2015年职称英语考试

2015年新版职称英语教材新增文章系列之

理工类 阅读理解 第二十二篇

Real World Robots

When you think of a robot, do you envision a shiny, metallic device having the same general shape as a human being, performing humanlike functions, and responding to your questions in a monotone voice accentuated by high-pitched tones and beeps? This is the way many of us imagine a robot, but in the real world, a robot is not humanoid at all. Instead a robot often is a voiceless,

box-shaped machine that efficiently carries out repetitive or dangerous functions usually performed by humans. Today’s robot is more than an automatic machine that performs one task again and again.

A modern robot is programmed with varying degrees of artificial intelligence—that is, a robot

contains a computer program that tells it how to perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, drawing conclusions, and learning from past experience.

A robot does not possess a human shape for the simple reason that a two-legged robot has great difficulty remaining balanced. A robot does, however, move from place to place on wheels and axles that roll and rotate. A robot even has limbs that swivel and move in combination with joints and motors. To find its way in its surroundings1, a robot utilizes various built-in sensors. Antennae

attached to the robot’s base detect anything they bump into. If the robot starts to teeter as it moves on an incline, a gyroscope or a pendulum inside it senses the vertical differential. To determine its distance from an object and how quickly it will reach the object，the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path2. These and other sensors constantly feed information to the computer, which then analyzes the information and corrects or adjusts the robot’s actions. As science and technology advance, the robot too will progress in its functions and use of artificial-intelligence programs.

【词汇】

envision v. 想象，预想

device n. 装置

accentuate v. 强调，重读

artificial intelligence n. 人工智能

limb n. 臂

antennae n. 天线

incline v. 倾斜

pendulum n. 钟摆

ultrasonic adj. 超声的

metallic adj. 金属的

monotone n. 单调的

humanoid adj. 像人的

axle n. 轮轴

rotate v. 旋转

swivel n. 旋转

teeter v. 摇晃

gyroscope n. 陀螺仪，回转仪

vertical n. 直立的

【注释】

1．To find its way in its surroundings...：为了在周围找到路„„

2．the robot bounces beams of laser light and ultrasonic sound waves off obstructions in its path：机器人发射激光束和超声波，反射到障碍物上（以此来探知路径）。

【练习】

1．Another good title for this passage would beA Robots: Taking the Place of Humans.

B Artificial Intelligence Programs.

C Today’s Robots and How They Function.

D Modern-Day Sensors.

2．Artificial intelligence is

A the unnatural way in which robots move.

B a voiceless, box-shaped machine that performs repetitive tasks.

C sensors such as antennae and a gyroscope.

D a computer program that imitates human intellectual processes.

3．The last paragraph suggests that future robots will beA more humanlike in behavior and actions.

B more like automatic machines.

C better able to move on inclines.

D better equipped with laser light sensors.

4．The writer begins the passage by comparingA the shape of a human being with a box.

B a modem robot with a fictional robot.

C an imaginary machine with a human.

D a computer program with artificial intelligence.

5．The word humanoid means

A lacking human characteristics.

B anything having the appearance of a humanoid.

C being void or vacant.

D having a human form or characteristics.

【答案与题解】

1．C 从文中得知，文章主要介绍了机器人和它们的运行方式，因此选择C选项。

2．D Artificial是“人工”的意思，intelligence是“智能”的意思。另外从文中得知，机器人使用artificial intelligence能够进行与人类类似的推理分析等活动，因此可知它是一种类似人类智能的计算机程序。

3．A 最后一段讲机器人的发展方向是更加智能，能够自己判断并修正行为，而不仅仅是完成重复性的工作。

4．B 文章开头的时候作者让读者描述他们脑海中的机器人概念，并随后介绍了实际的机器人是怎样的，因此选择B选项。

5．D 从humanoid的词根human可看出这个词是形容与人类有关的特征。另外根据文章对这个词的描述可以得出这个词是表示和人类类似的特征，不管是外形上，还是行为方式上 参考译文：

现实世界中的机器人

当你想到机器人的时候，你脑海中浮现的是不是一个有着大致人类轮廓的、能够发挥像人类一样的功能，并且能用夹杂着高音的单调音调回答你的问题的有光泽的金属装置？很多人想象中的机器人都是这个样子的，但是，在现实世界中，机器人和人类长得一点都不像。与之相反，机器人通常是一个不会说话的盒子状机器，能够代替人类高效率地完成一些重复性的或者危险的工作。现在的机器人不仅仅是一台能够重复同一任务的自动工具，而是具有不同程度的人工智能，也就是说，机器人内置了一个计算机程序，能够指导机器人完成与人类智能有关的任务，比如推理、得出结论，以及从过去的经验中学习。

