科技英語閱讀理解

目錄Contents

1"MaeJemison〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃"〃“，，，，”〃〃〃〃(2)

2.CanaComputerThink?”〃〃〃〃〃〃"〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃"〃〃〃〃(4)3.Black

HOIeS〃〃n〃nn??nnn〃〃〃ann〃〃〃〃〃〃，，〃〃，，//ititn{6)

4.EducationMayProtectagainstEffectsofShrinkingBrain”〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(9)

5.Radioactivity，，(1\)6.UsesofUItrasound

u〃Haaaaa〃,,aaaHa〃aa〃aaaaa〃na(14)

7.ChallengesforaWebbedSociety”(16)

8.TheWorldofRobots〃〃〃，，〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃””“〃〃〃〃〃(19)

9.TheScientificExplorationofSpace,,????????????H?????(21)10.ImprovingIndustrial

EfficiencythroughRobotics”〃〃〃〃〃,,〃〃〃〃〃(24)

11.HeatLossfromtheHumanBody〃〃，,,,〃，，，，，，〃“〃〃，，“〃，，〃，，，，，，八26)12.EnergyandPublicSafety

iiiiiiniinitiiiiiiiiniiiiiiHiiuiiiiiiiiii(28)

13.EarthResourcesTechnologySatellites1,,(32)

14.CanStressMakeYouSick?(35)

15.CanItReallyHappen?〃〃〃〃〃,/〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃，/〃〃〃/,(37)

16.AnUltrasonicTorch〃〃…，〃…,〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃,,〃(40)17.Miracleofthe

Brain”〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃“〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃，，，，〃(42)

18.AllOverinaFlash〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃/,〃〃〃〃〃“〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(45)

19.ControlEarthquakes,,?????????????????????????(48)20.SmokingandCancer

2LHowWellDoYouSee?〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃“，，，，〃〃〃(54)

22.AKillerIsBorn〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃，，，，〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(56)

23.ItMayBeEasyToLiveLonger-JustStopEating〃〃〃(59)

24.StudyiT.RexNoSpeedster

25.ModernExamination〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃"〃〃〃〃〃(64)

26.ECOIOgyIIaIIaaIIIInriHitIIIIuitIIIIIIfiitnitIIn11nnn//////(68)

27.AppearancesCanBeImportant”〃〃〃〃…〃〃〃"〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(70)

28.AnimalSenses〃〃〃，/“〃，，〃，，〃"〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃“，，，，，，〃〃〃(74)

29.TelecommunicationsSatelliteSpinsOutofControl^???????????(76)

30.BuildingBetterUltralightComputers

31.NASAOksSecondSpaceTourist????????〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(81)

32.Drinkto-andfor-YourHealth〃〃〃〃…?????????????(84)

33.ThreeThingsThatWillChangeYourLife”(86)

34.Bye-byeCreditCards&HelloDigitalMoney”(88)

35.GenderDetector”〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃〃(90)

1.MaeJemison

Imagineyouarelyingonyourback,strappedintoachair,withyourkneesbentinfrontof

you.Youfeelyourheartbeatingwithexcitementasyouhearavoiceontheearphoneinsideyour

helmetcountingdownslowly/'Three,two,one/'Then,beneathyou,adeeprumblestartas

rocketfuelignitesinthehugeengines.You

①feelalurchasthedockingmechanismsletgo,andyourrocketbeginstorise.This

isthemomentMaeJemisonhasbeenwaitingandworkingforsince1987.Thefirst

African-Americanfemaleastronaut-in-trainingattheNationalAeronauticsandSpace

②

Administration(NASA),Jemisonisscheduledto"fly"inSeptember1992.Sheistoserveasa

specialistonSpacelab—J,ajointJapanese—Americanresearchproject.

MaeJemisonwasthirty-threewhenshewasselectedforNASA'sastronauttrainingprogram.

