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2014职称英语理工A阅读理解&完型填空

2014职称英语理工A阅读理解&完型填空
2014职称英语理工A阅读理解&完型填空

阅读理解:

+第三十四篇Batteries Built by Viruses

+第三十五篇Putting Plants to Work(2013理工B真题)

+第三十六篇Listening Device Provides Landslide Early Warning

+第三十七篇"Don't Drink Alone" Gets New Meaning

+第三十八篇"Life Form Found" on Saturn' s Titan(2012真题)

+第三十九篇Clone Farm

+第四十篇Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety(2012新增文章)

+第四十一篇Too Little for Global Warming

+第四十二篇Renewable Energy Sources

+第四十三篇Forecasting Methods(2013理工A真题)

+第四十四篇Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed

+第四十五篇Small But Wise(2012年真题)

+第四十六篇Ants have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers"

+第四十七篇Listening to Birdsong

+第四十八篇Researchers Discover Why Humans Began Walking Upright(2013教材新增)+第四十九篇U.S. Scientists Confirm Water on Mars

+第五十篇Cell Phones Increase Traffic, Pedestrian Fatalities

完型填空:

+第十五篇(2012新增)"Liquefaction" Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage

+第十二篇(2012新增)Free Statins With Fast Food Could Neutralize Heart Risk

*第十篇(2012新增)Chicken Soup for the Soul: Comfort Food Fights Loneliness

+第十四篇Sharks Perform a Service for Earth's Waters

+第十三篇(2013理工A真题)Better Solar Energy Systems: More Heat, More Light

+第三十四篇Batteries Built by Viruses

What do chicken pox,the common cold, the flu,and AIDS have in common? They’re all disease caused by viruses,tiny microorganisms that can pass from person to person.It's no wonder that when most people think about viruses, finding ways t0 steer clear of viruses is what's on people's minds.

Not everyone runs from the tiny disease carders, though.In Cambridge, Massachusetts, scientists have discovered that some viruses can be helpful in an unusual way.They are putting viruses to work, teaching them to build some of the world's smallest rechargeable batteries.Viruses and batteries may seem like an unusual pair,but they're not so strange for engineer Angela Belcher,who first came up with the idea.At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, she and her collaborators bring together different areas of science in new ways.In the case of the virus-built batteries, the scientists combine what they know about biology, technology and production techniques.

Belcher's team includes Paula Hammond,who helps put together the tiny batteries, and

Yet-Ming Chiang,an expert on how to store energy in the form of a battery.“We’re working on things we traditionally don’t associate with nature.”says Hammond.

Many batteries are already pretty small.You can hold A.C and D batteries in your hand.The coin—like batteries that power watches are often smaller than a penny.However。every year,new electronic devices like personal music players or cell phones get smaller than the year before.As these devices shrink, ordinary batteries won't be small enough to fit inside.

The ideal battery will store a lot of energy in a small package.Right now,Belcher's model battery,a metallic disk completely built by viruses,looks like a regular watch battery.But inside,its components are very small—so tiny you can only see them with a powerful microscope.How small are these battery parts? To get some idea of the size,pluck one hair from your head.Place your hair on a piece of white paper and try to see how wide your hair is—pretty thin,right? Although the width of each person's hair is a bit different,you could probably fit about l0 of these virus—built battery parts,side to side,across one hair.These microbatteries may change the way we look at viruses.

词汇:

chicken pox水痘microorganism n.微生物metallic adj.金属的collaborator n.合作者,协作者pluck v.拔,摘,采

注释:

1.no wonder:不足为奇的,难怪

2.steer clear of:避开,绕开

3.though:意思为“然而,可是”。在句中使用时通常放在句末。

4.Cambridge,Massachusetts:马萨诸塞州的剑桥市。本文第三段提到的the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge即指坐落于剑桥市的麻省理工学院。麻省理工学院于1861年由著名自然科学家威廉·巴罗吉杰斯创立。这是美国的一所私立研究型大学,培养高级科技人才和管理人才,是以理工科为主的、世界一流的综合性大学。

5.came up with:提出

6.A,C and D batteries:A、C、D均为电池型号。

7.These microbatteries may change the way we look at viruses:这些微型电池可能会改变我们看待病毒的方式。作者想表达的意思是:人们一直认为病毒有害无益,现在病毒可用来制作电池,人们对病毒的看法可能会因此而发生变化。

练习:

1.According to the first paragraph,people try to

A.kill microorganisms related to chicken pox,the flu,etc.