机器人不具备人形的原因是，如果机器人有两条腿的话，保持平衡会很困难。机器人的移动主要依靠轮轴结构旋转来实现。有的机器人甚至还能够通过接合点和发动机旋转和移动的臂。机器人依靠多种内置的感觉器来帮助寻找路径。连接在机器人底部的天线能够探测到机器人撞到的任何物体。在斜坡上移动的时候，如果机器人开始摇晃，机器人内部的陀螺仪和钟摆仪就会探测到水平方向的变化。机器人探测自己与其他物体的距离以及到达该物体的时间的方法是发射激光束和超声波，通过反射的信号来判断这些信息。这些探测器不断地向计算机提供信息，计算机将这些信息进行分析，从而纠正或调整机器人的进一步动作。随着科技的进步，机器人也会在功能和人工智能程序等方面上取得发展。

下一个问题是，同机器人发展感情有关系的问题。即使是现在，也许有许多人对他们的宠物产生深厚的依恋，并以此代替朋友身子孩子。很少有人认为这种行为有违道德。

但是复杂的机器人可能更有吸引力。对于那些看上去老是和错误的人结婚的人来说，一个机器人另一半可能非常有诱惑力。人工智能之父马文•明斯基谈到孤独的老人与机器人产生亲密关系这一问题时说：“如果机器人有人类所拥有的所有美德，并且更聪明，更善解人意，那么老人干嘛还要费劲同另一个脾气暴躁的老人交谈？”

一台机器人可以按照主人的要求被设定成愚笨的，也可以设定成聪明的，或者性格独立的，或者屈从温顺的，而这正是机器人的一大缺陷。拥有这样一个完美的机器人伙伴会损害人们形成亲密的人与人之间关系的能力，因为其他人同机器人比起来，总是显得不够完美。当你有做得不对的地方时，好朋友总是会告诉你，但是很少有人会将自己的机器人设定为会指出自己的不足。

处在人际关系中的人必须要学会互相适应：享受共同的兴趣，同时妥善处理分歧，这使得我们更充盈、更强大、更富有智慧。在一开始的时候机器人朋友也会显得很完美，但这对于我们讲关系深入发展没有益处。

2015年新版职称英语教材新增文章系列之

理工类 补全短文 第九篇

Lightening Strikes

Three years ago a bolt of lightning all but destroyed Lyn Miller’s house in Aberdeen—with her two children inside. “There was a huge rainstorm,” she says, recalling the terrifying experience. “My brother and I were outside desperately working to stop floodwater from coming in the house. Suddenly I was thrown to the ground by an enormous bang. ____1____ The door was blocked by rubble, but we forced our way in and found the children, thankfully unharmed. Later I was told to be struck by lightning is a chance in a million.” In fact, it’s calculated at one chance in 600,000. Even so, Dr Mark Keys of AER Technology, an organisation that monitors the effects of lightning, thinks you should be sensible. “I wouldn’t go out in a storm—but then I’m quite a careful person.” He advises anyone who is unlucky enough to be caught in a storm to get down on the ground and curl up into a ball, making yourself as small as possible.

Lightning is one of nature’s most awesome displays of sheer power. ____2____ 250 years ago, Benjamin Franklin, the American scientist and statesman，proved that lightning is a form of electricity, but scientists still lack a complete understanding of how it works.

____3____ Positive electrical charges streaming upwards from trees or church spires may glow and make a buzzing noise, and people’s hair can stand on end. And if you fear lightning, you’ll be glad to know that a company in America has manufactured a hand-held lightning detector which can detect it up to 70 kms away, sound a warning tone and monitor the storm’s approach.

Nancy Wilder was playing golf at a club in Surrey when she was hit by a bolt of lightning. Mrs Wilder’s heart stopped beating, but she was resuscitated and, after a few days in hospital, where she was treated for bums to her head, hands and feet, she was pronounced fit again. Since that time, she has been a strictly fair weather golfer1. ____4____ The best place to be is inside a car!

