新標(biāo)準(zhǔn)大學(xué)英語第二版綜合教程2Unit6B篇練習(xí)答案及課文翻譯

1、Work in groups and discuss the questions: 1. How many branches of science can you think of? anatomy: studying the body astronomy: studying space biochemistry: studying chemical processes botany: studying plants chemical engineering: studying chemical substances cosmology: studying the universe Warmi

2、ng Up ecology: studying organisms and their environment genetics: studying genes and variation meteorology: studying weather microbiology: studying viruses etc nutrition: studying food oceanography: studying the seas pharmacology: studying medical drugs radiology: studying radiant energy such as X-r

3、ays Warming Up Warming Up 2. Where did you learn most about science? 3. How much do you remember about your science lessons at school? 4. Who was your best science teacher? Why do you remember him / her? 5. Can you remember any lesson in particular? 6. What would you do to improve science teaching a

4、t school? Text Science: fact or fiction? Science: fact or fiction? 1 Students arent what they used to be. These days, it seems, some of them never even open a book. Such is the depressing picture painted by popular science writer Steve Jones in his book The Single Helix, laying the finger of blame o

5、n modern communication systems. The message is the medium; once upon a time there were books, but now, Jones says, “the medium is, or so it seems, anything but lines of print on a page.” Many students are just not used to reading books anymore theyre such an outdated form of communication. Text 2 So

6、 how do you get them to learn about science? Well, if you go into a campus bookstore you can find out. There are songbooks for biochemists, with chemical formulae set to music to make them easier to remember. Relativity is explained in a video game which is a simulation of a rocket journey through s

7、pace: You can play tennis on board as the rocket speeds up or slows down. And there are cartoons to make even the most obscure scientific subjects accessible, and fun as well. Text 3 But even these methods of generating interest have become conventional. Rather more radical is the proposal which a p

8、hysics professor has come up with to learn science from the mistakes in science fiction films. Some of the films may be dreadful, but they hide a lot of helpful messages. Students just have to sit back, relax, enjoy the film, and soak up a bit of science at the same time. Text 4 A few examples will

9、show what the professor has in mind. In The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961), the earth is pushed towards the sun as a result of two simultaneous atomic explosions. But this contravenes Newtons Third Law of Motion namely, that action and reaction are equal and opposite. Since the Earth weighs six th

10、ousand billion billion tons, a huge blast would be needed to push it into the right direction. Supposing it hurled a hundred million tons of rock and debris into space. This explosion would require a bomb far greater than any that has ever exploded. But a few basic sums would show that such a blast,

11、 as well as killing every single inhabitant of the earth, would only shift the Earth about a quarter of an inch out of its orbit. Text 5 So the film is fiction without the science. The same could be said of the 1986 film Aliens. In this film the crew saunter around the spaceship as if they were at h

12、ome on earth whereas they should be floating, in a gravity-free environment. The producers of Aliens would fail a first year physics exam, but Stanley Kubrick and Arthur Clarke, the brains behind 2001: A Space Odyssey, would pass the same exam with flying colours. On board the spaceship a giant whee

13、l rotates, generating centripetal force and giving the astronauts on board a sense of “up” and “down”. Text 6The treatment of relativity in science fiction films is even more confusing. Take Star Trek: The Voyage Home (1987). As the spaceship revolves round the sun, it gathers so much speed that it

14、moves backwards into history. But this is nonsense, not relativity. As Jones puts it, “Einstein said that nothing travels at more than the speed of light, not that the clocks will run the other way if you go fast enough.” Even Superman (1978) is baffled by the concept. It takes him a split second to

15、 fly round the earth anticlockwise to save Lois Lane, who has fallen victim to an earthquake. Jones: “Time is not like a car. It has no reverse gear.” Text 7 Finally, what about those giant insects like the ones in Empire of the Ants, the 1977 film based on a story by H. G. Wells? The problem is the

16、ir lungs, or rather, the lack of them. Ants dont have lungs, so they get oxygen by absorbing it through the tissues of their bodies. The bigger the ant, the longer it would take to absorb the oxygen and their body parts would not be able to function well. So an ant the size of a human would be more

17、likely to be gasping for breath than biting off the head of a reckless teenager. Text Text 科學(xué)：事實(shí)還是虛構(gòu)科學(xué)：事實(shí)還是虛構(gòu)? ? 1學(xué)生已今非昔比。如今，似乎有些學(xué)生從來就沒有翻開 過書本。這是科普作家斯蒂夫瓊斯在其單螺旋線一書 中描繪的令人沮喪的情景，他把批評的矛頭指向現(xiàn)代通信系 統(tǒng)。信息即媒介；從前有書本，可是現(xiàn)在，瓊斯說：“媒介 是，或者說似乎是，一切，但絕不是紙上印的一行行字?！?許多學(xué)生就是不再習(xí)慣讀書了書是老掉牙的溝通方式。 Text 2 那么怎樣使他們學(xué)習(xí)科學(xué)呢？好吧，你要是走進(jìn)校園書

