This past year an issue has been bothering me. It’s the way scientists talk.
This is not a new concern. Many years ago science writer Susan Hassol and atmospheric scientist Richard Somerville wrote a humorous but serious piece about how the terms that climate scientists use mean one thing to them but often something very different to others. In the climate system, for example, “positive feedback” refers to amplifying (放大) feedback loops (循环), such as the ice-albedo feedback. (“Albedo,” basically means “reflectivity.”)The loop develops when global warming causes Arctic ice to melt, exposing water that is darker and reflects less of the sun’s warming rays, which leads to more warming, which leads to more melting ... and so on. In the climate system, this positive feedback is a bad thing. But for most, it brings to mind comforting images, such as receiving praise from your boss.
Hassol and Somerville call this “speaking in code.” Codes, of course, are not intended for outsiders, but some scientific language is mysterious even to many insiders.
Studies show that strange terms, in fact, confuse people and make them feel excluded (排除在外的). One study showed that even when participants were given definitions for the terms being used, materials full of technical terms made them less likely to identify with the scientific community and decreased their overall interest in the subject. In plain words: terms turn people off.
Of course, technical terms used in regulatory contexts may be hard to change for legal reasons. But if scientists could explain in a more accessible way, it would help us understand their claims and better appreciate their work.
1. What has bothered the author recently?| A．The latest scientific research. | B．The manner scientists behave. |
| C．The speeches delivered by scientists. | D．The terms employed by scientists. |
| A．Changeable temperature. | B．Lower reflectivity of water. |
| C．The expansion of Arctic ice. | D．The decrease in the sun’s warming rays. |
| A．Because it is intended for daily use. | B．Because only experts can understand it. |
| C．Because it rarely gets across to outsiders. | D．Because they want to make the language mysterious. |
| A．Scientists: Please Speak Plainly | B．Insiders: Be Friendly to the Public |
| C．Turn People off with Technical Terms | D．Get More Engaged in the Scientific World |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Mirroring body language is a way to bond and to build understanding. It is a powerful tool that we use without even knowing it.
The most obvious forms of mirroring are yawning and smiling. When you see someone yawn, you are likely to yawn immediately. Smiling is also pretty contagious — seeing a smile person makes you want to smile too.
Mirroring body language is a nonverbal way to say “I am like you or I feel the same.” Research shows that people who experience the same feelings are likely to trust, understand and accept each other. Women have the natural ability to pick up and understand body signals. Therefore, it is not surprising that a woman is more likely to mirror another woman than a man is to mirror another man. That’s why women are regarded as better talkers, even if they might not really have more close friends.
Mirroring body language is an excellent way to build trust and understanding quickly. If you want to set up a connection with others, mirror their gestures, sitting position, tone of voice and talking pace. This will make them feel that there is something about you that they like.
While mirroring body language gains you acceptance, you still need to take into consideration your relationship with the person you are mirroring. If you are in a lower social position and are mirroring the body language of your boss, he will view you as rude. However, if you want to defeat those who are trying to prove superior to you, mirroring their body language will help defeat them and change their position.
1. What does the underlined word “contagious” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．吸引人的. | B．受人影响的. |
| C．传染的. | D．温柔的. |
| A．They don’t like mirroring others. |
| B．They are naturally gifted in building trust. |
| C．They tend to have more close friends. |
| D．They are good at understanding body language. |
| A．Curious. | B．Supportive. | C．Disapproving. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．The Excellent Method of Mirroring |
| B．The Common Forms of Mirroring |
| C．Nonverbal Communication: A Special Bond |
| D．Mirroring Body Language: A Useful Tool |
【推荐2】It may be really difficult to learn a language well without living in a country full of native speakers! You have to find something interesting! Here’s a way: TV Series.
