2010年理工新书阅读 (红色标题为 2010年新增文章)

第四部分 阅读理解第一篇：

Ford Abandons Electric Vehicles (C级)The Ford motor company’s1 abandonment of electric cars effectively signals the

end of the road for the technology, analysts say.General Motors2 and Honda3 ceased production of battery-powered cars in 1999,

to focus on fuel cell4 and hybrid electric gasoline engines5, which are more attractive to the consumer. Ford has now announced it will do the same.

Three years ago, the company introduced the Think City two-seater car and a golf cart called the THINK, or Think Neighbor6. It hoped to sell 5,000 cars each year and 10,000 carts. But a lack of demand means only about 1,000 of the cars have been produced, and less than 1,700 carts have been sold so far in 2002.

“The bottom line is7 we don’t believe that this is the future of environment transport for the mass market,” Tim Holmes of Ford Europe said on Friday. “We feel we have given electric our best shot8.”

The Think City has a range of only about 53 miles and up to a six-hour battery recharge time. General Motors’ EVI electric vehicle also had a limited range, of about 100 miles.

The very expensive batteries also mean electric cars cost much more than petrol-powered alternatives. An electric Toyota9 RAV4 EV vehicle costs over $42,000 in the US, compared with just $17,000 for the petrol version. Toyota and Nissan10 are now the only major auto manufacturers to produce electric vehicles.

“There is a feeling that battery electric has been given its chance. Ford now has to move on with its hybrid program11, and that is what we will be judging them on,” Roger Higman, a senior transport campaigner at UK Friends of the Earth, told the Environment News Service.

Hybrid cars introduced by Toyota and Honda in the past few years have sold well. Hybrid engines offer grater mileage than petrol-only engines, and the batteries recharge themselves. Ford says it thinks such vehicles will help it meet planned new guidelines12 on vehicle emissions13 in the US.

However, it is not yet clear exactly what those guidelines will permit. In June, General Motors and Daimler Chrysler14 won a court injunction, delaying by two years Californian legislation requiring car-makers to offer 100,000 zero-emission and other low-emission vehicles in the state by 2003. Car manufacturers hope the legislation will be rewritten to allow for more low-emission, rather than zero-emission, vehicles.

练习:1. What have the Ford motor company, General Motor’s and Honda done concerning

electric cars?A) They have started to produce electric cars.B) They have done extensive research on electric cars.C) They have given up producing electric cars.D) They have produced thousands of electric cars.

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

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

4. According to the eighth paragraph, hybrid carsA) offer fewer mileage than petrol driven cars.B) run faster than petrol driven cars.C) run more miles than petrol driven cars.D) offer more batteries than petrol driven cars.

5. Which of the following is true about the hope of car manufacturers according to the last paragraph?

A) Low-emission cars should be banned.B) Only zero-emission cars are allowed to run on motorways.C) The legislation will encourage car makers to produce more electric cars.D) The legislation will allow more low-emission to be produced.

练习:1. What have the Ford motor company, General Motor’s and Honda done concerning

electric cars?A) They have started to produce electric cars.B) They have done extensive research on electric cars.C) They have given up producing electric cars.D) They have produced thousands of electric cars.

2. According to Tim Holmes of Ford Europe, battery-powered carsA) will be the main transportation vehicles in the future.

B) will not be the main transportation vehicles in the future.C) will be good to the environment in the future.D) will replace petrol-powered vehicles in the future.

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

4. According to the eighth paragraph, hybrid carsA) offer fewer mileage than petrol driven cars.B) run faster than petrol driven cars.C) run more miles than petrol driven cars.D) offer more batteries than petrol driven cars.

5. Which of the following is true about the hope of car manufacturers according to the last paragraph?

A) Low-emission cars should be banned.B) Only zero-emission cars are allowed to run on motorways.C) The legislation will encourage car makers to produce more electric cars.D) The legislation will allow more low-emission to be produced.

第二篇：Electric Backpack (C级)

Backpacks are convenient. They can hold your books, your lunch, and a change of clothes, leaving your hands free to do other things. Someday, if you don’t mind carrying a heavy load, your backpacks might also power your MP31 player, keep your cell phone running, and maybe even light your way home.

Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia2 and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole3, Mass. 4, have invented a backpack that makes electricity from energy produced while its wearer walks. In military actions, search-and-rescue operations, and scientific field studies, people rely increasingly on cell phones, global positioning system (GPS)5 receivers, night-vision goggles, and other battery-powered devices to get around and do their work.. The backpack’s electricity-generating feature could dramatically reduce the amount of a wearer’s load now devoted to spare batteries, report Rome and his colleagues in the Sept. 9 Science6.

The backpack’s electricity-creating powers depend on springs used to hang a cloth pack from its metal frame. The frame sits against the wearer’s back, and the whole pack moves up and down as the person walks. A gear mechanism converts vertical movements of the pack to rotary motions of an electrical generator, producing up to 7.4 watts.

Unexpectedly, tests showed that wearers of the new backpack alter their gaits in response to the pack’s oscillations, so that they carry loads more comfortably and with less effort than they do ordinary backpacks. Because of that surprising advantage, Rome plans to commercialize both electric and non-electric versions of the backpack.

The backpack could be especially useful for soldiers, scientists, mountaineers, and emergency workers who typically carry heavy backpacks. For the rest of us, power-generating backpacks could make it possible to walk, play video games, watch TV, and listen to music, all at the same time. Electricity-generating packs aren’t on the market yet, but if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!

词汇：backpack n.背包 watt n. 瓦（特） receiver n. 接收机 gait n. 步态，步法night-vision goggle 夜视镜 oscillation n. 摆动 spring n. 弹簧commercialize v. 商业化 vertical adj. 垂直的 mountaineer n. 登山运动员rotary adj. 旋转的注释：1. MP3 ：Internet上最流行的音乐格式，最早起源于 1987年德国一家公司的 EU147数字传输计划，它利用 MPEGAudioLayer3的技术，将声音文件用 1∶12左右的压缩率压缩，变成容量较小的音乐文件，使传输和储存更为便捷，更利于互联网用户在网上试听或下载到个人计算机。

2. Philadelphia：费城[美国宾夕法尼亚州东南部港市]

3. Woods Hole：美国马萨诸塞州的一个渔村，也是许多重要研究机构所在地，如： the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Sea Education Association 以及 the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,

4. Mass.：Massachusetts 的缩写：马萨诸塞州，美国东北部的一个州。5. global positioning system (GPS)： 全球定位系统6. Science：美国的 Science 杂志为国际上著名的自然科学综合类学术期刊，在

世界学术界享有盛誉。 Science 杂志创刊于 1880年，该杂志具有新闻杂志和学术期刊的双重特点，每周除向世界各地发布有关科学技术和科技政策的重要新闻外，还发表全球科技研究最显著突破的研究论文和报告。

练习：1. Backpacks are convenient because

A) they can be very largeB) they can hold as many things as you want to carry.C) your hands are freed to do other things.D) you do not have to carry things with you.

2. What is the most important feature of the backpack invented by Lawrence C. Rome and his colleagues?A) It produces electricity for electronic devices while the wearer walks. B) It can be used as cell phones, GPS in the military actions or field studies. C) It is small and convenient. D) It is light and easy to carry.

3. The word “springs” in Paragraph 3 meansA) a small stream of water flowing naturally from the earth.B) the season of the year, occurring between winter and summer.C) the act or an instance of jumping or leaping. D) a length of metal wound around, which returns to its original shape after being

pushed.4. According to Paragraph 4, what does Rome plan to do?

A) To make the backpack more comfortable for the wearer.B) To put the backpack on the market. C) To test the advantage of the backpack. D) To promote the backpack in a newspaper or on television.

5. What is implied in “if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!”A) You will be too excited to watch the traffic. B) Enjoying electronic devices while walking may invite traffic accidents. C) It is not possible for you to get such a backpack.D) It is wise of you to have such a backpack.

练习：1. Backpacks are convenient because

A) they can be very largeB) they can hold as many things as you want to carry.C) your hands are freed to do other things.D) you do not have to carry things with you.

2. What is the most important feature of the backpack invented by Lawrence C.

Rome and his colleagues?A) It produces electricity for electronic devices while the wearer walks. B) It can be used as cell phones, GPS in the military actions or field studies. C) It is small and convenient. D) It is light and easy to carry.

3. The word “springs” in Paragraph 3 meansA) a small stream of water flowing naturally from the earth.B) the season of the year, occurring between winter and summer.C) the act or an instance of jumping or leaping. D) a length of metal wound around, which returns to its original shape after being

pushed.4. According to Paragraph 4, what does Rome plan to do?

A) To make the backpack more comfortable for the wearer.B) To put the backpack on the market. C) To test the advantage of the backpack. D) To promote the backpack in a newspaper or on television.

5. What is implied in “if you do get one eventually, just make sure to look both ways before crossing the street!”A) You will be too excited to watch the traffic. B) Enjoying electronic devices while walking may invite traffic accidents. C) It is not possible for you to get such a backpack.D) It is wise of you to have such a backpack.

答案与题解：1. C 第一段告诉我们，因为背包可以装许多东西，所以可以将双手解放出来做其它事情：to free your hands to do other things.

2. A 第二段的第一句说，Lawrence C. Rome 及其同事们发明的这种背包，当背着背包走路时，会有电能产生；该段最后一句告诉我们，背包的这种性能可减少背包的重量，因为不必携带备用电池。

3． D “springs”在此是弹簧的意思。spring是一个多义词：泉水（A）、春天（B）、弹跳（C）。

4． B 第四段最后一句的意思是：Rome计划将这种背包商业化，即，推向市场。A、C、D在文中均未提到。D的意思是为背包做广告。

5． B 这个句子的字面意思是：如果你终于得到这样的背包，过马路时一定要

两面都看看。也就是说，不要因为同时玩着游戏、听着音乐、看着电视，太专注以致不注意来往车辆了。第3篇 Citizen Scientists （C级）

Understanding how nature responds to climate change will require monitoring

key life cycle events — flowering, the appearance of leaves, the first frog calls of

the spring — all around the world. But ecologists can't be everywhere so they're

turning to non-scientists, sometimes called citizen scientists, for help.Climate scientists are not present everywhere. Because there are so many places

in the world and not enough scientists to observe all of them, they're asking for your help in observing signs of climate change across the world. The citizen scientist movement encourages ordinary people to observe a very specific research interest

— birds, trees, flowers budding, etc. — and send their observations to a giant

database to be observed by professional scientists. This helps a small number of scientists track a large amount of data that they would never be able to gather on their own. Much like citizen journalists helping large publications cover a hyper-local beat, citizen scientists are ready for the conditions where they live. All that's needed to become one is a few minutes each day or each week to gather data and send it in.

A group of scientists and educators launched an organization last year called the National Phenology Network. "Phenology" is what scientists call the study of the timing of events in nature.

One of the group's first efforts relies on scientists and non-scientists alike to collect data about plant flowering and leafing every year. The program, called Project BudBurst, collects life cycle data on a variety of common plants from across

the United States. People participating in the project — which is open to everyone -

record their observations on the Project BudBurst website."People don't have to be plant experts -they just have to look around and see

what's in their neighborhood," says Jennifer Schwartz, an education consultant with the project. "As we collect this data, we'll be able to make an estimate of how plants and eommunities of plants and animals will respond as the climate changes."

词汇：Frog n. 蛙 Ecologist n.生态学家 Phenology n.物候学 Bud v.发芽，萌芽；n.芽，花蕾

Neighbor(u)rhood n.近邻；邻近地区 Database n.数据库Professional adj.专业的，职业的；n.职业选手，专业人员注释：1. life cycle：生命周期，即生物发展过程的系列变化。2. hyper-local beat: beat 在此做名词用，意思是：某类新闻报道，如， a

business beat； 商业专题报道。这是近年来出现的新词。Hyper-local beat 即 hyper-local news，指 的是被传统新闻报道方式所忽略的小型社区或居民居住 区 里发生的相关信 息报道。在美 国由此而 诞生了 hyper-local news

website，专门对主流媒体所没有覆盖的地区所发生 的事件进行报道，其形式多以网民，即短文中所提及的 citizen journalists，上传所 在社区发生的事件报道、照片或视频为主。这是网络时代产生的又一新生事物。

3. data 是复数形式，但常用做单数，所以这里的代词是 it。另参见 最后 一段“As we collect this data, ...”。这里的 data 也用作单数。

4. phenology：物候学或生物气候学，是气候学和生态学的边缘学科，主要研究气候环境 对生物的影响。

5. communities：生态学词汇：生物群落，记载比较相似的环境条件下在特定自然区域或 环境中生活和互相影响的一群植物和动物。

练习：1. Ecologists turn to non-scientist citizens for help because they need them

A) to provide their personal life cycles. B) to observe the life cycle of plants.C) to collect data of the life cycle of living things. D) to teach children knowledge about climate change.

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

D) To keep a record of their research observations.

3. In "All that's needed to become one... (paragraph2) ", what does the word "one" stands for?

A) a citizen journalist. B) a citizen scientist. C) a scientist. D) a citizen.

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

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

练习：1. Ecologists turn to non-scientist citizens for help because they need them

A) to provide their personal life cycles. B) to observe the life cycle of plants.C) to collect data of the life cycle of living things. D) to teach children knowledge about climate change.

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

3. In "All that's needed to become one... (paragraph2) ", what does the word "one" stands for?

A) a citizen journalist. B) a citizen scientist. C) a scientist. D) a citizen.

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

5. What is the final purpose of Project BudBurst?A) To study when plants will have their first buds.B) To find out the types of plants in the neighborhood.

C) To collect life cycle data on a variety of common plants from across the United States.D) To investigate how plants and animals will respond as the climate changes.

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

2. B第二段第三句中 encourage ordinary people to observe…的主语是 The citizen

scientist movement，即公民参与科学观察的运动。所以 D 不是正确选择。A

和 C 不符 合文章的句意，因此也不是正确的选择。这个句子的大意是：这一运动鼓励普通公民根 据自己的兴趣爱好进行科学观察，并将观察结果送交数据库，让专门领域的科学家做进 一步的观察。B 正确表达了这个意思。

3. B one 在 这 里 是 一 个 代 词 ， 其 前 置 词 是 citizen scientists ， 而 不 是 citizen journalists，这里的 one 指的是 one of citizen scientists。所以 A、C 和 D 都不是 正确选择。这个句子的意思是，只要每天或每星期花上几分钟收集数据并发送出去，就 能成为一个公民科学家。

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

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

第四篇Motoring Technology (C级)

1.2 million road deaths worldwide occur each year, plus a further 50 million injuries. To reduce car crash rate, much research now is focused on safety and new

fuels—though some electric vehicle and biofuel1 research aims at going faster.

Travelling at speed has always been risky. One cutting edge area2 of research in motoring safety is the use of digital in-car assistants3. They can ensure you don’t miss crucial road signs or fall asleep. The use of artificial intelligence software allows these assistants to monitor your driving and makes sure your phone or radio doesn’t distract you at a vital moment. Most crashes result from human and not mechanical faults.

Some safety developments aim to improve your vision. Radar can spot4

obstacles in fog, while other technology “sees through” high-sided5 vehicles blocking your view6.

And improvements to seat belts, pedal control and tyres are making driving smoother and safer. The colour of a car has been found to be linked with safety, as have, less surprisingly, size and shape7.

And alternatives to fossil-fuel8 based petrol, such as plant oils, are a hot area of research. Fuel cells9 based on hydrogen burn cleanly, and are the subject of a serious research effort.

But whatever is in the fuel tank, you don’t want a thief in the driving seat and there have been many innovations, some using satellite tracking and remote communications10, to fight against car theft. These communication systems can also come into play11 if you crash, automatically calling for help.

Accidents cause many traffic jams, but there are more subtle interplays between vehicles that can cause jams even on a clear but busy road. Such jams can be analysed using statistical tools. Robotic drivers could be programmed to make traffic flow smoothly and will perhaps one day be everyone’s personal chauffeur, but their latest efforts suggest that won’t be soon.

练习：1. What are researchers interested in doing as the road accidents worldwide increase

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

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

3. Which of the safety developments is NOT mentioned in the passage? A. Radars that can help drivers to see obstacles in fog.

B. Devices that can help drivers to see through big vehicles. C. Improvements in seat belts, pedal controls and tyres. D. Windscreens that can help drivers to improve their vision.

4. What is Not the purpose of innovations that use satellite tracking and remote communications?

A. To prevent car thieves from getting into your car. B. To call for help when one’s car crashes. C. To call for help when the car gets jammed in the traffic. D. To track the car down when it is being stolen.

5. What is true of robotic drivers? A. It will take some time before robotic drivers can be put to practical use. B. Robotic drivers are not allowed to drive on busy roads. C. Robotic drivers can never replace human drivers. D. Robotic drivers are too expensive to use.

练习：1. What are researchers interested in doing as the road accidents worldwide increase

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

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

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

4. What is Not the purpose of innovations that use satellite tracking and remote communications?

A. To prevent car thieves from getting into your car. B. To call for help when one’s car crashes. C. To call for help when the car gets jammed in the traffic. D. To track the car down when it is being stolen.

5. What is true of robotic drivers? A. It will take some time before robotic drivers can be put to practical use. B. Robotic drivers are not allowed to drive on busy roads. C. Robotic drivers can never replace human drivers. D. Robotic drivers are too expensive to use.

第五篇：Late-Night Drinking(C级)

卫生第七篇 综合第十一篇Coffee lovers beware. Having a quick “pick-me-up” cup of coffee1 late in the

day will play havoc 破坏 with2 your sleep. As well as being a stimulant, caffeine

interrupts the flow of melatonin 甲氧基色胺 , the brain hormone that sends people into a sleep.

Melatonin levels normally start to rise about two hours before bedtime. Levels then peak between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., before falling again.3 “It’s the neurohormone that controls our sleep and tells our body when to sleep and when to wake,” says Maurice Ohayon of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center at Stanford University in California. But researchers in Israel have found that caffeinated coffee halves the body’s levels of this sleep hormone.

Lotan Shilo and a team at the Sapir Medical Center in Tel Aviv University found that six volunteers slept less well after a cup of caffeinated coffee than after drinking the same amount of decaf. On average, subjects slept 336 minutes per night after drinking caffeinated coffee, compared with 415 minutes after decaf. They also took half an hour to drop off4—twice as long as usual—and jigged around5 in bed twice as much.

In the second phase of the experiment, the researchers woke the volunteers

every three hours and asked them to give a urine 尿 液 sample. Shilo measured concentrations of a breakdown product of melatonin. The result suggest that melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers were half those in decaf drinkers. In a paper accepted for publication in Sleep Medicine, the researchers suggest6 that caffeine blocks production of the enzyme that drives melatonin production.

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

练习：1. The author mentions “pick-me-up” to indicate that

A) melatonin levels need to be raised.B) neurohormone can wake us up.C) coffee is a stimulant.

D) decaf 无咖啡因咖啡 is a caffeinated 慢性咖啡中毒 coffee.

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

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

4. What does the experiment mentioned in paragraph 4 prove?

A) There are more enzymes 酶 in decaf drinkers’ urine sample.B) There are more melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers’ urine sample.C) Decaf drinkers produce less melatonin.D) Caffeine drinkers produce less sleep hormone.

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

练习：1. The author mentions “pick-me-up” to indicate thatA) melatonin levels need to be raised.B) neurohormone can wake us up.C) coffee is a stimulant.

D) decaf 无咖啡因咖啡 is a caffeinated 慢性咖啡中毒 coffee.

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

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly discuss?A) Different effects of caffeinated coffee and decaf on sleep.

B) Different findings of Lotan Shilo and a team about caffeine.C) The fact that the subjects slept 415 minutes per night after drinking decaf.D) The evidence that the subjects took half an hour to fall asleep.

4. What does the experiment mentioned in paragraph 4 prove?

A) There are more enzymes 酶 in decaf drinkers’ urine sample.B) There are more melatonin concentrations in caffeine drinkers’ urine sample.C) Decaf drinkers produce less melatonin.D) Caffeine drinkers produce less sleep hormone.

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

第6篇 Arctic Melt （C级）Earth's North and South Poles are famous for being cold and icy. Last year,

however, the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean fell to a record low.Normally, ice builds in Arctic waters around the North Pole each winter and

shrinks during the summer. But for many years, the amount of ice left by the end of summer has been declining.

Since 1979, each decade has seen an 11.4 percent drop in end-of-summer ice

cover. Between 1981 and 2000, ice in the Arctic lost 22 percent of its thickness — becoming 1.13 meters thinner.

Last summer, Arctic sea ice reached its skimpiest levels yet. By the end of summer 2007, the ice had shrunk to cover just 4.2 million square kilometers. That's 38 percent less area than the average cover at that time of year. And it's a very large 23 percent below the previous record low, which was set just 2 years ago. This continuing trend has scientists concerned.

There may be several reasons for the ice melt, says Jinlun Zhang, an oceanographer at the University of Washington in Seattle. Unusually strong winds blew through the Arctic last summer. The winds pushed much of the ice out of the central Arctic, leaving a large area of thin ice and open water.

Scientists also suspect that fewer clouds cover the Arctic now than in the past. Clearer skies allow more sunlight to reach the ocean. The extra heat warms both the water and the atmosphere. In parts of the Arctic Ocean last year, surface

temperatures were 3.5°Celsius warmer than average and 1.5°Cwarmer than the

previous record high.With both air and water getting warmer, the ice is melting from both above

and below. In some parts of the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska and western Canada, ice that measured 3.3 m thick at the beginning of the summer measured just 50 centimeters by season's end.

The new measurements suggest that melting is far more severe than scientists have seen by just looking at ice cover from above, says Donald K. Perovich, a geophysicist at the U. S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H.

Some scientists fear that the Arctic is stuck in a warming trend from which it may never recover.

词汇：Arctic n.北极，北极圈；adj.北极的the Arctic Ocean 北冰洋 shrink v.萎缩；缩小，减少 oceanographer n.海洋学家

skimpy adj.缺乏的，不足的 centimeter n.厘米 geophysicist n.地球物理学家注释1. fell to a record low: 跌到历史最低点。record 作形容词时，意思是“空前的，创记 录的”。Record low 的反义词是 record high: 历史最高点。2. ice cover: 冰覆盖量3. University of Washington: 华盛顿大学，创建于 l861 年，座落在美国华盛顿州西雅图 市东北角，所以又称西雅图华盛顿大学，是美国著名的公立研究型大学。4. open water: 没有冰覆盖的海面5. record high : 见注释1。6. the Beaufort Sea: 波弗特海，是北冰洋边缘海，位于美国阿拉斯加州东北岸和加拿大 西北岸，海中岛屿稀少，有无岛海之称。7. Hanover，N．H：新罕布什尔州汉诺威市。N．H．是 New Hampshire 的缩写。该州位于美 国新英格兰地区。练习：

1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "build" in the first sentence of the second paragraph?

A) Construct. B) Extend. C) Create. D) Expand.

2. What is the ice cover in the Arctic by the end of 2007 summer?A) 4.2 million square kilometers. B) 11.4 million square kilometers. C) 1.13 million square kilometers. D) 38 million square kilometers.

3. What are the reasons for the ice melt according to the scientists?A) Strong winds and clear skies. B) Long summer and short winter.C) Open water and thin ice. D) Light clouds and light winds.

4. Why is the ice melting from both above and below?A) Because extra heat warms the air.B) Because extra heat warms the water.C) Because the temperature above the water is higher.D) Both A and B.

5. What can be a possible title for the passage?A) What are scientists looking for in the Arctic Ocean? B) What are scientists doing in the Arctic Ocean?C) Why are scientists worrying about the Arctic Ocean? D) Why are scientists interested in the Arctic Ocean?

练习：1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word "build" in the first sentence of the second paragraph?

A) Construct. B) Extend. C) Create. D) Expand.

2. What is the ice cover in the Arctic by the end of 2007 summer?A) 4.2 million square kilometers. B) 11.4 million square kilometers. C) 1.13 million square kilometers. D) 38 million square kilometers.

3. What are the reasons for the ice melt according to the scientists?A) Strong winds and clear skies. B) Long summer and short winter.C) Open water and thin ice. D) Light clouds and light winds.

4. Why is the ice melting from both above and below?A) Because extra heat warms the air.B) Because extra heat warms the water.C) Because the temperature above the water is higher.D) Both A and B.

5. What can be a possible title for the passage?

A) What are scientists looking for in the Arctic Ocean? B) What are scientists doing in the Arctic Ocean?C) Why are scientists worrying about the Arctic Ocean? D) Why are scientists interested in the Arctic Ocean?