18、 店，就會找到辦法。那里有生物化學(xué)家的歌本，其中化學(xué)分 子式被配上樂曲以便記憶。相對論是用電子游戲來解釋的， 那是個虛擬乘火箭在空間旅行的游戲：你可以在火箭加速或 減速飛行時在上面打網(wǎng)球。還有卡通，它們使哪怕最艱澀的 科學(xué)話題都變得有趣易懂。 Text 3 可是就連這些激發(fā)興趣的方法也已變得老套了。更激進(jìn) 的方法是一個物理學(xué)教授提出來的：從科幻電影的錯誤中學(xué) 習(xí)科學(xué)。有些電影也許糟透了，但其中隱藏有大量有益的信 息。學(xué)生只需舒舒服服地坐著、放松、欣賞電影，同時吸收 一點(diǎn)科學(xué)知識。 Text 4 有幾個例子可以說明教授的想法。在地球著火之日 （1961）中，兩顆同時爆炸的原子彈把地球推向太陽。可

19、是 這違反了牛頓的第三運(yùn)動定律即，作用力和反作用力相 等且方向相反。既然地球重達(dá)六千艾噸，那就需要特大的爆 炸才能把它推入正確的方向。假設(shè)爆炸將一億噸巖石和碎渣 拋入宇宙，那么這個炸彈的威力要比任何以往的炸彈都要大。 但是，稍做運(yùn)算就能說明，這樣一場爆炸除了會把地球上的 生物全部殺死之外，充其量也只能讓地球偏離軌道大約四分 之一英寸。 注：地球的重量應(yīng)該是610的24次方千克（10的18次方叫 艾）。 Text 5 所以，這部電影是沒有科學(xué)含量的虛構(gòu)作品。1986年出 品的電影異形也是同樣。在這部影片中，宇航員們在宇 宙飛船中走來走去，就好像在地球上的家里一樣而實(shí)際 上他們應(yīng)當(dāng)在無重力環(huán)境中漂

20、浮才對。異形的制片人可 能會在大學(xué)一年級的物理學(xué)考試中不及格，但是2001：太 空漫游背后的智囊斯坦利庫布里克和亞瑟克拉克卻會 在同樣的考試中以高分通過。宇宙飛船上有一巨大的輪子轉(zhuǎn) 動著，產(chǎn)生向心力，并給船上的宇航員一種“起伏”感。 Text 6 科幻電影中對相對論的處理更是令人摸不著頭腦。以 星艦迷航：回家之旅（1987）為例：宇宙飛船圍繞太陽 飛行，速度越來越快，最后竟然飛回到了歷史之中。但這是 瞎編亂造，而不是相對論。正如瓊斯所說：“愛因斯坦說沒 有什么比光速更快；但沒有說如果你跑得夠快，鐘表就會倒 轉(zhuǎn)?！?就連超人（1978）也被此概念所困惑。他在瞬間 往逆時針方向繞地球一周去救地震受

21、難者洛伊斯萊恩。瓊 斯說：“時間不像汽車，它沒有倒擋?！?Text 7 最后，1977年根據(jù)H.G.威爾斯的小說拍攝的螞蟻帝 國里的那些巨型昆蟲又如何呢？問題在于它們的肺，或者 說，它們根本沒有肺。螞蟻沒有肺，它們是通過身體組織吸 收氧氣的。螞蟻越大，吸收氧氣的時間就越長這樣它們 身體的各部件就不能良好地運(yùn)作。所以像人那么大的螞蟻更 可能老是在大口喘氣，而不是把冒失少年的腦袋咬掉。 depressing anymore outdated songbook biochemist dreadful soak atomic explosion contravene shift alien saunt

22、er producer giant formula relativity simulation generate proposal namely blast hurl debris inhabitant rotate centripetal force astronaut trek revolve Words and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. Extension Activities For many years, Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac

23、Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke were known as the “Big Three” of science fiction. Clarke served in the Royal Air Force as a radar instructor and technician from 19411946. He proposed a satellite communication system in 1945 which won him the Franklin Institute Stuart Ballantine Gold Medal in 1963. He w

24、as the chairman of the British Interplanetary Society from 19471950 and again in 1953. Extension Activities Clarke emigrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 largely to pursue his interest in scuba diving (水肺潛水), and lived there until his death. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1998, and was awarded Sri

