CET 4快速阅读.doc

Fast Reading Band 2Passage1Small Turnout（人数）of Pilgrims（朝圣者） for Christmas in Bethlehem（伯利恒） Christmas is being celebrated at the traditional birthplace of Jesus. But there is little Christmas cheer in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Hundreds of Palestinian （巴勒斯坦）boy and girl scouts （童子军） marched through Manger Square in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. They passed the Church of the Nativity(出生）, where tradition says Jesus Christ was born. Security （保安）was tight （密集的） paramilitary policemen armed with assault rifles （步枪） stood guard on rooftops and on the cobblestone 圆石streets below. Bethlehem was decked out （装扮） for the holiday. All the trees were lit up with red, white and yellow lights, and stars and bells illuminated被照明的 the buildings. Ironically讽刺地, money for the decorations came from the ruling Islamic伊斯兰的 militant group Hamas. Despite the marches and decorations, an atmosphere of gloom 沮丧hung over Bethlehem. Pilgrims who used to come in droves （一群群） stayed away because of the war in Lebanon a few months ago and the recent fighting between Palestinian factions. That is bad news for Palestinian residents 本国居民who depend on tourism. Mary Jakaman owns a shop in Manger Square packed with olive 橄榄wood souvenirs （纪念品）. But there are few customers. Its not good, you know, because of the situation here, the tourists are afraid to come here, she said. Still the few pilgrims who came were glad they did. David Bogenrief is from the U.S. state of Iowa. Its joyful being here. We come to celebrate the birth of Jesus, to see all the people, to sing songs and just praise God and give him the glory. Its good to be here, he said. But it was not easy to get here. Pilgrims arriving from nearby Jerusalem have to cross Israels以色列 massive separation barrier 关卡which has become the de-facto （实际上存在的） border. Israel says the barrier was constructed to keep suicide自杀 bombers out, but Palestinians say Bethlehem has been changed from the city of peace into a big prison. Study Warns of Seafood Supplies Risk A study has warned that seafood supplies from the worlds oceans could be almost gone by the middle of the century. The researchers say there has already been a collapse崩溃 in wild populations of almost one-third of currently fished seafoods. The study says that means their catch has fallen by 90 percent from their highest levels. Boris Worm of Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, led the international team that did the study. Professor Worm says species have recently been disappearing from oceans at increasing speed. At this rate, he says, all seafood species could collapse by 2048. Other studies have also warned about the dangers of overfishing and the effects on ocean environments. But not everyone thinks the oceans are likely to be empty in fifty years. Some scientists said parts of the world do have problems, but others are doing a good job of protecting fish populations. Government officials in several countries with large fishing industries also questioned the research. The study appeared earlier this month in Science magazine. The researchers say damage to oceans affects not only fish populations but also the productivity of ecosystems. These complex systems help control water quality. The scientists say the loss of different kinds of sea life appeared to increase the risk of fish kills and beach closures from harmful algae （藻类） growth. The scientists examined the results of 32 experiments and observed 48 protected areas. They also looked at records of catches worldwide. They studied records from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization from 1950 to 2003. And they examined archeological考古 information and other historical records for twelve coastal areas. That research reached back over a thousand years. Boris Worm says the findings were, in his words, beyond anything we suspected. But he also said the situation is not too late to correct. He said that with good fisheries management, some species could completely recover in three to ten years.1. The paramilitary policemen at the celebration place were to guard security during Christmas celebration.Y2. There used to be many pilgrims to Bethlehem at Christmas days.Y3. Bethlehem is a city full of prisoners.N4. Palestinian residents in Bethlehem mainly live on tourism.Y5. The oceans are likely to be empty in fifty years.N6. Some government officials in several countries with large fishing industries wont believe in the study.Y7. Some algae growth increases the risk of fish kills.Y8.Christmas is to celebrate the birth of .Jesus Christ9.The ecosystems help control .water quality10.Damage to oceans affects not only fish populations but also .the productivity of ecosystemsPassage 2How Does Abacus Come into Being? The origins of the abacus are disputed争议的, as many different cultures have been known to have used similar tools. It is known to have existed in Babylonia and in China, and was likely invented sometime between 1000 BC and 500 BC. The first abacus was almost certainly based on a flat stone covered with sand or dust. Lines were drawn 画in the sand and pebbles （砾石） used to aid calculations（计算）命令. From this, a variety of abaci were developed; the most popular were based on the bi-quinary system （二进制系统）, using a combination of two bases (base-2 and base-5) to represent decimal （十进制） numbers. The use of the word abacus dates back to before 1387 when a Middle English word borrowed the word from Latin to describe a sandboard abacus. The Latin word came from abakos, the Greek genitive （所有格） form of abax (calculating-table)计算表. Because abax also had the sense of table sprinkled喷撒 with sand or dust, used for drawing geometric （几何的） figures, some linguists 语言学家speculate猜测 that the Greek word may be derived衍生 from a Semitic （闪米特族的） root, bq, the