B.keep themselves away from viruses because they are invisible.

C.stay away from viruses because they are causes of various diseases.

D.cure themselves of virus—related diseases by taking medicines.

2.What is Belcher's team doing at present?

A.It is finding ways to get rid of viruses.

B.It is mass—producing microbatteries.

C.It is making batteries with viruses.

D.It is analyzing virus genes.

3.What expression below is opposite in meaning to the word "shrink" appearing in paragraph 5?

A.Broaden.

B.Spread.

C.Extend.

D.Expand:

4.Which of the following is true of Belcher's battery mentioned in paragraph 6?

A.It is made of metal.

B.It is a kind of watch battery.

C.It can only be seen with a microscope.

D.It is a metallic disk with viruses inside it.

5.How tiny is one battery part?

A.Its width is one tenth of a hair.

B.It equals the width of a hair.

C.It is as thin as a piece of paper.

D.Its width is too tiny to measure.

答案与题解:

1.C短文第一段的大致意思是,许多疾病都由病毒引起,诸如水痘、感冒和艾滋病,所以人们想尽办法躲避病毒。这是C所表达的意思。A不是正确选择,因为文章并没有说人们想方设法去杀死病毒。B的后半句的内容(病毒肉眼看不见)和D的内容(吃药治疗病毒引起的疾病)文中没有提到.

2.C短文的第二段明确提供了答案。

3.D 根据上下文,shrink在此的意思是“收缩”,即“缩小”。所以,它的反义词是expand(增大,扩张)。C不是正确选择,因为extend的意思是become longer,即“延伸”或“加长”。A的意思是“加宽”,也不是答案。B的意思是“伸展,展开”,在一定的上下文里也可以做shrink的反义词,但在第五段这个语境里,B不是最佳选择。

4.D第六段第二句中提到的metallic disk是指“金属圆盘”,它是微型电池的外形,其内部是由病毒构成的电池部件。微型电池不是由金属组成的,所以A不是答案。本段提到,这种电池looks like a regular watch battery,与手表里电池外形相似,但并不等同手表电池,所以B也不是正确选择。文章只是说电池的部件(但并没有说整个电池)小到只能用显微镜才能看到,所以C也不是正确的选择。D才是第六段所要表达的主要内容,因此是答案。

5.A 短文最后一段的第四句(“you could probably fit about lo of these virus-built battery parts,side to side,across one hair”)提供了本题的答案。

+第三十六篇Listening Device Provides Landslide Early Warning

A device that provides early warning of a landslide by monitoring vibrations in soil is being tested by UK researchers.Tile 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 few 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 becom e.unstable in a matter of hours or minutes,” says Nell Dixon at Loughborough University1,UK.He says a warning system that monitors this movement “might be enough to evacuate a block of fiats 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 boreh01e in a slope.The borehole is filled in with gravel around the pipe 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 Newcastle2,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 li ke 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.”

词汇:landslide n.山崩;地滑;塌方imminent adj.即将发生的vibration n.振动sensor n.传感器evacuate v.疏散,撒走borehole n.钻孔,井眼rainfall n.降雨,降雨量gravel n.砾,沙砾,砾石erosion n.腐蚀,侵蚀embankment n.堤岸注释:1.Loughborough University:拉夫堡大学。该大学地处英格兰东部的拉夫堡市,始建于1909年的拉夫堡学院,1966年获得皇家特许正式成为综合大学。

2.Newcastle:纽卡斯尔。英格兰东北部的一个自治区,位于利兹(Leeds)以北泰纳(the Tync River)河畔。

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 fixed 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 1o Paragraph4?

A It is filled in with gravel.

B It consists of a steel pipe.

C It is dropped into a horehole 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.

答案与题解:

1.D 短文第一段的第一句告诉我们,英国研究人员正在测试一种仪器,这种仪器可以通过监测土壤的振动来预警山崩。该段最后一句说,这种灾难经常在一些遭受自然灾害的国家发生,这些自然灾害包括sudden,heavy rainfall和earthquakes以及water erosion。所以D是正确选择。

2.D A、B、C的内容都可在第二段中找到。所以D是正确答案。

3.C 第三段的第一和第二句告诉我们,最为普通的监测山崩方法是对山坡形状变化的观察,有两种观察方式;第三句说,因为山坡形状的变化不一定导致山崩,所以两种方法都会有虚假的预警。因此,C是正确答案。

4.A B、C、D所述内容都可在第四段中找到。The borehole is filled in with gravel around the pipe.在被凿出的洞里填充沙砾,围在钢管四周。不是在钢管里填充沙砾。所以A是错误的说法,是正确的选择。

5.B positives在此用作名词,意思是:被证实的因素或特点,可以理解为证据。

+第三十七篇"Don't Drink Alone" Gets New Meaning

In what may be bad news for bars and pubs,a 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 food. 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 percent 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 狂week. The highest group reported downing at least 56 servings of alcohol weekly for an average of eight or more per day.9 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.

