今日热词与阅读范例.docx

今日热词与阅读精选今日热词【1】Meteorological monitoring in areas prone to flood and geological disasters need to be strengthened.在易受洪水和地质灾害侵袭的地区，（我们）需要加强气象监测。上面报道中的meteorological monitoring就是“气象监测”，是指通过weather satellite（气象卫星）对天气情况实行监测。气象监控的关键技术是remote sensing（遥感）。Meteorological意为“与气象学有关的, 气象的”，类似表达还有meteorological instrumentation（气象测量仪表）、meteorological observation（气象观测）、meteorological conditions（天气情况）等。Monitor可做动词表示“监控”，也可作名词表示“监控器”，例如读取胎儿心脏信号的fetal monitor （胎儿检测器）、用来灭火的fire monitor（消防炮）和用来测量血压的blood pressure monitor （血压监测仪）。【2】An increasing number of Chinas rich are snapping up properties overseas in the expectation that domestic inflation will continue to rise after the consumer price index reached a 34-month high in May.五月份CPI（居民消费价格指数）创下34个月来新高，预期国内通货膨胀还将持续，因此越来越多的中国富人奔向海外抢房。文中的snap up properties overseas就是指“海外抢房”。Snap up意为“抢购”，比如The cheapest articles at the sale were quickly snapped up.（大减价货物中最便宜的物品很快被抢购一空。）除此之外，panic buying（恐慌购买）也有“抢购”的意思。据称，在温哥华，mainland immigrants（大陆移民）的购房需求量已占到29%。越来越多的 homebuyer（购房者）把资金交给property trust unit（不动产信托机构），以规避VAT（value-added tax，增值税）、heritage tax（遗产税），以及再交易时的capital gains tax（资本收益税）。投资海外房产需要注意风险，因为有时并没有太大的room for price appreciation（增值空间）。【3】Youth, self-reliance and brand loyalty are the defining characteristics of luxury outbound travelers in China.我国豪华出境游游客的定义性特征为年轻、自主、品牌忠诚度高。文中的brand loyalty就是指“品牌忠诚度”，指的是对某一品牌的信赖和热衷。对品牌来说，好的brand name（品牌名称，商标名称）可以起到极佳的宣传效果，因此不少公司设立了Chief Brand Officer（首席品牌官; 品牌总监）来扩大brand awareness（品牌知名度），还从事一些brand extension（品牌延伸，借名牌之名宣传新产品）的活动。Luxury outbound traveler就是“奢华出境游客”，多数属于high-net-worth individuals（高资产人士）。类似于luxury travel的还有high-end travel（高端旅游）。某些VIP旅游者还可以享受room upgrades（房间升级）、late checkout time（退房时间延后）以及airport security fast-tracking（快速安检）的优待服务。【4】Thousands of yoga enthusiasts participate in an all-day yoga session to greet the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, at Times Square in New York.数千名瑜伽爱好者聚集在美国时报广场，参加瑜伽日盛会，庆祝全年最长的一天“夏至”的到来。文中的summer solstice就是“夏至”，与之相对的则是winter solstice（冬至），分别是一年中白昼最长、最短的两天。过了summer solstice，很快就开始“数伏”了，三伏天出现在小暑与大暑之间，是一年中气温最高且又潮湿、闷热的日子。“伏”就是天气太热了，宜伏不宜动，“三伏天”也被形象地称为dog days。古罗马人认为每年七八月份的酷热是太阳加上天狼星的热能造成的，加之天狼星在英语里叫“the dog star”，“dog days”由此而来。例如：Dog days are the hottest days in summer.（三伏天是夏季最热的时候。）到了dog days，我们要谨防heat-stroke /sunstroke（中暑）。如果只是heat exhaustion（轻度中暑），可以适当服用一些药物。【5】High school graduates, dressed in the traditional Han costumes, take part in a coming-of-age ceremony in Jinan, East Chinas Shandong province on June 19, 2011.2011年6月19日，身穿汉服的高中毕业生在山东省济南市参加了成人礼。上文报道中的coming-of-age ceremony就是“成人礼”，是在少男少女年龄满18岁时举行的象征迈向成人阶段的仪式。男孩要进行capping ceremony（冠礼），女孩要进行hair-pinning ceremony（加笄礼）。举行成人礼表示一个人已经come of age（成年），在经历了puberty（青春期）之后，完成了从adolescent（青少年）向youth（青年）的转变，即将迈向人生的新阶段。【6】Beijing will launch a series of measures to increase employment opportunities for this years college graduates and to fight any illegal job agencies and employment discrimination.北京将采取一系列措施为应届大学毕业生增加就业机会，同时打击一切非法职业介绍机构和就业歧视。上文的employment discrimination就是“就业歧视”，多涉及gender discrimination（性别歧视）、age discrimination（年龄歧视）、place discrimination（地域歧视）等。为促进就业，北京当局表示将打击就业歧视，同时也鼓励大学毕业生set up their own businesses（自主创业），或去做village officials（村官）。北京今年的大学毕业生面临的另一大难题就是permanent residency permit（户口）。为了减轻北京的population pressure（人口压力），今年北京发放给non-Beijing native graduates（非京籍毕业生）的户口指标一下子缩减到去年的三分之一。考研阅读精选【1】地震背后的双重文化日本大地震引发了人们对于灾难以及核能的新一轮思考，地震中人们面对灾难时的不同态度，也凸显出东西方文化的差异。A Tale of Two Cultures地震背后的双重文化March 20th, 2011 | From NewsweekRudyard Kipling famously said, “East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”Yet since Japans devastating earthquake, the entire world has been riveted by heartbreaking images in the East revealing the horror of a nation whose northern coastline was reduced to rubble. Several nations have rallied behind Japan, sending in badly needed aid and other offers of help. The resounding support and generosity offered by the world community reveals the common bond, the humanity, that East and West share, contradicting Kipling.But a closer look at the human dimensions of this historic crisis reveals subtle differences of culture, similarities of geography, and lessons for both sides of the world.The sharpest link connecting East and West is simple geography. Like two Siamese twins joined at the hip, the Pacifics Ring of Fire forges a common destiny between East and West. Ninety percent of all earthquakes take place along this deadly ring, which extends from the