练习：1．D build 是个多义词，四个选项都是该词的潜在词义。但在第二段的第一句中，build 与后半句中 shrink(become smaller)一词相对，意思是 become bigger

之义。Extend 是增 长的意思，不适合用在此处。2．A 答案可在第四段的第二句中找到。该句的意思是：2007 年夏末，冰的覆盖面积已经 缩小至 420 万平方公里。3．A 短文的第五和第六段回答了这个问题。第五段告诉我们，由于强风的原因，大面积海 面仅有薄冰覆盖或没有冰层覆盖。第六段告诉我们，晴朗的天空使太阳直接照射海面，导致 高温。所以 A 是正确选择。B 的内容没有在文中提到。C 的表述内容是间接原因，是刮强风 的结果。D 选项中，light clouds 的确是 ice melt 的原因，但 fight winds 是错误的理解。4．D 答案可在倒数第三段第一句话中找到。from both above and below 的意思是：无论 从海水上面还是底下，也就是说，无论是海水还是海面上的空气。所以 A 和 B 都回答了问题 ： 高温不但可能使水温增高，也使气温增高。5．C 本文描述了科学家对北冰洋冰覆盖量的研究，研究结果是 Arctic is stuck

in a warming trend from which it may never recover．(北冰洋变暖的趋势可能不会逆转)。第四段最后一句说：This continuing trend has scientists concerned，短文最后一句也 告诉我们，科学家对这种趋势十分忧虑(fear)。所以，C 是本题的答案。

第七篇:

Sugar Power for Cell Phones (C级) Using enzymes commonly found in living cells, a new type of fuel cell produces small amounts of electricity from sugar. If the technology is able to succeed in mass production, you may some day share your sweet drinks with your cell phone. In fuel cells, chemical reactions generate electrical currents. The process usually relies on precious metals, such platinum. In living cells, enzymes perform a similar job, breaking down sugars to obtain electrons and produce energy. When researchers previously used enzymes in fuel cells, they had trouble keeping them active, says Shelley D. Minteer of St Louis University. Whereas biological cells continually produce fresh enzymes, there’s no mechanism in fuel cells replace enzymes as they quickly degrade. Minteer and Tamara Klotzbach, also of St Louis University, have now developed polymers that wrap around an enzyme and preserve it in a microscopic pocket. “We tailor these pockets to provide the ideal microenvironment” for the enzyme. Minteer says. The polymers keep the enzyme active for months instead of days. In the new fuel cell, tiny polymer bags of enzyme are embedded in a membrane that coats one of the electrodes. When glucose from a sugary liquid gets into pocket, the enzyme oxidizes it, releasing electrons and protons. The electrons cross the membrane and enter a wire through which they travel to the other electrode, where they react with oxygen in the atmosphere to produce water. The flow of electrons through the wire constitutes an electrical current that can generate power. So far, the new fuel cells don’t produce much power, but the fact that they work at all is exciting, says Paul Kenis, a chemical engineer at the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign. “Just getting it to work,” Kenis says, “is a major accomplishment.” Sugar – eating fuel cells could be an efficient way to make electricity. Sugar is easy to find. And the new fuel cells that run on it are biodegradable, so the technology wouldn’t hurt the environment. The scientists are now trying to use different enzymes that will get more power from sugar. They predict that popular products may be using the new technology in as little as 3 years.

练习:1. According to the first paragraph, when can we share our sweet drinks with our

cell phones?A When enzymes can be commonly found in living cells.B When the technology of producing a new type of fuel cell appears.C When the technology of new type of fuel cell is suitable for mass production.D When the technology of mass producing cell phones appears.

2. What trouble did Minteer and Klotzbach have in their research?

A They had trouble keeping enzymes in fuel cells active.B They had trouble keeping biological cells active.C They had trouble producing fresh enzymes.D They had trouble finding mechanism for producing enzymes.

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

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

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

练习:2. According to the first paragraph, when can we share our sweet drinks with our

cell phones?A When enzymes can be commonly found in living cells.B When the technology of producing a new type of fuel cell appears.C When the technology of new type of fuel cell is suitable for mass production.D When the technology of mass producing cell phones appears.

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

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

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

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

第八篇：

Eiffel Is an Eyeful1(C级)

综合十七篇Some2 300 meters up, near the Eiffel Tower’s wind-whipped summit the world

comes to scribble3. Japanese, Brazilians, Americans—they graffiti4 their names, loves

and politics on the cold iron—transforming the most French of monuments into

symbol of a world on the move5.With Paris laid out in miniature6 below, it seems strange that visitors would

rather waste time marking their presence than admiring the view7. But the graffiti also raises a question: Why, nearly 114 years after it was completed, and decades after it ceased to be the world’s tallest structure, is la Tour Eiffel still so popular8?

The reasons are as complex as the iron work that graces9 a structure some 90 stories high. But part of the answer is, no doubt, its agelessness. Regularly maintained, it should never rust away. Graffiti is regularly painted over, but the tower lives on.

“Eiffel represents Paris and Paris is France. It is very symbolic,” says Hugues Richard10, a 31-year-old Frenchman who holds the record for cycling up to the

tower’s second floor—747 steps in 19 minutes and 4 seconds, without touching the

floor with his feet, “It’s iron lady, it inspires us11,” he says.But to what? 12 After all, the tower doesn’t have a purpose. It ceased to be the

world’s tallest in 1930 when the Chrysler Building13 went up in New York. Yes, television and radio signals are beamed from the top, and Gustave Eiffel, a frenetic builder who died on December 27, aged 91, used its height for conducting research into weather, aerodynamics and radio communication.

But in essence the tower inspires simply by being there—a blank canvas for

visitors to make of it what they will14. To the technically minded15, it’s an engineering triumph. For lovers, it’s romantic.

“The tower will outlast all of us, and by a long way16,” says Isabelle Esnous, whose company manages Eiffel Tower.

练习：1. Why does the author think the Eiffel Tower is transformed into symbol of a world

on the move?A) Tourists from all over the world come to the Eiffel Tower by car or by plane.B) Tourists of all nationalities come to scribble on the cold iron of the tower.C) The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world.D) The Eiffel Tower represents all the towers in the world.

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

3. Which statement is NOT true of Hugues Richard?A) He is a cyclist.B) He is a record holder.C) He climbed 747 steps up the tower in 19 minutes and 4 seconds.D) He cycled up to the tower’s second floor.

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

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

company.

练习：1. Why does the author think the Eiffel Tower is transformed into symbol of a world

on the move?A)Tourists from all over the world come to the Eiffel Tower by car or by plane.B) Tourists of all nationalities come to scribble on the cold iron of the tower.C) The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world.D) The Eiffel Tower represents all the towers in the world.

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

3. Which statement is NOT true of Hugues Richard?A) He is a cyclist.B) He is a record holder.C) He climbed 747 steps up the tower in 19 minutes and 4 seconds.D) He cycled up to the tower’s second floor.

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

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

第九篇：Egypt Felled by Famine(C级)

卫生第二十二篇Even ancient Egypt’s mighty pyramid builders were powerless in the face of the

famine that helped bring down their civilization around 2180BC. Now evidence gleaned from mud deposited by the River Nile1 suggests that a shift in climate

thousands of kilometers to the south was ultimately to blame—and the same or worse

could happen today.The ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile’s annual floods to irrigate their

crops. But any change in climate that pushed the African monsoons southwards out of Ethiopia2 would have diminished these floods.

Dwindling rains in the Ethiopian highlands would have meant fewer plants to stablise the soil. When rain did fall it would have washed large amounts of soil into Blue Nile3 and into Egypt, along with sediment from the White Nile4.

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

Krom reasons that during periods of drought, the amount of the Blue Nile mud in the river would be relatively high. He found that one of these periods, from 4500 to 4200 years ago, immediately predates the fall of the Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

The weakened waters would have been catastrophic for the Egyptians. “Changes that affect food supply don’t have to be very large to have a ripple effect in societies,” says Bill Ryan of the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.

Similar events today. Could be even more devastating, says team member Daniel Stanley, a geoarchaeologist from the Smithsonian Institution5 in Washington, D.C.. “Anything humans do to shift the climate belts would have an even worse effect along the Nile system today because the populations have increased dramatically.”

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

2. Which of the following factors was ultimately responsible for the fall of the civilization of ancient Egypt?

A) Change of climate.B) Famine.C) FloodD) Population growth.

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

4. According to Krom, Egypt’s Old Kingdom fellA) immediately after a period of drought.B) immediately after a period of flood.

C) just before a drought struck.D) just before a flood struck.

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

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

2. Which of the following factors was ultimately responsible for the fall of the civilization of ancient Egypt?

A) Change of climate.B) Famine.C) FloodD) Population growth.

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

4. According to Krom, Egypt’s Old Kingdom fellA) immediately after a period of drought.B) immediately after a period of flood.C) just before a drought struck.D) just before a flood struck.

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

第十篇：

Young Female Chimps Outlearn Their Brothers(C级)

Young female chimps are faster and better learners than young male chimps, suggests a new study1, echoing learning differences seen in human girls and boys2.

While young male chimps pass their time playing, young female chimps carefully study their mothers. As a result, they learn how to fish for 3 tasty termite snacks over two years before the boys.

Elizabeth Lonsdorf, now at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, US, and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, spent four years watching how young chimpanzees in the Gombe National Park in Tanzania4 learned “cultural behavior.”

The sex differences in learning behavior were “consistent and strikingly apparent”, says the team. The researchers point out that similar differences are seen in human children with regard to5 skills such as writing. “A sex-based learning differences may therefore date back6 at least to the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans,” they write in the journal Nature.

Chimps make flexible tools from vegetation and then insert them into termite mounds, extract them and then munch the termites clinging onto the tool. The researchers used video cameras to record this feeding behavior and found that each chimp mother had her own technique, such as how she used tools of different lengths.

Analysis of the six infants whose ages were known showed that girl chimps were an average of 31 months old when they succeeded in fishing out their termites, where the boy chimps were aged 58 months on average. Females were also more skillful at getting out more termites with every dip7 and used techniques similar to their mothers while males did not.

Instead of studying their mothers, the boy chimps spent a significantly greater amount of time frolicking around the termite mound. Behaviors such as playing or swinging might help the male infants later in life when typically male activities like hunting or fighting for dominance become important, suggest the researchers.

Lonsdorf adds that there are just two main sources of animal protein for chimps

—the termites or colobus monkeys. “Mature males often hunt monkeys up trees, but

females are almost always either pregnant or burdened with a clinging infant8. This makes hunting difficult,” she says “Adult females spend more time fishing for termites than males.” So becoming proficient at termite fishing9 could mean adult females eat better,” They can watch their offspring at the same time. The young of both sexes seem to pursue activities related to their adult sex roles10 at a very young age.”

练习：1. Why do young female chimps learn faster than young male chimps at fishing for

termites?A) Because young female chimps don’t play with their brothers.B) Because young female chimps begin to study their mothers earlier.C) Because young male chimps never learn to fish for termites.

D) Because young male chimps are not interested in termites.

2. What are the tools with which chimps fish for termites?A) Tree branches.B) Vegetables.C) Fruits.D) Grass.

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

4. How did the researchers explain the fact that boy chimps spent more time on playing?

A) They like hunting.B) They enjoy fighting.C) It helps them to stay fit.D) It will make them good fighters and hunters in the future.

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

练习：1. Why do young female chimps learn faster than young male chimps at fishing for

termites?A) Because young female chimps don’t play with their brothers.B) Because young female chimps begin to study their mothers earlier.C) Because young male chimps never learn to fish for termites.D) Because young male chimps are not interested in termites.

2. What are the tools with which chimps fish for termites?A) Tree branches.B) Vegetables.C) Fruits.D) Grass.

3. Which of the following is true about chimps fishing for termites according to paragraph 6?A) Males often compete with females in fishing for termites.

B) Males could get out more termites with every dip.C) Females could get out more termites with every dip.D) Males are good at mastering technique for fishing for termites.

4. How did the researchers explain the fact that boy chimps spent more time on playing?

A) They like hunting.B) They enjoy fighting.C) It helps them to stay fit.D) It will make them good fighters and hunters in the future.

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

第十一篇：

The Net Cost of Making a Name for Yourself(C级)

Companies are paying up to $10,000 to register a domain name1 on the Internet even though there is no guarantee that they will get the name they want.

The task of registering domains ending in. com,.org,.edu and . net is at present contracted out by the US government to the Virginia-based company Network Solutions. The contract runs out2 this year, and the government wants to bring in a different scheme.

But last year, an ad hoc3 committee of the Internet’s great and good4 revealed its own plan. This involved setting up seven new domains, each indicating the kind of business or organization using that name5. The committee recruited 88 companies around the world to act as registrars for its. Firm,. Shop,. web,. arts,. rec,. info and. nom domains. The US government has still to give the system its blessing6, and may yet push ahead7 with its original scheme. Despite this, the 88 registrars have been taking applications for several months. They are due8 to start registering names this month with the Internet Council of Registrars, thich grew out of the ad hoc committee.

To prevent conflicting names from being registered, the council will take one name from each registrar in turn before going back for the second name in their queues, and so on. This has led to a flourishing trade, with companies trying to buy a place near the head of the queue. Global Names of Singapore is charging $10,000 to make sure a request for a name is the first one it sends off to the central database. Other registrars are charging nonrefundable deposits for places at the top of the queue. David Maher, chairman of the Policy Oversight Committee that is helping to set up and oversee the system, says that all registrars are subject to9 local laws

regarding consumer protection and competition. But he says that the committee “will not act as an enforcement body10 in this area.”

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

2. The. Firm,. Shop,. Web,. Arts,. Rec,. info and. nom domains are NOT run byA) a temporary committee organized by Internet’s influential services.B) the US government.C) 88 registrars.D) Internet Council of Registrars.

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

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

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

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

2. The. Firm,. Shop,. Web,. Arts,. Rec,. info and. nom domains are NOT run byA) a temporary committee organized by Internet’s influential services.B) the US government.

C) 88 registrars.D) Internet Council of Registrars.

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

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

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

第十二篇：Florida Hit by Cold Air Mass(C级)

In January, 2003, the eastern two-thirds of the United States was at the mercy of1

a bitterly cold air mass2 that has endangered Florida’s citrus trees, choked3 northern harbors with ice and left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow4.

The ice chill deepened as temperatures fell to the single digits5 in most of the South, with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark6 as far south as parts of interior South Florida. Temperatures in Florida plunged, with West Palm Beach dropping to a record low of 2 degrees7.

“We couldn’t believe how cold it was,” said Martin King, who arrived this week in Orlando8 from England. “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat.”

The temperature plunge posed a threat9 to Florida’s US$9.1 billion-a-year citrus crop, more of which is still on the trees. Growers were hurrying to harvest at much of the fruit as possible before it was damaged by cold.

“Time is of the essence10 in getting fruit to the plant,” said Tom Rogers, a citrus grower who expected to see damage to oranges and grapefruit at that time.

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

Casey Pace, a spokeswoman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said growers had sprayed trees with sprinklers, which created a layer of ice and helped maintain a temperature near freezing. Citrus trees are considered in danger of damage if the temperature drops below minus 2 degrees Celsius for four hours or more. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 centimeters11 blanketed12 the Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

练习：1. Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs?A) The cold air mass was a threat to Florida’s citrus crop.B) The temperature in the United States except the South dropped below the freezing

mark.C) The northern harbors were blocked with ice.D) The eastern two thirds of the United States was hit by cold air mass.

2. According to the second paragraph, in which area(s) did the temperature fall below zero?

A) Most of the South.B) Parts of interior South Florida.C) West Palm Beach.D) All of the above

3. King’s statement that “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat.” Shows that

A) he was caught by the sudden cold.B) he needed formal clothes.C) fashion in Florida is tempting.D) Florida is hot compared with England.

4. Governor Jeb issue the emergency order because heA) thought speed limit for trucks was unreasonable.B) tried to improve the traffic condition of the express ways.C) wanted to encourage trucks to transport as much fruit to market at possible.D) wanted to stop trucks from carrying too much fruit to market.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to the last paragraph?A) Sprinklers were used to protect citrus trees from being damaged.

B) Citrus trees would be damaged if the temperature drops below minus 2℃ for four

hours.C) The Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia were covered with snow.D) Florida Citrus Mutual sprayed trees with sprinklers for citrus growers.

练习：

1. Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs?A) The cold air mass was a threat to Florida’s citrus crop.B) The temperature in the United States except the South dropped below the freezing

mark.C) The northern harbors were blocked with ice.D) The eastern two thirds of the United States was hit by cold air mass.

2. According to the second paragraph, in which area(s) did the temperature fall below zero?

A) Most of the South.B) Parts of interior South Florida.C) West Palm Beach.D) All of the above

3. King’s statement that “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat.” Shows that

A) he was caught by the sudden cold.B) he needed formal clothes.C) fashion in Florida is tempting.D) Florida is hot compared with England.

4. Governor Jeb issue the emergency order because heA) thought speed limit for trucks was unreasonable.B) tried to improve the traffic condition of the express ways.C) wanted to encourage trucks to transport as much fruit to market at possible.D) wanted to stop trucks from carrying too much fruit to market.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to the last paragraph?A) Sprinklers were used to protect citrus trees from being damaged.

B) Citrus trees would be damaged if the temperature drops below minus 2℃ for four

hours.C) The Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia were covered with snow.D) Florida Citrus Mutual sprayed trees with sprinklers for citrus growers.

第十三篇: Invisibility Ring (C级)

Scientists can’t yet make an invisibility cloak like the one that Harry Potter uses But, for the first time, they’ve constructed a simple cloaking device that makes itself and something placed inside it invisible to microwaves.

When a person “sees” an object, his or her eye senses many different waves of visible light as they bounce off the object. The eye and brain then work together to organize these sensations and reconstruct the object’s original shape. So, to make an object invisible, scientists have to keep waves from bouncing off it. And they have

to make sure the object casts no shadow. Otherwise, the absence of reflected light on one side would give the object away.

Invisibility isn’t possible yet with waves of light that the human eye can see. But it is now possible with microwaves. Like visible light, microwaves are form of radiant energy. They are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which also includes radio waves, infrared light, ultraviolet rays, X rays, and gamma rays. The wavelengths of microwaves are shorter than those of radio waves but longer than those of visible light.

The scientists’ new “invisibility device” is the size of a drink coaster and shaped like a ring. The ring is made of a special material with unusual ability. When microwaves strike the ring, very few bounce off it. Instead, they pass through the ring, which bends the waves all the way around until they reach the opposite. The waves then return to their original paths.

To a detector set up to receive microwaves on the other side of the ring, it looks as if the waves never changed their paths – as if there were no object in the way! So, the ring is effectively invisible.

When the researchers put a small copper loop inside the ring, it too, is nearly invisible. However, the cloaking device and anything inside it do cast a pale shadow. And the device works only for microwaves, not for visible light or any kind of electromagnetic radiation. So, Harry potter’s invisibility cloak doesn’t have any real competition yet.

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

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

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

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

D A resident of a coastal area.5. Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak doesn’t have any real competition yet, becauseA scientists have not found out how his cloak works.B the cloaking device is a total failure.C the cloaking works only for microwaves.D the cloaking device works only for visible light.

练习:1. Harry Potter is mentioned in the passage, because scientists

A can now make an invisible cloak of the same kind as he uses.B try to make an invisible cloak of the same kind as he uses.C try to invent a device similar in idea to the invisible cloak he uses.D know that it is possible to make an invisible cloak of the same kind.

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

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

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

5. Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak doesn’t have any real competition yet, becauseA scientists have not found out how his cloak works.B the cloaking device is a total failure.C the cloaking works only for microwaves.D the cloaking device works only for visible light.

第十四篇:

Japanese Car Keeps Watch for Drunk Drivers (C级)

A concept car developed by Japanese company Nissan has a breathalyzer—like

detection system and other instruments that could help keep drunk or over – tired drivers off the road.

The car’s sensors check odors inside the car and monitor a driver’s sweat for traces of alcohol. An in – car computer system can issue an alert or even lock up the ignition system if the driver seems over – the –limit. The air odor sensors are fixed firmly and deeply in the driver and passenger seats, while a detector in the gear – shift knob measures perspiration from the driver’s palm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. What has Volvo developed?A The same detection system mentioned in the previous paragraph.B A breathalyzer attached to a car’s seat belt.C A smart car seat belt.D An intelligent engine.

3. What is the function of the camera mentioned in Paragraph 4?A It monitors the driver’s eyes to see if he needs a rest.

B It judges if the driver wants to pull over.C It judges if the driver wants to take a rest.D It issues an alarm when the driver speaks.

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

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned on Paragraph 6?A An external camera checks that the car is going properly.B The car will automatically keep to its lane.C The seat belt will tighten when the driver is found drowsy.D The technology of the alcohol odor sensor should be improved.

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

2. What has Volvo developed?A The same detection system mentioned in the previous paragraph.B A breathalyzer attached to a car’s seat belt.C A smart car seat belt.D An intelligent engine.

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

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

5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned on Paragraph 6?A An external camera checks that the car is going properly.B The car will automatically keep to its lane.

C The seat belt will tighten when the driver is found drowsy.D The technology of the alcohol odor sensor should be improved.

第十五篇：Winged Robot Learns to Fly(C级)

Learning how to fly took nature millions of years of trial and error1—but a

winged robot has cracked2 it in only a few hours, using the same evolutionary principles.

Krister Wolff and Peter Nordin of Chalmers University of Technology (CUT) in Gothenburg, Sweden, built a winged robot and set about3 testing whether it could learn to fly by itself, without any pre-programmed data on what flapping is or how to do it.

To begin with4, the robot just twitched and jerked erratically. But, gradually, it

made movements that jained height. At first, it cheated—simply standing on its wing

tips was one early short cut5. After three hours, however, the robot abandoned such methods in favor of6 a more effective flapping technique, where it rotated its wings through 90 degrees and raised them before twisting them back to the horizontal and pushing down..

“This tells us that this kind of evolution is capable of7 coming up8 with flying motion,” says Peter Bentley, who works on evolutionary computing at University College London. But while9 the robot had worked out how best to produce life10, it was not about to take off. “There’s only so much that evolution can do,” Bentley says. “This thing is never going to fly because the motors will never have the strength to do it,” he says.

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

The team attached the robot to two vertical rods, so it could slide up and down. At the start of a test, the robot was suspended by an elastic band. A movement detector measured how much lift, if any11, the robot produced for any given movement.

A computer program fed the robot random instructions12, at the rate of13 20 per second, to test its flapping abilities. Each instruction told the robot either to do nothing or to move the wings slightly in the various directions.

Feedback from the movement detector let the program work out which sets of instructions were best at producing lift. The most successful ones were paired up14

and “offspring” sets of instructions15 were generated by swapping instructions randomly between successful pairs. These next-generation instructions were then sent to the robot and evaluated before breeding a new generation, and the process was repeated.

练习：1. Which of the following is NOT true of what is mentioned about the winged robot

in the second paragraph?A) The two professors of CUT built the winged robot.B) The two professors of CUT tested whether the winged robot could learn to fly.C) The two professors of CUT programmed the data on how the robot flapped its

wings.D) The two professors of CUT tried to find out if the robot could fly by itself

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

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

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

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

练习：1. Which of the following is NOT true of what is mentioned about the winged robot

in the second paragraph?A) The two professors of CUT built the winged robot.B) The two professors of CUT tested whether the winged robot could learn to fly.C) The two professors of CUT programmed the data on how the robot flapped its

wings.D) The two professors of CUT tried to find out if the robot could fly by itself

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

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

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

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

第十六篇： Japanese Drilling into Core of Earth(C级)

In what resembles 类似 a journey 旅程 to the center of the Earth, Japanese

scientists have launched the world’s first attempt to bore 钻 a hole into the red-hot core of a volcano and unlock the secrets of deadly eruption.

A 50-meter-high oil-rig-like derrick perched on the scrubby slopes of Japan’s Mount Unzen will begin drilling through the volcano’s crust next week in a bid1 to sample the magma bubbling below2.

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

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

Mount Unzen, a wind-swept 流线形的 1,486-meter dome 圆屋顶 on the southern island of Kyushu, is a perfect model. It erupted in 1991, showering

avalanches of hot rocks over a nearby town, killing 43 people and leaving nearly 2,300 homeless. Another 11,000 people were evacuated from the area until 1995, when the volcano had stabilized.

The results are particularly important to a nation like Japan, where the

meteorological 气象学的 agency monitors 20 dangerous peaks. Perhaps Japan’s most famous volcano is snowcapped Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707 and sprinkled Tokyo with ash.

The drilling on Mount Unzen will begin very soon from an altitude of 850 meters on its northwest slope. Scientists hope to tap a magma vent around sea level by August and extract a 200-meter-long core sample by summer 20043.

Boring into the glowing magma at that level would normally be impossible, because of its fiery 700 degree Celsius heat. Thus, a slurry of water will be pumped into the drill shaft to cool the magma and allow the drill head to cut through.

Nakata said there is no danger of triggering another eruption4.

练习：1. According to the passage, Mount UnzenA) erupted in 1707.B) erupted in 1991.C) erupted in 1995.D) several times in the last century.

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

A）finding causes of volcano eruptions.

B）helping to launch anti-disaster research.

C）looking into the connection between liquefied 液化的 rocks and gas buildup.

D）predicting 预测 volcano eruptions.

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

A）Because Japan has many living volcanos.

B）Because Japan wants to turn Mount Fuji to a dead volcano.

C）Because volcano gas could be a source of energy.

D）Because Japan is testing a new way of drilling into the earth.

4. The drilling site on Mount Unzen is

A）around the sea level.

B）on the northeast slope of the mountain.

C）about half way up the mountain.

A）as high as 1,486 meters.

5. The title of this passage Japanese Drilling into Core of Earth actually means that they

A) drill a hole into the core of a volcano.B) bore into the rocks near the volcanic vent.C) conduct an imagery journey to the core of a volcano.D) regard magma as the core of Earth.

练习：1. According to the passage, Mount UnzenA) erupted in 1707.B) erupted in 1991.C) erupted in 1995.D) several times in the last century.

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

A）finding causes of volcano eruptions.

B）helping to launch anti-disaster research.

C）looking into the connection between liquefied 液化的 rocks and gas buildup.

D）predicting 预测 volcano eruptions.

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

A）Because Japan has many living volcanos.

B）Because Japan wants to turn Mount Fuji to a dead volcano.

C）Because volcano gas could be a source of energy.

D）Because Japan is testing a new way of drilling into the earth.

4. The drilling site on Mount Unzen is

A）around the sea level.

B）on the northeast slope of the mountain.

C）about half way up the mountain.

D）as high as 1,486 meters.

5. The title of this passage Japanese Drilling into Core of Earth actually means that they

A) drill a hole into the core of a volcano.B) bore into the rocks near the volcanic vent.C) conduct an imagery journey to the core of a volcano.D) regard magma as the core of Earth.

第十七篇:

A Sunshade for the Planet (C级)

Even with the best will in the world, reducing our carbon emissions not going to prevent global warming. It has become clear that even if we take the most strong measures to control emissions, the uncertainties in our climate models still leave open the possibility of extreme warming and rises in sea level. At the same time, resistance by governments and special interest groups makes it quite possible that the actions suggested by climate scientists might not be implemented soon enough.

