Fun Facts-11 活用知识搜查线-11
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2013年11月14日
- 最后更新于 2023年12月18日
- 发布于 2013年11月14日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：336
课文朗读
课文讲解
Q: You’ve probably seen someone eat food that’s fallen on the floor. But do you know how long the food can remain on the floor before bacteria get into it? 你应该见过有人吃掉到地上的食物。但你知道在细菌入侵前，食物能在地上置放多久吗？
(A) You have one second before bacteria get into the food. 细菌入侵食物前有一秒的时间
(B) Food can stay on the floor for five seconds before bacteria get into it. 细菌入侵前，食物能在地上停留五秒
(C) Bacteria will get into the food immediately after it hits the floor. 细菌一触及地面就会立刻入侵食物
A: You made a clean sweep of this question if you picked C. Bacteria are extremely fast so they don’t need much time to transfer to things. What’s more, it’s estimated that 93 percent of all shoe bottoms have fecal matter on them. So bacteria can spread easily in households where people wear their shoes indoors. In fact, our skin has more bacteria on it than the United States has people. But here’s the silver lining－our bodies are incredibly resilient.
如果你猜C，你在这一题即获得压倒性的胜利。细菌的速度非常快，因此不需很多时间便可转移到其他东西上。不仅如此，据估计93%的鞋底都有粪便脏污，因此细菌可以轻易地在人们穿鞋入室的家中四处散播。事实上，我们的皮肤上有比美国人口为数更多的细菌。但有一点值得安慰的是：我们身体的适应力也很了不起。
Q: People throughout the world find kittens and puppies to be adorable. But what makes something appear cute? 世界各地的人们都觉得小猫及小狗很可爱。但让某事物看起来可爱的原因是什么呢？
(A) Things look cute when they’re soft and cuddly. 当某事物柔软且令人想紧抱时看起来很可爱
(B) Whenever something looks like a baby we find it cute. 当某事物看起来像婴儿时，我们会觉得它可爱
(C) Anything that is funny is automatically considered cute. 任何有趣的事物都会自动被视为是可爱的
A: Answer B is as cute as a button, which is why it’s the correct one. Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian scientist, discovered that people have a soft spot in their hearts for things with these traits: small body size, big head and eyes, and soft, round features. Babies have all of these traits, which is why we find them adorable. Characters from cartoons are cuter when they have these features as well, which might explain why certain anime is so popular.
答案B看起来非常可爱，这便是它是正解的原因。澳洲科学家康罗．劳伦兹发现人们对于有着体积小、头大眼大及柔软圆球状等特征的事物容易心动。婴儿全符合这些特征，因此我们觉得他们很讨喜。来自卡通的角色有这些特征时也往往比较可爱，这也许也可解释某些动画如此受欢迎的原因。
单词发音
Vocabulary
bacteria [bæk`tɪrɪə] n. 细菌(bacterium 的复数型)
It's important to kill any bacteria on our hands with soap before cooking.
clean sweep 大获全胜
The basketball team made a clean sweep by beating every team in the finals.
transfer [trænsˋfɝ] v. 搬迁，转移
He transferred some music from his computer to his smartphone.
adorable [əˋdorəb!] adj.【口】可爱的
adore v. 崇拜
Puppies are so adorable that people can't help but pet them.
automatically [͵ɔtəˋmætɪk!ɪ] adv. 不自觉地
automatic adj. 自动的
The students automatically became nervous when their strict teacher stepped into the classroom.
soft spot（性格中的）弱点
She has a soft spot for sad movies and cries all the time while watching them.
