职称英语考试理工类A级阅读理解精讲(三).pdf
职称英语考试理工类A级阅读理解精讲(8)Liquefaction Key to Much of Japanese Earthquake Damage液化 键很多日本的地震破坏The massive subduction zonel earthquake in Japan caused a significant level ofsoil大规模俯冲区地震在日本造成了相当程度的土壤 液化2使研究者以其广泛的严重性，一个新的分析表明。“我们已经看到了 Iocalized3 土壤液化极端的例子之前，但距离和损伤程度在日本是非常严重的，”史葛说阿什福德，岩土工程教授在俄勒冈州立大学。”整个结构倾斜和下沉到沉积物中，阿什福德说。改变土壤破坏水，排水和燃气pipelinesG瘫痪的设施和基础设施，这些社区需要的功能。我们看到了一些地方，高达四英尺。”一定程度的土壤liquefaction7是常见的几乎任何大地震。这一现象在土壤与水浸泡，特别是最近的沉积物或沙子，可以大大减少其强度和流动地震期间。这可以允许结构转变或沉或崩溃。But most earthquakes are much shorter than the recent event in Japan,Ashfordsaid.The length of the Japanese earthquake,as much as five minutes,may forceresearchers to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring insituations such as this8.但大部分地震是短得多的最近的事件在日本，阿什福德说。长度的日本地震,长达五分钟，会迫使研究者重新考虑液化的程度的损害可能发生在这种情况下this8oWith such a long-lasting earthquake,we saw how structures that might havebeen okay after 30 seconds just continued to sink and tilt as the shaking continuedfor several more minutes/he said.And it was clear that younger sediments,andespecially areas built on recently filled ground,are much more vulnerable.有了这样一个持久的地震，我们看到的结构，可能是好的30秒后就继续下沉，倾斜的震动持续了几分钟，他说。很明显，较年轻的沉积物，特别是地区建立在新填地，更容易受到伤害。The data provided by analyzing the Japanese earthquake,researchers said,should make it possible to improve the understanding of this soil phenomenon andbetter prepare for it in the future.Ashford said it was critical for the team to collectthe information quickly,before damage was removed in the recovery efforts9.所提供的数据分析日本地震，研究人员说，应该能够更好地理解这一现象和土壤更好地准备在未来。阿什福德说，这是至关重要的团队来收集信息迅速，损坏之前被删除的恢复efforts9o 毫无疑问，我们将学到的东西，从发生的事情japanlOthatll会帮助我们减少风险在其他类似的活动，”阿什福德说。未来的建设在一些地方可以使用更多的技术，以减少液化，如更好的压实，使土壤密实，或使用增强的石柱。Ashford pointed out that northern California have younger soils vulnerable toliquefaction-on the coast,near river deposits or in areas with filled ground.Theyoung sediments,in geologic terms,may be those deposited within the past 10,000years or more.In Oregon,for instance,that describes much of downtown Portland,the Portland International Airport and other cities.阿什福德指出，加利福尼亚北部有年轻的土壤易液化，在海岸附近，河流沉积或地区填土。年轻 的沉积物，在地质条件，可存放在过去的10000年或以上。在俄勒冈，例如，描述了波特兰市区，波特兰国际机场和其他城市。Anything near a river and old flood plains is a suspectl2,and the OregonDepartment of Transportation has already concluded that 1,100 bridges in the stateare at risk from an earthquake.Fewer than 15 percent of them have been reinforcedto prevent collapse.Japan has suffered tremendous losses in the March 11earthquake,but Japanese construction standards helped prevent many buildingsfrom collapse-even as they tilted and sank into the ground.任何附近的河流和老冲积平原是一个suspectl2,和俄勒冈交通部门已得出结论，1100座桥梁的状态是危险的地震。少于百分之15人已加强防止崩溃。日本在三月十一日的地震中遭受巨大损失，但日本建筑标准有助于防止许多建筑物倒塌，即使他们并沉入地面倾斜。词汇：subduction/sAbdAkJsn/n.俯冲 sediment/sedimsnt/n.沉积;沉淀物liquefaction/likwifaekfsn/n.液化 infrastructure/Infra,stsktja/n.基础设施vulnerable/vAlnsrabl/ad.易受伤害的注释：1.subduction zone：俯冲带。亦称下降带、潜没带、消亡带。板块构造说认为，当大洋板块移动并与大陆板块相遇时，由于大洋板块岩石密度较大，地位也低，便俯冲到大陆板块之下，这一俯冲部分叫做俯冲带。俯冲带两侧板块会聚边界称会聚边缘(convergent boundary)。俯冲带上面反映震源活动的地带称“贝尼奥夫地震带(Benioff seismic zone)”。2.soil liquefaction：土壤液化。土壤液化现象是指由于孔隙水压力上升，有效应力减小所导致的土壤从固态到液态的变化，饱水的疏松的粉、细砂土在振动作用下突然破坏而呈现液态的现象。3.localized：小范围的4.geotechnical engineering：岩土工程。5.Oregon State University：俄勒冈州立大学,建校于1858年,位于美国俄勒冈州科瓦利斯，全校设11个学院，80多个专业，尤以农科和工程最为突出。2008年俄勒冈州立大学的核能工程专业在全美大学中排名第9 名。6.water,drain and gas pipelines：自来水管道、排水管道和煤气管道。water,drain and gaspipelines 即water pipelines,drain pipelines and gas pipelineso7.some degree of soil liquefaction：某种程度的土壤液化8.to reconsider the extent of liquefaction damage possibly occurring insituations such as this：本句的意思是：重新审视类似这次（持续时间长的）地震中因土壤液化而可能造成的毁坏的规模。9.recovery efforts：重建工作IL that：that引导的是定语从句,修辞前半句中的things。12.suspect：被怀疑对象。文中指的是那些疑似危险的土壤。