词汇:cavity n.腔pharynx n.咽pharyngeal adj.咽的esophagus n.食管esophageal adj.食管的larynx n.喉scrub v.擦净,擦掉

注释: 1. …than do those taking their libations with food:这是一个倒装句,其正常语序为than those taking their libations with food do。这里的do是一个代词,代替上半句中的have

a significantly higher risk of cancer in the mouth and neck。

2.drinking patterns of 1,500 patients from four cancer studies :取自四项癌症研究的1,500 个病例的饮酒习惯模式

3.downed a significant share of their alcohol outside of meals:在就餐时间以外灌下大量烈酒。down:在此作动词用,意为:“喝下,灌下”;significant:意为“large in amount”(大量的)。

https://www.sodocs.net/doc/9414758279.html,ryngeal:larynx (喉)的形容词形式。

5.these four sites:指该段前两句提到的oral cavity,pharynx, esophagus, larynx。

6.traced to smoking or drinking:根源就是抽烟或喝酒。trace to:回溯到……

7.in an average week:平均每星期

8.up to:高达

9.56 servings of alcohol weekly for an average of eight or more per day:每周56 杯,平均每天8杯以上。eight后省略了servings意为“(食物或饮料的)一份”。

10.for all sites other than the larynx:除喉以外的全部部位。other than:除了。

11.high-intake, with-meals-only group:(酒精)高摄入、仅在就餐时饮酒的(实验)组。high-intake和with-meals-only在此都是合成形容词,修饰group。

12.was only triple that:是它的三倍。that 指该句前半句中的laryngeal cancer risk。

练习:

1.Researchers have found that the risk of cancer in the mouth and neck is higher with people

A who drink alcohol outside of mealsur

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 a 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 alcohol

A 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.

答案与题解.

1.A文章第一个句子就是答案。

2.C第二段的第二句说的是餐外饮酒使得喉癌几率增加了20%,而不是就餐饮酒的情况。所以C是正确答案。其他三项均在文中直接或间接提到。

3.A第三段第二句告诉我们,酒精摄人量最低的一组每星期饮酒量达20杯,因此,大约每天在三杯左右。

4.B文章第四段的第一句和第二句是由连接词in contrast连接的两个句子。in contrast 表达的是句间的反比关系。第一句说明酒精消费量最大的一组,患其他三种癌症的几率与低酒精摄入量组相比,分别是他们的10倍、7倍和16倍,而第二句告诉我们,相比之下,其患喉癌的机率只是另一组的3倍。因此,B是正确选项。

5.D文章最后一句提供了答案。

+第三十九篇Clone Farm

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 scale. Once a chicken with desirable traits has been bred or genetically engineered, tens of thousands of eggs, which will hatch into identical copies , 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 research. The prospect has alarmed animal welfare groups, who fear it could increase the suffering of farm birds.

That's unlikely to put off 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-grow, embryonic stem cells taken from fertilized eggs as soon as they're laid. "The trick is to culture the cells without them starting to distinguish, so they remain pluripotent," says Fitzgerald.

Using a long-established technique, these donor cells will then be injected into the embryo of a freshly laid, fertilized recipient egg, 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 Fitzgerald 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 up production. To do this, it has teamed up with Embrex, which produces machines that can inject vaccines into up to 50,000 eggs 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 chicken. 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 breeders, and k takes years to breed enough chickens to produce the billions of eggs that farmers need.

1.Which statement is the best description of the new era of factory farming according to the first paragraph?工业化农场这个新时代是指_____

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?_______提供了470万美元资助克隆研究。

A.The US’s National Institute of Scienc e 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 m eans that he wishes在第三段,养殖者的希望是_____

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?第五段关于Origen and Embrex两大公司描述正确的是?

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冷冻干细胞技术的作用不可能是____

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.

