2013职称英语阅读理解英文及译文
2013年新增（一）阅读判断
1.第一篇：Taking Pictures of the world
2.*第十二篇：Starting a New Tradition
（二）概括大意与完成句子
1.第五篇：US Signs Global Tobacco Treaty
2.第八篇：How We Form First Impression
（三）阅读理解
1.第三篇：Shark Attack ！
2.第五篇：The Travels of Ibn Battuta
12年新增的篇目：第1、8、10、11、16、19、20、26、30、33、34、35、37、38、47篇
13年新增的篇目：第3、5篇。
12年第8篇(C级)第33篇B级，第35篇A级2012年已考
职称英语阅读理解文章译文(参加综合A、B、C级考试需要掌握文章) 3
第一篇讲述关于人们的故事
Telling Tales about People
第二篇课外学习带来很大不同 4
Outside-the-classroom Learning Makes a Big Difference 5
第三篇小心鲨鱼 5
Shark Attack! 6
第四篇火鸡盛宴和感恩节的祝福 6
Feast on Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving 7
第五篇伊本白图泰游记7
The Travels of Ibn Battuta 8
第六篇看电视与长途汽车旅行9
TV Shows and Long Bus Trips 10
第七篇现代日光浴者10
Modern Sun Worshippers 11
第八篇变化中的中产阶级11
The Changing Middle Class 12
第九篇单亲幼儿最出色12
Single-parent Kids Do Best 13
第十篇艾伦的来信13
A Letter from Alan 14
第十一篇芭蕾舞的发展14
The Development of Ballet 15
第十二篇走私15
Smuggling 15
第十三篇芭比娃娃16
The Barbie Dolls 16
第十四篇睡眠17
Sleep 17
第十五篇轨道航天飞机18
Orbital Space Plane 18
第十六篇撒哈拉沙漠19
The Sahara 20
职称英语阅读理解文章译文(参加综合A、B级考试需要掌握文章) 以下为B级
第十七篇引人注目的埃菲尔铁塔20
Eiffel Is an Eyeful 21
第十八篇美国教育的目标22
Goal of American Education 22
第十九篇家庭23
The Family 23
第二十篇讲述可怕的过去24
Tales of the Terrible Past 24
第二十一篇动物间的间隔距离25
Spacing in Animals 26
第二十二篇我们所知道的关于语言的一些事情26
Some Things We Know about Language 27
第二十三篇只好向上27
The Only Way Is Up 28
第二十四篇克隆农场29
Clone Farm 29
第二十五篇收入30
Income 30
第二十六篇看许久以前的世界31
Seeing the World Centuries Ago 32
第二十七篇服务业的重要性33
Importance of Services 33
第二十八篇国家公园的服务机构34
The National Park Service 34
第二十九篇发现自己变胖了?这得责怪朋友们35
Find Yourself Packing It On? Blame Friends 36
第三十篇“幸运的”鲁肯伯爵-是死是活37
“Lucky” Lord Lucan--Alive or Dead 37
第三十一篇泳池监护38
Pool Watch 39
第三十二篇柴罗基部落40
The Cherokee Nation 40
第三十三篇老妇人41
Oseola McCarty 41
职称英语阅读理解文章译文(参加综合A、B级考试需要掌握文章) 以下为A级38 第三十四篇逃亡42
To Have and Have Not 42
第三十五篇选择自己的路43
Going Her Own Way 44
第三十六篇一个关于苏格兰乡村生活的故事44
A Tale of Scottish Rural Life 45
第三十七篇非州的流行音乐46
Pop Music in Africa 46
第三十八篇为什么有这么多的孩子47
Why So Many Children 48
第三十九篇为了活着吃饭48
Eat to Live 49
第四十篇美国疾病防治新政策50
New US Plan for Disease prevention 50
第四十一篇国际航空公司的经营51
The Operation of International Airlines 52
第四十二篇桑拿浴52
Sauna 53
第四十三篇建筑设计能使建筑抵御恐怖袭击吗？（综合A）54
Can Buildings Be Designed to Resist Terrorist Attack? 54
第四十四篇越来越爱肢体接触的美国人55
Americans Get Touchy 56
第四十五篇女性在迷你裙上逗留的时间更长56
Women Staying in Mini-Skirts for Longer 57
第四十六篇捍卫进化论仍必要（综合A）58
Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed 58
第四十七篇九死一生59
Narrow Escape 59
第四十八篇苏格兰启蒙运动（综合A）60
Finding Enlightenment in Scotland 61
第四十九篇美洲文学的开端（综合A）62
The Beginning of American Literature 62
第五十篇远古火山喷发63
Older Volcanic Eruptions 63
职称英语阅读理解文章译文(参加综合A、B、C级考试需要掌握文章)
第一篇讲述关于人们的故事
最普遍的非小说类文学作品类型之一就是一些描述人们生活的故事，并且很多人喜欢阅读这类作品。这些故事大致分为三类：自传、回忆录和传记。
自传是作者记录自己故事的文章。通常自传会、以作者最早期的回忆开始并以对现在情况的总结作为结束。自传的作者也许不会完全客观地介绍自己。然而，他们给读者提供了一个途径来了解自己比较好的行事风格和为何成就这样的&己。就像本杰明?富兰克林和海伦?凯勒一样，各种各样的人们已经写了自传。其他的作者就像詹姆斯?乔伊斯一样仅仅写了关于自己生活的虚构小说。这些不是自传，但是它们和自传非常相近。
严格意义上来讲，回忆录是既注重作者本身的生活经历，也注重其所处的时代所发生的事件的自传性的描述。回忆录作者通常把这些事件作为他们生活的背景。他们详细地描述这些事件并论述这些事件的重要性。虽然近些年，回忆录这个词似乎开始变得可以和自传互换，但是目前回忆录也许还没有因外界评论而有所改变。
传记事实上是记录（作者以外).其他人的生活。在很多方面，传记也许是这三种非小说
类文学作品中最难写的了。自传作者知悉他们所写的事件因为他们就生活在其中。但是传记作者不得不尽量从很多不同的渠道来收集信息。然后他们不得不决定包含哪种事实。他们的目标是用比较全面的图片来介绍一个人物，并不是过于萝极也不是过于批判。一个公正并详尽的传记也许要花费许多年来研究并进行书写。
Telling Tales about People
One of the most common types of nonfiction, and one that many people enjoy reading, is stories about people's lives. These stories fall into three general categories: autobiography, memoir, and biography.
An autobiography is the story of a person's life written by himself or herself. Often it begins with the person's earliest recollections and ends in the present. Autobiography writers may not be entirely objective in the way they present themselves. However, they offer the reader a good look at the way they are and what makes them that way. People as diverse as Benjarmin Franklin and Helen Keller have written autobiographies. 1Other writers, such as James Joyce，have written thinly fictionalized accounts of their lives. These are not autobiographies，but they are very close to it.
Memoirs, strictly speaking, are autobiographical accounts that focus as much on the events of the times as on the life of the author. 2Memoir writers typically use these events as backdrops for their lives. They describe them in detail and discuss their importance. Recently，though，the term memoir seems to be becoming interchangeab1e with autobiography. A memoir nowadays may or may not deal with the outside world.
Biographies are factual accounts of someone else's life. In many senses，these may be the hardest of the three types to write. Autobiography writers know the events they write about because they lived them. But biography writers have to gather information from as many different sources as possible. Then they have to decide which facts to include. Their goal is to present a balanced picture of a person，not one that is overly positive or too critical. A fair well-presented biography may take years to research and write.
词汇：
backdrop /'b k,dr?p/ n. 背景interchangeable /int? 't?end??bl/ adj. 可转换的
第二篇课外学习带来很大不同
让一群大学生去负责募集30万美元的马拉松式的跳舞活动，这种募捐听起来肯定有点儿冒险。当你知道这笔募捐款是提供给需要医疗护理的儿童，你可能会觉得这个想法很疯狂。
佛罗里达大学一个22岁的学生Darren Heitner说大多学生领导者不想在他们不太关注的事情上花太多时间。他任马拉松式跳舞经营部经理两年了。
Yvonne Fangmeyer是威斯康星大学学生组织办公室主任，在二月组织了一次学生参加校园组织的调查。她说增进友谊是大家提到最多的参加校园组织的原因。
像Fangmeyer的大学那样规模很大的学校，有4万多学生，学生首先想要找到属于他们的校园一角。
威斯康星大四的学生Katie Rowley肯定了调查结果。“我加入校园组织希望让校园感觉上变得小一些，这样不仅可以投入到校园生活中还可以交到很多朋友”。
这些关于友谊的看法并不意味着学生不考虑他们的经历。Heitner说：“我认为很多人加入校园组织来丰富经历，刚上大学的时候，我加入了一些校园组织，希望培养自己的领导能力。”
但是如果没有热情，学生领导者很难经受风雨考验。例如，在四月份，威斯康星大学几个学生组织展开了一项活动，向学生讲述无家可归和贫困。学生领导必须面对一些问题，比
如解决争论，受雨天影响而更改活动日期，同学校复杂的机构打交道。
Fangmeyer说：“课外的这种学习确实带来很大不同。”
Outside-the-classroom Learning Makes a Big Difference
Putting a bunch of college students in charge of a $300,000 Dance Marathon, fundraiser surely sounds a bit risky. When you consider the fact that the money is supposed to be given to children in need of medical care, you might call the idea crazy.
Most student leaders don't want to spend a large amount of time on something they care little about, said 22-year-old University of Florida student Darren Heitner. He was the Dance Marathon's operations officer for two years.
Yvonne Fangmeyer, director of the student organization office at the University of Wisconsin, conducted' a survey in February of students involved in campus organizations. She said the desire for friendship was the most frequently cited reason for joining.
