2009年职称英语理工类教材新增部分内容？ 第二部分 阅读判断 （两篇） 第十二篇 Study Helps Predict Big Mediterranean Quake Scientists have found evidence that an overlooked fault in the eastern Mediterranean1 is likely to produce an earthquake and tsunami every 800 years as powerful as the one that destroyed Alexandria2 in AD3 365. Using radiocarbon dating techniques, simulations and computer models, the researchers recreated the ancient disaster in order to identify the responsible fault. ‘We are saying there is probably a repeat time of 800 years for this kind of earthquake,' said Ms Beth Shaw, an earthquake scientist at the University of Cambridge, who led the study. Scientists study past earthquakes in order to determine the future possibility of similar large shocks. Identifying the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami is important for the tens of millions of people in the region, Ms. Shaw said. The fault close to the southwest coast of Crete4 last produced a big enough quake to generate a tsunami about 1300, which means the next powerful one could come in the next 100 years, she added in a telephone interview. Ms. Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion, she said. Their computer model suggested an 8 magnitude quake on the fault would produce a tsunami that floods the coastal regions of Alexandria and North Africa, the southern coast of Greece5 and Sicily6 all the way up the Adriati7 to Dubrovnik8. This would be similar to the ancient quake in AD 365 that caused widespread destruction in much of Greece and unleashed a tsunami that flooded Alexandria and the Nile Delta9, likely killing tens of thousands of people, she said. 词汇： fault n. 断层 interval n. 间隔 tsunami n. 海啸 magnitude n. 等级 radiocarbon n. 放射性碳 destruction n. 破坏，毁灭 simulation n. 模拟 unleash v. 放出，释放 注释 : 1. the eastern Mediterranean: 地中海东部 2. Alexandria: 阿里山大 [ 埃及北部港市 ] 3. AD: 公元后 (AD 是拉丁文 Anno Domini 首字母的所写 ) 4. Crete: [ 希腊 ] 克里特岛 5. Greece: 希腊 6. Sicily: [ 意大利 ] 西西里岛 7. Adriati: 亚得利亚海 8. Dubrovnik: 杜布罗夫尼克 [ 克罗地亚港市 ] 9. Nile Delta: 尼鲁河三角洲 [ 埃及 ] 练习 : 1. The fault, which was overlooked before, has been closely studied by scientists. A Right. B Wrong C Not mentioned 2. It is fun to identify the fault for the AD 365 earthquake and tsunami. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 3. Radiocarbon dating techniques can be used to identify the age of the earth. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 4. Scientists predict that the next powerful earthquake in the eastern Mediterranean may take place some time before 2100. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 5. Ms. Shaw has her colleagues help her in the study of earthquake prediction. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 6, Ms. Shaw measured the movement of either side of the fault to identify the magnitude of the earthquake taking place in AD 365. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 7. The earthquake prediction devices developed by Ms. Shaw are being widely used in the world. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 答案与题解： 1 ． A 文章的主题是，以往科学家忽视了地中海断层的存在。现在地震学家对地中海断层进行研究，并认定断层的运动造成公元 365 年的地震和海啸，以及推算出地震和海啸发生的周期。所以，本句表达的意思是对的。 2 ． B 文章第三段说到， “ 认定断层造成了公元 365 年的地震和海啸，这一认定对该地区的几千万人来说是重要的 ” 。把这项研究说成是有趣的与原文 “ 重要 ” 的意思有很大的不同，所以是错误的。 