Mythbusters: The See-Saw Saga 流言终结者：跷跷板趣闻
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2009年11月24日
- 最后更新于 2024年5月25日
- 发布于 2012年3月06日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：284
课文朗读
课文讲解
In the Discovery Channel’s television show Mythbusters, hosts Jackie Hyneman and Adam Savage apply experimental tests to rumors, wild theories, and urban legends to find out whether they actually could be true. One episode, “The See-Saw Saga,” ___1___ a supposedly true tale about a skydiver whose parachute failed to open. According to the amazing account, he ended up landing on a seesaw, at ___2___ sat a six-year-old girl. The girl was allegedly propelled into the air, coming to rest ___3___ on the roof of a seven-story building. Could it really have happened?
在探索频道播出的《流言终结者》节目，由杰米．海纳曼和亚当．沙维奇主持，针对各种传闻、听起来荒诞不经的理论与都市传奇进行实验测试，来判定流言是否属实。其中一集名为《跷跷板趣闻》，介绍一个跳伞员降落伞打不开的故事，而这个故事据说是真的。根据那神奇得不可思议的故事说法，跳伞员最后降落在一座跷跷板上，跷跷板的另一端坐着另一名六岁的小女孩，据称，小女孩被抛射到空中，最后平安降落在七层楼高的楼顶。这故事有可能是真的吗？
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1. |
(A) figures out |
(B) deals with |
(C) rules out |
(D) makes over |
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2. |
(A) another end of it |
(B) another end of which |
(C) the other end of it |
(D) the other end of which |
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3. |
(A) not harming |
(B) not to be harmed |
(C) unharmed |
(D) unharming |
In trying to re-create the episode, Hyneman and Savage realized it would be impossible to drop a fake person from over 600 feet and hit such a small target. So, they substituted weight for altitude, dropping a much heavier weight from a lesser ___4___. On the first attempt, though, the “skydiver” landed ___5___ so much force that it broke the seesaw! After several adjustments, ___6___ a new, improved seesaw, and a more efficient bungee-cord system for dropping a realistic dummy, the final stage of the experiment was ready.
在重现事件原貌的过程中，海纳曼和沙维奇认知到他们不可能将一个假人从600呎的高处投落，还能精确命中那么小的标的。于是，他们用重量来换取高度的差距，也就是从较低处投落更重的对象。不过在第一次试验中，代替跳伞员的重物降落的力道过强，把跷跷板都撞烂了。经过了数次调整，包括打造出一座全新且改良过的跷跷板，并运用高空弹跳专用的较高效绳索系统来投落模样逼真的假人，实验的最后阶段总算是准备就绪。
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4. |
(A) height |
(B) width |
(C) depth |
(D) length |
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5. |
(A) by |
(B) of |
(C) from |
(D) with |
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6. |
(A) involving |
(B) concerning |
(C) contained |
(D) included |
The result? A dummy representing the little girl did indeed fly – 13 stories high! However, she ___7___ at least injured by the upward force of the seesaw, even before becoming airborne, and there is little chance she would have survived the landing. As for the skydiver, the show’s hosts summed up his fate with one word: “Splat.”
结果如何呢？代表小女孩的假人确实一飞冲天，而且还飞了13层楼高！不过，她在承受跷跷板强大的向上弹力时，甚至在飞升到空中前，肯定就已经受伤了，而且她降落后生还的机会是微乎其微。至于那名跳伞者的下场呢？主持人一言以蔽之：（摔得）稀巴烂！
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7. |
(A) was certainly |
(B) had certainly been |
(C) would certainly be |
(D) would certainly have been |
−by Barry Hall
Vocabulary
单词发音
experimental [ɪk͵spɛrəˋmɛnt!] adj. 实验性的；试验性的
rumor [ˋrumɚ] n. 谣言，谣传；传闻
episode [ˋɛpə͵sod] n.（电视等的）连续剧的一出（或一集）
parachute [ˋpærə͵ʃut] n. 降落伞
account [əˋkaʊnt] n. 解释，说明
allegedly [əˋlɛdʒɪdlɪ] adv. 据传说，据宣称
fake [fek] adj. 假的；冒充的
substitute [ˋsʌbstə͵tjut] v. 用……代替；代替[（+for）]
altitude [ˋæltə͵tjud] n. 高度
attempt [əˋtɛmpt] n. 企图，尝试
adjustment [əˋdʒʌstmənt] n. 调节；调整；校正
efficient [ɪˋfɪʃənt] adj. 效率高的
upward [ˋʌpwɚd] adj. 向上的
sum up 总结 summarize
More Information
单词发音
seesaw [ˋsi͵sɔ] n. 跷跷板
urban legend（往往含有幽默、恐怖、或教训成分的）来源不明、缺少或无证据，但自然地以各种形式出现的当代故事或传说
supposedly [səˋpozdlɪ] adv. 据称
skydiver [ˋskaɪ͵daɪvɚ] n. 跳伞运动的选手
propel [prəˋpɛl] v. 推动; 推进
re-create [͵rikrɪˋet] v. 重新创造
lesser [ˋlɛsɚ] adj. 较小的；更少的
bungee ['bʌndʒi] n. 松紧绳
dummy [ˋdʌmɪ] n.（橱窗中的）模型人；假人
airborne [ˋɛr͵born] adj. 在空中的﹐在飞行中的 flying; in the air
splat [splæt] n.【非正式】〔湿物击打表面时发出的〕啪哒声
MythBusters - Seesaw Saga
Answer
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1. ( B ) |
2. ( D ) |
3. ( C ) |
4. ( A ) |
5. ( D ) |
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6. ( A )
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7. ( D ) |
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