stay alive on different types of bills”, 很明显；connect（连接）/conduct（实 施）/command（控制）amounts of time是无法成立的。只有compare(比较）不同纸币上病菌存活的时间才是Vriesekoop 要研究的新课题。
15.B人们通常是用手接触纸币的。所以接触纸币后要洗手。答案是hands。
第十篇 Chicken Soup for the Soul：Comfort Food Fights Loneliness Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, may be bad for your arteries． 1 according to a study in Psychological Science, they’re good for your heart and 2 ．The study focuses on “comfort food” and how it makes people feel． “For me 3 ,food has always played a big role in my family,” says Jordan Troisi, a graduate student at the University of Buffalo, and lead author on the study．The study came out of the research program of his co—author Shira Gabriel．It has 4 non-human things that may affect human emotions．Some people reduce loneliness by bonding with their 5 TV show, building virtual relationships with a pop song singer or looking at pictures of loved ones．Troisi and Gabriel wondered if comfort food could have the same effect 6 making people think of their nearest and dearest.In one experiment, in order to make 7 feel lonely, the researchers had them write for six minutes about a fight with someone close to them．Others were given an emotionally neutral writing assignment.Then, some people in each 8 wrote about the experience of eating a comfort food and others wrote about eating a new food． 9 ,the researchers had participants 10 questions about their levels of loneliness．
Writing about a fight with a close person made people feel lonely．But people who were generally 11 in their relationships would feel less lonely by writing about a comfort food．”We have found that comfort foods are consistently associated with those close to us．“says Troisi．”Thinking about or consuming these foods later then serves as a reminder of those close others．“In 12 essays on comfort food, many people wrote about the 13 of eating food with family and friends.In another experiment, 14 chicken soup in the lab made people think more about relationships, but only if they considered chicken soup to be a comfort
food．This was a question they had been asked long before the experiment, along with many other questions, so they wouldn’t remember it.Throughout everyone’s daily lives they experience stress, often associated with our 15 with others,” Troisi says．“Comfort food Can be an easy remedy for loneliness． 词汇：
mashed /mæʃt/ adj．被捣成糊浆的 macaroni/ macaroni/ n．通心粉 cheese / tʃi:z / n．奶酪
artery/ artery / n．动脉
assignment / ə'sainmənt / n．指定作业 reminder / reminder/ n．起提醒作用的东西 remedy /remedy/ n．治疗方法，药物 virtual/'və:tʃuəl/ adj．虚拟的 注释：
1.comfort food：爽心食品
2.graduate student：研究生
3.The University of Buffalo：布法罗大学，建校于1846 年，位于水牛城（Buffalo City)，属于纽约州立大学，因此称为纽约州立大学水牛城分校。4.lead author：首席作者
5.their nearest and dearest：他们最接近和最亲爱的人 6.levels of loneliness：孤独程度 7.only if: 只有（在„„情况下）
8.Throughout everyone's daily lives：在每一个人的日常生活中。through 有“贯穿”的意思。练习：
1．A but B if C though D while 2．A personality B movement C emotions D will 3．A privately B usefully C awfully D personally 4．A looked for B looked at C looked after D looked up 5．A favorite B trustful C boring D annoying 6．A with B on C by D at 7．A professors B participants C assistants D scientists 8．A group B class C section D part 9．A Previously B Formally C Initially D Finally 10．A remember B explain C rewrite D complete 11．A sad B secure C shy D angry 12．A your B our C his D their 13．A accident B harm C experience D model 14．A eating B exchanging C buying D keeping l 5．A expressions B estimation C cooperation D connections 答案与题解：
l.A本句前半句说土豆泥、通心粉等对血管有害（bad)，后半句说这些食物对心脏有利(good)。很明显，前半句与后半句意思相反，所以要选转折连接词but加以连接。
2.C 根据常识判断，吃土豆泥不会对personality（性格）.movement（移动）或will（意志力）产生有利影响。随后的文章，多处提到吃爽心食品（favorite food）有助于排解孤独感。所以选emotions 是正确的。
3.D本题的答案是personally0 For me personally（就我个人而言）与下文的意思很连贯。privately（私下地）、usefully（有用地）或awfully（可怕地）与下文的意思搭不上，所以不会是答案。4.B 本题的答案是looked at0。“looked at non-human things” 相当于“studied（研究）nonhuman things”，与上下文的意思很匹配。looked for（寻找）、looked after（照顾）和looked up（查找）与下文的意思搭配不上。
5.A本句的意思是：人们为了排解孤独感，常常把自己和电视剧、流行歌曲歌手等等联系起 来。选项中有四个形容词，应该选哪一个形容词去修饰TV shows 呢？应该选褒义的形容
词： favorite（喜爱的）或trustful(可信任的）。但对电视剧来说谈不上信任的问题。favorite 最合理，是本题答案。
6.C 上一句说到，人们为了排解孤独感，常常把自己和喜爱的电视剧、流行歌曲歌手等等联 系起来。于是Troisi 和Gabriel 想，通过吃爽心食品让他们想起亲近的人，是不是也能产生 同样的排解孤独感的效果呢？四个介词中只有by的词义是“通过”。其余三个介词在含义
上都不合适。
7.B 选professors（教授）、assistants（助手）或scientists（科学家）不合常理，科学家选实验对象时不会选他们。participants(参与者）是本题的答案。
8.A本题应该选group，指每一组的参与者。用class（班级）, section（部门）或part（部分）在意义上显然都不合适。
9.D 本段叙述试验的几个步骤。第一步要一部分受试者描写与亲人的争斗，其他受试者写 情感上中性的话题。第二步（文中用then 加以连接）将上述两组受试者中的每一组再一分 为二，一些人描写吃爽心食品的经历，另一些人描写吃新食品的经历。接下来应该是第三步 了。从四个选项中寻找，只有Finally 最合适，原来第三步就是最后一步了。
1O.D 实验的最后一步是受试者被要求书面回答10个问题。complete 是答案。要求他们 remember（记住）、delete（删除）或rewrite（重写）questions 都不合乎逻辑。
11.B 与亲近的人争吵会引发孤独感，但是，一般说来，人们的关系若是通常处于什么状态，通过写出他们吃爽心食物的经历会降低他们的孤独感呢？一定不会是sad、shy或angry，答案应该是secure（稳定的）。
12.D 修饰essays 的所有格代词在人称与数上要与they 一致，所以their 是答案。
13.C “eating food with family and friends” 是一种experience（经历），不会是一个accident（事故）、harm（危害）或model（样式）。很明显，experience 是本题的答案。
14.A 文章中几次提到吃爽心食物有助于缓解孤独感。所以本题选eating 是很自然的。其他 三个选项，exchanging（交换）、buying（买）或keeping（保留）若填入句子中，与后面的宾语chicken soup in the lab 连用，意思上说不通。
15.D 本题的答案是connections。其他三个选项在意思上都不合适。
*第十一篇 Climate Change Poses Major Risks for Unprepared Cities A new examination of urban policies has been 1 recently by Patricia Romero Lankao．She is a sociologist specializing in climate change and 2 development．She warns that many of the world’s fast-growing urban areas，especially in developing countries．will likely suffer from the impacts of changing climate．Her work also concludes that most cities are failing to 3 emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse 4 ．These gases are known to affect the atmosphere．”Climate change is a deeply local issue and poses profound threats to the growing cities of the world,” says Romero Lankao.”But too few cities are developing effective strategies to 5 their
residents.” Cities are 6 sources of greenhouse gases．And urban populations are likely to be among those most severely affected by future climate change.Lankao’s findings highlight ways in which city-residents are particularly vulnerable, and suggest policy interventions that could offer immediate and longer-term 7 ．
The locations and dense construction patterns of cities often place their populations at greater risk for natural disasters.Potential 8 associated with climate include storm surges and prolonged hot weather.Storm surges can flood coastal areas and prolonged hot weather can heat 9 paved cities more than surrounding areas．The impacts of such natural events can be more serious in an urban environment．For example，a prolonged heat wave can increase existing levels of air pollution，causing widespread health problems．Poorer neighborhoods that may 10 basic facilities such as drinking water or a dependable network of roads，are especially vulnerable to natural disasters．Many residents in poorer countries live in substandard housing 11 access to reliable drinking water，roads and basic services.Local governments, 12 ,should take measures to protect their residents.”Unfortunately，they tend to move towards rhetoric 13 meaningful responses, Romero Lankao writes, ” They don’t impose construction standards that could reduce heating and air conditioning needs.They don't emphasize mass transit and reduce 14 use.In fact, many local governments are taking a hands—off approach.” Thus, she urges them to change their 15 policies and to take strong steps to prevent the harmful effects of climate change on cities.词汇：
vulnerable / 'vʌlnərəbl / adj ．易受伤害的
infrastructure / 'infrə,strʌktʃə / n ．基础设施 sociologist /,səusi'ɔlədʒist /n．社会学家 substandard / ,sʌb'stændəd / adj．标准以下的 dioxide / dai'ɔksaid / ．二氧化物
floodplain /'flʌdplein / n ．泛滥平原
注释：
1.likely：很可能，或许。在本句中用作副词。
2.be likely to：很可能。likely 在本句中是形容词，用作表语。3.findings：调查结果
4.storm surges：风暴潮
5.paved cities：铺上沥青路面的城市 6.spring up：涌现
7.rhetoric...responses：修辞反应。这个词的意思是：（地方政府）话讲得很漂亮，但内容空洞。8.a hands-off approach：一种不插手的政策
练习：
1．A carry along B carried away C carried out D carried back 2．A economic B industrial C rural D urban 3．A reduce B increase C study D measure
4．A crops B gases C fruits D Plant5 5．A educate B evaluate C protect D identify 6．A doubtful B possible C repeatable D major 7．A uses B chances C cures D benefits 8．A threats B interests C functions D differences 9．A locally B heavily C suddenly D mildly l0．A provide B improve C lack D update 11．A without B with C in D on 12．A moreover B therefore C however D though 13．A other than B more than C less than D rather than 14．A train B automobile C bus D bike 15．A idle B smart C busy D secure 答案与题解：
1.C 本题的答案是carried out（执行；完成）。“A new examination of urban policies has been carried out” 意思上配得上。carried along（携带）、carried away（运走）和carried back（运回）与下文的意思搭配不上。
2.D通篇文章讨论的是气候变化对城市的影响及其应对措施，并没有涉及economic（经济 的）、industrial（工业的）和rural（农村的）的话题。所以，这三个选项不可能是答案，urban才是答案。
3.A前面一句谈到，发展中国家的飞速成长的城市备受气候变化的折磨。本句紧接上一句 的意思，大多数城市没有做到减少二氧化碳的排放量。四个选项中，要选reduce。4.B 减少的不仅是二氧化碳，还有greenhouse gases（温室气体）。gases 是答案。5.C 城市应该采取有效的措施应对气候变化。采取措施的目的当然是为了保护城市居民。可是Lankao 发现这样做的城市太少了。本题选protect 最合适。
