职称英语等级考试用书理工类(精华版含16年新增).doc

第四部 阅读理解第十七篇 A Sunshade for the Planet第十八篇 Thirst for Oil第十九篇 Musical Robot Companion Enhances Listener Experience第二十篇 Explorer of the Extreme Deep第二十一篇 Plant Gas第二十二篇 Snowflakes第二十三篇 Powering a City? Its a Breeze.第二十四篇 Underground Coal Fires - a Looming Catastrophe第二十五篇 Eat to Live第二十六篇 Male and Female Pilots Cause Accidents Differently第二十七篇 Driven to Distraction第二十八篇 Sleep Lets Brain File Memories第二十九篇 Food Fright第三十篇 Digital Realm*第三十一篇 Hurricane Katrina*第三十二篇 Mind-reading Machine*第三十三篇 Experts Call for Local and Regional Control of Sites for Radioactive*第三十四篇Batteries Built by Viruses*第三十五篇 Putting Plants to work*第三十六篇 Listening Device Provides Landslide Early Warning*第三十七篇 Dont Drink Alone Gets New Meaning*第三十八篇 Life Form Found on Saturns Titan*第三十九篇 Clone Farm*第四十篇 Teaching Math, Teaching Anxiety+第四十一篇 Too Little for Global Warming+第四十二篇 Renewable Energy Sources+第四十三篇 Forecasting Methods+第四十四篇 Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed+第四十五篇 Small But Wise +第四十六篇Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as Ecosystem Engineers+第四十七篇 Listening to Birdsong+第四十八篇 Researchers Discover Why Humans Began Walking Upright+第四十九篇 U.S. Scientists Confirm Water on Mars+第五十篇 Cell Phones Increase Traffic, Pedestrian Fatalities第一篇至第三十篇为C级，第三十一篇至第四十篇为B级，第四十一篇至第五十篇为A级第五部分 补全短文第一篇 Mobile phones第一篇 The Worlds Longest Bridge第二篇 Reinventing the Table第三篇 Dont Rely on Plankton to Save the Planet第四篇 The Magic of Sound第五篇 Dung to Death第六篇 Time in the Animal World第七篇 Watching Microcurrents Flow第八篇 Heat Is killer第九篇 High Dive第十篇 *Virtual Driver第十一篇 *Musical Training Can Improve Communication Skills第十二篇 +Sleeping Giant第十三篇 +Robotic Highway Cones第十四篇 +The Arctic Ice Is Thawing 第六部分 完型填空 第六篇 Car Thieves Could Be Stopped Remotely第七篇 An Intelligent Car第八篇Why India Needs Its Dying Vultures第九篇 Wonder Webs第十篇Chicken Soup for the Soul：Comfort Food Fights Loneliness*第十一篇 Climate Change Poses Major Risks for Unprepared Cities*第十二篇 Free Statins With Fast Food Could Neutralize Heart Risk+第十三篇 Better Solar Energy Systems: More Heat, More Light+第十四篇Sharks Perform a Service for Earths Waters+第十五篇“Liquefaction” Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage1、Common Questions about Dreams2、Baby Talk3、The Apgar Test4、Ice Cream Taster Has Sweet Job5、Primer on Smell第十七篇 A Sunshade for the Planet Even with the best will1 in the world, reducing our carbon emissions is not going prevent global warming. It has become clear that even if we take the most strong measures to control emissions, the uncertainties in our climate models still leave open the possibility of extreme warming and rises in sea level. At the same time, resistance by governments and special interest groups makes it quite possible that the actions suggested by climate scientists might not be implemented soon enough. /Fortunately, if the worst comes to the worse2, scientists still have a few tricks up their sleeves3. For the most part they have strongly resisted discussing these options for fear of inviting a sense of complacency that might thwart efforts to tackle the root of the problem. Until now, that is. A growing number of researchers are taking a fresh look at large-scale “geoengineering” projects that might be used to counteract global warming. “I use the analogy of methadone4,” says Stephen Schneider, a climate researcher at Stanford University in California who was among the first to draw attention to global warming. “If you have a heroin addict, the correct treatment is hospitalization, and a long rehab. But if they absolutely refuse, methadone is better than heroin. /Basically the idea is to apply “sunscreen” to the whole planet. One astronomer has come up with a radical plan to cool Earth: launch trillions of feather-light discs into space, where they would form a vast cloud that would block the suns rays. Its controversial, but recent studies suggest there are ways to deflect just enough of the sunlight reaching the Earths surface to counteract the warming produced by the greenhouse effect. Global climate models show that blocking just 1. 8 per cent of the incident energy in the suns rays would cancel out the warming effects produced by a doubling of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. That could be crucial, because even the most severe emissions-control measures being proposed would leave us with a doubling of carbon dioxide by the end of this century, and that would last for at least a century more. 