今日熱詞與閱讀范例.docx

今日熱詞與閱讀精選今日熱詞【1】Meteorological monitoring in areas prone to flood and geological disasters need to be strengthened.在易受洪水和地質(zhì)災(zāi)害侵襲的地區(qū)，（我們）需要加強(qiáng)氣象監(jiān)測(cè)。上面報(bào)道中的meteorological monitoring就是“氣象監(jiān)測(cè)”，是指通過(guò)weather satellite（氣象衛(wèi)星）對(duì)天氣情況實(shí)行監(jiān)測(cè)。氣象監(jiān)控的關(guān)鍵技術(shù)是remote sensing（遙感）。Meteorological意為“與氣象學(xué)有關(guān)的, 氣象的”，類似表達(dá)還有meteorological instrumentation（氣象測(cè)量?jī)x表）、meteorological observation（氣象觀測(cè)）、meteorological conditions（天氣情況）等。Monitor可做動(dòng)詞表示“監(jiān)控”，也可作名詞表示“監(jiān)控器”，例如讀取胎兒心臟信號(hào)的fetal monitor （胎兒檢測(cè)器）、用來(lái)滅火的fire monitor（消防炮）和用來(lái)測(cè)量血壓的blood pressure monitor （血壓監(jiān)測(cè)儀）。【2】An increasing number of Chinas rich are snapping up properties overseas in the expectation that domestic inflation will continue to rise after the consumer price index reached a 34-month high in May.五月份CPI（居民消費(fèi)價(jià)格指數(shù)）創(chuàng)下34個(gè)月來(lái)新高，預(yù)期國(guó)內(nèi)通貨膨脹還將持續(xù)，因此越來(lái)越多的中國(guó)富人奔向海外搶房。文中的snap up properties overseas就是指“海外搶房”。Snap up意為“搶購(gòu)”，比如The cheapest articles at the sale were quickly snapped up.（大減價(jià)貨物中最便宜的物品很快被搶購(gòu)一空。）除此之外，panic buying（恐慌購(gòu)買）也有“搶購(gòu)”的意思。據(jù)稱，在溫哥華，mainland immigrants（大陸移民）的購(gòu)房需求量已占到29%。越來(lái)越多的 homebuyer（購(gòu)房者）把資金交給property trust unit（不動(dòng)產(chǎn)信托機(jī)構(gòu)），以規(guī)避VAT（value-added tax，增值稅）、heritage tax（遺產(chǎn)稅），以及再交易時(shí)的capital gains tax（資本收益稅）。投資海外房產(chǎn)需要注意風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，因?yàn)橛袝r(shí)并沒有太大的room for price appreciation（增值空間）?！?】Youth, self-reliance and brand loyalty are the defining characteristics of luxury outbound travelers in China.我國(guó)豪華出境游游客的定義性特征為年輕、自主、品牌忠誠(chéng)度高。文中的brand loyalty就是指“品牌忠誠(chéng)度”，指的是對(duì)某一品牌的信賴和熱衷。對(duì)品牌來(lái)說(shuō)，好的brand name（品牌名稱，商標(biāo)名稱）可以起到極佳的宣傳效果，因此不少公司設(shè)立了Chief Brand Officer（首席品牌官; 品牌總監(jiān)）來(lái)擴(kuò)大brand awareness（品牌知名度），還從事一些brand extension（品牌延伸，借名牌之名宣傳新產(chǎn)品）的活動(dòng)。Luxury outbound traveler就是“奢華出境游客”，多數(shù)屬于high-net-worth individuals（高資產(chǎn)人士）。類似于luxury travel的還有high-end travel（高端旅游）。某些VIP旅游者還可以享受room upgrades（房間升級(jí)）、late checkout time（退房時(shí)間延后）以及airport security fast-tracking（快速安檢）的優(yōu)待服務(wù)?！?】Thousands of yoga enthusiasts participate in an all-day yoga session to greet the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, at Times Square in New York.數(shù)千名瑜伽愛好者聚集在美國(guó)時(shí)報(bào)廣場(chǎng)，參加瑜伽日盛會(huì)，慶祝全年最長(zhǎng)的一天“夏至”的到來(lái)。文中的summer solstice就是“夏至”，與之相對(duì)的則是winter solstice（冬至），分別是一年中白晝最長(zhǎng)、最短的兩天。過(guò)了summer solstice，很快就開始“數(shù)伏”了，三伏天出現(xiàn)在小暑與大暑之間，是一年中氣溫最高且又潮濕、悶熱的日子。“伏”就是天氣太熱了，宜伏不宜動(dòng)，“三伏天”也被形象地稱為dog days。古羅馬人認(rèn)為每年七八月份的酷熱是太陽(yáng)加上天狼星的熱能造成的，加之天狼星在英語(yǔ)里叫“the dog star”，“dog days”由此而來(lái)。例如：Dog days are the hottest days in summer.（三伏天是夏季最熱的時(shí)候。）到了dog days，我們要謹(jǐn)防heat-stroke /sunstroke（中暑）。如果只是heat exhaustion（輕度中暑），可以適當(dāng)服用一些藥物。【5】High school graduates, dressed in the traditional Han costumes, take part in a coming-of-age ceremony in Jinan, East Chinas Shandong province on June 19, 2011.2011年6月19日，身穿漢服的高中畢業(yè)生在山東省濟(jì)南市參加了成人禮。上文報(bào)道中的coming-of-age ceremony就是“成人禮”，是在少男少女年齡滿18歲時(shí)舉行的象征邁向成人階段的儀式。男孩要進(jìn)行capping ceremony（冠禮），女孩要進(jìn)行hair-pinning ceremony（加笄禮）。舉行成人禮表示一個(gè)人已經(jīng)come of age（成年），在經(jīng)歷了puberty（青春期）之后，完成了從adolescent（青少年）向youth（青年）的轉(zhuǎn)變，即將邁向人生的新階段?！?】Beijing will launch a series of measures to increase employment opportunities for this years college graduates and to fight any illegal job agencies and employment discrimination.北京將采取一系列措施為應(yīng)屆大學(xué)畢業(yè)生增加就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，同時(shí)打擊一切非法職業(yè)介紹機(jī)構(gòu)和就業(yè)歧視。