mark the boundaries of effective functioning.doc

Cells cannot remain alive outside certain limits of temperature and much narrower limits mark the boundaries of effective functioning. Enzyme systems of mammals and birds are most efficient only within a narrow range around 37C;a departure of a few degrees from this value seriously impairs their functioning. Even though cells can survive wider fluctuations the integrated actions of bodily systems are impaired. Other animals have a wider tolerance for changes of bodily temperature. For centuries it has been recognized that mammals and birds differ from other animals in the way they regulate body temperature. Ways of characterizing the difference have become more accurate and meaningful over time, but popular terminology still reflects the old division into “warm-blooded” and “cold-blooded” species; warm-blooded included mammals and birds whereas all other creatures were considered cold-blooded. As more species were studied, it became evident that this classification was inadequate. A fence lizard or a desert iguanaeach cold-blooded-usually has a body temperature only a degree or two below that of humans and so is not cold. Therefore the next distinction was made between animals that maintain a constant body temperature, called home0therms, and those whose body temperature varies with their environments, called poikilotherms. But this classification also proved inadequate, because among mammals there are many that vary their body temperatures during hibernation. Furthermore, many invertebrates that live in the depths of the ocean never experience change in the depths of the ocean never experience change in the chill of the deep water, and their body temperatures remain constant.细胞只能在一定的温度范围内存活，而进一步保证它们有效工作的温度范围就更小了。哺乳动物和鸟类的酶系统只能在37左右的很小范围内才能有效工作。与此 相差仅几度的温度都会大大削弱它们的工作效率。尽管温度变化更大时细胞仍能存活，但机体系统的整体运行能力却被削弱了。其它动物对体温的变化有更强的适应 性。几个世纪以来，人们就认识到哺乳动物和鸟类调节体温的方式与其它动物不同。随着时间的推移，人们对这种差异的描述越来越精确和有意义，但是暖血动物 和冷血动物这一古老的分类方式至今仍在大众词汇中有所反映。暖血动物包括哺乳动物和鸟类，其它动物统统被视为冷血动物。但是对更多物种进行的研究表明 这种分类显然是不适当的。美洲一种小型蜥蜴和沙漠鬣蜥同属冷血动物，但实际上它们的体温通常只比人类的体温低12度，因此并不是真正的冷血。因此又出现 了恒温动物(即保持恒定体温的动物)和变温动物(即体温随外界环境的变化而改变的动物)这一区分方式。但这种分类也不恰当。因为有不少哺乳动物在冬眠期间 会改变体温，而许多生活在深海的无脊椎动物在寒冷的深海水域中体温并不变化，而是恒定的。第1课：bummed和chilled out今天我们开始播送流行美语。在这个节目里，我们要请大家听Michael 和李华的对话，他们俩都是纽约大学的学生。 Michael 是美国人，但是他听得懂中文。他和李华在这个新学期 里不约而同地都选了摄影课。现在是清早7:50，俩人在课堂门口碰到了。请注意他们讲话中用的两个常用语：bummed 和 chill。M: Hey, Li Hua, what are you doing here? You taking this class too?L: 对，我选了摄影课。可是这节课那么早，我最讨厌起大早。M: Yeah, Im really bummed that I have to get up so early! Im also bummed out that Dr. Johnson is teaching this class. Ive heard shes really tough.L: 嗨，Michael, 什么是 bummed? 我记得Bum 不是指无家可归的人吗？M: Yeah, that is true. But here I used bummed and bummed out. They both mean to be unhappy or upset. L: 噢，你看，就这一个字就把我弄糊涂了。原来是 bummed， 或者是 bummed out， 意思是不高兴，感到烦恼。嗨，Michael, 你刚才说什么来着？M: Im really bummed that I have to get up so early! Im also bummed out that Professor Johnson is teaching this class.L: 现在我清楚了，你是说要那么早起床实在叫你不高兴， Johnson博士教这门课也让你不高兴，因为她很严格。 嗨，要是女同学拒绝你的邀请，那你就会更难受， 对不对?M: Ha ha. Very funny. But you are right, if I got turned down for a date Id be bummed. Im also bummed that summer vacation is over.L: 嘿，我可了解你，要是遭到女同学的拒绝，你肯定会垂头丧气的。 你连暑假结束也会感到烦恼。不过，这个单词很有用。我希望学期结束时，我不会因为分数不好而感到 bummed out。M: Me too. Hey, I got an idea. Lets go to the student center and relax after class.L: 我当然知道 Johnson 博士有多严格。好吧，下了课我们去学生中心休息一下。M: Glad class is over! Im ready to chill for the rest of the morning. I havent had a chance to chill out these last few days, getting ready for school and all.L: 什么？ 你说上完课很高兴，但是为什么一上午你会发冷呢？M: Oh, no! Chill or chill out here means to relax. Chill, L: 噢，chill 或者chill out 在这里是指休息。刚才你还说开学前没有机会 chill out， 到底是什么意思？M: I said: I havent had a chance to chill out these last few days getting ready for school.L: 原来你是说：过去几天为了准备开学而没有机会休息。那你能说去打棒球，休息一下？M: You normally go someplace calm and peaceful where you can relax. I like to chill out at the cafe with a book sometimes. And I know that you like to chill at the museum.L: 打棒球不能说是 chill out。