《职称英语理工B类新增文章（小抄格式）.doc》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《职称英语理工B类新增文章（小抄格式）.doc（2页珍藏版）》请在三一文库上搜索。
1、*第三八篇 Life Form Found on Saturns TitanScientists say they have discovered hints of alien life1 on the Saturns moon2. The discovery of a sort of life was announced after researchers at the US space agency,NASA3,analyzed data from spacecraft Cassini4,which pointed to, the existence of methane-based fo
2、rm of life on Saturns biggest moon.Scientists have reportedly discovered clues showing primitive alien beings are breathing in Titans dense atmosphere filled with hydrogen .They argue that hydrogen gets absorbed before hitting Titans planet-like surface covered with methane lakes and rivers. This, t
3、hey say, points to the existence of somebugs5 consuming the hydrogen at the surface of the moon less than half the size of the Earth.We suggested hydrogen consumption because its the obvious gas for life to consume on Titan, similar to the way we consume oxygen on Earth, says NASA scientist Chris Mc
4、Kay.If these signs do turn out to be a sign of life, it would be doubly exciting because it would represent a second form of life independent from water-based life on Earth.To date, scientists have not yet detected this form of life anywhere, though there are liquid-water-based microorganisms on Ear
5、th that grow well on methane or produce it as a waste product. On Titan, where temperatures are around 90 Kelvin6(minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit),a methane based organism would have to use a substance that is liquid as its medium for living processes, but not water itself. Water is frozen solid on Tit
6、ans surface and much too cold to support life as we know it.Scientists had expected the Suns interactions with chemicals in the atmosphere to produce a coating of acetylene on Titans surface. But Cassini detected no acetylene on the surface.The absence of detectable acetylene on the Titans surface c
7、an very well have a non-biological explanation, said Mark Allen, a principal investigator7 of the NASA Titan team.Scientific conservatism suggests that a biological explanation should be the last choice after all non-biological explanations are addressed, Allen said. We have a lot of work to do to r
8、ule out8 possible non-biological explanations. It is more likely that a chemical process, without biology, can explain these results.练习：1 .What have scientists found about Saturn?A They have found a new moon orbiting Saturn.B They have found methane-based life on Saturn.C They have found methane-bas
9、ed life on Titan.D They have found earthlike life on a Saturns moon.2. What do scientists say about Titan?A There are life clues there.B There is acetylene there.C Water on Titan exists in the form of ice.D Rivers and lakes there contain life formls.3. To date,scientists have not yet detected this f
10、orm of life.(paragraph 5)What doesthis formof life refer to?A Water-based life.B Methane-based life.C Liquid-water-based microorganisms.D Gas-based life.4. What can be inferred from what Allen said?A Scientists have different arguments over whether there is life on Titan.B Scientists all agree that
11、there is life on Titan.C Scientists all suggest that a biological explanation is reasonable.D Scientists all agree that a non-biological chemical reaction is a possible explanation.5. Which of the following can replace the title of this passage?A Earthlike Living Beings Found on Titan.B Finding of O
12、ne More Moon of Saturn.C Titan,a New Satellite Found.D A different Life Form, a Possibility.理工类B级 第三十八篇 土卫六上发现了生命迹象科学家们说，在土卫六上发现了外星生命迹象并宣布了这一发现。美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的研究者们对卡西尼号探测器所传回来的数据进行了分析，数据表明，土星卫星中最大的一颗卫星有以甲烷为基础的生命的存在迹象。据报道，科学家们已经找到了在土卫六高浓度氢气大气层里“呼吸”的原始外星生命的线索。他们认为，氢气在到达布满甲烷河流湖泊的土卫六类似行星一样的表层前就已经被吸收了。这
13、就证明在这个不及半个地球大小的卫星表面有某种微生物在依靠氢气生存。美国国家航空航天局的科学家Chris Mckay说，“我们提出有氢气的消耗，是由于它是土卫六上生命赖以生存的显而易见的气体，就像我们地球上用氧气呼吸一样。如果这些迹象最终证明是生命的迹象，它会加倍令人兴奋，因为它会代表完全不同于地球上水基生命的第二种生命。”时至今日，尽管地球上的依赖液体水的微生物在甲烷里生长良好或把它作为废物排出，科学家在任何地方都没有探测到这种生命的形式。在土卫六上，绝对温度达到90度(相当于摄氏-27315度)，依赖于甲烷的微生物不得不用某种液体物质作为生存的介质，这种液体不是水，水在土卫六上会冻成冰块，不
14、能融化。我们知道，冰块太冷不能维持生命。科学家们原指望太阳与大气层中的化学物质相互作用会在土卫六上产生一层乙炔。但卡西尼号在它的表面没有探测到乙炔。Mark Allen是美国宇航局土卫六项目组的主要负责人，他说道，既然在土卫六的表面没有探测到乙炔，那就充分说明上面没有生物。Allen说：“科学界的保守主义者们建议，要做出土卫六上有生物的结论，首先必须对土卫六上所有没有生物的观点做出回应；要排除土卫六上可能没有生物的观点，我们任重道远。极为可能的是，一种化学过程而非生物学能解释这些结果。” *第四十篇Teaching Math, Teaching AnxietyIn a new study ab