译文:克隆农场

工业化农场很快会进入一个大产量的新领域。美国的公司正在开发一项需要大规模克隆小鸡的技术。一旦一个具有所期望特性的小鸡被孵化出来或被基因改造,每小时成千上万的鸡蛋会孵出如出一辙的小鸡滚下生产线。每年上百万的克隆小鸡能被孵化出来,从而为鸡场提供以相同比例生长,重量相同并且味道相同的小鸡。

这至少是美国国家科技院的梦想,科技院给位于加利福尼亚伯林盖姆的奥利药物研究所,以及北卡罗来的艾姆伯利斯470万基金以资助研究。这个预想为担忧增加鸡场小鸡痛苦的动物福利组织拉响了警报。

那好像并没有让使家禽养殖业气馁,然而,他们想使抗痛小鸡吃得更少,长得更快,“养殖者希望减少投入但仍获得相同的产量,”奥利研究所的迈克费茨杰拉德说。为了达到这个要求,奥利致力于“制造一个有效克隆体的小鸡,”他说。正常的克隆技术对禽类无效,因为卵不能被移动或移植。然而,公司正试图大量繁殖刚产下的受精卵中提取的胚胎干细胞。技巧是在细胞开始显示其差别前对其进行培育,这样它们还保持多能性。”费茨杰拉德说。

运用早已形成的技术,这些干细胞会被注入刚孵出的,已受精的,要接受细胞植入的鸡蛋的胚胎中,形成一个嵌合体的小鸡。严格地说,嵌合体的小鸡不是克隆鸡,因为它既有植入的细胞又有本身的细胞。但费茨杰拉德说,如果小鸡身体的95%是由被植入的细胞发展而来的就足够了。“在家禽界,不是100%也没关系。”

奥利研究所面临的另一个挑战是提高生产量。为了做到这点,他和艾姆伯利斯合作研制了一个可将疫苗注入50000个鸡蛋中的仪器。艾姆伯利斯正试图改造那个仪器,从而使胚胎和注射的细胞落在准确的位置而不杀死它。

在将来,奥利设想将不同品种小鸡的干细胞冷冻,如果定单要某一种小鸡,成百万的卵能在几个月甚至几个星期被生产出来,目前,维持市场可能需要的各种小鸡对养殖者来说太昂贵了,那要花数年的时间培育足够多的小鸡以生产出农民需要的上百万鸡蛋。

+第四十篇Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety(2012新增文章)In a new study about the way kids learn math in elementary school, the psychologists at the University of Chicagol Sian Beilock and Susan Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn:If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her female students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math.

"If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement said Levine. In other words,girls may end up learning math anxiety from their teachers. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are,then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident.

Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to learn -- and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone. Researchers use the word "anxiety" to describe such feelings: anxiety is uneasiness or worry.

The new study found that when a teacher has anxiety about math, that feeling can influence how her female students feel about math. The study involved 65 girls,52 boys and 17 first- and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.

The researchers also gave the students tests to tell whether the students believed that a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers:To find out which teachers were anxious about math,the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt. A teacher who got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example,was probably anxious about math.

Boys,on average,were unaffected by a teacher's anxiety. On average,girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did.Plus,on the test showing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy,20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math -- and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.

"This is an interesting study,but the results need to be interpreted as preliminary and in need of replication with a larger sample," said David Geary,a psychologist at the University of Missouri7 in Columbia.

词汇:snowball 雪球;滚雪球式增长的事replication n .重复,复现superstar n.超级明星

注释: 1. University of Chicago:芝加哥大学。位于美国伊利诺伊州芝加哥市,是世界一流的私立大学,创建于1891 年。

2.keep getting math-anxious female teachers:一直由对数学有焦虑感的女教师教授数学。此处getting是having的意思,math-anxious指的是上文中提到的对数学没有自信的心理状态。另见第三段最后一句对anxiety的解释。

3.snowball effect on their math achievement:在数学成就上的雪球效应。其含义是:在数学上越来越没有信心。

4.end up learning math anxiety from their teachers:最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。End up doing something:最终会做某事

5.sales receipt:销售清单

6.in need of replication with a larger sample:需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证。

replication 在量化实证研究中的意思是“重复(实验)”。

7.the University of Missouri:密苏里大学。位于密苏里州,是美国一所公立研究型大学,创建于1839年。

练习:

1.What is the result of the research at the University of Chicago,according to the first paragraph?

A.Girls comfortable with their own math skills are better than boys at math.

B.Girls uncomfortable with their own math skills are not as good as boys at math.

C.Female teachers' math skills have influence over girl students' math skills.

D.Female teachers' confidence in their math skills is related to girl's math skills.