Hebrew word for dust. Though details of the transmission are not clear, it may also be derived from the Phoenician word abak, meaning sand. The plural复数 of abacus is abaci. A tablet found on the island of Salamis (near Greece) in 1846 dates back to the Babylonians of 300 BC making it the oldest counting board discovered so far. It was originally thought to be a gaming board. Its construction is a slab of white marble 大理石measuring 149 cm in length, 75 cm in width and 4.5 cm thick, on which are 5 groups of markings. In the center of the tablet are a set of 5 parallel平行的 lines equally divided by a vertical 垂直的line, capped with a semi-circle at the intersection of the bottom-most horizontal水平的 line and the single vertical line. Below these lines is a wide space with a horizontal crack dividing it. Below this crack is another group of eleven parallel lines, again divided into two sections by a line perpendicular垂直的 to them but with the semi-circle半圆形的 at the top of the intersection; the third, sixth and ninth of these lines are marked with a cross where they intersect with the vertical line. Prince Harrys New Year Vow誓言: No Smoking Prince Harry, 22, the third in line for the British throne 王位has now vowed to quit smoking in the New Year, ahead of a sweeping Army ban （禁止）, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. He has smoked up to 20 Marlboro Lights a day ever since, even though his year-long army training course at Sandhurst, according to the report. Cadets at the Royal Military Academy are not allowed to smoke inside the college but are permitted to do so in their free time. Harry had earlier insisted that his smoking habit did not interfere with his health of fitness. But he has finally made a New Years resolution to give it up for good （永久的；一劳永逸的）. His decision comes as the Ministry of Defence prepares to ban禁止 smoking at all army barracks 营房from March this year. Harry wants to cut down gradually 逐步地before the new regulations come in, according to reports. His decision is likely to hearten （振奋；鼓舞） his father, Prince Charles, who hates his sons nicotine habit. Prince Charles wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was herself a heavy smoker, but is believed to have given it up in recent years. However, unfortunately for Harry, whose girlfriend, Chelsy Davy is a social smoker （非惯性吸烟者；偶尔吸烟者）, giving up the smoking habit could be a little harder.1. Many cultures used abacus in ancient time.N2. A tablet found on the island of Salamis dating back to the Babylonians of 300 BC is the oldest counting board discovered so far.Y3. The abacus has only existed in China.N4. The first abacus was almost certainly based on a flat wood covered with sand or dust.N5. There are going to be a smoking ban in armies in Britain.Y6. Prince Charles is a heavy smoker.N7. It is a little difficult for Harry to give up smoking because his girlfriend smokes.Y8.The calculation of most abaci were based on the.bi-quinary system9.The Latin form of the word abacus is.abakos10.Prince Charles wife, Camilla is also called.the Duchess of CornwallPassage 3Investment in Agriculture Urged on World Food Day October 16 is World Food Day. This day is also the anniversary 周年纪念of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The U.N. agency leads international efforts to defeat world hunger. It was created in 1945. The F.A.O. says more than 150 countries are holding special events to observe World Food Day. At F.A.O. headquarters总部 in Rome, for example, runners competed in a five kilometer race through the citys historical area. Events in other countries include discussions among experts, press conferences and musical programs. The message of this years World Food Day is investing in agriculture for food security安全性 . The F.A.O. says foreign aid for agriculture has decreased during the past twenty years. During the early 1980s, the agency reports 9,000 million dollars was provided each year. In the late 1990s, foreign aid for agriculture had dropped to less than five thousand million dollars a year. Yet, the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than 850 million people around the world do not get enough food. The U.N. agency notes that most of the worlds farmers grow small amounts of food. But, many face problems feeding themselves. The F.A.O. says agricultural aid could help small farmers make a profit from their crops. Farmers would also be able to feed their families throughout the year and reinvest in their farms. And, they could buy better seeds, equipment and chemical fertilizers to help their crops grow. Separately, the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 has been awarded to economist Muhammad Yunis and his Bangladesh microfinance （小额贷款） organization, the Grameen Bank. The award recognizes their efforts to improve the lives of poor people. The Grameen Bank lends small amounts of money to poor people who are unable to get traditional loans, especially women. The money is used for simple projects that help women support themselves. Mr. Yunis says he plans to give his share of the 1,300,000 dollar Nobel award to good causes. He says he wants to establish an eye hospital and start a project to produce low-cost food for the poor. Most Americans Had Premarital 婚前的Sex More than nine out of ten Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex （婚前性行为）, according to a new study. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions看法 that people were more chaste （贞洁） in the past. This is reality-check research, said the studys author, Lawrence Finer. Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and has been for decades. The study, released Tuesday, appears in the new issue of Public Health Reports. The study, examining how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over time, was based on interviews conducted with more than 38,000 people. According to Finers analysis, 99 percent of the respondents （受调查者） had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had done so before marriage. The study found women virtually 实际上as likely as men to engage in premarital sex, even those born decades ago. Among women born between 1950 and 1978, at least 91 percent had had premarital sex by age 30, while among those born in the 1940s, 88 percent had done so by age 44. The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal联邦政府的 governments funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs （禁欲计划） for 12- to 29-year-olds, Finer said. Under the Bush administration, such programs have received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. It would be more effective, Finer said, to provide young people with the skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active.1. The message of annual World Food Day is different.NG2. Agricultural aid could benefit small farmers.Y3. It is a usual perception that people were more chaste in the 1940s.Y4. 95 percent of the respondents had sex by age 44 according to Finers analysis.N5. The study found women were virtually less likely as men to engage in premarital sex.N6. The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage.Y7. The federal government supports the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.Y8.The anniversary of the United Nations F.A.O is on.October 169.F.A.O. headquarters is in.Rome10.The Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 has been awarded to economist Muhammad Yunis for his efforts to.improve the lives of poor peoplePassage 4How Does Abacus Come into Being? The origins of the abacus are disputed, as many different cultures have been known to have used similar tools. It is known to have existed in Babylonia and in China, and was likely invented sometime between 1000 BC and 500 BC. The first abacus was almost certainly based on a flat stone covered with sand or dust. Lines were drawn in the sand and pebbles （砾石） used to aid calculations. From this, a variety of abaci were developed; the most popular were based on the bi-quinary system （二进制系统）, using a combination of two bases (base-2 and base-5) to represent decimal （十进制） numbers. The use of the word abacus dates back to before 1387 when a Middle English word borrowed the word from Latin to describe a sandboard abacus. The Latin word came from abakos, the Greek genitive （所有格） form of abax (“calculating-table). Because abax also had the sense of table sprinkled with sand or dust, used for drawing geometric （几何的） figures, some linguists speculate that the Greek word may be derived from a Semitic （闪米特族的） root, bq, the Hebrew word for dust. Though details of the transmission are not clear, it may also be derived from the Phoenician word abak, meaning sand. The plural of abacus is abaci. A tablet found on the island of Salamis (near Greece) in 1846 dates back to the Babylonians of 300 BC making it the oldest counting board discovered so far. It was originally thought to be a gaming board. Its construction is a slab of white marble measuring 149 cm in length, 75 cm in width and 4.5 cm thick, on which are 5 groups of markings. In the center of the tablet are a set of 5 parallel lines equally divided by a vertical line, capped with a semi-circle at the intersection of the bottom-most horizontal line and the single vertical line. Below these lines is a wide space with a horizontal crack dividing it. Below this crack is another group of eleven parallel lines, again divided into two sections by a line perpendicular to them but with the semi-circle at the top of the intersection; the third, sixth and ninth of these lines are marked with a cross where they intersect with the vertical line. Prince Harrys New Year Vow: No Smoking Prince Harry, 22, the third in line for the British throne has now vowed to quit smoking in the New Year, ahead of a sweeping Army ban （禁止）, the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday. He has smoked up to 20 Marlboro Lights a day ever since, even though his year-long army training course at Sandhurst, according to the report. Cadets at the Royal Military Academy are not allowed to smoke inside the college but are permitted to do so in their free time. Harry had earlier insisted that his smoking habit did not interfere with his health of fitness. But he has finally made a New Years resolution to give it up for good （永久的；一劳永逸的）. His decision comes as the Ministry of Defence prepares to ban smoking at all army barracks from March this year. Harry wants to cut down gradually before the new regulations come in, according to reports. His decision is likely to hearten （振奋；鼓舞） his father, Prince Charles, who hates his sons nicotine habit. Prince Charles wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was herself a heavy smoker, but is believed to have given it up in recent years. However, unfortunately for Harry, whose girlfriend, Chelsy Davy is a social smoker （非惯性吸烟者；偶尔吸烟者）, giving up the smoking habit could be a little harder.1. Many cultures used abacus in ancient time.N2. A tablet found on the island of Salamis dating back to the Babylonians of 300 BC is the oldest counting board discovered so far.Y3. The abacus has only existed in China.N4. The first abacus was almost certainly based on a flat wood covered with sand or dust.N5. There are going to be a smoking ban in armies in Britain.Y6. Prince Charles is a heavy smoker.N7. It is a little difficult for Harry to give up smoking because his girlfriend smokes.Y8.The calculation of most abaci were based on the.bi-quinary system9.The Latin form of the word abacus is.abakos10.Prince Charles wife, Camilla is also called.the Duchess of CornwallPassage 5Ball-kicking Games For centuries, people have been playing kicking games with a ball. The game of soccer develo