填空题
Electromagnetic Energy 1.
White light seems to be a combination of all colors. The energy that comes from
a source of light is not limited to the kind of energy you can see. Heat is
given off by a flame or an electric light. On a cloudy day it is possible to get
a sunburn even though you feel cool. Visible light and the kinds of energy that
produce warmth and sunburn are examples of electromagnetic energy.
2. The sun is 93 million miles from the earth. Yet we can use energy from
the sun because electromagnetic energy travels through space.
3. Many other kinds of energy are also types of electromagnetic energy. Radio,
television, and radar signals travel from transmitters to receivers as
low-energy electromagnetic waves. Infrared(红外线的) radiation is an electromagnetic
wave. When it is absorbed by matter, heat is produced. Waves of infrared and
visible light have more energy than waves of radio, television, or radar.
Ultraviolet rays(紫外线) and X-rays are electromagnetic waves with even greater
amounts of energy. Infrared radiation is used in cooking food and heating
buildings. Sunlight and electric lights are part of our requirements for normal
living. Ultraviolet radiation is useful in killing certain disease organisms.
X-rays and gamma rays have so much energy that they travel right through solid
objects. They can be used to detect and treat cancer. X-rays are used in
industry to find hidden cracks in metal, and in medicine to reveal broken
bones. 4. Usually we use electricity to generate
electromagnetic energy. The source of most of our energy is the sun. Heat from
the sun causes water to evaporate. When the water falls to the earth as rain,
some of it is trapped behind dams and then used to operate electric generators.
Other generators are powered by coal, but the energy stored in coal came from
the sun, too. 5. Until recently, the source of the tremendous
amount of energy given off by the sun was a puzzle. If the sun depended on
chemical reactions, it would have used up all its energy long ago. Experiments
with electromagnetic radiation led to the theory that mass can be converted into
energy. About forty years after the theory was proposed, nuclear energy was
harnessed(利用) by man. Chemical energy comes from electron(电子) rearrangement.
Nuclear energy comes from a change in the nucleus of an atom. Compared with
chemical reactions, nuclear reactions release millions of times more energy per
pound of fuel. We now believe that the sun's energy comes from the nuclear
reactions in which hydrogen is changed into helium(氦). 6.
Nuclear energy is beginning to compete with coal as an economical source of
power to generate electricity. It is also being used to operate engines in large
ships. Scientists continue to seek new and better methods of obtaining and using
energy.
填空题Transport and Trade
1 Transport is one of the aids to trade. By moving goods from places where they are plentiful to places where they are scarce, transport adds to their value. The more easily goods can be brought over the distance that separates producer and consumer, the better for trade. When there were no railways, no good roads, no canals, and only small sailing ships, trade was on a small scale.
2 The great advances made in transport during the last two hundred years were accompanied by a big increase in trade. Bigger and faster ships enabled a trade in meat to develop between Britain and New Zealand, for instance. Quicker transport makes possible mass-production and big business, drawing supplies from, and selling goods to, all parts of the globe. Big factories could not exist without transport to carry the large number of workers they need to and from their homes. Big city stores could not have developed unless customers could travel easily from the suburbs and goods delivered to their homes. Big cities could not survive unless food could be brought from a distance.
3 Transport also prevents waste. Much of the fish landed at the ports would be wasted if it could not be taken quickly to inland towns. Transport has given us a much greater variety of foods and goods since we no longer have to live on what is produced locally. Foods which at one time could be obtained only during a part of the year can now be obtained all through the year. Transport has raised the standard of living.
4 By moving fuel, raw materials, and even power, for example, through electric cables, transport has led to the establishment of industries and trade in areas where they would have been impossible before. Districts and countries can concentrate on making things which they can do better and more cheaply than others and can then exchange them with one another. The cheaper and quicker transport becomes, the longer the distance over which goods can profitably be carried. Countries with poor transport have a lower standard of living.
5 Commerce requires not only the moving of goods and people but also the carrying of messages and information. Means of communication, like telephones, cables and radio, send information about prices, supplies, and changing conditions in different parts of the world. In this way, advanced communication systems also help to develop trade.