6.D前面说到大多数城市没有做到减少或控制二氧化碳的排放量。这说明“Cities are major sources of greenhouse gases”（城市是温室气体的主要来源），不会是doubtful sources（不能确定的来源）, possible sources（可能的来源），更不会是repeatable sources（不断重复的来源）。7.D城市居民最易受气候变化的伤害，所以 Lankao 建议地方政府要进行政策介入以降低居 民因气候变化受到的伤害，而这会带来立即的和长期的益处。因此，uses、chances 和cures 可以排除。benefits（益处）才是答案。
8.A 由climate change 引发的storm surges 和prolonged hot weather 给城市居民造成伤害。interests、functions 和differences 这三个词与storm surges 和prolonged hot weather 造成的伤害挂不上号，不会是答案。storm surges 和prolonged hot weather 对城市居民会构成威胁。因此threats 才是答案。
9.B 为什么prolonged hot weather 对城市居民造成的伤害超过对其周边地区居民造成的伤 害？因为城市道路是大量铺设沥青的道路。heavily 是答案。其他三个选项不符合上述意 思。
10.C 贫穷社区更易受到伤害，句子给出有关基础设施的各个方面。贫穷社区的基础设施一 定是不尽如人意的。所以要选lack。
1LA贫穷国家许多人住在不符合标准的房子里。下面提到reliable thinking water、roads 和 basic services 这些基础设施，从上下文判断，贫穷居民不会享有这些基础设施。所以选 without 比较合理。
12.B 本题的答案是therefore。上文说的是气候变化给城镇居民带来的种种问题。下文说的 是地方政府应该采取相应的对策以保护城镇居民。两部分的叙述是一种因果关系，所以要 选therefore。
13.D rhetoric responses（言辞反应，即用言语予以搪塞的反应）和meaningful responses（有 意义的反应）是两种截然不同的反应。地方政府的反应是前者还是后者？随后的句子，特 别是a hands-off approach，说明地方政府作出的是rhetoric responses，而不是meaningful responses。所以本题要选rather than（而不是）。14.B 句中的“„emphasize mass transit”提示，要减少的运输工具不会是大众交通工具，因此选项中的train 和bus便可排除。bike 是人力驱动，不会释放二氧化碳，也可排除。答案是automobile。私人汽车排放大量的二氧化碳，是城市主要的污染源之一。15.A “..many local governments are taking a hands-off approach” 中的a hands-off approach 提示，Lankao 敦促地方政府改变的一定是他们无所作为（idle)的政策。idle 是正确的选择。
*第十二篇 Free Statins With Fast Food Could Neutralize Heart Risk Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of 1 so that customers can reduce the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College London 2 in a new study．
Statins reduce the 3 of unhealthy ”LDL” cholesterol in the blood.A wealth of trial data has proven them to be highly effective at lowering a person’s heart attack 4.In a paper published in the American Journal of Cardiology，Dr Darrel Francis and colleagues calculate that the reduction in heart attack risk offered by a statin is 5 to offset the increase in heart attack risk from 6 a cheeseburger and drinking a milkshake．
Dr Francis，from the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London，who is the senior author of the study, said:”Statins don’t cut out a11 of the 7 effects of cheeseburgers and French fries．It’s better to avoid fatty food altogether．But we’ve worked out that in terms of your 8 of having a heart attack.Taking a statin can reduce your risk to more or less the same 9 as a fast food meal increases it.” “It’s ironic that people are free to take as many unhealthv condiments in fast food outlets as they 10 , but statins, which are beneficial to heart health, have to be prescribed.It makes sense to make risk-reducing statins available just as easily as the unhealthy condiments that are l 1 free of charge．It would cost less than 5 pence per 1 2 一not much different to a sachet of sugar.” Dr Francis said．
When people engage in risky behaviours like driving or smoking, they’re encouraged to take 13 that lower their risk, 1ike 14 a seatbelt or choosing cigarettes with filters.Taking a statin is a rational way of 1 5 some of the risks of eating a fatty meal． 词汇：
statin/'stæ tIn!n．降胆固醇药物 outlet/'autlit/ n．销售点
cholesterol/ kə'lestərɔl / n．胆固醇 offset /,ɔf'set/ V.抵消，补偿
cheeseburger/ 'tʃi:z,bə:ɡə / n．芝士汉堡包 milkshake!'milkʃeik / n．奶昔 condiment /'kɔndimənt]!n ．调味品
sachet /'sætʃei / ii ．小袋，小包 rational / 'ræʃənəl / adj．合理的
注释：
1.Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs: 句中的could 是一种委婉表达建议的用词，意为“可以”。
2.Imperial College London: 帝国理工学院。该学院于1907 年由城市和行会学校、皇家矿业学校以及皇家科学学院合并组成。学院于2007 年7月正式脱离伦敦大学成为一所独立大学。提供本科和研究生教育，共有四个学院，工程学院、医学院、自然科学院和生命科学院
3.LDL cholesterol: 低密度脂蛋白胆固醇。LDL是low density lipoprotein（低密度脂蛋白）的缩写形式。
4.a wealth of trial data: 大量的试验数据。a wealth of意为“大量的，许多”。5.American Journal of Cardiology: 美国心脏病学杂志 6.French fries:炸薯条
7.It makes sense...: make sense 意为“说得通，合情合理”。
8.a sachet of sugar: 一小袋糖。快餐店一般备有袋糖，供饮咖啡或热奶的顾客免费取用。练习：
1．A change B charge C chain D chance 2．A trust B decide C suggest D calculate 3．A number B amount C volume D product 4．A frequency B treatment C diagnosis D risk 5．A severe B enough C weak D active 6．A buying B preparing C eating D cooking 7．A unhealthy B strong C different D doubtful 8．A examination B suffering C determination D possibility 9．A degree B dimension C angle D range 10．A use B hate C reject D like 11．A transported B provided C preserved D convened 12．A cook B patient C customer D visitor 1 3．A measures B care C advantages D turns 14．A buying B wearing C cleaning D changing 1 5．A increasing B finding C lowering D taking 答案与题解：
1.B本文介绍说，吃汉堡包等快餐食品容易引发心脏病，而服用statin能降低心脏病发作的 风险，一正一负正好抵消。statin 价格便宜，文章建议快餐店像免费供应调味品那样免费供 应statin0 free of charge 是固定搭配，意为“免费”。选择charge 是对的。
2.C 本题要选suggest，因为其他三个选项在意思上都不合适。此外，本句主句的谓语动词用了could(provide)，委婉地含有“建议”的意思。所以suggest 是个不二的选择。
3.B 与降低unhealthy “LDL” cholesterol 搭配的一定是amount（量），而不可能是number（数字）、volume（体积）或product（乘积）。
4.D从上下文判断，要降低（lower）的当然是risk。lower frequency（降低频率）、lower treatment（降低治疗）或lower diagnosis（降低诊断）与上下文的意思都不匹配。
5.B 本句表达的意思是：Dr Darrel Francis 在他的论文中说，经过计算，一粒statin 降低心脏病发作的风险足以抵消吃一个奶酪汉堡包和喝一杯奶昔所增加的患心脏病的风险。所以本题的答案是enough。
6.C 顾客不可能在快餐店里preparing cheeseburger 或cooking cheeseburger，而buying
cheeseburger不会增加心脏病风险。所以，只有eating cheeseburger 才合乎上下文的意思。7.A从上下文判断，被cut out（去除）的effects一定是unhealthy effects，所以，unhealthy是本题的答案。
8.D本句中的in terms of 意为“就„„而言”，要与后半句“一正一负相互抵消”的意思相匹配，所以只能是“就患心脏病的可能性而言”。possibility 是答案。
9.A本句的意思与第五题的意思相同，即statin降低心脏病发作的风险与快餐增加的心脏病 的风险在程度（degree）上大致相当。如果选择其他三个选项，意思变成了，“尺寸(dimension）上、角度（angle）上或范围（range）上大致相当”，就说不通了。
1O.D 填词所在的句子的意思告诉我们，具有讽刺意味的一点是：顾客可以随心所欲地免费享用不健康的调味品。as one likes 是固定用法，意为“随某人所愿，随某人所喜欢”。所以，like 是答案。其余三个选项用在本句中都不合适。11.B transported（运输）、preserved（保存）或converted（转换）填人句子中，意思都不顺。只有填入provided（提供）符合句意。provided 是答案。
12.C 到快餐店去就餐的人当然是customer。
13.A 为了降低开车和吸烟的风险，人们被鼓励要采取一些安全措施。作者借此说明为了降低食用快餐的风险，我们也要采取措施。根据这层意思，选择measures是正确的。take measure的意思是“采取措施”。其他三个选项都不合适：take care是“注意，小心”，take advantage 是“利用”，take turns 是“轮流，依次”。
14.B 本题很明显要选wearing，因为上下文的意思是“系上安全带”。buying a seatbelt, cleaning a seatbelt和changing a seatbelt都与上下文的意思相去太远。
15.C通篇文章都在阐述statin能降低患心脏病的风险。所以，lowering（降低）是答案。+第十三篇 Solar Power without Solar Cells A dramatic and surprising magnetic effect of light discovered by University of Michigan researchers could lead to solar power without traditional semiconductor-based solar cells.The researchers found a way to make an “optical 1 ,” said Stephen Rand, a professor in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Physics and Applied Physics.Light has electric and magnetic components.Until now, scientists thought the 2 of the magnetic field were so weak that they could be ignored.What Rand and his colleagues found is that at the right intensity, when light is traveling through a material that does not conduct electricity, the light field can generate magnetic effects that are 100 million times stronger than 3 expected.4 these circumstances, the magnetic effects develop strength equivalent to a strong electric effect.“This could lead to a new kind of solar cell without semiconductors and without absorption to produce charge separation,” Rand said.“In solar cells, the 5 goes into a material, gets absorbed and creates heat.Here, we expect to have a very low heat load2.Instead of the light being absorbed, energy is stored in the magnetic moment3.Intense magnetization can be induced by intense light and then it is ultimately capable of providing a capacitive power 6.”What makes this possible is a previously undetected brand of “optical rectification4,” says William Fisher, a doctoral student in applied physics.In traditional optical rectification, light's electric field causes a charge separation, or a pulling 7 of the positive and negative charges in a material.This sets up a voltage, similar to 8 in a battery.Rand and Fisher found that under the right circumstances and in right types of materials, the light's magnetic field can also create optical rectification.The light must be shone through7 a 9 that does not 10 electricity, such as glass.And it must be focused to an intensity of 10 million watts per square centimeter8.Sunlight isn't this intense on its own, 6
5but new materials are being sought that would work at lower intensities, Fisher said.9“In our most recent paper, we show that incoherent light like sunlight is theoretically almost as.11 in producing charge separation as laser light is,” Fisher said.This new 12 could make solar power cheaper, the researchers say.They predict that with improved materials they could achieve 10 percent efficiency in 13 solar power to useable energy.That's equivalent to today's commercial-grade solar cells.“To manufacture 14 solar cells, you have to do extensive semiconductor processing,” Fisher said.“All we would need are lenses to focus the light and a fiber to guide it.Glass works for 15.It's already made in bulk, and it doesn't require as much processing.Transparent ceramics might be even better.”
