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venkatmba - 2008-7-31 20:49:00

1. Jim Clark (吉姆·克拉克): 硅谷图形(Silicon Graphics)公司、网景(Netscape)公司、健康保险网络(Healtheon)公司的创始人、董事长，资产：25亿美元，财富积累时间：17年；格言：“最初的几百万最难赚。”，他不但开创了许多偶发事件，他本身就是一个偶发事件。国际畅销书作家刘易斯花了18个月的时间，贴身采访这位硅谷传奇人物，让世人得以一窥硅谷之所以成为硅谷，并不在于制造新电脑来致富，而是设计新事物让电脑来执行；也就是永远不满足现状，不断寻求突破，比新还要更新。　　2. The New New Thing (新新事物)：经济学家罗莫提出的“新增长理论”强调科技在经济成长过程扮演的重要角色，等于强调新新事物(The New New Thing)的重要。不过，他也提出另一个更深入的理由，说明科技为什么会日新月异，千变万化。“一旦认定现实生活还有精益求精的空间，就是认定现有成就外还有更大的可能，只要稍有变动，已知的世界将截然不同。我们不得不接受一个事实：如今已知的世界，只是一长串偶发事件的结果。” 　　3. Michael Lewis (迈克尔·刘易斯)：出生于新奥尔良，毕业于美国普林斯顿大学和英国伦敦经济学院，曾任所罗门兄弟公司的债券交易员，后来为《纽约时报》撰稿和英国《观察家周刊》的美国版编辑，目前是加州大学柏克莱校区新闻学院的客座研究员。他的成名之作《说谎者的扑克牌》被公认是描写80年代华尔街文化的经典名作，至今仍然在亚马逊书店热销，其中的精彩片段被各种媒体广为引用。他80年代的成名作「说谎者的扑克牌」及2000年的《一个想法一千万》是对变革的两个时代最真实细腻的写照，对美国商业文化产生了重大的影响。在福布斯2001年评选的20年来最伟大的20本商业书籍中，他的两本著作全部入选。　　难句突破 　　His $150 million grant, establishing the Jim C. Clark Center for Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, reflects his belief that just as computer technology has been driving today's economy, biotech will power it over the next 40 years. 　　主体句式：His $150 million grant … reflects his belief that … 　　结构分析：此句是一个定语从句。主语是“$150 million grant”，谓语是“reflects”，其中“establishing”是现在分词做伴随状语来修饰“grant”；“that”引导定语从句来修饰“belief”，在从句中注意“just as”的用法，“正如…一样”，后面可跟句子。　　句子译文：他捐赠的用于建立生物医学工程学和科学系的吉姆·C·克拉克中心1.5亿美元的赠款反映了他的这种信念：像计算机技术推动了今天的经济那样，生物技术也同样会在以后的40 年里给经济提供强大的动力。　　题目分析 　　1.答案为A,属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“Jim Clark, 55, is the first person ever to start three companies that each grew to be worth more than $1 billion--an achievement celebrated in Michael Lewis' best-selling book, The New New Thing.”。　　2.答案为B，属推理判断题。从句子“Clark is critical of some of his Silicon Valley brethren who haven't been as generous, despite their multibillion-dollar net worth.”我们可看出克拉克对于其他富翁吝啬的举动是持否定态度的。　　3.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“He hopes his gift will spur other tech billionaires to action, particularly Yahoo founders Jerry Yang and David Filo, who don't discuss specifics of any giving they may have done--and who Clark believes have been too frugal.” 　　4.答案为A，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“Clark is critical of some of his Silicon Valley brethren who haven't been as generous, despite their multibillion-dollar net worth.”。注意把握词组“be critical of”的含义。　　5.答案为D，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“They should be giving something back. These guys are young, but they've got more money than me. Or take Larry Ellison; he should be doing more.”句中“they”指的是那些赚钱比克拉克还多的年轻富豪，那些新贵们（new money）。Larry Ellison也是他们中的一分子。由此我们可做出判断。　　参考译文 　　吉姆·克拉克今年55岁，是创办了三家公司，并且每家公司都发展成价值超过10亿美元大公司的第一人。他所取得的成就在迈克尔·刘易斯的最畅销书《新新事物》里被大力颂扬。克拉克在原始计算机图形芯片里看到了硅谷图形公司开发的强大新型工作站的潜力。他看了一下简单的网络用接口, 就把它变成了网景公司的浏览器。就在最近，他利用网络的潜力通过一个叫健康保险网络的公司来分发医疗信息。克拉克的每个点子都为自己净赚了高达十亿多美元的利润。这样的一个幻想家是否也应该想出类似的捐赠这笔钱的新方法呢？　　嗯, 没有。克拉克以古老的方式——在他的母校斯坦福大学一座建筑物上刻上自己的名字的方式——捐出了他的钱。他捐赠的用于建立生物医学工程学和科学系的吉姆·C·克拉克中心1.5亿美元的赠款反映了他的这种信念：像计算机技术推动了今天的经济那样，生物技术也同样会在以后的40 年里给经济提供强大的动力。“有人说，你应该把钱投到最需要的地方，” 他耸了耸肩说，“但这是政府的事。对我来说，把这区区几十亿用到某个优先发展的项目上会产生更大的影响。” 　　克拉克也想酬谢一下斯坦福大学, 因为他设计他的硅谷图形工作站所用的芯片时使用的就是该校的实验室。而这是一种仍然能给他留出时间让他尽享开办公司、建造游艇和驾驶直升机之乐的慈善之举。克拉克对为什么有些搞技术的千万富翁把严肃的为慈善事业捐款放在无足轻重的地位有个人见解。1998年某一时刻，他密切注视着他的网景公司股票价值从20亿美元逐渐降到2亿美元。其他技术富豪们在他们个人时运方面也经历了类似疯狂的大起大落。克拉克解释说：“当你看到你的资本净值跌得那么快, 你会想，‘如果再继续这样跌下去，我必须卖我的飞机了。’” 　　克拉克对硅谷的那些尽管拥有数十亿美元资本净值却不够大方的亿万富翁同行们持批评态度。他希望他的馈赠能激励其他技术亿万富翁们行动起来，特别是雅虎公司的创始人杰尔•杨和大卫•非罗。这两人从不谈论他们完全可以做得到的任何捐助事宜——克拉克认为他们两人太过于精打细算。“这些人实际上是靠斯坦福来经营雅虎服务器的。”克拉克说，“他们应该做出一定的回报。这些人很年轻，但他们挣得钱却比我多。就拿拉里•埃利森来说，他应该做得更多一些。” 　　但克拉克仍保留乐观态度：“这些新贵们, 他们首先得有两三套房子，得有飞机。只有到了那时候他们才会考虑，我如何做些更有影响力的事？”