Fortunately, if the worst comes to the worst, scientists have a few tricks up their sleeves. For most part they have strongly resisted discussing these options for fear of inviting a sense of complacency that might thwart efforts to tackle the root of the problem. Until now, that is. A growing number of researchers are taking a fresh look at large—scale “ geoengineering” projects that might be used to counteract global warming. “I use the analogy of methadone,” says Stephen, a climate researcher at Stanford University in California who was among the first to draw attention to global warming. “If you have a heroin addict, the correct treatment is hospitalization, and a long rehab. But if they absolutely refuse, methadone is better than heroin.”

Basically the idea is to apply “sunscreen” to the whole planet. One astronomer has come up with a radical plan to cool Earth: launch trillions of feather—light discs into space, where they would form a vast would block the sun’s rays. It’s controversial, but recent studies suggest there are ways to deflect just enough of the sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface to counteract the warming produced by the greenhouse effect. Global climate models show that blocking just 1.8 per cent of the incident energy in the sun’s rays would cancel out the warming effects produced by a

doubling of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That could be crucial, because even the most severe emissions—control measures being proposed would leave us with a doubling of carbon dioxide by the end of this century, and that would last for at least a century more.

练习:1. According to the first two paragraphs, the author thinks that A strong measures have been taken by the government to prevent global warming.B to reduce carbon emissions is an impossible mission.C despite the difficulty, scientists have some options to prevent global warming.D actions suggested by scientists will never be realized.

2. Scientists resist talking about their options because they don’t want people to A know what they are doing. B feel their efforts are useless.C think the problem has been solved. D see the real problem.

3. What does Stephen Schneider say about a heroin addict and methadone?A Methadone is an effective way to treat a hard heroin addict.B Methadone is not a correct way to treat a heroin addict.C Hospitalization together with methadone can work effectively with a heroin addict.D Methadone and heroin are equally effective in treating a heroin addict.

4. What is Stephen Schneider’s idea of preventing global warming?A To ask governments to take stronger measures.B To increase the sunlight reaching the Earth.C To apply sunscreen to the Earth. D To decrease greenhouse gases.

5. What is NOT true of the effectiveness of “sunscreen”, according to the last paragraph?A It deflects sunlight reaching the Earth to counteract the warming.B It blocks the incident energy in the sun’s rays.C It is a controversial method.D It decreases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

练习:1. According to the first two paragraphs, the author thinks that A strong measures have been taken by the government to prevent global warming.B to reduce carbon emissions is an impossible mission.C despite the difficulty, scientists have some options to prevent global warming.D actions suggested by scientists will never be realized.

2. Scientists resist talking about their options because they don’t want people to A know what they are doing. B feel their efforts are useless.

C think the problem has been solved. D see the real problem.

3. What does Stephen Schneider say about a heroin addict and methadone?A Methadone is an effective way to treat a hard heroin addict.B Methadone is not a correct way to treat a heroin addict.C Hospitalization together with methadone can work effectively with a heroin addict.D Methadone and heroin are equally effective in treating a heroin addict.

4. What is Stephen Schneider’s idea of preventing global warming?A To ask governments to take stronger measures.B To increase the sunlight reaching the Earth.C To apply sunscreen to the Earth. D To decrease greenhouse gases.

5. What is NOT true of the effectiveness of “sunscreen”, according to the last paragraph?A It deflects sunlight reaching the Earth to counteract the warming.B It blocks the incident energy in the sun’s rays.C It is a controversial method.D It decreases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

第十八篇: Thirst for Oil (C级)

Worldwide every day, we devour the energy equivalent of about 200 million barrels of oil. Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun. In fact enough energy from the Sun hits the planet’s surface each minute to cover our needs for an entire year, we just need to find an efficient way to use it. So far the energy in oil has been cheaper easier to get at. But as supplies dwindle, this will change, and we will need to cure our addiction to oil.

Burning wood satisfied most energy needs until the steam—driven industrial revolution, when energy—dense coal became the fuel of choice. Coal is still used, mostly in power stations, to cover one quarter of our energy needs, but use has been declining since we started pumping up oil. Coal is the least efficient, unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel, but could make a comeback, as supplies are still plentiful: its reserves are five times larger than oil’s.

Today petroleum, a mineral oil obtained from below surface of Earth and used to produce petrol, diesel oil and various other chemical substances, provides 40% of the world’s energy needs, mostly fuelling automobiles. The US consumes a quarter of all oil, and generates a similar proportion of greenhouse gas emissions.

The majority of oil comes from the middle East, which has half of known reserves. But other significant sources include Russia, North America, Norway, Venezuela and the North Sea. Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be a major new US source, to reduce reliance on foreign imports.

Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years, though opinions and estimates vary. We could fast reach an energy crisis in the next

few decades, when demand exceeds supply. As conventional reserves become more difficult to access, others such as oil shales and tar sands may be used instead. Petrol could also be obtained from coal.

Since we started using fossil fuels, we have released 400 billion tones of carbon, and burning the entire reserves could eventually raise world temperatures by 13 C. Among other horrors, this would result in the destruction of all rainforests and the melting of all Arctic ice.

练习:1. “…we will need to cure our addiction to oil.” Why does the author say so?A Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun.B Oil supply is increasing all the time.C Demand for oil is increasing all the time.D Oil supply is decreasing.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT meant by the author, according to the second paragraph?A Wood was the fuel of choice before coal.B The use of coal is declining.C Coal is the most environmentally unfriendly fuel next to oil.D Coal reserves are plentiful and will be likely to become the major fuel of choice.

3. Which country is the biggest consumer of petroleum?A The United States B Russia. C Norway. D Venezuela.

4. What do experts say about the earth’s fuel reserves?A The earth’s fuel reserves will be accessible for the next 50 years.B There will soon be an energy crisis.C Conventional reserves will soon become inaccessible.D Fuel demand will decline.

5. What is NOT the result of consuming fossil fuels according to the last paragraph?A Rainforests will be destroyed. B Arctic ice will be melted.C The earth’s temperature will be raised. D The sea level will go up.

练习:1. “…we will need to cure our addiction to oil.” Why does the author say so?A Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun.B Oil supply is increasing all the time.C Demand for oil is increasing all the time.D Oil supply is decreasing.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT meant by the author, according to the

second paragraph?A Wood was the fuel of choice before coal.B The use of coal is declining.C Coal is the most environmentally unfriendly fuel next to oil.D Coal reserves are plentiful and will be likely to become the major fuel of choice.

3. Which country is the biggest consumer of petroleum?A The United States B Russia. C Norway. D Venezuela.4. What do experts say about the earth’s fuel reserves?A The earth’s fuel reserves will be accessible for the next 50 years.B There will soon be an energy crisis.C Conventional reserves will soon become inaccessible.D Fuel demand will decline.

5. What is NOT the result of consuming fossil fuels according to the last paragraph?A Rainforests will be destroyed. B Arctic ice will be melted.C The earth’s temperature will be raised. D The sea level will go up.

第十九篇：Prolonging Human Life(C级)

Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population.1 Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago2. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time.3 In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.

Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load.4 In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine,5 infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, whereas if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illness than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare”6 if they have a serious illness.

When older people become senile or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems7 for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members

of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent hospitals8 have been built. These are often profit-making organizations,9

although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping grounds”10 for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and underskilled personnel.

练习：1. The writer believes that the population explosion results fromA) an increase in birthrates.B) the industrial development.C) a decrease in death rates.D) cultural advances.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering culturesA) it was a moral responsibility to keep old-aged people alive.B) infants could be left dead in times of starvation.C) parents had to impart the cultural wisdom of the tribe to their children.D) death was considered to be freedom from hardships.

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements about retired people in the United States is true?A) Many of them have a very hard life.B) They cannot live a decent life without enough bank savings.C) They rely mainly on their children for financial support.D) Most of them live with their children and therefore are well looked after.

4. In Paragraph 3, the phrase “this need” refers to A) the need to prolong the lives of old peopleB) the need to enrich the life of the retired peopleC) the need to build profit-making nursing homes.D) the need to take care of sick and weak people

5. Which of the following best describes the writer’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes, and convalescent hospitals?A) Sympathetic.B) Unfriendly.C) Optimistic.D) Critical.

练习：1. The writer believes that the population explosion results from

A) an increase in birthrates.B) the industrial development.C) a decrease in death rates.D) cultural advances.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering culturesA) it was a moral responsibility to keep old-aged people alive.B) infants could be left dead in times of starvation.C) parents had to impart the cultural wisdom of the tribe to their children.D) death was considered to be freedom from hardships.

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements about retired people in the United States is true?A) Many of them have a very hard life.B) They cannot live a decent life without enough bank savings.C) They rely mainly on their children for financial support.D) Most of them live with their children and therefore are well looked after.

4. In Paragraph 3, the phrase “this need” refers to A) the need to prolong the lives of old peopleB) the need to enrich the life of the retired peopleC) the need to build profit-making nursing homes.D) the need to take care of sick and weak people

5. Which of the following best describes the writer’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes, and convalescent hospitals?A) Sympathetic.B) Unfriendly.C) Optimistic.D) Critical.

第二十篇： Explorer of the Extreme Deep (C级)

Oceans cover more than two-thirds of our planet. Yet, just a small fraction of the underwater world has been explored. Now, Scientists at the Woods Hole1

Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts are building an underwater vehicle that will carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters (21,320 feet). The new machine, known as a manned submersible or human-operated vehicle (HOV), will replace another one named Alvin2 which has an amazing record of discovery, playing a key role in various important and famous undersea expeditions. Alvin has been operating for 40 years but can go down only 4,500 meters (14,784 feet). It’s about time for an upgrade, WHOI researchers say.

Alvin was launched in 1964. Since then, Alvin has worked between 200 and 250 days a year, says Daniel Fornari, a marine geologist and director of the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute at WHOI. During its lifetime, Alvin has carried some 12,000 people on a total of more than 3,000 dives. A newer, better versions of Alvin is bound to reveal even more surprises about a world that is still full of mysteries, Fornari says. It might also make the job of exploration a little easier. “We take so much for granted on land,” Fornari says. “We can walk around and see with our eyes how big things are. We can see colors, special arrangements.”

Size-wise, the new HOV will be similar to Alvin. It’ll be about 37 feet long. The setting area inside will be a small sphere, about 8 feet wide, like Alvin, it’ll carry a pilot and two passengers. It will be just as maneuverable. In most other ways, it will give passengers more opportunities to enjoy the view, for one thing. Alvin has only three windows, the new vehicle will have five, with more overlap so that the passengers and the pilot can see the same thing.

Alvin can go up and down at a rate of 30 meters every second, and its maximum speed is 2 knots (about 2.3 miles per hour), while the new vehicle will be able to ascend and descend at 44 meters per second. It’ll reach speeds of 3 knots, or 3.5 miles per hour. (361 words)

词汇：fraction n. 一部分 dive v. & n. 潜水；跳水underwater adj. 水下的；adv. 在水下 bound adj. 受约束的，一定的manned adj. 载人的 sphere n. 球体；范围 undersea adj. 海底的maneuverable adj. 机动的，可调动的 submersible n. 潜艇；潜水器overlap v. & n. 重叠 upgrade n. 升级 ascend v. 上升 geologist n. 地质学家注释：1. Woods Hole：美国马萨诸塞州的一个渔村，但同时拥有许多重要研究机构，如： the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Sea Education Association 以及 the

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution。

2. Alvin: 世界上第一个深海潜水器，它最有名的深海探测包括 1986年对泰坦尼克号残骸的测量工作。

练习：1. What is Alvin?

A) A research institute. B) A transporting vehicle.C) A submersible . D) A scientist.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT a fact about Alvin?A) It can carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters.B) It has played a key role in various important undersea expeditionsC) It was launched in the sixties of the twentieth century. D) It has been used for more than 40 years.

3. “… a world that is still full of mysteries” refers to A) The earth. B) Out space. C) The ocean. D) Mars.

4. In what aspects are the new HOV and Alvin similar?A) Size. B) Speed. C) Capacity. D) Shape.

5. In what aspects are the new HOV and Alvin different?A) Offering better views. B) Speed. C) Size. D) Both A and B.

练习：1. What is Alvin?

A) A research institute. B) A transporting vehicle.C) A submersible . D) A scientist.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT a fact about Alvin?A) It can carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters.B) It has played a key role in various important undersea expeditionsC) It was launched in the sixties of the twentieth century. D) It has been used for more than 40 years.

3. “… a world that is still full of mysteries” refers to A) The earth. B) Out space. C) The ocean. D) Mars.

4. In what aspects are the new HOV and Alvin similar?A) Size. B) Speed. C) Capacity. D) Shape.

5. In what aspects are the new HOV and Alvin different?A) Offering better views. B) Speed. C) Size. D) Both A and B.

答案与题解：1. C 短文第一段的第二、第三句提供了答案。2. A 文章第二段的第二句说，科学家正在研制一艘可将研究人员带到 6,500 米

深处的潜水装置，而它将替代 Alvin，因为 Alvin 只能潜到 4,500 米深处。A

不是事实，所以是正确选择。3. C 本文讨论探索海底世界的潜水装置，所以“充满神秘色彩的世界”指的就是海洋。4. D 第四段的头三个句子告诉我们，HOV 和 Alvin 在体积上和容量上相似。所以 D 是正确选择。

5. D 第四段最后两句告诉我们，Alvin 只有三个窗户，而 HOV 有五个。最后一段告诉我们，两艘潜水装置的上下活动速度和行进速度有所差别。所以 D

是正确选择。

第二十一篇： Plant Gas (C级)

Scientists have been studying natural sources of methane for decades but hadn’t regarded plants as a producer, notes Frank Keppler, a geochemist at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heldelberg, Germany1. Now Keppler and his colleagues find that plants, from grasses to trees, may also be sources of the greenhouse gas. This is really surprising, because most scientists assumed that methane production requires an oxygen-free environment.

Previously, researchers had thought that it was impossible for plants to make significant amounts of the gas. They had assumed that microbes2 need to be in environments without oxygen to produce methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide. Gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

In its experiments, Keppler’s team used sealed chambers that contained the same concentration of oxygen that Earth’s atmosphere has. They measured the amounts of methane that were released by both living plants and dried plant material, such as fallen leaves.

With the dried plants, the researchers took measurement at temperatures ranging from 30 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees C. At 30 degrees C, they found, a gram of dried plant material released up to 3 nanograms of methane per hour. (One nanogram is a billionth of a gram.) With every 10-degree rise in temperature, the amount of methane released each hour roughly doubled.

Living plants growing at their normal temperatures released as much as 370 nanograms of methane per gram of plant tissue per hour. Methane emissions tripled when living and dead plant was exposed to sunlight.

Because there was plenty of oxygen available, it’s unlikely that the types of bacteria that normally make methane were involved. Experiments on plants that were grown in water rather than soil also resulted in methane emissions. That’s another strong sign that the gas came from the plants and not soil microbes.

The new finding is an “interesting observation,” says Jennifer Y. King, a biogeochemist at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul3. Because some types of soil microbes consume methane, they may prevent plant-produced methane from reaching the atmosphere. Field tests will be needed to assess the plant’s influence, she notes. (367 words)

词汇：methane n. 甲烷，沼气 emission n. 散发，发射 geochemist n. 地球化学家triple v. 增加三倍；adj. 三倍的 Celsius n & adj. 摄氏（的）bacteria n. （bacterium的复数）细菌 microbe n. 微生物 nanogram n. 微克Biogeochemist n.生物地球化学家 chamber n. 室，房间；腔注释：1. the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heldelberg, Germany：马克思·

普朗克核物理研究所，位于德国海德堡。海德堡系德国西南部城市，在巴登－符腾堡州的内卡河畔。海德堡大学是德国历史最悠久的大学。

2. microbe：细菌，意义同 bacterium（bacteria的单数形式），但 microbe 不用作专门术语。3. St. Paul：圣保罗，美国明尼苏达州首府。练习：1. What was scientists’ understanding of methane?

A) It was produced from plants.B) It was not a greenhouse gas.C) It was produced in oxygen-free environments. D) It traps more heat than any other greenhouse gas.

2. To test whether plants are a source of methane, the scientists createdA) a oxygen-free environment.B) an environment with the same concentration of oxygen as the Earth has.

C) a carbon dioxide-free environment.D) an environment filled with the greenhouse gas

3 Which statement is true of the methane emissions of plants in the experiment?A) The lower the temperature, the higher the amount of methane emissions. B) Living plants release less methane than dried plants at the same temperature. C) When exposed to sunlight, plants stop releasing methane. D) The higher the temperature, the greater the amount of methane emissions.

4. What of the following about methane is Not mentioned in the passage ?A) Plants growing in soil release methane.B) Plants growing in water release methane.C) Soil microbes consume methane.D) Microbes in plants produce methane.

5. What is the beneficial point of some microbes consuming plant-produced methane?

A) Methane becomes less poisonous.B) methane is turned into a fertilizer. C) Less methane reaches the atmosphere.D) Air becomes cleaner.

练习：1. What was scientists’ understanding of methane?

A) It was produced from plants.B) It was not a greenhouse gas.C) It was produced in oxygen-free environments. D) It traps more heat than any other greenhouse gas.

2. To test whether plants are a source of methane, the scientists createdA) a oxygen-free environment.B) an environment with the same concentration of oxygen as the Earth has. C) a carbon dioxide-free environment.D) an environment filled with the greenhouse gas

3. Which statement is true of the methane emissions of plants in the experiment?A) The lower the temperature, the higher the amount of methane emissions. B) Living plants release less methane than dried plants at the same temperature. C) When exposed to sunlight, plants stop releasing methane. D) The higher the temperature, the greater the amount of methane emissions.

4. What of the following about methane is Not mentioned in the passage ?A) Plants growing in soil release methane.B) Plants growing in water release methane.

C) Soil microbes consume methane.D) Microbes in plants produce methane.

5. What is the beneficial point of some microbes consuming plant-produced methane?

A) Methane becomes less poisonous.B) methane is turned into a fertilizer. C) Less methane reaches the atmosphere.D) Air becomes cleaner..

答案与题解：1. C 短文的第一和第二段都讲到，科学家过去曾经认为，沼气必须在无氧的

环境中才能产生。注意，作者用的是过去式：Most scientists assumed that

…， They had assumed that…。2. B 第三段第一句说，科学家使用密封的房间来做实验，房间里氧气的浓度

与地球大气中的氧气浓度相仿。所以 B 句符合原文的意思，其它三个选择则不符合原文内容。

3. D 根据第四和第五段的内容，只有 D 是正确的说法。温度越高沼气的释放量越高，有生命的植物释放的沼气远大于干植物的释放量，在阳光下，它们的沼气释放量是正常情况的三倍。

4. D 最后两段告诉我们，无论在土壤中还是在水中生长的植物都能释放沼气，土壤中的微生物消耗沼气，使沼气不至于进入空气。所以A、B、C 的内容均符合短文最后两段中作者的意思。D 的内容短文中没有提到。

5. C 最后一段的第二句可以找到本题的答案。第二十二篇：

Snowflakes(C级)

综合第三十篇

You’ve probably heard that no two snowflakes are alike. Of course, nobody has ever confirmed that statement by examining every one of the estimated one septillion snowflakes that drift to Earth each year. Still, Kenneth Libbrecht, a professor at the California Institute of Technology, is confident that the statement is true.

Snowflakes aren’t flaky, says Libbrecht. At their basic level, they’re crystalline. The lattice of every snowflake is six-sided in shape. The simplest snow crystals are six-sided flat plates and six-sided columns. Such crystals are common in places where the air is extremely cold and dry. Snow crystals acquire their special beauty when their simple six-sided symmetry blossoms. Under the right conditions, each of the six corners of a crystal sprouts1 what is called an arm. In a matter of2 minutes, the arms can become highly ornate and give the crystal a star like appearance.

Several factors in the environment affect the shape and growth rate of a snow crystal. One factor is humidity. Crystals grow faster and in more intricate shape as humidity increases. A second factor is air temperature. A snowflake is born when several molecules of water vapor in a cloud land on a speck of dust and freeze to form a simple crystal. As the young crystal bops3 around in the cloud, it passes through air pockets of varying temperatures. If the crystal passes through a pocket of air that is, say, -15 degrees Celsius, it will grow quickly and sprout six arms, says

Libbrecht. If the crystal is then tossed into a warmer pocket, one about –10℃, the

arms’ tips will stop growing quickly and form six-sided plates. If the crystal then

drifts into an even warmer pocket of about –5℃, its top and bottom will grow more

quickly than its sides and become more column like in shape.In the course of4 its life span, a snow-crystal might flutter through many warmer

and colder pockets, acquiring a complicated and unique growth history. Such a history will give rise to5 a snowflake that is unlike any other. Each arm on the snowflake will look exactly like every other one, but the crystal itself will be one of a kind.

Using his cooling tanks, Libbrecht has learned how to create snow crystals of

different shapes—plates, columns, needles etc.. Libbrecht has even refined his

techniques so that he can make crystals that look highly similar to one another. Still, he lacks the control to manufacture identical twin snowflakes. A slight difference in humidity and temperature can upset the growth profile6 of a crystal.

练习:1. What does Professor Libbrecht believe to be true?

A）No two snowflakes are exactly the same in shape.

B）Somebody has examined all the snowflakes that fall on Earth.

C）The statement that no two snowflakes are alike is confirmed.

D）None of the above.

2. What do the simplest snow crystals look like?

A）They have six columns.

B）They are flaky.

C）They are cubic in shape.

D）They are six-sided.

3. What are the factors that affect the shape and growth rate of a snow crystal?A) Humidity and temperature.B) Water and falling speed.C) Air and altitude.D) Both B and C.

4. It can be felt from the description in the 2nd paragraph that the author

A）admires the beauty of the snowflakes.

B）dislikes the changing growth history of the snowflakes.

C）has a particular feeling for those flower-like crystals.

D）likes to compare snowflakes to the stars in the sky.

5. Libbrecht is not able to

A）create snow crystals of different shapes.

B）make crystals that look similar to one another.

C）create snowflakes that are exactly alike.

D）refine his techniques.

练习:1. What does Professor Libbrecht believe to be true?

A）No two snowflakes are exactly the same in shape.

B）Somebody has examined all the snowflakes that fall on Earth.

C）The statement that no two snowflakes are alike is confirmed.

D）None of the above.

2. What do the simplest snow crystals look like?

A）They have six columns.

B）They are flaky.

C）They are cubic in shape.

D）They are six-sided.

3. What are the factors that affect the shape and growth rate of a snow crystal?A) Humidity and temperature.B) Water and falling speed.C) Air and altitude.D) Both B and C.

4. It can be felt from the description in the 2nd paragraph that the author

A）admires the beauty of the snowflakes.

B）dislikes the changing growth history of the snowflakes.

C）has a particular feeling for those flower-like crystals.

D）likes to compare snowflakes to the stars in the sky.

5. Libbrecht is not able to

A）create snow crystals of different shapes.

B）make crystals that look similar to one another.

C）create snowflakes that are exactly alike.

D）refine his techniques.

第二十三篇：

Powering a City? It’s Breeze微风 1(C级)

The graceful优雅的 wooden windmills风力磨坊 that have broken up突然发生 the flat Duch landscape for centuries—a national symbol like wooden shoes and

tulips郁金香—yielded；投降；让步 long ago to ungainly笨拙的 metal-pole杆 turbines2汽轮机.

Now, windmills are breaking into a new frontier. Though still in its teething 出乳牙 stages, the “urban turbine” is a high-tech windmill designed to generate energy from the rooftops of busy cities. Lighter, quieter, and often more efficient than rural counterparts3, they take advantage of the extreme turbulence4 and rapid shifts in direction that characterize urban wind patterns.

Prototypes have been successfully tested in several Dutch cities, and the city government in the Hague5 has recently agreed to begin a large-scale deployment in 2003. Current models cost US$8,000 to US$12,000 and can generate between 3,000 and 7,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. Atypical Dutch household uses 3,500 kilowatt hours per year, while in the United States, this figure jumps to around 10,000 kilowatt hours.

But so far, they are being designed more for public or commercial buildings than for private homes. The smallest of the current models weigh roughly 200 kilograms and can be installed on a roof in a few hours without using a crane.

Germany, Finland and Denmark have also been experimenting with the technology, but the ever-practical Dutch are natural pioneers in urban wind power mainly because of the lack of space. The Netherlands, with 16 million people crowded into a country twice the size of Slovenia6, is the most densely populated in Europe.

Problems remain; however, for example, public safety concerns7, and so strict standards should be applied to any potential manufacturers. Vibrations are the main problem in skyscraper-high turbine. People don’t know what it would be like to work there, in an office next to one of the big turbines. It might be too hectic.

Meanwhile, projects are under way8 to use minimills9 to generate power for lifeboats, streetlights, and portable generators. “I think the thing about wind power is that you can use it in a whole range of situations,” said Corin Millais, of the European Wind Energy Association. “It’s a very local technology, and you can use it right in your backyard. I don’t think anybody wants a nuclear power plant in their backyard.”

练习:

1. What are the symbols of Netherlands according to the first paragraph?

A）The flat landscape.

B）Wooden shoes and wooden windmills.

C）Metal-pole turbines.

D）Both A and B.

2. Which statement is best describes the urban turbine mentioned in the second paragraph?

A）It is a windmill put on rooftops of屋顶 buildings, for energy generation.

B）It is a high-tech machine designed to generate energy for urban people.

C）It is light and quiet and therefore more efficient.

D）It is driven by urban wind.

3. The smallest models of an urban turbine

A）is designed for private homes.

B）weighs 2000 kilograms.

C）can be carried up to the rooftop without a crane.

D）can be installed with a crane起重机.

4. Netherlands leads in the urban turbine technology because

A）the Dutch are natural pioneers

B）the Dutch have a tradition with windmills.