词汇：
optical / 'ɔptikəl / adj．光学的 incoherent /, inkəu’hiərənt/ adj．非相干的 capacitive / kə'pæsitiv/ adj.电容（量）的 semiconductor /,semikən’dʌktə／ n．半导体 rectification /, rektifi'keiʃən/ n．改正，修正 ceramics / si' ræmiks／ n．陶瓷
注释：
1.University of Michigan：密歇根大学。建校于1817 年，是美国名列前茅的公立大学，拥有优良的师资和顶尖的商学院、法学院、医学院和工学院。2.heat load：热负荷
3.magnetic moment：磁矩
4.optical rectification：光学校正
5.doctoral student：博士生
6.positive and negative charges：正电荷与负电荷
7.shone through：shone是shine的过去式。shine through是“（光）通过”。
8.an intensity of 10 million watts per square centimeter：每平方厘米一千万瓦特的强度 9.incoherent light：非相干光
10.It's already made in bulk：它（指玻璃）已大量生产。in bulk 是“大量，成批”。
练习：
1.A microscope B instrument C fiber D battery 2.A modifications B effects C applications D results 3.A frequently B privately C previously D formally 4.A Under B At C On D Over 5.A light B electricity C chemical D magnetism 6.A plant B equipment C source D line 7.A down B up C together D apart 8.A this B that C those D it 9.A material B lens C meter D detector 10.A produce B convey C use D conduct 11.A remote B poor C effective D rare 12.A prototype B skill C technique D miracle 13.A converting B obtaining C delivering D transmitting 14.A compact B modern C durable D handy 15.A others B some C all D both
答案与题解：
1.D第一段说密歇根大学发现，光所产生的巨大磁效应有望用于太阳能发电，从而取代传统的半导体太阳能电池。因此本题的正确选项应该是battery。optical battery是“光电池”。
optical microscope（光学显微镜）、optical instrument（光学仪器）或optical fiber（光纤）与第一段的意思没有联系。
2.B 选择本题的答案的依据还是要回到第一段。第一段第一句的起始词语是“A dramatic and surprising magnetic effect of light“。本篇文章中心议题是用magnetic effect of light开发新型的太阳能电池。而以前的科学家认为magnetic effect of light太微弱，不值得去关注它。因此，本题选effects与上下文的意思很连贯。
3.C 本句的意思是：当光通过一种绝缘材料时，光场产生的磁效应比以前想象的要强一亿倍。previously是当然的选择。其他三个选项填入句子中，意思不合逻辑：frequently（频繁地）/privately（私下地）/formerly（正式地）expected。
4.A under these circumstances 是固定词组，意为“在这种情况下”。也可以说in these circumstances，而at、on或over 都不与circumstances 连用。
5.A通篇文章谈的是光产生的磁效应，所以在太阳能电池中，当然是光进入某种材料起作用。答案是选项A。
6.C 密歇根大学的科学家发现太阳光产生强烈的磁效应，再转换为电，所以磁效应是产生电的源泉（source）。power plant（发电厂）、power equipment（电力设备）或power line（输电线）与上文的意思接不上。
7.D or 在本句的意思是“即”，后面的词语是解释专业术语charge separation（电荷分离）。选apart与pushing构成pushing apart。pushing apart 的意思相当于separation。所以本题的答案是D。8.B 从上下文判断，要填人的代词是替代前面的voltage。根据英语语法，替代单数名词的代词要用that，替代复数名词的代词要用those。voltage 是单数，所以that 是答案。
9.A从本句句末的such as glass 判断，要填入的词一定是包括glass 的概括词。因此，只有选项material 符合这个条件。而且第三、四段也都提到光磁场效应是由光通过一个不导电的材料（material）而产生的。
10.D 答案的根据可以在第三段中找到。原句是：”What Rand and his colleagues found is that at the right intensity, when light is traveling through a material that does not conduct electricity, the light field can generate magnetic effects that are 100 million times stronger than previously expected.”选项conduct 是答案。11.C 激光通过特定材料时能产生charge separation。密歇根大学科学家发现，阳光通过特定材料时也像激光一样能产生charge separation。如果charge separation 是remote、poor 或rare，密歇根大学科学家所说的利用光磁场效应开发新型的太阳能电池就不可能成立。所以答案是effective。12.C 说这种样机（this prototype）、技巧（this skill）或这一奇迹（this miracle）能降低太阳能的价格，似乎离题太远。只有用这一技术（this technology）概括上一段的意思才准确。因此本题答案是technology。
13.A 科学家预测，通过改进材料，可使太阳能转化成可用能源的效率达到10%。本题的答案是converting。而obtaining（得到）、delivering（输送）和transmitting（发射）与“能量转换”挂不上号。
14.B 通篇文章没有谈到新型太阳能电池是compact（紧凑小型的）、durable（耐用的）或handy（使用便利的），所以不会是答案。选modern是合理的，因为密歇根大学科学家研发的不用半导体的太阳能电池是先进的。
15.D 答案是both，指代的是上一句的“to focus the light and a fiber to guide it”这两点。
+第十五篇 “Liquefaction” Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage
The massive subduction zone earthquake in Japan caused a significant level of soil
“liquefaction”2 that has surprised researchers with its 1 severity, a new analysis shows.“We've seen localized3 examples of soil liquefaction as extreme as this before, but the distance and 2 of damage in Japan were unusually severe,” said Scott Ashford, a professor of geotechnical engineering4 at Oregon State University5.“Entire structures were tilted and sinking into the sediments,” Ashford said.“The shifts in soil destroyed water, drain and gas pipelines6, crippling the utilities and infrastructure these communities need to 3.We saw some places that sank as much as four feet.”
7Some degree of soil liquefaction is common in almost any major earthquake.It's a phenomenon in which soils soaked with water, particularly recent sediments or sand, can lose much of their 4 and flow during an earthquake.This can allow structures to shift or sink or 5.But most earthquakes are much 6 than the recent event in Japan, Ashford said.The length of the Japanese earthquake, as much as five minutes, may force researchers to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring in situations such as this.“With such a long-lasting earthquake, we saw 7 structures that might have been okay after 30 seconds just continued to sink and tilt as the shaking continued for several more minutes,” he said.“And it was clear that younger sediments, and especially areas built on 8 filled ground, are much more vulnerable.” The data provided by analyzing the Japanese earthquake, researchers said, should make it possible to improve the understanding of this soil 9 and better prepare for it in the future.Ashford said it was critical for the team to collect the information quickly, 10 damage was removed in the recovery efforts9.“There's no doubt that we'll learn things from what happened in Japan10 that11 will help us to reduce risks in other similar 11 ,” Ashford said.“Future construction in some places may make more use of techniques known to reduce liquefaction, such as better compaction to make soils dense, or use of reinforcing stone columns.” Ashford pointed out that northern California have younger soils vulnerable to liquefaction---on the coast, near river deposits or in areas with filled ground.The “young” sediments, in geologic terms, may be those 12 within the past 10,000 years or more.In Oregon, for instance, that describes much of downtown Portland, the Portland International Airport and other cities.Anything 13 a river and old flood plains is a suspect12, and the Oregon Department of Transportation has already concluded that 1,100 bridges in the state are at risk from an earthquake.Fewer than 15 percent of them have been reinforced to 14 collapse.Japan has suffered tremendous losses in the March 11 earthquake, but Japanese construction 15 helped prevent many buildings from collapse---even as they tilted and sank into the ground.词汇：
subduction /sʌb'dʌkʃən/ n．俯冲 sediment /'sedimənt/ n．沉积；沉淀物
liquefaction /likwi'fækʃən/ n．液化 infrastructure /'Infrə,strʌktʃə/ n．基础设施
8geotecnical /dʒiəu'teknikəl] adj．岩土技术 compaction /kəm'pækʃən/ n．压紧的 vulnerable /'vʌlnərəbl/ ad]．易受伤害的
注释：
1.subduction zone：俯冲带。亦称下降带、潜没带、消亡带。板块构造说认为，当大洋板块移动并与大陆板块相遇时，由于大洋板块岩石密度较大，地位也低，便俯冲到大陆板块之下，这一俯冲部分叫做俯冲带。俯冲带两侧板块会聚边界称会聚边缘（convergent boundary)。俯冲带上面反映震源活动的地带称“贝尼奥夫地震带（Benioff seismic zone)“。
2.soil ”liquefaction“：土壤液化。土壤液化现象是指由于孔隙水压力上升，有效应力减小所导致的土壤从固态到液态的变化，饱水的疏松的粉、细砂土在振动作用下突然破坏而呈现液 态的现象。
3.localized：小范围的
4.geotechnical engineering：岩土工程。
5.Oregon State University：俄勒冈州立大学，建校于1858年，位于美国俄勒冈州科瓦利斯，全校设11个学院，80多个专业，尤以农科和工程最为突出。2008年俄勒冈州立大学的核能工程专业在全美大学中排名第9名。
6.water, drain and gas pipelines：自来水管道、排水管道和煤气管道。”water, drain and gaspipelines” 即“water pipelines, drain pipelines and gas pipelines“。7.some degree of soil liquefaction：某种程度的土壤液化