At large universities like Fangmeyer's, which has more than 40,000 students, the students first of all want to find a way to ,belong in their own comer of campus".
Katie Rowley, a Wisconsin senior, confirms the survey's findings. "I wanted to make the campus feel smaller by joining an organization where I could not only get involved on campus but also find a group of friends."
All of this talk of friendship, however, does not mean that students aren't thinking about their resumes. "I think that a lot of people do join to 'fatten up their resume'," said Heitner. "At the beginning of my college career, I joined a few of these organizations, hoping to get a start in my leadership roles."
But without passion student leaders can have a difficult time trying to weather the storms that come. For example, in April, several student organizations at Wisconsin teamed up for an event designed to educate students about homelessness and poverty. Student leaders had to face the problem of solving disagreements, moving the event because of rainy weather, and dealing with the university's complicated bureaucracy.
"Outside-of the classroom learning really makes a big difference," Fangmeyer said.
第三篇小心鲨鱼!
克雷格罗杰斯正坐在他的冲浪板上估算着下一波浪离他还有多远，就在这时冲浪板不动了。他低头向水下看，惊悚的一幕出现了：一条大白鲨正在撕咬冲浪板的前端。“我的肘部可能都已经碰到了它的眼睛”，克雷格谈道。原来，这条鲨鱼悄悄地浮上了水面，完全没让克雷格听到。
克雷格惊慌害怕，手足无措，但是偶然之间他被鲨鱼咬掉了两支手指，然后随着滑板翻了个个儿，他也掉进水里。就在那时，处于水中的克雷格两支手指鲜血直流，但这条五米长的鲨鱼却径直游开，消失在深海之中。
虽然鲨鱼常被认为是疯狂杀人的猎手，但事实上这是不准确的。鲨鱼很少猎杀人类。比起被鲨鱼杀死，人类更有可能被闪电击中或是淹死在浴缸中。在上个世纪，有报道的只有74人命丧鲨鱼之口。然而大白鲨可以长到6米长、2200公斤重或是更重。3000颗牙齿排成数排长在鲨鱼那可怕的血盆大口中，它们可以轻易杀死并吃掉无助的落水者。但为什么大多数人受到大白鲨攻击之后都能鲨口逃生呢？鲨鱼研究者们正在努力寻找使得人类鲨口脱险的原因。
最常用的解释是说大白鲨的视力不好。人们认为大白鲨会把人类错当成是海豹或者海狮，后两者是鲨鱼的主要食物来源。但是人类又找到了理由来质疑这一论断。最近的研究信息表明大白鲨视力不错。并且当大白鲨在攻击海豹时，它们会迅速窜上海面，用力撕咬。但
当大白鲨在攻击人类时，它们在大多数情况下会慢慢浮上海面，撕咬的力度也轻得多。它们很快就会发现人类的肉不够肥。“它们把我们吐出来是因为我们太瘦了”，艾丹马丁说道，他是鲨鱼研究暗礁搜索中心的领头人。
诸如马丁这样的鲨鱼研究者们提出了这样的一种假设：大白鲨实际上是一种好奇心很重的动物，它们喜欢探索新鲜事物。有可能它们撕咬物体不仅仅是为了猎杀和吃掉，也是为了搜集信息。虽然这种经历对于像克雷格罗杰斯这些人来说很不幸，但是当鲨鱼在撕咬冲浪板，或是别的物体，甚至是人类时，很可能它们只是在尽量了解那到主氏是个什么东西。Shark attack!
Craig rogers was sitting on his surfboard,scanning the distance for his next wave,when his board suddenly stopped moving. he looked down and was terrified to see a great white shark biting the front of his board.”I could have touched its eye with my elbow,”says craig. The shark had surfaced so quietly that he hadn?t heard a thing.
In his horror and confusion,he waved his arms and accidentally cut tow of his fingers on the shark?s teeth.He then slid off the opposite side of his surfboard into the water. Then,with Craig in the water and blood flowing from his fingers, the five-meter-long shark simply swam away,disappearing into the water below.
Although sharks are often categorized as killers that hunt and eat as many humans as then can,this is factually inaccurate.Sharks very rarely kill humans,Aperson has a greater chance of being struck by lightning or drowning in a bath than of being killed by a shark.Only 74 people have been reported killed by great whites in the last century.But great white sharks can reach six meters in length and weigh 2200 kilograms or more.With frightening jaws that can hold up to 3000 teeth arranged in several rows,they could very easily kill and eat a helpless human in the water.Why is it,then,that most people survive attacks by great whites?Shark researchers are trying to comprehend the reasons that allow people to escape without being eaten.
The most common explanation is that great whites don?t see well.It has been thought that they mistake people for the seals or sea lions which make up a large part of their diet.There is reason to doubt this,however.Recent information shows that great whites can actually see very well.Also,when accacking seals,great whites shoop up to the surface and bite with great force.When approaching humans,however,they most often move in slowly and bite less hard.They soon discover that humans are not a high-fat meal.”They spit us out because we?re too bony,”says Aidan Martin,director of Reef Quest Center for Shark Research.
Shark researchers like Martin hypothesize that great whites are actually curious animals that like to investigate things.It?s possible that they use their bite not only to kill and eat,but also to gather information,Although such an experience is unlucky for people like Craig Rogers,when sharks bite surfboards or other objects or people,they are likely just trying to learn what they are.
词汇：scan vt.审视，细看，浏览seal[英][si:l] 海豹
Elbow n. 肘，肘部reef n.礁，暗礁
Surface n. 表面外表，vi. 浮出水面quest n.搜索，寻求，追求
Drown vi.淹死，溺死。
第四篇火鸡盛宴和感恩节的祝福
四周前美国的孩子打扮成魔鬼，四处要糖吃。这就是万圣节。几周之后就是圣诞节，美国的房子都会染成红色和绿色，里面充满了礼物。
似乎这一切还不够，这周的星期二，美国人还会庆祝另外一个节日——感恩节。
孩子们有两天不上课，商店歇业，房子里面家人喜欢的食物堆成了山。
每年在Gainesville, 佛罗里达，整个一个班会一起庆祝感恩节。整个班会打扮起来，为家人表演剧目。剧目过后一家人分享一顿传统的感恩节美食，比如火鸡和南瓜饼。
Dean Foster, 一个11岁的男孩愿意加入这次庆祝。他说：“我喜欢感恩节，因为不用上学，有很多好吃的，还有快乐的家庭聚会。”
他9 岁的弟弟Ben 说，感恩节最好的地方，就是它结束时就是圣诞节开始的时候。
但是在食物和花掉的大笔的钱背后有另一层寓意。周二晚上，Dean 和Ben的家人会做一个篮子，吃晚饭的时候把它放在桌子上。
每个人会把他们要感谢的东西列在一张单子上，放在篮子里。一家人会读出每一张单子上写的内容，花时间感谢上帝，感谢彼此给予这样舒适幸福的生活。
感恩节是一具传统节日，起源于第一批朝圣者来到美洲开始新生活的时候。艰苦的第一年后，在秋天取得了大丰收。他们举行了盛宴，并邀请了当地的土著印第安人一起感谢上帝给予他们充足的食物。
很多国家庆祝感恩节，时间经常是在庄稼成熟，收割完毕准备过冬之后。
Feast on Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving
Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets. That was Halloween In a few weeks American houses will be red and green and filled with presents, for Christmas.
As if all this isn’t enough, on Thursday this week, America will enjoy another festival—Thanksgiving.
Children will have two days off school, shops will close and houses will be filled with families enjoying mountains of food.
Every year, in Gainesville, Florida, an entire class celebrate Thanksgiving together. The class dresses up and puts on plays for their families, After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie.
Dean Foster, an 11 year old boy will take part in this celebration. He said: “I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school, lots of nice food and a happy family.”
His brother Ben, nine, said: “The best thing about Thanksgiving, is that when it is finished, it is time to start Christmas.”
But behind the food and the large amount of money spent there is another message. On Thursday evening. Dean and Ben’s family will make a basket and put it on the table as they eat their evening meal.
Each of them will write a list of things that they are thankful for and place the paper in the basket. The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives.
Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621, when the first pilgrims arrived in the US to start a new life. After a hard year, they had a big autumn harvest. They held a feast and invited the native American Indians along to thank God for giving them enough food.
Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving. They often fall after the fields have been harvested and the crops collected for winter.
第五篇伊本白图泰游记
“1325年6月13日，我离开了家乡丹吉尔，打算前往麦加朝圣。我告别了所有的朋友，如鸟儿离巢般，告别故土。”这便是伊本白图泰游记的序言。这份旧的手稿存放在巴黎一家图书馆里。
这个年轻的摩洛哥人所处的年代比哥伦布的年代要早了几乎两个世纪，从他出发去麦加算起，30年之后伊本白图泰才回到故乡，那时的他已经晋升到历史上伟大旅行家的行列。出于好奇，他游历了伊斯兰世界的各个角落，足迹遍布了44座现代城市，总行程是马可波罗的3倍。虽然在西方社会不怎么有名，伊本白图泰在阿拉伯国家却家喻户晓。在伊本白图泰的故乡丹尼尔，有以他命名的广场、旅店、咖啡馆、渡船，甚至汉堡。
伊本白图泰以学生的身份在麦加待了几年，但对于游历的渴望很快又让他重新出发。有一次他来到印度，在德里的苏丹王那里谋到了一份收入颇丰的工作。他写到，在去德里的路上，他的队伍在野外被80名步行和2位马夫攻击：“我们进行了殊死搏斗。。。杀死了他们的一位马夫和差不多12名步行。。。我和马都中了箭，但是多谢真主的恩赐，最后我活了下来。。。我们背着亡者的头颅前往阿布巴卡尔的城堡。。。并把这些头颅挂在城墙上。”因为有在麦加的学习经历，德里的苏丹王给伊本白图泰安排了法官的工作。但是这位苏丹王脾气古怪，性情多变，所以伊本白图泰想借机逃走：当苏丹王提出要资助伊本白图泰去中国旅行时，他同意了。伊本白图泰将要乘着三艘船起航，但他还未离岸，不幸便降临了。一声突出其来的暴风雨摧毁了两艘船，吹走了财宝，许多船员和马匹都溺水而亡。他眼睁睁看着载着他的财物和奴隶的第三艘船被吹到了海上，从此便再无音讯。更糟的是，他的孩子也在这艘船上。
最后摩洛哥的苏丹王要求一生游历的伊本白图泰回家和世人分享他的智慧。幸运的是，他同意了此事并写了本书。这本书已被翻译成了很多种语言，可以让世人了解他那无与伦比的旅行经历。
The Travels of Ibn Battuta
“I left Tangier,my birthplace,the 13th of june 1325 with the intention of making the pilgrimage[to mecce]...to leave all my friends both female and male,to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests. So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris--the travel journal of ibn battuta.