上文的employment discrimination就是“就業(yè)歧視”，多涉及gender discrimination（性別歧視）、age discrimination（年齡歧視）、place discrimination（地域歧視）等。為促進(jìn)就業(yè)，北京當(dāng)局表示將打擊就業(yè)歧視，同時(shí)也鼓勵(lì)大學(xué)畢業(yè)生set up their own businesses（自主創(chuàng)業(yè)），或去做village officials（村官）。北京今年的大學(xué)畢業(yè)生面臨的另一大難題就是permanent residency permit（戶口）。為了減輕北京的population pressure（人口壓力），今年北京發(fā)放給non-Beijing native graduates（非京籍畢業(yè)生）的戶口指標(biāo)一下子縮減到去年的三分之一。考研閱讀精選【1】地震背后的雙重文化日本大地震引發(fā)了人們對(duì)于災(zāi)難以及核能的新一輪思考，地震中人們面對(duì)災(zāi)難時(shí)的不同態(tài)度，也凸顯出東西方文化的差異。A Tale of Two Cultures地震背后的雙重文化March 20th, 2011 | From NewsweekRudyard Kipling famously said, “East is East, West is West, and never the twain shall meet.”Yet since Japans devastating earthquake, the entire world has been riveted by heartbreaking images in the East revealing the horror of a nation whose northern coastline was reduced to rubble. Several nations have rallied behind Japan, sending in badly needed aid and other offers of help. The resounding support and generosity offered by the world community reveals the common bond, the humanity, that East and West share, contradicting Kipling.But a closer look at the human dimensions of this historic crisis reveals subtle differences of culture, similarities of geography, and lessons for both sides of the world.The sharpest link connecting East and West is simple geography. Like two Siamese twins joined at the hip, the Pacifics Ring of Fire forges a common destiny between East and West. Ninety percent of all earthquakes take place along this deadly ring, which extends from the Philippines and Japan to Alaska and South America.But there are also subtle, revealing cultural differences between East and West in their reaction to tragedy.In spite of monumental collapse and ruin, the Japanese politely wait in long lines for hours, without once complaining. Law and order are respected at every step. The Shinto-Buddhist tradition, which stresses social harmony and cohesiveness and looking out for your neighbor, is deeply ingrained in the culture.This stands in sharp contrast to some of the spontaneous reactions that have flared in the West. In the U.S., for example, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, there was a rapid collapse of civil authority as society disintegrated into an orgy of chaos.The origin for this difference probably has deep historical roots. Japan is ethically and socially quite homogeneous. The U.S., by contrast, is quite diverse, a country of immigrants patched together from all corners of the world, seeking a new life based on individual initiative and drive.The difference between the East and West is also illuminated in comparing the reactions to twin earthquakes on each side of the globe, which provoked two very different responses and helped to shape national character.In the U.S., it was the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which set off raging fires that incinerated much of the city and did more damage than the quake itself. In Japan, it was the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which leveled Tokyo and caused 140,000 casualties.These twin earthquakes sparked two different responses. In Japan, there has been an almost obsessive attention paid to earthquakes. Earthquake drills are part of life in Japan, instilled in the memory of every child. The thousands of tiny earthquakes one experiences in Japan is a gentle reminder of the big one to come. And building codes are among the toughest in the world.In the U.S., outside of California, there is relatively little focus placed on earthquake preparedness. It is especially hard for politicians to get worked up over an event that didnt happen in their voters lifetime.And what also binds the East and the West is the grim shadow of