C）the Netherlands is windier than Germany, Finland and Slovenia.

D）the Netherlands is a small country with a large population.

5. According to the last paragraph, what are the advantages of wind power technology?

A）It can be used for different purposes.

B）It can replace nuclear power plant.

C）It can be installed in one’s backyard.

D）Both A and C.

练习:1. What are the symbols of Netherlands according to the first paragraph?

A）The flat landscape.

B）Wooden shoes and wooden windmills.

C）Metal-pole turbines.

D）Both A and B.

2. Which statement is best describes the urban turbine mentioned in the second paragraph?

A）It is a windmill put on rooftops of屋顶 buildings, for energy generation.

B）It is a high-tech machine designed to generate energy for urban people.

C）It is light and quiet and therefore more efficient.

D）It is driven by urban wind.

3. The smallest models of an urban turbine

A）is designed for private homes.

B）weighs 2000 kilograms.

C）can be carried up to the rooftop without a crane.

D）can be installed with a crane起重机.

4. Netherlands leads in the urban turbine technology because

A）the Dutch are natural pioneers

B）the Dutch have a tradition with windmills.

C）the Netherlands is windier than Germany, Finland and Slovenia.

D）the Netherlands is a small country with a large population.

5. According to the last paragraph, what are the advantages of wind power technology?

A）It can be used for different purposes.

B）It can replace nuclear power plant.

C）It can be installed in one’s backyard.

D）Both A and C.

第二十四篇： Underground Coal Fires—— a Looming Catastrophe1(C级)

Coal burning deep underground in China, India and Indonesia is threatening the environment and human life, scientists have warned,2 These large-scale undergrond blazes cause the ground temperature to heat up and kill surrounding vegetation, produce greenhouse gases and can even ignite forest fires, a panel3 of scientists told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Denver4. The resulting release of poisonous elements like arsenic and mercury can also pollute local water sources and soils, they warned.

“Coal fires are a global catastrophe,” said Associate Professor Glenn Stracher of East Georgia College in Swainsboro, USA. But surprisingly few people know about them.

Coal can heat up on its own5, and eventually catch fire and burn, if there is a continuous oxygen supply. The heat produced is not caused to disappear and under the right combinations of sunlight and oxygen, can trigger spontaneous6 catching fire and burning. This can occur underground, in coal stockpiles7, abandoned mines or even as coal is transported. Such fires in China consume8 up to9 200 million tones of coal per year, delegates were told. In comparison, the U.S. economy consumes about one billion tones of coal annually, said Stracher, whose analysis of the likely impact of coal fires has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Coal Ecology. Once underway10, coal fires can burn for decades, even centuries. In the process, they release large volumes of greenhouse gases, poisonous fumes and black particles into the atmosphere.

The members of the panel discussed the impact these fires may be having on global and regional climate change, and agreed that the underground nature of the fires makes them difficult to protect. One of the members of the panel, Assistant

Professor Paul Van Dijk of the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, has been working with the Chinese government to detect and monitor fires in the northern regions of the country.

Ultimately, the remote sensing and other techniques should allow scientists to estimate how much carbon dioxide these fires are emitting. One suggested method of containing11 the fires was presented by Gary Colatizzi, of the engineering firm Goodson, which has developed a heat-resistant grout (a thin mortar12 used to fill cracks and crevices), which is designed to be pumped into the coal fire to cut off13 the oxygen supply.

练习：1. According to the first paragraph, one of the warnings given by the scientists is that A) underground fires loom large in the forests.B) coal burning deep underground is found in China.C) poisonous elements released by the underground fires can pollute water sources.D) arsenic and mercury are the most poisonous elements to water sources.

2. According to the third paragraph, what will happen when the underground heat does not disappear?

A) Coal heats up on its own and catches fire and burnsB) The underground oxygen will be used up.C) Poisonous fumes and greenhouse gases will be accumulated underground.D) There will be an increase of abandoned mines.

3. What did Stracher analyze in his article published in the International Journal of Coal Ecology?

A) Annual consumption of coal in U.S.B) Annual consumption of coal in China.C) How long coal fires has lasted in the northern region of China.D) Coal fires can have an impact on the environment.

4. Which of the following statements about Paul Van Dijk is NOT true?A ) He was one of the scientists who have warned against the threats of underground

fires.B) He has detected and monitored underground fires in Netherlands.C) He has worked with the Chinese government on the underground fires issue.E) He works for a research institute in Netherlands.

5. According to the fifth paragraph, what is the suggested method to control underground fires?

A) Using remote sensing technique.B) Controlling the release of carbon dioxide.C) Making the soil heat resistant.D) Cutting off the oxygen supply.

练习：1. According to the first paragraph, one of the warnings given by the scientists is that A) underground fires loom large in the forests.B) coal burning deep underground is found in China.C) poisonous elements released by the underground fires can pollute water sources.D) arsenic and mercury are the most poisonous elements to water sources.

2. According to the third paragraph, what will happen when the underground heat does not disappear?

A) Coal heats up on its own and catches fire and burnsB) The underground oxygen will be used up.C) Poisonous fumes and greenhouse gases will be accumulated underground.D) There will be an increase of abandoned mines.

3. What did Stracher analyze in his article published in the International Journal of Coal Ecology?

A) Annual consumption of coal in U.S.B) Annual consumption of coal in China.C) How long coal fires has lasted in the northern region of China.D) Coal fires can have an impact on the environment.

4. Which of the following statements about Paul Van Dijk is NOT true?A ) He was one of the scientists who have warned against the threats of underground

fires.B) He has detected and monitored underground fires in Netherlands.C) He has worked with the Chinese government on the underground fires issue.D) He works for a research institute in Netherlands.

5. According to the fifth paragraph, what is the suggested method to control underground fires?

A) Using remote sensing technique.B) Controlling the release of carbon dioxide.C) Making the soil heat resistant.D) Cutting off the oxygen supply.

第二十五篇：Eat to Live(C级)

A meager diet may give you health and long life, but it’s not much fun—and it

might not even be necessary. We may be able to hang on to1 most of that youthful vigor even if we don’t start to diet until old age.

Stephen Spindler and his colleagues from the University of California at Riverside have found that some of an elderly mouse’s liver genes can be made to behave as they did when the mouse was young simply by limiting its food for four weeks. The genetic rejuvenation won’t reverse other damage caused by time for the mouse, but could help its liver metabolize drugs or get rid of toxins.2

Spindler’s team fed three mice a normal diet for their whole lives, and fed another three on half-rations3. Three more mice were switched from the normal diet

to half-feed3 for a month when they were34 months old—equivalent to about 70

human years.The researchers checked the activity of 11,000 genes from the mouse livers, and

found that 46 changed with age in the normally fed mice. The changes were

associated with things like inflammation and free radical production4—probably bad

news for mouse health. In the mice that had dieted all their lives, 27 of those 46 genes continued to behave like young genes. But the most surprising finding was that the mice that only started dieting in old age also benefited from 70 per cent of these gene changes.

“This is the first indication that these effects kick in5 pretty quickly,” says Huber Warner from the National Institute on Aging near Washington, D.C..

No one yet knows if calorie restriction works in people as it does in mice, but Spindler is hopeful. “There’s attracting and tempting evidence out there that it will work,” he says.

If it does work in people, there might be good reasons for rejuvenating the liver. As we get older, our bodies are less efficient at metabolizing drugs, for example. A brief period of time of dieting, says Spindler, could be enough to make sure a drug is effective.

But Spindler isn’t sure the trade-off is worth it, 6 “The mice get less disease, they live longer, but they’re hungry,” he says. “Even seeing what a diet does, it’s still hard to go to a restaurant and say” ‘I can only eat half of that’.”

Spindler hopes we soon won’t need to diet at all. His company, Life Span Genetics in California, is looking for drugs that have the effects of calorie restriction.

练习：1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?A) Eating less than usual might make us live longer.B) If we go on a diet when old, we may keep healthy.C) Dieting might not be needed.D) We have to begin dieting from childhood.

2. Why does the author mention an elderly mouse in paragraph2?A) To describe the influence of old age on mice.

B) To illustrate the effect of meager food on mice.C) To tell us how mice’s liver genes behave.D) To inform us of the process of metabolizing drugs.

3. What can be inferred about completely normally fed mice mentioned in the passage?

A) They will not experience free radical production.B) They will experience more genetic rejuvenation in their lifetime.C) They have more old liver genes to behave like young genes.D) They are more likely to suffer from inflammation.

4. According to the author, which of the following most interested the researchers?A) The mice that started dieting in old age. B) 27 of those 46 old genes that continued to behave like young genes.C) Calorie restriction that works in people.D) Dieting that makes sure a drug is effective.

5. According to the last two paragraphs. Spindler believes thatA) calorie restriction is very important to young people.B) seeing the effect of a diet, people will eat less than normal.C) dieting is not a good method to give us health and a long life.D) drugs do not have the effects of calorie restriction.

练习：1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?A) Eating less than usual might make us live longer.B) If we go on a diet when old, we may keep healthy.C) Dieting might not be needed.D) We have to begin dieting from childhood.

2. Why does the author mention an elderly mouse in paragraph2?A) To describe the influence of old age on mice.B) To illustrate the effect of meager food on mice.C) To tell us how mice’s liver genes behave.D) To inform us of the process of metabolizing drugs.

3. What can be inferred about completely normally fed mice mentioned in the passage?

A) They will not experience free radical production.B) They will experience more genetic rejuvenation in their lifetime.C) They have more old liver genes to behave like young genes.D) They are more likely to suffer from inflammation.

4. According to the author, which of the following most interested the researchers?

A) The mice that started dieting in old age. B) 27 of those 46 old genes that continued to behave like young genes.C) Calorie restriction that works in people.D) Dieting that makes sure a drug is effective.

5. According to the last two paragraphs. Spindler believes thatA) calorie restriction is very important to young people.B) seeing the effect of a diet, people will eat less than normal.C) dieting is not a good method to give us health and a long life.D) drugs do not have the effects of calorie restriction.

第二十六篇： Male and Female Pilots Cause Accidents Differently(C级)

Male pilots flying general aviation1 (private) aircraft in the United States are more likely to crash due to inattention or flawed decision-making, while female pilots are more likely to crash from mishandling the aircraft. These are the results of a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The study identifies the differences between male and female pilots in terms of circumstances of the crash and the type of pilots error involved2. “Crashes of general aviation aircraft account for 85 percent of all aviation deaths3 in the United States. The crash rate for male pilots, as for motor vehicle drivers, exceeds that4 of crashes of female pilots,” explains Susan P. Baker, MPH, professor of health policy and management at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Because pilot youth and inexperience are established5 contributors to aviation crashes6, we focused on only mature pilots, to determine the gender differences in the reasons for the crash.”

The researchers extracted data for this study from a large research project on pilot aging and flight safety. The data were gathered from general aviation crashes of airplanes and helicopters between 1983 and 1997, involving 144 female pilots and 267 male pilots aged 40-63. Female pilots were matched with male pilots in a 1:2 ratio, by age, classes of medical and pilot certificates, state or area of crash, and year of crash. Then the circumstances of the crashes and the pilot error involved were categorized and coded without knowledge of pilot gender.

The researchers found that loss of control on landing or takeoff was the most common circumstance for both sexes, leading to 59 percent of female pilots’ crashes and 36 percent of males’. Experiencing mechanical failure, running out of fuel, and landing the plane with the landing gear up7 were among the factors more likely with males, while stalling was more likely with females.

The majority of the crashes—95 percent for females and 88 percent for males—involved at beast one type of pilot error. Mishandling aircraft kinetics was the most common error for both sexes, but was more common among females (accounting for 81 percent of the crashes) than males (accounting for 48 percent). Males, however, appeared more likely to be guilty of8 poor decision-making, risk-taking, and

inattentiveness, examples of which include misjudging weather and visibility9 or flying an aircraft with a known defect. Females, though more likely to mishandle or lose control of the aircraft, were generally more careful than their male counterparts10.

练习：1. What is the research at Johns Hopkins University about?

A）Causes of aircraft crash.

B）Gender difference in relation to types of aircraft crashes.

C）Causes of mishandling aircraft.

D）Gender discrimination in general aviation in the United States.

2. Which of the statements is NOT true according to the second paragraph?A) Crashes of general aviation aircraft is a major source of aviation accidents in the

United States.

B）Male pilots, like male vehicle drivers, are more likely to have accidents than female pilots.

C） It is commonly known that aircraft crashes are mostly caused by young and inexperienced pilots.

D) Only mature pilots are studied to determine the gender differences in the reasons for aircraft crash.

3. How did the researchers carry out their study?A) They studied the findings of several previous research projects.B) They conducted a questionnaire with 411 pilots.C) They collected data from the database at the Johns Hopkins University.D) They analyzed the circumstances of the crashes involved.

4. What is the most common circumstance of crash with female pilots?

A）Mechanical failure and running out of fuel.

B）Loss of control on landing or takeoff and stalling.

C）Loss of control on landing or takeoff and running out of fuel.

D）Stalling and landing with the gear up.

5. In the comparison of female and male pilots,

A）female pilots are found to be more courageous and risk-taking.

B）male pilots are found to be more professional and attentive.

C）female pilots are found to make more errors out of carelessness.

D）male pilots are found to make more errors in decision-making.

练习：1. What is the research at Johns Hopkins University about?

A）Causes of aircraft crash.

B）Gender difference in relation to types of aircraft crashes.

C）Causes of mishandling aircraft.

D）Gender discrimination in general aviation in the United States.

2. Which of the statements is NOT true according to the second paragraph?A) Crashes of general aviation aircraft is a major source of aviation accidents in the

United States.

B）Male pilots, like male vehicle drivers, are more likely to have accidents than female pilots.

C） It is commonly known that aircraft crashes are mostly caused by young and inexperienced pilots.

D) Only mature pilots are studied to determine the gender differences in the reasons for aircraft crash.

3. How did the researchers carry out their study?A) They studied the findings of several previous research projects.B) They conducted a questionnaire with 411 pilots.C) They collected data from the database at the Johns Hopkins University.D) They analyzed the circumstances of the crashes involved.

4. What is the most common circumstance of crash with female pilots?

A）Mechanical failure and running out of fuel.

B）Loss of control on landing or takeoff and stalling.

C）Loss of control on landing or takeoff and running out of fuel.

D）Stalling and landing with the gear up.

5. In the comparison of female and male pilots,

A）female pilots are found to be more courageous and risk-taking.

B）male pilots are found to be more professional and attentive.

C）female pilots are found to make more errors out of carelessness.

D）male pilots are found to make more errors in decision-making.

第二十七篇：Driven to Distraction(C级)

Joe Coyne slides into the driver’s seat, starts up the car and heads1 to town. The empty stretch of interstate gives way to urban congestion2, and Coyne hits the brakes as a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street in front of him.

But even if he hadn’t stopped in time, the woman would have been safe. She isn’t real. Neither is the town. And Coyne isn’t really driving. Coyne is demonstrating a computerized driving simulator that is helping researchers at Old Dominion University3 (ODU) examine how in-vehicle guidance systems affect the person behind the wheel4.

The researchers want to know if such systems, which give audible or written

directions, are too distracting—or whether any distractions are offset5 by the benefits

drivers get from having help finding their way in unfamiliar locations6.“We’re looking at the performance and mental workload of drivers,” said Cary1

Baldwin, the assistant psychology professor leading the research, which involves measuring drivers’ reaction time and brain activity as they respond to auditory and visual cues7.

The researchers just completed a study of the mental workload8 involved in driving through different kinds of environments and heavy vs. light traffic. Preliminary results show that as people “get into more challenging driving situations, they don’t have any extra mental energy to respond to something else in the environment,” Baldwin said.

But the tradeoffs could be worth it, she said. The next step is to test different ways of giving drivers navigational information and how those methods change the drivers’ mental workload.

“Is it best if they see a picture…that shows their position, a map kind of

display9?” Baldwin said. “Is it best if they hear it?”Navigational systems now on the market give point-by-point directions that

follow a prescribed route. “They’re very unforgiving,” Baldwin said. “If you miss a turn, they can almost seem to get angry.”

That style of directions also can be frustrating for people who prefer more general instructions. But such broad directions can confuse drivers who prefer route directions, Baldwin said.

Perhaps manufacturers should allow drivers to choose the style of directions they want, or modify systems to present some information in a way that makes sense10 for people who prefer the survey style, she said.

Interestingly, other research has shown that about 60 percent of men prefer the survey style, while 60 percent women prefer the route style, Baldwin said. This explains the classic little thing of why men don’t like to stop and ask for directions and women do, Baldwin added.

练习：1. Which statement is true of the description in the first two paragraphs?A) If Coyne had stopped the car in time, he wouldn’t have hit the woman.B) The woman would have been knocked over, if Coyne had followed the traffic

regulations.C) Coyne is not really driving so it is impossible for him to have hit the woman.D) If the woman had not crossed the street suddenly, Coyne would not have hit her.

2. What do researchers want to find out, according to the third and fourth paragraphs?A) Whether or not audible or written directions are distracting.B) How long it will take the driver to respond to auditory and visual stimuli.C) How the driver perform under certain mental workload.D) All of the above.3. What are the preliminary results given in the fifth paragraph?A) Drivers are afraid of getting into challenging driving situations.B) In challenging driving situations, drivers still have extra energy to handle other

things.C) In challenging driving situations, drivers do not have any additional mental energy

to deal with something else.D) Drivers’ mental load remains unchanged under different situations.

4. The sixth paragraph mainly state that the researchersA) are designing a visual navigational information system.B) are designing an audio navigational information system.C) are designing an audio-visual navigational information system.D) want to determine the best ways of giving navigational information system.

5. What kind of directions do men and women prefer?

A) Women prefer more general directions and men prefer route directions.B) Men prefer more general directions and women prefer route directions.C) Both men and women prefer general directions.D) Both men and women prefer route directions.

练习：1. Which statement is true of the description in the first two paragraphs?A) If Coyne had stopped the car in time, he wouldn’t have hit the woman.B) The woman would have been knocked over, if Coyne had followed the traffic

regulations.C) Coyne is not really driving so it is impossible for him to have hit the woman.D) If the woman had not crossed the street suddenly, Coyne would not have hit her.

2. What do researchers want to find out, according to the third and fourth paragraphs?A) Whether or not audible or written directions are distracting.B) How long it will take the driver to respond to auditory and visual stimuli.C) How the driver perform under certain mental workload.D) All of the above.3. What are the preliminary results given in the fifth paragraph?A) Drivers are afraid of getting into challenging driving situations.B) In challenging driving situations, drivers still have extra energy to handle other

things.C) In challenging driving situations, drivers do not have any additional mental energy

to deal with something else.D) Drivers’ mental load remains unchanged under different situations.

4. The sixth paragraph mainly state that the researchersA) are designing a visual navigational information system.B) are designing an audio navigational information system.C) are designing an audio-visual navigational information system.D) want to determine the best ways of giving navigational information system.

5. What kind of directions do men and women prefer?A) Women prefer more general directions and men prefer route directions.B) Men prefer more general directions and women prefer route directions.C) Both men and women prefer general directions.D) Both men and women prefer route directions.

第二十八篇：Sleep Lets Brain File Memories1(C级)

综合第二十篇To sleep. Perchance to file?2 Findings published online this week by the

Proceedings3 of the National Academy of Sciences further support the theory that the brain organizes and stows memories formed during the day while the rest of the body is catching zzz’s4.

Gyorgy Buzsaki of Rutgers University5 and his colleagues analyzed the brain waves of sleeping rats and mice. Specifically, they examined the electrical activity emanating from6 the somatosensory neocortex7 (an area that processes sensory information) and the hippocampus8, which is a center for learning and memory. The scientists found that oscillations in brain waves from the two regions appear to be intertwined. So-called sleep spindles (bursts of activity from the neocortex) were followed tens of milliseconds9 later by beats in the hippocampus known as ripples. The team posits that this interplay between the two brain regions is a key step in memory consolidation.

A second study, also published online this week by the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, links age-associated memory decline10 to high glucose levels.

Previous research had shown that individuals with diabetes suffer from increased memory problems. In the new work, Antonio Convit of New York University School of Medicine and his collaborators studied 30 people whose average age was 69 to investigate whether sugar levels, which tend to increase with age, affect memory in healthy people as well. The scientists administered11 recall tests, brain scans and glucose tolerance tests, which measure how quickly sugar is absorbed from the blood by the body’s tissues. Subjects with the poorest memory recollection, the team discovered, also displayed the poorest glucose tolerance. In addition, their brain scans showed more hippocampus shrinkage than those of subjects better able to absorb blood sugar.

“Our study suggests that this impairment12 may contribute to the memory deficits13 that occur as people age,” Convit says. “And it raises the intriguing possibility that improving glucose tolerance could reverse some age-associated problems in cognition14.” Exercise and weight control can help keep glucose levels in check15, so there may be one more reason to go to the gym.

练习：1. Which of the following statements is nearest in meaning to the sentence “To sleep.

Perchance to file?”?A) Does brain arrange memories in useful order during sleep?B) Does brain have memories when one is sleeping?C) Does brain remember files after one falls asleep?D) Does brain work on files in sleep?

2. What is the result of the experiment with rats and mice carried out at Rutgers University?

A) The electrical activity is emanating from the somatosensory neocortex.B) Oscillations in brain waves are from hippocampus.C) Somatosensory neocortex and hippocampus work together in memory

consolidation.D) Somatosensory neocortex plays a primary role in memory consolidation.

3. What is the relation of memory to glucose tolerance, as is indicated by a research mentioned in paragraph4?

A) People with poor memory have high glucose tolerance.B) People with good memory have low glucose tolerance.C) Memory level has nothing to do with glucose tolerance.D) The poorer the memory, the poorer glucose tolerance.

4. In what way is memory related to hippocampus shrinkage?A) There is no relation between memory and hippocampus shrinkage.B) The more hippocampus shrinks, the poorer one’s memory.C) The more hippocampus shrinks, the better one’s memory.D) The less hippocampus shrinks, the poorer one’s memory.

5. According to the last paragraph, what is the ultimate reason for going to the gym?A) To prevent hippocampus shrinkage.B) To control weight.C) To exercise.D) To control glucose levels.

练习：1. Which of the following statements is nearest in meaning to the sentence “To sleep.

Perchance to file?”?A) Does brain arrange memories in useful order during sleep?B) Does brain have memories when one is sleeping?C) Does brain remember files after one falls asleep?D) Does brain work on files in sleep?

2. What is the result of the experiment with rats and mice carried out at Rutgers University?

A) The electrical activity is emanating from the somatosensory neocortex.B) Oscillations in brain waves are from hippocampus.C Somatosensory neocortex and hippocampus work together in memory

consolidation.D Somatosensory neocortex plays a primary role in memory consolidation.

3. What is the relation of memory to glucose tolerance, as is indicated by a research mentioned in paragraph4?

A) People with poor memory have high glucose tolerance.

B) People with good memory have low glucose tolerance.C) Memory level has nothing to do with glucose tolerance.D) The poorer the memory, the poorer glucose tolerance.

4. In what way is memory related to hippocampus shrinkage?A) There is no relation between memory and hippocampus shrinkage.B) The more hippocampus shrinks, the poorer one’s memory.C) The more hippocampus shrinks, the better one’s memory.D) The less hippocampus shrinks, the poorer one’s memory.

5. According to the last paragraph, what is the ultimate reason for going to the gym?A) To prevent hippocampus shrinkage.B) To control weight.C) To exercise.D) To control glucose levels.

第二十九篇： Food Fright(C级)

Experiments under way in several labs aim to create beneficial有益的 types of genetically modified (GM) foods, including starchier potatoes and caffeine-free coffee beans. Genetic engineers are even trying to transfer genes from a cold-water fish to make a frost-resistant tomato.

A low-sugar GM strawberry now in the works might one day allow people with health problems such as diabetes to enjoy the little delicious red fruits again. GM beans and grains supercharged with protein might help people at risk of developing kwashiorkor1. Kwashiorkor, a disease caused by severe lack of protein, is common in parts of the world where there are severe food shortages.

Commenting on GM foods, Jonathon Jones, a British researcher, said: “The future benefits will be enormous, and the best is yet to come2.”

To some people, GM foods are no different from unmodified foods. “A tomato is a tomato,” said Brian Sansoni, an American food manufacturer.

Critics of GM foods challenge Sansoni’s opinion. They worry about the harm that GM crops might do to people, other animals, and plants.

In a recent lab study conducted at Cornell University, scientists tested pollen made by Bt corn, which makes up one-fourth of the U.S. corn crop. The scientist sprinkled the pollen onto milkweed, a plant that makes a milky juice and is the only known food source of the monarch butterfly caterpillar. Within four days of munching on the milkweed leaves, almost half of a test group of caterpillars had died. “Monarchs are considered to be a flagship species for conservation,” said Cornell researcher Linda Raynor. “This is a warning bell.”

Some insects that are not killed by GM foods might find themselves make

stronger3. How so? The insecticides used to protect most of today’s crops are sprayed on the crops when needed4 and decay quickly in the environment. But GM plants produce a continuous level of insecticide. Insect species feeding on those crops may develop resistance to the plants and could do so in a hurry, say the critics. Insects may also develop a resistance to the insecticide Bt.

At the forum on GM food held last year in Canada, GM crops that have been made resistant to the herbicide might crossbreed with wild plants, creating “superweeds”5 that could take over whole fields.

So where do you stand? Should GM foods be banned in the United States, as they are in parts of Europe? Or do their benefits outweigh any of the risks they might carry?

练习:1. Paragraphs 1,2&3 try to give the idea thatA) GM foods may bring about great benefits to humans.B) we cannot recognize the benefits of GM foods too early.C) GM foods may have both benefits and harm.D) GM foods are particularly good to the kwashiorkor patients.