3 ． C 全文没有一处提到 radiocarbon dating techniques 可用来确定地球的年龄。 4 ． A Shaw 女士和她的研究组认定，地中海东部的断层的移动每 800 年左右会引发一次超强 地震和海啸。前两次发生的时间分别是 365 年和 l300 年左右。根据这一推断，在未来 l00 年中，会发生一次超强地震和海啸。第三段对此有说明。 5 ． A 这句表达的意思与原文相符。原句见第四段第一句： “ Ms ． Shaw and her colleagues calculate the likely intervals by measuring the motion of either side of the fault to gauge how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion” 。 6 ． B Shaw 女士和她的研究组测量过 the motion of either side of the fault ，但目的不是为了 identify the magnitude of the earthquake taking place in AD 365 ，而是为了 find how often such large earthquakes would have to occur to account for that level of motion 。 7 ． C 纵观全文，文章中没有一句提到 Shaw 女士发明过地震预测装置，更没有谈及这种装置在全世界得到广泛应用这一点。 第十五篇 Image Martian Dust Particles NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander1 has taken its first-ever picture of a single particle of rusty Martian dust with one of its microscopes. The dust particles of dust were shown at a higher magnification than anything outside of Earth that has been imaged before. The rounded particle measured only about one micrometer, or one millionth of a meter, across. Taking this image required the highest resolution microscope operated off Earth2 and a specially designed device to hold the Martian dust," said Tom Pike, a Phoenix science team member from Imperial College London3. "We always knew it was going to be technically very challenging to image particles this small4.'' The device that imaged the dust speck is called an atomic force microscope, which maps the shape of particles in three dimensions by scanning them with a sharp tip at the end of a spring. The atomic force microscope can detail the shapes of particles as small as about 100 nanometers. And this won't be the last dust particle that Phoenix will image5. "After this first success, we're now working on building up a portrait gallery6 of the dust on Mars," Pike said. Dust exists everywhere on Mars, coating the surface and giving it its rusty red color. Dust particles also color the Martian sky pink and feed storms that regularly envelope the planet. The ultra-fine7 dust is the medium that actively links gases in the Martian atmosphere to processes in Martian soil, so it is critically important to understanding Mars' environment8, the researchers said. The $420-million Phoenix mission is analyzing the dust and subsurface ice layers of Mars' arctic regions to look for signs of potential past habitability. The particle seen in the atomic force microscope image was part of a sample scooped by the robotic arm from the "Snow White" trench and delivered to Phoenix's microscope station in early July. 词汇 : image v. 绘 …… 的图像 scan v. 扫描 magnification n. 放大 subsurface adj. 地面下的 micrometer n. 微米 habitability n. 居住性 resolution n. 分辨率，清晰度 scoop v. 挖 map v. 绘制 …… 的地图 trench n. 沟 注释 : 1. NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander: 美国国家航空航天局的凤凰号火星登陆器 2. off earth : 地球之外 3. Imperial College London : 伦敦帝国学院 4. image particles this small: 描绘如此之小的微粒。 image particles this small 是口语的说法，其意思是 image such small particles ／ image particles which are so small 。 5. And this won't be the last dust particle that Phoenix will image: 这不会是凤凰号扫描图像的最后的尘粒。本句的言外之意是：科学家将会收集更多的火星微粒进行扫描。 