The largest number of people to be struck by lightning at one time was in September 1995 when 17 players on a football pitch were hit simultaneously. The most extraordinary aspect of the strike was the fact that 11 of the victims—seven adults and four children—had burn patterns of tiny holes at 3 centimetre intervals on each toe and around the soles of their feet.

Harold Deal, a retired electrician from South Carolina, USA, was struck by lightning 26 years ago. He was apparently unhurt, but it later emerged that the strike had damaged the part of the brain which controls the sensation of temperature. ____5____Animals are victims of lightning too2．Hundreds of cows and sheep are killed every year, largely

because they go under trees. In East Anglia in 1918, 504 sheep were killed

instantaneously by the same bolt of lightning that hit the ground and travelled through the entire flock. Lightning is also responsible for starting more than 10,000 forest fires each year world-wide.

【词汇】

bolt n. （闪电）道

sheer adj. 绝对的

resuscitate v. 使复苏

flock n. 群

rubble n. 碎石

spire n. 尖顶，尖塔

instantaneously adv. 即刻，突如其来地

【注释】

1．she has been a strictly fair weather golfer：她变成了一个只在晴朗天气才打高尔夫的人。

2．Animals are victims of lightning too：动物也会受到雷击的伤害。

【练习】

A No wonder the ancient Greeks thought it was Zeus, father of the gods, throwing thunderbolts around in anger.

B In fact, a golf course is one of the most dangerous places to be during a thunderstorm.

C Lightning has long been hailed as one of the most impressive displays of nature’s power.

D When I picked myself up, the roof and the entire upper storey of the house had been demolished.

E Occasionally there are warning signs.

F Since then the freezing South Carolina winters haven’t bothered Harold, since he is completely unable to feel the cold.

【答案与题解】

1．D 前文讲到“我”被爆炸击中，因此后文要讲被击昏然后醒来之后的事，D项符合。

2．A 前文讲闪电是大自然绝对力量最可怕的展现方式之一，而宙斯在古希腊是力量的化身，古希腊人认为雷电产生的原因是宙斯发怒并投掷闪电。

3．E 后文讲到闪电来临之前的一些征兆，还讲到有一种产品可以预告闪电。此处要填的是该段的主题句，即闪电到来之前会有一些征兆。

4．B 前面讲到在高尔夫球场上被雷击的一个事例，后文讲闪电来临之时最安全的地方是汽车里，因此要填的句子应该是讲在高尔夫球场不安全。

5．F 前文讲Harold因为雷击丧失了感受温度的能力，F选项中关于他再也不怕冬天的寒冷的描述符合要求。

参考译文：

雷击

三年前，一道闪电几乎将林恩•米勒在亚伯丁的房子夷为平地，当时她的两个孩子还在屋里面。“那是一场暴风雨”，林恩回忆那场可怕的经历时说道，“我和我的兄弟当时正在外面，拼命阻止雨水流进屋子里。突然，我被巨大的爆炸击倒在地。当我爬起来的时候，房子的屋顶和顶楼都不见了。门被碎石堵住了，我们强行把门打开，找到了我的孩子，谢天谢地他们没有受伤。过后我得知，被闪电击中的概率是百万分之一。”事实上，有人计算过被闪电击中的概率是六百万分之一，虽然如此，AER技术中心的马克•凯斯博士还是认为，人们面对闪电的时候应该小心，AER技术中心是一个专门监控闪电影响的组织，马克说：“我不会在暴风雨的天气到户外去——：我是一个特别小心的人。”他还建议，要是不幸在户外遇到暴风雨，一定要趴在地上，蜷成球状，使自己的身体尽可能地缩小。

闪电是大自然绝对力量最可怕的展现方式之一，难怪古希腊人认为雷电产生是因为众神之父宙斯发怒了，并向周围投掷闪电。250年前，美国科学家和政治家本杰明•富兰克林证明了闪电是一种电，但是科学家仍然不完全清楚它的形成机制。

有时，闪电的到来有一些预兆。正电荷顺着树木或教堂尖顶向上流动的时候可能会有发光现象，并伴随着嗡嗡的噪声，人们的头发还可能会直立起来。如果你害怕闪电，那么有一个好消息，美国的一个公司生产了一种手持的闪电探测器，最远能够探测到70千米以外的闪电，并通过发出声音警报来提醒人们风暴的到来。