填空题A. born to be more intelligent or less intelligent B. have a better chance to develop his intelligence C. taught to be more intelligent D. that intelligence was something a baby was born with E. and because of the lack of communication with his classmates F. and partly stimulated
填空题3. California University Cuts Protested Thousands of students, faculty members and employees at the 10 University of California campuses protested budget cuts, unpaid faculty furloughs(休假) and tuition increases on Thursday. Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, estimated that several thousand protesters were in Sproul Plaza chanting and waving signs. (46) Other campuses reported smaller turnouts (聚集的人群) at rallies (集会) and marches. "Everyone agrees there is a budget crisis and that the university must respond," said Joshua Clover, an associate professor of English at U. C. Davis who was a co-author of a petition (情愿书) calling for the faculty walkout on Thursday. Mr. Clover said (47) The online walkout petition was signed by 1,221 of the 19,000 faculty members statewide. A union representing more than 11,000 university professional and technical staff members supported the protest and called a one-day strike. (48) The university's budget now stands at $2.6 billion. Friction (摩擦) has developed between the administration and some faculty and staff members and students over how and where to cut. Among the more contentious(有异议的)items are a proposed 32 percent increase in student tuition by fall 2010, and decisions made by the university president, Mark Yudof, over how to handle mandatory(义务性质的) faculty furlough days, which will reduce pay by 4 to 10 percent. (49) . "I chose Berkeley over all the other universities because it offered me a very good education at a price my family could afford," said Brandon Pham, 17, a freshman political science major who skipped the day's classes in protest. Mr. Pham held a sign that read: "We make the university. They make the crisis. " Steve Montiel, a spokesman for the University of California's office of the president, said, (50) .A. "We respect people expressing themselves, but we hope they realize that the true source of their frustration is in Sacramento at the state capital."B. The Legislature approved a reduction of $637.1 million, about 20 percent of the university's 2009-2010 fiscal year (财政年度) financing, as part of the budget agreement reached in August.C. "The problem is that the administration's handling of the budget cuts disproportionately (不成比例) harms those who can least afford it both among the workers and the students. "D. Average yearly tuition and fees for undergraduates this academic year are $8,720.E. Most academic departments on campus reported that some classes had been canceled because faculty members and students walked out.F. Still, many students at Berkeley did not participate in the protest and walked about campus as they would on any other Thursday.
填空题A. Features and applicationsB. Display and data connectionC. Online storesD. Differences from iPhoneE. Business usageF. Operating system
填空题Both male and female names are used for hurricanes in consideration of ______.
填空题Early Ideas about the Universe 1.Early man got his ideas about the universe by looking at the stars as you do. He observed carefully, and learned many things about the sun, the moon, and the stars. 2.Suppose you were asked to collect evidence about the sun as early man did. You might go out morning after morning and see it come up in the east. Even on cloudy mornings, you would observe that the darkness goes away and the world becomes light. You might not see the sun but would be sure it is there, because you notice that the earth warms up. As you continued, the sun climbs higher in the sky each day during part of the year. It stays in the sky longer. The earth gets warmer. Things begin to grow. It is spring and then summer. 3.After a while the sun stays in the sky for shorter and shorter periods. Many plants begin to die. Leaves fall. Winter comes. Year after year this is repeated and you cannot tell exactly why it happens. But you realize that the sun seems to make the difference. Primitive (原始的) man felt that since the sun was so powerful it must be a god. It may seem silly to us now to worship (崇拜) a sun-god, but primitive man was right about the importance of the sun to life on earth. 4.You have been told that the world is round. But suppose no one had ever taught you that the world was like a huge ball. Would you have ever thought of it yourself? You cannot see the curve (曲线) of the earth at once. You would have no idea of how big it was. That's why early man believed that the earth was small and flat. Such ideas appeared from the evidence they had. 5.If you watch the stars night after night, you will see them rise and set. As you look at the sky, it is not difficult to imagine that you are in the center of a vast collection of twinkling (闪烁) lights. Some early astronomers (天文学家) believed the sky was a crystal shell or series of crystal shells, one inside the other. They believed this because that is what the night sky looked like. For many centuries, men believed that the earth was the center of the universe and that the sun, the moon, and the stars circled around it.