2.What is implied in the third paragraph?

A.Math teachers,like math learners,do not like the subject due to its difficulty.

B.A difficult subject like math may affect teachers' confidence in teaching the subject.

C.Teachers are more anxious teaching math than their students learning math.

D.Math is so difficult that no teachers like to teach it.

3.According to the experiment,those teachers were probably anxious about math when they felt

A.nervous memorizing the numbers of a sales receipt.

B.helpless saving the numbers of a sales receipt.

C.uneasy reading the numbers of a sales receipt.

D.hopeless filling in the numbers of a sales report.

4.The sixth paragraph tells us that the research findings

A.prove a strong link between female teachers' math anxiety and their female students' math achievements.

B.show that male students are less likely to be affected by their math anxiety than female students.

C.provide strong evidence that math superstars are more likely to be males than females.

D.iscover a strong link between teachers' math anxiety and their students' math achievements.

5.David Geary thinks that

A.the study is interesting but it is based on unreliable research process.

B.the research results need to be retested based on a larger sample.

C.the research results need to be reinterpreted to be meaningful.

D.the study is well based and produces significant results.

答案与题解: 1. D 该段告诉我们女教师的想法(what female teachers think)和女学生的学习(what female students learn)之间有很大的关联度,也就是说,女教师如果对自己的数学技能没有自信,她的女学生很可能相信男孩子会在数学方面超过女孩子。

2.B 第三段的大意是,数学对任何人来说都可能有难度(The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone),如同学生,教师也会觉得数学难学和难教,这就是研究者所言的焦虑。所以,可以推断,作者是要告诉我们,教师会因为数学这门学科的难度而对教授该课程不自信。其他选项都不是该段所要表达的内容。

3.C 第五段第三句“To find out which teachers were anxious about math, the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math,such as when reading a sales receipt”指出了答案。memorizing the numbers;意为“记住数字”;saving the numbers

意为“保存数字”;filling in the numbers意为“陆续编入数字”,而且文中没有提到a sales report;它们均不是答案。

4.A 短文的第六段是对前一段所述调查数据结果的讨论,即,男学生较少受对数学有焦虑感的教师影响,而那些数学成绩较低的女生都有对数学有焦虑感的教师(girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests),而且,所有认为男生数学肯定比女生强的女生,其数学教师都是有数学焦虑感的女教师(all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety. )。D所以不是正确的选择,因为只提到teachers 和students,而不是female teachers 和female students。

5.B 根据David Geary的说法,实验结果还是初步的(preliminary),需要更大的样本对其进行重复验证(in need of replication with a larger sample)。他没有认为该实验的过程不可靠,所以A不是正确选项;他认为实验样本不够大,所以D也不是正确选项。

第四十篇教数学,教焦虑

在最新一项关于小学生学数学的研究中,芝加哥大学的心理学家Sian Beilock和Susan Levine 发现,女教师的想法和女学生的学习之间有着惊人的联系:如果女教师对自己的数学能力感到焦虑,她的女学生很可能认为男孩子数学比女孩学得更好。

"如果一直由对数学有焦虑的女教师教授数学,就会对她们的数学成绩产生雪球效应",Levine说。换言之,女孩子们最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。该研究表明,如果女孩子们在一个认为男孩比女孩数学好的环境中成长,那么她们的数学可能会不如在更自信的状态下学得好。

如同学生,教师也会觉得某些学科难学和难教,这就是研究者所言的"焦虑":不自在或担心。

此研究发现,教师对数学的焦虑能够传染给她的女学生们。该研究的研究对象包括65个女孩,52个男孩和17位在中西部教一二年级的教师。学生们在学年的开始和结束时都进行数学测试,研究者们比较得分。

研究者们测试学生是否认为数学明星一定会是男孩。然后研究者们测试教师,试图找出哪些教师对数学感到焦虑,研究者们问教师们当碰到数学问题诸如阅读销售清单时的感受,如果一位教师一看到销售清单的数字就感到紧张,那么她很可能对数学存在焦虑。

平均来说,教师的焦虑不会影响到男孩子。但是,一般说来,如果教女孩子的教师有数学焦虑症,那么女孩子们在学年结束时测试得分比其他的女孩要低。另外,在关于是否认为数学明星应该是男孩的测试中,有20个女孩认为男孩数学比女孩好,这20个女孩的老师都是女性,且都患有数学焦虑症。

来自密苏里大学的心理学家David Geary说"这是一个有趣的研究,但是这只是初步结果,需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证

+第四十一篇Too Little for Global Warming

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 akicenovic, an energy economist at the University of Vienna, Austria who headed the 80-strong IPCCteam 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.