The Big One. Ironically, in spite of the historic damage done by this earthquake, it is not The Big One. Some geologists fear that we might be overdue for another earthquake that shakes Tokyo to its foundations. The Big One that levels a city with 13 million people has yet to hit Tokyo.In the U.S., a hypothetical 9.0 earthquake off Alaska or Washington might unleash a tidal wave that would plow into L.A. with a 15-foot-tall wave, flooding everything inland for two to three miles. Malibu and Orange Country would be especially hit hard.And lastly, the final link between East and West is that this tragedy is sparking an international debate about the future of nuclear energy, precisely at a time when the great powers are looking at the energy problem. Germany put all nuclear extensions on hold. Decisions now made in the shadow of this crisis could determine energy policy for a generation.Maybe it is time to revisit the Faustian Bargain.（683 words）【2】金錢心理：隱喻來(lái)襲時(shí)！人們習(xí)慣于用隱喻的方式，以簡(jiǎn)單概念為基礎(chǔ)去理解一個(gè)復(fù)雜的概念。在紛繁的世界中，這不失為一種勉強(qiáng)過(guò)關(guān)的有效方式。但用這種思維來(lái)處理財(cái)政問(wèn)題，就會(huì)使我們誤入歧途。Psychology of Money ：When Metaphors Attack!金錢心理：隱喻來(lái)襲時(shí)！June 16th 2011 | from TimeNot too long ago, two University of Toronto professors, Chen-Bo Zhong and Geoff Leonardelli, conducted a study in which some participants were asked to recall a time theyd been socially excluded, while others were asked to remember a time they were welcomed. When later asked to estimate the temperature of the room they were in, those whod recalled being ostracized thought it was significantly cooler. So, apparently, we take the phrase “cold and lonely” quite literally.In a second study, Zhong and Leonardelli had subjects play a computerized ball-tossing game, ostensibly with other participants. But the game was rigged so that some subjects were “thrown” the ball repeatedly while others were ignored. When later asked to fill out a marketing survey, those ignored in the game rated warm food and beverages (coffee, soup) as more desirable than cold or neutral items (Coke, crackers). Yes: we really feel cold when were lonely, so we seek out warmer snacks.Studies like these show that humans are wired to think in metaphors. The only way we can understand complex concepts is to ground them in simpler ones. Do you see what we mean? We bet you do, since we purposely didnt ask if you understand what we mean. Thats because “understanding” is complex, while “seeing” is simpler. For similar reasons, people refer to appealing notions as “bright” ideas, because seeing is easier when illumination is greater.This tendency to ground complex concepts in simpler metaphors has had a notable influence on current thinking about the federal budget. Politicians often say that the federal government should do “what every family has to do balance its books.” Once again we see the grounding of a complex concept (the federal budget) in something much simpler (household budget). But should our thoughts about the governments fiscal policy really be guided by what ordinary households should do? (Never mind that so many U.S. households are awash in debt.) The U.S. economy is a complex, dynamic system with each action having the potential for all sorts of reverberating and counterintuitive effects. When times are rough and jobs uncertain and scarce, it makes sense for many households to cut back. But with so many households cutting back, overall demand generally shrinks, and so it might be wise for government to provide the stimulus necessary to prevent further contraction. Or maybe not. But with the U.S. economy stuck in neutral, you could at least make a compelling case that earlier stimulus efforts were too weak, and that