中级职称英语
Abide by-stick to
Abrupt-sudden
Allocate-assign
Allocated-distributed
Barren-bare
Census-count
Depicts-describes
Duplicated-copied
Eligible-entitled
Eligible-qualified
Embodies-includes
Extinction-dying out
Faulty-wrong
Gorgeous-magnificent
Hailed-acclaimed
Harness-utilise
Ingenious-original
Notably-particularly
Obscured-prevent
Orthodox-conventional
Outrageous-unacceptable
Persists-continues
Postulated-assumed
Probed-explored
Regulate-control
Scattered-separated
Sensational-exciting
Shabby-unfair
Spurred-encouraged
Standpoint-point of view
Stroll-walk
Touching-moving
Trembled-shook
Vigorous-healthy
Widens-broadens
Wrecked-damaged
I. The Northern Lights
1. The Sun’s gravity is too weak to keep its plasma from flowing to the Earth.(Wrong)
2. The Earth is quite safe with a magnetic field surrounding it to protect it from the attack by
the solar wind.(Right)
3. Some scientists are worrying about the possible disappearance of the Earth ’s protective
magnetic field in the future.(Not mentioned)
4. The auroras are formed when the electrons falling into the Earth’s atmosphere at the poles
and colliding with gas molecules in the atmosphere.(Right)
5. You cannot see the Northern Lights unless you are in Alaska or Canada.(Wrong)
6. Tens of thousands of tourists take special trips to Norway and Sweden every year to watch
the Northern Lights.(Not mentioned)
7. An aurora is generally close to the ground and is very long and thick.(Wrong)
II. Biodiesel
1. Thailand suffers a lot due to the price slumps of its biodiesel.(Not mentioned)
2. Biodiesel is superior in quality to traditional petroleum.(Wrong)
3. Biodiesel can be made from coconut and palm oil, or from waste cooking oil.
4. Malaysia, and the Philippines are the first countries in the world to have public policy supporting the commercialization of biodiesels.(Wrong)
5. Yuthachai fuel is welcomed by both farmers and ferry operators for its low prices.(Right)
6. Yuthachai, the inventor of biodiesel, is currently the general manager of a US-Thailand joint venture in Bangkok.(Not mentioned)
7. It seems that Yuthachai places his fellow farmers’ interest before his own.
III. Image Martian Dust Particles
1. The dust particle on Mars is the small particle that has been imaged outside of Earth.(Right)
2. Using the same technology, we have also measured the size of particles on the moon and Jupiter.(Not mentioned)
3. Scientists use the highest resolution microscope to watch and record the image of Martian particles on earth.(Wrong)
4. Tom Pike said that they used to think it was no easy job to image such small particles.(Right)
5. An electronic device has been developed to measure the weight of certain Martian particles.(Not mentioned)
6. After collecting the last particle dust particle, the scientists have started to build up a portrait gallery of it.(Wrong)
7. The Phoenix’s robotic arm collected the Martian dust particles for analysis on Mars.(Right) I. Face Masks May Not Protect from Super-Flu
1. Paragraph 2: Guidelines on Mask Use
2. Paragraph 3: When to Use Face Masks
3. Paragraph 5: Reasons for Excluding Masks from the Self-protection List
4. Paragraph 6: Danger of Infection through Germy Hands and Masks
5. The scientists are trying to find out if masks may or may not: help protect people from being attacked by a flu.
6. The CDC is afraid that the public may: overuse face masks.
7. The public will not know the answer about masks until scientists: announce the results of their mask research.
8. We can infer from the passage that the US authorities: deal with the mask problem seriously. II. The Magic Io Personal Digital Pen
1. Paragraph 2: Working Principle of the Io Personal Digital Pen.
2. Paragraph3: Ways to Download the Stored Information.
3. Paragraph5: A Friendly and Convenient Device.
4. Paragraph6: Examples of Other Potential Applications of the Io Pen.
5. There is no need to learn how to use the io Personal Digital Pen because :it works like an
ordinary pen.
6. If you want to download what you have done with the magic pen, : you simply place the pen
into its computer-connected cradle.
7. The magic pen is particularly convenient when you work away from home or office because:
you don’t have to carry your laptop along.
8. No matter what you write or draw, : the movement of your pen is recorded digitally inside
the pen.
III. Maglev Trains
1. Paragraph 3: The Main Components of the Maglev Train System
2. Paragraph 4: Comparison of Maglev Trains with Traditional Ones
3. Paragraph 5: The Working Principle of the Maglev Train
4. Paragraph 6: High-speed Maglev due to Zero Friction
5. Several countries in the world are using strong electromagnets: to develop a maglev train rail
system.
6. You can connect a wire to the positive and negative ends of a battery: to create a magnetic
field.