练习: 1. According to the first two paragraphs，the author thinks that C despite the difficulty, scientists have some options to prevent global warming.2. Scientists resist talking about their options because they dont want people to C think the problem has been solved.3. What does Stephen Schneider say about a heroin addict and methadone? A Methadone is an effective way to treat a hard heroin addict.4. What is Stephen Schneiders idea of preventing global warming? C To apply sunscreen to the Earth.5. What is NOT true of the effectiveness of “sunscreen”, according to the last paragraph? D It decreases greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 第十八篇 Thirst for Oil Worldwide every day, we devour the energy equivalent of about 200 million barrels of oil. Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun. In fact enough energy from the Sun hits the planets surface each minute to cover our needs for an entire year, we just need to find an efficient way to use it. So far the energy in oil has been cheaper and easier to get at. But as supplies dwindle, this will change, and we will need to cure our addiction to oil. Burning wood satisfied most energy needs until the steam-driven industrial revolution, when energy-dense coal became the fuel of choice. Coal is still used, mostly in power stations, to cover one quarter of our energy needs, but its use has been declining since we started pumping up oil. Coal is the least efficient, unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel, but could make a comeback, as supplies are still plentiful: its reserves are five times larger than oils. Today petroleum, a mineral oil obtained from below the surface of the Earth and used to produce petrol, diesel oil and various other chemical substances, provides around 40% of the worlds energy needs, mostly fuelling automobiles. The US consumes n quarter of all oil, and generates a similar proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of oil comes from the Middle East, which has half of known reserves. But other significant sources include Russia, North America, Norway, Venezuela and the North Sea. Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge1 could be a major new US source, to reduce reliance on foreign imports. Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years, though opinions and estimates vary. We could fast reach an energy crisis in the next few decades, when demand exceeds supply. As conventional reserves become more difficult to access, others such as oil shales and tar sands may be used instead. Petrol could also be obtained from coal. Since we started using fossil fuels, we have released 400 billion tonnes2 of carbon, and burning the entire reserves could eventually raise world temperatures by 130 C. Among other horrors, this would result in the destruction of all rainforests and the melting of all Arctic ice.练习: 1. “ we will need to cure our addiction to oil.”Why does the author say so? D Oil supply is decreasing. 2. Which of the following statements is NOT meant by the author, according to the second paragraph? C Coal is the most environmentally unfriendly fuel next to oil. 3. Which country is the biggest consumer of petroleum? A The United States.4. What do experts say about the earths fuel reserves? B There will soon be an energy crisis. 5. What is NOT the result of consuming fossil fuels according to the last paragraph? D The sea level will go up. 第十九篇 Musical Robot Companion Enhances Listener ExperienceShimi, a musical companion developed by Georgia Techs Center for Music Technology, recommends songs, dances to the beat and keeps the music pumping based on listener feedback. The smartphone-enabled, one-foot-tall robot is billed as an interactive “musical friend”./“Shimi is designed to change the way that people enjoy and think about their music，” said Professor Gil Weinberg, the robots creator. He will unveil the robot at the June 27th Google I/O conference in San Francisco. A band of three Shimi robots will perform for guests, dancing in sync with music created in the lab and composed according to its movements./Shimi is essentially a docking station with a “brain” powered by an Android phone. Once docked, the robot gains the sensing and musical generation capabilities of the users mobile device. In other words, if theres an “app” for that, Shimi is ready. For instance, by using the phones camera and face-detecting software，Shimi can follow a listener around the room and position its “ears”，or speakers, for optimal sound. Another recognition feature is based on rhythm and tempo. If the user taps a beat, Shimi analyzes it, scans the phones musical library and immediately plays the song that best matches the suggestion. Once the music starts，Shimi dances to the rhythm.