2. Why is the case of the pollen-sprayed milkweed cited in Paragraph 6?

A）It is cited to show GM foods can kill insects effectively.

B）It is cited to show GM foods contain more protein.

C）It is cited to show GM foods also have a dark side.

D）It is cited to show GM foods may harm crops.

3. What happens to those insects when not killed by the spray of insecticide?

A）They may lose their ability to produce offspring.

B）They may have a higher ability to adapt to the environment.

C）They move to other fields free from insecticide.

D）They never eat again those plants containing insecticide.

4. Which of the following statements concerning banning GM foods is true according to the passage?

A）Underdeveloped countries have banned GM foods.

B）Both Europe and the U.S. have banned GM foods.

C）Most European countries have not banned GM foods.

D）The United States has not banned GM foods.

5. What is the writer’s attitude to GM foods?

A）We cannot tell from the passage.

B）He thinks their benefits outweigh their risks.

C）He thinks their risks outweigh their benefits.

D）He thinks their benefits and risks are balanced.

练习:1. Paragraphs 1,2&3 try to give the idea thatA) GM foods may bring about great benefits to humans.B) we cannot recognize the benefits of GM foods too early.C) GM foods may have both benefits and harm.D) GM foods are particularly good to the kwashiorkor patients.

2. Why is the case of the pollen-sprayed milkweed cited in Paragraph 6?

A）It is cited to show GM foods can kill insects effectively.

B）It is cited to show GM foods contain more protein.

C）It is cited to show GM foods also have a dark side.

D）It is cited to show GM foods may harm crops.

3. What happens to those insects when not killed by the spray of insecticide?

A）They may lose their ability to produce offspring.

B）They may have a higher ability to adapt to the environment.

C）They move to other fields free from insecticide.

D）They never eat again those plants containing insecticide.

4. Which of the following statements concerning banning GM foods is true according to the passage?

A）Underdeveloped countries have banned GM foods.

B）Both Europe and the U.S. have banned GM foods.

C）Most European countries have not banned GM foods.

D）The United States has not banned GM foods.

5. What is the writer’s attitude to GM foods?

A）We cannot tell from the passage.

B）He thinks their benefits outweigh their risks.

C）He thinks their risks outweigh their benefits.

D）He thinks their benefits and risks are balanced.

第三十篇：Digital Realm(C级)

In the digital realm, the next big advance will be voice recognition1. The rudiments2 are already here but in primitive form. Ask a computer to “recognize speech,” and it is likely to think you want it to “wreck a nice beach.”3 But in a decade or so we’ll be able to chat away4 and machines will soak it all in5. Microchips will be truly embedded in our lives when we can talk to them. Not only to our computers; we’ll also be able to chat with our automobile navigation systems, telephone consoles6, browsers, thermostats VCRs, microwaves and any other devices we want to boss around7.

That will open the way to the next phase of the digital age: artificial age: artificial intelligence8. By our providing so many thoughts and preferences to our machines each day, they’ll accumulate enough information about how we think so that they’ll be able to mimic our minds and act as our agents. Scary, huh9? But potentially quite useful. At least until they decide they don’t need us anymore and start building even smarter machines they can boss around.

The law powering10 the digital age up until now has been Gordon Moore’s 11：that microchips will double in power and halve in price every 18 months or so. Bill

Gates rules because early on he acted on the assumption that computing power—the

capacity of microprocessors and memory chips—would become nearly free; his

company kept churning out12 more and more lines13 of complex software to make use of the cheap bounty14. The law that will power the next few decades is that the bandwidth (the capacity of fiber-optic and other pipelines to carry digital communications) will become nearly free.

Along with15 the recent advances in digital switching and storage technologies,

this16 means a future in which all forms of content—movies, music, shows, books,

data, magazines, newspapers, your aunt’s recipes and home videos—will be instantly

available anywhere on demand. Anyone will be able to be a producer of any content; you’ll be able to create a movie or magazine, make it available to the world and charge for it, just like Time Warner17!

The result will be a transition from a mass-market18 world to a personalized one. Instead of centralized factories and studios that distribute or broadcast the same product to millions, technology is already allowing products to be tailored to each user. You can subscribe to news sources that serve up19 only topics and opinions that fit your fancy. Everything from shoes to steel can be customized to meet individual wishes.

练习：1. The techniques of voice recognitionA) are mature enough for extensive use.B) are in its initial stage of development.C) will aid people to chat through computers.D) will assist people to recognize each other’s voice.

2. According to the second paragraph, when we reach the stage of artificial intelligence,

A) machines can be our agents as they understand our thoughts.B) machines will give orders to smarter machines they build.C) machines will not need us any more.D) machines will be intelligent enough to boss around.

3. What’s the best description of Gordon Moore’s law as mentioned in the third paragraph?

A) It motivates the development of the digital world.B) Bill Gates rules the digital world with the law.C) It enables computing power to become free.D) It helps the development of the bandwidth.

4. What can people do in a future scene as described in the fourth paragraph?A) Compose music and make it available to the world.

B) Make films and charge for it.C) Write books and sell them.D) All of the above.

5. Which of the following statements is true of a personalized market?A) The personalized market tends to be replaced by the mass market.B) The same product is distributed to millions of users.C) In a personalized market, products are tailored to each consumer.D) Individuals can control centralized factories and studios.

练习：1. The techniques of voice recognitionA) are mature enough for extensive use.B) are in its initial stage of development.C) will aid people to chat through computers.D) will assist people to recognize each other’s voice.

2. According to the second paragraph, when we reach the stage of artificial intelligence,

A) machines can be our agents as they understand our thoughts.B) machines will give orders to smarter machines they build.C) machines will not need us any more.D) machines will be intelligent enough to boss around.

3. What’s the best description of Gordon Moore’s law as mentioned in the third paragraph?

A) It motivates the development of the digital world.B) Bill Gates rules the digital world with the law.C) It enables computing power to become free.D) It helps the development of the bandwidth.

4. What can people do in a future scene as described in the fourth paragraph?A) Compose music and make it available to the world.B) Make films and charge for it.C) Write books and sell them.D) All of the above.

5. Which of the following statements is true of a personalized market?A) The personalized market tends to be replaced by the mass market.B) The same product is distributed to millions of users.C) In a personalized market, products are tailored to each consumer.D) Individuals can control centralized factories and studios.

第三十一篇：Hurricane Katrina (B级)

A hurricane is a fiercely powerful, rotating form of tropical storm that can be 124 to 1,240 miles in diameter. The term hurricane is derived from Hurican, the name of a native American storm god1. Hurricanes are typical of2 a calm central region of low pressure between 12 to 60 miles in diameter, know as the eye. They occur in tropical regions. Over its lifetime3, one of these storms can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs4.

The seed for hurricane formation5 is a cluster of thunderstorms over warm tropical waters. Hurricanes can only form and be fed6 when the sea-surface

temperature exceeds 27℃ and the surrounding atmosphere is calm. These

requirements are met between June and November in the northern hemisphere.Under these conditions, large quantities of water evaporate and condense into

clouds and rain—releasing heat in the process. It is this heat energy, combined with

the rotation of the Earth, that drives a hurricane. When the warm column of air7 from the sea surface first begins to rise, it causes

an area of low pressure. This in turn creates wind as air is drawn into the area. This spinning wind drags up more moisture-laden air from the sea surface in a process that swells the storm8. Cold air falls back to the ocean surface through the eye9 and on the outside of the storm.

Initially, when wind speeds reach 23 miles per hour, these mild, wet and grey weather systems are known as depressions10. Hurricane Katrina formed in this way over the south-eastern Bahamas on 23 August 2005. Katrina has had a devastating impact on the Gulf Coast of the US, leaving a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles in

its wake11—almost the size of the UK. Thousands have been killed or injured and

more than half a million people have been displaced in a humanitarian crisis of a scale not seen in the US since the great depression12. The cost of the damage may top13 $100 billion.

练习：1. What is the eye of a hurricane? A. A native American storm god. B. A rotating form of tropical storm that can be 124 to 1240 miles in diameter. C. A calm central region of low pressure between 12 to 60 miles in diameter. D. A storm that can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs.

2. Which of the following is NOT the “requirements” mentioned in the second paragraph?A. The tropical waters are warm and calm.

B. The sea-surface temperature exceeds 27℃.

C. There are thunderstorms over warm tropical waters.D. The atmosphere surrounding the sea is calm.

3. Which of the following is the best explanation of the word “drive” in the third paragraph?

A. To guide, control, or direct. B. To force to go through or push in /hammer in. C. To supply the motive force or power and cause to function. D. To force to move in a particular direction.

4. What does the warm air mentioned in the fourth paragraph produce when it is rising from the sea surface?

A. High pressure. B. Low pressure. C. Wind. D. Cold air.

5. What is NOT true of Hurricane Katrina according to the last paragraph? A. The area affected is almost the size of the UK. B. It left a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles. C. Half a million people are forced to leave the area. D. The humanitarian crisis is as serious as that of the great depression.

练习：1. What is the eye of a hurricane? A. A native American storm god. B. A rotating form of tropical storm that can be 124 to 1240 miles in diameter. C. A calm central region of low pressure between 12 to 60 miles in diameter. D. A storm that can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs.

2. Which of the following is NOT the “requirements” mentioned in the second paragraph?A. The tropical waters are warm and calm.

B. The sea-surface temperature exceeds 27℃.

C. There are thunderstorms over warm tropical waters.D. The atmosphere surrounding the sea is calm.

3. Which of the following is the best explanation of the word “drive” in the third paragraph?

A. To guide, control, or direct. B. To force to go through or push in /hammer in.

C. To supply the motive force or power and cause to function. D. To force to move in a particular direction.

4. What does the warm air mentioned in the fourth paragraph produce when it is rising from the sea surface?

A. High pressure. B. Low pressure. C. Wind. D. Cold air.

5. What is NOT true of Hurricane Katrina according to the last paragraph? A. The area affected is almost the size of the UK. B. It left a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles. C. Half a million people are forced to leave the area. D. The humanitarian crisis is as serious as that of the great depression.

第三十二篇： Mind-reading Machine(B级)

A team of researchers in California has developed a way to predict what kinds of objects people are looking at by scanning what’s happening in their brains.

When you look at something, your eyes send a signal about that object to your brain. Different regions of the brain process the information your eyes send. Cells in your brain called neurons are responsible for this processing.

The fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) brain scans could generally match electrical activity in the brain to the basic shape of a picture that someone was looking at.

Like calls anywhere else in your body, active neurons use oxygen. Blood bring oxygen to the neurons, and the more active a neuron is, the more oxygen it will consume. The more active a region of the brain, the more active its neurons, and in turn, the more blood will travel to that region. And by using fMRI, scientists can visualize which parts of the brain receive more oxygen-rich blood-and therefore, which parts are working to process information.

An fMRI machine is a device that scans the brain and measures changes in blood flow to the brain. The technology shows researchers how brain activity changes when a person thinks, looks at something, or carries out an activity like speaking or reading. By highlighting the areas of the brain at work when a person looks at different images, fMRI may help scientists determine specific patterns of brain activity associated with different kinds of images.

The California researchers tested brain activity by having two volunteers view hundreds of pictures of everyday objects, like people, animals, and fruits. The scientists used an fMRI machine to record the volunteers’ brain activity with each photograph they looked at. Different objects caused different regions of the volunteers’

brains to light up on the scan, indicating activity. The scientists used this information to build a model to predict how the brain might respond to any image the eyes see.

In a second test, the scientists asked the volunteers to look at 120 new pictures. Like before, their brains were scanned every time they looked at a new image. This time, the scientists used their model to match the fMRI scans to the image. For example, if a scan in the second test showed the same pattern of brain activity that was strongly related to pictures of apples in the first test, their model would have predicted the volunteers were looking at apples.

练习：1. What is responsible for processing the information sent by your eyes?A) A small region of the brain.B) The central part of the brain.C) Neurons in the brain.D) Oxygen-rich blood.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?A) Cells in your brain are called neurons.B) The more oxygen a neuron consumes, the more blood it needs.C) fMRI helps scientists to discover which parts of the brain process information.D) fMRI helps scientists to discover how the brain develops intelligently.

3. “Highlighting the areas of the brain at work” means _____.A) “marking the parts of the brain that are processing information”B) “giving light to the parts of the brain that are processing information”C) “putting the parts of the brain to work”D) “stopping the parts of the brain from working”

4. What did the researchers experiment on?A) Animals, objects, and fruits.B) Two volunteers.C) fMRI machines.D) Thousands of pictures.

5. Which of the following can be the best replacement of the title?A) The Recent Development in Science and Technology.B) Your Thoughts Can Be Scanned.C) A Technological Dream.D) A Device that can Help You Calculate.

练习：1. What is responsible for processing the information sent by your eyes?

A) A small region of the brain.B) The central part of the brain.C) Neurons in the brain.D) Oxygen-rich blood.2. Which of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?A) Cells in your brain are called neurons.B) The more oxygen a neuron consumes, the more blood it needs.C) fMRI helps scientists to discover which parts of the brain process information.D) fMRI helps scientists to discover how the brain develops intelligently.3. “Highlighting the areas of the brain at work” means _____.A) “marking the parts of the brain that are processing information”B) “giving light to the parts of the brain that are processing information”C) “putting the parts of the brain to work”D) “stopping the parts of the brain from working”4. What did the researchers experiment on?A) Animals, objects, and fruits.B) Two volunteers.C) fMRI machines.D) Thousands of pictures.5. Which of the following can be the best replacement of the title?A) The Recent Development in Science and Technology.B) Your Thoughts Can Be Scanned.C) A Technological Dream.D) A Device that can Help You Calculate.

第33篇 Experts Call for Local and Regional Control of Sites for Radioactive

Waste（B级）The withdrawal of Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a potential nuclear waste

repository has reopened the debate over how and where to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. In an article in the July 10 issue of Science, University of Michigan geologist Rodney Ewing and Princeton University nuclear physicist Frank von Hippel argue that, although federal agencies should set standards and issue licenses for the approval of nuclear facilities, local communities and states should have the final approval on the siting of these facilities. The authors propose the development of multiple sites that would service the regions where nuclear reactors are located.

"The main goal… should be to provide the Unied States with multiple alternatives and substantial public involvement in an open siting and design process that requires acceptance by host communities and states," the authors write.

Ewing and von Hippel also analyze the reasons why Yucca Mountain, selected by Congress in 1987 as the only site to be investigated for long-term nuclear waste disposal, finally was shelved after more than three decades of often controversial

debate. The reasons include the site's geological problems, management problems, important changes in the Environmental Protection Agency's standard, unreliable funding and the failure to involve local communities in the decision-making process.

Going forward, efforts should be directed at locating storage facilities in the nation's northeastern, southeastern, midwestern and western regions, and states within a given region should be responsible for developing solutions that suit their particular circumstances. Transportation of nuclear waste over long distances, which was a concern with the Yucca Mountain site, would be less of a problem because temporary storage or geological disposal sites could be located closer to reactors.

"This regional approach would be similar to the current approach in Europe, where spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste from about 150 reactors and reprocessing plants is to be moved to a number of geological repositories in a variety of rock types8," said Rodney Ewing, who has written extensively about the impact of nuclear waste management on the environment and who has analyzed safety assessment criteria for the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

词汇：radioactive adj.放射性的 shelve v.搁置 repository n.储藏地，储藏室

controversial adj.有争议的geologist n.地质学家 reactor n.反应堆，反应器 geological adj.地质的注释：1. The withdrawal of Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a potential nuclear waste

repository: Nevada's Yucca Mountain：美国境内的内华达州尤卡山。nuclear

waste repository：核废物处理库。美国能源部部长朱棣文 2009 年 3 月 5 日表示，拟在内华 达州尤卡山建设的核废物最终处理库将不再是美国储存高放废物的一个选项。

2. University of Michigan：美国密歇根大学，建于 1817 年。3. Princeton University：美国普林斯顿大学，建于 1746 年。4. Congress: 美国国会，美国最高立法机关，由参议院（Senate）和众议院（House of

Representatives）组成。5. …was shelved：......被束之高阁。6. spent nuclear fuel：也叫做 used nuclear fuel，一般译为“乏核燃料”。7. high-level nuclear waste：高（强度）放（射性）核废物。8. geological repositories in a variety of rock types：各种不同岩层中的地质处置

库。geological repositories 指的是地表以下 300～1500 米的稳定的地质体中建造的 用于最终处置高放废物和乏核燃料的工程设施。处置库是一个多重屏障系统，工程屏障 由废物体、废物罐、外包装和缓冲回填材料组成，而天然屏障则是能有效阻滞放射性核 素迁移的地质体，包括花岗岩、粘土岩、凝灰岩和岩盐等。许多专家认为地质处置是安 全的，技术上是可行的，对环境是无害的。

练习：1. Which of the following words can best substitute the word "withdrawal" in the first paragraph?

A Retirement. B Canceling. C Replaced. D Disposal.

2. According to Rodney Ewing and Frand von Hippel, where to locate nuclear facilities

A should be approved by the federal government.B should be approved by local people and states. C should be approved by Congress.D is not an important issue.

3. What is NOT true about the 1987 decision by Congress concerning siting of nuclear waste disposal?

A Yucca Mountain was selected as the only site for a nuclear waste repository.B The selection of Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste disposal caused much

controversy.C The decision by Congress was put aside due to a number of problems. D The decision by Congress was accepted by local communities.

4. What does the author of the essay in the fourth paragraph want to say?A Efforts should be made to solve the problems of transportation of nuclear

waste over long distance.B Efforts should be made to develop as many nuclear disposal sites in the US as possible.C Efforts should be made to develop nuclear disposal sites to suit the

circumstances of the region.D Efforts should be made to build as many temporary nuclear disposal sites as

possible.

5. What is meant by "regional approach" as mentioned in the last paragraph?A Waste disposal sites are located close to reactors and in places suitable for the

regional circumstances.B Geological repositories are located in a variety of rock types.C Spent nuclear fuel and high –level nuclear waste is moved to developing

countries.D Waste disposal sites are located far away from reactors.

练习：1. Which of the following words can best substitute the word "withdrawal" in the first paragraph?

A Retirement. B Canceling. C Replaced. D Disposal.

2. According to Rodney Ewing and Frand von Hippel, where to locate nuclear facilities

A should be approved by the federal government.B should be approved by local people and states. C should be approved by Congress.D is not an important issue.

3. What is NOT true about the 1987 decision by Congress concerning siting of nuclear waste disposal?

A Yucca Mountain was selected as the only site for a nuclear waste repository.B The selection of Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste disposal caused much

controversy.C The decision by Congress was put aside due to a number of problems. D The decision by Congress was accepted by local communities.

4. What does the author of the essay in the fourth paragraph want to say?A Efforts should be made to solve the problems of transportation of nuclear

waste over long distance.B Efforts should be made to develop as many nuclear disposal sites in the US as possible.C Efforts should be made to develop nuclear disposal sites to suit the

circumstances of the region.D Efforts should be made to build as many temporary nuclear disposal sites as

possible.

5. What is meant by "regional approach" as mentioned in the last paragraph?A Waste disposal sites are located close to reactors and in places suitable for the

regional circumstances.B Geological repositories are located in a variety of rock types.C Spent nuclear fuel and high –level nuclear waste is moved to developing

countries.D Waste disposal sites are located far away from reactors.

答案与题解：1. B withdrawal 是个多义词，在句子中的意思是“撤销”或“中止”。2. B 第二段中提到的两个科学家认为，联邦政府可以设定核设备的标准，以及颁发许可 证，但是州政府或地方政府在选址问题上应该有最终决定权。

3. D 第三段的第一个句子包含了 A、B 和 C 所述内容。4. C 尽管第四段提到了尤卡山的确存在长距离运送核废料的问题，但不是这段的主要内 容，所以 A 不是正确选择。作者说，要在全国东西南北各地区建造核废料处置库，但没 有说要尽量多的建造，所以 B 也不是正确选择。作者想表达的意思是，要在全国各地区 建造核废料处置库，但州政府必须根据地方特殊情况制定方案，包括最后一句中所说的 “靠近核反应堆”的临时处置库。所以，C 是正确的。D 也不是作者的意思。

5. A This regional approach 的意思是：地域性方法，指的是前一段中所表述的内容， 即，地方政府应当考虑当地的特殊环境，对核废物的处置地选择负责。B、C 和 D 的表述 内容都是错误理解。

第三十四篇:

Don’t Count on Dung(家畜的)粪(B级)

Conservationists may be miscalculating the numbers of the threatened animals such as elephants, say African and American researchers. The error occurs because of a flaw in the way they estimate animal numbers from the piles of dung the creatures leave behind.

The mistake could lead researchers to think that there are twice as many elephants as there really are in some regions, according to Andrew Plumptre of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)1 in New York.

Biologist Katy Payne of Cornell university in Ithaca, New York, agrees. “We really need to know elephant numbers and the evidence that we have is quite indirect,” says Payne, who electronically tracks elephants.

Counting elephants from aeroplanes is impossible in the vast, equatorial rainforests of Central Africa. So researchers often estimate elephant numbers by counting dung piles in a given area. They also need to know the rate at which dung decays. Because it’s extremely difficult to determine these rates, however, researchers tallying elephants in one region tend to rely on standard decay rates established elsewhere.

But researchers at the WCS have found that this decay rate varies from region to region depending on the climate and environment. Using the wrong values can lead the census astray,2 says Plumptre.

He and his colleague Anthony Chifu Nchanji studied decaying elephant dung in the forests of Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary in southwest Cameroon.3 They found that the dung decayed between 55 and 65 per cent more slowly than dung in the rainforests of neighbouring Gabon. If researchers use decay rates from Gabon4 to count elephants in Cameroon, they would probably find more elephants than are actually around.

This could mean estimates in Cameroon at least twice as high as those derived from decay rates calculated locally, says Plumptre. “However accurate your dung density estimate, the decayrate can severely affect the result.”

Plumptre also says that the dung-pile census should be carried out over a region similar in size to an elephant’s natural range. The usual technique of monitoring only small, protected areas distorts numbers because elephants move in and out of these regions, he says. “If the elephant population increases within the protected area, you can not determine whether it is a real increase or whether it is due to elephants moving in because they are being poached outside.”

Plumptre says that similar problems may also plague other animal census studies that rely on indirect evidence such as nests, tracks or burrows.

练习：1. The word “threatened” in the first sentence of the first paragraph could be best

replaced by A) “endangered”.B) “frightened”.C) “died”.D) “angered”.

2. Why do researchers estimate elephant numbers in an area by counting dung piles?A) Because elephants are difficult to catch.B) Because it is not possible to count elephants from a plane.C) Because it is not possible to keep track of elephants.D) Because elephants are shy animals.

3. Piles of dung can’t be relied upon when it comes to estimating elephant numbers because

A) they are different in size.B) they e region.C) they of decay.D) they are different in quality.

4. When researchers carry out a dung-pile census, according to Plumptre, the area selected should be

A) a small one.B) a protected one.C) a monitored one.D) so large that elephants can’t move in and out of it freely.

5. All of the following are indirect evidence EXCEPTA) trunks.B) dung.C) nests.D) burrows.

练习：1. The word “threatened” in the first sentence of the first paragraph could be best

replaced by A) “endangered”.B) “frightened”.C) “died”.D) “angered”.

2. Why do researchers estimate elephant numbers in an area by counting dung piles?A) Because elephants are difficult to catch.B) Because it is not possible to count elephants from a plane.C) Because it is not possible to keep track of elephants.D) Because elephants are shy animals.

3. Piles of dung can’t be relied upon when it comes to estimating elephant numbers because

A) they are different in size.

B) they e region.C) they of decay.D) they are different in quality.

4. When researchers carry out a dung-pile census, according to Plumptre, the area selected should be

A) a small one.B) a protected one.C) a monitored one.D) so large that elephants can’t move in and out of it freely.

5. All of the following are indirect evidence EXCEPTA) trunks.B) dung.C) nests.D) burrows.

第三十五课：

Putting Plants to Work 原书出题有错 6题 答案 5题 （理工 174p）(B级)

Using the power of the sun is nothing new. People have had solar-powered calculators and buildings with solar panels for decades. But plants are the real experts: They’ve been using sunlight as an energy source for billions of years.

Cells in the green leaves of plants work like tiny factories to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars and starches, stored energy that plants can use. This conversion process is called photosynthesis. Unfortunately, unless you’re a plant, it’s difficult and expensive to convert sunlight into storable energy. That’s why scientists are taking a closer look at exactly how plants do it.

Some scientists are trying to get plants, or biological cells that act like plans, to work as miniature photosynthetic power stations. For example, Maria Ghirardi of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. , is working with green algae. She’s trying to trick them into producing hydrogen instead of sugars when they perform photosynthesis. Once the researchers can get the algae working efficiently, the hydrogen that they produce could be used to power fuel cells in cars or to generate electricity.

The algae are grown in narrow-necked glass bottles to produce hydrogen in the lab. During photosynthesis, plants normally make sugars or starches. “But under certain conditions, a lot of algae are able to use the sunlight energy not to store starch, but to make hydrogen.” Ghirardi says. For example, algae will produce hydrogen in an airfree environment. It’s the oxygen in the air that prevents algae from making hydrogen most of the time.

Working in an airfree environment, however, is difficult. It’s not a practical way to produce cheap energy. But Ghirardi and her colleagues have discovered that by removing a chemical called sulfate from the environment that the algae grow in, they will make hydrogen instead of sugars, even when air is present.

Unfortunately, removing the sulfate also makes the algae’s cells work very slowly, and not much hydrogen is produced. Still, the researchers see this as a first step in their goal to produce hydrogen efficiently from algae. With more work, they may be able to speed the cells’ activity and produce larger quantities of hydrogen.

The researchers hope that algae will one day be an easy-to-use fuel source. The organisms are cheap to get and to feed, Ghirardi says, and they can grow almost anywhere: “You can grow them in a reactor, in a pond. You can grow them in the ocean. There’s a lot of flexibility in how you can use these organisms.”