Game of Thrones You should really start watching it. The language is beautiful and easy to understand. Love and good characters appear in the show and there are actors from all over the globe. You won’t know what’s to go on at the ending. This is a must-see! |
Sherlock A British famous work. Is there any language learner who has not heard of Sherlock Holmes and his friend John Watson? The writers set the stories into London in the 21st century, so it’s a modern version (版本) of the original stories. Here you have everything that an English language learner could wish for: British accents (口音), good acting, long and interesting conversations with a lot of humour. |
Friends Everybody knows Friends, which couldn’t be missed off of this list. With many different accents to be heard and lots of dialects (方言), this is the perfect show for English learners. The story is simple to understand. Six friends fight with hard jobs, relationships and life in New York. In parts of the show there are also British accents to listen to and learn. |
How I Met Your Mother It is one of the most successful plays in the United States, attracting the audience all around the world. It’s about the life of five friends that live in New York, focusing on their work and their favorite free time activity: sitting in their favorite bar. You get to know many modern American expressions and can enjoy a lot of dialects that make the show even more interesting. |
| A．Friends. | B．Sherlock. |
| C．Games of Thrones. | D．How I Met Your Mother. |
| A．American accents. | B．Humorous talks. |
| C．Stories of London. | D．Writing skills. |
| A．Their characters all live a hard life. |
| B．They mainly use American expressions. |
| C．Their stories happened in different countries. |
| D．Their stories have something to do with jobs. |
【推荐3】A good joke can be the hardest thing to understand when people are studying a foreign language. As a recent article in The Guardian noted, “There’s more to understanding a joke in a foreign language than understanding vocabulary and grammar.”
Being able to understand local jokes is often seen as an unbelievable icebreaker for a language learner eager to form friendships with native speakers. “I always felt that humor was a ceiling that I could never break through,” Hannah Ashley, a public relations account manager in London, who once studied Spanish in Madrid, told The Guardian. “I could never speak to people on the same level as I would speak to a native English speaker. I almost came across as quite a boring person because all I could talk about was facts.”
In fact, most of the time, jokes are only funny for people who share a cultural background or understand humor in the same way. Chinese-American comedian Joe Wong found this out first-hand. He had achieved huge success in the US, but when he returned to China in 2008 for his first live show in Beijing, he discovered that people didn't think his Chinese jokes were as funny as his English ones.
In Australia, meanwhile many foreigners find understanding jokes about sports to be the biggest headache. “The hardest jokes are related to rugby because I know nothing about rugby,” said Melody Cao, who was once a student in Australia. “When I heard jokes I didn’t get, I just laughed along.”
In the other two major English-speaking countries, the sense of humor is also different. British comedian Simon Pegg believes that while British people use irony(反话)——basically, saying something they don’t mean to make a joke—every day, people in the US don't see the point of using it so often. “British jokes tend to be more subtle and dark, while American jokes are more obvious with their meanings, a bit like Americans themselves,” he wrote in The Guardian.
1. It is implied in the noted sentence in Paragraph 1 that __________.| A．making jokes is a possible way for one to learn a foreign language better |
| B．humor is always conveyed to foreigners through vocabulary and grammar |
| C．vocabulary and grammar help you understand jokes in a foreign language |
| D．there tends to be something behind the words of a joke in a foreign language |
| A．She thought that Spanish people generally did not have much of a sense of humor. |
| B．She believed that one had better rely on facts when speaking a foreign language. |
| C．She found that humor was a barrier to her to get along well with Spanish people. |
| D．She had a better command of Spanish language than English language. |
| A．suggest that there are cultural differences in humor |
| B．show that it’s hard to put jokes into another language |
| C．prove that local people have different taste in humor |
| D．show that expressing ability affects the sense of humor |
| A．jokes about sports are difficult for all foreigners to understand |
| B．Americans are generally more humorous than British people |
| C．not all English speakers can understand English jokes easily |
| D．British people’s dark jokes often make people uncomfortable |
【推荐1】Would you drink water that had once been flushed down a toilet? After it’s been cleaned, that is. The climate is warming, and the population of drought-prone states California continues to grow. So recycling wastewater into drinking water may become a necessity.
But, it can be really hard for people to get over their disgust at the thought of drinking recycled water. People are grossed out by cycled water, because it was once wastewater—you know, the stuff that goes down your kitchen drains, your showers, your toilets. And even though it’s cleaned up to a standard that is identical, if not better, than commercially bottled water, the key barrier to recycled water acceptance is people’s disgust regarding it,” said Daniel Harmon, a psychologist in University of California.
In one experiment, the researchers had some participants watch a short video promoting water conservation. And in another experiment, they added a video explaining why recycled water might trigger disgust even though all pollutants have been removed. And neither video had a strong effect on people’s willingness to drink recycled water or to support the practice.