词汇: doomsday /5du:mzdei/n.世界末日signatory /5si^nEtEri/adj.签约的signatory

/5si^nEtEri/ adj.签约的envisage /in5vizidV/v.设想,打算采取carbon dioxide (CO2)二氧化碳Swede /swi:d/n.瑞典sear /siE/ v.灼热,烧灼disastrous /di5zB:strEs/adj.灾难性的shortfall

/5FC:tfC:l/n.缺少,不足particulate /pE5tikjulit/n.微粒protocol /5prEutEkCl/n.协议注释: 1. run out:被用完

2. doomsday global warming scenarios:全球变暧这一世界求末的场景。scenarios:指“预料或期望的一系列事件的模式”,在戏剧中指“一场,一景”。

3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC):政府间气候变化专门委员会

4. make up:弥补

5. push forward:抓紧进行,推进

6. Kyoto:京都(日本本州中西部一峻市)。Kyoto Protocol:京都议定书(京都议定书是《联合国气候变化框架公约》的约定俗成的称呼。京都议定书规定,到2010年,所有发达国家排放的二氧化碳等六种温室气体的数量,要比1990年减少52%。)

7. come to pass: happen, occur (发使)

8. the panel’s work still stands委员会的工作结果(即对世界燃料的存量估算)仍然站得

住脚。

9. factor in:包括,把……计算在内,如:They factored sick days and vacations in when they prepared the work schedule. 当他们准备工作时间表时,他们把病假和假期都包括在内。

10. shot across the bows:泼冷水,使……打消计划和念头

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 oil 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 numher 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 Aswitch 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’ones would be disastrous.

答案与题解:

1. D 第一段第一句too fast for doomsday global warming scenarios to materialize中包含too... to结构,意思是:“太……以至于不……”。new analysis 的争议性(controversial)在于,这种分析认为,在大气含有足够多的二氧化碳触发地球末日到来之前,地球上所有的燃料储存都将已燃尽。

2. B 第二段第一句告诉我们.因为IPCC预言了全球性冰雪融化,这就导致了京部议定书的出台。京都议定书责成签约国减少二氧化碳的排放量。A、C和D都不是作者所要表达的意思。

3. D 越来越多的专家认为2010年将是石油供应的高峰期,紧接着就是天然气。他们认为石油和天燃气的总量在3,500 billion barrels左右。而IPCC的估算是5,000 billion barrels。

4. D Nebojsa Nakicenovic认为瑞典人对石油储藏量的估算是保守的,少于4万亿桶,而IPPC的估算是5万亿桶,所以是more optimistic的。Nakicenovic是energy economist, 所以既是经济学家,又是能源专家。他认为IPCC的估算考虑到一些国际认定的燃料储存,A、B和C都不符合文章的意思。

5. B文章昀后一段中的he指上段中的Nebojsa Nakicenovic。他认为有大量的地下煤可以开采,煤的燃烧能使IPCC的预言成为现实,但是燃烧煤会产生灾难性的后果。such a switch指从使用石油和天然气到使用煤的转换。

+第四十二篇Renewable Energy Sources

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 2,000 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 contrihute 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 others 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 naturalbeauty11, 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.

词汇: watermill n.水力磨,水车turbine /5tE:bin/n.叶轮机,涡轮机windmill /5windmil/n.风车;风力磨坊benign /bi5nain/adj.无害的hydroelectric /5haidrEi5lektrik/adj.水力发电的tidal /5taidl/adj.潮汐的quadruple /5kwCdrupl/n.四倍adj.四倍的v.(使)成四倍footprint

/5fJtprInt/n.脚印,足迹;接触面积gorge /^C:dV/n.峡,峡谷注释:

1. …mostly fuelling automobiles:大多用来为汽车提供燃料。fuel在此作及物动词。

2. fossil fuel: (煤、石油、天然气等)矿物燃料

3. Natural gas reserves could plug some of the gap from oil:天然气的储量可能填补部分石油短缺。动词plug原义

为“堵塞”在此作“填补”解。

4. …exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years:很容易在50年内耗尽可采掘的燃料储备。accessible:可得到的。

