Scientific American: Herald of the Future 科技前哨站《科学人》杂志

 

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课文讲解

 

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On the night of December 7th, 1877, Thomas Edison popped into the office of Scientific American and placed a weird gadget on the desk. A crowd gathered and watched as Edison turned a crank, and much to their amazement, sounds came out of the machine’s amplifier. ___1___ It was one of many inventions that the magazine introduced to the world.

1877年12月7日晚上，托马斯．爱迪生现身《科学人》杂志的办公室，在桌上放了个新奇的小玩意。大伙聚在一起看爱迪生转动一支曲柄，令人诧异的是，机器的扬声器竟传出声音来。不久，《科学人》便登文报导爱迪生的滚筒式留声机－最早的录音机。它是这本杂志向世人介绍的诸多发明之一。

 

Scientific American is one of the oldest magazines published in the U.S. and has been in circulation since 1845. But don’t let this magazine’s age fool you. ___2___ Writers at Scientific American believe that science is not only studied in a lab, but also intricately woven into everyone’s daily lives.

《科学人杂志》是美国出刊最早的杂志之一，从1845年便开始发行。但别被杂志的年纪给骗了，《科学人杂志》以轻松逗趣的方式，呈现现代科学中最引人入胜的主题及趋势。《科学人杂志》的作者们认为，科学不必局限在实验室里做研究，它也可灵活地融入一般人的日常生活中。

 

___3___ Each issue is jam-packed with the most up-to-date information, covering technology, health, space discoveries and nature. For example, needle-phobic readers will definitely have an interest in their article about edible vaccines. ___4___ To increase fun and interaction, there is also a section called “Ask the Expert,” as well as games like “Sci-Doku,” their own version of Sudoku, which tests scientific knowledge.

《科学人》杂志独到之处，在于它能迎合不同兴趣，每期皆有丰富的最新信息，涵盖科技、健康、太空探索及自然。举例来说，惧怕打针的人一定会对口服疫苗的文章感兴趣；希望不接受手术便能永保青春的人，则会喜欢阅读抗老药丸方面的文章。为了提升乐趣及互动，杂志还有名为「专家咨询」的单元，及数独的自创版本「科独」，测试科学知识。

 

With a circulation of over one million worldwide in fifteen languages, including Chinese, Scientific American wields a powerful influence passing on the latest knowledge. ___5___ You’ll be amazed at how entertaining science can be!

全球发行量突破百万册，且包含中文等共十五种语言的《科学人杂志》，在传递新知方面极具影响力。买一本杂志或浏览他们的网站 www.sciam.com，你会惊叹科学竟然也可以如此有趣！

 

−by Jamie Blacker

 

A.   Scientific American covers the most exciting topics and trends in modern science in an entertaining and fun way.

B.   And those hoping to stay young without surgery will enjoy reading the article about anti-aging pills.

C.  What makes Scientific American unique is its ability to cater to different interests.

D.  Soon after, Scientific American issued a report on Edison’s cylinder phonograph, the first recorder.

E.   Pick up a copy or check out their website, www.sciam.com

 

Vocabulary

单词发音

 

herald [ˋhɛrəld] n. 先驱，使者

gadget [ˋgædʒɪt] n. 小机件

intricately [ˋɪntrəkɪtlɪ] adv. 复杂地

interaction [͵ɪntəˋrækʃən] n. 互动

version [ˋvɝʒən] n.（同一作品的不同）版本

wield [wild] v. 行使（权力）；施加（影响）

cater to  为...服务; 迎合

issue [ˋɪʃjʊ] v. 发行；发布

pick up  拿起; 拾起

 

More Information

单词发音

 

pop into 急急走进…to come or go into some place, such as a store, shop, etc., for a moment

crank [kræŋk] n. 曲柄，曲轴

amplifier [ˋæmplə͵faɪr] n. 扬声器；扩音器

circulation [͵sɝkjəˋleʃən] n.〔数据﹑货币等的〕流通

weave [wiv] into 交织

jam-packed [ˋdʒæmˋpækt] adj. 挤满的，塞紧的

up-to-date  最新的；包含最新信息的

phobic [ˋfobɪk] adj. 恐怖症的，恐惧症的

vaccine [ˋvæksin] n. 疫苗

section [ˋsɛkʃən] n.（文章等的）节

Sudoku 数独（源自日语，一种填数字益智游戏）

pass on 传递 to give something to someone

cover [ˋkʌvɚ] v. 采访，报导

topic [ˋtɑpɪk] n. 主题，要旨

cylinder [ˋsɪlɪndɚ] n. 圆柱；圆筒；圆柱状物

phonograph [ˋfonə͵græf] n.【美】留声机

 

 

Answer

1. ( D )

2. ( A )

3. ( C )

4. ( B )

5. ( E )