Text 1

    Genetic engineering holds great potential payoffs for farmers and consumers by making crops resistant to pests, diseases, and even chemicals used to kill surrounding weeds. But new research raises concerns that altering crops to withstand such threats may pose new risks – from none other than the weeds themselves. This is due to the weeds’ ability to acquire genes from the neighboring agricultural crops. Researchers found that when a weed cross-breeds with a farm-cultivated relative and thus acquires new genetic traits – possibly including artificial genes engineered to make the crop hardier – the hybrid weed can pass along those traits to future generations.

    “The result may be very hardy, hard-to-kill weeds,” said Allison Snow, a plant ecologist at Ohio State University in Columbus who conducted the experiments over the past six years along with two colleagues. They presented their results last week at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Madison, Wisconsin. The findings suggest that genetic engineering done with the aim of improving crops – giving them new genetic traits such as resistance to herbicides or pests – could ultimately have unintended and harmful consequences for the crops if weeds acquire the same trait and use it to out-compete the crops. “Gene movement from crops to their wild relatives is an ongoing process that can be ultimately harmful to crops,” said Snow.

    The results of the experiments challenge a common belief that hybrids gradually die out over several generations, Snow explained. “There has been an assumption that [crop] genes wouldn’t persist in crop-weed hybrids” because hybrids are thought to be less successful at reproducing, she said. However, Snow’s research contradicted this assumption: Hybrid wild radishes survived in all six generations that were grown since the study began.

    Although the genetic traits which the scientists monitored were natural and not genetically engineered, the findings nonetheless suggest that artificial improvements introduced into crops through genetic engineering could spread to weeds and become permanent traits of the weed population. So strengthened, the weeds may pose a serious risk to the long-term health of agricultural crops. The danger exists in a number of crop plants – including rice, sunflower, sorghum, squash, and carrots – that are closely related to weeds with which they compete. Snow is concerned that the transfer of genes from crops to related weeds could rapidly render many herbicides (chemicals which kill weeds) ineffectual. That situation, she said, would be much like bacterial diseases acquiring resistance to antibiotics.

    Because plant hybrids arise in a single generation, however, it could happen much more quickly. “Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on herbicides,” she said, “so people will notice when those don’t work any more. ” (441 words)

    Notes: none other than 不是別的，正是…；cross-breed (with) 雜交；hardy a. 強(qiáng)壯的，耐寒的；pass along…to 把…傳給；hybrid 雜交的；herbicide 除草劑；reproduce 繁殖；radish小蘿卜；sorghum 高粱；squash南瓜。

    1. The word “This” in Line 3, Para. 1, most probably refers to __________.

    A. the great results made in recent research B. risks of altering crops’ genetic make-ups

    C. dangers inherent in the nature of weeds D. threats posed by chemicals used to kill weeds

    2. According to the text, genetic engineering can be used to ___________.

    A. kill the weeds in fields through cross-breeding B. give crops new genetic traits and make them hardy

    C. improve the yield and quality of most crops D. make crops resistant to many of chemical fertilizers

    3. Genetically modified crops could have harmful effects since ___________.

    A. gene movement between cultivated plants and wild ones is inevitable

    B. genetically altered plants are in a position to develop into weeds

    C. it is generally accepted that cross-breeding is a natural process

    D. in general hybrids are more successful at breeding than natural plants

    4. Allison Snow uses the example of wild radishes to argue that __________.

    A. most of hybrids are certain to vanish in the future generations

    B. hybrids are regarded as being less successful at reproducing

    C. hybrid wild radishes can be grown in artificial environment

    D. new genetic traits could continue to exist in crop-weed hybrids

    5. From the text we can see that the author seems ___________.

    A. biased B. impartial C. worried D. optimistic

    Text 2

    While anti-slavery sentiment eventually dictated policy in both the United States and Great Britain, the course of abolition differed greatly in the two nations. In America, the institution of slavery was strongly defended in a debate that ultimately resulted in the Civil War of 1860. In Britain, by contrast, slavery was done away with by 1807 and barred throughout its colonial possessions by 1833. In analyzing Britain’s course, historians have well documented the influences of economic change, humanitarian protest and reform movement.

    One factor that has been largely ignored by scholars, however, is the impetus that was provided by children’s literature. This medium gained great popularity in Britain during the last half of the 18th century and provided direct access to young, impressionable minds. Consequently, children’s literature constituted the perfect vehicle for the spreading of humanitarian ideas and played a vital role in creating anti-slavery concerns.

    In 1761, John Newberry’s Tom Telescope included the first known reference to the slave trade in children’s literature. Tom, the book’s hero, took issue with a man who was fond of his household pet yet, as a slave merchant, thought “nothing of separating the husband from the wife, the parents from the children.” Slavery was not only cruel and oppressive, Tom seemed to be saying, but it was also irrational and contrary to natural law. Written before much of the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade were revealed, Tom Telescope contained an implicit message. Soon afterwards, writers and publishers were in a position to be more explicit. One of the leaders in this movement was the Society of Friends who, in 1787, published Little Truths. Passages in this work directly related conditions aboard slave ships: “children were in the ship, pressed like fishes in a barrel.”

    Around the turn of the 18th century, blacks were introduced for the first time as main characters in children’s literature. An early example of this device is found in Thomas Day’s immensely popular The History of Sandford and Merton, in which a black beggar miraculously rescues Harry Sandford from a raging bull. Significantly, Day says very little about the institution of slavery itself, but the reader is left with no doubt that it is inhuman and cruel.