venkatmba - 2008-7-31 20:49:00

At the close of the Kyoto Global-Warming Treaty discussions held in Bonn last week, exhausted negotiators from nearly every country on earth had reason to be proud. They had done what no one expected--they reached a breakthrough agreement to limit greenhouse gases. During the concluding remarks, as each speaker praised the next, only the chief U.S. official on the scene drew an undiplomatic response. When Paula Dobriansky told the gathering that the Bush Administration "will not abdicate our responsibility" to address global warming, the hall filled with boos. That's because the U.S., the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases, sat on the sidelines in Bonn.

　　George W. Bush has yet to decide what, if anything, he will do to combat global warming. But he believes the Kyoto treaty is fatally flawed because it doesn't require developing countries to limit their fossil-fuel use immediately, as it does industrialized countries. So he kept the U.S. out of the discussions. In doing so, the Administration may have lost its last opportunity to help shape the international response to the problem. And Bush may be in danger of losing control over climate action domestically. After months of internal debate, the Administration is still "consulting" on the issue.

　　That noise you hear is Congress rushing to fill the leadership vacuum. At least six climate plans have been proposed so far. The first is sponsored by former Republican, now Independent Senator Jim Jeffords, chairman of the Senate Environment Committee, who proposes to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants. Congressional action this week will center on reducing emissions by raising vehicle fuel-efficiency standards, including those for SUVs. If SUVs had to meet the same standards as cars--something Massachusetts Representative Ed Markey will propose this week--they could save consumers an estimated $7 billion at the pump this year and cut gasoline demand by tens of billions of gallons over 10 years.

　　The "drill Detroit, not the Arctic" campaign will find some support this week when the National Academy of Sciences releases a long-awaited study. The report, toned down after the auto industry protested that raising fuel-efficiency standards, by making cars lighter, makes vehicles less safe, is still likely to conclude that fuel efficiency can be increased at least 25% with existing technology.

　　If a fuel-efficiency bill reaches his desk, Bush could be in a bind--caught between auto lobbyists (his chief of staff used to be one) and his concern for energy security. With new technology putting impressive fuel efficiency within reach, it will be hard for him to oppose measures that could reduce the national appetite for foreign oil by millions of barrels a year.

1.In the opening paragraph, the author introduces his topic by
　　[A] making a comparison.
　　justifying as an assumption.
　　[C]posing a contrast.
　　[D]explaining a phenomenon.

2.The statement “sat on the sidelines” (Line 7, Paragraph 1) means
　　[A]not sitting together with the representatives from other countries.
　　not taking part in the activity even though they should do.
　　[C]not getting involved in the discussion.
　　[D]not paying attention to the international affair.

3.Bush kept U.S. out of the discussions because he believes
　　[A]the industrialized countries should not shoulder the responsibility alone.
　　developing countries fail to meet the same requirement.
　　[C]the industrialized countries seem to share more in tacking this issue.
　　[D]the developing countries should not be included.

4.The National Academy of Sciences found in the study that
　　[A]the auto industry should not raise the fuel efficiency standards.
　　the lighter car is not safe enough.
　　[C]the existing technology can increase the fuel efficiency.
　　[D]the lighter the car is, the less safety it will be.

5.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
　　[A]New technology can help Bush out of trouble.
　　Bush intends to stir the national appetite for foreign oil.
　　[C]Auto lobbyists have different ideas from Bush.
　　[D]Bush fails to deal with the subtle situation.