“Many people think that robots are limited by their programming instructions, said Music Technology Ph. D. candidate Mason Bretan. “Shimi shows us that robots can be creative and interactive. Future apps in the works will allow the user to shake their head in disagreement or wave a hand in the air to alert Shimi to skip to the next song or increase/decrease the volume. The robot will also have the capability to recommend new music based on the users song choices and provide feedback on the music play list./Weinberg hopes other developers will be inspired to create more apps to expand Shimis creative and interactive capabilities. “I believe that our center is ahead of a revolution that will see more robots in homes.” Weinberg said./Weinberg is in the process of commercializing Shimi through an exclusive licensing agreement with Georgia Tech. Weinberg hopes to make the robot available to consumers by the 2013 holiday season. “If robots are going to arrive in homes, we think that they will be this kind of machines一 small, entertaining and fun，Weinberg said. “They will enhance your life and pave the way for more intelligent service robots in our lives.”练习：1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the first three paragraphs?B Shimi is the creator of the musical companion.2.What does Shimi do if the user taps a beat?D It selects a perfectly-matched song and plays it in sync with that beat.3.Which of the following about Shimi is true?DShimi can be creative and interactive.4.What does the author want to tell us?A The research center is developing a stronger and more versatile Shimi.5.Which of the following is Weinbergs assertion?B human lives will be filled with more fun if Shimi is going to arrive in homes.第二十篇 Explorer of the Extreme Deep Oceans cover more than two-thirds of our planet. Yet, just a small fraction of the underwater world has been explored. Now, Scientists at the Woods Hole1 Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts are building an underwater vehicle that will carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters (21,320 feet). The new machine, known as a manned submersible or human-operated vehicle (HOV), will replace another one named Alvin2, which has an amazing record of discovery, playing a key role in various important and famous undersea expeditions. Alvin has been operating for 40 years but can go down only 4,500 meters (14,784 feet). Its about time for an upgrade, WHOI researchers say. /Alvin was launched in 1964. Since then, Alvin has worked between 200 and 250 days a year, says Daniel Fornari, a marine geologist and director of the Deep Ocean Exploration Institute at WHOI. During its lifetime, Alvin has carried some 12,000 people on a total of more than 3,000 dives. A newer, better versions of Alvin is bound to reveal even more surprises about a world that is still full of mysteries, Fornari says. It might also make the job of exploration a little easier. “We take so much for granted on land,” Fornari says. “We can walk around and see with our eyes how big things are. We can see colors, special arrangements.” Size-wise, the new HOV will be similar to Alvin. Itll be about 37 feet long. The setting area inside will be a small sphere, about 8 feet wide, like Alvin, itll carry a pilot and two passengers. It will be just as maneuverable. In most other ways, it will give passengers more opportunities to enjoy the view, for one thing. Alvi has only three windows, the new vehicle will have five, with more overlap so that the passengers and the pilot can see the same thing. Alvin can go up and down at a rate of 30 meters every second, and its maximum speed is 2 knots (about 2.3 miles per hour), while the new vehicle will be able to ascend and descend at 44 meters per second. Itll reach speeds of 3 knots, or 3.5 miles per hour.练习: 1. What is Alvin? C A submersible. 2. Which of the following statements is NOT a fact about Alvin? A It can carry explorers as deep as 6,500 meters. 3. “ a world that is still full of mysteries” refers to D Shape. 5. In what aspects are the new HOV and Alvin different? D Both A and B. 