练习:1.A.internal B.different C.difficult D.widespread2.A.volume B.length C.extent D.width3.A.function B.repair C.build D.remove4.A.durability B.strength C.ability D.property6.A.shorter B.longer C.simpler D.stranger7.A.when B.what C.how D.which8.A.occasionally B.frequently C.specially D.recently10.A.unless B.until C.after D.beforel l .A.findings B.locations C.events D.sources12.A.delivered B.deposited C.destroyed D.detached13.A.near B.from C.inside D.over14.A.prevent B.accelerate C.predict D.detect15.A.styles B.sites C.costs D.standards答案与题解：l .D前文说到日本的俯冲带地震是massive（巨大的），而且砂土液化到达一个significant level0 根据上述描述，选 widespread（分布广泛的）修饰severity是正确的。其他三个选项与severity搭配后，意思接不上。2.C 本句由but连接并列的两个分句组成。第一个分句说以前也发生过地震引发的砂土液化的现象，但涉及范围较小。第二个分句通过but语气一转，说这次地震造成的破坏是罕见的。很显然，选 extent（程度）与 distance（距离，范围）合用说明破坏的程度和范围是符合上下文的意思的。后面的动词不定式的逻辑主语是w hich,也就是utilities and infrastructure。从意思上看，这些社区需要这些公用事业设备和基础设施起功能作用（function）。选 function是对的。其他选项都不合适。4.B 浸了水的砂土，特别是新近的沉积土、沙土等失去的不会是durability（耐用性）和 ability（能力），也不会是泛泛的property（性质），而是strength（强度）。6.A 地震持续的时间一般为数十秒。这次日本地震的时间长达5 分钟。所以本题要填入的词应该是shorter,说明大多数地震的持续时间比它短。7.C 从意思上看，选 how 是正确的。when structures、what structures 或 whichstructures意思明显不通。8.D 第三段第二句出现particularly recent sediment.o recent sediment 浸水后就失去了强度。这提示了本题要选recently,因为建立在新近填就的土壤上的建筑物是最易受到伤害的。9.B 分析日本大地震得出的数据不会令科学家获得有关soil development（壤发展）、soil未来可能发生的同类现象。上下文意思很连贯，因此phenomenon是正确的选项。10.D 选 unless、until或 after都不合逻辑。本题句子的意思是：重建工作首先要清理废墟，这样地震现场就被破坏了。所以科学家要赶在重建工作开始之前收集好地震资料。before是答案。件。若选 findings（调查结果）、locations（地点）或 sources（12.B 本句解释young”这个词在地质学中的含义。句中的those指代sedimentSo young sediments指那些年代少于或略超过一万年的sedimentSodeposit是“沉积，与句子意思匹配，是答案。其他三个选项，词义离题很远，只是词形与deposit有点相似，起干扰作用而已，它们不是答案。13.A 上一段说,younger soils是非常脆弱的。本句的anything指的是soils。哪些地方的soils是疑似高危对象呢?如果指soils from/inside/over river and oldflood plains是不合常理的。正确的选择应该是near,靠近河流和原洪泛区的土壤才是危险地区。因此near是答案。14.A 加固危桥的目的是为了防止坍塌。选项prevent是答案。15.D 在 3 月 11日的日本大地震中，震区的建筑物倾斜、下沉，但没有倒塌。建筑上的什么因素起到了防塌的作用呢?当然不会是construction styles（建筑风格）、construction sites（建筑工地）或 construction facilities（建筑设备）。日本的 construction standards（建筑标准）才是防塌的关键因素。因此standards是答案。职称英语考试理工类A级阅读理解精讲Some People Do Not Taste Salt Like OthersLow-salt foods may be harder for some people to like than others,according toa study by a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciencesl food scientist.The researchindicates that genetic factors influence some of the difference in the levels of salt welike to eat.Those conclusions are important because recent,well-publicized efforts toreduce the salt content in food2 have left many people struggling to accept fare thatsimply does not taste as good to them as it does to others3,pointed out John Hayes,assistant professor of food science,who was lead investigator4 on the study.“Most of US like the taste of salt.However,some individuals eat more salt,bothbecause they like the taste of saltiness more,and also because it is needed to blockother unpleasant tastes in food.wsaid Hayes.Supertasters,people who experiencetastes more intensely,consume more salt than nontasters do.Snack foods havesaltiness as their primary flavor,and at least for these foods,more is better,so thesupertasters seem to like them more.”However,supertasters also need higher levels of salt to block unpleasant bittertastes in foods such as cheese,Hayes noted/Tor example,cheese is a wonderfulblend of dairy flavors from fermented milk,but also bitter tastes from ripening thatare blocked by salt,he said/A supertaster finds low-salt cheese unpleasant becausethe bitterness is too pronouncedoG/Hayes cited research done more than 75 years ago by a chemist named Fox anda geneticist named Blakeslee,showing that individuals differ in their ability to tastecertain chemicals.As a result,Hayes explained,we know that a wide range in tasteacuity exists,and this variation is as normal as variations in eye and hair color.词汇：publicize v.引起公众对 的注意;（用广告）宣 传 ferment v.（使）发酵geneticist n.遗传学家dietary adj.饮食的;规定食物的acuity n.敏锐;尖锐注释：l .Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences：Penn State University-College ofAgricultural Sciences宾州州立大学农学院。Penn是 Pennsylvania的缩写，是美国宾夕法尼亚州州名。宾州州立大学建于1855年，在全国共有24个分校。在句中，Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences 用作定语,修饰 food scientisto2.well-publicized efforts to reduce the salt content in food：大力宣传减少食物含盐量的做法3.left many people struggling to accept fare that simply does not taste as goodto them as it does to others：使得许多人努力去接受适合其他人而不适合他们口味的食物。fa re相当于food。4.lead investigator：研发项目负责人5.carefully screened participants who sampled salty foods as soup and chips,on multiple occasion,spread out over weeks：.经过仔细筛选的实验参与者，他们在几周内的不同时间里品尝了汤和薯条等含盐食物。6.too pronounced：止 匕 处 pronounced 为形容词，意为 very noticeable,conspicuous（明显的，显著的）。7.supertasting：超重味感练习：l.ln paragraph 2,John Hayes points out thatA.it is good to health to eat food without salt.C.many people accept low-salt tasteless food reluctantlyD.food with reduced salt tastes better.2.The fourth paragraph describes brieflyA.how to select subjects and what to do in the research.B.how to identify supertasters and nontasters.C.why to limit the number of subjects to 87 persons.D.why to select more male subjects than female ones.3.The article argues that supertastersA.like the taste of saltiness to block sweet tastes in food.B.like snack foods as saltiness is their primary flavor.C.consume less salt because they don t like intensive tastes.D.like to share salty cheese with nontasters.4.Which of the following applies to supertasters in terms of bitter taste?A.They like bitterness in foods as well as saltiness.B.They like high-salt cheese as it has intense bitter taste.C.They prefer high-salt cheese,which tastes less bitter.D.They prefer high-salt cheese as it is good to health.5.What message do the last two paragraphs carry?A.Taste acuity is genetically determined.B.Taste acuity is developed over time after birth.C.Taste acuity is related to ones eye and hair color.D.Taste acuity is still a mysterious subject in science.答案与题解：l.C 根据短文的第二段内容，很多人因为食物中的含盐量降低，所以必须做出很大努力(struggling)去适应，而低盐食物对于他们来说，口味很不好(fare thatsimply does not taste.good to them)。选项 C 有 accept reluctantly(勉强接受)表达了这层意思，所以是正确的选择。A、B、D 三个选项均是错误的。2.A第四段介绍了科学家是如何设计这项研究的，它包含了研究对象的人数、性别、人选条件、咸度味感分级表等。选项A 概括了这方面的内容，所以是答案。而选项B、C、D 所述内容均不符合该段的意思。3.B短文的第五段提供了答案。supertaster在这里的意思是：口味重的人，在本文中，nontaster是其反义词，即，口味清谈的人。该段告诉我们，口味重的人消耗更多的盐;因为快餐食品的主要味道就是咸味，而且咸度越高，口味越好,所以口味重的人对快餐较为偏爱。选项B 表达了上述内容，所以是答案。4.C短文第六段提供了答案。该段告诉我们，奶酪发酵会产生苦味，supertasters不喜欢苦味，而高含盐量可以盖住奶酪里的苦味，这是他们偏爱高盐奶酪的原因。所以，只有C 是正确选择。5.A 文章第七段中，Hayes引用了 75年前一位遗传学专家的实验。从这项实验中，Hayes得出的结论是，Taste acuity（味觉敏度）上的差异与他们头发和眼睛的颜色上的差异是同一类职称英语考试理工类A级阅读判断Plants in DesertOnly special plants can survive the terrible climate of a desert,for these areregions where the annual range of the soil temperature can be over 75.Furthermore,during the summer there are few clouds in the sky to protect plantsfrom the suns ray.Another problem is the fact that there are frequently strongwinds which drive small,sharp particles of sand into the plants,tearing anddamaging them.The most difficult problem for all forms of plant life,however,isthe fact that the entire annual rainfall occurs during a few days or weeks in spring.Grasses and flowers in desert survive from one year to the next by existingthrough the long,hot,dry season in the form of seeds.These seeds remaininactive unless the right amount of rain falls.If no rain falls,or if insufficient rainfalls,they wait until the next year,or even still the next.Another factor that helpsthese plants to survive is the fact that their life cycles are short.By the time that thewater from the spring rains disappears-just a few weeks after it falls-suchplants no longer need any.The perennials have special features which enable them to survive as plants forseveral years.Thus,nearly all desert perennials have extensive root systems belowground and a small shoot system above ground.The large root network enables theplant to absorb as much water as possible in a short time.The small shoot system,on the other hand,considerably limits water loss by evaporation.16.Ordinary plants are unable to survive in the desert mainly because of thechangeable weather.