6. portrait gallery: ( 火星尘粒 ) 图像陈列馆 7. ultra-fine : 超小的 8. it is critically important to understanding Mars' environment: 火星尘粒对于了解火星环境是极端重要的。 it 指代上一句的 dust ，而 to 是介词，所以后接动名词 understanding 。 练习 : 1. The dust particle on Mars is the smallest particle that has been imaged outside of Earth. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 2. Using the same technology, we have also measured the size of particles on the moon and Jupiter. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 3. Scientists use the highest resolution microscope to watch and record the image of Martian particles on earth. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 4. Tom Pike said that they used to think it was no easy job to image such small particles. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 5. An electronic device has been developed to measure the weight of certain Martian rocks. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 6. After collecting the last Martian dust particle, the scientists have started to build up a portrait gallery of it. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 7. The Phoenix's robotic arm collected the Martian dust particles for analysis on Mars. A. Right B. Wrong C. Not mentioned 答案与解析 : 1 ． A 第一段说， NASA 的凤凰号火星登陆器用它的 显微镜 观测地球外长度只有百万分之一米的微粒。本题的表述与第一段的意思吻合。 2 ． C 通篇文章都没有提到科学家用同样的技术测量月球和水星上的微粒。 3 ． B 第一段只是说， NASA 的凤凰号火星登陆器用它的显微镜观察地球外，而不是地球上长度只有百万分之一的火星微粒，所以本题的表述是错的。 4. A Tom Pike 说， “We always knew it was going to be technically very challenging to image particles this small.”( 我们过去一直知道，观察体积如此小的微粒具有很高的挑战性。 )( 见第二段 ) 这句话是选择 A 的依据。 5 ． C 通篇文章都没有提到有人发明了一种能测量火星上某些微粒的重量的电子装置。 6 ． B 第三段中提到， “ ．．． this won't be the last dust particle that Phoenix will image” 。接着又说， “After this first success ， we’re now working on building up a portrait gallery of the dust on Mars” 。而本题却说： “After collecting the last Martian dust particle ， we’re now working on building up…” ，这与文章所表达内容明显不同，所以本题的答案是 B 。 ． 7 ． A 选择 A 的依据是文章最后一句： “The particle seen in the atomic force microscope image was part of a sample scooped by the robotic arm…” 。 第十二篇 科学家研究预测地中海地区大地震 公元365年，东部地中海地区发生特大地震和海啸，摧毁了亚历山大市，科学家们已经找到了证据证明：那里存在的一直被人忽视的断层，每隔800年就有可能就引发一次强地震和海啸。 通过运用放射性碳素技术和计算机仿真模型，研究者们重建了古代那场灾难，以便证实是断层引发了地震。“我们认为每800年就会出现一次这种类型的地震。”负责此项研究的剑桥大学地震学家贝丝•肖恩女士说道。科学家们研究以往的地震，为的是确定未来出现同种大地震的可能性。 肖恩女士说：对于地中海地区上千万的居民来说，确定是断层引发了公元365年地震和海啸非常重要。她在一次电话访问中进而补充说：克里特岛西南海岸附近的断层最后一次引发足以引起海啸的大地震是在公元1300年左右，这就意味着下一次强地震将在未来的l00年中出现。 肖恩女士说，她和她的同事测量了断层两侧的震动强度，并确定大规模地震多久发生一次才会引起这样的震动强度，从而推算出地震产生的大致间隔时间。根据其计算机仿真模型显示，如果断层产生8级的震动，那么它引发的海啸就会淹没亚历山大市和北非的沿海地区、希腊和西西里岛的南部海岸、以及从亚得里亚海到杜布罗夫尼克的广大地区。这个近似于公元365年摧毁大部分希腊地区的地震，当时地震引发的海啸吞噬了亚历山大市和尼罗河三角洲，造成了上千万人死亡。 第十五篇 观测火星上的尘粒 美国国家航空航天局的凤凰号火星登陆器通过其携带的望远镜观测到了迄今为止第一幅火星微粒的照片。这次微粒的图象比以往任何拍摄地球以外的物质使用的放大率都要高。据测成原形的微粒直径只有一千分尺，也就是一百万分之一米。 “此次观测需要清晰度最高的望远镜，同时要专门设计能够握持火星尘粒的设备。”Pike说到，他是伦敦帝国学院凤凰号科学小组的成员之一。“我们过去一直认为观察体积如此小的微粒是具有很高的挑战性的”。 这次用于观测微粒的设备叫做原子力望远镜，它能够通过位于弹簧末端的尖端来扫描这些微粒并在三维空间中绘制下它们的形状。这种望远镜能够以小到l00纳米来呈现出这些微粒。而且这不会是凤凰号扫描的最后的尘粒，科学家将会收集更多的火星微粒进行扫描。“这次成功以后，我们正在努力创建一座火星尘粒图像陈列馆。”Pike说到。 火星上到处都存在着尘粒，这些尘粒覆盖着火星表面使其呈现出锈迹斑斑的红色。这些尘粒把火星的天空染成了粉色而且经常会引起覆盖行星的尘暴。而超小的尘粒又是连接大气层中的空气与火星中的土壤的媒介物，所以研究者称火星尘粒对于了解火星环境是极端重要的。 这次耗资420万美圆的凤凰号任务将会分析火星北极范围内的尘粒和地表下的冰层，目的是发现火星上过去是否有居住性的可能性。从原子力望远镜里观测到的尘粒由机械手从“白雷沟”挖到的样本的一部分而后在七月份的早期被传送到了凤凰号的望远镜上。 [ ]查看更多3个回答 . 1人已关注
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