15、out the way kids learn math in elementary school, the psychologists at the University of Chicagol1 Sian Beilock and Susan Levine found a surprising relationship between what female teachers think and what female students learn:If a female teacher is uncomfortable with her own math skills, then her f
16、emale students are more likely to believe that boys are better than girls at math.If these girls keep getting math-anxious female teachers2 in later grades, it may create a snowball effect on their math achievement3 said Levine. In other words,girls may end up learning math anxiety from their teache
17、rs4. The study suggests that if these girls grow up believing that boys are better at math than girls are, then these girls may not do as well as they would have if they were more confident. Just as students find certain subjects to be difficult, teachers can find certain subjects to be difficult to
18、 learn - and teach. The subject of math can be particularly difficult for everyone. Researchers use the word anxiety to describe such feelings: anxiety is uneasiness or worry.The new study found that when a teacher has anxiety about math, that feeling can influencehow her female students feel about
19、math. The study involved 65 girls,52 boys and 17 first- and second-grade teachers in elementary schools in the Midwest. The students took math achievement tests at the beginning and end of the school year, and the researchers compared the scores.The researchers also gave the students tests to tell w
20、hether the students believed that a math superstar had to be a boy. Then the researchers turned to the teachers:To find out which teachers were anxious about math,the researchers asked the teachers how they felt at times when they came across math, such as when reading a sales receipt5. A teacher wh
21、o got nervous looking at the numbers on a sales receipt, for example,was probably anxious about math.Boys,on average,were unaffected by a teachers anxiety. On average,girls with math-anxious teachers scored lower on the end-of-the-year math tests than other girls in the study did.Plus,on the test sh
22、owing whether someone thought a math superstar had to be a boy,20 girls showed feeling that boys would be better at math - and all of these girls had been taught by female teachers who had math anxiety.This is an interesting study,but the results need to be interpreted as preliminary and in need of
23、replication with a larger sample6, said David Geary,a psychologist at the University of Missouri7 in Columbia.1. What is the result of the research at the University of Chicago,according to the first paragraph?A Girls comfortable with their own math skills are better than boys at math.B Girls uncomf
24、ortable with their own math skills are not as good as boys at math.C Female teachers math skills have influence over girl students math skills.D Female teachers confidence in their math skills is related to girls math skills.2. What is implied in the third paragraph?A Math teachers,like math learner
25、s,do not like the subject due to its difficulty.B A difficult subject like math may affect teachers confidence in teaching the subject.C Teachers are more anxious teaching math than their students learning math.D Math is so difficult that no teachers like to teach it.3. According to the experiment,t
26、hose teachers were probably anxious about math when they feltA nervous memorizing the numbers of a sales receipt.B helpless saving the numbers of a sales receipt.C uneasy reading the numbers of a sales receipt.D hopeless filling in the numbers of a sales report.4. The sixth paragraph tells us that t
27、he research findingsA prove a strong link between female teachers math anxiety and their female students mathachievements.B show that male students are less likely to be affected by their math anxiety than femalestudents.C provide strong evidence that math superstars are more likely to be males than
28、 females.D discover a strong link between teachers math anxiety and their students math achievements.5. David Geary thinks thatA the study is interesting but it is based on unreliable research process.B the research results need to be retested based on a larger sample.C the research results need to
29、be reinterpreted to be meaningful.D the study is well based and produces significant results.第四十篇 教数学，教焦虑在最新一项关于小学生学数学的研究中，芝加哥大学的心理学家Sian Beilock和Susan Levine 发现，女教师的想法和女学生的学习之间有着惊人的联系：如果女教师对自己的数学能力感到焦虑，她的女学生很可能认为男孩子数学比女孩学得更好。如果一直由对数学有焦虑的女教师教授数学，就会对她们的数学成绩产生雪球效应，Levine说。换言之，女孩子们最后从老师那里获得的是对数学的焦虑。该研究
30、表明，如果女孩子们在一个认为男孩比女孩数学好的环境中成长，那么她们的数学可能会不如在更自信的状态下学得好。如同学生，教师也会觉得某些学科难学和难教，这就是研究者所言的焦虑：不自在或担心。此研究发现，教师对数学的焦虑能够传染给她的女学生们。该研究的研究对象包括65个女孩，52个男孩和17位在中西部教一二年级的教师。学生们在学年的开始和结束时都进行数学测试，研究者们比较得分。研究者们测试学生是否认为数学明星一定会是男孩。然后研究者们测试教师，试图找出哪些教师对数学感到焦虑，研究者们问教师们当碰到数学问题诸如阅读销售清单时的感受，如果一位教师一看到销售清单的数字就感到紧张，那么她很可能对数学存在焦虑