第二十一篇 Plant Gas Scientists have been studying natural sources of methane for decades hut hadnt regarded plants as a producer, notes Frank Keppler, a geochemist at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heldelberg, Germany1. Now Keppler and his colleagues find that plants, from grasses to trees, may also be sources of the greenhouse gas. This is really surprising, because most scientists assumed that methane production requires an oxygen-free environment. Previously, researchers had thought that it was impossible for plants to make significant amounts of the gas. They had assumed that microbes2 need to be in environments without oxygen to produce methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas, like carbon dioxide. Gases such as methane and carbon dioxide trap heat in Earths atmosphere and contribute to global warming. In its experiments, Kepplers team used sealed chambers that contained the same concentration of oxygen that Earths atmosphere has. They measured the amounts of methane that were released by both living plants and dried plant material, such as fallen leaves. /With the dried plants, the researchers took measurement at temperatures ranging from 30 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees C. At 30 degrees C, they found, a gram of dried plant material released up to 3 nanograms of methane per hour. (One nanogram is a billionth of a gram.) With every 10-degree rise in temperature, the amount of methane released each hour roughly doubled. /Living plants growing at their normal temperatures released as much as 370 nanograms of methane per gram of plant tissue per hour. Methane emissions tripled when living and dead plant was exposed to sunlight. Because there was plenty of oxygen available, its unlikely that the types of bacteria that normally make methane were involved. Experiments on plants that were grown in water rather than soil also resulted in methane emissions. Thats another strong sign that the gas came from the plants and not soil microbes. /The new finding is an “interesting observation,” says Jennifer Y. King, a biogeochemist at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul3. Because some types of soil microbes consume methane, they may prevent plant-produced methane from reaching the atmosphere. Field tests will be needed to assess the plants influence, she notes. 练习: 1. What was scientists understanding of methane? C It was produced in oxygen-free environments. 2. To test whether plants are a source of methane, the scientists created B an environment with the same concentration of oxygen as the Earth has. 3. Which statement is true of the methane emissions of plants in the experiment? D The higher the temperature, the greater the amount of methane emissions. 4. Which of the following about methane is Not mentioned in the passage? D Microbes in plants produce methane. 5. What is the beneficial point of some microbes consuming plant-produced methane? C Less methane reaches the atmosphere. 第二十三篇 Powering a City? Its a Breeze.1 The graceful wooden windmills that have broken up the flat Dutch landscape for centuries a national symbol like wooden shoes and tulips yielded long ago to ungainly metal-pole turbines.2 Now, windmills are breaking into a new frontier. Though still in its teething stages, the “urban turbine” is a high-tech windmill designed to generate energy from the rooftops of busy cities. Lighter, quieter, and often more efficient than rural counterparts3, they take advantage of the extreme turbulence4 and rapid shifts in direction that characterize urban wind patterns. Prototypes have been successfully tested in several Dutch cities, and the city government in the Hague5 has recently agreed to begin a large-scale deployment in 2003. Current models cost US$ 8,000 to US$12,000 and can generate between 3,000 and 7,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. A typical Dutch household uses 3,500 kilowatt hours per year, while in the United States, this figure jumps to around 10,000 kilowatt hours. But so far, they are being designed more for public or commercial buildings than for private homes. The smallest of the current models weigh roughly 200 kilograms and can be installed on a roof in a few hours without using a crane. Germany, Finland and Denmark have also been experimenting with the technology, but the ever-practical Dutch are natural pioneers in urban wind power mainly because of the lack of space. The Netherlands, with 16 million people crowded into a country twice the size of