Astronautcandidatesmusthavesciencedegree.Theymustbefitandhealthywithnormalblood

pressureandgoodeyesight.Theymuststandbetweenfivefeetandsixfeetfourinchestall.They

mustcompleteaone-yeartrainingprogramthatincludeswater-survivallessonsandweightless

walksinahugeantigravitytank.Onthe1991mission,astronautJemisonsaysthather

//responsibilityaretobefamiliarwiththeshuttleandhowitoperates,todotheexperiments

onceyouget

③intoorbit,tohelplaunchthepayloadsor

satellites,andalsotodoextra-vehicularactivities,orspacewalks.n

HowdidMaeJemisongrowuptobecomesuchaspecialperson?Science—especially

astronomy—fascinatedherfromchildhood.

Shealsohadastrongdesiretohelpotherpeople.BorninAlabama,butraisedinChicago,

shestudiedchemicalengineeringandAfrican—AmericancultureandhistoryatStanford

University.Tohelpothers,shedecidedtobecomeadoctor.Whilestillamedicalstudent,she

wenttoCubaandKenyaonstudytrips,thenworkedin

④

arefugeecampinThailand.ShespentthreeyearsinWestAfricaasadoctorwiththePeace

Corps.WhenDr.JemisonfinallyreturnedtotheUnitedStates,shesettledinCaliforniatopractice

medicine.Anditwasthenthatshedecidedtoreachforthestars.

MaeJemison*sfirstapplicationtoNASAwasnotsuccessful.Then,in1986,the

⑤

Challengerspaceshuttleexploded,killingallaboard.NASAdidnottakeinanynewastronautsfor

aboutayear.Whenitfinallyreopeneditsapplicationprocess,MaeJemisonwasready,andso

wasNASA.Afterbeingselectedasaminorityastronaut,MaeJemisonreceivedagooddealof

attentionfromnewspaperandtelevision.Sheexplainedtoreportersthatthespaceprogramand

otherfieldsinhightechnologyofferpromisingcareersforAfrican-Americansandotherminorities

whostudyhard

⑥

andmakethemostoftheiropportunities.

1.Thefirstparagraphisabout.

A.howexcitedMaeJemisonwaswhenshebecameanastronautB.howMaeJemison

becameanastronaut

C.howthepeopleusuallyfeelwhentherockettheytakebeginstorise

D.whatMaeJemisondidaftershewasabletoflyarocket

2.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?

A.MaeJemisonhadastrongdesiretobecomefamous.

B.MaeJemisonwasbroughtupinAlabama.

C.MaeJemisonstudiedastronomyatStanfordUniversity.

D.MaeJemisonstudiedmedicine.

3.WhendidtheChallengerspaceshuttleexplode?A.BeforeMaeJemisonbecameadoctor.

B.ShortlyafterMaeJemisongraduatedfromStanfordUniversity.

C.AboutayearbeforeMaeJemisonwasselectedasanastronaut.

D.AboutayearafterMaeJemisonbecamefamousallovertheworld.

4.MaeJemisonbelievedthat.

A.menandwomenwerenotequal

B.womenwerebetterpaidthanmenwere

C.Americanblackswereunabletofindsatisfactoryjobsnomatterhowhardtheystudied

D.Americanblackswereabletofindsatisfactoryjobsiftheystudiedhardandmadegood

useoftheirchance

5.WhatistheattitudeofthewritertowardsMaeJemisonzsachievements?

A.Jealous

B.UpsetC.NegativeD.Positive

Notes:

①lurchv.:Torollorpitchsuddenlyorerratically.突然傾斜,突然地或者無規則地傾斜或墜落。

②theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA)美國國家航空航天局。

③payloadn.:Thetotalweightoftheinstruments,crew,andlife-supportsystemsthata

spacecraftcarriesorcancarry.飛船有效負荷。

④refugeen.Onewhofleesinsearchofrefuge,asintimesofwar,politicaloppression,or

religiouspersecution.難民在戰爭、政治壓迫或宗教迫害的時候為尋求避難而逃出的人。

（5）theChallengerspaceshuttleexploded,killingallaboard,killingallaboard是現在分詞短語作

伴隨狀語。

⑥Sheexplainedtoreporters,,themostoftheiropportunities.句中that弓|導一

個賓語從句作explained的直接賓語。who引導一個定語從句先行詞是

African-Americans和minorities。

譯文女宇航員梅?杰美森

設想你正仰面躺在椅子里系著安全帶膝蓋蜷在身前。你感到自己的心臟因興奮而跳動頭

盔里的耳機響起慢慢數著"三、二、一"的聲音接著在你下面當巨型引擎里的火箭燃料點燃

一陣沉悶的隆隆聲響起。當對接裝置放開時你突然感到傾斜然后你的火箭開始升空。

這就是梅?杰美森自從1987年就開始等待并為此而工作的一刻。在美國國家宇航局作為

首位女性非裔美國受訓宇航員杰美森被安排在1992年9月飛行。她擔任一項日美聯合研究計

劃一J太空試驗室的專家。

在被遴選參加美國宇航局的宇航員訓練時她33歲。宇航參選人必須有理科學位。他們必須健

壯血壓正常視力良好身高在五英尺和六英尺四英寸之間。他們必須完成為期一年的訓練項目

其中包括落水求生技巧課和在一個巨大的反引力容器中進行失重行走。在1991年的任務中宇

航員杰美森說她的"責任是熟悉火箭及其運轉一旦進入軌道就開始實驗幫助發射火箭的有效

負重或者火箭也進行一些艙外活動或者太空行走。"梅?杰美森是怎樣成長為這樣一位特殊人

物的呢科學尤其是天文學自從少年時代就深深地吸引著她。

她還有一顆強烈的幫助他人的理想。出生在阿拉巴馬州但是在芝加哥長大她在斯坦福大學學

習了化學工程和非裔美國人文化和歷史。為了幫助他人她決定成為一名醫生。當還是一位醫

科實習生時她就去過古巴和肯尼亞旅行實習然后在泰國的一個難民營工作。在西非她作為一

名醫生與和平隊度過了三年時光。杰美森醫生最后返回美國她定居在加利福尼亞作執業醫師。

那時她決定要去星空。

梅?杰美森向美國宇航局的第一次申請沒有成功。然后在1986年挑戰者號航天飛機爆炸全部

成員遇難。大約有一年國家宇航局沒有招募新的宇航員。申請程序最終再次開放此時杰美森

準備好了宇航局也是如此。被選為T立少數民族宇航員后杰美森受到報紙電視的廣泛關注。

她向記者解釋說太空項目和其他高科技領域為非裔美國人和其他少數民族提供大有作為的工

作只要他們努力學習充分利用他們的機會。

Answers:1.C2.D3.C4.D5.D

2.CanaComputerThink?

Canacomputerthink?Thatdependsonwhatyoumeanby“think”.Ifsolvinga

mathematicalproblemisnthinking"',thenacomputercan“think”anddosomuchfaster

thanaman.Ofcourse,mostmathematicalproblemscanbesolvedquitemechanicallyby

repeatingcertainstraightforwardprocessoverandoveragain.Eventhesimplecomputersof

todaycandothat.

Itisfrequentlysaidthatcomputerssolveproblemsonlybecausetheyare"programmed"todo

so.Theycanonlydowhatmenhavethemdo.Onemustrememberthathumanbeingsalsocan

onlydowhattheyare“programmed"todo.Ourgene'

①s"program"ustheinstantthe

fertilizedovumisformed,andourpotentialitiesarelimitedbythat“program".

Our“program"issomuchmoreenormouslycomplex,though,thatwemightliketo

define“thinking"intermsofthecreativitythatgoesintowritingagreat

②

symphony,inconceivingabrilliantscientifictheoryoraprofoundethicaljudgment.Inthat

sense,computerscertainlycan,tthinkandneithercanmosthumans.

Surely,though,ifacomputercanbemadecomplexenough,itcanbeascreativeaswe.Ifit

couldbemadeascomplexasahumanbrain,itcouldbetheequivalentofahumanbrainanddo

whateverahumanbraincando.

Tosupposeanythingelseistosupposethatthereismoretothehumanbrain

③thanthematterthatcomposesit.Thebrainismade

upofcellsinacertainarrangement.Ifanythingelseisthere,nosignsofithaveeverbeen

detected.To

④duplicatethematerialcomplexityofthebrainis

thereforetoduplicateeverythingaboutit.

Buthowlongwillittaketobuildacomputercomplexenoughtoduplicatethehumanbrain?