Philippines and Japan to Alaska and South America.But there are also subtle, revealing cultural differences between East and West in their reaction to tragedy.In spite of monumental collapse and ruin, the Japanese politely wait in long lines for hours, without once complaining. Law and order are respected at every step. The Shinto-Buddhist tradition, which stresses social harmony and cohesiveness and looking out for your neighbor, is deeply ingrained in the culture.This stands in sharp contrast to some of the spontaneous reactions that have flared in the West. In the U.S., for example, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, there was a rapid collapse of civil authority as society disintegrated into an orgy of chaos.The origin for this difference probably has deep historical roots. Japan is ethically and socially quite homogeneous. The U.S., by contrast, is quite diverse, a country of immigrants patched together from all corners of the world, seeking a new life based on individual initiative and drive.The difference between the East and West is also illuminated in comparing the reactions to twin earthquakes on each side of the globe, which provoked two very different responses and helped to shape national character.In the U.S., it was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which set off raging fires that incinerated much of the city and did more damage than the quake itself. In Japan, it was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which leveled Tokyo and caused 140,000 casualties.These twin earthquakes sparked two different responses. In Japan, there has been an almost obsessive attention paid to earthquakes. Earthquake drills are part of life in Japan, instilled in the memory of every child. The thousands of tiny earthquakes one experiences in Japan is a gentle reminder of the big one to come. And building codes are among the toughest in the world.In the U.S., outside of California, there is relatively little focus placed on earthquake preparedness. It is especially hard for politicians to get worked up over an event that didnt happen in their voters lifetime.And what also binds the East and the West is the grim shadow of The Big One. Ironically, in spite of the historic damage done by this earthquake, it is not The Big One. Some geologists fear that we might be overdue for another earthquake that shakes Tokyo to its foundations. The Big One that levels a city with 13 million people has yet to hit Tokyo.In the U.S., a hypothetical 9.0 earthquake off Alaska or Washington might unleash a tidal wave that would plow into L.A. with a 15-foot-tall wave, flooding everything inland for two to three miles. Malibu and Orange Country would be especially hit hard.And lastly, the final link between East and West is that this tragedy is sparking an international debate about the future of nuclear energy, precisely at a time when the great powers are looking at the energy problem. Germany put all nuclear extensions on hold. Decisions now made in the shadow of this crisis could determine energy policy for a generation.Maybe it is time to revisit the Faustian Bargain.（683 words）【2】金钱心理：隐喻来袭时！人们习惯于用隐喻的方式，以简单概念为基础去理解一个复杂的概念。在纷繁的世界中，这不失为一种勉强过关的有效方式。但用这种思维来处理财政问题，就会使我们误入歧途。Psychology of Money ：When Metaphors Attack!金钱心理：隐喻来袭时！June 16th 2011 | from TimeNot too long ago, two University of Toronto professors, Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoff Leonardelli, conducted a study in which some participants were asked to recall a time theyd been socially excluded, while others were asked to remember a time they were welcomed. When later asked to estimate the temperature of the room they were in, those whod recalled being ostracized thought it was significantly cooler. So, apparently, we take the phrase “cold and lonely” quite literally.In a second study, Zhong and Leonardelli had subjects play a computerized ball-tossing game, ostensibly with other participants. But the game was rigged so that some subjects were “thrown” the ball repeatedly while others were ignored. When later asked to fill out a marketing survey, those ignored in the game rated warm food and beverages (coffee, soup) as more desirable than cold or neutral items (Coke, crackers). Yes: we really feel cold when were lonely, so we seek out warmer snacks.Studies like these show that humans are wired to think in metaphors. The only way we can understand complex concepts