南希，怀尔德被闪电击中的时候正在萨里的一个俱乐部打高尔夫球。被闪电击中后，她的心跳停止了，但随后她被救了回来。接下来的几天她都待在医院，治疗头上、手上和脚上的烧伤，直到康复出院。从那时起，她便只在晴朗的天气才打高尔夫。事实上，高尔夫球场是暴风雨天气最危险的地方之一，而最好的地方是汽车里。

在1995年9月发生了一起多人被闪电击中的事件，17名足球运动员在赛场上同时被击中。最惊人的是，死者中的11人——包括7名成人和4名儿童——在每个脚趾和脚底上都有烧伤的小洞图案，每个洞相距3厘米。

哈罗德，迪尔是美国南卡罗莱纳州的一名退休电气技师，26年前，他被闪电击中。当时他看上去没有受伤，但是后来人们发现这次雷击损坏了他大脑中控制温度感受的部分。从那之后，南卡罗莱纳州寒冷的冬天就再也没让哈罗德发愁过，因为他已经完全感受不到寒冷。

动物们也会成为雷击的牺牲品，每年都有数百头牛羊死于雷击，多数情况下是因为它们总是在下雨的时候躲在树下。1918年在东盎格利亚，一道闪电谅过整个羊群，一下杀死了504只羊。闪电每年还在世界范围内引发10000多场火灾。

2015年新版职称英语教材新增文章系列之

理工类 补全短文 第十三篇

Affectionate Androids

Computers are now powerful enough to allow the age of humanoid robots to dawn1. And it won’t be long before we will see realistic cyber companions, complete with skin, dexterity, and intelligence. They will be programmed to tend to your every need. Will we ever want to marry robots? Artificial intelligence researcher David Levy has published a book claiming human-robot relationships will become popular in the next few decades. ____1____Will humans really be able to form deep emotional attachments to machines? It will, in fact, be relatively easy to form these strong attachments because the human mind loves to anthropomorphize: to give human attributes to other creatures—even objects.

For example, researchers in San Diego recently put a small humanoid robot in with a toddler playgroup for several months. ____2____ The children ended up treating it as a fellow toddler. When it lay down because its batteries were flat，the kids even covered it with a blanket.

In a few decades, when humanoid robots with plastic skin look and feel very real, will people want to form relationships with them? What if the bots could hold a conversation? And be programmed to be the perfect companions—soul mates, even? ____3____ And like those toddlers in the experiment, they will be very accepting of them.

The next question, then, is whether there is anything wrong with having an emotional relationship with a machine. Even today there are people who form deep attachments to their pets and use them as substitutes for friends or even children. Few consider that unethical.

____4____ For those who always seem to end up marrying the wrong man or woman, a robotic Mr. or Ms. Right could be mighty tempting. As the father of artificial

intelligence, Marvin Minsky, put it when asked about the ethics of lonely older people forming close relationships with robots: “If a robot had all the virtues of a person and was smarter and more understanding, why would the elderly bother talking to other grumpy old people?”

A robot could be programmed to be as dumb or smart, as independent or subservient, as an owner desired. And that’s the big disadvantage. Having the perfect robot partner will damage the ability to form equally deep human-human relationships. People will always seem imperfect in comparison. When you’re behaving badly, a good friend will tell you. ____5____People in relationships have to learn to adapt to each other: to enjoy their common interests and to deal with their differences. It makes us richer,

stronger, and wiser. A robot companion will be perfect at the start. However, there will be nothing to move the relationship to grow to greater heights.

【词汇】

affectionate adj. 深情的

dexterity n. 灵巧，敏捷

anthropomorphize v. 赋于人性，人格化

grumpy adj. 脾气暴躁的

cyber adj. 计算机的

tend v. 照料

bot n. 机器人

subservient adj. 屈从的，奉承的

【注释】

1．Computers are now powerful enough to allow the age of humanoid robots to dawn：计算机技术已经足够成熟，能够支持人形机器人的诞生和普及，进入人形机器人的时代。

【练习】

A It’s easier to have a robot companion instead of a human friend.

B But a sophisticated robot will probably be even more attractive.

C And if you want to go ahead and tie the knot with your special electronic friend，Levy said that such marriages will be socially acceptable by around 2050.

D However, few owners will program their robots to point out their flaws.

E Maybe your generation could resist, but eventually there will be a generation of people who grow up with humanoid robots as a normal part of life.