不错，要到比较安静的地方才能休息。 每个人还不一样，你喜欢坐在咖啡馆里看书，你知道我喜欢到博物馆去。能不能说到酒吧间去 chill out?M: Sure, but we usually only say that if the bar is quiet and not too crowded.L: 对，要是酒吧间人不多，也不闹，那就能这样说。这个单词太好了。谢谢你教我。我想今晚我到我的朋友家去 chill out。M: Sounds great! Ah, look at the time. I need to go meet my friend at the bookstore. Sorry that I have to go, Im really bummed to have to leave you!L: 得了，你要去书店跟朋友一起买书，你就走吧，别说什么跟我分手很难受这种话。走吧，下回我们到别的地方去玩。M: Cool. Have fun chilling tonight at your friends. See you later!L: 我今晚在朋友家肯定会玩得很高兴， Bye!Michael和李华在对话里用了两个常用语，一个是：bummed 或者是 bummed out, 意思是不高兴，烦恼；另一个是：chill 或者是 chill out, 意思是休息，放松，或者玩。Plastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic(半合成的) , the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing(硫化) process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply.1. The word sympathetic in Paragraph 2 most probably means_.A. harmful B. agreeableC. pitiful D. sorry2. It can be concluded from this passage that_.A. plastics are synthetic materialsB. plastics won public acceptance 120 years agoC. plastics are very harmful in modern lifeD. plastics are cheap as antiques3. Which of the following is essential to create any type of plastics?A. Carbon. B. Eggs.C. Oil. D. Coal.4. Plastics that harden into permanent shapes are called_.A. chained B. thermoplasticC. synthetic D. thermosetting5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. The Importance of Plastics in the Nineteenth Century.B. Why People Are Suspicious of Plastics.C. The Development of Plastics as a Modern Material.D. How Plastics Are Manufactured.答案1. B 2. D 3. A 4. D 5. CIn todays world, insurance plays a vital role in the economic and social welfare of the entire population. The wish to guard against dangers to life and property is basic to human nature. By using various kinds of insurance, society has been able to reduce the effects of such hazards.Nowhere is insurance more important than in the management of a business. In many instances, losses in a small firm can mean the difference between growth and failure, vitality and stagnation (停滞).Very few small businesses have even a portion of the financial resources available to larger enterprises. Frequently, they must operate on a very slight margin if they hope to stay in business. And thus, they are particularly sensitive to unexpected losses.Without enough insurance, what happens to such a firm when the owner dies or is suddenly disabled? When a fire breaks out and destroys the firms building or stock? When an employee is found to have stolen company funds? When a customer is awarded a liability judgment for an accident? Too often, the business is forced to the wall, its future operations drastically curbed; sometimes, it is damaged beyond repair, its ability to continue completely crushed.Almost always, a small businessman would find it impossible to handle the full burden of his potential risk. The amount of money he would have to set aside to cover possible losses would leave him nothing, or almost nothing, to run his business with. If loss were to occur which he could repair by using his reserve fund, what assurance would he have that another lossthe same kind or differentmight not occur next week, next month? But then he would have no reserve fund and little likelihood of staying in business at all.1. This selection deals mainly with_.A. the relation between insurance and societyB. accidents and lossesC. business failuresD. the importance of insurance to business2. In Paragraph 3, forced to the wall means _.A. driven to despair B. staying in a strong positionC. doing well D. climbing up3. The author thinks that_.A. accidents always happenB. a businessman should take risksC. businesses should have adequate insuranceD. insurance is a social welfare project4. Adequate insurance will do all of the following EXCEPT that it will_.A. free some business funds B. add to benefits for employeesC. relieve some management problems D. provide for unexpected incidents5. The word curbed in