The messages were not enough to get them to actually use recycled water more. “Disgust is such a powerful reaction that simply giving more information is not going to really be effective.” The study appears in the journal Basic and Applied Social Psychology.
Researchers say it’s probably going to take a lot more to get people to embrace recycled water. For example, it might help to see members of their community drinking water that’s gone, as it’s called, from “toilet to tap,” with no ill effects.
It is clear that these kinds of more direct campaigns for acceptance are necessary to get people to get over that psychological barrier—to take that first sip, so to speak. Cheers!
1. Why is it hard for people to accept recycled water?| A．They have a psychological barrier. | B．Recycled water contains pollutants. |
| C．People know little about recycled water. | D．Drinking recycled water can lead to illness. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Tolerant. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Supportive. |
| A．A news report. | B．A health handbook. |
| C．A science fiction. | D．A popular magazine. |
【推荐2】Studies with financial ties to the sugar-sweetened beverage (drinks) industry are much less likely than independent studies to find a link between sipping sugary drinks and developing obesity or diabetes, according to an Annals of Internal Medicine Report published Monday.
Researchers reviewed 60 studies published between January 2001 and July 2016 that investigated consuming drinks with added sugar and these diseases. They also identified whether the reports were independently funded, or if they were backed by—or the authors had financial conflicts with—the sugar-sweetened beverage industry.
Every one of the 26 studies that found no connection between sugary drinks and diabetes or obesity were industry-funded. But of the 34 studies that did find a connection between sugar and illness, only one had ties to sugar-sweetened beverages.
“This industry seems to be manipulating contemporary scientific processes to create controversy and advance their business interests at the expense of the public’s health,” concluded the report.
The latest report comes a month after a JAMA Internal Medicine investigation found that the Sugar Research Foundation paid three Harvard scientists about $50,000 in the 1960s to publish research that blamed fat and cholesterol(胆固醇) for causing heart disease, and downplayed the role of sweeteners.
Dr. Mark Hyman, director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine has long been skeptical about the sweet stuff.
“The sugar industry and soda companies are following the same playbook as the tobacco industry did trying to defend tobacco,” he told the News. “They destroy the science by financing scientists who are actually pushing their agenda and designing flawed trials that show there’s no harm. They sway public opinion, and they lobby politicians.”
He advised consumers confused about what research to believe to “follow the money.” “If a bunch of Harvard scientists say one thing, and Coca-Cola says another thing, you should wonder about who the messenger is, and where the money to fund the study is coming from,” he said.
1. What does the Annals of Internal Medicine Report mainly focus on?| A．The sugar industry’s influence on scientific studies. |
| B．The connection between sugary drinks and illnesses. |
| C．The real reason to blame for causing heart disease. |
| D．The financial support for science from the sugar industry. |
| A．Their total number. | B．Their value to science. |
| C．Their financial source. | D．Their social influence. |
| A．To support the development of science. |
| B．To compare with the tobacco industry. |
| C．To influence certain scientific results. |
| D．To promote the public’s health conditions. |
| A．People who pay for products should know where their money go. |
| B．Consumers have to pay for the real results of scientific researches. |
| C．More money should be paid to promote the public’s awareness of science. |
| D．The money to fund the study determines its reliability to some extent. |
【推荐3】Microplastics, as the name implies, are tiny plastic particles found in the environment. Any plastic particle that has a diameter of less than 5 mm is considered to be microplastic. For a long time, a majority of people were unaware of the presence of microplastics and their effects on the environment. However, these particles have become a significant topic of debate in recent times after researchers noted their presence in almost every corner of the globe. from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench.
There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics are tiny particles meant for external commercial use such as cosmetics, as well as microfibers to make other textiles, such as fishing nets. Secondary microplastics are particles that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, such as water bottles.
There are various sources of microplastics. Wastewater treatment plants and sewage treatment plants are the major sources of primary microplastics, most of which are residues (残留物) of cosmetics, paint, household and industrial waste. Single-use plastics plastic items meant to be used just once and then discarded, such as a straw — are the main source of secondary plastics in the environment.