8.to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring in situations such as this：本句的意思是：重新审视类似这次（持续时间长的）地震中因土壤液化而可能造成的毁坏的规 模。
9.recovery efforts：重建工作
10.that we'll learn things from what happened in Japan：我们将从日本的地震中学到很多东西。该句是同位语从句，说出前半句no doubt的内容。
11.that：that引导的是定语从句，修辞前半句中的things。12.suspect：被怀疑对象。文中指的是那些疑似危险的土壤。
练习：
1.A．internal B.different C.difficult D.widespread 2.A．volume B.length C.extent D.width 3.A．function B.repair C.build D.remove 4.A．durability B.strength C.ability D.property 5.A．ascend B.compact C.collapse D.recover 6.A．shorter B.longer C.simpler D.stranger 7.A．when B.what C.how D.which 8.A．occasionally B.frequently C.specially D.recently 9.A．development B.phenomenon C.formation D.composition 10.A．unless B.until C.after D.before 11.A．findings B.locations C.events D.sources 12.A．delivered B.deposited C.destroyed D.detached 13.A．near B.from C.inside D.over 14.A．prevent B.accelerate C.predict D.detect 15.A．styles B.sites C.costs D.standards
答案与题解：
1.D前文说到日本的俯冲带地震是massive（巨大的），而且砂土液化到达一个significant level。根据上述描述，选widespread（分布广泛的）修饰severity是正确的。其他三个选项与severity搭配后，意思接不上。
2.C 本句由but连接并列的两个分句组成。第一个分句说以前也发生过地震引发的砂土液化的现象，但涉及范围较小。第二个分句通过but语气一转，说这次地震造成的破坏是罕见的。很显然，选extent(程度)与distance（距离，范围）合用说明破坏的程度和范围是符合上下文的意思的。
3.A 在“The shifts in soil destroyed water, sewer and gas pipelines, crippling the utilities and infrastructure these communities need to„”中，”these communities need to...”是定语从句，指代utilities和infrastructure的关系代词which在定语从句中起宾语作用，被省略了。need 后面的动词不定式的逻辑主语是which，也就是utilities and infrastructure。从意思上看，这 些社区需要这些公用事业设备和基础设施起功能作用（function)。选function是对的。其他选项都不合适。
4.B 浸了水的砂土，特别是新近的沉积土、沙土等失去的不会是durability（耐用性）和ability（能力），也不会是泛泛的property（性质），而是strength（强度）。5.C 浸了水的砂土强度降低或消失。砂土随水流动，就会引发建筑物移位（shift）或下沉(sink)。再发展下去，建筑物就会倒塌（collapse)。collapse是答案。若选择ascend（上升）、compact(压实)或recover（复原），意思与上文接不上。
6.A 地震持续的时间一般为数十秒。这次日本地震的时间长达5分钟。所以本题要填入的词应该是shorter，说明大多数地震的持续时间比它短。
7.C 从意思上看，选how是正确的。when structures、what structures或which structures意思明显不通。
8.D 第三段第二句出现“particularly recent sediment„“。recent sediment浸水后就失去了强度。这提示了本题要选recently，因为建立在新近填就的土壤上的建筑物是最易受到伤害的。
9.B 分析日本大地震得出的数据不会令科学家获得有关soil development（土壤发展）、soil formation（土壤形成）soil composition（土壤构成）这些方面的知识。若选phenomenon，意思就是科学家的研究分析有助于他们了解到土壤浸水后的这类现象，以便做好防备，对付 未来可能发生的同类现象。上下文意思很连贯，因此phenomenon是正确的选项。
1O.D 选unless、until或after都不合逻辑。本题句子的意思是：重建工作首先要清理废墟，这样地震现场就被破坏了。所以科学家要赶在重建工作开始之前收集好地震资料。before是答案。
11.C 本句的意思是：科学家无疑会从日本大地震中学到不少东西，从而有助于减低今后发生类似的地震时的风险。四个选项中只有events合适。similar events指的是“类似的地震事 件”。若选findings（调查结果）、locations（地点）或sources（来源），句子的意思就不对。12.B 本句解释“young”这个词在地质学中的含义。句中的those指代sediments。”young“ sediments指那些年代少于或略超过一万年的sediments。deposit是“沉积”，与句子意思匹配，是答案。其他三个选项，词义离题很远，只是词形与deposit有点相似，起干扰作用而已，它们不是答案。
13.A 上一段说，younger soils是非常脆弱的。本句的anything指的是soils。哪些地方的soils是疑似高危对象呢？如果指soils from/inside/over river and old flood plains是不合常理的。正确的选择应该是near，靠近河流和原洪泛区的土壤才是危险地区。因此near是答案。14.A 加固危桥的目的是为了防止坍塌。选项prevent是答案。
15.D 在3月11日的日本大地震中，震区的建筑物倾斜、下沉，但没有倒塌。建筑上的什么因素起到了防塌的作用呢？当然不会是construction styles（建筑风格）、construction sites（建 筑工地）或construction facilities（建筑设备）。日本的construction standards（建筑标准）才是防塌的关键因素。因此standards是答案。
第六篇
不要太在意睡眠
我们每个人的大脑里都有一个像我们床边的闹钟一样的生物钟。人脑里的生物钟24小时走一圈，这一圈也就是一次完整的昼夜节律，正是这个节律决定了我们吃饭、睡觉和起床的时间。
青春期时，人的生物钟在定时方面会发生变化，生物钟会提前。这时，青少年会比以前睡得晚，所以当你妈妈告诉你该睡觉时，你的生物钟可能会让你多推迟几小时，并且电脑或电视光线可能会导致你熬夜到更晚。
生物钟的这种变化对青少年说是正常的，但熬夜到太晚会打乱你生物钟与昼夜时间循环之间的平衡，这样就会带来一些问题，例如：早晨很难按时起床。位于美国罗得州布郎大学睡眠方面的研究员Mary Carskadon说：“当青少年睡眠不足时会打不起精神，这将影响到他们心情、学习和思考问题的状态。”
其实生物钟与闹钟一样，也是可调的，事实上，生物钟每天都在进行着自我调节，其方式就是通过你眼睛接收到光线的变化。
很早之前，科学家就知道了昼夜光线强弱的变化对生物钟调节起到了重要的作用，长久以来，研究者们认为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。
但最近几年的研究发现，人类眼睛有两个感光系统，一个是视觉系统，而另一个是感知昼夜的系统。第十九篇
石墨烯的超强力量
当今重大科学技术均以“微型”来呈现，新手机和个人电脑每年都在变得更小，这就意味着电子设备要求内部零件更小，工程师们正在寻求制造这些零件的方法，他们逐渐把目光投向了石墨烯——一种由碳元素构成的超薄材料。这种材料将改变电子设备的未来。
今年的诺贝尔物理学奖颁发给了来自英国曼切斯特大学的Andre Geim和Kostya Novoselov，以表彰他们对石墨烯的发现。Novoselov说：“石墨烯不仅小，而且它是世界上所能找到的最薄材料。”他把它称作“神奇材料”。石墨烯极薄，25 000片石墨烯叠放在一起才与一张普通白纸一样厚。如果把一片石墨烯放在手指上，你根本就不会发现，因为你没办法看到它。
碳是宇宙中最多的一种元素，已知的生命体中都含有碳。石墨烯一个只有一个碳原子厚度的单层。你不用费心寻找石墨烯，它就在我们身边。
如果你想得到这种高技术材料，一支笔、一张纸和一小段胶条就足够了。用铅笔在纸上涂黑一片区域，将胶条粘在上面，当你拉开胶条你会发现它粘起了很薄的一片铅笔涂的阴影，这一片阴影就叫做石墨烯，一种世界上最软的矿物质。
现在，再将胶条粘上另外一张纸上，把它拉起来，你会得到更薄的一层。想象一下当你重复做，直到在纸上得到最薄的一层物质，这层物质只有一个原子的厚度，你根本无法看到。石墨是由一层层的石墨烯组成的，所以当你得到最薄的一层时，你已经找到了石墨烯。
第三十八篇
土卫六上发现了生命迹象
科学家们说，在土卫六上发现了外星生命迹象并宣布了这一发现。美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的研究者们对卡西尼号探测器所传回来的数据进行了分析，数据表明，土星卫星中最大的一颗卫星有以甲烷为基础的生命的存在迹象。
据报道，科学家们已经找到了在土卫六高浓度氢气大气层里“呼吸”的原始外星生命的线索。
他们认为，氢气在到达布满甲烷河流湖泊的土卫六类似行星一样的表层前就已经被吸收了。这就证明在这个不及半个地球大小的卫星表面有某种微生物在依靠氢气生存。
美国国家航空航天局的科学家Chris Mckay说，“我们提出有氢气的消耗，是由于它是土卫六上生命赖以生存的显而易见的气体，就像我们地球上用氧气呼吸一样。如果这些迹象最终证明是生命的迹象，它会加倍令人兴奋，因为它会代表完全不同于地球上水基生命的第二种生命。”
时至今日，尽管地球上的依赖液体水的微生物在甲烷里生长良好或把它作为废物排出，科学家在任何地方都没有探测到这种生命的形式。在土卫六上，绝对温度达到90度(相当于摄氏-273．15度)，依赖于甲烷的微生物不得不用某种液体物质作为生存的介质，这种液体不是水，水在土卫六上会冻成冰块，不能融化。我们知道，冰块太冷不能维持生命。
科学家们原指望太阳与大气层中的化学物质相互作用会在土卫六上产生一层乙炔。但卡西尼号在它的表面没有探测到乙炔。
Mark Allen是美国宇航局土卫六项目组的主要负责人，他说道，既然在土卫六的表面没有探测到乙炔，那就充分说明上面没有生物。
Allen说：“科学界的保守主义者们建议，要做出土卫六上有生物的结论，首先必须对土卫六上所有没有生物的观点做出回应；要排除土卫六上可能没有生物的观点，我们任重道远。极为可能的是，一种化学过程而非生物学能解释这些结果。”
第四十篇
教数学，教焦虑
在最新一项关于小学生学数学的研究中，芝加哥大学的心理学家Sian Beilock和Susan Levine 发现，女教师的想法和女学生的学习之间有着惊人的联系：如果女教师对自己的数学能力感到焦虑，她的女学生很可能认为男孩子数学比女孩学得更好。
”如果一直由对数学有焦虑的女教师教授数学，就会对她们的数学成绩产生雪球效应“，Levine说。换言之，女孩子们最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。该研究表明，如果女孩子们在一个认为男孩比女孩数学好的环境中成长，那么她们的数学可能会不如在更自信的状态下学得好。
如同学生，教师也会觉得某些学科难学和难教，这就是研究者所言的”焦虑“：不自在或担心。
此研究发现，教师对数学的焦虑能够传染给她的女学生们。该研究的研究对象包括65个女孩，52个男孩和17位在中西部教一二年级的教师。学生们在学年的开始和结束时都进行数学测试，研究者们比较得分。
研究者们测试学生是否认为数学明星一定会是男孩。然后研究者们测试教师，试图找出哪些教师对数学感到焦虑，研究者们问教师们当碰到数学问题诸如阅读销售清单时的感受，如果一位教师一看到销售清单的数字就感到紧张，那么她很可能对数学存在焦虑。
平均来说，教师的焦虑不会影响到男孩子。但是，一般说来，如果教女孩子的教师有数学焦虑症，那么女孩子们在学年结束时测试得分比其他的女孩要低。另外，在关于是否认为数学明星应该是男孩的测试中，有20个女孩认为男孩数学比女孩好，这20个女孩的老师都是女性，且都患有数学焦虑症。
来自密苏里大学的心理学家David Geary说”这是一个有趣的研究，但是这只是初步结果，需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证"。
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第四十五篇
小而聪明
12月14日，美国国家航空航天局发射了一个体积小而威力大的望远镜，它的名字叫“WISE”（聪明），大约只有一个垃圾盒子那么宽。你可千万不要轻视这个小东西，WISE可是一款商强数码相机，它将在人类已知的宇宙里拍摄任何你所能想到的天体，包括小行星、那些只能看到微弱的光和因燃烧而无法观察的天体，以及自行星和恒星诞生以来的巨大尘埃云。
Ned Wright是主持WISE项目的科学家，他说：“我十分兴奋，因为我们就要看到以前从未看到过的那部分宇宙”。
到达宇宙空间后，WISE由于受极地轨道重力作用，一直在围绕地球旋转。（这意味着，每转一圈，它就离南极和北极靠近）。它的镜头是向外的，远离地球。每11分钟WISE就会抓拍天空一个不同的部分。六个月之后，它将把整个天空拍摄完毕。
然而，WISE拍摄的相片不会像我们日常的数码相片。WISE是Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer（广域红外勘测探测器）的缩写。正如名字所示，WISE能拍到发出红外线辐射物体的相片。
辐射是波浪状行进的一种能量。人能看到的光，包括大家熟悉的、在彩虹里看到的光谱就是射线的一个例子。当普通的数码相机给一棵树照相时，它能接收到树反射回来的、可见的光波。光波通过镜头进入到相机里，相机对它进行加工，然后把图像合成。
红外线的波长比可见光长，所以，普通的数码相机捕捉不到他们，人眼也看不到这种射线。尽管人们看不到，人的皮肤能感受到较长红外线带来的温暖。
这就是为什么WISE能捕捉到其他望远镜看不到的物体的主要原因。宇宙中，不是所有的东西都以可见光的方式呈现出来。例如，小行星是在太空中漂浮的大岩石，但是小行星吸收射到他们表面的大部分光。他们不能反射光，所以要看到他们很困难。但他们却释放出红外线，所以，像WISE这样的红外线望远镜才能够捕捉到它们的图像。WISE的任务就是拍摄成千上万的小行星图像。
WISE的另一任务是为另外一种太空深处的天体一褐矮星拍照。这种天体是“失败的”恒星，它们是一些不够大，不能像太阳的能量那样启动相同的反应。褐矮星只能缩小和冷却。他们发出的光如此之微弱，人们根本看不到，但是在线外频谱中，它们是发光的。
译文：
第四十六篇
蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”对环境影响巨大
埃克斯特大学所做的研究表明，蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”和食肉动物的行为对当地的环境影响巨大。该研究发表在动物生态杂志上，它表明蚂蚁对当地的环境有两大显著的影响。
第一，通过筑巢而挪动土壤或采集食物，蚂蚁影响土壤的营养水平。这可间接影响当地从腐生物到食物链高层的许多动物种群的数量。
第二，它们捕食的动物种类很多，包括那些被大量工蚁攻击的大猎物。