the best course of action wouldve been to care less about acting like an individual household in the short-term. Instead, a much stronger short-term stimulus combined with long-term budget restraint may have been more effective (and may still be).We are not the first, of course, to argue for aggressive and robust action to combat the 2008 economic downturn. And we are certainly not macroeconomists. But we do want to point out why “clear” thinking (note the metaphor) about the subject can be so difficult. The mind works in metaphors. We anchor our understanding of complex systems and ideas in simpler templates sometimes in templates that obscure rather than enlighten.The same problem exists in personal finance, especially in regards to investing. For example, many experts and most amateurs love spouting some version of a simple adage that says to “invest in what you know,” which sounds smart but usually ends up meaning that a.) they focus on companies whose products or services they buy; or b.) they invest way too much money in the shares of their employer, presuming that the experience of working for XYZ Tech gives them special insight into the valuation of XYZ Techs shares. It rarely does, but the tendency to organize our thoughts in metaphors and to render complex ideas in simple terms fools people into thinking they can beat markets with a just a few simple rules. In reality, the average investor trying to compete with Warren Buffet or Bill Gross is like the average weekend warrior trying to beat Kobe Bryant or Adrian Peterson. Hows that for a metaphor? (683 words)【3】肥胖全球性的殺手而非只是富人的負(fù)擔(dān)一系列的研究表明，肥胖及煙酒導(dǎo)致的癌癥、糖尿病、心臟病等慢性疾病已不再是富人的專利，這些疾病正以前所未有的速度席卷中低收入國(guó)家。Fat is a global killer - not just the rich mans burden肥胖全球性的殺手而非只是富人的負(fù)擔(dān)November 2010 | from The GuardianWhat will it take to get chronic diseases on the international health agenda?, the Lancet medical journal asks today. Globalisation is taking our bad habits to every corner of the world able to afford a chocolate bar or a packet of chips. As populations become just a bit wealthier, cheap junk food and less physical work ensure that they get unhealthier. Obesity looms large in every sense. The old foes - tobacco and alcohol - are out there, too. And the result is the rapid spread of diabetes, heart disease, cancers and respiratory diseases.These chronic diseases have already become the big killers of our time in the affluent parts of the planet and are now taking an ever-bigger toll of the low- and middle-income populations. Out of every 10 deaths globally, six are the result of these chronic diseases.A Lancet series of five papers published today is another attempt to make the world sit up and take notice. The same experts, led by Professor Robert Beaglehole from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, have tried it before. This is the third series on chronic diseases that the Lancet has published. But maybe its like giving up smoking - each time you make the effort, you are a bit closer to succeeding even if you fail (or so they say).While the rich countries are hardly doing brilliantly, the big worry for the Lancet authors is the failure of global health and development experts to pay attention to what is happening in the low- and middle-income countries. Less than 15% of the World Health Organisations budget and less than 2% of the World Bank and Gates Foundation total health budgets are spent on efforts to prevent and control chronic diseases, they say.Yet there are cheap and effective things that can be done. The 2007 series proposed salt reduction, tobacco control and the use of cheap generic drugs for those at risk of heart problems. This time, a paper