Almost two centuries before columbus,this young Moroccan set off for Mecca,returning home three decades later as one of history?s great travelers.Driven by curiosity,he journeyed to remote corners of the Islamic world,traveling through 44 modern countries,three times as far as Marco Polo,little celebrated in the West,his name is well known among Arabs.In his hometown of Tangier,a square,a hotel, a cafe,a ferry boat,and even a hamburger are named after him.
Ibn Battutn stayed in Mecca as a student for several years,but the urge to travel soon took over.In one adventure,he traveled to india seeking profitable employment with the Sultan of Delhi.On the way,he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot,and two horsemen:”we fought...killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers....I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another,but God in his grace preserved me... .We carried the heads of the slain to the castle of Abu Bak?har...and suspended them from the wall .”In Delhhi,the sultan gave him the position of judge,based on his prior study at Mecca.But the sultan had an unpredictable character,and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave.When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China,he agreed.Ibn Battuta set off in three ships,but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore.A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships,scattering treasure and drowning many people and horses.As he watched,the third ship,with all his belongings and slaves --one carrying his child--was carried out to sea and never heard from again.
After a lifetime of incredible adventures,Ibn Battuta aws finally ordered by the Sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world.Fortunately,he consented and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages,allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys.
词汇：pilgrimage n. 朝圣，远游ferry n.渡船
Slain:slay的过去分词slay v. 杀死，杀戮
Sultan n. 苏丹(伊斯兰教国王，某些伊斯兰国家统治者的称号)
Suspend vt. 吊，挂；暂停unparalleled adj.无比的，空前的，绝无仅有的Finance v.给。。。提供资金scatter vt.撒播，驱散；vi.消散
The open country 野外consent vi. 同意，赞成foot soldier 步兵
第六篇看电视与长途汽车旅行
乘长途汽车旅行与看电视倒很像。旅行有开始，中途和结尾，每隔三四分钟都会看到各种商业广告这些商业广告是不可避免的，不受你的意志左右，大约每过几分钟就会有一块广告牌从窗外闪过。比如“买超洁净牙膏”“饮格威特露啤酒”“请用和平汽油”等等。就像看电视时，只有你关机才不会听到那些广告词，些时，你只有睡着了才不致受那些没完没了的“你需要它，现在就来买吧！”的吵闹。
旅行刚开始是蛮舒服的，甚至有点令人兴奋，即使你以前曾沿此路线旅行过。通常会有不少变化，新的房室，新的高楼，有时甚至会有一段新的道路。司机有自己的开车方式，开始一、二小时计算车速挺有趣的。如果碰上一个特别粗心大意或胆大的司机，那乘车就会像读扣人心弦的故事一样让人兴奋。司机能及时超过那辆卡车吗？司机开车进左手还是右手车道呢？当然，过了一会儿兴奋也就没了。小睡片刻对过好途中几个小时是很有帮助的。而食物则会让旅程更加有趣，不过吃食物的时候，千万别吃太多咸食，那样你会很口渴。
旅程的最后倒有点像刚开始。知道自己快下车了，你满怀期望和兴奋。当然，随着时间一小时一小时过去，座位变得越来越硬，此刻，你交叉着双腿，把手放在扶手上，甚至你会把双手交叉托于脑后。旅行就要结束了，不再有其他坐的方式。
TV Shows and Long Bus Trips
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle and an end—with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. “But Super Clean Toothpaste.”“Drink Golden Wet Root Beer.”“Fill up with Pacific Gas.”Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of “You Need It! But It Now! ”
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed—new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless or daring, the ride can be as thrilling as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left-handed lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the arm rests—even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit.
第七篇现代日光浴崇拜者
人们出外观光旅游的原因有许多，一些旅游者去看古战场或是宗教圣殿；一些旅游者去追寻文化之源或是仅仅在名胜之地请人给他照几张相。但大多数欧洲游客愿意寻找阳光充足
的海滩洒日光浴。
北欧人心甘情愿花大笔钱，容忍诸多不便去获得阳光，因为阳光对他们来说太难得了。由于冬季白天很短，像伦敦、哥本哈根和阿姆斯特丹的居民在冬季的大部分时间里，都是在昏暗中度过的，而其余的季节又都是阴雨连绵。这就是地中海地区成为人们向往之地的原因。每年夏天，有2500多万旅游者来到地中海的一些旅游胜地和海滨度假。他们都是为了同一个原因而来：日光！
众多原因的游客意味着为地中海地区的国家带来巨大的经济财富。每年夏季，意大利的3万多家旅馆全部客满，而且还有1300多万的游客要在法国的海滩，公园和路边宿营。西班牙那漫长的海岸线更成了众多旅游者慕名前往的地方，每年有1700多万游客，换句话说，旅游者与西班牙居民人数相当，即1:1。
但是，有一些迹象表明，旅游业的发展已超过该地区的承受能力。地中海已成了地球上污染最严重的海洋。而随着游客的增多，情况变得更糟。法国人想不出什么好办法来处理宿营在圣特罗佩周围的那些游客所丢掉的废物垃圾。而且在许多地方因为海水受到了污染，游泳已成为一种危险的运动。
然而，这些都没有破坏人们的兴致。每年到地中海观光的游客越来越多。很显然，他们不是为了清洁的海水和清静自在而前往的。他们忍受着交通堵塞的煎熬，而且似乎很喜欢拥挤的海滩。他们甚至不在乎污染。不管海水是怎样的污浊不堪，海岸线看起来仍是那么美。只要有阳光照耀，总要比坐在伦敦、柏林或奥斯陆的凄风冷雨中好得多。
Modern Sun Worshippers
People travel for a lot of reasons. Some tourists go to see battlefields or religious shrines. Others are looking for culture, or simply want to have their picture taken in front of famous places. But most European tourists are looking for a sunny beach to lie on.
Northern Europeans are willing to pay a lot of money and put up with a lot of inconveniences for the sun because they have so little of it. Residents of cities like London, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam spend a lot of their winter in the dark because the days are so short, and much of the rest of the year in the rain. This is the reason the Mediterranean has always attracted them. Every summer, more than 25 million people travel to Mediterranean resorts and beaches for their vacation. They all come for the same reason: sun!
The huge crowds mean lots of money for the economies of Mediterranean countries. Italy’s 30, 000 hotels are booked solid every summer. And 13 million people camp out on French beaches, parks, and roadsides. Spain’s long sandy coastline attracts more people than anywhere else. 37 million tourists visit yearly, or one tourist for every person living in Spain.
But there are signs that the area is getting more tourism that it can handle. The Mediterranean is already one of the most polluted seas on earth. And with increased tourism, it's getting worse. The French can’t figure out what to do with all the garbage left by campers around St. Tropez. And in many places, swimming is dangerous because of pollution.
None of this, however, is spoiling anyone's fun. The Mediterranean gets more popular every year with tourists. Obviously, they don't go there for clean water and solitude. They tolerate traffic jams and seem to like crowded beaches. They don't even mind the pollution. No matter how dirty the water is, the coastline still looks beautiful. And as long as the sun shines, it's still better than sitting in the cold rain in Berlin, London, or Oslo.
第八篇
变化中的中产阶级
美国把自己看成是一个中产阶级的国家。然而，中产阶级既不是一个真实的称号，也不会带来特别待遇。它更是一个观念，一个也许在第二次世界大战之后会变得更加正确的观念。那时，美国经济不断增长，越来越多的人拥有了自己的家庭，工人们和雇佣自己的公司签订了可靠的合同，并且几乎所有想受到高等教育的人能够接受教育。成功的
人士享受这种上升的社会流动性。他们也许之前很穷，但是他们能够变得富有。成功人士同样发现他们有更好的地理流动性。换句话说，他们发现自己正移居并生活在各种各样的地方。
这些中产阶级都持有几种相同的价值观和原则。认为赚取足够金钱就可以决定自己经济命运的想法，是其中一种比较强烈的价值观。另外，中产阶级的道德观包括个人的责任感、家庭的重要性、对他人的使命感以及相信自我以外的事物。
但是在20世纪90年代，这些中产阶级的人们发现了成功的代价。1994年，《美国新闻与世界报道》的一篇调查称，75%的美国人认为中产阶级家庭无法收支相抵。现在夫妻双方以及他们的一些孩子都在工作；遥远的上下班路程变成了常态，儿童看护给家庭带来了很大压力，并且公立学校已经不如以前那样好了。中产阶级的成员不再通过薪水来支付他们的生活所需，而是通过使用信用卡来维持生活。对于中产阶级的理解正在发生变化
The Changing Middle Class
The United States perceives itself to be a middle-class nation. However，middle class is not a real designation，nor does it carry privileges.1 It is more of a perception，which probably was as true as it ever could be right after World War II. The economy was growing，more and more people owned their own homes，workers had solid contracts with the companies that employed them，and nearly everyone who wanted a higher education could have one. Successful people enjoyed upward social mobility. They may have started out poor，but they could become rich. Successful people also found that they had greater geographic mobility. In other words，they found themselves moving to and living in a variety of places.