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentionedA.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned18.Grasses and flowers in the desert whose life cycles are short shows theirability to adapt to the quick disappearance of rainwater there after it falls in spring.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned19.Winter is the toughest season for grasses and flowers to survive in desertA.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned20.The shoot system of perennials can help the plants absorb less of the sunsray.A.RightB.WrongC.Not mentioned21.The theme of the second last paragraph is why the perennials can survive asplants for several years.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned22.Desert perennials lose their leaves after the rainy season just as trees losetheirs in wetter climates before winter arrives,but the reasons for this feature aredifferent.A.Right B.Wrong C.Not mentioned【参考答案】16.B 17.A 18.A 19.C 20.B21.A22.B职称英语考试理工类A级阅读判断A Dolphin and an AstronomerThe dolphin wanted Sagan to scratch his stomach again,as the astronomer haddone twice before.Elvar looked up at Sagan,waiting.Then,after a minute or so,thedolphin leapt up through the water and made a sound just like the word more.Theastonished astronomer went to the director of the institute and told him about theincident.Oh,yes.Thats one of the words he knows,the director said,showing nosurprise at all.Dolphins have bigger brains in proportion to their body size than humans have,and it has been known for a long time that they can make a number of sounds.Whatis more,these sounds seem to have different functions,such as warning each otherof danger.Sound travels much faster and much further in water than it does in air.That is why the parts of the brain that deal with sound are much better developed indolphins than in humans.But can it be said that dolphins have a language,in thereal sense of the word?Scientists dont agree on this.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned2 The dolphin leapt up into the air because Sagan was too near the water.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned3 Parts of the dolphins brain are particularly well developed to handle differentkinds of sound.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned4 Dolphins are the most useful animals to humans.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned5 Dolphins travel faster in water than any other animals.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned6 Some scientists believe that dolphins have a language of their own.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned7 Sounds can be called a language only when they have a structure and agrammar.A RightB WrongC Not mentioned【参考答案】1.B2.B3.A4.C5.C6.A7.A职称英语考试理工类A级阅读理解精讲Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as Ecosystem EngineersResearch by the University of Exeterl has revealed that ants have a big impacton their local environment as a result of their activity as ecosystem engineers andpredators.The study,published in the Journal of Animal Ecology,found that antshave two distinct effects on their local environment.Secondly,they prey on a wide range of other animals,including larger preywhich can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.Dirk Sanders,an author of the study from the universitys Centre for Ecology andConservation,said:Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers.Theyre also very territorials an