Dirk Sanders是该大学生态和保护中心所做的此项研究的作者，他说：“蚂蚁是高效的食肉动物，而且能大量繁殖。它们具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力对抗其他的食肉动物来保卫自己的领地。所有这些都意味着蚂蚁对周围环境影响巨大。”
“在该研究中，我们第一次对蚂蚁带来的影响程度及微妙程度进行研究。所得到的发现是：尽管是食肉动物，蚂蚁的出现能促使其他动物族群在数量和品种上的增长。并对当地的环境起到切实重要的作用，对大草原的食物链影响巨大。”Sanders说。
该研究在德国进行，它对花园黑蚂蚁和一般的红蚂蚁在不同混合程度和不同密度下的影响力进行研究。黑蚂蚁和红蚂蚁在整个欧洲包括英国都能找到。研究发现，一个地区的蚂蚁密度小，而其他动物尤其是食草动物和腐生物的数量和种类会增多。如果蚂蚁的密度大，就不可能产生同样的影响，或者产生相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵消蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。Dr Frank van Veen是本研究的另一作者，他说：“我们的发现是：如果蚂蚁的数量少，其对土壤的营养水平的影响会对动物族群产生积极的效果。如果蚂蚁的数量增加，其捕食的影响会达到最大化，因此会抵消蚂蚁通过生态工程给环境带来的积极影响。” 蚂蚁是生态系统的重要组成部分，不仅因为它占有很大部分的生物量，而且因为其作为生态系统工程师的角色。蚂蚁具有难以想象的多样性，但极易受人类的影响，这就使它的多样性有显著的减少。然而，科学家还不消楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。蚂蚁通过变动物理的和化学的环境，通过对植物、微生物和其他土壤生物的影响而对生态环境起至关重要的作用。
第十五篇 “液化”是日本地震破坏的关键
一份分析报告表明，在日本，巨大的俯冲带地震致使土壤液化的程度之严重，范围之广令研究者们着实吃了一惊。
“我们以前也看到过这么严重的小范围的土壤液化现象，但是，日本的破坏程度范围之广是极为严重的。所有结构都倾斜了并陷到沉淀物中，土壤中的断层摧毁了自来水管、排水和煤气管道，社区的公共和基础设施陷于瘫痪。我们看到有些地区下陷了四英尺”。来自俄勒冈州立大学岩土工程系的Scott Ashford说到。
几乎任何大地震都会带来某种程度的土壤液化。这种现象是由于地震中浸满了水的土壤，尤其刚沉淀下来的沉淀物或细砂土在振动作用下突然失去支撑的力量而呈现液态变化。从而导致地面建筑物移动、下沉或倒塌。
“然而，多数地震比起最近日本发生的地震持续时间都短的多”。Ashford说道。日本发生的地震持续了五分钟，这就促使研究者们重新审视类似这次(持续时间长的)地震中液化可能造成的毁坏规模。
“由于地震持续时间长，我们看到以前的地震持续30秒时地面建筑物仍旧完好无损，如果震动再延续几分钟，建筑物就会继续下沉或倾斜，很明显，那些建造在新近填就的地面上的建筑物最易受到伤害。”Ashford讲到。
研究者们对日本地震作出了分析并得出数据，这些数据能大大提高人们了解土壤浸水后的这类现象，以便做好防备，对付未来可能发生的同类现象。Ashford认为，重建工作首先要清理废墟，这样地震现场就被破坏了。所以科学家必须要赶在重建工作开始之前收集好地震资料。
“毋庸置疑，我们从日本地震中学到的东西有助于在将来类似的情况中降低风险。一些地方的建筑物会更多应用液化减少技术，如加强土壤的夯实或用石柱加固”。Ashford说。
Ashford指出，北加利福尼亚州那些沿岸的、距离河口堆积物较近或填充的土壤易于受到液化的侵害。“年轻”的沉淀物这个词在地质学中是指那些年代少于或略超过一万年的沉淀物。比如，在俄勒冈州，它指的是Portland市区的大部分地区、Portland国际机场和其他城市。
凡是在河流和泛滥平原附近地区的土壤很有可能是危险的。俄勒冈交通部断定，该州的1100座桥梁如发生地震会有危险。只有不到15％的桥梁得到了加固以防坍塌。日本在3月11日的地震中损失惨重，但是震区的建筑物倾斜、下沉，却没有倒塌，日本的建筑标准功不可没。
第十三篇 没有太阳能电池的太阳能
密歇根大学的研究着们发现，光所产生的巨大磁效应有望用于太阳能发电，从而取代传统的半导体太阳能电池。
Stephen Rand是电力工程和计算机科学系以及物理和应用物理系的教授，他讲道：“研究者们找到了制造光电池的方法”
光具有电磁成分。而以前的科学家认为电磁光太微弱，不值得去关注。Rand和他的同事的发现是，在适当的强度下，当光通过一个不导电的物质，光场产生的磁效应比以前想象的要大一亿倍。在这种情况下，光磁效应所释放的能量堪比强电效应。
“这有可能开发出不用半导体或不用吸入电荷分离的新型太阳能电池，太阳能电池是利用光射入一种材料，吸收和产生热量。而目前我们期望有一种非常低的热负荷来取代用磁矩吸收光源，储存能量。强光可以诱导强磁力，强磁力最终能够发电”。Rand教授说。“使之成为可能的是，之前有一种探测不到的叫光学矫正的电光”。应用物理学的博士生William Fisher如是说。在传统的光学矫正中，光电场致使电荷分离或把材料中的正负电荷分开，这就具有像电池一样的电压了。
Rand和Fisher发现，如果周围的环境合适并且材料适合，光磁场也可能产生光学矫正。光必须穿过像玻璃一样的不导电物质。并且聚集的电量为每平方厘米一千万瓦。太阳光自己没有那么强，但是正在寻找的新型材料能够在低电流状态下完成工作。
Fisher说：“在我们最近的论文中，我们表明，像太阳这样的非相干光，理论上能够像激光一样产生电荷分离。”
研究者们断言，这项新技术能使太阳能降低成本，他们预测，一旦使用改进的材料，太阳能可转换成可用能量，其转换率可达10％。这等同于当下商用的太阳能电池。
目前要生产太阳能电池，必须要进行大量的半导体的加工，而我们将来所需要的只是聚光的透镜和导入光线的纤维。玻璃能起到以上双重的作用。它已被大量生产，而且不大需要太多的加工。如使用透明陶瓷会更好。
第十二篇 快餐加免费降胆固醇药物可以降低罹患心脏病的风险
伦敦帝国理工学院的研究者们在一项新研究中建议，快餐店可以免费供应降胆固醇药物以此降低顾客食用油腻食品罹患心脏病的风险。
降胆固醇药物能减少不健康的低密度脂蛋白胆固醇在血液中的含量。大量的试验数据已经证明，降胆固醇药能有效降低罹患心脏病的风险。
在《美国心脏病学杂志》发表的一篇论文里，Darrel Francis博士和他的同事们估订，一粒降胆固醇药降低的罹患心脏病的风险，足以抵消食用汉堡和饮用奶昔所提高的罹患心脏病的风险。
Francis博士来自帝国理工学院的国家心肺学院，是本次研究的资深发起人。他认为：“降胆固醇药物不能消除所有汉堡和炸土豆条带来的不健康的影响，最好远离所有油腻食物。但是，就罹患心脏病的几率而言，我们得出这样的结论：服用降胆固醇药物降低心脏病发作的风险与快餐增加的患心脏病的风险在程度上大致相当。”
“具有讽刺意味的是，人们在快餐店里可以随意拿取对健康有害的调味包，但是对健康有利的降胆固醇药物却是处方药。既然对健康有害的调味包可以随意免费拿取，那么降低心脏病发作的降胆固醇药物免费随意拿取也是合理的。在每个顾客身上都花不了5便士，也就是一小袋糖的价格”，Francis博士说道。
当人们从事诸如驾驶和吸烟等危险行为时，别人会鼓励他们系安全带或选择有过滤嘴的香烟以降低风险。服用降胆固醇药物是降低油腻食物引发的心脏病发作风险的理性做法。
第十一篇
气候变化给不备城市带来重大风险
最近，Patricia Romero Lankao对市政方针进行了全新的审查。她是一个社会学家，专门研究气候变化和城市发展。她警告说，世界上许多快速发展的城市地区，尤其在发展中国家，很可能会由于气候变化的影响而遭殃。她的著作也断定，大多数城市没有做到减排二氧化碳和其他温室气体，而众所周知，这些气体妨碍大气层。“气候变化是一个严重的区域问题，对世界上发展中的城市带来了严重的危害，但是，几乎没有城市研发有效的策略来保护当地居民”。
城市是温室气体的主要来源，城市人口很有可能受到未来环境变化的影响最大。Lankao的发现强调了城市居民受到伤害最大的一些方面，所以她建议出台干预政策，此举可以给居民带来短期的和长期的益处。
城市的位置以及城市建设的密集常常会使居民在应对自然灾害时面临更大的危险。与气候有关的潜在威胁有风暴潮和炎热天气的延长等。风暴潮可以淹没港口地区，而炎热天气的延长使得大量铺设沥青路面的城市比周边地区的温度大大提高。这自然现象给城市带来的影响尤为严重。比如，热浪的延长会加剧空气污染，从而导致大面积的居民健康问题。贫穷社区可能由于缺乏如饮用水和可靠的公路系统这样基本的设施，而在自然灾害来临时遭受更大的影响。许多贫穷国家的居民住在不符合标准的房子里，没有安全的饮用水、交通设施和其他基础服务设施。
因此，当地政府应该采取措施来保护他们的居民。“不幸的是，政府对此事的反应仅仅局限于作秀而不是有意义的作为，他们不严格执行能够减少供热和空调需要的建筑标准，事实上，许多当地政府对此袖手旁观。”Romero Lankao说。因此，她敦促政府改变不作为的政策，采取强制措施预防气候变化对城市带来的不利影响。
第十篇
心灵鸡汤：爽心食品排解孤独感
土豆泥，通心粉和奶酪可能对动脉血管有害，但是，据《心理科学》一项研究表明，它们对心脏有利并且能抑制不利情绪。其研究对象是爽心食品，目的是探究人们对爽心食品的感觉。
“就我而言，食品在我的家庭一直是比较关注的问题”，Jordan Troisi如是说。他是布法罗大学的研究生并且是本次研究的首席作者。该研究出自于他与Shira Gabriel合作的一个研究项目。它关注的是可能影响人类情感的物质的东西。有些人用诸如绑定喜爱的电视节目，和流行音乐歌手建立虚拟的关系或浏览亲人的照片来排遣孤独。Troisi和Gabriel想知道爽心食品是否能通过使人们想到他们最亲近和最爱的人，同样达到排遣孤独的效果。
在一个实验中，为使参与者感觉孤独，研究者让他们用六分钟的时间描写一次与最亲近的人吵架的经历。而要求另外一些人写一个情感中性的作业。然后，每一组的一些人描写食用爽心食品的经历；而其他的人描写食用新食品的经历。最后，研究者让参与者书面回答关于孤独程度的问题。
描写与亲人吵架的经历使人感到孤独。但是，一般来说，人们的关系若处于稳定状态，通过描写他们吃爽心食品的经历会排遣一些孤独感。Troisi说道：“我们已经得出这样的结论：爽心食品与我们的亲人密切相连，想一想或之后真正食用这种食品会提醒人们注意到他们的亲人。”在所有关于爽心食品 的文章中，许多人都描述了与家人和朋友共同进餐的经历。
在另外一个实验中，在实验喝鸡汤令人想到和其他人的关系，但是，这只有在他们把鸡汤认为是爽心食品的时候才会发生。参与者被要求回答这个问题和许多其他问题是在这个实验很久以前，因此他们不会记得。
“在每一个人的日常生活中，都会经历紧张，而这往往与人际关系有关，爽心食品可能是排遣孤独的便利食品”。Troisi如是说。
第三篇 纸币上的病菌
不同国家的人们使用不同种类的纸币：中国用元，墨西哥用比索，英国用英镑，美国用美元、澳大利亚用澳元、新西兰用新西兰元。这些国家的纸币形状也可能不一致，但所有国家的纸币都具有一个共同点：纸币上有病菌。
一百多年以来，科学家们对纸币上病菌的研究从未停止过。在二十世纪初期，一些研究人员开始怀疑寄附于纸币上的病菌极有可能传播疾病。
对纸币上病菌的研究大多着眼于某一国家的纸币。Frank Vriesekoop博士和其他研究人员进行了一项新的研究，即比较不同国家纸币上的病菌总数。
Frank Vriesekoop博士是巴拉瑞特大学的食品微生物学家，他率领一个全球研究小组对至少10个国家的纸币上的病菌展开了分析。科学家们总共分析了1，280张纸币：所有纸币来自于人们购买食物的地方，如超市、街头小贩和咖啡厅，因为人们在那些地方往往会使用纸币。
总体来说，澳元中的活病菌最少，每平方厘米只有10个；中国人民币的病菌最多，大约每平方厘米100个。纸币上的病菌大多不会有危害。
我们所说的“纸币”通常不是纸做的。例如，美元是印在一种棉织物上。不同的国家可能会用不同的材料印制货币。Vriesekoop和他的研究团队所分析的货币中有的是棉制品，比如美元。其他的是由聚合物所制成的。
有三种纸币上的病菌的数量最少，它们是澳元、新西兰元和墨西哥比索，而且它们都是印在聚合物上。
其他的纸币都是印在高棉制品上。而用聚合物印制的纸币上的病菌较少。这种关系表明，病菌在聚合物的表面上更难以存活。科学家们若想搞清楚病菌是怎样在纸币上生存的以及我们是否需要重视这些病菌，需要做更多的研究。Vriesekoop目前所做的研究就是比较在不同类型的纸币上病菌存活的时间。
无论Vriesekoop的研究有何发现，毋庸置疑的是：纸币含有病菌。我们接触纸币后应立即洗手。毕竟，你永远不会知道你的纸币的来源，或者上面有什么东西。
第四篇：2012年职称英语理工类阅读理解新增文章(翻译)
2012年职称英语理工类翻译
新增文章
阅读理解（6篇）
第六篇 Making Light of1 Sleep 第十九篇 Graphene's Superstrength1 *第三＋八篇 “Life Form Found” on Saturn's Titan *第四十篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety +第四＋五篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety +第四十六篇Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as “Ecosystem Engineers” 注：
1、+表示A级文章；*表示B即文章；其他为C级文章
2、阅读理解 3、2012年词汇部分与2011年教材相比未作任何变化
理工类C级 第六篇 不要太在意睡眠
我们每个人的大脑里都有一个像我们床边的闹钟一样的生物钟。人脑里的生物钟24小时走一圈，这一圈也就是一次完整的昼夜节律，正是这个节律决定了我们吃饭、睡觉和起床的时间。
青春期时，人的生物钟在定时方面会发生变化，生物钟会提前。这时，青少年会比以前睡得晚，所以当你妈妈告诉你该睡觉时，你的生物钟可能会让你多推迟几小时，并且电脑或电视光线可能会导致你熬夜到更晚。
生物钟的这种变化对青少年说是正常的，但熬夜到太晚会打乱你生物钟与昼夜时间循环之间的平衡，这样就会带来一些问题，例如：早晨很难按时起床。位于美国罗得州布郎大学睡眠方面的研究员Mary Carskadon说：“当青少年睡眠不足时会打不起精神，这将影响到他们心情、学习和思考问题的状态。”
其实生物钟与闹钟一样，也是可调的，事实上，生物钟每天都在进行着自我调节，其方式就是通过你眼睛接收到光线的变化。
很早之前，科学家就知道了昼夜光线强弱的变化对生物钟调节起到了重要的作用，长久以来，研究者们认为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。
但最近几年的研究发现，人类眼睛有两个感光系统，一个是视觉系统，而另一个是感知昼夜的系统。
第十九篇 石墨烯的超强力量
当今重大科学技术均以“微型”来呈现，新手机和个人电脑每年都在变得更小，这就意味着电子设备要求内部零件更小，工程师们正在寻求制造这些零件的方法，他们逐渐把目光投向了石墨烯——一种由碳元素构成的超薄材料。这种材料将改变电子设备的未来。
今年的诺贝尔物理学奖颁发给了来自英国曼切斯特大学的Andre Geim和Kostya Novoselov，以表彰他们对石墨烯的发现。Novoselov说：“石墨烯不仅小，而且它是世界上所能找到的最薄材料。”他把它称作“神奇材料”。石墨烯极薄，25 000片石墨烯叠放在一起才与一张普通白纸一样厚。如果把一片石墨烯放在手指上，你根本就不会发现，因为你没办法看到它。
碳是宇宙中最多的一种元素，已知的生命体中都含有碳。石墨烯一个只有一个碳原子厚度的单层。你不用费心寻找石墨烯，它就在我们身边。
如果你想得到这种高技术材料，一支笔、一张纸和一小段胶条就足够了。用铅笔在纸上涂黑一片区域，将胶条粘在上面，当你拉开胶条你会发现它粘起了很薄的一片铅笔涂的阴影，这一片阴影就叫做石墨烯，一种世界上最软的矿物质。
现在，再将胶条粘上另外一张纸上，把它拉起来，你会得到更薄的一层。想象一下当你重复做，直到在纸上得到最薄的一层物质，这层物质只有一个原子的厚度，你根本无法看到。石墨是由一层层的石墨烯组成的，所以当你得到最薄的一层时，你已经找到了石墨烯。
理工类B级 第三十八篇 土卫六上发现了生命迹象
