翻译题 If it were possible to expand indefinitely what consciousness is able to encompass, one of the most fundamental dreams of humankind would come true. It would be almost as good as being immortal or godlike. We could think everything, feel everything, do everything, scan through so much information that we could fill up every fraction of a second with a rich array of experiences.
Unfortunately, the nervous system has definite limits on how much information it can process at any given time Thoughts have to follow each other, or they get jumbled. While we are thinking about a problem we cannot truly experience either happiness or sadness. 【F1】We cannot run, sing, and balance the checkbook simultaneously, because each one of these activities exhausts most of our capacity for attention.
In our scientific knowledge we are on the verge of being able to estimate how much information the central nervous system is capable of processing. 【F2】It seems we can manage at most seven bits of information at any one time, and that the shortest time it takes to discriminate between one set of bits and another is about 1/18 of a second. By using these figures one concludes that it is possible to process at most 126 bits of information per second, or 7,560 per minute, or almost half a million per hour. Over a lifetime of seventy years, and counting sixteen hours of waking time each day, this amounts to about 185 billion bits of information. It seems like a huge amount, but in reality it does not go that far.
The limitation of consciousness is demonstrated by the fact that to understand what another person is saying we must process 40 bits of information each second. 【F3】If we assume the upper limit of our capacity to be 126 bits per second, it follows that to understand what three people are saying simultaneously is theoretically possible, but only by managing to keep out of consciousness every other thought or sensation. 【F4】We couldn't, for instance, be aware of the speakers' expressions, nor could we wonder about why they are saying what they are saying, or notice what they are wearing.
Of course, these figures are only suggestive at this point. 【F5】The optimists claim that through the course of evolution the nervous system has become very good at "gathering together" bits of information so that processing capacity is constantly expanded. But such ability does not help as much as one might expect. So the 185 billion events to be enjoyed over our mortal days might be either an overestimate or an underestimate. In any case, an individual can experience only so much.

问答题 16.【F1】

【正确答案】我们不能同时跑步、唱歌、结算收支，因为这每一项活动都耗费我们大部分的注意力。

【答案解析】①本句是主从复合句，包含一个原因状语从句。主句为主谓宾结构，有三个并列的谓语，the checkbook是谓语3 balance的宾语。②原因状语从句中of these activities作each one的后置定语，修饰each one，说明是这些活动中的每一个；句末for attention作capacity的后置定语，修饰capacity，说明是注意力。

问答题 17.【F2】

【正确答案】似乎在任一时刻内我们最多可以处理7个单位的信息，而把一个单位信息从另一个单位信息区别开来所用的最短时间是1／18秒。

【答案解析】①本句是复合句，包含两个表语从句和一个定语从句。主句为主系表结构，包含两个并列的表语从句。第一个表语从句省略了引导词that。at any one time在句中作时间状语。②表语从句2包含一个定语从句修饰the shortest time，该定语从句省略了引导词that；不定式to引出的部分作宾语补足语成分，对宾语进行补充，说明是把两个单位信息区别开来的最短时间。

问答题 18.【F3】

【正确答案】假设我们能力的上限是每秒126个单位，那么，要同时理解三个人正在说什么，从理论上来说是有可能的，但前提是设法把每个其他的想法和感觉都排除在意识之外。

【答案解析】①本句为主从复合句，包含一个主语从句，一个条件状语从句和一个宾语从句。②主句为主谓结构，后接that引导的主语从句。主语从句为主系表结构，其中包含what引导的宾语从句；条件状语从句为主谓宾+宾补结构，其中of our capacity为宾语the upper limit的后置定语，说明这是我们能力的上限；to be 126 bits per second为宾语补足语，补充说明上限为每秒126个单位。③连接词but后的短语only by…sensation作方式状语成分，说明要达到上文所说目的的方式。

问答题 19.【F4】

【正确答案】例如，我们不能注意说话者的表情，或者思考他们为什么要说这些话，又或者留意他们的着装。

【答案解析】①本句为并列复合句，包含三个宾语从句。②主干中由连接词nor连接两个句子，其后连接的句子中包含三个宾语从句，宾语从句1作wonder about的宾语，且宾语从句1包含宾语从句2，说明思考的内容是说话者为什么要说他们正在说的话；宾语从句3作notice的宾语。③for instance在句中是插入语。

问答题 20.【F5】

【正确答案】乐观主义者声称，在进化的过程中，神经系统已经变得善于“聚集”信息单位，所以其处理能力不断地得到扩大。

【答案解析】①本句为主从复合句，包含一个宾语从句和一个结果状语从句。②主句为主谓宾结构，that引导从句充当主句的宾语。宾语从句中，through the course of evolution在句中作方式状语，其中of evolution作the course的后置定语。of information作bits的后置定语，修饰bits，说明bits是信息单位。③so that引导结果状语从句，阐明上述行为所产生的结果。