is to ground them in simpler ones. Do you see what we mean? We bet you do, since we purposely didnt ask if you understand what we mean. Thats because “understanding” is complex, while “seeing” is simpler. For similar reasons, people refer to appealing notions as “bright” ideas, because seeing is easier when illumination is greater.This tendency to ground complex concepts in simpler metaphors has had a notable influence on current thinking about the federal budget. Politicians often say that the federal government should do “what every family has to do balance its books.” Once again we see the grounding of a complex concept (the federal budget) in something much simpler (household budget). But should our thoughts about the governments fiscal policy really be guided by what ordinary households should do? (Never mind that so many U.S. households are awash in debt.) The U.S. economy is a complex, dynamic system with each action having the potential for all sorts of reverberating and counterintuitive effects. When times are rough and jobs uncertain and scarce, it makes sense for many households to cut back. But with so many households cutting back, overall demand generally shrinks, and so it might be wise for government to provide the stimulus necessary to prevent further contraction. Or maybe not. But with the U.S. economy stuck in neutral, you could at least make a compelling case that earlier stimulus efforts were too weak, and that the best course of action wouldve been to care less about acting like an individual household in the short-term. Instead, a much stronger short-term stimulus combined with long-term budget restraint may have been more effective (and may still be).We are not the first, of course, to argue for aggressive and robust action to combat the 2008 economic downturn. And we are certainly not macroeconomists. But we do want to point out why “clear” thinking (note the metaphor) about the subject can be so difficult. The mind works in metaphors. We anchor our understanding of complex systems and ideas in simpler templates sometimes in templates that obscure rather than enlighten.The same problem exists in personal finance, especially in regards to investing. For example, many experts and most amateurs love spouting some version of a simple adage that says to “invest in what you know,” which sounds smart but usually ends up meaning that a.) they focus on companies whose products or services they buy; or b.) they invest way too much money in the shares of their employer, presuming that the experience of working for XYZ Tech gives them special insight into the valuation of XYZ Techs shares. It rarely does, but the tendency to organize our thoughts in metaphors and to render complex ideas in simple terms fools people into thinking they can beat markets with a just a few simple rules. In reality, the average investor trying to compete with Warren Buffet or Bill Gross is like the average weekend warrior trying to beat Kobe Bryant or Adrian Peterson. Hows that for a metaphor? (683 words)【3】肥胖全球性的杀手而非只是富人的负担一系列的研究表明，肥胖及烟酒导致的癌症、糖尿病、心脏病等慢性疾病已不再是富人的专利，这些疾病正以前所未有的速度席卷中低收入国家。Fat is a global killer - not just the rich mans burden肥胖全球性的杀手而非只是富人的负担November 2010 | from The GuardianWhat will it take to get chronic diseases on the international health agenda?, the Lancet medical journal asks today. Globalisation is taking our bad habits to every corner of the world able to afford a chocolate bar or a packet of chips. As populations become just a bit wealthier, cheap junk food and less physical work ensure that they get unhealthier. Obesity looms large in every sense. The old foes - tobacco and alcohol - are out there, too. And the result is the rapid spread of diabetes, heart disease, cancers and respiratory diseases.These chronic diseases have already become the big killers of our time in the affluent parts of the planet and are now taking an ever-bigger toll of the low- and middle-income populations. Out of every 10 deaths globally, six are the result of these chronic diseases.A Lancet series of five papers published today is another attempt to make the world sit up and take notice. The same experts, led by Professor Robert Beaglehole from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, have tried it before. This is the third series on chronic diseases that the Lancet has published. But maybe its like giving up smoking - each time you make the effort, you