Perhapsnotaslongassomethink.Longbeforeweapproachacomputerascomplexasourbrain,

wewillperhapsbuildacomputerthatisatleastcomplexenoughtodesignanothercomputer

morecomplexthanitself.Thismorecomplexcomputercoulddesignonestillmorecomplexand

soonandsoonandsoon.

Inotherwords,oncewepassacertaincriticalpoint,thecomputerstakeover

⑤andthereisa"/complexityexplosion”.Inavery

shorttimethereafter,computersmayexistthatnotonlyduplicatethehumanbrainbutfar

surpassit.

1.Inwhatsensedoesthewriterthinkthathumansareprogrammed?

A.Theircharacteristics,powers,etc.arefixedbeforebirth.

B.Hethinksaman*sabilitiesarenotlimited,asacomputer'sare.

C.Inthesensethathumanswillalwaysbesuperiortocomputers.

D.Computersmustbeoperatedbymen,butmancanoperatebyhimself.

2.Thewritermentionstwokindsof“thinking”.Theyare.

A.mathematicalthinkingandlanguagethinking

B.mechanicalthinkingandcreativethinking

C.writingthinkingandcomposingthinking

D.noneoftheabove

3.Inwhatsenseistheaveragehumanbeingunableto'think'?A.Itisnottrue.Allhumans

can'think'inallsense.

B.It'sonlyaquestionofspeed.Weareunabletothinkfast.

C.Mostpeopledon'thavegreatcreativeability.

D.Theaveragehumanbeinghasfaultsinhisorherprogram,andthat'swhyheorshe

can*tthink.

4.Whatisthe"criticalpoint'mentionedinthelastparagraph?

A.Thepointatwhichacomputerisanexactcopyofahumanbrain.

B.Whenacomputercanbemadeascreativeasweare.

C.Whenonecomputerisitselfcleverenoughtodesignabetterone.

D.Whenthecomputersdestroyeachotherinanexplosion.

5.Theword/explosion*mentionedinthelastparagraphmeans.A.greatdamage

B.aterrificnoise

C.giantleapsforward

D.excitement

Notes:

①thefertilizedovum受精卵。

②Our"program"is?writingagreatsymphony,so“that〃引導結果狀語從句。Intermsof

以〃的觀點就〃而說，按照。Thatgoesintowriting〃是修飾creativity的定語從句。

③Tosupposeanything?thatcomposesit.第一個引導賓語從句第二個引導定語從句。

④duplicatev.:Tomakeanexactcopyof;Tomaketwofold;double.使重復復制

(5)thereafteradv.:Fromaspecifiedtimeonward;fromthenon.此后從某一特定時間開始從那

時起。

譯文計算機會思考嗎

計算機會思考嗎那取決于你所說的〃思考〃的含義如果解決一個數學難題是〃思考〃的

話那么計算機就會〃思考〃并且做的遠比人快得多。當然絕大多數數學難題可以通過機械地

重復特定的程序直接解出。即使是最簡單的電腦今天也可以做到。

經常有人說計算機解決難題僅僅是因為他們是設計好了〃程序〃才那樣作它們只能作人類讓

它們作的。人們也必須記住人類也是只能作〃程序〃設計好了的事情。我們的基因在受精卵

形成那一霎那就為我們設定好了"程序〃我們的潛力受那個〃程序〃的限制。我們的〃程序〃

如此復雜以至于我們常按照創作一部偉大的戲劇或者編寫一部壯麗的交響樂或者是構思一個

高深的科學原理或者一個深奧的倫理判斷的創造性來定義〃思考〃在那個意義上計算機當然

不能思考但是絕大部分人類也不能。如果一個計算機被設計的足夠復雜它也能夠像我們一樣

有創造性。如果它能被制造的像人腦一樣復雜它就能等同于人類并能作任何人腦可以作的。

思考其他事情是思考那些不止是構成大腦物質的事情。大腦是由特定的細胞組成而細胞是由

特殊排列的原子和分子組成。還沒有任何跡象表明還有別的什么在大腦里。復制物質大腦的

復雜性就是復制有關它的一切。

但是要花多長時間才能制造一臺復雜的足夠來復制人腦的計算機呢也許不像有些人想的那么

長。

在我們接近制造一臺象人腦一樣復雜的電腦之前很長的一段時間里我們也許可以建造一臺

復雜的電腦足夠來設計一臺更加復雜的電腦依此類推下去。換句話說一旦我們跨越了某一

個臨界點電腦就接替人類出現一個“復雜性大爆炸”