　　答案：CBACB

　　篇章剖析

　　本文采用提出问题——分析问题的模式。文章从布什政府对《京都议定书》的反应入手，分析了布什这么做的原因以及在国内产生的影响和后果。第一段指出布什政府在波恩会议上的局外人的态度；第二段指出其原因以及造成的后果；第三段和第四段指出在美国国内提出的有关限制温室气体排放的建议；第五段指出布什所处的进退两难的境地。

　　词汇注释

　　Dubya《美国未来词典》最鲜明的特色就是拿布什“开涮”，该词典将“乔治·Ｗ·布什”名字中的“Ｗ”挑出来，以其谐意称总统为“达不溜”（ｄｕｂｙａ）。

　　SUVs（sport utility vehicles）越野车，运动休闲车

　　at the close of n.在...结束时,在...末

　　the Kyoto Global-Warming Treaty为了人类免受气候变暖的威胁，１９９７年１２月，在日本京都召开的《联合国气候变化框架公约》缔约方第三次会议通过了旨在限制发达国家温室气体排放量以抑制全球变暖的《京都议定书》。

　　Bonn[bCn]n.波恩(原西德首都,位于莱茵河畔)

　　on the scene出现；登场

　　undiplomatic adj无外交策略的

　　abdicate v.退位, 放弃(职位,权力等)

　　address vt.从事, 忙于

　　boo[5bu:]v.作嘘声int.嘘!

　　sideline[5saIdlaIn]n.副业, 边界线, 兼职, 附带销售的货物, 局外人的观点

　　tone down v.降低, 柔和, 缓和

　　in a bind adv.处于困境

　　lobbyist[5lRbIIst]n.活动议案通过者, 说客

　　chief of staff n.(陆海空军的)参谋长,<美>(陆空军)司令

　　难句突破

　　1．The report, toned down after the auto industry protested that raising fuel-efficiency standards, by making cars lighter, makes vehicles less safe, is still likely to conclude that fuel efficiency can be increased at least 25% with existing technology.

　　主体句式：The report … is still likely to conclude that …

　　结构分析：这句话的主语是report，后面跟的过去分词toned down做伴随状语来修饰the report; toned down后面又跟了after引导的时间状语从句，从句中又有一个that引导的宾语从句，宾语从句中raising fuel-efficiency standards是主语，by making cars lighter来修饰之；这句话的谓语是is still likely…;谓语后又跟了一个that引导的宾语从句。

　　句子译文：由于汽车生产企业的抗议——通过减轻车身的重量来提高燃油效率的标准这种做法会使汽车的安全性降低，这项报导处以低调，但仍可能得出这样的结论：现在的科技水平能使燃料效率至少提高25%。

　　题目分析

　　1．答案为C，属事实细节题。作者以布什政府和与会代表就《京都议定书》的不同反应为切入点，意在指出美国政府的局外人态度。

　　2．答案为B，属推理判断题。从第一段“the hall filled with boos”我们知道全场对美国代表的发言发出唏嘘声，其中不乏不满、意外、责备等情感因素。后作者又做出解释：“That's because the U.S., the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases, sat on the sidelines in Bonn.”这是因为美国作为全球温室气体排放量最大的国家，本应该带头为解决这一问题去做出一些尝试，但恰恰相反，美国代表的发言完全是局外人、与己不相干的态度。从而可猜出词义。

　　3．答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“But he believes the Kyoto treaty is fatally flawed because it doesn't require developing countries to limit their fossil-fuel use immediately, as it does industrialized countries. So he kept the U.S. out of the discussions.”美国之所以没有参与讨论，是因为布什认定京都协定有致命的缺陷，其缺陷在于它没有要求发展中国家同其它工业国一样，立即限制矿物燃料的使用。

　　4．答案为C，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“The report, toned down after the auto industry protested that raising fuel-efficiency standards, by making cars lighter, makes vehicles less safe, is still likely to conclude that fuel efficiency can be increased at least 25% with existing technology.”对应信息不难找到，难点在于对句子结构的把握上。参照“难句突破”部分的解释。

　　5．答案为B，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“it will be hard for him to oppose measures that could reduce the national appetite for foreign oil by millions of barrels a year.”

　　参考译文

　　上周在波恩举行的商讨《京都议定书》会议结束的时候，来自世界各国的筋疲力尽的谈判者完全有理由感到自豪。他们取得的成果是任何人都没有预料到的——就限制温室气体排放问题达成了一项突破性协议。在致闭幕词的时候，与会的每一位发言人都对此表示称赞，惟独美国官方代表作出了毫无外交策略的回应。当保拉·多布里扬斯基向大会宣布布什政府“不会放弃自己的责任”去处理全球变暖这一问题时，全场报以唏嘘声。这是因为美国作为全球温室气体排放量最大的国家在波恩会议上完全是一种局外人的态度。

　　如果真有什么可做的话，乔治·沃特·布什必须决定应该为遏制全球气候变暖做些什么。但是他认定京都协定有致命的缺陷，因为它没有要求发展中国家同其它工业国那样，立即限制矿物燃料的使用，因此美国没有参与讨论。这样做的结果是，布什政府可能失去了最后的机会去影响国际社会对此问题做出的反应。在国内，布什可能会有对气候问题处于失控状态的危险。经过几个月的内部讨论之后，布什政府对这一问题仍然处于“磋商”阶段。

　　你所听到的都是些国会成员争先抢后去填补领导层空缺的议论。至今已提出了至少六种有关气候治理计划。第一种计划是由吉姆·杰福兹提出的。吉姆·杰福兹是前共和党派，现在的无党派参议员，并任参议院环境工程委员会主席。他提议减少电厂的温室气体排放量。本周国会议题是围绕通过提高机动车燃料效率标准来减少气体排放量这一论点展开的，其中也包括提高越野车的标准。如果越野车要达到的标准和小汽车一样的话——这是本周来自麻萨诸塞州的代表爱德·马奇提出来的——那么消费者今年估计仅气泵一项就能节省70亿美元，十年中汽油需求量能减少好几百亿加仑。

　　本周国家科学研究院公布了一项令人期待已久的研究，这项研究将会使“在底特律而不要在北极进行石油勘探”这一运动从中获得一些支持。由于汽车生产企业的抗议——通过减轻车身的重量来提高燃油效率的标准这种做法会使汽车的安全性降低，这项报导处以低调，但仍可能得出这样的结论：现在的科技水平能使燃料效率至少提高25%。

　　如果一份有关燃料效率的议案送到布什的案头，他会进退两难——夹在汽车企业的说客（他的参谋长就是其中一个）和自己对能源安全问题的担忧中间。应用新科技能达到令人满意的燃油效率，那么也就使他很难反对能减少国人每年对外国石油几百万桶的需求量的方案。

venkatmba - 2008-7-31 20:49:00
Jim Boon is a hybrid kind of guy. He drives a Toyota hybrid to work, a Honda hybrid on weekends and, as a manager for Seattle public transit he recently placed the world's largest order for hybrid electric buses.