填空题阅读下面这篇短文,短文后有2项测试任务:(1)第23~26题要求从所给的6个选项中为规定段每段选择1个正确的小标题;(2)第27~30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项,分别完成每个句子。
A new drug shows hope of conquering a form of leukemia by
targeting the misbehaving cells two summers ago Douglas Jenson was so wiped out
from battling chronic myelogenous(骨髓性的) leukemia(白血病) (CML) that he could do
little more than sit by his window; watching the numbers on a thermometer rise
and fall with the sun. Today thanks to an experimental drug called STI571 (brand
name: Glivec), Jenson 67, is biking in Oregon and planning a trip to the
Caribbean. "I feel wonderful," he says.2. So do his doctors.
STI571, a "smart bomb" drug that targets leukemia cells without harming healthy
ions, first made headlines last year when researchers announced that white blood
counts had returned to normal in 31 out of 31 patients who had taken the pill.
Last week scientists were hack reporting new data on just over 1000 patients. In
one trial, more than 90 % of 532 people on the drug saw counts return to normal.
And under microscopic examination, 28 percent showed no evidence of cancer left
in their bone marrow.3. The drug even helped, although not as
dramatically, some patients in the final "blast" phase of the disease, when
survival is measured in months. STI571"has ignited the cancer-research field",
says Dr Brian Druker, an Oregan Health Sciences University researcher who
developed the drug with manufacturer Novartis.4. CML,
diagnosed in 5100 Americans every year, is triggered when two chromosomes swap
fragments of genetic information. CML starts with the mistaken swap of genes
between two chromosomes. The resulting "Philadelphia chromosome" produces the
mutant Bcr-Abl protein. Bcr-Abl transfers a phosphate from the chemical
messenger ATP to other proteins. They initiate a flawed signal to white blood
cells to replicate incessantly.5. STI571 returns blood counts
back to normal for those patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) in a
"smart bomb way" by targeting the protein that sends the message to make the
white blood cells. Bone marrow transplants can work extremely well, but they' re
applicable only for a minority of patients; otherwise, standard treatment
is the injectable drug interferon. Many patients, however, cannot tolerate
the adverse effects, which include severe fatigue, weight loss and depression.
The new pill works by deactivating the cancer cells' growth signal. Side
effects- nausea, eye puffiness, muscle aches have been relatively mild so
far.
填空题阅读下面的短文,文章中有5处空白,文章后有6组文字,请根据文章的内容选择5组文字,将其分别放回文章原有位置,以恢复文章原貌。
As last—a family car that really' is made for the whole
family—a car that the baby will love, a car that Mother will enjoy, a car that
Granny will be happy in.{{U}} (46) {{/U}}. {{U}}
(47) {{/U}}It has four roomy seats, especially suitable for children,
and is made in eighteen for children, and is made in eighteen restful colours,
ranging from lemon yellow to rose pink. For added relaxation,
the five-door Banger has a super-economical 800cc engine, which gives an average
petrol consumption of 80 mpg. New developments in family-car
engineering have made it possible for us to design the Banger with only two
gears: first gear, for going uphill, and top gear, for driving on the flat and
downhill.{{U}} (48) {{/U}}. {{U}} (49) {{/U}}As
the Banger accelerates to its top speed of 60 mph in a comfortable five minutes,
you will have time to look around and rediscover the peace and calm of the
countryside. There's no wasted space in the one-door Burnup. As
you climb in through the roof, and sink into the Burnup's single custom-built
seat, you feel as if you' re putting on a hand-tailored spacesuit.
Switch on.{{U}} (50) {{/U}}Count down: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1—blastoff! The
Burnup's ten cylinders will catapult you from 0 to 60 in five seconds. Other
cars will look as if they' re going backwards. Change up through the six gears.
At the Burnup's top speed of 230 mph, you'll arrive before you start. And the
generous 'twenty-gallon petrol tank will take you 80 miles without a
refill. A. This reduces tiring gear-changing, and cuts
down strain on the arms. B. Hear the roar of the 5,000cc
engine. C. The United Motors Banger.