7. A unique system of magnetic fields is created by the coils : to pull and push the train forward.
8. The frictionless maglev train enables you : to travel from Paris to Rome in about two hours. I. Too Little for Global Warming
1. What do the authors of the new analysis presented at the University of Uppsala intend to say? Oil and gas will run out so fast that Earth’s doomsday will never materialize.
2. Nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol agree to : cut CO2 emissions.
3. What are the estimates of the world’s oil and gas reserves?3500 billion by a growing number of scientists.
4. Which of the following about Nebojsa Nakicenovic is true?
He thinks that IPCC’s estimates are more optimistic than the Swedes.
5. Which of the following is the near explanation of Nakicenovic’s assertion that “… such a switch would be disastrous …”? A switch to burning coal would produce disastrous environmental problems.
II. Renewable Energy Sources
1. What are the energy resources that are not renewable according to the article? (A and
B)Petroleum and coal; Natural gas
2. China ’s three Gorges Dam: is the largest of all the hydroelectric dams in the world.
3. Which is the country with the first commercial power station that makes use of ocean
currents produced by tides? Norway.
4. Which of the following statements is true of wind power? All of above
5. According to the article, resources such as wind: are renewable so sustainable.
III. Forecasting Methods
1. What factor is NOT mentioned in choosing a forecasting method? Imagination of the
forecaster.
2. Persistence method will work well: if weather conditions do not change much.
3. The limitation of the trends method is the same as the persistence method in that: the
weather features need to be constant for a long period of time.
4. Which method may involve historical weather data? Both climatology method and analog
method.
5. It will be impossible to make weather forecast using the analog method: when the current
weather scenario differs from the analog.
IV. Defending the Theory of Evolution Still Seems Needed
1. According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements about the theory of evolution is true? School boards oppose AIBS’s effort to defend the theory of evolution.
2. Which one of the following is NOT the reason for an overall lack of teaching Darwin’s theory? Darwin ’s theory is denies as the central theory of biology.
3. AIBS is composed of: More than 80 societies and 250000 members.
4. According to Weis in the 5th paragraph, the theory of evolution: is fundamental to the development of modern genetics, molecular biology and genomics.
5. Why do people replace the term creationism with the term intelligent design nowadays? Because the term creationism is too direct.
V. Listening to Birdsong
1. What does the first paragraph say about zebra finches? Male zebra fiches change their songs in female zebra finches’ presence.
2. What did the researchers find in their study of female zebra finches? Female finches liked songs male finches sang for them.
3. What is meant by “concert songs” in the seventh paragraph? Songs sung by male finches for female finches.
4. What is NOT true of directed communication? Male zebra finches sing to themselves.
5. Which of the following can best reflect the theme of the passage? Birdsongs as communication.
VI. “Hidden ” Species May Be Surprisingly Common
1. Which of the following about the significance of the research on cryptic species is NOT true?
The results of the research can help our understanding of “survival of the fittest.”
2. What was scientists’ understanding of cryptic species? Both B and C.
3. Do scientists know how many cryptic species exist? Not yet.
4. Which of the following about the African bush elephant and the African elephant is true?
They are two genetically distant species.
5. People were confused in their attempts to control malaria in Europe in the early 1900s,
because scientists: identified only one mosquito species instead of six species.
VII. U.S. Scientists Confirm Water on Mars
1. What was discovered by NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander on Mars? Water in a soil sample.
2. Why did the first two attempts to deliver samples fail? The samples got stuck inside the
scoop.
3. Which one of the following statements is NOT meant by the writer? Scientists have been
trying to break the ice-rich layers of soil on Mars.
4. Where are the scientists involved in the research from? They are from both America and
Canada.
5. Which of the following do you think is the best description of Phoenix ’s Surface Stereo
Imager camera, according to your understanding of the passage? It imitates human vision and is able to capture three-dimensional images.
VIII. Cell Phones Increase Traffic, Pedestrian Fatalities
1. The two new studies, lead-authored by Professor Peter D. Loeb: both A and C.
2. According to the second paragraph, when did cell phones actually help to reduce pedestrian
and traffic fatalities? Before the number of cell phone users reached a critical mass.
3. What is said about cell phone use in paragraph 4? The number of traffic deaths was reduced
in the late 1980s and part of the 1990s due to cell phone use.
4. What is said about cell phone use in the mid-1980s in paragraph5? It had a life-taking effect
because there weren’t enough cell phones in use then.
5. Which of the following statements DOES NOT answer the question “What caused the “life
saving effect” to occur in the early 1990s?” The number of cell phone users reached about 100million.
I. Sleeping Giant
Right now, an eruption is brewing in Yellowstone National Park. Sometime during the next two hours, the park’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful, will begin gurgling boiling water and steam. Old Faithful is not only a spectacular sight; it’s also a constant reminder that Yellowstone sits on one of the largest volcanoes in the world. If you ’ve never heard of Yellowstone ’s volcano, you ’re not alone. it has erupted three times during the last 2 million years. And one of those eruptions spewed enough volcanic ash and other debris to blanket half the United States.