The middle class collectively holds several values and principles. One strong value is the need to earn enough money to feel that one can determine one's own economic fate. In addition，middle class morality embraces principles of individual responsibility，importance of family, obligations to others，and believing in something outside oneself. 2
But in the 1990s those in the middle class found that there was a price for success. A U. S.News & World Report survey in 1994 indicated that 75 percent of Americans believed that middle class families could no longer make ends meet 3. Both spouses now worked，as did some of the children; long commutes became routine; the need for child care put strains on4 the family; and public schools were not as good as they once were. Members of the middle cIass were no longer financing their lifestyles through earnings but were using credit to stay afloat. The understanding of just what middle class meant was changing.
词汇：
designation /dezig'nei??n/ n. 称号commute /k?'mju:t/ n. 上下班路程
mobility /m?u'bil?ti/ n. 流动性
第九篇单亲幼儿最出色
单亲母亲在抚养孩子方面比双亲要好——至少在鸟的世界是这样的。母斑胸草雀必须在努力工作并且亲自抚养较少的鸟，但是她们抚养的雄性后代更有吸引力，更容易得到配偶。
这个发现显示家庭冲突是与捕食和食物提供方式这样的生态因素同样重要的进化推动力。身边有双亲就总有利益冲突，这会对后代的质量产生的害的影响。
从进化的角度讲，在动物界，任何一个父亲或母亲的最佳策略是让他人来照顾后代，这样，他们就可以集中精力再次繁殖后代了。所以父母之间很自然就出现了相互推卸的责任的现象。但是兰卡斯特大学的IanHartley及他的工作组想知道家庭是如何解决这个冲突的，以及冲突本身是如何影响后代的。
为了找到答案他们衡量斑胸草雀抚养它们的子女花了多少力气。他们监控每个母亲或父亲采集的食物量，以及移动或增加小鸟，因此每对草雀养4只小鸟，每只单身母雀养两只——假定这是相同的工作量。通过这些方法他们对单身母雀和成对草雀做了比较。
但是他们发现单身母雀比与配偶共同抚养后代的母雀多付出25%。如果公雀太懒的话，为了避免筋疲力尽，有配偶的母雀并不十分努力工作。这样做的后果就是后代付出代价。Hartley说：“后代要为这种冲突付出某些代价。”
这种代价不是表现在身材和体重的锐减，而是表现在他们对异性有多大吸引力上。当小
鸟长大后，研究者通过提供给雌性她们所选择的伴侣的方法检验雄性后代的健康情况。那些由单身母亲扶养大的雄性比由父母抚养大的雄性更多地被选中。
研究鸟类父母冲突的剑桥大学动词学家rebeccaKilner说，很久以来人们就认为两性之间的冲突会影响对后代的照顾。"但是试验证据并不充分，这个突破主要是以经验来显示这种影响的。"
Kilner说更为令人惊讶的是Hartley说这种冲突可能会严重影响行为的进化、窝卵数目甚至外表。Hartley说：“人们并没真正确定这种联系。”人们通常认为雌性的繁殖策略受捕食和食物提供方式的影响。Kilner说父母之间的冲突现在也应该被考虑在内了。
Single-parent Kids Do Best
Single mums are better at raising their kids than two parents—at least in the bird world. Mother zebra finches have to work harder and raise fewer chicks on their own, but they also produce more attractive sons who are more likely to get a mate.
The finding shows that family conflict is as important an evolutionary driving force as ecological factors such as hunting and food supply. With two parents around, there’s always a conflict of interests, which can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the offspring.
In evolutionary terms, the best strategy for any parent in the animal world is to find someone else to care for their offspring, so they can concentrate on breeding again. so it’s normal for parents to try to pass the buck to each other. But Ian Hartley from the University of Lancaster and his team wondered how families solve this conflict, and how the conflict itself affects the offspring.
To find out, they measured how much effort zebra finch parents put into raising their babies. They compared ingle females with pairs, by monitoring the amount of food each parent collected, and removing or adding chicks so that each pair of birds was raising four chicks, and each single mum had two—supposedly the same amount of work.
But single mums, they found, put in about 25 per cent more effort than females rearing with their mate. To avoid being exploited, mothers with a partner hold back from working too hard if the father is being lazy, and it’s the chicks that pay the price. “The offspring suffer some of the cost of this conflict,”says Hartley.
The cost does not show in any obvious decrease in size or weight, but in how attractive they are to the opposite sex. When the chicks were mature, the researchers tested the “fitness”of the male offspring by offering females their choice of partner. Those males reared by single mums were chosen more often than those from two-parent families.
Sexual conflict has long been tough to affect the quality of care given to offspring, says zoologist Rebecca Kilner at Cambridge University, who works on conflict of parents in birds. “But the experimental evidence is not great. The breakthrough here is showing it empirically.”
More surprising, says Kilner, is Hartley’s statement that conflict may be a strong influence on the evolution of behaviour, clutch size and even appearance. “People have not really made that link,”says Hartley. A female’s reproductive strategy is usually thought to be affected by hunting and food supply. Kilner says conflict of parents should now be taken into account as well.
第十篇 A Letter from Alan
I have learnt of a plan to build three hundred houses on the land called Parson's Place by the football ground. Few people know about this new plan to increase the size of our town. For me，Parson's Place is special because it is a beautiful natural area where local people can relax - the small wood has many unusual trees and the stream is popular with fishermen and bird-watchers.
It's very quiet because there are few houses or roads nearby. I think that losing this area will be terrible because we have no other similar facilities in the neighbourhood.
I am also against this plan because it will cause traffic problems. How will the people from the new houses travel to work? The motorway and the railway station are on the other side of town.
Therefore，these people will have to drive through the town centre every time they go anywhere.
The roads will always be full of traffic，there will be nowhere to park and the tourists who come to see our lovely old buildings will leave. Shops and hotels will lose business. If the town really needs more homes，the empty ground beside the railway station is a more suitable place.
No doubt the builders will make a lot of money by selling these houses. But，in my opinion，the average person will quickly be made poorer by this plan. As well as this，we will lose a very special place and our town will be much less pleasant.
I am going to the local government offices on Monday morning to protest about this plan and I hope that your readers will join me there. We must make them stop this plan before it is too late.
词汇:
facility /f??sil?ti/ n. 场所，设施protest /pr?u?test/ v. 抗议
motorway / …m?ut?wei / n. 高速公路
艾伦的来信
我听说了一个要在叫Parson公园上建造三百所房子的计划。没有几个人知道这个打算将我们的城镇扩大的计划。对我来说，Parson公园是非常特别的，因为它是一个美丽的天然公园，当地人可以在此放松休息。这片小树林里有许多独特的树木并且这里的小溪受到了渔夫和野鸟观察者的欢迎。这里很安静因为附近只有几所房子和几条公路。我认为失去这片公园会很糟糕，因为在这附近我们没有其他与其相似的公园了。
我反对这项计划也是因为它将会引起交通问题。住在新房子的人们将如何去工作呢？高速公路和地铁站在城镇的另一端。因此，这些人每次出行的时候将不得不驱车穿越城镇中心。公路上将总是有很多车辆，没有地方停车，并且来参观我们这儿可爱的老式建筑物的观光者将会离开这里。商店和旅馆将赔钱。如果这个城镇真的需要更多的房子，那片在地铁站附近的空地是一个更合适的地方o
毫无疑fe，通过出售这些房子建筑商们会赚很多钱。但是，在我看来，每个人将会因这个计划的实施而快速地变穷。不但如此，我们将失去一个非常特别的地方，并且我们的城镇将会失去很多快乐。
我将在周一早上到当地政府办公室抗议这项计划，并且我希望你们这些读者将会和我一起去那里。我们必须让他们停止这项计划，否则就来不及了。
第十一篇
芭蕾舞的发展
芭蕾舞是一种历史悠久的舞蹈形式。事实上芭蕾舞延续至今说明了其随着时代的变化而有所调整。
在文艺复兴时期，芭蕾舞开始于皇家宫廷。在那时，芭蕾舞在国王、王后以及贵族之间变得普遍，并且与音乐、诗歌以及舞蹈一起参与盛会的表演。当这些娱乐形式从意大利宫廷流传到法国宫廷的时候，宫女们开始参与进来。虽然她们的长裙子阻碍了很多的动作，但是她们能够表演复杂的步伐。直到17世纪女舞者缩短了她们的裙子，改穿平底鞋，并且开始做一些男舞者表演的跳跃和转圈动作。
而且也是在17世纪，专业的芭蕾舞舞蹈团应运而生。法国国王路易十四建立了皇家舞蹈学院，而他本身就是一个芭蕾舞爱好者。由此正式确定了脚的5个基本位置，这5个外开的位置成为发展色蕾舞技术的基础。18世纪末，发生了另一个重要的改变。芭蕾舞幵始通过自己的表演来讲述故事。它再也不仅仅是幕间表演的插舞〗精致的假发和服装被淘汰。在19世纪初，舞者学会了用脚尖站立使其看起来像是在漂浮。
正如我们所知，现如今古典芭蕾主要受到了俄罗斯舞蹈的影响。在19世纪中叶，当欧洲其他国家对于芭蕾舞的兴趣有所减少时，俄罗斯人始终保持着对芭蕾舞的兴趣。在20世纪初，最有影响力的人物之一便是谢尔盖?基列夫。他的舞蹈公司俄罗斯芭蕾舞团，为芭蕾带来了新的动力与活力。他的主要助手之一，乔治?巴兰钦，在1948年建立了纽约市芭蕾舞舞蹈团并影响了新一代的舞者。
The Development of Ballet
Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.
Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，
and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones，court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement，they were able to perform elaborate walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers
shortened their skirts，changed to flat shoes，and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.
It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France，himself a devoted dancer，founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.
Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid -1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His dance company，the Ballets Russes，brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his
chief assistants，George Balanchine，went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.
词汇:
adjust / ?' d??st/v. 调整eliminate /i'limineit/ v. 淘汰
pageant / 'p?d? ?nt / n. 盛会influential / influ'en??l/adj. 有影响力的
第十二篇走私
用空运邮件把宠物从哥伦比亚送到纽约并非什么新鲜事，但去年12月，一只空运而来的4岁牧羊犬引起了纽约肯尼迪海关一位检查员的注意。这只狗看上去已奄奄一息，而在它身体的一侧有一个可疑的肿块。通过X射线检查和外科手术，发现狗的腹内被植入了10个避孕套，里面塞满了总计5英磅的可卡因——这是反毒战争中该海关创下的又一个第一。
说到运输毒品，走私者用尽了各种可以想象得到的办法，大块的可卡因常被隐藏在装运毒蛇箱子的假底板下面。“有时你面对的是12英尺长的蛇，”一位美国海关的鱼类及野生动物检查员说——毒品有时就藏在蛇腹中——“谁会把它弄出来检查检查呢？”
1994年，美国海关共查获204391磅可卡因，559289磅大麻以及2577磅海洛因，实际流入这个国家的毒品数量不得而知。一些海关官员估计，大约只有10%偷运进来的毒品被查获。在迈阿密，地方检察官对那持少量毒品的人甚至不予起诉。“只有数量超过5公斤可卡因、1公斤海洛因、5000磅以上的大座，或是事情已引起新闻界的关注，我们无法阻止时才会予以起诉。”退休官员汤姆?卡什说。
面对如此庞大的毒品走私数量，人们只能怀疑海关究竟是否被走私者采用的花招搞糊涂了。“只有我们没见过的方法，”迈阿密海关特别官员约翰?麦克希说，“但从没有什么令我们真正吃惊。”
Smuggling
It is not unusual for a pet to be sent by air cargo from Colombia to New York, but last December’s shipment of a 4-year-old sheep dog caught a New York Kennedy Airport Customs inspector's eye. The dog looked to be on its last legs, and there was an unusual lump on the side of its body. An X-ray and emergency surgery revealed the presence of 10 condoms tightly packed with five pounds of cocaine that had been surgically implanted in the dog's abdomen—yet another first for Customs in the war on drugs.
When it comes to transporting drugs, the methods used are only as limited as a smuggler’s imagination. Kilo bricks of cocaine are routinely concealed beneath false bottoms of containers that hold poisonous snakes. “You’ve got snakes that are 12 feet long,”says a United States Fish
and Wildlife Service agent—and sometimes the drug is in the snake. “Who's going to pull it out and feel it? “
In 1994, United States Customs seized 204, 391 pounds of cocaine, 559, 286 pounds of marijuana and 2, 577 pounds of heroin. Just how much actually flows into the country is anyone's guess. Some Customs officials estimate that only 10 percent of the drugs coming into the country are ever seized. In Miami, the District Attorney won't even prosecute small fry. “It’s got to be over five kilos of cocaine, above a kilo of heroin and more than 5, 000 pounds of marijuana or it's not something that we’re going to stop the presses on,”says Tom Cash, a retired agent.
Given this deluge, one can only wonder if agents are ever confounded by some of the smuggling methods. “There are things we haven’t seen before,”says John McGhee, a Miami Customs special agent, “but nothing really surprises us.”
第十三篇芭比娃娃
20世纪40年代中期，雄心壮志的年轻夫妇露丝，埃利奥特?汉德勒就有了一家生产木制图画框架的公司。1945年，露丝，埃利奥特?汉德勒夫妇与他们的好友麦特森合开了一家公司。公司由于制造了最有名最成功的娃娃而人人知晓。公司起名叫“MA TTEL”（麦特尔）。“MA TT”代表麦特森（MATTSON）“EL”代表埃利奥特（ELLIOT）。
20世纪50年代中期，露丝和埃利奥特?汉德勒游览瑞士时买了一个德国“莉莉”娃。“莉莉”是一个线条优美，漂亮又很时尚的娃娃。1955年第一次制作。她最早是根据《西德时事通讯》中的一个著名漫画人物——碧尔德塑造的。
莉莉这个娃娃唤起了露丝?汉德勒设计芭比娃的灵感。在工艺和工程师的帮助下，芭比娃诞生了。而后，露丝雇用了一名时装设计师洛特?约翰逊设计芭比娃的全部衣物。并于1958年获得了芭比娃的专利。她是一个时髦的娃娃，不同于这一时代的其他娃娃。她的腿长，线条优美，面庞娇美，只有11.5英寸高。露丝和埃利奥特就以自己女儿的名字芭比为新型的娃娃命名。
1959年，芭比娃参加了纽约玩具展览，买者的反应很冷淡。
这些年来，芭比娃经历了很多变化，在发式、装束、衣着方面都设法与时代潮流保持同步。自从她进入了玩具市场，就成了时尚史的反映。
芭比娃对所有的人都有吸引力，无论年老的年少的收集者都喜欢和芭比共度时光，享受对她的回忆。
The Barbie Dolls
In the mid 1940’s, the young ambitions duo Ruth and Ellison Handler, owned a company that made wooden pictures frames. It was in 1945 that Ruth and Elliot Handler joined with their close friend Harold Mattson to form a company that would be known for the most famous and successful doll ever created. This company would be named Mattel, MATT for Mattson and EL for Elliot!
In the mid 1950's, while visiting Switzerland, Ruth Handler purchased a German Lilly doll. Lilly was a shapely, pretty fashion doll first made in 1955. She was originally fashioned after a famous cartoon character in the West German Newsletter, Build.
Lilly is the doll that would inspire Ruth Handler to design the Barbie doll. With the help of her technicians and engineers at Mattel, Barbie was born. Ruth then hired Charlotte Johnson, a fashion designer, to create Barbie's wardrobe. It was in 1958 that the patent for Barbie was obtained. This would be a fashion doll unlike any of her time. She would be long limbed, shapely, beautiful, and only 11.5 inches tall. Ruth and Elliot would name their new fashion doll after their own daughter, Barbie.
In 1959, the Barbie doll would make her way to the New York Toy Show and receive a cool reception from the toy buyers.
Barbie has undergone a lot of changes over the years and has managed to keep up with current trends in hairstyles, makeup and clothing. She is a reflection of the history of fashion since her introduction to the toy market.
Barbie has a universal appeal and collectors both young and old enjoy time spent and memories made with their dolls.
第十四篇睡眠
我们都知道人们每天正常活动的周期是大约7~8小时的睡眠与大约16~17小时的清醒相交替。而且，一般说来，睡眠通常与黑夜的长短相一致。我们目前关心的是要改变这一周期可以多简单，并且可以改变到何种程度。
这不仅仅是一个简单的学术问题。例如，在工业上，在需要机器24小时连续工作的自动化操作中，使人们从白天工作变为晚上工作变得越来越重要了。通常一个人需要五天至一周的时间来适应与常规生活颠倒的睡眠时间和清醒时间，即白天睡觉，晚上工作。不幸的是，在工业上，工作班次每星期都变换的事经常发生；如一个人第一星期要从午夜12点工作到上午8点，下一个星期从上午点工作到下午休点，第三个星期又从下午休点工作到午夜以继日2点等等。这就意味着，他刚刚习惯了一种方式又不得不改为另一种。因此，他的很多工作和休息时间都不能得到效率的利用。
让每一班次都维持较长一段时间，一个月，甚至三个月，这似乎是一种解决方法。然而，荷兰人邦杰近来的研究结果表明，按照这些体制工作的人在周末会恢复他们通常的睡眠和清醒的习惯。而这已足够破坏其一周以来培养起来的对夜晚工作的适应性。
惟一真正的解决方法看来是将晚班交给一组在所有周末和假日里都能保持夜间不困永久做晚班的人。布朗曾做过一个关于上晚班的工人的家庭生活和健康状况的有趣的研究。她发现在那些早晚班换来换去的人群中，失眠，消化系统紊乱和家庭分裂有较高的发生率，但是在那些永久做晚班的人中这种反常征兆却没有。
Sleep
We all know that the normal human daily cycle of activity is of some 7-8 hour’s sleep alternating with some 16-17 hours' wakefulness and that, broadly speaking, the sleep normally coincides with the hours of darkness. Our present concern is with how easily and to what extent this cycle can be modified.
The question is no mere academic one. The case, for example, with which people can change from working in the day to working at night, is a question of growing importance in industry where automation calls insistently for round-the-clock working of machines. It normally takes from five days to one week for a person to adapt to a reversed routine of sleep and wakefulness, sleeping during the day and working at night. Unfortunately, it is often the case in industry that shifts are changed every week; a person may work from 12 midnight to 8 a. m. one week, 8 am to 4 pm the next, and 4 pm to 12 midnight the third and so on. This means that no sooner has he got used to one routine than he has to change to another, so that much of his time is spent neither working nor sleeping very efficiently.
One answer would seem to be longer periods on each shift, a month, or even three months. Recent research by Bonjer of the Netherlands, however, has shown that people on such systems will revert to their normal habits of sleep and wakefulness during the week-end and the this is quite enough to destroy any adaptation to night work built up during the week.
The only real solution appears to be to hand over the night shift to a corps of permanent night
workers whose nocturnal wakefulness may persist through all weekends and holidays. An interesting study of the domestic life and health of night-shift workers was carried out by Brown. She found a high incidence of disturbed sleep, digestive disorder and domestic disruption among those on alternating day and night shifts, but no abnormal occurrence of these symptoms among those on permanent night work.