D. Strain on the nerves is avoided, too. E. A
digital clock and musical cigarette lighter are included in the bargain
price. F. The Banger is designed above all for peace and
comfort.
填空题
阅读下面这篇短文,短文后有2项测试任务:(1)第23~26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2~5段每段选择1个正确的小标题;(2)第27~30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项,分别完成每个句子。
{{B}}
Metallurgy{{/B}}1.Metallurgy
(治金学) is the art and science of making metals and alloys (合金) in forms and with
properties suitable for practical use. The art of metallurgy includes the
deriving of metals from their ores, or the condition in which they are found in
nature; their purification (提纯) or their admixture with other metals, and
finally their manufacture into shapes and forms usable in industry. The science
of metallurgy includes the study of these processes with a view to (以便) their
control and improvement, and the development of new metal mixtures or alloys and
of new test methods.2.Because of this wide scope the field of metallurgy may
be divided into two parts. The first part deals with the melting (熔化) and
refining (精炼) of metals, and has been designated as process of Chemical
Metallurgy. The second deals with the physical and chemical behavior of the
metals during shaping and treating operations, and their behavior in the service
of man. This phase is termed Physical Metallurgy.3.The scope of Physical
Metallurgy is wide and is of interest to more people than the field of Process
Metallurgy. For example, only a few individuals will be engaged in the operation
of a melting and refining furnace, whereas a hundred men will be employed in the
rolling (轧制) or forging (锻造) of the metals produced, and thousands of
individuals will work at manufacturing the rolled or forged metal into
automobiles, bridges, ships, airplanes, buildings, wire goods, tools, and a
multitude of useful articles.4.Everyone comes in contact with metals through
his many everyday uses; therefore the term metal is well known. Not everyone
realizes, however, why metals have come to play so large a part in man's
activities. Wood and stone are both older in use, yet to a considerable extent
they have been substituted by the metals. The reason for the increased use of
metals is to be found in their characteristic properties.5.Most important of
these properties is their strength (强度), or ability to support weight without
bending or breaking, combined with toughness (韧性), or the ability to bend rather
than break under a sudden blow. Resistance to atmospheric destruction,
plasticity (弹性) ,and the ability to be formed into desired shapes add to the
remarkeable combination of properties possessed by no other class of materials.
Some metals also have special additional properties, two of which are the power
to conduct electric current and the ability to be magnetized.
填空题
阅读下面的短文,文章中有5处空白,文章后面有6组文字,请根据文章的内容选择5组文字,将其分别放回文章原有位置,以恢复文章原貌。
Who is Uncle Sam?
"Uncle Sam", of course, stands for the United States. It is the
nickname(绰号) of the country. It is hard to believe that this nickname arose
quite by accident and there was a man called"Uncle Sam "{{U}} (46)
{{/U}}. The man was called Uncle Sam Wilson. He was born in
Arlington, Massachusetts (马萨 诸塞州), September 13,1766. At the age of 14 Sam
joined the American Revolutionary War, and served in the army under George
Washington until the end of the war. He then moved to Troy, New York State and
began a meat-packing business in the year 1812 war broke out between the United
States and Great Britain.{{U}} (47) {{/U}}. Among them was Governor
Daniel Tompkings of New York State. He noticed the capitalized letters EAUS on
the packages of meat and asked what they stood for. A workman replied that EA
stood for Elbert Anderson, the businessman for whom Sam was working.{{U}}
(48) {{/U}}. In May 1813, this story appeared in a newspaper
published in New York.{{U}} (49) {{/U}}. By the end of
the War of 1812, "Uncle Sam " had come to symbolize (象征)the character of the
nation and the government.{{U}} (50) {{/U}} A.And he
added jokingly that US (actually it was the short form for the United States
stood for Uncle Sam Wilson. ) B.However, not many people have
ever heard of such a man. Not even most young Ameri cans. C.He
did his bit to support the American army. D.In 1961 the US
Congress(国会) made a decision that "Uncle Sam " is the America's national symbol.
E.On October 2 that year, a group of visitors came to Sam's
meat-packing plant. F.Since Uncle Sam was an example of a
hard-working man and a lover of America, the idea of "Uncle Sam" as the name for
this kind of man became well-known rapidly.