练习：1.What does the writer say about plants concerning solar energy?A. Plants are the real experts in producing solar energy.B. Plants have been used to produce solar energy.C. Plants have been using solar energy for billions of years.D. Plants have been a source of solar energy.

2. Why do some scientists study how plants convert sunlight carbon dioxide, and water into sugars and starches?A. Because they want algae to produce sugars and starches.B. Because they want green plants to become a new source of energy.C. Because they to turn plant sugars to a new form of energy.D. Because they want to make photosynthesis more efficient.

3.According to the fifth paragraph, under what conditions are algae able to use solar energy to make hydrogen?A. When there is a lot of oxygen in the air.B. When there is no oxygen in the airC. When photosynthesis is taking place.D. When enough starch is stored.

4. Researchers have met with difficulties when trying to make algae produce hydrogen efficiently. Which one of the following is one such difficulty?A. It is not possible to remove sulfate from the environment.B. It is not possible to work in an airfree environment to produce hydrogen.C. It is not easy to make sugars instead of hydrogen.D. It is too slow for algae to produce hydrogen when the sulfate is removed.

5.What is NOT true of algae?A. They are easy to grow.

B. They can be a very good fuel source.C. They are cheap to eat.D. They can be used in many ways.

6. Why do some scientists study how plants convert sunlight carbon dioxide and water into sugars and starches?

A. Because they want algae to produce sugars and starch.B. Because they want green plants to become a new source of energy.C. Because they want to turn plant sugars to a new form of energy.D. Because they want to make photosynthesis more efficient.

练习：1. What does the writer say about plants concerning solar energy?A) Plants are the real experts in producing solar energy.B) Plants have been used to produce solar energy.C) Plants have been using solar energy for billions of years.D) Plants have been a source of solar energy.2. Why do some scientists study how plants convert sunlight carbon dioxide, and water into sugars and starches?A) Because they want algae to produce sugars and starches.B) Because they want green plants to become a new source of energy.C) Because they to turn plant sugars to a new form of energy.D) Because they want to make photosynthesis more efficient.3. According to the fifth paragraph, under what conditions are algae able to use solar energy to make hydrogen?A) When there is a lot of oxygen in the air.B) When there is no oxygen in the air.C) When photosynthesis is taking place.D) When enough starch is stored.4. Researchers have met with difficulties when trying to make algae produce hydrogen efficiently. Which one of the following is one such difficulty?A) It is not possible to remove sulfate from the environment.B) It is not possible to work in an airfree environment to produce hydrogen.C) It is not easy to make sugars instead of hydrogen.D) It is too slow for algae to produce hydrogen when the sulfate is removed.5. What is NOT true of algae?A) They are easy to grow.B) They can be a very good fuel source.C) They are cheap to eat.D) They can be used in many ways.6. Why do some scientists study how plants convert sunlight carbon dioxide and water into sugars and starches?A) Because they want algae to produce sugars and starch.B) Because they want green plants to become a new source of energy.

C) Because they want to turn plant sugars to a new form of energy.D) Because they want to make photosynthesis more efficient.

第三十六篇:

Listening Device Provides Landslide Early Warning (B级)

A device provides early warning of a landslide by monitoring vibrations in soil is being tested by UK rescarchers. The device could save thousands of lives each year by warning when an area should be evacuated, the scientists say. Such natural disasters are common in countries that experience sudden, heavy rainfall, and can also be triggered by earthquakes and even water erosion.

Landslides start when a w particles of soil or rock within a slope start to move, but the early stages can be hard to spot. Following this initial movement, “slopes can become unstable in a matter of hours or minutes,” says Nell Dixon at Loughborough University, UK. He says a warning system that monitors this movement “might be enough to evacuate a block of flats or clear a road, and save lives.”

The most common way to monitor a slope for signs of an imminent landslide is to watch for changes in its shape. Surveyors can do this by measuring a site directly, or sensors sunk into boreholes or fixed above ground can be used to monitor the shape of a slope. Slopes can, however, change shape without triggering a landslide, so either method is prone to causing false alarms. Now Dixon’s team has developed a device that listens for the vibrations caused when particles begin moving within a slope.

The device takes the form of a steel pipe dropped into a borehole in a slope. The borehole is filled in with gravel around the pipe to help to help transmit high—frequency vibrations generated by particles within the slope. These vibrations pass up the tube and are picked up by a sensor on the surface. Software analyses the vibration signal to determine whether a landslide may be imminent.

The device is currently being tested in a 6—metre—tall artificial clay embankment in Newcastle, UK. Early results suggest it should provide fewer false positives than existing systems. Once it has been carefully and thoroughly tested, the device could be used to create a complete early—warning system for dangerous slopes.

“Locations with a significant risk of landslides could definitely benefit from a machine like this,” says Adam Poulter, an expert at the British Red Cross. “As long as it doesn’t cost too much.” But Poulter adds that an early—warning system may not be enough on its own. “You need to have the human communication,” he says. “Making systems that get warnings to those who need them can be difficult.”

练习:1. What does “Such natural disasters” in the first paragraph refer to?A Sudden, heavy rainfall. B Earthquakes.

C Water erosion. D Landslides.2. Which of the following statements is true of landslides?A The initial movement is hard to spot.B They start with a movement of a few particles of soil or rock.C They can be destructive in a matter of hours or minutes.D All of the above.

3. Why do researchers develop a new device to monitor signs of landsides?A Because the new device can measure the site directly.B Because the new device can be sunk into boreholes or fixes above ground.C Because the common methods can cause false alarms.D Because the common methods are useless.

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true of the device, according to Paragraph 4?A It is filled in with gravel. B It consists of a steel pipe.C It is dropped into a borehole filled in with gravel.D It is connected to a sensor on the surface.

5. According to the context, what does the word “positives” in the fifth paragraph mean?A positive electric charges. B Evidences. C Warnings. D Predictions.

练习:2. What does “Such natural disasters” in the first paragraph refer to?A Sudden, heavy rainfall. B Earthquakes.C Water erosion. D Landslides.

2. Which of the following statements is true of landslides?A The initial movement is hard to spot.B They start with a movement of a few particles of soil or rock.C They can be destructive in a matter of hours or minutes.D All of the above.

3. Why do researchers develop a new device to monitor signs of landsides?A Because the new device can measure the site directly.B Because the new device can be sunk into boreholes or fixes above ground.C Because the common methods can cause false alarms.D Because the common methods are useless.

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true of the device, according to Paragraph 4?A It is filled in with gravel. B It consists of a steel pipe.C It is dropped into a borehole filled in with gravel.

D It is connected to a sensor on the surface.

5. According to the context, what does the word “positives” in the fifth paragraph mean?A positive electric charges. B Evidences. C Warnings. D Predictions.

第三十七篇：“Don’t Drink Alone” Gets New Meaning(B级)

In what may be bad news for bars and pubs, an European research group has found that people drinking alcohol outside of meals have a significantly higher risk of cancer in the mouth and neck than do those taking their libations with food1. Luigino Dal Maso and his colleagues studied the drinking patterns of 1,500 patients from four cancer studies2 and another 3,500 adults who had never had cancer.

After the researchers accounted for the amount of alcohol consumed, they found that individuals who downed a significant share of their alcohol outside of meals3

faced at least a 50 to 80 percent risk of cancer in the oral cavity, pharynx, and esophagus, when compared with people who drank only at meals. Consuming alcohol without food also increased by at least 20 percent the likelihood of laryngeal4

cancer. “Roughly 95 perecent of cancers at these four sites5 traced to smoking or drinking6 by the study volunteers,” Dal Maso says. The discouraging news, his team reports, is that drinking with meals didn’t eliminate cancer risk at any of the sites.

For their new analysis, the European scientists divided people in the study into four groups, based on how many drinks they reported having in an average week7. The lowest-intake group included people who averaged up to8 20 drinks a week. The highest group reported downing at least 56 servings of alcohol weekly for an average of eight or more per day9. Cancer risks for the mouth and neck sites rose steadily with consumption even for people who reported drinking only with meals. For instance, compared with people in the lowest-consumption group, participants who drank 21 to 34 alcohol servings a week at least doubled their cancer risk for all sites other than the larynx10. If people in these consumption groups took some of those drinks outside meals, those in the higher consumption group at least quadrupled their risk for oral cavity and esophageal cancers.

People in the highest-consumption group who drank only with meals had 10 times the risk of oral cancer, 7 times the risk of pharyngeal cancer, and 16 times the risk of esophageal cancer compared with those who averaged 20 or fewer drinks a week with meals. In contrast, laryngeal cancer risk in the high-intake, with-meals-only group11 was only triple that12 in the low-intake consumers who drank with meals.

“Alcohol can inflame tissues. Over time, that inflammation can trigger cancer.” Dal Maso says. He suspects that food reduced cancer risk either by partially coating digestive-tract tissues or by scrubbing alcohol off those tissues. He speculates that the reason laryngeal risks were dramatically lower for all study participants traces to

the tissue’s lower exposure to alcohol.

练习：1. Researchers have found that the risk of cancer in the mouth and neck is higher

with peopleA) who drink alcohol outside of meals.B) who drink alcohol at meals.C) who never drink alcohol.D) who drink alcohol at bars and pubs.

2. Which of the following is NOT the conclusion made by the researchers about “drinking with meals”?

A) It has lower risk of cancer than drinking without food.B) It may also be a cause of cancer.C) It increases by 20 percent the possibility of cancer in all sites.D) It does not eliminate cancer risk at any of the sites.

3. Approximately how many drinks do the lowest-intake group average per day?A) 3 drinks.B) 8 drinks.C) 20 drinks.D) 56 drinks.

4. Which cancer risk is the lowest among all the four kinds of cancer mentioned in the passage?

A) Oral cancer.B) Laryngeal cancer.C) Pharyngeal cancer.D) Esophageal cancer.

5. According to the last paragraph, tissue’s lower exposure to alcoholA) explains why inflammation triggers cancer.B) accounts for why food can coat digestive-tract tissues.C) is the reason why food can scrub alcohol off tissues.D) reduces the risk of laryngeal cancer.

练习：1. Researchers have found that the risk of cancer in the mouth and neck is higher

with peopleA) who drink alcohol outside of meals.B) who drink alcohol at meals.C) who never drink alcohol.D) who drink alcohol at bars and pubs.

2. Which of the following is NOT the conclusion made by the researchers about “drinking with meals”?

A) It has lower risk of cancer than drinking without food.B) It may also be a cause of cancer.C) It increases by 20 percent the possibility of cancer in all sites.D) It does not eliminate cancer risk at any of the sites.

3. Approximately how many drinks do the lowest-intake group average per day?A) 3 drinks.B) 8 drinks.C 20 drinks.D 56 drinks.

4. Which cancer risk is the lowest among all the four kinds of cancer mentioned in the passage?

A) Oral cancer.B) Laryngeal cancer.C Pharyngeal cancer.D Esophageal cancer.

5. According to the last paragraph, tissue’s lower exposure to alcoholA) explains why inflammation triggers cancer.B) accounts for why food can coat digestive-tract tissues.D is the reason why food can scrub alcohol off tissues.D reduces the risk of laryngeal cancer.

﹡第38篇 Night1 of the Living Ants （B级）When an ant dies, other ants move the dead insect out of the nest. This behavior

is interesting to scientists, who wonder how ants know for sure – and so soon– that another ant is dead.

Dong-Hwan Choe, a scientist at the University of California found that Argentine ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other

ants, "I'm dead — take me away."

But there's a twist to Choe's discovery. These ants are a little bit like zombies.

Choe says that the living ants — not just the dead ones — have this death chemical.

In other words, while an ant crawls around, perhaps in a picnic or home, it's telling other ants that it's dead.

What keeps ants from hauling away the living dead? Choe found that Argentine ants have two additional chemicals on their bodies, and these tell nearby ants

something like, "wait — I'm not dead yet. "So Choe's research turned up two sets of

chemical signals in ants: one says, "I'm dead," the other set says, "I'm not dead yet."Other scientists have tried to figure out how ants know when another ant is dead.

If an ant is knocked unconscious, other ants leave it alone until it wakes up. That means ants know that unmoving ants can still be alive.

Choe suspects that when an Argentine ant dies, the chemical that says "Wait—I'm not dead yet" quickly goes away. Once that chemical is gone, only the one that says "I'm dead" is left." It's because the dead ant no longer smells like a living ant that it gets carded to the graveyard, not because its body releases new unique chemicals after death," said Choe. When other ants detect the "dead" chemical without the "not dead yet" chemical, they haul away the body. This was Choe's hypothesis.

To test his hypothesis, Choe and his team put different chemicals on Argentine ant pupae. When the scientists used the "I'm dead" chemical, other ants quickly hauled the treated pupae away. When the scientists used the "Wait- I'm not dead yet" chemicals, other ants left the treated pupae alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the "not dead yet" chemicals override the "dead" chemical when picked up by adult ants. And that when an ant dies, the "not dead yet" chemicals fade away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining "dead" chemical and remove the body from the nest.

词汇：Zombie n 还魂尸，僵尸 Pupa n.蛹Graveyard n.墓地hypothesis n.假设override v.优先于，比……更重要注释：1. night：night 是个多义词，其比喻意义是“死亡”，即本篇短文标题中该词的意思。标 题是用了逆喻的修辞手法。

2. the University of California：加利福尼亚大学，位于美国西部的公立高等学校系统 ，目前拥有10所大学，包括加州大学伯克利分校（Berkeley）、洛杉矶分校（ Los Angeles）、 圣地亚哥分校（San Diego）、圣克鲁兹分校（Santa Cruz）等。

3. Argentine：阿根廷，位于南美洲的国家。4. But there's a twist to Choe's discovery.然而，Choe 又有了新的出乎意料的发现。

Twist 有“出人意料的变化”的意思。5. 本句 it's telling other ants that it's dead 中两个 it 指代前面爬行中的蚂蚁，也

就是下段第一句中的 the living dead。6. turned up：发现，找到。7. treated pupae：经过处理的蛹，即被科学家涂抹上化学药剂的蛹。练习：1. What is meant by "death chemical" mentioned in paragraph 3?

A A chemical that contains poison. B A chemical that causes death.C A chemical that announces death. D A chemical that prevents death.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the question "What keeps ants from hauling away the living dead? (paragraph 4)"?

A How do ants know what is to be hauled away from the dead ants?B What prevents ants from removing the ants that are not yet dead?C What do ants do to keep themselves away from the dying ants?D What prevents ants from being carried away after they die.

3. What is NOT true about Choe's finding?A When an ant dies, it produces a "I am dead" signal.B Living ants have the death chemical on their bodies.C Ants have two sets of chemicals on their bodies.D Ants have the "I am not dead" chemical on their bodies.

4. According to Choe's hypothesis,A an ant still smells like a living when it dies.B the "I am dead" chemical leaves the ant's body when it dies.C the "I am not dead yet" chemical is left when an ant dies.D the "I am not dead yet" chemical leaves the ant's body when it dies.

5. What is the result of the test on Choe's hypothesis?A It proves that his hypothesis is true.B Not enough evidence has been found to support his hypothesis.C It shows that his hypothesis is wrong.D It indicates that his hypothesis needs revising.

练习：1. What is meant by "death chemical" mentioned in paragraph 3?

A A chemical that contains poison. B A chemical that causes death.C A chemical that announces death. D A chemical that prevents death.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the question "What keeps ants from hauling away the living dead? (paragraph 4)"?

A How do ants know what is to be hauled away from the dead ants?B What prevents ants from removing the ants that are not yet dead?C What do ants do to keep themselves away from the dying ants?D What prevents ants from being carried away after they die.

3. What is NOT true about Choe's finding?A When an ant dies, it produces a "I am dead" signal.B Living ants have the death chemical on their bodies.C Ants have two sets of chemicals on their bodies.D Ants have the "I am not dead" chemical on their bodies.

4. According to Choe's hypothesis,A an ant still smells like a living when it dies.B the "I am dead" chemical leaves the ant's body when it dies.C the "I am not dead yet" chemical is left when an ant dies.D the "I am not dead yet" chemical leaves the ant's body when it dies.

5. What is the result of the test on Choe's hypothesis?A It proves that his hypothesis is true.B Not enough evidence has been found to support his hypothesis.C It shows that his hypothesis is wrong.D It indicates that his hypothesis needs revising.

答案与题解：1. C 根据文章第二段和第三段的表述，阿根廷蚂蚁身上有种化学物质，它会告诉其他蚂 蚁“I am dead.”。文章没有说这种物质有毒，也没有说它能导致或预防死亡，所以其 他三项都是错误的选择。

2. B keep sb. from doing sth. 这个句型的意思是：使……不做……，阻止……去

做……。所以只有 B 是正确理解。3. A 第三段和第四段告诉我们，蚂蚁身上会带有两种化学气味，“I am not

dead yet” 和“I am dead”。这层意思分别在 B、C 和 D 中的表述出现。短文的第六段告诉我们， 蚂蚁死去时 ，“I am not dead yet”的气味就离开了它的躯体，剩下的就是“I am dead” 的 气味 。“I am dead”的气味不是死后新产生的化学物质。所以 A 是正确的选择。

4. D 短文第六段告诉我们，当“I am not dead yet”化学物质离开蚂蚁的躯体，“I'm dead” is left。这里，be left 的意思是：留了下来。所以，其他选项都是错误理解。

5. A 最后一段告诉我们，Choe 和他的研究小组用阿根廷蚂蚁蛹进行实验，结果与他的假 设吻合，即证实了他的假设。

第三十九篇： Clone Farm(B级)

综合第二十四篇Factory farming could soon enter a new era of mass production. Companies in

the US are developing the technology needed to “clone” chickens on a massive scale1. Once a chicken with desirable traits has been bred or genetically engineered2, tens of thousands of eggs, which will hatch into identical copies3, could roll off the production lines every hour. Billions of clones could be produced each year to supply chicken farms with birds that all grow at the same rate, have the same amount of meat and taste the same.

This, at least, is the vision of the US’s National Institute of Science and Technology, which has given Origen Therapeutics of Burlingame, California, and Embrex of North Carolina $4.7 million to help fund research4. The prospect has alarmed animal welfare groups, who fear it could increase the suffering of farm birds.

That’s unlikely to put off5 the poultry industry, however, which wants disease-resistant birds that grow faster on less food. “Producers would like the same meat quantity but to use reduced inputs to get there,” says Mike Fitzgerald of Origen. To meet this demand, Origen aims to “create an animal that is effectively a clone”, he says. Normal cloning doesn’t work in birds because eggs can’t be removed and

implanted. Instead, the company is trying to bulk-grow6 embryonic stem cells7 taken from fertilized eggs as soon as they’re laid. “The trick is to culture8 the cells without them starting to distinguish, so they remain pluripotent,” says Fitzerald.

Using a long-established technique, these donor cells will then be injected into the embryo of a freshly laid, fertilized recipient egg9, forming a chick that is a “chimera”. Strictly speaking a chimera isn’t a clone, because it contains cells from both donor and recipient. But Fitzerald says it will be enough if, say, 95 percent of a chicken’s body develops from donor cells. “In the poultry world, it doesn’t matter if it’s not 100 percent,” he says.

Another challenge for Origen is to scale up10 production. To do this, it has teamed up with11 Embrex, which produces machines that can inject vaccines into up to 50,000 eggs12 an hour. Embrex is now trying to modify the machines to locate the embryo and inject the cells into precisely the right spot without killing it.

In future, Origen imagines freezing stem cells from different strains of chicken13. If orders come in for a particular strain, millions of eggs could be produced in months or even weeks. At present, maintaining all the varieties the market might call for is too expensive for breeder, and it takes years to bread enough chickens to produce the billions of eggs that farmers need.

练习:1. Which statement is the description of the new era of factory farming according to

the first paragraph?A) Eggs are all genetically engineered.B) Thousands of eggs are produced every hour.C) Cloned chickens are bulk-produced with the same growth rate, weight and taste. D) Identical eggs can be hatched on the production lines

2. Which institution has offered $4.7 million to fund the research?A) The US’s National Institute of Science and Technology.B) Origen Therapeutics of Burlingame, California.C) Embrex of North Carolina. D) Animal welfare groups.

3. In the third paragraph, by saying “Producers would like the same meat quantity but to use reduced inputs to get there. ” Mike Fitzgerald means that he wishes

A) chickens’ quality could be maintained but with less investment.B) chickens’ taste could be improved but at less costs.C) chickens’ growth rate could be quickened but with less inputs.D) chickens could grow to the same weight but with less feed.

4. Which of the following statements about Origen and Embrex is correct according to the fifth paragraph?

A) Origen and Embrex will jointly invent machines to increase production.B) Origen wants to purchase an efficient donor cells injecting machine.

C) Origen has joined hands with Embrex in producing cell-injecting machines.D) Origen is the leading company in producing embryo-locating machines.

5. The technology of freezing stem cells from different strains of chicken can do all the following EXCEPT that

A) farmers can order certain strains of chicken only.B) Origen can supply all the strains of chicken the market might need.C) chicken farmers order certain strains of chicken for economic reasons.D) chicken farmers can be supplied with whatever strain they need.

练习:1. Which statement is the description of the new era of factory farming according to

the first paragraph?A) Eggs are all genetically engineered.B) Thousands of eggs are produced every hour.C) Cloned chickens are bulk-produced with the same growth rate, weight and taste. D) Identical eggs can be hatched on the production lines

2. Which institution has offered $4.7 million to fund the research?A) The US’s National Institute of Science and Technology.B) Origen Therapeutics of Burlingame, California.C) Embrex of North Carolina. D) Animal welfare groups.

3. In the third paragraph, by saying “Producers would like the same meat quantity but to use reduced inputs to get there. ” Mike Fitzgerald means that he wishes

A) chickens’ quality could be maintained but with less investment.B) chickens’ taste could be improved but at less costs.C) chickens’ growth rate could be quickened but with less inputs.D) chickens could grow to the same weight but with less feed.

4. Which of the following statements about Origen and Embrex is correct according to the fifth paragraph?

A) Origen and Embrex will jointly invent machines to increase production.B) Origen wants to purchase an efficient donor cells injecting machine.C) Origen has joined hands with Embrex in producing cell-injecting machines.D) Origen is the leading company in producing embryo-locating machines.

5. The technology of freezing stem cells from different strains of chicken can do all the following EXCEPT that

A) farmers can order certain strains of chicken only.B) Origen can supply all the strains of chicken the market might need.C) chicken farmers order certain strains of chicken for economic reasons.D) chicken farmers can be supplied with whatever strain they need.

第四十篇：Air Pollution Cloud Measured on Both Sides of Pacific(B级)

Scientists watched closely last spring as haze of pollution, which had been tracked by satellite as it crossed the Pacific Ocean, settled1 over a large swath of2

North America from Calgary, Canada, into Arizona. Now it appears that, for the first time, researchers on both sides of the Pacific took detailed measurements of the same plume, a cloud that contained Gobi desert3 dust as well as hydrocarbons from industrial pollution.

Heather Price, a University of Washington doctoral student in chemistry, found that the amount of light reflected by the particles in the air was more than 550 percent greater than normal for that time of year. The mass of Asian air4 contained elevated levels of all pollutants measured. Price said, “but the only thing that came close to being alarming5 was the level of particulate matter.”

The haze that settled across the western part of the country was widely reported by the news media, and it was measured as far inland as the ski slopes of Aspen, Colo6.

Readings on the western side of the Pacific came from the Aerosol7

Characterization Experiments, a project aimed at understanding how particles in the atmosphere affect Earth’s climate. Additional measurements were taken in the same region at the same time under a project sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration8.

Knowing the pollution was approaching Washington state, Price loaded sensing equipment aboard a rented Beechcraft9 on April 14 and flew to Neah Bay on the state’s Northwest coast. Taking samples at various levels from 15,000 feet to 20,000 feet in altitude, she monitored10 quantities of dust, ozone, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. “From my copilot’s seat, the dust was thick enough to see with the naked eye,” Price said.

Now she’s trying to correlate her findings with those of the two research teams operating on the other side of the Pacific, where at one point the pollution plume was larger than Japan. The huge size of the cloud showed up clearly in satellite images that gave Price plenty of warning the haze was on its way. “You can see these two blobs coming out of the deserts of Mongolia and growing over Asia, then getting swept out over the ocean and finally setting over North America,” she said. She intends to continue measuring air samples off the Washington coast and will be looking for air masses with evidence of pollution originating somewhere other than Asia11. “We’d like to see if we can get a signature12 of pollution coming from Europe because computer models suggest that European sources also can be transported across the Pacific,” she said. “However, we expect that sources in Europe will contribute less than Asian sources.”

练习：1. The haze of pollution mentioned in the first paragraph is a cloudA) of moisture over Calgary, Canada.B) developing over Pacific Ocean.C) of industrial pollutants.D) of desert dust and hydrocarbons.

2. One of the Prices’s finding (Paragraph 2) about the particles of the air is thatA) they contain more pollutants than normal particles.B) they move much faster in high altitudes than in low altitudes.C) they are finer and lighter than normal particles.D) their ability to reflect light is much than stronger.

3. What did Price not do during her research?A) She rented a Beechcraft.B) She used her sensing equipment aboard the Beechcraft.C) She collected samples of pollutants on the Northwest coast for further tests.D) She tested quantities of chemicals in the air.

4. According to the last paragraph, which of the following statements about the two research teams is true?

A) The two research teams whose findings Price correlates hers with are based in Asia.

B) Price corrects some inaccurate data provided by the two teams operating in Asia.C) Price is working with the two research teams in Japan.D) The two teams in Asia volunteer to correlate their findings with Price’s

5. Which of the statements is closest in meaning to the sentence “…, we expect that sources in Europe will contribute less than Asian sources.”?

A) Pollution is expected to be less serious in Europe than in Asia.B) Pollution is studied in more depth in Europe than in Asia.C) Pollutants coming from Europe are not the main source of pollution in North

America.D) Pollutants coming from Europe are the main source of pollution in North

America.