　　Now, with the biggest hybrid-bus fleet in the world, Seattle has become the main testing ground for a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption. In the 1990s, demo fleets of 35 buses or fewer started cropping up in cities such as Tempe, Ariz. Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures. But no city has gone as far as Seattle, which last year bought 235 GM hybrid buses at $645,000 a pop. When the final one rolls out this December, the region's bus system will be 15 percent hybrid.

　　But why Seattle, and why now? The Pacific Northwest has long been a hotbed of both Green politics and cutting-edge technology. Fourteen years ago the Seattle area bought 236 Italian-made Breda buses to service a mile-long downtown tunnel. They were supposed to operate as clean electric trolleys underground, but the switching mechanism often failed and "the bus drove through the tunnel as a diesel," says Boon. "It was pretty loud and smoky."

　　When the Bredas hit retirement age in 2002, Boon went shopping. He chose the GM buses because they use an automatic transmission and diesel boosters that provide power to scale inclines without strain. In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus. "The days of seeing a diesel pull away and pour out smoke are over," says Boon. "After we drove these hybrid buses across the country, I wiped a handkerchief inside the tailpipe. It came out spotless."

　　Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air. It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year. GM claims that compared with conventional diesels, its new buses also churn out 90 percent less particulate matter--a known carcinogen. "Buses are a major source of pollution in any city," says Dave Kircher of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. "They operate where people are breathing this exhaust, so this is a major step forward in terms of emissions."

　　And a major step forward in the marketplace: Philadelphia; Honolulu; Long Beach, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M., have all bought the GM buses in recent months. GM is now touting itself in ads as the top hybrid-bus innovator, but Siemens is among the global giants dueling GM for new business, and New York plans to deploy 325 BAE Systems hybrids by 2006. "There's room for competition," says James Cannon, editor of Hybrid Vehicles newsletter. Seems Seattle isn't the only city trying to leave grunge behind.

1． How does Genoa protect its architectural treasures?
　　[A]Following Seattle’s steps to reduce pollution.
　　Using electric power of the car when crossing.
　　[C]Shifting the power of the hybrids when crossing.
　　[D]Reducing the number of the buses crossing there.

2． Which of the following can be the main advantage of hybrid bus?
　　[A]Cutting air pollution and fuel consumption
　　Producing less smoke and noise.
　　[C]Owning strong switching mechanism.
　　[D]Producing less dangerous matter.

3． The expression “churn out”(Line 4, Paragraph 5) most probably means ______.
　　[A]increase
　　destroy
　　[C]reduce
　　[D]produce

4． Why buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of higher efficiency?
　　[A]Buses are a major source of pollution.
　　A single bus saves much more gas than a single car.
　　[C]Buses carry more passengers.
　　[D]New buses produce less harmful material.

5． Which of the following is true according to the text?
　　[A]Many cities plan to buy GM buses.
　　GM buses have the incomparable advantages over other buses.
　　[C]There is severe competition in the field of hybrid vehicles.
　　[D]The best way to keep the city clean is to buy hybrid buses.

　　答案：CADBC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文采用的是提出问题——分析问题的模式，指出混合动力公交车的优点，并分析了西雅图为什么会成为世界上拥有这种汽车最多的城市。第一段介绍了西雅图公共交通系统经理吉姆·布恩；第二段指出西雅图是世界上拥有混合动力公交车最多的城市；第三段和第四段分析了为什么会是西雅图这座城市，而且又是现在购买这么多GM公交车的原因；第五段介绍了同柴油机相比，混合动力公交车的性能优点；第七段介绍了其市场经营情况。

　　词汇注释

　　hybrid[5haIbrId]n.杂种, 混血儿, 混合物adj.混合的, 杂种的

　　place an order for sth. with v.向...定购某物

　　drastically adv.激烈地, 彻底地

　　demo[5demEJ]n.演示, 民主党员, 样本唱片

　　crop up v.突然出现

　　diesel[5di:z(E)l]n.柴油机

　　a pop每个，各

　　roll out v.铺开, 低沉地讲出, 离开, 动身, 大量生产, 滚出

　　hotbed[5hRtbed]n.温床

　　cutting-edge 尖端的，先进的

　　trolley[5trRlI]n.电车

　　accelerate[Ek5selEreIt]v.加速, 促进

　　belch[beltF]v.打嗝, (火山、炮等)冒烟、喷出

　　tailpipe[`teIlpaIp]n.[汽]排气管

　　churn out 大量产出；以一种丰富的和自动的方式产生

　　carcinogen[kB:5sInEdV(E)n]n.致癌物质

　　exhaust[I^5zC:st]n.废气

　　tout[taJt]v.吹捧

　　duel[5dju:El; (?@) 5du:El]v.决斗

　　deploy[dI5plCI]v.展开, 配置

　　grunge[^rQndV]n.<美俚>蹩脚货,难看的东西,乏味的东西

　　难句突破

　　1．In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus.