Paragraph 3 is nearest in meaning to_.A. checked B. advancedC. expanded D. disturbed答案：1. D 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. A5. The word curbed in Paragraph 3 is nearest in meaning to_.A. checked B. advancedC. expanded D. disturbed答案：1. D 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. APlastics are materials which are softened by heat and set into lasting form when shaped in a mold. Some are natural; some are semi-synthetic(半合成的) , the result of chemical action on natural substance; some are synthetic, built up from the constituents of oil or coal. All are based on the chemistry of carbon, with its capacity for forming chains. The molecules that compose them (monomers) link together in the setting or curing(硫化) process to form chains (polymers) , which give plastics their flexible strength. Some plastics retain their ability to be softened and reshaped; like wax, they are thermoplastic. Others set permanently in the shapes they are given by heat and pressure; like eggs, they are thermosetting.From industrial beginnings in the nineteenth century, plastics have struggled through a hundred and twenty years of glory, failure, disrepute and suspicion on the slow road to public acceptance. Now, at last, one can positively say that plastics are appreciated and enjoyed for what they are; that they make modern life richer, more comfortable and convenient, and also more fun. Plastics are warm materials, sympathetic to the human touch, and their transformation into things that come into contact with human beings is entirely appropriate.The fact that there are plastic antiques comes as a shock to most people. How can a material that seems so essentially twentieth century, and one that is so much associated with cheap, disposable products, has a history at all? It is a young technology, and a great part of the fun of collecting plastics is that beautiful pieces of historical interest can still be found very cheaply.1. The word sympathetic in Paragraph 2 most probably means_.A. harmful B. agreeableC. pitiful D. sorry2. It can be concluded from this passage that_.A. plastics are synthetic materialsB. plastics won public acceptance 120 years agoC. plastics are very harmful in modern lifeD. plastics are cheap as antiques3. Which of the following is essential to create any type of plastics?A. Carbon. B. Eggs.C. Oil. D. Coal.4. Plastics that harden into permanent shapes are called_.A. chained B. thermoplasticC. synthetic D. thermosetting5. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?A. The Importance of Plastics in the Nineteenth Century.B. Why People Are Suspicious of Plastics.C. The Development of Plastics as a Modern Material.D. How Plastics Are Manufactured.答案1. B 2. D 3. A 4. D 5. CPresident Bush touched off a firestorm of criticism from congressional Democrats, civil fights groups and newspaper editorialists Wednesday when he decided to intervene in a Supreme Court case challenging racial preferences in the University of Michigan admissions policy. The howls of protest were quick and loud. Judging from the noise, one might conclude that this president is in big political trouble as he looks to reelection in 2004. After all, with public uncertainty about the economy, the possibility of war with Iraq, increased tensions with North Korea dominating the headlines, and Democrats hurling brickbats at Bush for everything from his economic stimulus plan that they say favors the rich to what they see as his abandonment of minorities by opposing the Michigan case, he would appear to be poised (使平衡) on the brink of political disaster.But is he? Not yet. His standing with the public is stronger than outward poll numbers suggest. Much was made this past week of a USA TODAY CNN Gallup Poll that showed Bushs job approval rating dipping below 60% for the first time since Sept. 11, to 58%. That caused many to comment that he might be following down a path his father previously trod. The elder Bush achieved success in the Persian Gulf War