填空题Read With Greater Speed Do you have difficulty reading in class? If so, a special reading program that helps match sounds with letters could speed up your brain. At least one out of every five elementary school students in the U.S. has trouble learning to read, even when the students are good at other subjects. (1) Researchers from Yale University, U.S. , studied a group of children from New York and Connecticut State. As part of the study, 37 struggling readers received special tutoring. Every day, instructors worked with them on recognizing how written letters represent units of sound called phonemes (音素). (2) By the end of the school year, these children could read faster than before. They also made fewer mistakes, and understood more of what they read than they could earlier in the year. As part of their study, the researchers used a special machine to take action photos of the students' brains. (3) This is the same part of the brain that becomes active when good readers read. This activated brain area appears to include a structure that helps people recognize familiar written words quickly. In lower level readers, this structure remains inactive. A year later, the brain structure was still working hard in the students who had gone through the special tutoring, and they continued to do well in reading tests. (4) However, some researchers still doubt the study. (5) A.Many adults are interested in matching sounds with letters. B.The students also practiced reading aloud and spelling. C.The biggest challenge for many of these kids, scientists say, is matching sounds with letters. D.Another group in the study who went through a more traditional reading program didn't show the same progress. E.The pictures showed an increase in activity in the back of the brain on the left side. F.They believe that reading without making any noise or linking words to sounds is more efficient.
填空题Read with Greater Speed
Do you have difficulty reading in class? If so, a special reading program that helps match sounds with letters could speed up your brain.
At least one out of every five elementary school students in the US has trouble learning to read, even when the students are good at other subjects.
16
Researchers from Yale University, US, studied a group of children from New York and Connecticut State. As part of the study, 37 struggling readers received special tutoring.
Every day, instructors worked with them on recognizing how written letters represent units of sound called phonemes (音素).
17
By the end of the school year, these children could read faster than before. They also made fewer mistakes, and understood more of what they read than they could earlier in the year.
As part of their study, the researchers used a special machine to take action photos of the students" brains.
18
This is the same part of the brain that becomes active when good readers read. This activated brain area appears to include a structure that helps people recognize familiar written words quickly. In lower level readers, this structure remains inactive.
A year later, the brain structure was still working hard in the students who had gone through the special tutoring, and they continued to do well in reading tests.
19
However, some researchers still doubt the study.
20
A. Many adults are interested in matching sounds with letters.
B. The students also practiced reading aloud and spelling.
C. The biggest challenge for many of these kids, scientists say, is matching sounds with letters.
D. Another group in the study who went through a more traditional reading program didn"t show the same progress.
E. The pictures showed all increase in activity in the back of the brain on the left side.
F. They believe that reading without making any noise or linking words to sounds is more efficient.
填空题下面的短文后有2项测试任务:(1)第23~26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2~5段每段选择1个最佳标题;(2)第27~30题要求从所给的6个选项中为每个句子确定1个最佳选项。
How We Form First Impression
1 We all have first impression of someone we just met. But why? Why
do we form an opinion about someone without really knowing anything about him or
her—aside perhaps from a few remarks or readily observable traits?
2 The answer is related to how your brain allows you to be aware of
the world. Your brain is so sensitive in picking up facial traits, even very
minor difference in how a person's eyes, ears, nose, or mouth are placed in
relation to each other make you see him or her as different. In fact, your brain
continuously processes incoming sensory information—the sights and sounds of
your world. These incoming "signals" are compared against a host of "memories"
stored in the brain areas called the cortex (大脑皮层)system to determine what these
new signals "mean". 3 If you see someone you know and like
at school, your brain says "familiar and safe". If you see someone new, it says,
"new—potentially threatening". Then your brain starts to match features of this
stranger with other "known" memories. The height, weight, dress, ethnicity,
gestures and tone of voice are all matched up. The more unfamiliar the
characteristics, the more your brain may say, "This is new. I don't like this
person. " Or else, "I am intrigued. " Or your brain may perceive a new face but
familiar clothes, ethnicity, gestures—like your other friends; so your brain
says: "I like this person. " But these preliminary "impressions" can be dead
wrong. 4 When we stereotype people, we use a less mature
form of thinking ( not unlike the immature thinking of a very young child) that
makes simplistic and categorical impressions of others. Rather than learn about
the depth and breadth of people—their history, interests, values, strengths, and
true character—we categorize them as jocks, geeks, or freaks. 5
However, if we resist initial stereotypical impressions, we have a chance
to be aware of what a person is truly like. If we spend time with a person, hear
about his or her life, hopes, dreams, and become aware of the person's
character, we use a different, more mature style of think ing—and the most
complex areas of our cortex, which allow us to be humane.