练习：1. The haze of pollution mentioned in the first paragraph is a cloudA) of moisture over Calgary, Canada.B) developing over Pacific Ocean.C) of industrial pollutants.D) of desert dust and hydrocarbons.

2. One of the Prices’s finding (Paragraph 2) about the particles of the air is thatA) they contain more pollutants than normal particles.B) they move much faster in high altitudes than in low altitudes.C) they are finer and lighter than normal particles.D) their ability to reflect light is much than stronger.

3. What did Price not do during her research?A) She rented a Beechcraft.B) She used her sensing equipment aboard the Beechcraft.C) She collected samples of pollutants on the Northwest coast for further tests.D) She tested quantities of chemicals in the air.

4. According to the last paragraph, which of the following statements about the two research teams is true?

A) The two research teams whose findings Price correlates hers with are based in Asia.B) Price corrects some inaccurate data provided by the two teams operating in Asia.C) Price is working with the two research teams in Japan.D) The two teams in Asia volunteer to correlate their findings with Price’s

5. Which of the statements is closest in meaning to the sentence “…, we expect that sources in Europe will contribute less than Asian sources.”?

A) Pollution is expected to be less serious in Europe than in Asia.B) Pollution is studied in more depth in Europe than in Asia.C) Pollutants coming from Europe are not the main source of pollution in North America.D) Pollutants coming from Europe are the main source of pollution in North America.

第四十一篇Too Little for Global Warming(A级)

Oil and gas will run out1 too fast for doomsday global warming scenarios2 to materialize, according to a controversial new analysis presented this week at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. The authors warn that all the fuel will be burnt before there is enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to realize predictions of melting ice caps and searing temperatures. Defending their predictions, scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change3 say they considered a range of estimates of oil and gas reserves, and point out that coal-burning could easily make up4 the shortfall. But all agree that burning coal would be even worse for the planet.

The IPCC’s predictions of global meltdown pushed forward5 the 1997 Kyoto Protocol6, an agreement obliging signatory nations to cut CO2 emissions. The IPCC considered a range of future scenarios, from unlimited burning of fossil-fuels to a fast

transition towards greener energy sources. But geologists Anders Sivertsson, Kjell Aleklett and Colin Campbell of Uppsala University say there is not enough oil and gas left even the most conservative of the 40 IPCC scenarios to come to pass7.

Although estimates of oil and gas reserves vary widely, the researchers are part of a growing group of experts who believe that oil supplies will peak as soon as 2010, and gas soon after. Their analysis suggests that oil and gas reserves combined amount to the equivalent of about 3,500 billion barrels of oil considerably less than the 5,000 billion barrels estimated in the most optimistic model envisaged by the IPCC. Even the average forecast of about 8,000 billion barrels is more than twice the Swedish estimate of the world’s remaining reserves.

Nebojsa Nakicenovic, an energy economist at the University of Vienna, Austria who headed the 80-strong IPCC team that produced the forecasts, says the panel’s work still stands8. He says they factored in9 a much broader and internationally accepted range of oil and gas estimates than the “conservative” Swedes.

Even if oil and gas run out, “there’s a huge amount of coal underground that could be exploited”, he says that burning coal could make the IPCC scenarios come true, but points out that such a switch would be disastrous. Coal is dirtier than oil and gas and produces more CO2 for each unit of energy, as well as releasing large amounts of particulates. He says the latest analysis is a “shot across the bows10” for policy makers.

练习：1. What do the authors of the new analysis presented at the University of Uppsala

intend to say?A. The burning of coal will accelerate the arrival of Earth’s doomsday.B. The old reserves are big enough to materialize the doomsday scenarios.C. Melting ice caps and searing temperatures exist only in science fiction.D. Oil and gas will run out so fast that Earth’s doomsday will never materialize.

2. Nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol agree to A. pay attention to global meltdown.B. cut CO2 emissions.C. use more green energy.D. stop using fossil fuels.

3. What are the estimates of the world’s oil and gas reserves?A. 4,000 billion barrels by the average forecast.B. 8,000 billion barrels estimated by the Swedes.C. 3,500 barrels envisaged by IPCC.D. 3,500 billion by a growing number of scientists.

4. Which of the following about Nebojsa Nakicenovic is true?A. He thinks fossil fuels are as dirty as oil and gas.B. He thinks green fuels will replace oil and gas eventually.

C. He thinks IPCC’s view on the world’s oil reserves is too optimistic.D. He thinks that IPCC’s estimates are more optimistic than the Swedes.

5. Which of the following is the near explanation of Nakicenovic’s assertion that “…such a switch would be disastrous…?”

A. The IPCC scenarios would come true because burning coal will emit larger amounts of CO2.

B. A switch to burning coal would produce disastrous environmental problems.C. Oil and gas to replace coal as fuel would speed up the process of global warming.D. A switch from the IPCC scenarios to the policymakers’ one would be

disastrous.

练习：1. What do the authors of the new analysis presented at the University of Uppsala

intend to say?A. The burning of coal will accelerate the arrival of Earth’s doomsday.B. The old reserves are big enough to materialize the doomsday scenarios.C. Melting ice caps and searing temperatures exist only in science fiction.D. Oil and gas will run out so fast that Earth’s doomsday will never materialize.

2. Nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol agree to A. pay attention to global meltdown.B. cut CO2 emissions.C. use more green energy.D. stop using fossil fuels.

3. What are the estimates of the world’s oil and gas reserves?A. 4,000 billion barrels by the average forecast.B. 8,000 billion barrels estimated by the Swedes.C. 3,500 barrels envisaged by IPCC.D. 3,500 billion by a growing number of scientists.

4. Which of the following about Nebojsa Nakicenovic is true?A. He thinks fossil fuels are as dirty as oil and gas.B. He thinks green fuels will replace oil and gas eventually.C. He thinks IPCC’s view on the world’s oil reserves is too optimistic.D. He thinks that IPCC’s estimates are more optimistic than the Swedes.

5. Which of the following is the near explanation of Nakicenovic’s assertion that “…such a switch would be disastrous…?”

A. The IPCC scenarios would come true because burning coal will emit larger amounts of CO2.B. A switch to burning coal would produce disastrous environmental problems.C. Oil and gas to replace coal as fuel would speed up the process of global

warming.D. A switch from the IPCC scenarios to the policymakers’ one would be disastrous.

第四十二篇Renewable Energy Sources(A级)

Today petroleum provides around 40% of the world’s energy needs, mostly fuelling automobiles1. Coal is still used, mostly in power stations, to cover one-quarter of our energy needs, but it is the least efficient, unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel2. Natural gas reserves could plug some of the gap from oil3, but reserves of that will not last into the 22nd century either. Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years4. We could fast reach an energy crisis. We need to rapidly develop sustainable solutions to fuel our future5. Less-polluting renewable energy sources offer a more practical long-term energy solution. They may benefit the world’s poor too. “Renewable” refers to the fact that these resources are not used faster than they can be replaced.

The Chinese and Romans used watermills over 2000 years ago. But the first hydroelectric dam was built in England in 1870. Hydroelectric power is now the most common form of renewable energy, supplying around 20% of world electricity. China’s Three Gorges Dam6, which has just been completed, is the largest ever. At five times the size of the US’s Hoover Dam7, its 26 turbines will generate the equivalent energy of 18 coal-fired power stations8. It will satisfy 3% of China’s entire electricity demand. Surprisingly, some argue that hydroelectric dams significantly contribute greenhouse gases.

In 2003, the first commercial power station to harness tidal currents9 in the open sea opened in Norway. It is designed like windmill, but other take the form of turbines.

As prices fall, wind power has become the fastest growing type of electricity

generation—quadrupling10 worldwide between 1999 and 2005. Modern wind farms

consist of turbines that generate electricity. Though it will be more expensive, there is more than enough wind to provide the world’s entire energy needs. Wind farms come in onshore and offshore forms. They can often end up at spots of natural beauty11, and

are often unpopular with residents. And turbines are not totally benign—they can

interfere with radar and leave a significant ecological footprint12, altering climate and killing sea birds. Migrating birds may have more luck avoiding them. Scotland is building Europe’s largest wind farm, which will power 200,000 homes. The UK’s goal is to generate one-fifth of power from renewable sources, mainly wind, by 2020. But this may cause problems, because wind is unreliable.

练习：1. What are the energy resources that are not renewable according to the article? A. Petroleum and coal. B. Natural gas. C. Wind and water. D. A and B.

2. China’s Three Gores Dam A. is the first hydroelectric dam in the world. B. is of the same size of the US’s Hoover Dam. C. is the largest of all the hydroelectric dams in the world. D. supplies around 20% of the world electricity.

3. Which is the country with the first commercial power station that makes use of ocean currents produced by tides.

A. China. B. Norway. C. England. D. America.

4. Which of the following statements is true of wind power? A. There is plenty of wind to provide the world’s entire energy needs. B. It is the most rapidly growing type of electricity production. C. It may not be reliable. D. All of the above.

5. According to the article, resources such as wind A. are sustainable but not replaceable. B. are renewable so sustainable. C. are sustainable so renewable. D. are irreplaceable.

练习：1. What are the energy resources that are not renewable according to the article? A. Petroleum and coal. B. Natural gas. C. Wind and water. D. A and B.

2. China’s Three Gores Dam A. is the first hydroelectric dam in the world. B. is of the same size of the US’s Hoover Dam. C. is the largest of all the hydroelectric dams in the world.

D. supplies around 20% of the world electricity.

3. Which is the country with the first commercial power station that makes use of ocean currents produced by tides.

A. China. B. Norway. C. England. D. America.

4. Which of the following statements is true of wind power? A. There is plenty of wind to provide the world’s entire energy needs. B. It is the most rapidly growing type of electricity production. C. It may not be reliable. D. All of the above.

5. According to the article, resources such as wind A. are sustainable but not replaceable. B. are renewable so sustainable. C. are sustainable so renewable. D. are irreplaceable.

第四十三篇：Forecasting Methods(A级)

综合第二十六篇There are several different methods that can be used to create a forecast. The

method a forecaster chooses depends upon the experience of the forecaster, the amount of information available to the forecaster, the level of difficulty that the forecast situation presents, and the degree of accuracy or confidence1 needed in the forecast.

The first of these methods is the persistence method; the simplest way of producing a forecast. The persistence method assumes that the conditions at the time of the forecast will not change. For example, if it is sunny and 87 degree today, the persistence method predicts that it will be sunny and 87 degree tomorrow. If two inches of rain fell today, the persistence method would predict two inches of rain for tomorrow. However, if weather conditions change significantly2 from day to day, the persistence method usually breaks down3 and is not the best forecasting method to use.

The trends method involves determining4 the speed and direction of movement for fronts5, high and low pressure centers, and areas of clouds and precipitation. Using this information, the forecaster can predict where he or she expects those features6 to be at some future time. For example, if a storm system is 1,000 miles west of your location and moving to the east at 250 miles per day, using the trends

method you would predict it to arrive in your area in 4 days. The trends method works well when systems7 continue to move at the same speed in the same direction for a long period of time. If they slow down, speed up, change intensity, or change direction8, the trends forecast will probably not work as well.

The climatology method is another simple way of producing a forecast. This method involves averaging weather statistics accumulated over many years to make the forecast. For example, if you were using the climatology method to predict the weather for New York City on July 4th , you would go through all the weather data that has been recorded for every July 4th and take an average. The climatology method only works well when the weather pattern is similar to that expected for the chosen time of year. If the pattern is quite unusual for the given time of year, the climatology method will often fail.

The analog method is a slightly more complicated method of producing a forecast, It involves examining today’s forecast scenario and remembering a day in the past when the weather scenario looked very similar (an analog9). The forecaster would predict that the weather in this forecast will behave the same as it did in the past. The analog method is difficult to use because it is virtually10 impossible to find a predict analog. Various weather features rarely align themselves in the same locations they were in the previous time11. Even small differences between the current time and the analog can lead to very different results.

练习：1. What factor is NOT mentioned in choosing a forecasting method?A) Imagination of the forecaster.B) Necessary amount of information.C) Practical knowledge of the forecaster.D) Degree of difficulty involved in forecasting.

2. Persistence method will work wellA) if weather conditions change greatly from day to day.B) if weather conditions do not change much. C) on sunny days.D) on rainy days.

3. The limitation of the trends method is the same as the persistence method in that A) it makes predictions about weather.B) it makes predictions about precipitation.C) the weather features need to be well defined.D) the weather features need to be constant for a long period of time.

4. Which method may involve historical weather data?A) The trends method.B) The analog method.C) Both climatology method and analog method.

D) The trends method and the persistence method.

5. It will be impossible to make weather forecast using the analog methodA) when the current weather scenario differs from the analog.B) when the current weather scenario is the same as the analog.C) when the analog is over ten years old.D) when the analog is simple repetition of the current weather scenario.

练习：1. What factor is NOT mentioned in choosing a forecasting method?A) Imagination of the forecaster.B) Necessary amount of information.C) Practical knowledge of the forecaster.D) Degree of difficulty involved in forecasting.

2. Persistence method will work wellA) if weather conditions change greatly from day to day.B) if weather conditions do not change much. C) on sunny days.D) on rainy days.

3. The limitation of the trends method is the same as the persistence method in that A) it makes predictions about weather.B) it makes predictions about precipitation.C) the weather features need to be well defined.D) the weather features need to be constant for a long period of time.

4. Which method may involve historical weather data?A) The trends method.B) The analog method.C) Both climatology method and analog method.D) The trends method and the persistence method.

5. It will be impossible to make weather forecast using the analog methodA) when the current weather scenario differs from the analog.B) when the current weather scenario is the same as the analog.C) when the analog is over ten years old.D) when the analog is simple repetition of the current weather scenario.

第四十四篇：Defending the Theory of Evolution1 Still Seems Needed(A级)

综合第四十六篇Judith S. Weis, a biology professor who serves as2 president of the American

Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)is leading a nationwide effort to “defend” the theory of evolution. Weis leads the effort in the face of what the institute views as opposition and indifference from school boards and government entities3.

The Institute believes that the teaching of evolution in America is being diminished by the teaching of creationism as well as by an overall lack of teaching Darwin’s4 theory in high school. “There’s nothing that requires schools to teach evolution. Sometimes teachers in high schools just leave it out5. However, from the point of view of biologists, evolution is the central theory of biology upon which everything is based,” said Weis. “Unfortunately, teaching evolution has become a political issue in many parts of the country and AIBS, as a representative of biologists, wanted to be a major force speaking out in favor of its teaching.”6

Weis said the institute is working together with the American Geological Institute and the National Association of Biology Teachers and its 80-plus member organizations7 to address8 the political and legislative threats to teaching evolution. In states challenging its teaching, the institute responds by sending letters to school boards and state legislatures, by providing testimony at public meetings and by notifying members and affiliated organizations. AIBS, with more than 80 member societies and 250,000 members, has established an e-mail system enabling scientists and teachers in each state, and member societies, to keep each other informed about threats to the teaching of evolution.

Darwin’s theory of evolution holds that living things change and adapt to their environment and that present-day species (including human beings) are descended from earlier species through modification by natural selection. The theory has been accepted by scientists for nearly 100 years, Weis said, and has been refined, extended and strengthened over the years by findings in paleontology and developmental biology.

Discoveries in genetics, molecular biology9 and genomics—all of which provide

significant benefits for human health—would not be possible without the

underlying10 knowledge of evolution. And, Weis adds, “modern molecular biology and genomics have increased our understanding of how evolution works.” Nonetheless, evolution remains a politically, if not scientifically, controversial issue.

Weis said that this year alone, seven states have had either local or statewide efforts to water down11 the teaching of evolution, or “balance” it with the teaching of

creationism—a religious belief that different species were created separately by a

higher power, such as God. “Rarely does anyone now use the word ‘creationism,’ because that’s too obvious,” Weis said “The current terminology is ‘intelligent design.’”

练习：1. According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements about the

theory of evolution is true?A) Government entities support AIBS’s effort to defend the theory of evolution.B) School boards oppose AIBS’s effort to defend the theory of evolution.C) AIBS and school boards advocate the teaching of the theory of evolution.D) The theory of evolution and that of creationism co-exist peacefully in schools.

2. Which one of the following is NOT the reason for an overall lack of teaching Darwin’s

A) Teaching of creationism diminishes teaching of evolution.B) Teachers are not required to teach Darwin’s theory.C) Teachers often leave out the teaching of evolution.D) Darwin’s theory is denied as the central theory of biology.

3. AIBS is composed ofA) more than 80 societies and 250,000 members.B) 250,000biologists.C) 80 member organizations.D) More than 250,000 members and 80 member societies.

4. According to Weis in the 5th paragraph, the theory of evolutionA) is fundamental to the development of modern genetics, molecular biology and

genomics.B) is a political issue.C) is based on genetics, molecular biology and genomics.D) has increased out understanding of human health.

5. Why do people replace the term creationism with the term intelligent design nowadays?

A) Because “intelligent design” represents the modified theory of evolution.B) Because they believe God created different species.C) Because the term creationism is unscientific.D) Because the term creationism is too direct.

练习：1. According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements about the

theory of evolution is true?A) Government entities support AIBS’s effort to defend the theory of evolution.B) School boards oppose AIBS’s effort to defend the theory of evolution.C) AIBS and school boards advocate the teaching of the theory of evolution.D) The theory of evolution and that of creationism co-exist peacefully in schools.

2. Which one of the following is NOT the reason for an overall lack of teaching Darwin’s

A) Teaching of creationism diminishes teaching of evolution.B) Teachers are not required to teach Darwin’s theory.C) Teachers often leave out the teaching of evolution.D) Darwin’s theory is denied as the central theory of biology.

3. AIBS is composed ofA) more than 80 societies and 250,000 members.B) 250,000biologists.C) 80 member organizations.D) More than 250,000 members and 80 member societies.

4. According to Weis in the 5th paragraph, the theory of evolutionA) is fundamental to the development of modern genetics, molecular biology and genomics.B) is a political issue.C) is based on genetics, molecular biology and genomics.D) has increased out understanding of human health.

5. Why do people replace the term creationism with the term intelligent design nowadays?

A) Because “intelligent design” represents the modified theory of evolution.B) Because they believe God created different species.C) Because the term creationism is unscientific.D) Because the term creationism is too direct.

第四十五篇：Thirsty in Karachi(A级)

卫生第四十篇After two weeks in Karachi, I’m not sure whether to laugh or to cry. Either way,

it involves water—or rather the lack of it.1

In Western Europe or the US, you only have to turn on the tap and you’ll see a jet of cold water, ready to drink, cook and bathe in, or wash the car. Turn on the tap in Karachi and you’ll be lucky to fill a few buckets. Until 1947, the city was part of British India, whose engineers built and maintained a modest water supply network for the city’s 500,000 inhabitants. Today, Karachi is home to around 12 million people. Half of them live in slum townships, with little or no water through the mains. Even the “rich” half usually have to wait days before anything tickles through their pipes. And the coloured liquid that finally emerges is usually too contaminated to drink.

According to the state-owned Karachin Water and Sewerage Board, the city needs more than 2500 million litres of water each day. The board currently supplies

1650 million litres of which nearly 40 per cent is lost from leaks——and theft. Leaks

are dime a dozen2 to water utilities the world over, but theft?

Karachi’s unlikely water pirates盗 turn out to be ordinary families struggling to

get adequate 足够的 supplies of one of life’s necessities. Stealing water takes many forms. The simplest is to buy a suction pump and get it attached to the water pipe that feeds your house from the mains. This should maximize your share of water every time the board switches on the supply. When the practice started 20 years ago, the pumps would be carefully hidden or disguised as garden ornaments. These days people hardly bother. The pumps are so widespread and water board inspectors so thin on the ground3 that when officials do confiscate a pump its owner simply buy a replacement.

Insisting坚持 that people obey the law won’t work4 because most households

have little alternative 选 择余地 but to steal. For its part, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board says it would dearly like to make life easier, but finds itself mired

陷入 in debt5 because most residents either won’t pay water charges or can’t afford to. According to the Urban Resource Centre, a Karachi-based think tank, of the 1.2 million known consumers of water only 750,000 are billed, of whom just 163,000

actually pay for their supplies. The board makes a perpetual永久的 loss, and there is no money to improve the system or even plug the leaks. Worse, the Board increasingly relies on international loans from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, which only makes its debt worse.

The joke is that the owners of the suction pumps end up with little—if any—extra water. Your house is in a line with 20 other households all tapping into one horizontal pipeline. All you can end up doing, given you have pumps of equal

strength, is redistribute 重新分配 each other’s entitlement.权利 and pay higher electricity bills into the bargain6.

Back home in London, I’ll remember not to complain about the water meter, or the hosepipe ban7.

练习:1. According to the passage, people in Karachi today suffer from a short supply of

water because

A) the water supply network built in 1947 has stopped to function.B) the city has become much larger than before.C) old networks can not meet the need of the city’s greatly-increased population.D) the city is no longer a part of British India.

2. Now people in Karachi do not hide or disguise the suction pumps they use to steal water because

A) the pumps are no longer wanted as garden ornaments.B) water supply board officials no longer confiscate them.C) it does not cost much money to buy a new one.D) many households have them and there are very few inspectors around to try to

find them.

3. Confronted 面 对 with a severe shortage of water supply, the city’s Water and Sewerage Board

A) tries to improve the water supply system with borrowed money.B) is not making any effort to improve the situation.C) urges the consumers to obey the law.D) charges the consumers more for the water they use.

4. Which of the following is true of the owners of the suction pumps, if their neighbors have equally powerful pumps as they do?

A) They get some extra water.B) They only pay more for electricity.C) They share what they can get with their neighbors.D) They replace their pumps with new ones.

5. Which of the following is true about the author when he is back home in London?A) He misses the days he spent in Karachi.B) He forgets the complaints he made in Karachi.C) He is content with the water supply in London.D) He complains about the water supply in London

练习:

1. According to the passage, people in Karachi today suffer from a short supply of

water becauseA) the water supply network built in 1947 has stopped to function.B) the city has become much larger than before.C) old networks can not meet the need of the city’s greatly-increased population.D) the city is no longer a part of British India.

2. Now people in Karachi do not hide or disguise the suction pumps they use to steal water because

A) the pumps are no longer wanted as garden ornaments.B) water supply board officials no longer confiscate them.C) it does not cost much money to buy a new one.D) many households have them and there are very few inspectors around to try to

find them.

3. Confronted 面 对 with a severe shortage of water supply, the city’s Water and Sewerage Board

A) tries to improve the water supply system with borrowed money.B) is not making any effort to improve the situation.C) urges the consumers to obey the law.D) charges the consumers more for the water they use.

4. Which of the following is true of the owners of the suction pumps, if their neighbors have equally powerful pumps as they do?

A) They get some extra water.B) They only pay more for electricity.C) They share what they can get with their neighbors.D) They replace their pumps with new ones.

5. Which of the following is true about the author when he is back home in London?A)He misses the days he spent in Karachi.B) He forgets the complaints he made in Karachi.C) He is content with the water supply in London.D) He complains about the water supply in London

第46篇 How the First Stars in the Universe Came into Existence （A级）Researchers believe that our universe began with the Big Bang about 13 billion

years ago, and that soon after that event, matter began to form as small dust grains and gases. How the first stars formed from this dust and gas has been a burning question for years, but a state-of-the-art computer simulation now offers the most detailed picture yet of how these first stars in the universe came into existence.

The composition of the early universe was quite different from that of today, and the physics that governed the early universe were also somewhat simpler. Dr. Naoki Yoshida and colleagues in Japan and the U. S. incorporated these conditions of the early universe, sometimes referred to as the "cosmic dark ages," to simulate the formation of an astronomical object that would eventually shine its light into this darkness.

The result is a detailed description of the formation of a protostar — the early

stage of a massive primordial star of our universe — and the researchers' computer

simulation sets the bar for further investigation into the star formation process. The question of how the first stars evolved is so important because their formations and eventually explosions provided the seeds for subsequent stars to come into being.

According to their simulation, gravity acted on minute density variations in matter, gases, and the mysterious "dark matter" of the universe after the Big Bang in

order to form this early stage of a star — a protostar with a mass of just one percent

of our sun. The simulation reveals how pre — stellar gases would have actually

evolved under the simpler physics of the early universe to form this protostar. Dr. Yoshida's simulation also shows that the protostar would likely evolve into a massive star capable of synthesizing heavy elements, not just in later generations of stars, but soon after the Big Bang.

"This general picture of star formation, and the ability to compare how stellar objects form in different time periods and regions of the universe, will eventually allow investigation into the origins of life and planets," said Lars Hernquist, a Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University. "The abundance of elements in the

universe has increased as stars have accumulated," he says，" and the formation and destruction of stars continues to spread these elements further across the universe. So when you think about it, all of the elements in our bodies originally formed from nuclear reactions in the centers of stars, long ago."

Their simulation of the birth of a protostar in the early universe signifies a key step toward the ambitious goal of piecing together the formation of an entire primordial star and of predicting the mass and properties of these first stars of the universe. More powerful computers, more physical data, and an even larger range will be needed for further calculations and simulations, but these researchers hope to eventually extend this simulation to the point of nuclear reaction initiation when a stellar object becomes a true star.

词汇：astronomical adj. 天文的；天文学的 pre-stellar adj. 前恒星的 synthesize v.合成，综合protostar n.原恒星 stellar adj.恒星的；星球的 primordial adj. 原始的注释：1. the Big Bang：宇宙大爆炸，创始大爆炸。这是天体物理学关于宇宙起源的理论。根据 大爆炸理论，大约在 130 亿年前，宇宙所有的物质都高度密集在

一点，有着极高的温度 ， 因而发生了巨大的爆炸。大爆炸以后，物质开始向外大膨胀，就形成了我们今天看到的 宇宙。但是，宇宙大爆炸仅仅是一种学说，是根据天文观测研究之后得到的一种设想。

2. burning question：最吸引人的问题，亟待解决的问题。3. state-oe-the-art：形容词，意思是“最新的”、“达到最高技术水平的”、

“代表当前科 技发展水平”。4. protostar 原恒星，就是处于“原始状态”（处于慢收缩阶段的天体）的恒星。原恒星由 “大爆炸”后产生的星际云演变而来。

5. sets the bar：制定标准练习：1. What can the state-of-the-art computer simulation tell us about?