5. to fuel our future:为我们的未来提供燃料

6. Three Gorges Dam:三峡大坝

7. Hoover Dam: Hoover大坝是美国七大民用建筑奇迹之一,建于科罗拉多河(the Colorado River)上,1931年开始建造,5年后完工。

8. coal-fired power stations:烧煤的发电站

9. to harness tidal currents:利用潮汐来发电。harness:利用(河流、瀑布等)产生动力(尤指电力)。

10. quadrupling:是动词quadruple的现在分词形式,意思是“(使)成四倍,翻两番”。如:Our profits have quadrupled in five years.五年里我们的利润翻了两番。

11. …often end up at spots of natural beauty:常常会出现在美丽的自然环境中。

12. …leave a significant ecological footprint:在生态环境中留下痕迹。即指本句后半句所说的: altering climate and killing sea birds。

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 Gorges 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.

答案与题解:

1.D 文章的第一段提到石油(petroleum)、煤(coal)和天然气(natural gas)三种矿物燃料(fossil fuel),并且说这些可采掘到的燃料将在50年的时间里用完,所以需要开发再生能源,文章后几段提到了水资源和风能这两种renewable resources。根据这一理解D是正确选项。

2.C A是错误选项.因为第二段第二句说世界上第一个水利大坝建在英国;B是错误的

选项,因为该段第五句指出三峡大坝比美国的Hoover大坝大五倍;该段第三句说水力发电为世界提供20%的电能,所以D也是错误的选项。该段第四句则明确告诉我们C是答案。

3.B文章第三段说2003年挪威首次运营利用潮汐进行发电的商业电站。所以B是正确选项。

4.D 文章的第四段提到了A、B、C的内容,所以D是正确选项。

5.B 这个问题的理解依赖对整篇文章内容的理解。文章的第一段昀后一句说:refers to the fact that “Renewable”these resources are not used faster than they can be replaced.其意思是:再生能源消耗的速度很慢,以至于不会被替代。所以这种能源是sustainable。

+第四十四篇Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed 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 hiology 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 teaching6.”

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 ‘crcationism,’because that’s too obvious,”Weis said. “The current terminology is ‘intelligent design.’”

词汇: creationism n.神造说paleontology n.古生物学legislature n.立法机关genetics n.遗传学affiliated organization附属机构genomics n.基因学refine n.精炼,提纯;改进terminology n.术语

术语注释:

1. the theory of evolution: 进化论

2. serve as: 担任

3. Weis leads the effort in the face of what the institute views as opposition and indifference from school boards and government entities:研究所看到了来自学校董事会和政府部门的反对和冷漠,尽管如此,Weis仍然带领大家为捍卫进化论做出努力。in the face of:意为“despite

the opposition of”(不管,不顾)。entity: 实体。如: business entity (企业单位,营业单位)

4. Darwin: 达尔文(1809—1882),英国博物学家,进化论创始人

5. leave it out: 忽略,遗漏

6. speaking out in favor of its teaching: 为进化论教育而疾呼。speak out:大胆地说,大声地说in favor of: in support of:支持;赞同

7. 80- plus member, organizations 80多个成员组织。plus:超过的,略大的,如: All the children here are 10 plus.这些孩子年龄都在10岁或者10岁以上。Her mark was B pIus.她的分数是B十。

8. address:意为“to deal with”(处理,解决,对付)。如:to address the issue of terrorist attack (对付恐怖袭击的问题)。

9. molecular biology:分子生物学

10. underlying:意为“basic fundamental”(基础的;基本的)。

11. water down:冲淡,掺水,打折扣

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 theory?

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 of

A more than 80 societies and 250,000 members.

B 250,000 biologists.

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 evolution

A 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 our 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.

答案与题解:

1. B选项A与原意不符。C和D第一段没有涉及。只有B是正确的答案。

2. D 根据文章第二段的内容,除了D以外,A、B、C明显都是学校缺少达尔文进化

论教育的原因。

3. A第三段的昀后一个句子提供了答案。

4. A该段第一句告诉我们,没有进化论作为基础知识不可能有遗传学、分子生物学和基因学上的发现。所以A是正确选项。

5. D 人们使用“intelligent design”不仅因为这个词更带有科学性,而且因为creationism 带有过于明显的宗教色彩。that’s too obvious即表达了这层意思。

+第四十六篇Ants have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers"

Research by the University of Exeter1 has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as "ecosystem engineers" and predators. The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.

Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building2 activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain.

Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.

Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university's Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said:"Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They're also very territorial3 and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area."

"In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it. What we found is that despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups4. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment, having a big influence on the grassland food web," Sanders said.

The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants, both species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK. It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.