25、 Lankas highest civil honour, Sri Lankabhimanya, in 2005. Back to Words and Phrases Extension Activities Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 March 7, 1999) was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his ca

26、reer. Kubrick was noted for the scrupulous care with which he chose his subjects, his slow method of working, the variety of genres he worked in, his technical perfectionism, and his reclusiveness about his films and personal life. Extension Activities He worked far beyond the confines of the Hollyw

27、ood system, maintaining almost complete artistic control and making movies according to his own whims (突發(fā)奇想) and time constraints, but with the rare advantage of big- studio financial support for all his endeavors. Although he was nominated for an Academy Award as a screenwriter and director on seve

28、ral occasions, his only personal win was for the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick is widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished, innovative, and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Extension Activities He directed a number of highly acclaimed and often controve

29、rsial films that have often been perceived as a reflection of his obsessive and perfectionist nature. His films are characterized by a formal visual style and meticulous attention to detail his later films often have elements of surrealism and expressionism that eschews ( 回避) structured linear narra

30、tive. While often viewed as expressing an ironic pessimism, a few critics feel his films contain a cautious optimism when viewed more carefully. Extension Activities Even though all of his films, apart from the first two, were adapted from novels or short stories, his works are noted as some of the

31、“most original, provocative, and visionary motion pictures ever made”. Back to Words and Phrases Extension Activities Group discussion 1. Read the list of predictions for the 21st century made by Arthur Clarke and discuss what they mean. 2. Make some more predictions about these or other things. Ext

32、ension Activities 1. Read the list of predictions for the 21st century made by Arthur Clarke and discuss what they mean. 2020 mining on other planets 2030 contact with extra-terrestrials (contact with non-Earth living beings) 2040 transmutation (changing one material / substance into another) 2050 g

33、ravity control; memory playback (Gravity control would allow us to move ourselves and other objects with ease; memory playback assumes the memory is like a tape or disc which could be replayed to give prefect recall.) 2060 artificial life (e.g. intelligent robots) 2070 near light speed; climate cont

34、rol (At such speeds travel over vast distances becomes possible in a craft going at 99% of the speed of light we could travel the 25 light years to the star Vega in 3 months) Extension Activities Extension Activities 2080 interstellar flight; machine intelligence is greater than mans (moving from st

35、ar to star) 2090 matter transmitter (teleportation) 2100 the world has its own brain; meeting with extra- terrestrials 2. Make some more predictions about these or other things. lSpace travel Flight to Mars, planetary exploration and then starships which jump through time-space and travel across gal

36、axies in seconds. lLifestyles People will go out less as computers and robots can do everything we want and supply all our needs and wishes. Extension Activities lMedicine and health Growing replacement parts, gene changing to avoid ill health. lThe worlds resources Will grow scarce and suddenly we

37、will find a way to create any materials we need. lThe worlds population Will grow smaller as people live longer and lead different types of lives. Extension Activities Extension Activities Assignment: Watch the movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey ecology: studying organisms and their environment genetics:

38、studying genes and variation meteorology: studying weather microbiology: studying viruses etc nutrition: studying food oceanography: studying the seas pharmacology: studying medical drugs radiology: studying radiant energy such as X-rays Warming Up Science: fact or fiction? 1 Students arent what the

39、y used to be. These days, it seems, some of them never even open a book. Such is the depressing picture painted by popular science writer Steve Jones in his book The Single Helix, laying the finger of blame on modern communication systems. The message is the medium; once upon a time there were books

40、, but now, Jones says, “the medium is, or so it seems, anything but lines of print on a page.” Many students are just not used to reading books anymore theyre such an outdated form of communication. Text depressing a. sth. that is depressing makes you feel very unhappy and disappointed 令人沮喪的；令人 喪氣的

41、e.g. 1. The whole experience was very depressing. 整個經(jīng)歷令人非常沮喪。 2. He always woke with a sense of deep sorrow and depressing loss. 他醒來時總是滿懷哀愁，抑郁惆悵。 Word family: depress v. depression n. depressed a. Words & Phrases songbook n. C a book that contains the words and music of a lot of songs 歌本；歌曲集 e.g. 1.

42、 While rummaging around my bookcase I came across my old copy of the songbook. 在一次偶然的情況下我亂翻我的書柜，竟然翻到了當(dāng)年我的 那本音樂集。 2. Initially I thought I could simply copy my old songbook and send it back. 起初我以為我只要把我的舊歌集復(fù)印一下就可以把它送回去了。 Words & Phrases hurlvt. to throw sth. using a lot of force 猛投；用力 擲 e.g. 1. Children were hurling snowballs at one another. 孩子們在互擲雪球。 2. Rioters hurled chairs through the windows. 暴亂者向窗里擲椅子。 3. The young track a