but saw his job ratings erode steadily, largely because of what many read as an inadequate response to a slumping economy. He was denied a second term.But for the younger Bush to be in danger of a repeat, he would have to do something that breaks the bond he has formed with the American public on a personal level since Sept. 11 that transcendshis positions on various issues.The same USA TODAY poll that showed Bushs overall job-approval slipping, but still good,also found that his so-called political vital signs are remarkably strong. They suggest that regardless of whether people agree or disagree with Bushs handling of specific problems or issues,he retains a high degree of respect, trust and support for pushing boldly ahead as he sees fit. Most who said the qualities do not apply are Democrats, Who more than likely are not going to vote for Bush anyway. It is the swing voters that Bush must hold, and the poll shows that most independents rank Bush positively on these measures, He also gets some pretty strong ratings from women, who traditionally lean toward Democratic presidential candidates.So when Bush makes a bold decision to fight terrorism, oppose the Michigan admissions policy or force Saddam Hussein to disarm, many may disagree. But they rate him high for leading, which, after all, is what we elect our presidents to do. And most see him as honest, willing to get along with his political opponents and an effective government manager. Analysts say those vital signs will see Bush through the rough times.52. It can be inferred from the passage that the University of Michigan A carries out a preferential policy for recruiting minority students B comes into open conflicts with Bushs economic stimulus plan C puts Bush in trouble by abandoning minority students in its admissionD is strongly opposed to Bushs foreign policies53. According to the passage, the poll numbers indicate thatA Bushs standing with the public is very strong B Bushs economic package wins widespread support C public support for Bush is declining D Bush is on the brink of political disaster54. The elder Bush lost a second term mainly because A he lost the Persian Gulf WarB he failed to develop an intimate relationship with the public C he proved himself inadequate as a political leader D he did not take effective measures to recover the economy55. The expression vital signs (Line 2, Para. 3 ) mainly refers to A signs that signalize public satisfaction with Bushs work B qualities that meet the leadership of the country C poll numbers that show Bushs job-approval ratings D issues that Bush has to handle before a reelection56. The main idea of the passage is that A approval polls dont tell the whole Bush story B young Bush is in danger of repeating the elder Bushs mistakes C fighting another war does not help the slumping economy DJ public support for Bushs work takes another dip答案：ACDBAEvery once in a while the reasons for discouragement about the human prospect pile up so high that it becomes difficult to see the way ahead.and it is then agreat blessing to have one conspicuous and undeniable good thing to think about ourselves,something solid enough to step onto and look beyond the pilelanguage is often useful for this,and musicA particular painting,if you have the right receptors,can lift the spirits and hold them high enough to see a whole future for the raceThe sound of laughter in the distance in the dark can be a marvelous encouragementBut these are uncertain stimuli,ready,to work only if you happen to be ready to receive them,which takes a bit of luck.I have been reading magazine stories about the technology of lie detection lately,and it occurs to me that this may be the thing Ive been looking for,an encouragement supported by genuine,hard scientific dataIt is promising enough that Ive decided to take as given what the articles sayuncritically,and to look no furtherAs I understand it,a human being cannot tell a lie,even a small onewithout setting off a kind of smoke alarm So