第十五篇轨道航天飞机
当科学家们在寻找哥伦比亚号灾难的起因时，国家航空航天局已开始着手于新型飞行器的开发计划。这种飞行器将在2012年之前取代现有的穿梭机执行空间站任务，并且能对紧急情况作出迅速反应。
几天前，国家航空航天局公布了轨道航天飞机的第一批任务要求，它的设计必须能够运送四名机组人员往返空间站。
尽管没有透露很多细节，这项计划保证了飞机更为安全，价格更低，准备时间也少于穿梭机。在2012年前，它将可以运送四名成员，但在2010年前，它就将可以执行救援任务。国家航空航天局表示，这一飞行器能够在24小时之内将受伤或生病的空间站工作人员运送到最权威的医疗机构。
新计划的公布表明了尽管2003年2月1日哥伦比亚号坠毁及其7名机组人员丧生所带来的问题仍然存在，国家航空航天局仍旧关注于其在太空探索领域的长期优势所在。
位于阿拉巴马州汉茨威尔的马歇尔太空飞行中心的专家们近年来一直致力于飞行器继任者的研究。“空间发射倡议”在去年被分为两部分：一部分聚焦于未来的发射装置，另一部分则着力于轨道航天飞机。而轨道航天飞机将会更快实现。
该项目的负责人说，国家航空航天局的官员们告诉他们不要因为哥伦比亚号灾难而改变这一项目。
美国总统布什已经向国会要求10亿美元，用于2004年该项目的研究。这一资金将平分给轨道航天飞机项目及新一代发射技术项目。
Orbital Space Plane
While scientists are searching the cause of the Columbia disaster, NASA is moving ahead with plans to develop a new craft that would replace shuttles on space station missions by 2012 and respond quickly to space station emergencies.
The space agency released the first set of mission needs and requirements several days ago for the orbital space plane, which would be designed to transport a crew of four to and from the Interational Space Station.
Although it includes few specifics, the plan stipulates the orbiter will be safer, cheaper and require less preparation time than the shuttle. It would be able to transport four crew members by 2012- though it would be available for rescue missions by 2010. NASA says the craft should be able to transport injured or ill space station crew members to “definitive”medical care within 24 hours.
The release of the requirements showed NASA remains focused on the long –term priorities of space exploration, even as questions linger concerning the loss of Columbia and its seven-member crew on February 1,2003.
Experts at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama,have been working for years on a successor to the shuttle. The project, known as the Space Launch Initiative,was divided last year into two parts –one focusing on a future launch vehicle, the other on a space station orbiter. The orbiter is expected to be ready sooner.
The program’s managers say NASA officials have told them not to alter Space Launch
Initiative in light of the Columbia disaster.
US President George W.Bush asked Congress for about US＄1 billion for Space Launch Initiative in 2004, funds that would be almost equally split between the Orbital Space Plane and NextGeneration Launch Technology.
第十六篇撒哈拉沙漠
撒哈拉这个名字起源于阿拉伯谱单词“沙漠”或“干草原”。位于北非的撒哈拉沙漠是世界上最大的沙漠，占地350万平方英里，大概相当于美国的大小。它横跨大西洋与红海间的大陆。日间气温可高达华氏130度。湿度有时会在13% ~ 19% ,但也可低达2. 5% ,为世界最低湿度。撒哈拉沙漠的绝大多数地区每年的降雨量低于&英寸，但多年来大面积地区根本没下过雨。
位于哈拉沙漠中心的是北非的内陆国尼日尔。这里的沙丘可高达100英尺，长至几英里。在这里，被沙漠覆盖的地区没有水和城镇，其面积大于德国。然而有一个叫做比尔马的镇子坐落于环绕的沙漠中间。忽然间可看见好多个清澈的水潭。令人惊奇的是，那里还有椰枣林。在干河床和洼地处可找到充足的地下水资源或者绿洲来支持灌溉农业。灌溉沟渠通过一条小溪到达水田中。在这些田地里种植着玉米、木薯、茶叶、花生、辣椒、橘子树、酸橙树和柚子树。青草上放养着驴和山羊。
在尼日尔的撒哈拉地区，你仍然可以看到500只被系起来的骆驼排成一条宽松的队伍，组成一个长达1英里的驼队，朝这样的绿洲城镇走去。在那里，驼队会收集从潮湿的盆地中开采出来用于维持生命的盐，然后运回到位于400英里开外的、沙漠边缘的居住地。这种穿过广阔沙漠的往返行程需要一个月的时间。
The Sahara
The name Sahara derives from the Arabic word for "desert" or "steppe". At 3. 5 million square miles，an area roughly the size of the United States，the Sahara Desert in northern Africa is the largest desert in the world. lt spans the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Daytime temperatures can reach as high as 130°F. The humidity sometimes gets into the teens. But it can also be as low as 2. 5 percent，the lowest in the world. Most of the Sahara receives less than five inches of rain per year，while large areas sometimes have no rainfall at all for years.
At the heart of the Sahara is the landlocked north African country of Niger. Here the sand dunes can be 100 feet tall and several miles long. Here sand plains stretch over an area larger than Germany where there is neither water nor towns. Yet sitting in the midst of the surrounding desert is the town of Bilma. Suddenly there are pools of cIear water. Surprisingly，there are groves of date palms. Underground water resources，or oases，sufficient to support irrigated agriculture are found in dry stream beds and depressions. Irrigation ditches run off a creek to water fields. Corn，cassava，tea，peanuts，hot peppers，and orange，lime，and grapefruit trees grow in these fields. Donkeys and goats graze on green grass.
The Sahara of Niger is still a region where you can see a camel caravan of 500 camels tied together in loose lines as long as a mile，traveling toward such oasis towns. There a caravan will collect life-sustaining salt，which is mined from watery basins，and transport it up to 400 miles back to settlements on the edges of the desert. The round trip across the vast sands takes one month.
词汇:
Humidity /hju'mId ?t l/ n. 湿度irrigate / ' lrlgelt/ v. 灌溉
stretch / stret?/ v. 伸展camel /'k m ?l/ n. 骆驼
date palms n. 椰枣树
第十七篇引人注目的埃菲尔铁塔
世界各地的人们都来到大约300米高，接近埃菲尔铁塔顶端的地方涂鸦。日本人、巴西人、美国人在这块冰冷的铁上涂上自己的名字、喜好和政治观点，使这最具有法兰西色彩的
纪念碑成为动感世界的象征。
从塔上可以看到巴黎市的远景，但奇怪的是观光者们宁愿花时间留下到此一游的痕迹，也不去观赏风景。但这些涂鸦者也引起了一个问题：为什么在建成114年后，埃菲尔铁塔仍然这么受欢迎？尽管它在几十年前就已经不是世界上最高的建筑物了。
这个问题的答案就像那构成90层的铁塔的工程一样复杂。一部分的理由是，毫无疑问，铁塔是永不过时的。周期性的维护使得它永远不会被腐蚀掉。埃菲尔铁塔定期油漆，覆盖那些涂鸦，但是它仍将继续存在下去。
“埃菲尔是巴黎的象征，而巴黎又代表了法国。所以，埃菲尔十分具有象征性。”Hugues Richard说道。这位31岁的法国人保持着在19分零4秒的时间内骑行车经过747级台阶登上铁塔上铁塔二层的纪录。“这是铁娘子，能让人产生灵感。”他说。
但是它能使人们产生怎样的灵感呢？毕竟，铁塔并没有任何目的。1930年纽约的Chrysler大厦取代它成为世界上最高的建筑。但是电视和广播信号仍然从塔顶发送出来，而Gustave Eiffel,这个狂热的建造者利用它的高度进行气象学、空气动力学和无线电传输的研究。他在12月台票27日逝世，终年91岁。
本质上来说，铁塔伫立在那儿本身就是一个灵感——它就像一张空白的画布，任游客遐想。对于那些善于从技术角度考虑问题的人来说，它是一个工程上的胜利；而对于恋人们来说，它则象征着浪漫。
“这座塔将在我们所有的人离去后长久存在。”埃菲尔铁塔管理公司的说Isabelle Esnous。
Eiffel Is an Eyeful
Some 300 meters up, near the Eiffel Tower’s wind-whipped summit the world comes to scribble. Japanese, Brazilians. Americans—they graffiti their names, loves and politics on the cold iron—transforming the most French of monuments into symbol of a world on the move.
With Pairs laid out in miniature below, it seems strange that visitors would rather waste time marking their presence than admiring the view. But the graffiti also raises a question: Why, nearly 114 years after it was completed, and decades after it ceased to be the world’s tallest structure, is la Tour Eiffel still so popular?
The reasons are as complex as the iron work that graces a structure some 90 stories high. But part of the answer is, no doubt, its agelessness, regularly maintained, it should never rust away. Graffiti is regularly painted over, but the tower lives on.
“Eiffel represents Paris and Paris is France. It is very symbolic,”says Hugues Richard, a 31-year-old Frenchman who holds the record for cycling up to the tower’s second floor—747 steps in 19 minutes and 4 seconds, without touching the floor with his feet. “It’s iron lady, it inspires us,”he says.
But to what? After all, the tower doesn’t have a purpose. It ceased to be the world’s tallest in 1930 when the Chrysler Building went up in New York. Yes, television and radio signals are beamed from the top, and Gustave Eiffel, a frenetic builder who died on December 27, aged 91, used its height for conducting research into weather, aerodynamics and radio communication.
But in essence the tower inspires simply by being there---a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will. To the technically minded, it’s an engineering triumph. For lovers, it’s romantic.
“The tower will outlast all of us, and by a long way,”says Isabelle Esnous, whose company manages Eiffel Tower.