A How matter began to form the first stars after the Big Bang.B How the Big Bang marked the beginning of our universe.C How the Big Bang took place about 13 billion years ago.D How dust grains and gases form after the Big Bang.

2. What does the "astronomical object" (paragraph 2) refer to?A The early universe. B Cosmic dark ages.C The first star formed in the universe. D Dust grains and gases.

3. What does the word "minute" mean in the expression "minute density variations"?

A A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour. B A short interval of time.C Exceptionally large. D Exceptionally small.

4. According to paragraph 4, what is NOT true about a protostar?A It had a mass of one percent of the sun.B It was developed into a massive star before the Big Bang.C It began to combine heavy elements after it evolved into a massive star.D It was evolved from pre-stellar gases.

5. All except one of the following indicate the goals of the simulation project. Which one is it?

A To know more about the mass and properties of the first stars of the universe.B To apply the simulation to the study of nuclear reaction initiation.C To know how a stellar object becomes a true star.

D To obtain a detailed picture of the early universe before the Big Bang.

练习：1. What can the state-of-the-art computer simulation tell us about?

A How matter began to form the first stars after the Big Bang.B How the Big Bang marked the beginning of our universe.C How the Big Bang took place about 13 billion years ago.D How dust grains and gases form after the Big Bang.

2. What does the "astronomical object" (paragraph 2) refer to?A The early universe. B Cosmic dark ages.C The first star formed in the universe. D Dust grains and gases.

3. What does the word "minute" mean in the expression "minute density variations"?

A A unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour. B A short interval of time.C Exceptionally large. D Exceptionally small.

4. According to paragraph 4, what is NOT true about a protostar?A It had a mass of one percent of the sun.B It was developed into a massive star before the Big Bang.C It began to combine heavy elements after it evolved into a massive star.D It was evolved from pre-stellar gases.

5. All except one of the following indicate the goals of the simulation project. Which one is it?

A To know more about the mass and properties of the first stars of the universe.B To apply the simulation to the study of nuclear reaction initiation.C To know how a stellar object becomes a true star.D To obtain a detailed picture of the early universe before the Big Bang.

答案与题解：1. A 第一段最后一句告诉我们说，最先进的计算机模拟能详细描述 how these

first stars in the universe came into existence。该段第一和第二句告诉我们，大爆炸 后，粉尘和气体开始聚集成物质，这些物质形成了宇宙中的星球。其他三选项都是错误 的理解。

2. C 根据上下文，astronomical object 指的是上段第二句中的“first stars”，即下面 一段第一句中的“protostar”。

3. D minute 在这里是形容词，意思是“极其细微的”，读作：/mai'nju:t/。4. B A、C 和 D 的表述都可以在本段中找到。从上文和该段的最后一个句子可以得知，原 恒星进化的过程不是在宇宙大爆炸之前发生。所以，应该选择 B。

5. D A 是最后一段第一句句子的表述内容，B 和 C 是文章最后一句的表述内容。D 是对文 章的错误理解。

第四十七篇： Listening to Birdsong(A级)

A male zebra finch chirps away to himself. Suddenly he notices a female bird nearby. He realizes he has an audience and immediately changes his song. Can the female tell difference in his performance? According to a new study, the female zebra finch knows. And she prefers the special trills he creates when he sings to her. A male zebra finch changes his song when singing to a female in ways that people can barely detect. But the female finch can tell the difference.

Scientists had noticed slight variations in the songs of male zebra finches based on whether they were singing alone or whether there was a female (and potential mate) nearby. With an audience, the male sped up the pace of their songs and controlled the notes they used.

For this study, researchers Sarah C. Woolley and Allison Doupe at the University of California, San Francisco decided to focus attention on the listening females, which have not been well studied in the past.

In the study, Woolley and Doupe set up a long cage with a sound speaker at each end. One broadcast the sound of a male zebra finch singing to himself, like someone singing in the shower. The other speaker broadcast a male performing for a female audience, as if he was giving a concert.

Female birds were placed between the two speakers. Some of the birds had mates, others didn’t The females shifted around a bit, and then most of them hopped over to sit beside just one speaker. All the birds that made a clear choice liked songs meant for a female audience, even if they’d never met the male.

Mated females also had a chance to two different performance songs, one from an unknown male, and one from their mate. They spent more time listening to the concert version of their mates’ songs. This suggests that after a while, females learn to recognize---and prefer---the songs of their mates.

Scientists then studied the brains of the females. They found certain areas of the brain perked up when the birds listened to the concert songs. These brain areas may be involved

in recognizing and evaluating the songs, and storing the memories of them.This research deals with what’s called directed communication, when the

communicator, or sender, focuses the message for a specific audience. One example is the way moms speak to their babies. Mothers around the world use the same sort of high- pitched sing-song chatter, and the babies respond best to those sounds. Songbirds are one of the only other species known to learn their communication, in this case their songs.

练习：1. What does the first paragraph say about zebra finches?A) Male zebra finches like to sing to female zebra finches.B) Male zebra finches sing louder than female zebra finches.C) Male zebra finches change their songs in female zebra finches’ presence.D) Male zebra finches like to listen to female zebra finches sing.

2. What did the researchers find in their study of female zebra finches?A) Female finches liked songs male finches sang for them.B) Female finches only liked songs male finches sang for their mates.C) Female finches liked to listen to songs from both speakers.D) Female finches chose the best male singers as their mates.

3. What is meant by “concert songs” in the seventh paragraph?A) Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert.B) Songs sung by male finches for female finches.C) Songs sung by female finches for male finches.D) Songs sung by male finches to many female finches.

4. What is NOT true of directed communication?A) The sender of a message has a specific audience.B) Male zebra finches sing to female finches.C) Mothers talk to their babies.D) Male zebra finches sing to themselves.

5. Which of the following can best reflect the theme of the passage?A) Chirping away.B) Birdsongs as communication.C) Zebra finches and their life.D) Enjoying birdsongs.

练习：1. What does the first paragraph say about zebra finches?A) Male zebra finches like to sing to female zebra finches.B) Male zebra finches sing louder than female zebra finches.C) Male zebra finches change their songs in female zebra finches’ presence.

D) Male zebra finches like to listen to female zebra finches sing.

2. What did the researchers find in their study of female zebra finches?A) Female finches liked songs male finches sang for them.B) Female finches only liked songs male finches sang for their mates.C) Female finches liked to listen to songs from both speakers.D) Female finches chose the best male singers as their mates.

3. What is meant by “concert songs” in the seventh paragraph?A) Songs sung by zebra finches at a concert.B) Songs sung by male finches for female finches.C) Songs sung by female finches for male finches.D) Songs sung by male finches to many female finches.

4. What is NOT true of directed communication?A) The sender of a message has a specific audience.B) Male zebra finches sing to female finches.C) Mothers talk to their babies.D) Male zebra finches sing to themselves.

5. Which of the following can best reflect the theme of the passage?A) Chirping away.B) Birdsongs as communication.C) Zebra finches and their life.D) Enjoying birdsongs.

第四十八篇： ‘Hidden’ Species May Be Surprisingly Common(A级)

Cryptic species – animals that appear identical but are genetically quite distant – may be much more widespread than previously thought. The findings could have major implications in areas ranging from biodiversity estimates and wildlife management, to our understanding of infectious diseases and evolution.

Reports of cryptic species have increased dramatically over the past two decades with the advent of relatively inexpensive DNA sequencing technology. Markus Pfenninger and Klaus Schwenk, of the Goethe-Universitat in Frankfurt1, Germany, analyzed all known data on cryptic animal species and discovered that they are found in equal proportions throughout all major branches of the animal kingdom and occur in equal numbers in all biogeographical regions.

Scientists had previously speculated that cryptic species were predominantly found in insects and reptiles, and were more likely to occur in tropical rather than temperate regions. “Species that are seemingly widespread and abundant could in

reality be many different cryptic species that have low populations and are highly endangered,” says Pfenninger. Until the genetic information of all species in at least one taxon is thoroughly studied, no one will know just how many cryptic species exist. “ It could be as high as 30%,” Pfenninger says.

“I’m extremely surprised by their results,” says Alex Smith of the University of Guelph2 in Ontario3, Canada. “It’s a call to arms to keep doing the broad kind of genetic studies that we are doing.”

Sampling as many individuals as possible, scientists hope to complete work on all fish and birds in another 5 to 10 years. Once either of these taxonomic groups is completed, Pfenninger says researchers will able to decide how many cryptic species exist throughout the animal kingdom.

Examples of cryptic species include the African elephant. A 2001 study found the elephants were actually two genetically distinct, non-interbreeding species, the African bush elephant and the African elephant. The species are currently listed as vulnerable and threatened, respectively, by the World Conservation Union (WCU)4.

The reclassifications are more than an academic exercise. They define populations that have evolved independently of each other and whose genetic differences can have significant consequences.

In the early 1900s misidentification of mosquito species based on morphology confused attempts to control malaria in Europe. Ultimately, what was thought to be a single species was actually made up of six sibling species, only three of which transmitted the disease. “The basic unit in biology is always the species, and you have to know what you are dealing with,” Pfenninger says. Much previous research is now no longer used, he says, because it is not clear what species was being studied. (428 words)

词汇：cryptic adj. 隐蔽的；隐藏的 taxon n. （生物的）分类单元biodiversity n. 生物多样性 taxonomic adj. 分类（学）的DNA n. 脱氧核糖核酸（deoxyribonucleic acid的缩写）non-interbreeding adj. 非杂交繁殖 biogeographical adj. 生物地理学的morphology n. 形态学 malaria n. 疟疾 reptile n. 爬行动物sibling n. 同胞，同属 temperate adj.（气候）温带的注释：1. the Goethe-Universitat in Frankfurt：德国法兰克福大学，即 Johann Wolfgang

Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt am Main ，位于美因和莱茵两河汇流处的法兰克

福。2. the University of Guelph：圭尔夫大学。该校成立于 1964年，是一所公立的综合性大学。在 2005年加拿大综合类大学评比中，圭尔夫大学名列第 3名，是全加拿大最著名的高等学府之一。

3. Ontario：安大略。加拿大中东部的一个省。4. the World Conservation Union：世界自然保护联盟。全球最大、最重要的自然保护网络机构， 它集合了 82个国家、111个政府机构、800多个非政府组织以及来自 181个国家的约 1 万多名科学家和专家，形成了世界环保领域里独一无二的全球性合作关系。

练习：1. Which of the following about the significance of the research on cryptic species is

NOT true?A) The results of the research can help the development of many other research areas.B) The results of the research can help the development of biodiversity estimates. C) The results of the research can help our understanding of infectious disease evolution.D) The results of the research can help our understanding of “survival of the fittest.”

2. What was scientists’ understanding of cryptic species?A) They occurred in equal numbers in all biogeographical regions. B) They were mostly found in insects and reptiles.C) They were likely to be in tropical rather than temperate regions. D) Both B and C.

3. Do scientists know how many cryptic species exist?A) Not yet. B) Yes, they do.C) They will know the answer in another one or two years.D) They will never know the answer.

4. Which of the following about the African bush elephant and the African elephant is true?

A) The WCU are interbreeding those elephants. B) They are interbreeding species.C) They are two genetically distant species.D) They depend on each other for survival.

5. People were confused in their attempts to control malaria in Europe in the early 1900s, because scientistsA) identified only one mosquito species instead of six species.B) thought only three mosquito species transmitted disease. C) thought there was only one mosquito species.D) did not know what species was being studied.

练习：1.Which of the following about the significance of the research on cryptic species is NOT true?

A) The results of the research can help the development of many other research areas.B) The results of the research can help the development of biodiversity estimates. C) The results of the research can help our understanding of infectious disease evolution.D) The results of the research can help our understanding of “survival of the fittest.”

2.What was scientists’ understanding of cryptic species?A) They occurred in equal numbers in all biogeographical regions. B) They were mostly found in insects and reptiles.C) They were likely to be in tropical rather than temperate regions. D) Both B and C.

3. Do scientists know how many cryptic species exist?A) Not yet. B) Yes, they do.C) They will know the answer in another one or two years.D) They will never know the answer.

4. Which of the following about the African bush elephant and the African elephant is true?

A) The WCU are interbreeding those elephants. B) They are interbreeding species.C) They are two genetically distant species.D) They depend on each other for survival.

5. People were confused in their attempts to control malaria in Europe in the early 1900s, because scientists

A) identified only one mosquito species instead of six species.B) thought only three mosquito species transmitted disease. C) thought there was only one mosquito species.D) did not know what species was being studied.

答案与题解：1. D 短文的第一段第二句的大意是，研究结果为广泛的研究领域提供启示，包括生物多样性研究，还能帮助我们理解传染疾病及其演变。所以，选项 A、B、C 都是正确的，它们不是答案。选项 D 的“适者生存”的内容文章中没有提及，因此是本题的答案。

2. D 短文的第二段第二句描述的是科学家目前的研究结果，第三段描述的是科学家在这之前对于 cryptic species的理解。本题用的是过去式，问的是过去的状况，因此，答案在第三段中，B和 C是答案，所以D是正确选择。

3. A 第三段和第五段提供了答案。第三段的最后一句中的 Until …, no one will

know just how many cryptic species exist. 其意思就是人们目前还不了解。第五段的最后一句也说明了研究者目前对此尚未了解。

4. C 答案在第六段中。该段举了非洲大象为例，说明什么是 cryptic species。第六段的句子 “A 2001 study found the elephants were actually two genetically

distinct, non-interbreeding species”是选择 C 的依据。选项 A 不对， the WCU

并没有杂交繁殖这两种象。选项 B 不对，短文说这两种象是非杂交物种。选项 D 的内容短文中找不到。

5. A 短文最后一段告诉我们，由于对蚊子种类不了解，20世纪初期疟疾曾肆虐欧洲，最终，科学家才了解到蚊子这一物种不是由一个种类而是由六个种类组成。所以，应该选择 A。

第四十九篇：

U.S. Scientists Confirm Water on Mars(A级)

NASA scientists said that Mars was covered once by vast lakes, flowing

rivers and a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support

life.

Laboratory tests aboard NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander have identified

water in a soil sample. The lander’s robotic arm delivered the sample

Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of

samples.

“We have water,” said William Boynton of the University of Arizona,

lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer, or TEGA. “This is

the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted.”

The robotic arm is a critical part of the Phoenix Mars mission. It is needed to

trench into the icy layers of northern polar Mars and deliver samples to

instruments that will analyze what Mars is made of, what its water is like, and

whether it is or has ever been a possible habitat for life.

The soil sample came from a trench approximately 2 inches deep. When

the robotic arm first reached that depth, it hit a hard layer of frozen soil. Two

attempts to deliver samples of icy soil on days when fresh material was

exposed were foiled when the samples became stuck inside the scoop. Most of

the material in Wednesday’s sample had been exposed to the air for two days,

letting some of the water in the sample vaporize away and making the soil

easier to handle.

“Mars is giving us some surprises,” said Phoenix principal investigator

Peter Smith of the University of Arizona. “We’re excited because surprises are

where discoveries come from. One surprise is how the soil is behaving. The

ice-rich layers stick to the scoop when poised in the sun above the deck,

different from what we expected, from all the Mars simulation testing we’ve

done so far.”

Since landing on May 25, phoenix has been studying soil with a

chemistry lab, TEGA, a microscope, a microscope, a conductivity probe and

cameras. The science team is trying to determine whether the water ice ever

thaws enough to be available for biology and if carbon-containing chemicals

and other raw materials for life are present.

The mission is examining the sky as well as the ground. A Canadian

instrument is using a laser beam to study dust and clouds overhead.

“It’s a 30-watt light bulb giving us a laser show on Mars,” said

Victoria Hipkin of the Canadian Space Agency.

A full-circle, color panorama of Phoenix’s surroundings also has been

completed by the spacecraft.“The details and patterns we see in the ground show an ice-dominated

terrain as far as the eye can see,” said Mark Lemmon of Texas A & M University, lead scientist for Phoenix’s Surface Stereo Imager camera. “They help us plan measurements we’re making reach of the robotic arm and interpret those measurements on a wider scale.”

练习：1. What was discovered by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars?

A) Vast lakes.B) flowing rivers.C) Water in a soil sample.D) Living things.

2. Why did the first two attempts to deliver samples fail?A) The sample vaporized away.B) Fresh material was exposed to the air.C) The samples got stuck inside the scoop.D) The robotic arm hit a hard rock.

3. Which one of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?A) Scientists have been trying to break the ice-rich layers of soil on Mars.B) Scientists have been surprised by how the soil on Mars behaves.C) Scientists have trying to fund out if there is life supporting material on Mars.D) Scientists have trying to know if water ice will melt.

4. Where are the scientists involved in the research from?A) They are from America.B) They are from Canada.C) They are from both America and Canada.D) They are from neither American nor Canada.

5. Which of the following do you understanding of the passage?A) It imitates human vision and is able to capture three-dimensional images.B) It imitates human voice and is able to record slight sounds while taking photos.C) It takes clear photos that show every detail of the object.D) It is this particular type of camera that can take wide angle pictures.

练习：1. What was discovered by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars?A) Vast lakes.B) flowing rivers.C) Water in a soil sample.D) Living things.

2. Why did the first two attempts to deliver samples fail?A) The sample vaporized away.B) Fresh material was exposed to the air.C) The samples got stuck inside the scoop.D) The robotic arm hit a hard rock.

3. Which one of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer?A) Scientists have been trying to break the ice-rich layers of soil on Mars.

B) Scientists have been surprised by how the soil on Mars behaves.C) Scientists have trying to fund out if there is life supporting material on Mars.D) Scientists have trying to know if water ice will melt.

4. Where are the scientists involved in the research from?A) They are from America.B) They are from Canada.C) They are from both America and Canada.D) They are from neither American nor Canada.

5. Which of the following do you understanding of the passage?A) It imitates human vision and is able to capture three-dimensional images.B) It imitates human voice and is able to record slight sounds while taking photos.C) It takes clear photos that show every detail of the object.D) It is this particular type of camera that can take wide angle pictures.

第50篇 Cell Phones Increase Traffic, Pedestrian Fatalities （A级）Cell phones are a danger on the road in more ways than one. Two new studies

show that talking on the phone while traveling, whether you're driving or on foot, is increasing both pedestrian deaths and those of drivers and passengers, and recommend crackdowns on cell use by both pedestrians and drivers.

The new studies, lead-authored by Rutgers University, Newark, Economics Professor Peter D. Loeb, relate the impact of cell phones on accident fatalities to the number of cell phones in use, showing that the current increase in deaths resulting from cell phone use follows a period when cell phones actually helped to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities. However, this reduction in fatalities disappeared once the numbers of phones in use reached a "critical mass" of 100 million, the study found.

These studies looked at cell phone use and motor vehicle accidents from 1975 through 2002, and factored in a number of variables, including vehicle speed, alcohol consumption, seat belt use, and miles driven. The studies found the cell phone-fatality correlation to be true even when including factors such as speed, alcohol consumption, and seat belt use.

Loeb and his co-author determined that, at the current time, cell phone use has a "significant adverse effect on pedestrian safety" and that “cell phones and their usage above a critical thresholds adds to motor vehicle fatalities." In the late 1980s and part of the 1990s, before the numbers of phones exploded, cell phone use actually had a "life-saving effect" in pedestrian and traffic accidents, Loeb notes. "Cell-phone users' were able to quickly call for medical assistance when involved in an accident. This quick medical response actually reduced the number of traffic deaths for a time," Loeb hypothesizes.

However, this was not the case when cells were first used in the mid-1980s, when they caused a "life-taking effect" among pedestrians, drivers and passengers in vehicles. In those early days, when there were fewer than a million phones, fatalities

increased, says Loeb, because drivers and pedestrians probably were still adjusting to the novelty of using them, and there weren't enough cell phones in use to make a difference in summoning help following an accident, he explains.

The "life-saving effect" occurred as the volume of phones grew into the early 1990s, and increasing numbers of cells were used to call 911 following accidents, leading to a drop in fatalities, explains Loeb. But this life-saving effect was canceled out6 once the numbers of phones reached a "critical mass" of about 100 million and

the "life-taking effect" — increased accidents and fatalities — outweighed the

benefits of quick access to 911 services, according to Loeb.Loeb and his co-authors used econometric models to analyze data from a

number of government and private studies. He and his co-authors recommend that governments consider more aggressive policies to reduce cell phone use by both drivers and pedestrians, to reduce the number of fatalities.

词汇：crackdown n.制裁，严惩 outweigh v.超过 fatality n.死亡者 econometric adj.计量经济的hypothesize v.假设，假定注释：1. cell：cell phone 的缩写。2. The new studies, lead-authored by Rutgers University, Newark, Economics

Professor Peter D. Loeb ...第一作者为罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校的经济学教授 Peter D. Loeb 的新研究成果……lead-author：第一作者；lead-authored 为动词的过去分 词形式，具有被动意义。罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校是美国新泽西州最负盛名的文理学院。

3. critical mass：临界数量。4. factored in：包括，把……计算在内。5. a critical threshold：指的是前文所说的 critical mass。见注释3。6. was canceled out：被抵消。

练习：1. The two new studies, lead-authored by Professor Peter D. Loeb

A show that talking on the phone while driving or walking in the street increases deaths of drivers and pedestrians.

B show that talking on the phone while driving increases pedestrian deaths.C recommend that strict measures be taken to restrain cell phone use.D both A and C.

2. According to the second paragraph, when did cell phones actually help to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities?

A Right after cell phones were invented.B Before the number of cell phone users reached a critical massC When cell phone users totaled to a certain number.D When the number of cell phones decreased to a certain number.

3. What is said about cell phone use in paragraph 4?A The number of cell phones in use exploded in the late 1980s and part of the

1990s.B The number of traffic deaths was reduced in the late 1980s and part of the

1990s due to cell phone use.C Cell phone users are likely to be involved in traffic accidents.D The use of cell phones has a life-saving effect for pedestrians and drivers.

4. What is said about cell phone use in the mid-1980s in paragraph 5?A It had a life-taking effect because there weren't enough cell phones in use then.B The increased use of cell phones then caused a "life-taking effect."C Traffic fatalities increased then because the number of cell phones in use

decreased.D Traffic fatalities decreased then because the number of cell phones in use

increased.5. Which of the following statements DOES NOT answer the question "What caused the "life-saving effect" to occur in the early 1990s?"

A There were more cell phone users during that period.B The number of cell phone users reached about 100 million.C More cell phones were used to call 911 when accidents occurred.D Cell phones enabled people to have quick access to 911 services.

练习：1. The two new studies, lead-authored by Professor Peter D. Loeb

A show that talking on the phone while driving or walking in the street increases deaths of drivers and pedestrians.

B show that talking on the phone while driving increases pedestrian deaths.C recommend that strict measures be taken to restrain cell phone use.

D both A and C.

2. According to the second paragraph, when did cell phones actually help to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities?

A Right after cell phones were invented.B Before the number of cell phone users reached a critical massC When cell phone users totaled to a certain number.D When the number of cell phones decreased to a certain number.

3. What is said about cell phone use in paragraph 4?A The number of cell phones in use exploded in the late 1980s and part of the

1990s.B The number of traffic deaths was reduced in the late 1980s and part of the

1990s due to cell phone use.C Cell phone users are likely to be involved in traffic accidents.D The use of cell phones has a life-saving effect for pedestrians and drivers.

4. What is said about cell phone use in the mid-1980s in paragraph 5?A It had a life-taking effect because there weren't enough cell phones in use then.B The increased use of cell phones then caused a "life-taking effect."C Traffic fatalities increased then because the number of cell phones in use

decreased.D Traffic fatalities decreased then because the number of cell phones in use

increased.5. Which of the following statements DOES NOT answer the question "What caused the "life-saving effect" to occur in the early 1990s?"

A There were more cell phone users during that period.B The number of cell phone users reached about 100 million.C More cell phones were used to call 911 when accidents occurred.D Cell phones enabled people to have quick access to 911 services.

答案与题解：1. D 根据短文第一段的内容，Loeb 教授的最新研究发现，开车或行路时打手机使司机和行 路人的死亡率上升，并建议采取严厉措施限制司机和行路人使用手机。B 是错误理解， 因为只有行路人被提到。

2. B 短文第二段最后两个句子提供了答案：在手机使用者达到 1 亿的临界点之前，手机的 使用的确减少了交通事故的死亡率。A、C 和 D 的表述内容都没有在文章中提到。

3. B A 是错误选择，因为该段的第四个句子 In the late 1980s and part of the

1990s, before the numbers of phones exploded, ...表明。手机数量在 80 年代末期和 90 年 代早期还未激增。C 的表述内容没有在文章中提到。句子…cell

phone use actually had a “life-saving effect”用的是过去式，说的是发生在 80

年代末期和 90 年代早 期的事情，而 D 句用的是一般现在时，表示通常的状况，所以是错误的选择。

4. A第五段的大概意思是，80 年代中期，交通事故的死亡率增加，因为人们还在适应这一 新事物，没有足够的手机让人们在发生交通事故时及时求救。该段没有讨论 80 年代中 期手机数量的增减问题，所以 B、C 和 D 都是错误选择。

5. B第六段最后一个句子说，当手机使用者数量达到 100 万时，life-saving

effect 就被 抵消了，life-saving effect 超过了手机使用者能迅速呼叫 911 服务的优点。所以，B 不是问题的答案。其他选项都表述了该段的内容。