　　主体句式：… the prospect … helped justify a price …

　　结构分析：这句话的主语是“the prospect of a hybrid”，之后跟的是由that引导的定语从句来修饰“a hybrid”。在这个定语从句中，“climb”和“accelerate”都是谓语动词。“help”是谓语，后面经常跟“to do sth”，其中“to”常被省略。“$200,000 higher than that of a regular bus”修饰“a price”，其中 “that”指代的是“price”。

　　句子译文：在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。

　　题目分析

　　1.答案为C, 属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures.”

　　2.答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是第二段第一句话“a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption”。第五段第一句话“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”又进一步印证了这一点。

　　3.答案为D，属猜词题。本段的主题句是“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”其中已经介绍过了高功效，接下来要介绍高清洁。 “churn out”所在的句子是在说明这种新型公交车在减少大气污染方面的优良性能，根据语境可猜出词组的含义。

　　4.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year.”作对本题的关键是对此句的正确理解。参照“难句突破”部分的解释。

　　5.答案为C，属推理判断题。本段指出虽然美国通用汽车公司自诩是最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是GM在这一市场中做的并不是独家生意，也还存在着激烈的竞争，其中主要竞争对手是劲敌西门子公司，而且纽约作为一大客户，准备订购的是BAE系统混合动力车，而不是GM公司的车。由此我们可作出判断。

　　参考译文

　　吉姆·布恩是个混血儿。他上班开丰田混合动力车，周末开本田混合动力车。作为西雅图公共交通系统经理，他最近订购了世界上最大一批混合电力公交车。

　　现在，拥有世界上最大的混合动力公交车车队的西雅图已经成为一项技术的主要试验地。这项技术据说能大幅度降低空气污染和燃料消耗。在二十世纪九十年代，就有35辆或再少几辆这样的示范车突然出现在诸如亚利桑那州滕比这样的城市里。这些早年的混合动力车至今仍有16辆服务于意大利的热那亚。在热那亚，途经城市市区的建筑瑰宝时，司机就会把柴油动力转换成电力动力。但是没有哪座城市的做法赶得上西雅图，去年它以每辆645，000美元的价格购买了235辆美国通用汽车公司生产的混合动力公共汽车。今年十一月，当最后一辆车生产出来的时候，这个地区的公交汽车系统中混合动力车将占到15%。

　　可为什么是西雅图？为什么又是现在呢？美国太平洋西北部长期以来一直是绿色政治和尖端科技产生的摇篮。十四年前，西雅图地区曾购买了236辆意大利制造的布雷达（Breda）公共汽车用于一英里长的市区隧道的使用。本指望能把它们当作洁净的电力有轨电车在地下使用，但是车上的转换装置经常出毛病，“而且汽车在穿越隧道时就像是辆柴油机，”布恩说，“噪音太大，烟雾太多。”

　　2002年，当布雷达汽车到了“退休”的年龄时，由布恩进行新的采购。他之所以选择美国通用汽车是因为他们使用的是自动转换装置和能够提供动力来测量没有张力的斜坡的柴油推进器。在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。“看着柴油机冒着黑烟开走的日子终于结束了，”布恩说，“我们开车驶过乡村，我拿出手绢擦拭排气管的内部。手绢洁白无暇。”

　　专家认为汽车是实现高功效和高清洁梦想的关键。上千辆混合动力小汽车节省下来的汽油（750，000加仑）才和布恩预计他的汽车每年为西雅图节省的石油一样多。美国通用汽车公司声称，同传统柴油机相比，他们的这种新型汽车还能把产生的某种物质—— 一种已知的致癌物减少90%。“公共汽车在任何一座城市里都是主要的污染源，”普吉特海湾清洁空气监测站（the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency）的戴夫·奇瑟说，“汽车一开动，人们就开始在呼吸这种废气。因此这是在汽车排放物方面迈出的重大一步。”

　　在市场方面也向前迈出了重大一步：最近几个月，费城、火奴鲁鲁、长堤、加州和新墨西哥州的阿尔伯克基都购买了美国通用公共汽车。现在，美国通用汽车公司在广告中把自己吹嘘成最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是与通用公司竞争这一新生意的还有全球性的大公司西门子公司；纽约计划到2006年配备325辆BAE系统的混合动力车。“这大有竞争的余地。”《动力机动车时事通讯》的编辑詹姆士·坎农是这样说的。看来好象不只西雅图一座城市想要把肮脏抛在身后。

venkatmba - 2008-7-31 20:50:00
Imagine asking a presidential candidate to sit down for a sensitivity session on gay and lesbian issues. That's exactly what we did last week in Austin, Texas. George W. Bush invited us, a dozen gay Republicans, after he'd refused to meet with a gay Republican group that had criticized him. Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.

　　Bush didn't like everything we had to say. I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn. I described how my partner, Rob Morris, and I have been in a 17-year relationship. We both come from healthy, strong, religious families. Rob grew up in a conservative Republican family in Georgia; I come from a longtime Republican family in Wisconsin. I'm now the vice president of my Lutheran church. I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community.

　　Our stories had an impact. Bush admitted that, growing up in Texas, he had not been as open to elements of America's diverse culture. He had a narrow set of friends and a firm set of traditions. But he was surprised and dismayed to hear that people saw him as intolerant. "What have I said that sent that signal?" he asked repeatedly. We confronted him about his reported statement that if you were openly gay or lesbian you would not be considered for a job in his administration. "I never said that," he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.