第十八篇美国教育的目标
教育是美国人的生活中很重要的一部分，花销也大。基规模宏大，种类多样。
与其他大多数国家相比，美国教育处的不同在于美国教育是为每一个人设置的——不只是为享有特权的优等生。学校是要满足每个孩子的需要，不论其能力如何，同时也要满足社会本身的需求。这意味着公共学校提供的教育不只限于学术方面的课程。很多人来到美国之后会吃惊地发现高中除了提供传统课程，例如：数学、历史和语言之外，他们还提供一些课程如打字、缝纫、无线电修理、计算机课程，或驾驶训练课程。学生选择课程是根据个人喜好，目标以及能力水平。美国教育潜在目标是将每一个孩子的能力最充分发挥出来，培养每一个孩子的公民和社区觉悟感。
成千上万的移民者涌入到这个国家，他们的出身背景不同。习惯上，学校在建立民族团结以及使移民者叛国化两方面起着重大的作用。学校在社区中，尤其在小城镇，仍然起着重要作用。
大家对美国的教学方法似乎也很陌生。因为这种教学方法不仅不正式，而且不把重点放在学习具体知识上。相反，美国人教孩子独立思考，教他们自己去开发自己的智慧以及创造能力。学生花很多时间学习怎样使用参考资料、图书馆、数据以及计算机。美国人认为只要孩子具有好的推理能力，好的研究方法，他们就能在以后找到自己所需的具体知识。并认为懂得怎样解决问题比积累事实更重要。
在这个变化万千的时代里，全世界细心的父母都问着一个尖锐深刻的问题：“怎样为孩子的明天做准备呢？孩子的明天既不能预料也不能理解。”上述的教学方法正是美国对这一问题的回答。
Goal of American Education
Education is an enormous and expensive part of American life. Its size is matched by its variety.
Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other countries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone —not just for a privileged elite. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child, regardless of ability, and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing, sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training, along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics, history, and languages. Students choose their curricula depending on their interests, future goals, and level of ability. The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities, and to give each one a sense of civic and community consciousness.
Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and “Americanizing”the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in the small towns.
The approach to teaching may seem unfamiliar to many, not only because it is informal, but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts. Instead, Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time, learning how to use resource materials, libraries, statistics and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well, they will be able to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts.
This is America's answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world
职称英语阅读理解 文稿归稿存档编号：[KKUY-KKIO69-OTM243-OLUI129-G00I-FDQS58-MG129]
【经典资料，ＷＯＲＤ文档，可编辑修改】 【经典考试资料，答案附后，看后必过，ＷＯＲＤ文档，可修改】 第二十七篇Driven to Distraction Joe Coyne slides into the driver’s seat, starts up the car and heads1 to town. The empty stretch of interstate gives way to urban congestion2, and Coyne hits the brakes as a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street in front of him. But even if he hadn’t stopped in time, the woman would have been safe. She isn’t real. Neither is the town. And Coyne isn’t really driving. Coyne is demonstrating a computerized driving simulator that is helping researchers at Old Dominion University3 (ODU) examine how in-vehicle guidance systems affect the person behind the wheel.4 The researchers want to know if such systems, which give audible or written directions, are too distracting — or whether any distractions are offset5 by the benefits drivers get from having help finding their way in unfamiliar locations.6 “We are looking at the performance and mental workload of drivers,” said Caryl Baldwin, the assistant psychology professor lending the research, which involves measuring drivers reaction time and brain activity as they respond to auditory and visual cues7. The researchers just completed a study of the mental workload8 involved in driving through different kinds of environments and heavy
第四十一篇 Too Little for Global Warming Oil and gas will run out1 too fast for doomsday global warming scenarios2 to materialize, according to a controversial new analysis presented this week at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. The authors warn that all the fuel will be burnt before there is enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to realize predictions of melting ice caps and searing temperatures. Defending their predictions, scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change3 say they considered a range of estimates of oil and gas reserves, and point out that coal-burning could easily make up4 the shortfall. But all agree that burning coal would be even worse for the planet. The IPCC’s predictions of global meltdown pushed forward5 the 1997 Kyoto Protocol6, an agreement obliging signatory nations to cut CO2 emissions. The IPCC considered a range of future scenarios, from unlimited burning of fossil-fuels to a fast transition towards greener energy sources. But geologists Anders Sivertsson, Kjell Aleklett and Colin Campbell of Uppsala University say there is not enough oil and gas left even the most conservative of the 40 IPCC scenarios to come to pass7. 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 world’s 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 panel’s 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. “there’s 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 CO2for each unit of energy, as well as releasing large amounts of particulates. He says the latest
1.The V alue of Time时间的价值 1."Time" says the proverb "is money". This means that every moment well-spent may put some money into our pockets. If our time is usefully employed, it will either produce some useful and important piece of work which will fetch its price in the market, or it will add to our experience and increase our capacities so as to enable us to earn money when the proper opportunity comes. There can thus be no doubt that time is convertible into money. Let those who think nothing of wasting time remember this; let them remember that an hour misspent is equivalent to the loss of a banknote; and that an hour utilized is tantamount to so much silver or gold; and then they will probably think twice before they give their consent to the loss of any part of their time. 1.employ v. 使用，采用，雇佣，使忙于 employer n. 雇主，老板 employee n. 雇员，从业人员 employment n. 使用，职业，雇佣 Employment rate 就业率，雇用率 2.Either …or… 要么…要么…; 二者择一的 Neither… nor… 两者都不 Both… and… 两者都 3.fetch 取来，接来，到达 4.add to增添，添加，加强 5.so as to 以便，以致 6.enable sb to do sth 使得某人做某事 7.There is no doubt that…毫无疑问 8.think nothing of… 把… 视为平常 think a lot of… 看重；对… 高度评价 9.convertible adj. 可改变的，可交换的 convert v. … into… 使转变，转换，使…改变信仰 10.be equivalent to… 11.be tantamount to…相当于…; 无异于的 If you say one thing is tantamount to another, more serious thing, you are emphasizing how bad, unacceptable, or unfortunate the first thing is by comparing it to the second thing. 例句：What Bracey is saying is tantamount to heresy. 布里斯正在说的无异于异端邪说。 12.Think twice再三考虑，重新考虑 think twice about doing sth. 三思而后再决定做某事 13.Give one’s consent（n.）to sth…同意，赞成 例句：At approximately 11:30 p.m., pollard finally gave his consent to the search. 大约晚上11：30的时候，波拉得终于对搜查予以同意。
（英语）高三英语阅读理解解析版汇编 一、高中英语阅读理解 1．阅读理解 In America, parents tend to encourage their children to develop their potential (潜能) to the fullest extent. Fathers and mothers frequently teach their children both ambition and the confidence necessary to work toward their goals. American parents are always active in concentrating on what their kids can do, not what they can't. As a result, millions of American boys and girls grow up hoping to become actors and athletes, diplomats and doctors. Many of them even want to become president. American parents often encourage their children to become involved in extra activities of all types at school, such as student government, sports and music. They believe that only through taking part in these activities can their children become mature young adults. As we all know, school work is important. But parents should realize that the social skills their children learn from natural conversations with each other are as important as schoolwork and the skills they will need in the future work. What's more important in their work is that their children should have a sound knowledge of physics or the ability to communicate effectively. As a rule, Chinese parents don't educate their children about the same kind of ambition and confidence as Americans do, nor do they encourage the same level of participation in extra activities. Children are typically advised to study hard and pass exams. They have to spend a lot of time in doing much schoolwork every day. It is a great waste of time to do so. Now more and more Chinese parents have recognized that they should pay attention to developing the potential of their children. I hope that leaders in Chinese educational circles should take some measures to develop the potential of their children. I am very confident about it. （1）From the passage, we know the American parents pay much more attention to . A. the social skills than Chinese parents B. their children's studying hard and well C. what their children want but they can't D. extra activities than schoolwork （2）According to the passage, Chinese parents . A. know more than American parents to educate their children B. owning ambition and confidence is necessary and important C. pay much more attention to their children's fine future D. don't encourage their children to participate in extra activities （3）From the passage, we can infer . A. American children are brave and adventurous B. American children are more active in their studies C. Chinese children have the ability to communicate effectively D. something should be done to develop the potential of the children in China （4）What's the writer's attitude towards Chinese education reform? A. Neutral. B. Indifferent. C. Positive. D. Negative. 【答案】（1）A
Stress Level Tied to Education Level 1.Stress level is closely related to. social status. 2.The1,031adults were interviewed. on a daily basis for 8 days. 3.Which group reported the biggest number of stressful days? People with college degrees. 4.The less advantaged people are, the greater. the impact of stress on their health is. 5.Less-educated people report fewer days of stress possibly because. Stress is too common a factor in their life. Medical Journals 1.The main readers of medical journals are. health professionals. 2.Which of the following statements is NOT true? Most medical journals publish only online. 3.How many major types of articls are mentioned in the passage? Five. 4.An article dealing with results from different studies on the same topic is called. A research article. 5.Letters to the editor enable readers of a medical journal to express comments on. Articles published in that journal. Need for Emphasis on Treatment 1.Which is true of many AIDS sufferers in developing countries? They are not receiving any treatment. 2.The WHO publishes its World Health Report. Once a year. 3.According to Lee, our response to the AIDS disease is. A matter of great significance. 4.AIDS treatment programs may also result in. more effective prevention. 5.How many people have died of AIDS so far? More than 20 million. Heat and Health 1.More than 600 people died from heat in Chicago. In 1995. 2.What can piople learn from the Mean Heat Index? The average temperature of an extrem ely hot day. 3.A heat wave is a period of time during which. The weather is much hotter than usual. 4.Muscle pain in hot weather means that. Y our body needs more water. 5.For people who are not in good health,heat can. Be deadly. Losing W eight 1.The study showed that most of the girls. Had a healthy body weight. 2.What percentage of the girls considered themselves overweight? Nearly 30 percent. 3.The survey participants were girls. Who were 10 to 1 4. 4.What kind of institution does the lead researcher work with? A hospital. 5.Unhealthy attitudes about weight,body image and food may. Lead to an eating disorder. Pushbike Peril 1.According to the passage, some engineers are trying to improve the handlebars because. they are not noble enough. 2.In paragraph 2, the author mentions a study of serious abdominal iniuries. To tell us why Kristy Arbogast began the projict. 3.Paragraph 3 mainly discusses. how serious injuries occur. 4.The passage implies that. It is not easy to persuade manufacturers to adopt the new design. 5.In which of the following ways the handgrip work? It reduces the dangerous forces in bicycle accidents. Aate-night Erinking 1.The author mentions “pick-me-up”to indicate that. coffee is a stimulant. 2.Which of the following tells us how caffeine affects sleep? Caffeine halves the body’s levels of sleep hormone. 3.What does paragraph 3 mainly discuss? Different effects of caffeinated coffee and decaf on sleep. 4.What does the experiment mentioned in paragraph 4 prove? Caffeine drinkers produce less sleep hormone. 5.The author of this passage probably agrees that. we should not drink coffee after supper. Attitudes to AIDS Now 1.What do activists worry about? People may stop worrying about AIDS. 2.According to the passage, people’s attitude toward the cure of AIDS is. realistic. 3.The Gallup Poll shows that the number of people. Who think AIDS is the country’s top health killer has fallen. 4.According to the Kaiser Poll, which of the following is NOT correct? More and more people die of AIDS now.