The problem with microplastics is that like plastic items of any size they do not readily break down into harmless molecules. Plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose (降解). That means once produced, we cannot get rid of them. Microplastics exist on beaches and deeper waters, and have been detected in marine organisms from plankton to whales, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. They are mistaken for food by marine animals and some plastics are so tiny that they end up in the animal tissues. They are passed across the food chain, and some find their way to humans.
Scientists are still unsure whether consumed microplastics are harmful to human or animal health and if so, what specific dangers they may pose. Even so, many countries are taking action to reduce microplastics in the environment. The best approaches to controlling microplastics include proper handling of plastics and thorough treatment of wastewater.
1. According to the first two paragraphs, microplastics are_________| A．common in our daily life |
| B．used to make glass bottles |
| C．found in all the uninhabited areas |
| D．tiny plastic particles with a diameter of 5mm |
| A．The use of straws should be forbidden. |
| B．Household waste contains microplastics. |
| C．Industrial waste is a source of secondary plastics |
| D．Wastewater and sewage treatment plants are useless. |
| A．Because they’re consumed as food. |
| B．Because they exist on the beaches. |
| C．Because they easily break down. |
| D．Because they’re left out in the food chain. |
| A．To analyze the sources of microplastics. |
| B．To warn people of the danger of microplastics. |
| C．To give an overall introduction to microplastics. |
| D．To persuade people to give up the use of microplastics. |
【推荐1】Rich countries have almost completely wiped out infectious diseases such as cholera and malaria. Instead, their health ministries spend much of their time worrying about illnesses caused by wealth. Cheap, oil food has ended starvation in the rich world, but it also encourages diabetes (糖尿病).
Even education is not always pure good. Over the past few decades, East Asia has seen a surprising rise in the rate of short-sightedness. And a growing pile of evidence suggests that the main reason for this is education— specifically, the fact that children spend large parts of the day in dark classrooms.
Before the long economic growth that began in the 1960s, myopia (近视) was uncommon in East Asia. These days, among the young, it is almost common. In Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei more than 80% of school-leavers are short-sighted. In Seoul over 90% young men are.
If East Asia is the center of the epidemic, the West is not immune. Studies suggest rates of between 20% and 40% in Europe, higher than the natural state of affairs. One study in California found a rate of 59% among 17-to-19-year-olds.
Glasses and contact lenses (隐形眼镜) are expensive. In parts of rural areas where myopia is almost ubiquitous, some families cannot afford either and their children struggle in schools. And severe myopia predisposes (诱发) those who suffer it to other eye diseases in middle age, some of which can cause untreatable loss of vision.
The evidence suggests that regular exposure to bright daylight is important in properly controlling the growth of children’s eyes. Too little light leads to short-sighted eyes. Researchers think that this explains why rates are so high in Asia, where a strong cultural stress on the value of education leads to long school days and, often, private tutoring in the afternoon and evening.
Governments are well placed to solve the problems, while reassuring anxious parents that a bit less classroom time is unlikely to be catastrophic. After all, countries such as Finland and Sweden do well in global education rankings with a less intense approach to education. Giving more outdoor time to young children would still leave room for them to prepare for exams in their teenage years.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Wealth is a double-edged sword. |
| B．Cholera and malaria are easy to treat. |
| C．Diabetes will be wiped out in the near future. |
| D．Health ministries play a vital role in ensuring food safety. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By making a comment. |
| C．By explaining the reasons. | D．By clarifying a concept. |
| A．Rather rare. | B．Very common. |
| C．Well known. | D．Extremely popular. |
| A．Help students make full preparations for their exams. |
| B．Copy the practices of Finland and Sweden. |
| C．Pay little attention to education. |
| D．Send children outside more. |
【推荐2】Workers, and possibly all people, can be divided into two groups. Those who like to be involved in everything and can be labeled “FOMOs” because they suffer from a “fear of missing out”. Then there are those who would simply want to be left to get on with their own particular work, without distraction—the “JOMOs” (joy of missing out).
If the boss announces a new project, do you immediately volunteer, thinking this will be a great chance to prove your skills? If so, you are a FOMO. Or do you foresee the trouble involved, the likely failure of the project, and the weekend emails from all the FOMOs wanting to spend less time with their families? Then you are a certified JOMO. Another test is technology. FOMOs are early users, picking up the latest devices and sending documents to colleagues through the latest file-sharing programme. JOMOs tend to believe that any technology upgrade will be troublesome in the beginning and wonder why on earth their colleagues can’t send the document everyone has been familiar with.