are a bit closer to succeeding even if you fail (or so they say).While the rich countries are hardly doing brilliantly, the big worry for the Lancet authors is the failure of global health and development experts to pay attention to what is happening in the low- and middle-income countries. Less than 15% of the World Health Organisations budget and less than 2% of the World Bank and Gates Foundation total health budgets are spent on efforts to prevent and control chronic diseases, they say.Yet there are cheap and effective things that can be done. The 2007 series proposed salt reduction, tobacco control and the use of cheap generic drugs for those at risk of heart problems. This time, a paper from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points to the cost-effectiveness of governments taking a grip on the food industry. Taxing unhealthy food (or reducing taxes on healthy fruit and vegetables, which is politically more acceptable), restricting junk food advertising and better food labelling are value for money, the authors say. They would add nearly 7 million life years in good health over the next two decades in the seven countries they analysed - Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and (for comparison, they say) England. It would cost less than $1 per head per year.Another interesting paper points out that there is a downside to the economies of some low- and middle-income countries from a drive to better health. A big move to eat less saturated fat across Europe would have a massive impact on major meat exporters such as Brazil and China - damaging their economies and causing widespread job losses, says the paper from Professor Richard Smith of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.But, he said at the press conference, you need to know your enemy as well as your ally. And one assumes nothing will happen in a hurry - it certainly hasnt yet. Economies evolve as markets change to suit the needs and desires of consumers.Doing nothing, as the burden of disease spreads across the poorer parts of the globe, should surely not be an option. (570 words)【4】三十年，人类战胜艾滋病吗？2011年6月5日是艾滋病病毒发现三十周年纪念日。三十年来，艾滋病研究领域取得了诸多突破性的成果，但抵御艾滋病，我们还有很长的路要走。Thirty years of a diseaseThe end of AIDS?三十年，人类战胜艾滋病吗？June 2th 2011 | from The EconomistON JUNE 5th 1981 Americas Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported the outbreak of an unusual form of pneumonia in Los Angeles. When, a few weeks later, its scientists noticed a similar cluster of a rare cancer called Kaposis sarcoma in San Francisco, they suspected that something strange and serious was afoot. That something was AIDS.Since then, 25m people have died from AIDS and another 34m are infected. The 30th anniversary of the diseases discovery has been taken by many as an occasion for hand-wringing. Yet the war on AIDS is going far better than anyone dared hope.Even more hopeful is a recent study which suggests that the drugs used to treat AIDS may also stop its transmission. If that proves true, the drugs could achieve much of what a vaccine would. The question for the world will no longer be whether it can wipe out the plague, but whether it is prepared to pay the price.If AIDS is defeated, it will be thanks to an alliance of science, activism and altruism. The science has come from the worlds pharmaceutical companies. In 1996 a batch of similar drugs, all of them inhibiting the activity of one of the AIDS viruss crucial enzymes, appeared almost simultaneously. The effect was miraculous, if you (or your government) could afford the $15,000 a year that those drugs cost when they first came on the market.Much of the activism came from rich-world gays. Having badgered drug companies into creating the new medicines, the activists bullied them into dropping the price.The altruism was aroused as it became clear by the mid-1990s that AIDS was not just a rich-world disease. Three-quarters of those affected wereand still arein Africa. Unlike most infections, which strike children and the elderly, AIDS hits the most productive members of society: businessmen, civil servants, engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses. Thanks to an enormous effort by Western philanthropists and some politicians (this is one area where even the left should give credit to George Bush junior), a series of programmes has brought drugs to those infected.The result is patchy. Not enough people