科学家们说，在土卫六上发现了外星生命迹象并宣布了这一发现。美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的研究者们对卡西尼号探测器所传回来的数据进行了分析，数据表明，土星卫星中最大的一颗卫星有以甲烷为基础的生命的存在迹象。
据报道，科学家们已经找到了在土卫六高浓度氢气大气层里“呼吸”的原始外星生命的线索。
他们认为，氢气在到达布满甲烷河流湖泊的土卫六类似行星一样的表层前就已经被吸收了。这就证明在这个不及半个地球大小的卫星表面有某种微生物在依靠氢气生存。
美国国家航空航天局的科学家Chris Mckay说，“我们提出有氢气的消耗，是由于它是土卫六上生命赖以生存的显而易见的气体，就像我们地球上用氧气呼吸一样。如果这些迹象最终证明是生命的迹象，它会加倍令人兴奋，因为它会代表完全不同于地球上水基生命的第二种生命。”
时至今日，尽管地球上的依赖液体水的微生物在甲烷里生长良好或把它作为废物排出，科学家在任何地方都没有探测到这种生命的形式。在土卫六上，绝对温度达到90度(相当于摄氏-273．15度)，依赖于甲烷的微生物不得不用某种液
体物质作为生存的介质，这种液体不是水，水在土卫六上会冻成冰块，不能融化。我们知道，冰块太冷不能维持生命。
科学家们原指望太阳与大气层中的化学物质相互作用会在土卫六上产生一层乙炔。但卡西尼号在它的表面没有探测到乙炔。
Mark Allen是美国宇航局土卫六项目组的主要负责人，他说道，既然在土卫六的表面没有探测到乙炔，那就充分说明上面没有生物。
Allen说：“科学界的保守主义者们建议，要做出土卫六上有生物的结论，首先必须对土卫六上所有没有生物的观点做出回应；要排除土卫六上可能没有生物的观点，我们任重道远。极为可能的是，一种化学过程而非生物学能解释这些结果。”
第四十篇 教数学，教焦虑
在最新一项关于小学生学数学的研究中，芝加哥大学的心理学家Sian Beilock和Susan Levine 发现，女教师的想法和女学生的学习之间有着惊人的联系：如果女教师对自己的数学能力感到焦虑，她的女学生很可能认为男孩子数学比女孩学得更好。
“如果一直由对数学有焦虑的女教师教授数学，就会对她们的数学成绩产生雪球效应”，Levine说。换言之，女孩子们最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。该研究表明，如果女孩子们在一个认为男孩比女孩数学好的环境中成长，那么她们的数学可能会不如在更自信的状态下学得好。
如同学生，教师也会觉得某些学科难学和难教，这就是研究者所言的“焦虑”：不自在或担心。
此研究发现，教师对数学的焦虑能够传染给她的女学生们。该研究的研究对象包括65个女孩，52个男孩和17位在中西部教一二年级的教师。学生们在学年的开始和结束时都进行数学测试，研究者们比较得分。
研究者们测试学生是否认为数学明星一定会是男孩。然后研究者们测试教师，试图找出哪些教师对数学感到焦虑，研究者们问教师们当碰到数学问题诸如阅读销售清单时的感受，如果一位教师一看到销售清单的数字就感到紧张，那么她很可能对数学存在焦虑。
平均来说，教师的焦虑不会影响到男孩子。但是，一般说来，如果教女孩子的教师有数学焦虑症，那么女孩子们在学年结束时测试得分比其他的女孩要低。另外，在关于是否认为数学明星应该是男孩的测试中，有20个女孩认为男孩数学比女孩好，这20个女孩的老师都是女性，且都患有数学焦虑症。
来自密苏里大学的心理学家David Geary说“这是一个有趣的研究，但是这只是初步结果，需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证”。
理工类A级 第四十五篇 小而聪明
12月14日，美国国家航空航天局发射了一个体积小而威力大的望远镜，它的名字叫“WISE”(聪明)，大约只有一个垃圾盒子那么宽。你可千万不要轻视这个小东西，WISE可是一款高强数码相机，它将在人类已知的宇宙里拍摄任何你所能想到的天体，包括小行星、那些只能看到微弱的光和因燃烧而无法观察到的天体，以及自行星和恒星诞生以来的巨大尘埃云。
Ned Wright是主持WISE项目的科学家，他说：“我十分兴奋，因为我们就要看到以前从未看到过的那部分宇宙”。
到达宇宙空间后，WISE由于受极地轨道重力作用，一直在围绕地球旋转。(这意味着，每转一圈，它就离南极和北极靠近)。它的镜头是向外的，远离地球。每11分钟WISE就会抓拍天空一个不同的部分。六个月之后，它将把整个天空拍摄完毕。
然而，WISE拍摄的相片不会像我们日常的数码相片。WISE是Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer(广域红外戡测探测器)的缩写。正如名字所示，WISE能拍到发出红外线辐射物体的相片。
辐射是波浪状行进的一种能量。人能看到的光，包括大家熟悉的、在彩虹里看到的光谱就是射线的一个例子。当普通的数码相机给一棵树照相时，它能接收到树反射回来的、可见的光波。光波通过镜头进入到相机里，相机对它进行加工，然后把图像合成。
红外线的波长比可见光长，所以，普通的数码相机捕捉不到他们，人眼也看不到这种射线。尽管人们看不到，人的皮肤能感受到较长红外线带来的温暖。
这就是为什么WISE能捕捉到其他望远镜看不到的物体的主要原因。宇宙中，不是所有的东西都以可见光的方式呈现出来。例如，小行星是在太空中漂浮的大岩石，但是小行星吸收射到他们表面的大部分光。他们不能反射光，所以要看到他们很困难。但他们却释放出红外线，所以，象WISE这样的红外线望远镜才能够捕捉到它们的图像。WISE的任务就是拍摄成千上万的小行星图像。
WISE的另一任务是为另外一种太空深处的天体一褐矮星拍照。这种天体是“失败的”恒星，它们是一些不够大，不能像太阳的能量那样启动相同的反应。褐矮星只能缩小和冷却。他们发出的光如此之微弱，人们根本看不到，但是在红外频谱中，它们是发光的。
第四十六篇 蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”对环境影响巨大
埃克斯特大学所做的研究表明，蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”和食肉动物的行为对当地的环境影响巨大。该研究发表在动物生态杂志上，它表明蚂蚁对当地的环境有两大显著的影响。
第一，通过筑巢而挪动土壤或采集食物，蚂蚁影响土壤的营养水平。这可间接影响当地从腐生物到食物链高层的许多动物种群的数量。
第二，它们捕食的动物种类很多，包括那些被大量工蚁攻击的大猎物。
Dirk Sanders是该大学生态和保护中心所做的此项研究的作者，他说：“蚂蚁是高效的食肉动物，而且能大量繁殖。它们具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力对抗其他的食肉动物来保卫自己的领地。所有这些都意味着蚂蚁对周围环境影响巨大。”
“在该研究中，我们第一次对蚂蚁带来的影响程度及微妙程度进行研究。所得的发现是：尽管是食肉动物，蚂蚁的出现能促使其他动物族群在数量和品种上的增长。并对当地的环境起到切实重要的作用，对大草原的食物链影响巨大。”Sanders说。
该研究在德国进行，它对花园黑蚂蚁和一般的红蚂蚁在不同混合程度和不同密度下的影响力进行研究。黑蚂蚁和红蚂蚁在整个欧洲包括英国都能找到。研究发现，一个地区的蚂蚁密度小，而其他动物尤其是食草动物和腐生物的数量和种类会增多。如果蚂蚁的密度大，就不可能产生同样的影响，或者产生相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵消蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。
Dr Frank van Veen是本研究的另一作者，他说：“我们的发现是：如果蚂蚁的数量少，其对土壤的营养水平的影响会对动物族群产生积极的效果。但是如果蚂蚁的数量增加，其捕食的影响会达到最大化，因此会抵消蚂蚁通过生态工程给环境带来的积极影响”。
蚂蚁是生态系统的重要组成部分，不仅因为它占有很大部分的生物量，而且因为其作为生态系统工程师的角色。蚂蚁具有难以想象的多样性，但极易受人类的影响，这就使它的多样性有显著的减少。然而，科学家还不清楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。蚂蚁通过变动物理的和化学的环境，通过对植物、微生物和其他土壤生物的影响而对生态环境起至关重要的作用。
第四十五篇 小而聪明
12月14日，美国国家航空航天局发射了一个体积小而威力大的望远镜，它的名字叫“WISE”（聪明），大约只有一个垃圾盒子那么宽。你可千万不要轻视这个小东西，WISE可是一款商强数码相机，它将在人类已知的宇宙里拍摄任何你所能想到的天体，包括小行星、那些只能看到微弱的光和因燃烧而无法观察的天体，以及自行星和恒星诞生以来的巨大尘埃云。
Ned Wright是主持WISE项目的科学家，他说：“我十分兴奋，因为我们就要看到以前从未看到过的那部分宇宙”。
到达宇宙空间后，WISE由于受极地轨道重力作用，一直在围绕地球旋转。（这意味着，每转一圈，它就离南极和北极靠近）。它的镜头是向外的，远离地球。每11分钟WISE就会抓拍天空一个不同的部分。六个月之后，它将把整个天空拍摄完毕。
然而，WISE拍摄的相片不会像我们日常的数码相片。WISE是Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer（广域红外勘测探测器）的缩写。正如名字所示，WISE能拍到发出红外线辐射物体的相片。
辐射是波浪状行进的一种能量。人能看到的光，包括大家熟悉的、在彩虹里看到的光谱就是射线的一个例子。当普通的数码相机给一棵树照相时，它能接收到树反射回来的、可见的光波。光波通过镜头进入到相机里，相机对它进行加工，然后把图像合成。
红外线的波长比可见光长，所以，普通的数码相机捕捉不到他们，人眼也看不到这种射线。尽管人们看不到，人的皮肤能感受到较长红外线带来的温暖。
这就是为什么WISE能捕捉到其他望远镜看不到的物体的主要原因。宇宙中，不是所有的东西都以可见光的方式呈现出来。例如，小行星是在太空中漂浮的大岩石，但是小行星吸收射到他们表面的大部分光。他们不能反射光，所以要看到他们很困难。但他们却释放出红外线，所以，像WISE这样的红外线望远镜才能够捕捉到它们的图像。WISE的任务就是拍摄成千上万的小行星图像。
WISE的另一任务是为另外一种太空深处的天体一褐矮星拍照。这种天体是“失败的”恒星，它们是一些不够大，不能像太阳的能量那样启动相同的反应。褐矮星只能缩小和冷却。他们发出的光如此之微弱，人们根本看不到，但是在线外频谱中，它们是发光的。
第四十六篇 蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”对环境影响巨大
埃克斯特大学所做的研究表明，蚂蚁作为“生态系统工程师”和食肉动物的行为对当地的环境影响巨大。该研究发表在动物生态杂志上，它表明蚂蚁对当地的环境有两大显著的影响。
第一，通过筑巢而挪动土壤或采集食物，蚂蚁影响土壤的营养水平。这可间接影响当地从腐生物到食物链高层的许多动物种群的数量。
第二，它们捕食的动物种类很多，包括那些被大量工蚁攻击的大猎物。Dirk Sanders是该大学生态和保护中心所做的此项研究的作者，他说：“蚂蚁是高效的食肉动物，而且能大量繁殖。它们具有很强的领地意识，并且会竭尽全力对抗其他的食肉动物来保卫自己的领地。所有这些都意味着蚂蚁对周围环境影响巨大。”
“在该研究中，我们第一次对蚂蚁带来的影响程度及微妙程度进行研究。所得到的发现是：尽管是食肉动物，蚂蚁的出现能促使其他动物族群在数量和品种上的增长。并对当地的环境起到切实重要的作用，对大草原的食物链影响巨大。”Sanders说。
该研究在德国进行，它对花园黑蚂蚁和一般的红蚂蚁在不同混合程度和不同密度下的影响力进行研究。黑蚂蚁和红蚂蚁在整个欧洲包括英国都能找到。研究发现，一个地区的蚂蚁密度小，而其他动物尤其是食草动物和腐生物的数量和种类会增多。如果蚂蚁的密度大，就不可能产生同样的影响，或者产生相反的影响，这表明，蚂蚁的掠食活动会抵消蚂蚁给环境带来的积极影响。
Dr Frank van Veen是本研究的另一作者，他说：“我们的发现是：如果蚂蚁的数量少，其对土壤的营养水平的影响会对动物族群产生积极的效果。如果蚂蚁的数量增加，其捕食的影响会达到最大化，因此会抵消蚂蚁通过生态工程给环境带来的积极影响。”
蚂蚁是生态系统的重要组成部分，不仅因为它占有很大部分的生物量，而且
因为其作为生态系统工程师的角色。蚂蚁具有难以想象的多样性，但极易受人类的影响，这就使它的多样性有显著的减少。然而，科学家还不消楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用。蚂蚁通过变动物理的和化学的环境，通过对植物、微生物和其他土壤生物的影响而对生态环境起至关重要的作用。
2012年职称英语理工、综合和卫生教材（电子版已经发布，欢迎下载）
第五篇：2014年职称英语理工类B级考前押题(-)
2014年职称英语理工类B级考前押题(一)第一部分 词汇选项
下面每个句子中均有1个词或者短语有下划线，请为每处下划线部分确定1个意义最为接近的选项。
1、The high-speed trains can have a major impact on travel preferences.A.force
B.influence
C.surprise
D.power
2、Can you follow the plot?
A.change
B.investigate
C.write
D.understand
3、Even in a highly modernized country, manual work is still needed.A.physical
B.mental
C.natural
D.hard
4、In the latter case the outcome can be serious indeed.A.result
B.judgment
C.decision
D.event
5、Norman B amey,is an artist of deep convictions.A.statements
B.beliefs
C.suggestions
D.claims
6、Up to now, the work has been easy.A.So
B.So long
C.So that
D.So far
7、The report advocated setting up day training colleges.A.supposed
B.excited
C.suggested
D.discussed
8、Accordingly, a number of other methods have been employed.A.Therefore
B.Afterwards
C.However
D.Furthermore
9、The outlook from the top of the mountain is breathtaking.A.view
B.sight
C.look
D.point
10、Our lives are intimately bound up with theirs.A.tensely
B.nearly
C.carefully
D.closely
11、The union representative put across her argument very effectively.A.explained
B.invented
C.considered
D.accepted
12、He talks tough but has a tender heart.A.heavy
B.strong
C.kind
D.wild
13、It is no use debating the relative merits of this policy.A.making
B.taking
C.discussing
D.expecting
14、Our statistics show that we consume all that we are capable of producing..A.waste
B.buy
C.use
D.sell
15、The fuel tanks had a capacity of 140 liters.A.function
B.ability
C.power
D.volume 第2部分：阅读判断(第16～22题，每题1分，共7分)