31、。平均来说，教师的焦虑不会影响到男孩子。但是，一般说来，如果教女孩子的教师有数学焦虑症，那么女孩子们在学年结束时测试得分比其他的女孩要低。另外，在关于是否认为数学明星应该是男孩的测试中，有20个女孩认为男孩数学比女孩好，这20个女孩的老师都是女性，且都患有数学焦虑症。来自密苏里大学的心理学家David Geary说这是一个有趣的研究，但是这只是初步结果，需要用更大的调查样本进行重复验证。完形填空*第十一篇Climate Change Poses Major Risks for Unprepared CitiesA new examination of urban policies has be
32、en carried out recently by Patricia Romero LankaoShe is a sociologist specializing in climate change and urban developmentShe warns thatmany of the worlds fast-growing urban areas，especially in developing countrieswill likely sufferfrom the impacts of changing climateHer work also concludes that mos
33、t cities are failing toreduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases These gases are knownto affect the atmosphere”Climate change is a deeply local issue and poses profound threats to the growing cities of the world,” says Romero Lankao. ”But too few cities are developing effective s
34、trategies to protect their residents.Cities are major sources of greenhouse gasesAnd urban populations are likely to be among those most severely affected by future climate change. Lankaos findingshighlight ways in which city-residents are particularly vulnerable, and suggest policy interventions th
35、at could offer immediate and longer-term benefits The locations and dense construction patterns of cities often place their populations at greater risk for natural disasters. Potentialthreats associated with climate include storm surges andprolonged hot weather. Storm surges can flood coastal areas
36、and prolonged hot weather can heatheavilypaved cities more than surrounding areasThe impacts of such natural events can be more serious in an urban environmentFor example，a prolonged heat wave can increase existinglevels of air pollution，causingwidespread health problemsPoorer neighborhoods thatmay
37、lack basic facilities such as drinking water or a dependable network of roads，are especially vulnerable to natural disastersMany residents in poorer countries live in substandard housing without access to reliable drinking water，roads and basic services.Local governments,therefore ,should take measu
38、res to protect their residents.”Unfortunately，they tend to move towards rhetoric rather than meaningful responses,Romero Lankao writes, ” They dont impose construction standards that could reduce heating and air conditioning needs. They dont emphasize mass transit and reduce automobile use. In fact,
39、 many localgovernmentsare takinga handsoffapproach.” Thus, she urges them tochangetheir idle policies and to take strong steps to prevent the harmful effects of climate change on cities.*第十二篇Free Statins With Fast Food Could Neutralize Heart RiskFast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of c
40、harge so that customers can reduce the heart disease dangers of fatty food, researchers at Imperial College Londonsuggest ina newstudyStatins reduce the amount of unhealthy ”LDL” cholesterol in the blood. A wealth of trialdata has proven them to be highly effective at lowering a persons heart attack
41、 risk .In a paper published in theAmerican Journal of Cardiology，Dr Darrel Francis and colleagues calculate that the reduction in heart attack risk offered by a statin is enoughto offset the increase in heart attack risk fromeatingacheeseburger and drinking a milkshakeDr Francis，from the National He
42、art and Lung Institute at Imperial College London，who is the senior author of the study, said:”Statins dont cut out a11 of the unhealthy effects of cheeseburgers and French friesIts better to avoid fatty food altogetherBut weve worked out that in terms of yourpossibility of having a heart attack. Ta
43、king a statin can reduce your risk to more or less the same degree as a fast food meal increases it.”“Its ironic that people are free to take as many unhealthv condiments in fast food outlets astheylike , but statins, which are beneficial to heart health, have to be prescribed. It makessense to make
44、 risk-reducing statins available just as easily as the unhealthy condiments that areprovided free of chargeIt would cost less than 5 pence percustomer not much different to a sachet of sugar.” Dr Francis said When people engage in risky behaviours like driving or smoking, theyre encouraged to take measures that lower their risk, 1ike wearing a seatbelt or choosing cigarettes with filters. Taking a statin is a rational way of lowering some of the risks of eating a fatty meal