F The bot knew each child because it was programmed with face and voice recognition，and it giggled when tickled.

【答案与题解】

1．C 前文讲到David在书中认为人与机器人的关系在几十年后将变得普遍，因此接下来应该继续讲这种普遍性是怎样的。

2．F 前文讲在圣地亚哥的一个实验，研究人员将机器人放在儿童游乐园里，要填的句子应该是介绍这个机器人。

3．E 前文提了几个问题，是关于我们对人与机器人关系的看法，而后文讲“他们”会乐于接受，因此要填的句子应该是两类人的对比。E项讲我们这一代人可能会反对，但下一代人就不一定了，符合意思。

4．B 前文讲有人和宠物发展深厚关系，后面讲的是与机器人发展深厚关系的吸引人之处，因此这里应该讲机器人做伴侣的好处。

5．D 前文讲好朋友会在你犯错的时候指出来，这里应该是表示对比——机器人不会这么做。

参考译文：

深情的机器人

计算机技术已经足够成熟，能够使人形成机器人的诞生和普及，进入人形机器人的时代。（那些有着人类的皮肤、敏捷性、智力的机器人，已经离我们不远了。他们将被设计成能够满足我们所有的需求。）

我们会不会像和机器人结婚呢？人工智能研究人员大卫•莱维曾出版过一本书，在书中他认为，人与机器人之间的交流在几十年内将会变得很常见，而如果你想和你的特别的电子朋友恋爱结婚，莱维认为，这种婚姻关系将在2050年左右得到社会认可。

人们真的能够对机器人产生深厚的感情吗？事实上，产生这种感情不难，因为人脑喜欢将物体拟人化，也就是给其他生物甚至物体赋予人类特质。

比如说，圣地亚哥的研究人员曾将一个小型的人形机器人放置在一个儿童游乐场里几个月时间。这个机器人认识每一个孩子，因为内在的程序系统赋予了他人脸识别和声音识别能力，并且当有人给它挠痒痒的时候它还会笑。最后，孩子们都把她当做自己的同伴。当它因为没电而躺倒在地时候，孩子们甚至给它盖上毯子。

几十年之后，当人形机器人有着类似人类的皮肤，并且看上去和摸上去都非常像真人的时候，人们会不会想和他们发展深入的关系呢？要是机器人能进行对话，情况会怎么样呢？要是编程能使他们变成完美的同伴，甚至灵魂伴侣，情况又会怎样呢？肯能我们这一代人会反对这种情况，但是最终会有一代人将同机器人一同长大，将机器人视为正常生活的一部分。

2015年新版职称英语教材新增文章系列之

理工类 补全短文 第五篇

A Record-Breaking Rover

NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity has boldly gone where no rover has gone before—at least in terms of distance. ____1____On July 27, after years of moving about on Martian ground, the golf-cart-sized Opportunity had driven more than 24 miles, beating the previous record holder—a Soviet rover sent to the moon in 1973.

“This is so remarkable considering Opportunity was intended to drive about 1 kilometer and was never designed for distance,” says John Callas, the Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager.

____2____ “But what is really importantly is not how many miles the rover has racked up, but how much exploration and discovery we have accomplished over that distance.” OPPORTUNITY

The solar-powered Opportunity and its twin rover, Spirit, landed on Mars 10 years ago on a mission expected to last 3 months. ____3____Spirit stopped communicating with Earth in March 2010, a few months after it got stuck in a sand pit. But Opportunity has continued to collect and analyze Martian soil and rocks.

During its mission, Opportunity has captured, and sent back to Earth, some 187,000 panoramic and microscopic images of Mars with its cameras. ____4____MARATHON ROVER The rover doesn’t seem to be ready to stop just yet. If Opportunity can continue on, it will reach another major investigation site when its odometer hits 26.2 miles. ____5____Researchers believe that clay minerals exposed near Marathon Valley could hold clues to Mars’s ancient environment1. Opportunity’s continuing travels will also help researchers as they plan for an eventual human mission to the Red Planet.

【词汇】

Mars rover n. 火星车

panoramic adj. 全景的

odometer n. 里程计

rack up v. 积累

microscopic adj. 微观的

【注释】

1．could hold clues to Mars’s ancient environment：含有与火星早期环境有关的线索。

【练习】

A It has also provided scientists with data on the planet’s atmosphere, soil, rocks, and terrain.