然后電腦就不僅僅因復制人類大腦而存在而要遠超于此。

Answers:1.A2.B3.C4.C5.C

3.BlackHoles

Whatisablackhole?Astronomersandscientiststhinkthatablackholeisaregionofspace

(notathing)intowhichmatterhasfallenandfromwhichnothing

①canescape-notevenlight.Sowecan'tseeablackhole.Ablack

holeexertsastronggravitationalpullandyetithasnomatter.Itisonlyspace-orsowethink.

Howcanthishappen?

Thetheoryisthatsomestarsexplodewhentheirdensityincreasestoa

②③particularpoint;they'collapse'andsometimesasupernova

occurs.FromEarth,asupernovalookslikeaverybrightstarinthesky,whichshineseveninthe

daytime.Supernovaewerereportedbyastronomersintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.

④

SomepeoplethinkthattheStarofBethlehemcouldhavebeenasupernova.Thecollapseofa

starmayproducea'WhiteDwarf'ora'neutronstar*-astarwhosematterissodensethatit

continuallyshrinksbytheforceofitsowngravity.Butifthestarisverylarge(muchbiggerthan

oursun)thisprocessofshrinkingmaybesointensethatablackholeresults.Imaginetheearth

reducedtothesizeofamarble,butstillhavingthesamemassandastrongergravitationalpull,

andyouhavesomeideaoftheforceofablackhole.Anymatterneartheblackholeissuckedin.

Itisimpossibletosaywhathappensinsideablackhole.Scientistshavecalledtheboundaryarea

aroundtheholethe*eventhorizon'.Weknownothingabouteventsthathappenonceobjects

passthisboundary.Butintheory,mattermustbehaveverydifferentlyinsidethehole.

Forexample,ifamanfellintoablackhole,hewouldthinkthathereached

⑤the

centerofitveryquickly.However;anonlookeratthe'eventhorizon'wouldthinkthattheman

neverreachedthecenteratall.Ourspaceandtimelawsdon'tseemtoapplytoobjectsinthe

areaofablackhole.Einstein'srelativitytheoryistheonlyonethatcanexplainsuchphenomena.

Einsteinclaimedthatmatterandenergyareinterchangeable,sothatthereisno'absolute'time

andspace-theyarerelative.Wedonotyetfullyunderstandtheimplicationsofrelativitytheory;

butitisinterestingthatEinstein'stheoryprovidedabasisfortheideaofblackholesbefore

astronomersstartedtofindsomeevidencefortheirexistence.

Thestoryofblackholesisjustbeginning.Speculationsaboutthemareendless.Theremight

beamassiveblackholeatthecenterofourgalaxyswallowingupstarsataveryrapidrate.

Mankindmayonedaymeetthisfate.Ontheotherhand,

⑥scie

ntistshavesuggestedthatveryadvancedtechnologycouldonedayharnesstheenergyofblack

holesforman'suseonearth.Butthetheoryofblackholesinspaceisacceptedbymanyserious

scientistsandastronomers.Theyshowusaworldwhichoperatesinatotallydifferentwayfrom

ourownandtheyquestionourmostbasicexperienceofspaceandtime.

1.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrueaccordingtothepassage?A.Astronomersand

scientistsknowblackholeswell.

B.Ablackholehasmatter;soithasstronggravitationalpull.

C.Ablackholeisregardedasaregionofspace.

D.Nothingcanescapefromablackholeexceptlight.

2.AllofthefollowingstatementsaboutthesupernovaareNOTtrueexceptthat.

A.asupernovaneverlooksbrightinthedaytimeB.supernova

werenotreporteduntilrecentyears

C.thematterofasupernovaisverydenseD.a

supernovacomesintobeingnaturally

3.Whatistherelativitytheory?

A.Thematterandenergyareinterferedwitheachother.

B.Thereisabsolutelynotimeandspace.

C.Theobserver'spositiondecidesthelawsoftimeandspace.

D.Therearenoconstantsatall.

