2016年3月19号-20号职称英语培训内容.doc

阅读理解（每道下面的回答即为正确答案）一、Too Little for Global Warming全球变暖“缺油”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 worlds remaining reserves.Nebojsa akicenovic, an energy economist at the University of Vienna, Austria who headed the 80-strong IPCC team that produced the forecasts, says the panels 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. “theres 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 ?D.oil and gas will run out so fast that earths doomsday will never materialize.2.nations that signed the kyoto protocol agree to B.cut co2 emissions.3.what are the estimates of the worlds oil and gas reserves D.3,500billion by a growing number of scients.4.which of the following about neboja nakicenovic is true ?D.he thinks that ipccs estimates are more optimistic than the Swedes.5.which of the following is the near explanation of nakicenovics assertion that .such a switch would ve disastrons.?B.a switch from the ipcc scenarios to the policymakers ones would be disastrous.二、RenewableEnergySources可再生能源Today petroleum provides around 40% of the worlds energy needs, mostly fuelling automobiles. Coal is still used, mostly in pover stations, to cover one-quarter of our energy needs, but it is the least efficient, unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel. Natural gas reserves could plug some of the gap from oil, but reserves of that will not last into the 22nd century either. Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years. We could fast reach an energy crisis. We need to rapidly develop sustainable solutions to fuel our future. Less-polluting renewable energy sources offer a more practical long-term energy solution. They may benefit the worlds 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. Chinas three gorges Dam, which has just been completed, is the largest ever. At five times the size of the USs Hoover Dam, its 26 turbines will generate the equivalent energy of 18 coal-fired power stations. It will satisfy 3% of Chinas entire electricity demand. Surprisingly, some argue that hydroelectric dams significantly contribute greenhouse gases. In 2003, the first commercial power station to harness tidal currents 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 quadrupling 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 worlds entire energy needs. Wind farms come in onshore and offshore forms. They can often end up at spots of natural beauty, and are often unpopular with residents. And turbines are not totally benign they can interfere with radar and leave a significant ecological footprint, altering climate and lilling sea birds. Migrating birds may have more luck avoiding them. Scotland is building europes largest wind farm, which wil power 200,000 homes. The UKs goal is to generate onefifth 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 renewable according to the article? D.A and b 2.chinas three gorges dam C.Is the largest of all the hydroelectric dams in the world .3.which is the country with the first commercial power station that makes use of ocean currents produced by tides?B.Norway 4.which of the following statements is true of wind power?D. All of the above 5.according to the article ,resources such as wind.B.Are renewable so sustainable.三、defending the theory of evolution still seems needed捍卫进化论任有必要Judith S. Weis, a biology professor who serves as president of the American Instiute 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 entities. 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 Darwins theory in high school. “Theres nothing that requires schools to teach evolution. Sometimes teachers in high schools just leave it out. 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.” Weis said the institute is working to together with the American Geological Institute and the National Association of Biology Teachers and its 80-plus member organizations to address 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. Darwins 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 th years by findings in paleontology and developmental biology. Discoveries in genetics, molecular biology and genomics - all of which provide significant benefits for human health - would not be possible without the underlying knoledge 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 down 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 thats too obvious, Weid. 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? B. School boards oppose AIBSs effort to defend the theory of evolution.2.Which one of the following is NOT the reason for an overall lack of teaching D. Darwins theory? Darwins theory is denied as the central theory of biology.3.AIBSs is composed of more than 80 societies and C. 250,000 members.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.5.Why do people replace the term creationism with the term intelligence design nowadays?D.Because the term creationism is too direct四、Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as Ecosystem Engineers蚂蚁对生态系统有巨大的影响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 universitys Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said:Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. Theyre 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.练习：1 .Why are ants compared to ecosystem engineers?C、Because their activity affects the environment. 2. As predators, antsA、prey on small as well as large animals. 3. Dir Sanders study centered on how antsD、produce such a big impact on the environment.4. What does paragraph 6 tell us?B、Ants bring about a positive influence to an area when their population is small.5. What still remains unclear about ants, according to the last paragraph?C、How do human activities affect ants influence on a given ecosystem?五、Cell phones increase traffic, pedestrian fatalities手机增加交通行人死亡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 youre driving or on foot, is increasing both pedestrian deaths and those of drivers and passengers, and recommend crackdowns on cell1 use by both pedestrians and drivers. The new studies, lead-authored by Rutgers University, Newark, Economics Professor Peter D. Loeb2, 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 3 of 100 million, the study found.These studies looked at cell phone use and motor vehicle accidents from 1975 through 2002, and factored in4 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 werent 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. 练习;1. The two new studies, lead-authored by Professor Peter D. Loeb D.both A and C. 2. According to the second paragraph, when did cell phones actually help to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities? B .Before the number of cell phone users reached a critical massC When cell phone users totaled to a certain number. 3. What is said about cell phone use in paragraph 4? B The number of traffic deaths was reduced in the late 1980s and part of the 1990s due to cell phone use. 4. What is said about cell phone use in the mid-1980s in paragraph 5? A. It had a life-taking effect because there werent enough cell phones in use then. 5. Which of the following statements DOES NOT answer the question What caused the life-saving effect to occur in the early 1990s? B.The number of cell phone users reached about 100 million. 六、Researchers Discover Why Humans Began Walking研究人员发现人类开始直立行走的原因Most of us walk and carry items in our hands every day. These are seemingly simple activities that the majority of us dont question. But an international team of researchers, including Dr. Richmond from GWs Columbian College of Arts and Sciences，have discovered that human walking upright, may have originated millions of years ago as an adaptation to carrying scarce, high- quality resources. The team of researchers from the U. S., England, Japan and Portugal investigated the behavior of modern-day chimpanzees as they competed for food resources，in an effort to understand what ecological settings would lead a large ape one that resembles the 6 million-year old ancestor we shared in common with living chimpanzees to walk on two legs.“These chimpanzees provide a model of the ecological conditions under which our earliest ancestors might have begun walking on two legs, ，said Dr. Richmond.The research findings suggest that chimpanzees switch to moving on two limbs instead of four in situations where they need to monopolize a resource. Standing on two legs allows them to carry much more at one time because it frees up their hands. Over time，intense bursts of bipedal activity may have led to anatomical changes that in turn became the subject of natural selection where competition for food or other resources was strong.Two studies were conducted by the team in Guinea. The first study was conducted by the team in Kyoto Universitys “ outdoor laboratory ” in a natural clearing in Bossou Forest. Researchers allowed the wild chimpanzees access to different combinations of two different types of nut the oil palm nut，which is naturally widely available, and the coula nut, which is not. The chim