B He works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

C Scientists call this site Marathon Valley, because when the rover reaches the

area, it will have traveled the same distance as the length of a marathon since its arrival on Mars.

D Opportunity has been working on Mars since January 2004.

E The objective of the rovers was to help scientists learn more about the planet and to search for signs of life，such as the possible presence of water.

F Since arriving on the Red Planet in 2004, Opportunity has traveled 25.01 miles, more than any other wheeled vehicle has on another world.

【答案与题解】

1．F 前文讲“机遇号”在距离上比之前的任何漫游车行进的距离都长，因此接下来应该讨论关于行进距离的问题。

2．B 前文引入了一个新人物John Callas，而后文是他说的一些话，因此这里应该填写的内容是对这个人的进一步介绍。

3．E 前文讲了同时被送入太空的两台漫游车“机遇号”和“勇气号”，因此下文应该对它们的情况进行介绍，而关于发射目的的介绍在这里是合适的。

4．A 前文讲到“机遇号”给地面传回了许多照片，而选项A中讲到它还给地面传回了许多其他信息，在这里是一致的。

5．C 前文讲漫游车在行进到26.2英里的时候会到达一个地点，而后文提到了马拉松谷这个地方，因此这里应该是关于这个地点的介绍。

参考译文：

破纪录的漫游车

美国宇航局的火星漫游车“机遇号”到达了其他任何漫游车都没能到达的地方—至少从距离上来说是如此。自2004年“机遇号”到达火星以来，它已经行驶了25.01英里，比任何外星漫游撤走的距离都长。

在火星上行驶数年之后，到7月27日，如高尔夫球车那么大的“机遇号”已经行驶了超过24英里，打败了之前的纪录保持者—一辆1973年被送上月球的苏联漫游车。

“这是一项不同寻常的成就，因为“机遇号”并不是为长途行驶而设计的，它本来预定只能行驶大约一千米。”约翰•卡拉斯这样解释。他是火星探测漫游车项目的负责人，在加州帕萨迪纳市的美国宇航局喷射推进实验室工作。“但是最重要的不是漫游车行进了多少距离，而是在这个距离上我们进行了多少探索和发现。”

“机遇号”

“机遇号”依靠太阳能提供能量。十年前，它和另一辆漫游车“勇气号”一起在火星着陆，完成一项预期三个月的任务，目的是帮助科学家进一步了解火星，并且所寻生命迹象，比如可能存在的水的迹象。

“勇气号”后来陷入了沙坑中，三个月后，在2010年3月，它与地面失去了联系，只有“机遇号”继续收集和分析火星土壤和岩石信息。

在执行这次任务的过程中，“机遇号”利用自带的照相机拍摄了大约187000张火星的全景和微观影像并传回地球，还给科学家提供了火星的大气、土壤、岩石以及地形等信息。

马拉松漫游车

漫游车的战绩不会止步于此。如果“机遇号”能够继续行驶的话，在它行驶到26.2英里的时候，它就会到达另一个重要的研究场地，科学家将这个场地命名为马拉松谷，因为当漫游车到达这个地点的时候，它在火星上行驶的距离正好和马拉松比赛的距离相等。

研究人员认为，马拉松谷附近的黏土物质含有与火星早期环境有关的线索。“机遇号”接下来的工作能帮助研究人员实施人类最终移居火星的计划。

2015年新版职称英语教材新增文章系列之

理工类 阅读理解 第九篇

An Essential Scientific Process

All life on the earth depends upon green plants. Using sunlight, the plants produce their own food. Then animals feed upon the plants. They take in the nutrients the plants have made and stored. But that’s not all. Sunlight also helps a plant produce oxygen. Some of the oxygen is used by the plant, but a plant usually produces more oxygen than it uses. The excess oxygen is necessary for animals and other organisms to live. The process of changing light into food and oxygen is called photosynthesis. Besides light energy from the sun, plants also use water and carbon dioxide. The water gets to the plant through its roots. The carbon dioxide enters the leaves through tiny openings called stomata. The carbon dioxide travels to chloroplasts, special cells in the bodies of green plants. This is where photosynthesis takes place. Chloroplasts contain the chlorophylls that give plants their green color. The chlorophylls are the molecules that trap light energy. The trapped light energy changes water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and a simple sugar called glucose.