4.Howisablackholeformedaccordingtothetheory?

A.Thematterofastarissodensethatthecollapsetakesplaceandablackholeresults.

B.Theexplosionofastarincreasesthedensityofthemattersothatthecollapseandshrinking

occurandacenterofintensegravityisformed.

C.Somestarsexplodesoviolentlythattheycollapseandthenproduceasupernovathatisthe

resultofablackhole.

D.Theoccurrenceofsupernovaecausestheformationofa"WhiteDwarf"whichresultsina

holeofpowerfulstrength.

5.Fromthepassage,weknowthat.

A.astronomersandscientistshaveprovedwhatablackholeis

B.ablackholemustbehavedifferently

C.wecanhaveanapplicationofspaceandtimelawsintheareaofablackhole

D.ablackholeisstillinspeculation

Notes:

①Whatisablackhole,,notevenlight.句中的兩個which都是引導定語從句它們的先行詞都

是region都在各自的從句中作介詞賓語。

②Thetheoryis,,toaparticularpoint.此句含有—that引導的表語從句when引導的時間

狀語從句。

③supernovan.:Ararecelestialphenomenoninvolvingtheexplosionofmostofthematerialin

astar,resultinginanextremelybright,short-livedobjectthatemitsvastamountsofenergy.

超新星

④theStarofBethlehemAtownintheWestBanksouthofJerusalemItisthebirthplaceof

Jesus.伯利恒，耶路撒冷南面西岸地區一城鎮,為基督耶穌誕生地。他出生時天空中有一顆

亮星。

⑤eventhorizon視界

⑥harnessv.:Tobringundercontrolanddirecttheforceof.統治管理支配控制住和指揮”的力

量。

譯文黑洞之謎

什么是黑洞天文學家和科學家認為黑洞是一片空間不是物質物質墜落其中任何物質甚至光都

不能從其中逃逸出來。所以我們看不到黑洞。黑洞發揮著一種強大的吸引力但是它不含有任

何物質。它只是真空——我們認為大概就是如此。怎么會發生這樣的事呢原理就是當某些星

體的密度增長到一個特定的點它就會爆炸他們"坍塌"有時一顆"超新星"就誕生了。從地

球上看一顆超新星就像天空中一個非常明亮的星星即使在白天也閃爍。在十七和十八世紀天

文學家們都曾報道過超新星。有些人認為那顆伯利恒之星可能就是一顆超新星。一個星體的

坍塌可能產生白矮星或者一個中子星。它們自身物質密度如此大以至于在它自身的重力下繼

續收縮。但是如果這顆星非常大遠遠大于我們的太陽這種收縮過程如此強烈結果就產生了一

個黑洞。設想地球縮小到一個彈球大小但是仍然有相同的質量并更大的萬有引力那么你就對

一個黑洞的強力就有印象了。任何在黑洞附近的物質都被吞沒。說出在黑洞內部發生著什么

是不可能的。科學家已經把黑洞的臨界區域命名為"視界"。我們不知道一旦物體穿越這一

臨界線會發生什么。但是理論上在黑洞里物質一定表現地很異常。例如如果一個人掉入了黑

洞中他認為會很快地到達黑洞的中心。然而一個旁觀者會認為這個人將永遠到不了中心。

我們空間和時間的規律似乎對于黑洞地帶并不適用。愛因斯坦的相對論是唯一可以解釋這一

現象的理論。愛因斯坦稱物質和能量是可以互相轉換的所以不存在“絕對的"時間和空間一

一它們是相對的。我們還不完全理解相對論的內涵但是有趣的是在天文學家開始發現它們存

在的證據之前愛因斯坦的理論就為黑洞的猜想提供了基礎。

關于黑洞的故事才剛剛開始。關于它們的推測是無盡的。在我們的銀河系中可能存在著一個

龐大的黑洞正在以相當高的速率吞噬著星體。人類可能有一天也面對這樣的命運。另一方面

科學家已經猜測非常發達的技術有一天將使黑洞的能量為地球上的人類所用。但是黑洞的原

理正在被許多嚴謹的科學家和天文學家所接受。他們展示給我們一個與我們的世界運轉方式

截然不同的世界并且質疑我們最基本的時間和空間的經驗。

Answers:!.C2.C3.D4.B5.D

4.EducationMayProtectagainstEffectsofShrinkingBrain

Researchersinvestigatingbrainsizeandmentalabilitysaytheirworkoffersevidencethat

educationprotectsthemindfromthebrain'sphysicaldeterioration

??