Networking events are the kind of thing that gets FOMOs excited as a chance to exchange ideas and make contacts. When JOMOs hear the word “networking”, they reach for their noise-cancelling earphones. For them, being made to attend an industry cocktail party is rather like being forced to attend the wedding of someone they hardly know—a social suffering. Similarly, when it comes to business travel, FOMOs can’t wait to experience the delight of overseas conferences and visiting new places. It will all look good on their CV. JOMOs know that such travel involves lots of discomforts like crowded airline seats. The final destination turns out to be nothing more than a common conference centre or hotel that they forget five minutes after they have left. While they recognize that they have to attend some meetings and go on trips to get their work done, JOMOs regard such things as a self-punishment instead of a privilege. Something useful may come out of it, but best not to get their hopes up.
It might seem obvious that employers should look to hire FOMOs, not their opposites. After all, in a company full of JOMOs, sales might suffer and there would be little innovation. But while FOMOs are racing from meeting to networking events, employers need a few JOMOs to be doing actual work. The other reason why depending on FOMOs is dangerous is that they are naturally restless. JOMOs will be loyal, for fear of ending up with a worse employer. But FOMOs may think that working for one company means they are missing out on better conditions at another. That is the point of most networking, after all.
1. Which of the following best describe FOMOs?| A．Excited about the networking events. |
| B．Finding it annoyed to use latest devices. |
| C．Hesitating to get involved in a new project. |
| D．Showing no interest in building up social relationship. |
| A．Enjoy the conferences and the overseas trip |
| B．Believe it will enrich their working experience |
| C．Finish their work without too much expectations |
| D．Complain about something uncomfortable during the trip. |
| A．They don’t do any actual work at all. |
| B．They usually end up with a worse employer. |
| C．They don’t improve sales and have little innovation. |
| D．They may leave for better job chances in other company. |
| A．Indifferent | B．Positive | C．Doubtful | D．Critical |
【推荐3】Sixteen miles off the coast of northern Scotland, the future of green energy is taking shape. The five giant turbines (涡轮机) of the Hywind Scotland wind farm look much like any other off-shore wind project, except one major difference — they’re floating.
While traditional offshore turbines sit on metal and concrete towers fixed into the seabed, Hywind’s turbines rest on floating frames that move up and down with the waves. It proves to be an important development as the world struggles to meet the net zero carbon emission (排放) targets set in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
To cut those emissions, green electricity will need to be at the main source of global energy, according to the International Energy Agency. It says that by 2040, half of the world’s energy needs will have to be met by electricity produced in a net zero way. Projects like Hywind’s floating wind farm offer a picture of what the future could look like.
The reasons for this can be listed as follows. Firstly, unlike fixed units, floating turbines can operate in deep waters far from the shoreline, where winds tend to be stronger. Secondly, it can serve offshore areas that are too deep for bottom-fixed turbines. “In places like Korea, Japan and California, you can only manage a certain amount of offshore wind, or maybe even none at all, so floating turbines are the only option in the longer term,” explains Henrik Steisdal, a Danish inventor at the forefront of floating wind innovation.
While floating turbines overcome some of the problems that make offshore wind farms in deep waters impossible, there are still challenges that have to be overcome. There are some concerns about what effect floating wind turbines might have on the sea environment. The price of floating wind projects is also still high — almost twice as much as that of the bottom-fixed offshore ones. Another problem is how to avoid the risk of a system breakdown when the wind is blowing too hard.
1. What do the Hywind’s turbines and the traditional turbines have in common?| A．They are fixed. | B．They use wind. |
| C．They are floating. | D．They use waves. |
| A．It offers a picture of the future. |
| B．Winds are stronger in deep waters. |
| C．It helps meet the net zero carbon emission targets. |
| D．It is difficult to fix turbines in deep offshore areas. |
| A．Solutions to the problems. |
| B．Functions of the wind power. |
| C．Advantages of the floating project. |
| D．Opinions on the floating turbines. |
| A．Wind Projects — a Greener World |
| B．Wind Projects — a Practical Solution |
| C．Floating Turbines — a Choice for the Future |
| D．Floating Turbines — a More Efficient World |