　　Our perspective was clearly eye-opening to him. When one of us talked about his lesbian sister and her partner adopting children, the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt. "Now you're telling me of a very loving, caring relationship," he said. "I really appreciate hearing that." We stressed that a Bush administration could not roll back any of the progress made in recent years. We talked about AIDS funding and research. Though Bush was attentive--and does show a willingness to hear all sides--I don't think we changed his positions. He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes. To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.

1.What is implied in the first paragraph?
　　[A]A gay Republican group criticized Bush for his political views.
　　It is impossible to invite a president for discussing the gay issues.
　　[C]No president candidate can ignore gay and lesbian issues at the present time.
　　[D]Gay and lesbian issues are hot issues for the president.

2.The author uses himself as an example to show _________.
　　[A]what it is like in the gay and lesbian community
　　what it is like to be a gay.
　　[C]what kind of a family the gays come from.
　　[D]what it is like to maintain a gay relationship

3.The author’s attitude toward Bush’s performance at the meeting is _________.
　　[A]scornful
　　satisfactory
　　[C]supporting
　　[D]objective

4. In spite of his careful listening, Bush still opposes the following behaviors except _________.
　　[A]adopting the child
　　getting married
　　[C]redefining hate crimes
　　[D]employing the gays and lesbians

5. The text intends to express the idea that _________.
　　[A]the gays and lesbians long for the normal life
　　Bush has partly changed his views about the gay issues
　　[C]there is still a long way to go to deal with the gay issues properly
　　[D]the gays has had a successful talk with Bush

　　答案：CABDC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文可以说是一篇记叙文，作者以第一人称的身份讲述了十几个共和党人同总统候选人布什的会面，并就男女同性恋问题进行了探讨和交流。第一段指出这一会面蕴涵的意义；在第二段，作者以自己为例，向布什具体讲述有关同性恋者的家庭、宗教信仰以及他（她）们之间的关系；第三段和第四段指出这一交流对布什产生的影响和作用。

　　词汇注释

　　behind the scenes adv.在后台, 在幕后

　　gay[^eI] n.<美俚> 同性恋者, 尤指男性同性者

　　sit down v.坐下, 扎营, 坐下来商讨, 停止, 降落

　　lesbian[5lezbIEn]n.同性恋的女性

　　precedent[5presIdEnt]n.先例

　　major party n.（有竞选力量、可能入主政府或成为主要反对党的）大党；主要政党

　　intolerant[In5tRlErEnt]adj.不宽容的, 偏狭的

　　eye-opening[`aI9EJpEnIN]adj.使瞠目吃惊的, 很有启发的

　　acknowledge[Ek5nRlIdV]vt.承认, 答谢, 报偿

　　难句突破

　　Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.

　　主体句式：Our meeting set an important precedent…

　　结构分析：“Our meeting set an important precedent”和“never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues”是一种并列关系。在这个句子中，需要注意这么一个语法点：如果否定词（never, hardly, seldom, etc）位于句首，谓语动词要倒装。注意掌握词组“run for”，意为“竞选”，“address”意为“处理”。

　　句子译文：我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。

　　题目分析

　　1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues. ”这一句话点出了此次会谈的意义。

　　2.答案为A，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community. ”作者以自己为例，是为了向布什更好地解释有关同性恋的问题。

　　3.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn.”其中“strike”的含义为“打动；感动；给…印象；吸引”等等。文章最后两句话“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.”意为“老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。”表现出对布什的赞赏和肯定。

　　4.答案为D，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes.”由此我们可以确定选项B和C是正确的；从原文“the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt”，我们可以确定选项A是正确的；选项D在文中对应的信息是“he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.”

　　5.答案为C，属推理判断题。从文中第一段“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.”我们可看出同性恋问题的严重性。最后一段“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go.”我们可看出这一问题的长期性和复杂性。由此可作出判断。

　　参考译文

　　想象一下，要求一位总统候选人坐下来参加“敏感会议”来商讨有关男女同性恋问题。但这正是我们上周在德克萨斯州的奥斯汀所做的事情。乔治·沃特·布什在拒绝会见批判他的共和党同性恋团体之后，邀请了我们十几位同性恋共和党人。我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。

　　布什并不赞同我们不得不说出的一切。他对此类事情的陌生以及想要去了解的愿望使我深有感触。我向他讲述我和我的同伴罗布·莫理斯是如何处于这种长达17年的同性恋关系的。我们双方都是出自健康、健全、有宗教信仰的家庭。罗布生长在乔治亚州的一个保守的共和党家庭；我来自威斯康星州的一个老共和党人家庭。我现在是我所在的路德教堂的副会长。我想让领导人布什明白的是，男女同性恋团体拥有持久恩爱的关系，稳定的家庭，坚定的有宗教信仰的传统和共和党派选举史。

　　我们的讲述起了作用。布什承认，因为在德州长大，所以他对美国多元文化的构成不够敏感。他的交友圈很窄，而且他还固守传统。但是当他听说人们认为他很偏狭的时候，他还是感到吃惊和沮丧。“我说了什么话传递了这样的信息？”他反复地问。我们就他在报导声明里提到的如果你公然表示是男同性恋或女同性恋的话，那么将不予考虑你在政府部门任职这一观点进行了对质。“我从未说过这样的话。”他是这样强调的，并向我们保证他会任用那些能干并且与他政治观点相同的男、女同性恋的。