A. Ways of Departure from Immature and Simplistic
Impressions B. Comment on First Impression C.
Illustration of First Impression D. Comparing Incoming Sensory
Information Against Memories E. Threatening Aspect of First
Impressions F. Differences Among Jocks, Geeks and Freaks
填空题
American Dreams There
is a common response to America among foreign writers: the U.S. is a land of
extremes where the best of things are just as easily found as the worst. This is
a cliche (陈词滥调). In the land of black and white, people should
not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the
poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out to everyone.
{{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}No class system or government stands
in the way. Sadly, this old argument is no longer true. Over
the past few decades there has been a fundamental shift in the structure of the
American economy. The gap between the rich and the poor has
widened and widened. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}
Over the past 25 years the median U.S. family income has gone up 18
percent. For the top 1 percent, however, it has gone up 200 percent. Twenty-five
years ago the top fifth of Americans had an average income 6.7 times that of the
bottom fifth. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}
Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California, incomes for
lower class families have fallen by 4 percent since 1969. {{U}} {{U}}
4 {{/U}} {{/U}}This has led to an economy hugely in favor of a small
group of very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 percent of households now control
a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in
poverty. At 12.7 percent of the population, it is the highest percentage in the
developed world. Yet the tax burden on America's rich is
falling, not growing. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}There was an
economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a
whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality. A.
Nobody is poor in the U.S. . B. The top 0.01 percent of
households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since
i980. C. For upper class families they have risen 41
percent. D. Now it is 9.8 times. E. As it does
so, the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
F. All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the
top.
填空题Ultrasonic device were used to ______
填空题A. as fish doesB. because of its rich natural resourcesC. by the United States in the 19th centuryD. shines day and nightE. only a very small percentageF. a limited amount of the gold found there
填空题DVD for Rent
1.A.pay-for-play system for video DVD will emerge by summer as an alternative, and possibly a competitor, to the DVD.format currently available.
2.The new system, called Digital Video Express (Divx), operates like a DVD player, except for the specially coded discs. These will cost $5 for initial viewing over a 48-hour period and can be viewed again for additional fees and even purchased for unlimited viewing.
3.Divx combines the service of a video rental (出租的) store with the operation of a pay-per-view TV channel. Unlike a rented videotape, though, the Divx disc needn"t be returned. Customers can retain the disc for replay in the future at an additional fee, or simply throw it away.
4.Subsequent plays, or the purchase of unlimited-viewing rights, are billed to the customer"s Divx account and charged to a credit card. The player"s built-in memory keeps track of all Divx plays, and sends this information by toll-free phone modem (调制解调器) to the Divx record-keeping centre. Each Divx disc and player has a unique identification code, so the system knows which discs have been played and where.
5.Some Divx discs could be converted for unlimited play at a price likely to be lower than buying a conventional DVD. Others, called Divx Gold, would be sold from the beginning for unlimited play without further charge. Although conventional DVDs will run in a Divx player, conventional DVD players will lack the decoding and communications ability to play. Divx discs. Divx players will be offered by Panasonic, RCA, and Zenith.
6.About 100 discs will be available initially from Disney, Dreamworks, Paramount, and Universal, growing to 500 titles within a year. Other film makers have yet to adopt the Divx system, which is owned by retailer Circuit City, the 350-store electronics chain that bankrolled (提供资金) its development.
填空题The Science of Sport
1. At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the Chinese athlete Liu Xiang equaled the world record for the 110 metres hurdles (跨栏) when he ran the race in 12.91 seconds. This record time had been set in 1993 by British sprinter (短跑运动员) Colin Jackson and 9 years went by before another athlete was able to run as fast.