Itisknownthatthebrainshrinksasthebodyages,buttheeffectsonmentalabilityare

differentfrompersontoperson.Interestingly,inastudyofelderlymenandwomen,thosewho

hadmoreeducationactuallyhadmorebrainshrinkage.

“Thatmayseemlikebadnews/'saidstudyauthorDr.EdwardCoffey,aprofessor

??ofpsychiatryandofneurologyatHenry

FordHealthSysteminDetroit.However,he

explained,thefindingsuggeststhateducation

allowspeopletowithstandmorebrain-tissueloss

beforetheirmentalfunctioningbeginstobreak

down.

Thestudy,publishedintheJulyissueofNeurology,isthefirsttoprovide

④biologicalevidence

tosupportaconceptcalledthe“reverse“hypothesis,accordingtotheresearchers.Inrecent

years,investigatorshavedevelopedtheideathatpeoplewhoaremoreeducatedhavegreater

cognitivereservestodrawuponasthebrainages;inessence,theyhavemorebraintissueto

spare.

Examiningbrainscansof320healthymenandwomenages66to90,researchersfoundthat

foreachyearofeducationthesubjectshad,therewasgreatershrinkage

⑤ofouterlayerof

thebrainknownasthecortex.Yetontestofcognitionandmemory,allparticipantsscoredinthe

rangeindicatingnormal.

Everyonehassomedegreeofbrainshrinkage,〃Coffeysaid."Peoplelose(onaverage)

2.5percentperdecadestartinginadulthood.

Thereis,however,anremarkablerange"ofshrinkageamongpeoplewhoshownosignsof

mentaldecline,Coffeynoted.Overallhealth,hesaid,accountsforsomedifferencesinbrainsize.

Alcoholordruguse,aswellasmedicalconditionssuchasdiabetesandhighbloodpressure,

contributetobrain-tissuelossthroughoutadulthood.

Intheabsenceofsuchmedicalconditions,Coffeysaid,educationlevelhelpsexplainthe

rangeofbrainshrinkageexhibitedamongthementally-fitelderly.Themore-educatedcan

withstandgreaterloss.

⑥

Coffeyandcolleaguesgaugedshrinkageofthecortexbymeasuringthe

?cerebrospinalfluidsurroundingthebrain,thegreatertheamountoffluid,the

greaterthecorticalshrinkage.

1.Whatwillnothappenifpeoplereceivemoreeducation?

A.Theirfluidinbrainismorethantheonewhohaslesseducation.

B.Theywilldieearlierthanpeoplewhoreceivelesseducation.

C.Thegreaterthecorticalshrinkagetheywillhave.

D.Theycanwithstandgreaterlossofcortex.

2.Whatistrueaboutthebrainofmoreeducatedpeople?

A.Theyhavegreatercognitivereservestodrawuponastheirbrainages.

B.Theirbrainhaslesstissuetosparebecauseofmuchshrinkage.

C.Theircognitionandmemoryarelessnormalbecauseofmoreshrinkage.

D.Becauseofmoreeducation,theirbraincortexwouldshrinkslowly.

3.Whatinfluencesourbrainaccordingtothearticle?

a.educationb.diabetesc.alcohold.X-rayse.cerebrospinalfluidA.adeB.abdC.cdeD.

abc

4.Whatshouldwedoafterreadingthisarticle?

A.Toreceivelesseducationsothatourbraincortexwillshrinkless.

B.Tocheckhowmuchshrinkageofourbraininthehospital.

C.Toreceiveevenmoreeducation.

D.Totakecertainmedicinetopreventourbrainfromshrinking.

5.Whowillsurelyhavecorticalshrinkage?A.Onlyagedpeople.

B.Studentsorpeoplewhoworkwiththeirintelligence.

C.Unhealthypeople.

D.Alladults.