More Information
fecal [ˋfik!] adj. 排泄物的
silver lining 乌云背后总有一线光芒(在逆境中总有值得宽慰的或有希望的一面)
resilient [rɪˋzɪlɪənt] adj. 能恢复活力的; 坚韧的
cuddly [ˋkʌdlɪ] adj. 令人想拥抱的；令人想紧搂的；逗人喜爱的
as cute as a button [ˋbʌtn] 非常可爱
trait [tret] n. 特征，特点
anime [ˈænəˌme]n. 动漫画
课文朗读
课文讲解
Q: When we die, people can do one of three things with our body: bury it, donate it to science, or get it cremated. Why can’t we have a fourth option－taxidermy (标本术)? 人死后，有三种处理遗体的方法：土葬、捐赠供科学实验用。或是火化。为什么我们不能有第四种选择－将其做成标本呢？
(A) Humans are more complex than pets and other animals. 人比宠物或其他动物更加复杂
(B) Humans wouldn’t last as long as pets because humans don’t have fur. 人不像宠物能维持那么久，因为人没有毛皮
(C) Taxidermists (标本师) would have a difficult time making you look like you. 标本师很难做出一个「一模一样」的你
A: You didn’t flatline on that question if you said answer C. When a taxidermist prepares and stuffs a dead animal, they use only the skin of the creature. Housed beneath the skin is a frame, which is usually made from wood or foam. This makes sense because taxidermy means the arrangement of skin. To use the same process on a human body would require a mannequin. However, no mannequin will have the exact same structure as you. So, if you were to be processed in this manner, your loved ones would hardly recognize you.
如果你选C，你没「死」在这道题。当标本师剥制动物标本时，他们只会用到表皮。在表皮下的是一具骨架，通常由木材或泡沫塑料所制成。这很合理，因为标本术的意思就是指「表皮的整理」。要运用同一套方法在人类身上会需要一具人体模型。然而，没有任何人体模型会和你有完全相同的构造。所以，你的身体若以这种方式处理，你心爱的人们将难以认出你。
Q: Winter is a cold time of year, especially in extreme climates like Antarctica. So how do Emperor Penguins (国王企鹅) survive the chill? 冬天是一年当中寒冷的时刻，特别是在像南极洲这样极端的气候中。那么，国王企鹅是何以在寒冷中生存的呢？
(A) Emperor Penguins have a lot of fat to keep them warm. 国王企鹅有许多脂肪以保持温暖
(B) These birds are always moving around. 这些鸟总是到处走来走去
(C) They actually bury themselves beneath snow to get warm. 牠们其实会把自己埋进雪里取暖
A: You’re not on thin ice if you guessed A. These one-of-a-kind penguins are kind of chunky. Beneath their feathers is a three-centimeter-thick coat of fat called blubber. This extra layer of fat makes Emperor Penguins slow-moving, but it keeps them alive. Additionally, Emperor Penguins have a high density of feathers to keep them warm. Thanks to these two vital features, Emperor Penguins can live in extremely cold environments.
如果你猜A，你的处境并非「如履薄冰」。这些独一无二的企鹅有点粗壮，在牠们羽毛下的是一层三公分厚的脂肪。这层额外的脂肪令国王企鹅行动迟缓，却也是牠们所赖以维生之物。此外，国王企鹅还有高密度的羽毛来保持温暖。幸亏有不可或缺的这两点特征，国王企鹅才能在极端寒冷的环境下生存。
－by Kristopher Snyder
单词发音
Vocabulary
option [ˋɑpʃən] n. 选项
There are several color options to choose from if you buy this car.
complex [ˋkɑmplɛks] adj. 错综复杂的
Many of the students had a hard time solving the complex math question.
beneath [bɪˋniθ] prep. 在……之下
It's hot outside, so let's rest in the shade beneath that tree.
structure [ˋstrʌktʃɚ] n. 结构
The building's strong structure was built to survive earthquakes.
density [ˋdɛnsətɪ] n. 密集（度）
dense adj. 密实的
A rock has a high density, so it is both hard and heavy.
vital [ˋvaɪt!] adj. 极其重要的
It's vital for humans to eat food and drink water every day in order to live.
More Information
cremate [ˋkrimet] v. 将……烧成灰；火葬
taxidermy [ˋtæksə͵dɝmɪ] n.（动物标本）剥制术
flatline 在电子仪器上显示无脑波或心跳; 脑死
mannequin [ˋmænəkɪn] n. 人体模型
on thin ice 如履薄冰,处境极其危险
one-of-a-kind [ˋwʌnəvəˋkaɪnd] adj. 独一无二的
chunky [ˋtʃʌŋkɪ] adj. 粗短的；厚实的
blubber [ˋblʌbɚ] n. 鲸脂；鲸油