Taking Pictures of the World Meet Annie Griffiths Belt,a National Geographic photographer.Belt has worked for National Geographic since 1978,and has taken pictures on almost every continent in the world.In fact,Antarctica is the only continent Belt hasn't seen yet. Belt's photographs are well known for their beauty and high quality.They also reflect very different cultures and regions of the world.Belt has photographed the ancient city of Petra, Jordan,as well as the green landscapes of the Lake District in England.Recently,her pictures appeared in a book about undeveloped natural places in North America. Everywhere that Belt goes,she takes pictures of people. Belt has found ways to connect with people of all ages and nationalities even when she does not speak their language." The greatest privilege of my job is being allowed into people's lives,"she has said."The camera is like a passport,and I am often overwhelmed by how quickly people welcome me!"
2013年职称英语真题理工C（含答案解析） 第1部分：词汇选项（第1～15题，每题1分，共15分） 下面每个句子中均有1个词或短语划有横线，请为每处划线部分确定1个意义最为接近的选项。 1. I tried to detach myself from the reality of these terrible events. A. bring B. separate C. put D. set 2. The odd thing was that he didn’t recognize me. A. real B. whole C. same D. strange 3. That performance was pretty impressive. A. completely B. very C. Beautifully D. equally 4. I grabbed his arm and made him turn to look at me. A. throw B. seized C. broke D. stretched 5. The frame needs to be strong enough to support the engine. A. structure B. bottom C. Surface D. top 6. We found shelter from the rain under the trees. A. defense B. protection C standing D. room 7. “There is no other choice.” She sa id in a harsh voice. A. firm B. soft C. deep D. unkind 8. Traffic reaches its rush hour between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning. A. border B. goal C. level D. peak 9. We have to change the public’s perception that money is everything. A. sight B. belief C. interest D. pressure 10. This was an unexceptionally brutal attack.
I watched from a distance as the homeless man quarreled with those who did not leave money for him – the majority. I walked up to him and right on queue he asked me for a quarter. ―I’ll give you a quarter if you tell me your story.‖ He laughed, ―You’ll give me a quarter for my story?‖ I lay the quarter in front of him and corrected myself –―Nah, here’s the quarter but it would be nice to hear your story.‖ I followed his eyes to the quarter and for a brief moment I saw a glimmer of reflection. I sat down next to him and waited. ―I was in the army,‖ he said. ―I was a sniper(狙击手)and was supposed to shoot down the enemy from the distance.‖ I listened carefully to his grizzly voice as he went deeper into the story. He wore dirty old torn clothes and smelled like a dead rat left in a mouse trap. He told me how he used to hunt with his family and was really good at it. He had his own way of respecting animals by not wasting what he killed for food and not killing more than he needed. When the army came knocking on his door, he felt pride and joined up. All those years of polishing his hunting skills could now serve a larger purpose—to defend us from the bad guys. He set out to fight in Iraq. It wasn’t long before he realized his ideals and expectations were just a shadow of the truth. He became disillusioned with the killings, which he felt were of innocent people. ―I was a sniper but I never really killed anyone,‖ he said. ―One day I had to do it. They asked me to shoot this lady from the distance. I saw kids near that lady and my hands were on the trigger (扳机). Man, I was tearing up ... I couldn’t do it. She wasn’t doing anything to anyone and she was with the kids—I couldn’t see through my tears. It just didn’t make any sense to me.‖ The story goes on as he describes eventually being put into prison for 180 days for refusing to follow orders. He told me how he was black listed so that he couldn’t get a job. All the rights we take for granted were taken away from him. Why? Here was a man who was being punished—and for what? For refusing to kill the lady? For being a hero? ―I have no regrets,‖ the homeless man said. ―I may be homeless now, but I never killed that lady. I never killed anyone in the army. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t go there to do that. I went there to save people.‖ He continued, ―I can live with being homeless—that’s okay. But I wouldn’t be able to live with killing innocent people.‖ On that lonely Friday night, I met a hero. It just never occurred to me that a hero could be a smelly old man left on streets. 1. It can be learned from the passage that the homeless man_______. （） A. never killed animals B. had a strong respect for life C. deserved the punishment he received D. felt guilty about disobeying the order
2013职称英语阅读理解英文及译文 2013年新增（一）阅读判断 1.第一篇：Taking Pictures of the world 2.*第十二篇：Starting a New Tradition （二）概括大意与完成句子 1.第五篇：US Signs Global Tobacco Treaty 2.第八篇：How We Form First Impression （三）阅读理解 1.第三篇：Shark Attack ！ 2.第五篇：The Travels of Ibn Battuta 12年新增的篇目：第1、8、10、11、16、19、20、26、30、33、34、35、37、38、47篇 13年新增的篇目：第3、5篇。 12年第8篇(C级)第33篇B级，第35篇A级2012年已考 职称英语阅读理解文章译文(参加综合A、B、C级考试需要掌握文章) 3 第一篇讲述关于人们的故事 Telling Tales about People 第二篇课外学习带来很大不同 4 Outside-the-classroom Learning Makes a Big Difference 5 第三篇小心鲨鱼 5 Shark Attack! 6 第四篇火鸡盛宴和感恩节的祝福 6 Feast on Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving 7 第五篇伊本白图泰游记7 The Travels of Ibn Battuta 8 第六篇看电视与长途汽车旅行9 TV Shows and Long Bus Trips 10 第七篇现代日光浴者10 Modern Sun Worshippers 11 第八篇变化中的中产阶级11 The Changing Middle Class 12 第九篇单亲幼儿最出色12 Single-parent Kids Do Best 13 第十篇艾伦的来信13 A Letter from Alan 14 第十一篇芭蕾舞的发展14 The Development of Ballet 15 第十二篇走私15 Smuggling 15 第十三篇芭比娃娃16 The Barbie Dolls 16 第十四篇睡眠17 Sleep 17
高考英语阅读理解专项训练及答案及解析 一、高中英语阅读理解 1．阅读理解 Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gaining global popularity. According to a government white paper, TCM has been introduced in 183 countries and regions around the world. Westerners' understanding of TCM, however, may be limited to acupuncture, cupping and massage(针灸，拔罐和按摩). For instance, the purple, injury-like marks left on U. S. swimmer Michael Phelps，back from cupping for the purpose of relaxing his muscles and reducing pain became the center of attention during the Rio Olympics in 2016. As a matter of fact, Chinese herbs play a more important role in getting rid of diseases and keeping the body in good condition in the TCM treatment system than physical treatment. It is therefore disheartening to know that while 103 World Health Organization member countries have given approval to the practice of acupuncture, not many recognize Chinese herbal medicine. TCM falls far behind Western medicine owing partly to the slow development of Chinese herbs. Herbs are made into pills, powder and soup, and the kind of herbs used, their quality and quantity, and the processing of the ingredients (原材料) jointly determine the effectiveness of the prescription. Compared with Western medicine, which has standardized drug production processes and treatment methods, TCM lacks standardization, with the chemical composition and functions of its medicines being unclear and their effects being unstable. Fortunately, standardization has improved in recent decades, with an increasing number of factories producing patented TCM drugs. Another factor that has prevented the development of TCM prescription drugs is the lack of creativity. While Western medicine-making companies come up with new products every year, TCM drug producers tend to make medicines according to prescriptions handed down from the past. Chinese chemist Tu Youyou's winning the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her research into malaria (疟疾) treatment may drive creativity to some extent in China's TCM industry. However, the current state of affairs cannot be changed within a short time. （1）Why does the author mention the example of Michael Phelps? A. Because he was injured in his swimming. B. Because cupping is a kind of important TCM treatment. C. Because westerners know a little about TCM. D. Because westerners attach great importance to TCM. （2）Why don't some member countries of WHO recognize Chinese herbal medicine? A. Because Chinese herbs can get rid of diseases. B. Because they only approve the practice of acupuncture. C. Because Western medicine is more effective. D. Because medicine made out of Chinese herbs develops slowly. （3）Compared with Western medicine, what is the weak point of TCM in Paragraph 4? A. The methods of planting herbs. B. The effectiveness of prescription. C. Lacking in standardization. D. Its stable functions.