Notes:

①Researchersinvestigating,,physicaldeterioration.句中investigatingbrainsizeand〃是現在分

詞短語作后置定語。that引導的是同位語從句與evidence同作offers的賓語。

(2)psychiatryn.Thebranchofmedicinethatdealswiththediagnosis,treatment,andprevention

ofmentalandemotionaldisorders.精神病學醫學的一支專門從事精神和情感疾病的診斷、

治療和預防。

③neurologyn.:Themedicalsciencethatdealswiththenervoussystemanddisordersaffecting

it.神經病學，研究神經系統和影響其紊亂的醫學。

(4)hypothesisn.:Somethingtakentobetrueforthepurposeofargumentorinvestigation;an

assumption.假設;為了爭論或調查而被認為是真實的事物一個假想

(5)cortexn.:Theouterlayerofgraymatterthatcoversthesurfaceofthecerebralhemisphere.

皮質，大腦表層覆蓋的灰質外層.

⑥gaugev.:Tomeasureprecisely.精確地測量。

(7)cerebrospinaladj.:Oforrelatingtothebrainandspinalcord.腦脊髓的,屬于或關于腦和脊

髓的。

譯文接受教育和大腦萎縮

調查大腦體積和智力的人員稱他們研究提供的證據表明接受教育能保護智力免受

大腦自然衰退的影響。

大腦隨著年齡的增長而萎縮是眾所周知的事實但是這對智力的影響因人而異。有趣

的是一項有關老人的研究表明實際上接受過較多教育的人大腦萎縮得較多。

研究報告的作者底特律的亨利?福特健康中心的精神病學和神經學教授愛德華?科菲醫生說

"這個消息似乎使人感到不愉快。"然而他解釋說這項研究成果表明接受過教育的人在大腦

功能開始崩潰之前更能經受住大腦組織的喪失。

據研究人員說這份發表在7月份的《神經病學》雜志上的研究報告第一次提供了生物學

上的證據來支持“后備"假說。近年來調查人員確立了這種假說即接受過較多教育的人在大

腦衰老時擁有更大的認識上的儲備可以利用實際上這部分人的大腦中有更多的腦組織處于閑

置狀態。

研究人員對320名年齡在66歲到90歲的身體健康的男子和女子的腦部掃描X光片研究

后發現受試者的受教育經歷每多一年其大腦外層叫做腦皮層的部位就多一份萎縮。然而所有

受試者的認知能力和記憶能力的測試分數均在正常范圍以內。

科菲說"每個人都有某種程度的大腦萎縮。人成年后每十年平均萎縮2.5。"然而科菲

指出在沒有智力衰退跡象的人中有"很明顯的"大腦萎縮現象。他說整體的健康水平說明大

腦體積存在著某些差別。嗜酒或吸毒以及象糖尿病和高血壓之類的疾病都影響到整個成年期

大腦組織的喪失。

科菲稱排除掉這類疾病方面的因素教育水平的高低有助于解釋在智力健康的老年

人中出現大腦萎縮的程度。接受過較多教育的人能承受較多的腦組織萎縮。

科菲和同事們通過測量大腦周圍腦脊液的體積而測算出腦皮層萎縮的程度。腦脊液越

多腦皮層萎縮得越多。

Answers:1.B2.A3.D4.C5.D

5.Radioactivity

①Whatis

radioactivity?

Radioactivityconsistsofraysdifferingfromthoseoflightinbeinginvisible,andabletopass

notonlythroughglassbutalsothroughthinmetaldiscsandlayersofcelltissueinhumanand

animalbodies.Raysofthiskindwerefirstdiscoveredin1895bythephysicist,WilhelmRoentgen

ofMunich,andnamedafterhim.

In1896theFrenchphysicistHenryBecquereldemonstratedthatraysofthiskind

②occurinnature.

Theyareemittedfromuranium,anelementknownsince1786.

③

In1898PierreCurieandhiswifediscoveredinthemineralpitchblende,whichisauranium

ore,thestronglyradioactiveelementradium.

Thejoythatsuchrayswereatthedisposalofhumanitywasatfirstunmixed.Fortherays

appearedtodestroythefast-growingcellsofterriblegrowthsinbody.Butafteratimeitwas

foundthatthedestructionofthesecellsdoesnotalwaysmeanacure,andthatthenormalcells

of