2. Record-breaking in all track events is slowing clown and we appear to be moving much closer to the limits of human performance. Nevertheless, every four years, records which were previously thought to be unbeatable are broken. So what"s behind this never-ending improvement in performance? And how long can we keep breaking records? Is there a limit to human performance or will athletes continue to gain seconds?
3. Most experts agree that it isn"t the athletes" bodies which have changed but the huge advances in sport science which have enabled them to improve their performances. The individual athlete obviously has to have the necessary skill and determination to succeed, but the help of science and technology can be significant. Research has brought a better understanding of the athlete"s body and mind but the advances in sports equipment technology have also had an important impact on human performance.
4. Scientists have shown that an athlete"s body"s needs vary according to the type of sport. This research has helped top sports people to adapt their training programme and diet better to their particular needs. Running the marathon and cycling, for example, are endurance (耐力) sports and require a different parathion (硝苯硫磷脂) to that of a 100-metre sprinter. In some sports, changes in techniques have significantly improved performance.
5. But in any sport, a player"s success or failure results from a combination of both physical and mental abilities. Most coaches use psychological techniques to help their athletes cope with stress and concentrate on their performance. For example, the English football team listens to music in the changing rooms before a game to help the players relax and not feel so nervous. Before a difficult match, tennis players are encouraged to use visualization (想象) techniques to build confidence and this is almost as good as practice.
6. But as science begins to dominate sport, are we in danger of losing sight of the heart of the competition, the sporting challenge? What"s more, are all these advantages fair?
A. Different sports require different training programs.
B. Science may be too important today.
C. Sports equipment has been improved a lot.
D. Athletes are still breaking records.
E. Sport science helps improve athletes" performances.
F. Mental training is as important as physical training.
填空题Human and the Environment One of the most pressing challenges that the United States and indeed the world will face in the next few decades is how to alleviate (减轻点)the growing stress that human activities are placing on the environment. The consequences are just too great to ignore. Wildlife habitats (栖息地)are being degraded(使退化) or disappearing altogether as new developments take up more land. (46) As many as 30 percent of the world's fish stocks are over-exploited. And the list goes on. (47) Advances in computing power and molecular biology(分子生物学) are among the trem endows increases in scientific capability that are helping researchers gain a better understanding of these problems. Recent developments in science and technology could provide the basis for some major, and timely(及时的) actions that would improve our understanding of how human activities affect the environment. One priority for research is improving hydrological(水文学的)forecasting. (48) Already, widespread water shortages have occurred in parts of China, India, North Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. The need for water also is taking its toll (造成损失)on freshwater(淡水)ecosystems (生态体系)in the United States. Only 2 percent of the nation's streams are considered in good condition, and close to 40 percent of native fish species are rare or extinct. Using a variety of new remote sensing tools scientists can learn more about how precipitation(降水量)affects water levels, how surface water is generated and transported, and how changes in the landscape affect water supplies. To prevent outbreaks of infectious(传染性的)diseases in plants, animals, and humans, more study is needed on how pathogens (病原体), parasites(寄生生物), and disease-carrying species-as well as humans and other species they infect-are affected by changes in the environment. (49) Researchers can take advantage of new technologies in genetics and computing to better monitor and predict the effects that environmental changes might have on disease outbreaks.Humans have made changes to earth's surface, such as tropical deforestation(砍伐森林), reduction of surface and ground water, and massive development, so dramatic that they approach the levels of transformation that occurred during glacial periods(冰川期). (50) Recent advances in data collection and analysis should be used to record and better understand the causes and consequences of changes in land cover and use.A. It has been estimated that the world's water use could triple in the next two decades.B. Plant and animal species are becoming extinct at a greater rate now than at any time in earth's history.C. The overuse of antibiotics (抗生素) both in humans and in farm animals has contributed to the growth of antibiotic resistant micro-organisms (微生物).D. Yet, there is reason to have hope for the future.E. Until recently, very little information was documented about changes and consequences of land usage.F. Such changes cause changes in local and regional climate, and will determine the future of agricultur