from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) points to the cost-effectiveness of governments taking a grip on the food industry. Taxing unhealthy food (or reducing taxes on healthy fruit and vegetables, which is politically more acceptable), restricting junk food advertising and better food labelling are value for money, the authors say. They would add nearly 7 million life years in good health over the next two decades in the seven countries they analysed - Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and (for comparison, they say) England. It would cost less than $1 per head per year.Another interesting paper points out that there is a downside to the economies of some low- and middle-income countries from a drive to better health. A big move to eat less saturated fat across Europe would have a massive impact on major meat exporters such as Brazil and China - damaging their economies and causing widespread job losses, says the paper from Professor Richard Smith of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.But, he said at the press conference, you need to know your enemy as well as your ally. And one assumes nothing will happen in a hurry - it certainly hasnt yet. Economies evolve as markets change to suit the needs and desires of consumers.Doing nothing, as the burden of disease spreads across the poorer parts of the globe, should surely not be an option. (570 words)【4】三十年，人類戰(zhàn)勝艾滋病嗎？2011年6月5日是艾滋病病毒發(fā)現(xiàn)三十周年紀(jì)念日。三十年來(lái)，艾滋病研究領(lǐng)域取得了諸多突破性的成果，但抵御艾滋病，我們還有很長(zhǎng)的路要走。Thirty years of a diseaseThe end of AIDS?三十年，人類戰(zhàn)勝艾滋病嗎？June 2th 2011 | from The EconomistON JUNE 5th 1981 Americas Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported the outbreak of an unusual form of pneumonia in Los Angeles. When, a few weeks later, its scientists noticed a similar cluster of a rare cancer called Kaposis sarcoma in San Francisco, they suspected that something strange and serious was afoot. That something was AIDS.Since then, 25m people have died from AIDS and another 34m are infected. The 30th anniversary of the diseases discovery has been taken by many as an occasion for hand-wringing. Yet the war on AIDS is going far better than anyone dared hope.Even more hopeful is a recent study which suggests that the drugs used to treat AIDS may also stop its transmission. If that proves true, the drugs could achieve much of what a vaccine would. The question for the world will no longer be whether it can wipe out the plague, but whether it is prepared to pay the price.If AIDS is defeated, it will be thanks to an alliance of science, activism and altruism. The science has come from the worlds pharmaceutical companies. In 1996 a batch of similar drugs, all of them inhibiting the activity of one of the AIDS viruss crucial enzymes, appeared almost simultaneously. The effect was miraculous, if you (or your government) could afford the $15,000 a year that those drugs cost when they first came on the market.Much of the activism came from rich-world gays. Having badgered drug companies into creating the new medicines, the activists bullied them into dropping the price.The altruism was aroused as it became clear by the mid-1990s that AIDS was not just a rich-world disease. Three-quarters of those affected wereand still arein Africa. Unlike most infections, which strike children and the elderly, AIDS hits the most productive members of society: businessmen, civil servants, engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses. Thanks to an enormous effort by Western philanthropists and some politicians (this is one area where even the left should give credit to George Bush junior), a series of programmes has brought drugs to those infected.The result is patchy. Not enough people