阅读下面这篇短文，短文后列出了7个句子，请根据短文的内容对每个句子做出判断。如果该句提供的是正确信息，请在答题卡上把A涂黑;如果该句提供的是错误信息，请在答题卡上把B涂黑;如果该句的信息文章中没有提及，请在答题卡上把C涂黑。
Computers
Before the widespread use of computers, managers could not make full use of large amounts of valuable information about a company's activities.The information either reached managers too late or was too expensive to be used.Today, managers are facing a wide range of data processing and information instruments.In place of a few financial controls, managers can draw on computer-based information systems to control activities in every area of their company.On any kinds of performance measures, the information provided by these systems helps managers compare standards with actual results, find out problems, and take corrective action before it is too late to make changes.The introduction of computerized information systems has sharply changed management control in many companies.Even a neighborhood shopkeeper may now use computers to control sales, billing, and other activities.In large companies, electronic data processing systems monitor entire projects and sets of operations.Now, there are about 24 million microcomputers in use in the United States —— one for every 10 citizens.It is estimated that by 1996, 61 percent of American managers will be using some sort of electronic work station.In order for managers to be sure that the computer-based information they are receiving is accurate, they need to understand how computers work.However, in most cases they do not need to learn how to program computers.Rather, managers should understand how computerized information systems work;how they are developed;their limitations and costs;and the manner in which information systems may be used.Such an understanding is not difficult to achieve.One research found that business firms were more successful in teaching basic information about computers to business graduates than they were in teaching business subjects to computer science graduates.Today, conventional financial controls are still exercised in some minor areas such as billing and vocational training.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned It is unnecessary for a neighborhood baker to use a computer in his shop
A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned At present about 10% of American citizens possess a microcomputer.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned One thing that managers do not have to understand is how computers work.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned In some cases managers have to learn how to write programs so as to work out computerized information systems that suit their own companies best.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned Computerized firms would rather employ business graduates than computer science graduates because it is easier to train the former into qualified employees.A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 第3部分：概括大意与完成句子(第23～30题，每题1分，共8分)
阅读下面这篇短文，短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2～5段每段选择1个正确的小标题;(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。请将答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上.1.Children enjoy shouting at a high wall and hearing the sound come back to them.These sounds are called echoes(回声).Echoes have given us a number of valuable tools.2.Echo sounding devices were early used in making maps of the ocean floor.Sounds or ultrasonic(超声的)sounds make good tools for determining how deep the water is under ships.Sometimes echoes from ultrasonic distance finding devices were prevented from working by fish swimming past or by the presence of large objects.So ultrasonic devices have been replaced by other tools.3.Radar is now a familiar tool.Like many others it was an unexpected discovery.It was first observed by two researchers, who were studying sound communication.They were sending signals from a station on one side of a river in Washington，D IC.to a vehicle across the river.They discovered that their signals were stopped by passing ships.They recognized the importance of this discovery at once.4.All this was of course just a start, from which our present radar has developed.The word “radar,” in fact, gets its name from the term “radio detection(检测)and ranging.” “Ranging” is the term for detection of the distance between an object and the radar set.Today, in our scientific age, it would be difficult to manage without radar.5.One of the many uses of radar is as a speed control device on highways.When a person in an automobile is driving faster than the speed limit, radar will show this clearly and the traffic police can take measures to stop him.6.A pilot cannot fly a plane by sight alone.Many conditions such as flying at night and landing in dense fog require the pilot to use radar.Human eyes are not very good at determining speeds of approaching objects, but radar can show the pilot how fast nearby planes are moving.Paragraph 2__________.Paragraph 3__________.Paragraph 4__________.Paragraph 5__________.A Study of Sound
B Highway Police
C Working Principles
D Early Use of “Radar”
E Useful Tools
F Discovery by Chance Echo-sounding devices were early used to__________.Ultrasonic device were used to__________.Police use radar on highways to__________.Radar helps pilots to__________.A detect nearby objects
B determine the depth of the ocean water
C decide how fast you drive
D stop passing ships
E map the ocean floor
F observe water flow 第4部分：阅读理解(第31～45题，每题3分，共45分)
下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每道题后面都有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
第一篇
Ocean Noise Pollution
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities.It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines.Such noises are added to natural sounds.These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.Decibels(分贝)measured in water are different from those measured on land.A noise of one hundred-twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears.In water, a decibel level of one-hundred ninety-five would have the same effect.Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one-hundred-twenty decibels in.oceans.They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales(鲸鱼).A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals.The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing.This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way.Some of the whales even died.The explosions had caused their ears to bleed(出血)and become infected(感染).Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one-hundred-twenty decibels.They say such a limit is a greater danger than they believed.They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.31 According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A The sound of a car.B The sound of voices.C Man-made noise pollution.D The sound of steps.32 According to the passage, natural sounds include all of the following EXCEPT__________.A sounds made by animals themselves.B ocean drilling.C underwater earthquakes.D the breaking of ice fields.，33 Which of the following is discussed in the third paragraph?