Carbon dioxide and oxygen move into and out of the stomata. Water vapor also moves out of the stomata. More than 90 percent of water a plant takes in through its roots escapes through the stomata. During the daytime, the stomata of most plants are open. This allows carbon dioxide to enter the leaves for photosynthesis. As night falls, carbon dioxide is not needed. The stomata of most plants close. Water loss stops.

If photosynthesis ceased, there would be little food or other organic matter on the earth. Most organisms would disappear. The earth’s atmosphere would no longer contain oxygen. Photosynthesis is essential for life on our planet.

【词汇】

nutrient n.营养物

organism n.生物体，有机体

carbon dioxide n.二氧化碳

chloroplast n.叶绿体

molecule n.分子

vapor n.水蒸气

oxygen n.氧气

photosynthesis n.光合作用

chlorophyll n.叶绿素

glucose n.葡萄糖

cease v.停止

【注释】

1．Then animals feed upon the plants.动物以植物为食。

【练习】

1．In the first paragraph，the word “excess” meansA heavy.

B extra.

C green.

D liquid.

2．Which of the following does not move through a plant’s stomata?

A Carbon dioxide.

B Water vapor.

C Oxygen.

D Food.

3．In the title, the term Essential Scientific Process refers toA photosynthesis.

B the formation of glucose.

C global warming.

D water getting to the roots of plants.

4．This passage is primarily developed byA explaining a process.

B telling a story.

C comparing and contrasting.

D convincing the reader of plants’ importance.

5．Another good title for this passage would beA Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.

B Plants and Their Roots.

C How Photosynthesis Works.

D Why Our Earth Needs Water.

【答案与题解】

1．B 前文讲到，植物产生的氧气一部分被植物自身消耗了，但植物消耗的氧气量远小于它们产生的氧气，因此可以推测这句话的意思应该是剩余的氧气对于动物以及其他生物体的生存是至关重要的。excess在句中的意思是“超额的”，与extra“额外的”意思相近。

2．D 从第三段的第一、二句得知，二氧化碳、氧气和水蒸气都能从气孔中通过，唯一一个没有提到的是food“养分、食物”，因此该题选D项。

3．A 文章通篇都在讲Photosynthesis，即光合作頌钠作用和重要性，文章结尾又重申了Photosynthesis is essential for life on our planet，因此选A项。B项是光合作用的一个部分，C、D项则毫不相干。

4．A 文章先是介绍了进行光合作用所需的原料和组织，又介绍了光合作用的过程，因此整个逻辑应该是解释过程，而不是讲故事或比较对比。D项是“向读者说明植物的重要性”，这确实是文章的一个目的，但不是文章的组织方式。

5．C 文章的主题是光合作用的基本原理，因此选项C。A、B项在文中有提及，但不是主旨，D项与本文无关。

参考译文：

一个至关重要的科学过程

地球上所有的生命都依靠绿色植物生存。植物利用阳光制造自己的食物，而动物则以植物为食，它们吸收植物制造和储存的营养物质。但是植物能做的还不仅仅这些，它们还能利用阳光产生氧气，这些氧气的一部分被植物自身消耗了，但植物消耗的氧气量远小于它们产生的氧气，这些多余的氧气对于动物以及其他生物的生存是至关重要的。

植物将光转化为营养物质和氧气的这个过程叫光合作用，在这一过程中，植物不仅吸收阳光中的能量，还吸收水和二氧化碳。水通过根系进入植物体内，而二氧化碳则通过叶片上的小孔进入植物体，这些小孔叫做气孔。二氧化碳进入植物体内后，到达叶绿体，叶绿体是绿色植物体内的一种特殊细胞。叶绿体是光合作用发生的地方。叶绿体内包含叶绿素，这种物质使得叶子呈现绿色，它是一种能吸收光能的分子，吸收进来的光能将水和二氧化碳转化，产生氧气和一种结构简单的糖—葡萄糖。

二氧化碳和氧气通过气孔进出。水蒸气也是从气孔逸出。植物体通过根系吸收水分中的90%。白天，大多数植物的气孔都是张开的，使得二氧化碳能进入植物体参与光合作用。到了夜晚，植物不再需要二氧化碳，于是大多数植物的气孔就关闭了，水分散失也停止了。

如果光合作用停止的话，地球上将不会再有食物或其他有机物质，大多数生物体都会消失，地球的大气中的氧气也将消失。光合作用对于地球上的生命说是至关重要的。