　　我们的看法对他而言显然是有启发性的。当我们中的一个人谈到他的同性恋姐姐和她的同伴收养孩子的问题时，这位领导人承认了他经常陈述的观点，那就是同性恋不应该收养孩子。“你们给我讲述了一种很忠情、很关爱的关系，”他说，“我真的很重视我所听到的有关情况。”我们强调说布什政府不会使我们近几年所取得的进展付之东流。我们还谈到了有关艾滋病资助和研究问题。虽然布什很专注——也确实表现出愿意倾听各方的意见——但我认为我们并没有改变他的观点。他仍然反对同性恋人结婚，反对把迫害同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视罪。老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。

venkatmba - 2008-7-31 20:50:00
Hidden valley looks a lot like the dozens of other camps that dot the woods of central Maine. There's a lake, some soccer fields and horses. But the campers make the difference. They're all American parents who have adopted kids from China. They're at Hidden Valley to find bridges from their children's old worlds to the new. Diana Becker of Montville, Maine, watches her 3-year-old daughter Mika dance to a Chinese version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." "Her soul is Chinese," she says, "but really she's growing up American."

　　Hidden Valley and a handful of other "culture camps" serving families with children from overseas reflect the huge rise in the number of foreign adoptions, from 7,093 in 1990 to 15,774 last year. Most children come from Russia (4,491last year) and China (4,206) but there are also thousands of others adopted annually from South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. After cutting through what can be miles of red tape, parents often come home to find a new dilemma. "At first you think, 'I need a child'," says Sandy Lachter of Washington, D.C., who with her husband, Steve, adopted Amelia, 5, from China in 1995. "Then you think, 'What does the child need?' "

　　The culture camps give families a place to find answers to those kinds of questions. Most grew out of local support groups; Hidden Valley was started last year by the Boston chapter of Families with Children from China, which includes 650 families. While parents address weighty issues like how to raise kids in a mixed-race family, their children just have fun riding horses, singing Chinese songs or making scallion pancakes. "My philosophy of camping is that they could be doing anything, as long as they see other Chinese kids with white parents," says the director, Peter Kassen, whose adopted daughters Hope and Lily are 6 and 4.

　　The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year. "When we rented out a theater for 'Mulan,' it was packed," says Stephen Chen of Boston, whose adopted daughter Lindsay is 4. Classes in Chinese language, art and calligraphy are taught by experts, like Renne Lu of the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Center. "Our mission is to preserve the heritage," Lu says.

　　Kids who are veteran campers say the experience helps them understand their complex heritage. Sixteen-year-old Alex was born in India and adopted by Kathy and David Brinton of Boulder, Colo., when he was 7. "I went through a stage where I hated India, hated everything about it," he says. "You just couldn't mention India to me." But after six sessions at the East India Colorado Heritage Camp, held at Snow Mountain Ranch in Estes Park, Colo., he hopes to travel to India after he graduates from high school next year.

　　Camp can be a learning experience for the whole family. Whitney Ning, 23, a counselor for four years, says the Korea Heritage Camp helped her become closer to her parents. "They were hesitant at first," she says, "but when they saw how much it meant to me, they became very supportive." Sometimes the most direct route around the world is across a campfire.

1. Why American parents come to Hidden Valley?
　　[A]It has a large gathering of adopted children.
　　Parents want to find a place to exchange their ideas.
　　[C]It helps children adapt to the new culture well.
　　[D]It is a very good place for relaxation.

2. Which of the following is not the advantage of the culture camp?
　　[A]It well reflects the increasing foreign adoptions.
　　Parents can find the answers to their questions in raising the adopted children.
　　[C]Children can learn a lot in culture camp.
　　[D]It helps the adopted children have a better understanding of their complex heritage.

3. The expression “miles of red tape”(Line 5, Paragraph 2) most probably means _________.
　　[A]a number of choices
　　many hard journeys
　　[C]a lot of difficulties
　　[D]most troublesome procedures

4. What is Alex’s attitude toward India now?
　　[A]Strong disapproval.
　　Reserved consent.
　　[C]Slight contempt
　　[D]Enthusiastic support

5. Which of the following is true according to the text?
　　[A]Foreign adoption is a common phenomenon in America.
　　Children can do whatever they want to do in the culture camp.
　　[C]Both parents and their adopted children can benefit from the culture camp.
　　[D]Children can receive best education in the culture camp.

　　答案：CADBC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文可以说是一篇记叙文，主要记述了文化营对于美国父母和他们收养的外国孩子的意义和作用。第一段指出一些美国父母来“隐谷”文化营的目的；第二段指出收养人数的增加以及养父母的困惑；第三段、四段、五段和六段指出文化营活动带给孩子和家长的启示和收获。

　　词汇注释

　　red tape n（捆扎文件的）红带；繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风

　　dilemma[daI5lemE]n.进退两难的局面, 困难的选择

　　calligraphy n.书法

　　Boulder n.玻尔得,美国科罗拉多州中南部一城市

　　难句突破

　　After cutting through what can be miles of red tape, parents often come home to find a new dilemma.

　　主体句式：…parents often come home to find a new dilemma.