A The same noise level produces a different effect on land and in the ocean.B Different places may have different types of noises.C The decibel is not a suitable unit for measuring underwater noise.D Different ocean animals may have different reactions to noises.34 Which of the following is true of whales?
A They won't be confused by noises.B They are deaf to noises.C Their ability to reproduce will be lowered by high-level noises.D Their hearing will be damaged by high-level noises.35 According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A They will work hard to reduce ocean noise pollution.B They will protect animals from harmful noises.C They will try to set a limit of 120 decibels.D They will study the effect of ocean noise pollution.第二篇
Lifetime Employment in Japanese Companies
In most large Japanese companies, there is a policy of lifetime employment.What this means is that when people leave school or university to join an enterprise, they can expect to remain with that organization until they retire.In effect, the employee gets job security for life, and can only be fired for serious mistakes in work.Even in times of business recession, he or she is free from the fear of being laid off.One result of this practice is that the Japanese worker identifies closely with his company and feels strong loyalty to it.By working hard for the company, he believes he is safeguarding his own future.It is not surprising that devotion to one's company is considered a great virtue in Japan.A man is often prepared to put his firm's interests before those of his immediate family.The job security guaranteed by this system influences the way employees approach their work.They tend to think in terms of what they can achieve throughout their career.This is because they are not judged on how they are performing during a short period of time.They can afford to, take a longer perspective than their Western counterparts.This marriage between the employee and the companymay explain why Japanese workers seem positively to love the products their company is producing and why they are willing to stay on after work, for little overtime pay, to participate in earnest discussions about the quality control of their products.36 Lifetime employment in the Japanese company means that the employee__________.A leaves his company only when business is bad.B gets a job soon after he leaves school or university.C can work there throughout his career，D can have his serious mistakes in work corrected.37 Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?
A Family and company interests are equally important
B The Japanese worker is very loyal to his company.C One's future is guaranteed through hard work.D Devotion to one's company is encouraged……
Lifetime employment influences one's__________.A achievements at work.B performance at work.C career options.D attitude toward work.39 The Japanese worker is fond of his company's products because of__________.A his marriage with the daughter of the president.B the close link between him and his company.C his willingness to work overtime.D his active participation in quality control，40 The passage mainly discusses__________.A how lifetime employment works in Japan.B what benefits lifetime employment has brought to Japanese workers.C what lifetime employment is.D how lifetime employment is viewed.第三篇
Dreams of Flight
The story of man's dream of flight, of his desire to reach the stars, is as old as mankind itself.According to Greek legend, Daedalus was the first man to fly.He and his son had been kept on an island.In order to escape, Daedalus shaped wings of wax(2)into which he stuck bird feathers.During their flight, his son flew too high and the sun melted the wax.He was drowned in the sea.The father was supposed to have continued his flight and reached Sicily, several hundred miles away.There is also an English legend of King Bladud who, during his rule in the ninth century B.C., used wings to fly.But his flight was short-lived and he fell to his death.The dream of flying continued, but in all the legends, the flier rose like a bird only to fall like a stone.It took hundreds of years that men flew up into the air and returned to earth safely.The first man to approach flying on a scientific basis was an Englishman who lived during the thirteenth century.He looked at the air about us as a sea, and he believed that a balloon could float on the air just as a boat did on water.Almost four hundred years later, an Italian priest applied his principle of air flight.He designed a boat, which would be held in the air by four hollow spheres(空心球).ach of the four balls was to be 20 feet in diameter(直径)and made of very thin copper.But his boat was never built since it was not possible to make spheres of such thin metal and such size in those days.After studying the flight of birds and the movement of the air, a great scientist of the fifteenth century concluded that birds flew because they flapped(摆动)their wings and that it was possible for man to do the same.So a kind of flapping-wing flying machine was invented.Many men tried and failed to fly with flying machines.It was not until 1890 that people discovered why this method would never succeed-man could not develop sufficient power with his arms and legs.41 How did Daedalus manage to escape to Sicily, according to the passage?
A He killed the guards and got out of the island.B A god came to rescue him and took him away.C His son came to rescue him and took him away.D He made wings of wax and flew away from the island.42 According to the English legend, King Bladud lost his life because__________.A he flew too far.B he flew too high.C he fell to the ground，D he was hit by a stone.43 The first scientific air flight was designed by__________.A a Greek.B an Englishman.C a Chinese.D an Italian.44 The priest failed to build the boat because__________.A he could not raise enough money.B his design was not scientific.C he could not find enough copper.D copper spheres could not be made as designed
According to the last paragraph, man could not fly with flapping-wing flying machines because__________.A he could not develop adequate power with his arms and legs.B he knew nothing about the movement of the air.C they were made of heavy metal.D they were made of light feathers.第5部分：补全短文(第46～50题，每题2分，共10分)
阅读下面的短文，文章中有5处空白，文章后面有6组文字，请根据文章的内容选择5组文字，将其分别放回文章原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。请将答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
The Building of the Pyramids
The oldest stone buildings in the world are the pyramids.__________(46)There are over eighty of them scattered along the banks of the Nile, some of which are different in shape from the true pyramids.The most famous of these are the “Step” pyramid and the “Bent” pyramid.Some of the pyramids still look much the same as they must have done when they were built thousands of years ago.Most of the damage suffered by the others has been at the hands of men who were looking for treasure or, more often, for stone to use in modern buildings.__________(47).These are good reasons why they can still be seen today, but perhaps the most important is that they were planned to last for ever.__________(48).However, there are no writings or pictures to show us how the Egyptians planned or built the pyramids themselves.__________(49)
Nevertheless, by examining the actual pyramids and various tools Which have been found, archaeologists have formed a fairly clear picture of them.One thing is certain: there must have been months of careful planning before they could begin to build.__________(50)You may think this would have been easy with miles and miles of empty desert around, but a pyramid could not be built just anywhere.Certain rules had to be followed, and certain problems had to be overcome.A The dry climate of Egypt has helped to preserve the pyramids, and their very shape have made them less likely to fall into ruin.B It is practically certain that plans were made for the building of the pyramids because the plans of other large works have fortunately been preserved.C The first thing they had to do was to choose a suitable place.D Consequently, we are only able to guess at the methods used.E Many people were killed while building the pyramids.F They have stood for nearly 5,000 years, and it seems likely that they will continue to stand for thousands of years yet.第6部分：完形填空(第51～65题，每题1分，共15分)
阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出了4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案，涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
Transportation
For many years in the desert, camels Used to be the only form of transportation(运输).Before the(51)of modern trains, camel trains used to carry all the goods for trading between Central Africa and Europe.Traders sometimes(52)to put together camel trains with 10,000 to 15,000 animals.Each animal often carried(53)400 pounds and could travel twenty miles a day.This form of transportation was so important that camels were called the “ships of the(54).”
Now modern trains travel across the desert in a very(55)time.One engine can pull as much weight as 135,000(56).In addition, trains use special cars for their load.Refrigerator cars carry food;boxcars carry heavy goods;stock cars carry animals;and tank cars carry oil.Air travel has changed, too.The earliest planes were biplanes(双翼飞机), with(57)sets of wings.The top speed of this plane was 60 miles per hour.The pilots used to sit or lie on the wings in the open air.The plane(58)sometimes stopped in the middle of a trip.It used to be(59)to fly in bad weather.In snow or in rain, the wings frequently became icy.Then the plane might go down.Mechanical improvements during the First World War changed airplanes.Monoplanes(单翼飞机)took the(60)of biplanes.Pilots flew inside of covered cabins.Still, even these planes were small and expensive.Only(61)people were be able to travel in airplanes.Now modern jets make air travel possible for all people.No place in the world is more than 24 hours away by jet.Further improvements have(62)the cost of flying, and they have made air travel(63)safer than it used to be.A modern 707 can carry 170 people and can fly at 600 miles per hour.People(64)used to eat, sleep, or watch movies on airplanes.(65)these things are a normal part of air travel!
A age B series C year
D period
A ought B added C used
D led
A away B as many as C out
D as much as
A desert B trains C transportation D goods
A quick B short C good
D no
A camels B ships C pounds
D cars
A one B three C two
D four
A wings B engines C pilots D speed
A probable B possible C improbable
D impossible
A seat B pace C place
D vacancy
A technical B rich C those
D professional
A got rid of B raised C avoided
D lowered
A much B so C very
D such
A sometimes B occasionally C neither
D never
A But B So C Now
D However 参考答案:
词汇选项
1-15 BDAAB DCAAD ACCCD
阅读判断
16.A
17.B
18.B
19.A
20.B 21.C
概括大意
23.D
24.F
25.C
26.B
27.E
28.B
29.C
30.A
阅读理解
参考答案：
31.C
32.B
33.A
34.D
35.B
36.C
37.A
38.D
39.B
40.A
41.D
42.C
43.D
44.D
45.A
补全短文
46.F
47.A
48.B
49.D
50.C
完形填空
46.F
47.A
51.A
52.C
56.A
57.C 48.B
49.D 53.B
54.A 58.C
59.D 50.C 55.B 60.C
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