Yellowstone ’s volcano is sometimes called a “supervolcano ,” or extremely large and explosive caldera volcano. This supervolcano formed over a hot spot, an extremely hot area in Earth ’s mantle. John Valley, a volcano professor, said that as the crust moves across a hot spot, the hot spot melts a section of the plate moving over it, forming “one volcano after another.”
The Yellowstone hot spot melts thick continental crust which may cause catastrophic eruptions. According to experts the eruptions that created each of the three calderas in and around Yellowstone National Park were larger than any other volcanic eruption in recorded history. The most recent eruption, which happened 640,000 years ago, produced at least 1,000 cubic Geological evidence shows Yellowstone has blown its stack every 700,000 years or so. “If nature were truly that regular and reliable, we would be due for another eruption soon,” said Valley. “However, these processes are subject to variability, so we don ’t really know when the next eruption will happen.”
It is the volcanic energy that powers the geysers and hot springs, creates the mountains and canyons, and generates the unique ecosystems that support Yellowstone ’s diverse wildlife.
II. Robotic Highway Cones
A University of Nebraska professor has developed robotic cones and barrels. Shane Farritor, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Nebraska.
For example, if workers arrived at 6 am, the cones could move from the side of the highway to
It just seems like a very good application for robots,” Farritor said. “The robotic cones would also help remove people from hazardous jobs on the highway putting barrels and cones into place,’ Farritor said in a report on his creation.
fund allowed Farritor to work on the project with graduate students at Nebraska and his assistant Steve Goddard.
The robots are placed at the bottom of the cones and barrels and are small enough not to greatly change the appearance of the construction aides. “It would look exactly the same, ” Farriyor said. “”
Farritor has talked with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads about how the robots would be most useful to what they might need.
The robots could come in handy following a slow-moving maintenance operation, like painting a stripe on a road or moving asphalt, where now the barrels have to be picked up and moved as the operation proceeds. “That way you don’t have to block off a 10-mile strip for the operation, ” Farritor said.
While prototypes have been made, they are not in use anywhere. Farritor said he has applied for a patent and is considering what to do next. the country who may benefit from them.
III. The Arctic Ice Is Thawing
Father Christmas may have to move his “workshop ” from the North Pole because global warming is thawing the ice beneath his feet and his reindeers’ feet as well. His “workshop ” is in dire straits. The “platform ” for the “workshop ” is melting, said Stefan Norris of the World Wildlife Fund environmental group’s Arctic Program.
An eight-nation report by 250 scientists published recently predicted the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in summer by 2100 because of a build-up of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, mainly from burning fossil fuels in cars or factories. The North Pole is getting more and more Young people learn that Father Christmas ’ “workshop ” produces millions of gifts delivered by him on a flying, reindeer-drawn sleigh. Hollywood movies like “The Polar Express” tried to make viewers believe that Father Christmas lives at the North Pole.
The “Fortress of Solitude” is near the North Pole that could be under threat in a warmer world. Alan Boldt, spokesman of the Danish Ministry of Science, suggested ways to rescue Father ice stays on the North Pole for him.”This should be a subject for the United Nations,” he said. “Danmark could build windmills to provide Father Christmas with Power.” Denmark says Father Christmas ’s real home is Greenland, which will help, Denmark thinks, to strengthen its position in “Doesn ’t he already speak Danish?” Boldt said frostilt when asked if Father Christmas would ve
forced to learn Danish if Denmark won international recognition of its claim to the Pole. Last month ’s Arctic report said the region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the globe, partly because dark ground or water, once uncovered, soaks up more heat than ice or snow. Finland has been most favored by Father Christmas and it has about 500000 tourists a year to visit its Christmas center in Rovaniemi in Lapland. I. Sharks Perform a Service for Earth’s Waters
It is hard to get people to think of sharks as anything but a deadly enemy. They are thought to attack people frequently. But these fish perform a valuable service for earth ’s waters and for human beings. Yet business and sport dishing are threatening their existence. Some sharks are at risk of disappearing from Earth.
Warm weather may influence both fish and shark activity. Many fish swim near coastal areas because of their warm waters. Experts say sharks may follow the dish into the same areas, where people also swim. In fact, most sharks do not purposely charge at or bite humans. They are thought to mistake a person for a sea animal, such as a seal or sea lion. That is why people should not swim in the ocean when the sun goes down or comes up. Those are the times when sharks are looking for food. Experts also say that bright colors and shiny jewelry may cause sharks to attack.
A shark has an extremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of substances in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals. These powerful senses help sharks find their food. Sharks eat fish, any other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.
Medical researchers want to learn more about the shark’s body defense and immune systems against disease. Researchers know that sharks recover quickly from injuries. They study the shark in hopes of finding a way to fight human disease.
Sharks are important for the world’s ocean. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other dish in ocean waters do not become too great. This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.