　　结构分析：介词“after”之后跟了一个名词性动词短语“cutting through”，意思是“抄近路走过”；介词“through”后面跟的是由“what”引导的名词性从句；习语“red tape”的意思是“繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风；繁文缛节，尤指当其令人感到难以忍受的、复杂且浪费时间的”。

　　句子译文：做父母的尽快办完各种异常繁琐的手续回到家后，却发现他们又陷入了新的困境。

　　题目分析

　　1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“They're at Hidden Valley to find bridges from their children's old worlds to the new.”这一句话点出了父母参加文化营活动的目的。

　　2.答案为A，属事实细节题。选项B对应信息是“The culture camps give families a place to find answers to those kinds of questions.”选项C对应信息是“The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year.”选项D对应信息是“Kids who are veteran campers say the experience helps them understand their complex heritage.”选项A只是阐述一个事实，与题意不符。

　　3.答案为D，属猜词题。这道题目考察的是对习语“red tape”的理解。“red tape”的意思是“繁琐的手续，文牍主义；官僚作风；繁文缛节，尤指当其令人感到难以忍受的、复杂且浪费时间的”。

　　4.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“But after six sessions at the East India Colorado Heritage Camp, held at Snow Mountain Ranch in Estes Park, Colo., he hopes to travel to India after he graduates from high school next year.”亚历克斯最开始厌恶印度，甚至都不能跟他提起印度，到后来希望今后能去印度看看。我们能看出他对印度的态度的转变，但还没有达到选项D中提到的那种态度。

　　5.答案为C，属事实细节题。从句子“Hidden Valley and a handful of other "culture camps" serving families with children from overseas reflect the huge rise in the number of foreign adoptions, from 7,093 in 1990 to 15,774 last year.”我们可看出在美国收养外国子女人数的增加，但我们不能就说这是一种普遍现象，因此选项A不正确。句子"My philosophy of camping is that they could be doing anything, as long as they see other Chinese kids with white parents,"只是其中一位家长的观点，而且也不是说“孩子想做什么就做什么”，因此选项B不正确。文中提到“The camp is a continuation of language and dance classes many of the kids attend during the year.”，而且还说“Classes in Chinese language, art and calligraphy are taught by experts”，但是这些并不能说明孩子在文化营接受的教育就是最好的，因此选项D也不正确。文中阐述了在通过文化营活动，父母和孩子都是受益非浅，因此选项C是正确的。

　　参考译文

　　隐谷看起来和其它几十个露营地一样，点缀在缅因州中部的树林。这里有一条湖泊，几个足球场，还有一些马匹。但是这里的露营者不同于其它地方的露营者。他们都是美国父母，都收养了中国孩子。他们到隐谷来的目的是为了寻找架起孩子的旧世界通往新世界的桥梁。来自缅因州蒙特维尔的戴安娜·贝克尔看着她三岁的女儿米卡随着中国版本的歌曲“一闪一闪亮晶晶，满天都是小星星”翩翩起舞。“虽然她骨子里是中国人，”她说，“但实际上她在长成一个美国人。”

　　隐谷和其它几个为收养国外孩子的家庭服务的“文化营”反映出收养人数的剧增，从1990年7，039人到去年的15，774人。大部分孩子来自俄国（去年4，491人）和中国（4，206人），但是每年也都有数千个孩子是来自南美、亚洲和东欧的。做父母的尽快办完各种异常繁琐的手续回到家后，却发现他们又陷入了新的困境。“开始时你想，‘我想要个孩子’，”华盛顿的桑迪·拉奇特和她的丈夫史蒂夫1995年从中国收养了五岁的阿米莉娅，她是这样说的，“然后你又想，‘孩子她需要什么？’”。

　　文化营活动给家庭提供了寻找这类问题答案的地方。文化营大多是由当地支持团体发展而来的。“领养中国孩童家庭团体”（Families with Children from China）的波士顿支部于去年成立了隐谷这一文化营，其中包括650个家庭会员。当父母忙着商讨类似如何在混合人种的家庭里抚养孩子这样重要的问题时，孩子们却自得其乐，他们骑马，唱中文歌或做香煎葱油饼。“我对露营的理解就是只要孩子们看到其他中国孩子能和他们的白人父母在一起做的，他们都可以做。”作为组织者的彼得·卡森是这样说的。他自己收养了两个女儿，一个是六岁的霍普，一个是四岁的莉莉。

　　营地是孩子们在一年里所上的语言课和舞蹈课的一种延续。“我们出租剧院播放“木兰”时，剧场都爆满了。”波士顿的斯蒂芬·陈是这样说的。他收养的女儿林赛今年四岁了。在这里，汉语课、艺术课和书法课都是由专家讲授的，比如来自大波士顿区中华文化中心的伦尼·卢。卢是这样说的：“我们的使命是来保护传统。”

　　那些已是老露营者的孩子们认为，这种经历有助于理解他们复杂的传统。今年16岁的亚历克斯出生在印度，七岁时由玻尔得市的凯西和大卫·布尔顿夫妇收养。“我曾有段时期很讨厌印度，讨厌所有跟印度相关的东西，”他说，“你甚至都不能跟我提起印度。”但是参加了六期在科罗拉多伊斯特公园的雪山大牧场举行的“东印度科罗拉多传统文化营”之后，他表示希望明年高中毕业后能去印度看看。

　　文化营对全家来说也是一种学习机会。23岁的惠特尼·宁在文化营已担任了四年管理员。她说“韩国传统文化营”使她和父母的关系更为紧密。“刚开始时他们还比较犹豫，”她说，“但当他们看到这对我有多么重要时，他们就非常支持我了。”有时通往世界最直接的路仅仅是越过一团篝火。

张一万6681 - 2008-9-6 17:23:00
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