Dr Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said:"What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the bigger effect —thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering."

Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass5 but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity6 is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem.Ants are important in below ground processes8 through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms.

词汇:predator /' pred?t?/ n.食肉动物nutrient/' nju:tri?nt/ n .营养物;adj.营养的decomposer/,di:k?m'p?uz?/ n.腐生物;分解体prey/prei/ v.捕食;n.被捕食的动物subtlety/ 's?tlti/ n ,微妙,精妙herbivore/ 'h?:biv?: / n .食草动物

注释:

1.the University of Exeter :埃克斯特大学。1851 年建校,位于英国西南部重要商业中心埃克斯特市,是英国著名的传统大学之一。

2. nest building :筑巢

3. territorial :领地的。在此用来形容蚂蚁的本性,即具有很强的领地意识,并且会竭尽全力保卫自己的领地。

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A Life with Birds 有鸟陪伴的生活 For nearly 17 years David Cope has worked as one of the Tower of London's Yeoman warders,(1) better known to tourists as Beefeaters.作为伦敦塔的守卫者之- David Cope在那里工作了近17年,被游客们称为伦敦塔卫兵。David, 64, lives in a three-bedroomed flat right at the(2) top of the Byward Tower, one of the gatehouses. David,64岁,生活在Byward塔顶部的一个三居室的单元里,一个警卫室。"(3) From our bedroom we have a marvellous view of Tower Bridge and the Thames, " says David. David说:“从我们的卧室看去,我们可以看到伦敦塔桥和泰晤士河的一个美好景色。” The Tower of London is famous (4) for its ravens, the large black birds which have lived there for over three centuries.伦敦塔以大黑色的鸟——乌鸦而著名,它们已经在那里生活了三个多世纪。David was immediately fascinated by the birds and when he was (5) offered the post of Raven Master eight years ago he had no (6) hesitation in accepting it. "David立刻被这种乌迷住了,当他在八年前被提供乌鸦主人的职位时他毫不犹豫地接受了它。“The birds have now become my life and I'm always (7)aware of the fact that I am (8) maintaining a tradition. 这种鸟类现在已经成为我的生命,我总是警觉到我

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Passage 1 Have you ever seen a moon that looks unbelievably big? 1.To what do we compare the size of the harvest moon? (all of these) 2.The main purpose of the article is to inform. 3.The author knew most people find the moon mysterious. 4.The moon looks bigger if it is near the horizon 5.The autumn moon helps farmers see as they harvest their crops. Passage 2 Strange thing happens to time when you travel. 1.The best title for this selection is How Time Changes Around the World. 2.The difference in time between zones is one hour. 3.From this selection it seems true that the Atlantic Ocean is divided into five time zones. 4.The international date line is the name for the point where a new day begins. 5.If you cross the ocean going east, you set you clock ahead one hour in each new time zone. Passage 3 Holidays in the United States usually occur at least once a month. 1.The government of the United States makes it a rule for workers to have a 3-day weekend almost once a month. 2.Workers in the United States sometimes work from Tuesday to Sunday. 3.Which statement is NOT true according to this passage? All the workers have a half-month vacation. 4.The reason why someone has to divide his vacation into several parts is that no one can be found to take his place . 5.Which of the following is the best title for this passage? Something about the holidays and Vacation in the U.S. Passage 4 Sarah Winchester was a very rich woman. 1.What did Sarah keep doing to her house? Making it bigger. 2.The story says that Sarah?s house had floors. 3.Who did the work on Sarah?s house? Carpenters and plumbers and other workers. 4.How long did the work on the house continue? For 38 years. 5.Sarah?s house was finally finished when she died. Passage 5 The diner is only a humble restaurant, but it has a special place in American life. 1.What?s the main idea of paragraph 2? The attraction of different people. 2.The purpose of the last paragraph is to give a summary of the whole passage. 3.Why do truck drivers like a diner?It’s a haven against loneliness. 4.Diners attract many different kinds of people. 5.Diners are fascinating. Passage 6 In the past two years, millions of Americans have suddenly embraced the bicycles as 1.The word “embrace” in the first sentence is closest in meaning to make use of. 2.It can be concluded that if people continue to concern themselves with air pollution and physical fitness, bicycle sales will continue to rise. 3.The bicycle is enjoying a strong revival. 4.The reader can also conclude that Americans are concerned with the quality of their lives . 5.In the sentence “…and this isn?t America?s first bicycle boom.” The word “boom” means a rapid increase in sale.

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