    While it would be misleading to assume that every children’s book published between 1750 and 1850 contained anti-slavery sentiments, the numbers are significant enough to suggest that they played a vital role in shaping their attitudes toward blacks. At the same time, even when the capabilities of blacks were recognized, there was always a tendency to depict them as different rather than equal. Perhaps unwittingly, children’s literature helped to form a stereotype that --- while successfully attacking slavery --- also strengthened the 19th century Englishmen’s sense of racial superiority. (457 words)

    Notes: dictate vt. 口授；強(qiáng)行制定。take issue with 與…爭論。unwittingly 出于無意。stereotype 千篇一律的模式。

    1. According to the text, all of the following may be the factors in creating anti-slavery sentiment in the British territories except ____________.

    A. children’s literature B. protest by humanitarian groups

    C. the Civil War of 1860 D. economic changes and the reform movement

    2. It can be inferred from the text that at the time of the publication of John Newberry’s Tom Telescope in 1761, _______.

    A. there seemed to be no anti-slavery sentiment in England

    B. little was known about the horrors of conditions aboard slave ships

    C. the hero of the book, Tom, became a popular literary character in England

    D. it was generally accepted in England that slavery was irrational and contrary to natural law

    3. According to the author, which of the following is true about British authors of children’s literature in the mid-18thcentury?

    A. They believed that blacks were equal rather than different.

    B. A significant number of these writers were opposed to slavery.

    C. Their writing played a major role in all reforms of the 19th century.

    D. Most were not only talented story-writers but accomplished historians.

    4. Which of the following best describes the organization of the text?

    A. Current beliefs are challenged and new evidence is presented.

    B. A theory is presented and then data are introduced to support it

    C. An observation is made and then some exceptions to it are noted.

    D. An idea is first supported and then evidence is introduced to challenge it.

    5. The primary purpose of the text is to ____________.

    A. emphasize the unnatural oppression inherent in the institution of slavery

    B. highlight the way the abolition of slavery in Great Britain differed from that in the U.S.

    C. underline the continued racism in Great Britain despite that country’s abolition of slavery

    D. discuss the influence of the 18th- and 19th-century children’s literature on the debate over slavery in Britain

    Word Study

    1. differ vi. 不同；有分歧：1) In many respects they differ greatly from the Chinese. 2) The brothers differ in their interests. 3) He differed with his brother about [on/over] a political question. 4) On one point, I differ with [or from] you.

    2. by contrast 對比起來，與之相比：By contrast, even the most modern aircraft look clumsy and slow.

    in contrast to [with] 和…形成對比，與…比較起來：1) His white hair was in sharp contrast to [with] his dark skin. 2) In contrast to his brother, he was always considerate in his treatment of others.

    3. impetus 慣性，動(dòng)力，推動(dòng)力：1) The car ran down the hill under its own impetus. 2) Children need an impetus to study. 3) Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas. 4) The impetus that produced the age of exploration was the increased need for trade. 5) The exposure of widespread graft (貪污) among city officials gave great impetus to demands for reform.

    4. gain vt. 獲得，得到，贏得；加快，增加；改進(jìn)：1) He gained full marks in the examination. 2) This medium gained great popularity in Britain during the last century. 3) Mike has gained a reputation as an expert football player. 4) To gain time, I pretended that I had not heard the question. 5) Step by step he gained the students’ confidence. 6) Last week I gained another five pounds. 7) The doctors say that she continues to gain (好轉(zhuǎn)). 、 8) gain ground 取得進(jìn)展：The Iraqi soldiers fought hard and began to gain ground. 9) gain control of 控制住，占領(lǐng)：They finally gained control of the city. 10) They have gained in strength. (他們已增強(qiáng)了力量。)

    5. take issue with 與…爭論：He thought his boss was wrong but was afraid to take issue with him on the matter.

    at issue 討論/爭論的[問題]：The point at issue is whether you are willing to go abroad or not.

    6. think nothing of 覺得不怎樣，不以為然：1) He thinks nothing of your work. 2) He thinks nothing of walking 10km. a day.

    think highly of 贊賞：1) The people think very highly of him. 2) Our work was well (=highly) thought of.

    think much of 對…評價(jià)很高：1) He thinks too much of himself. 2) I don’t think much of him as a teacher.

    7. contrary to 與…相反，違反：1) What you wish to do is contrary to the regulations. 2) Contrary to expectation, the war was long and painful.

    on the contrary 相反：On the contrary, the war is bound to deepen the eventual economic collapse.

    8. implicit 含蓄的，隱含的：It is implicit in your statement that I was wrong. 反義詞：explicit 明確的，直截了當(dāng)?shù)模篐e gave explicit instructions not to be disturbed.

    9. relate vt. 1) 講述：1) He has related the whole story. 2) 把…聯(lián)系起來：It is difficult to relate these results to any known cause. 3) be related to 與…有關(guān)：All things are related to all other things.

    Text 3

    [2000, RC 1,試題重編]

    A history of long and effortless success can be a dreadful handicap, but, if properly handled, it may become a driving force. When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. Its scientists were the world’s best, its workers the most skilled. America and Americans were prosperous beyond the dreams of the Europeans and Asians whose economies the war had destroyed.

    It was inevitable that this primacy would narrow as other countries grew richer. Just as inevitably, the retreat from predominance proved painful. By the mid-1980s Americans had found themselves at a loss over their fading industrial competitiveness. Some huge American industries, such as consumer electronics, had shrunk or vanished in the face of foreign competition. By 1987 there was only one American television maker left, Zenith. (Now there is none: Zenith was bought by South Korea’s LG Electronics in July.) Foreign-made cars and textiles were sweeping into the domestic market. America’s machine-tool industry was on the ropes. For a while it looked as though the making of semiconductors, which America had invented and which sat at the heart of the new computer age, was going to be the next casualty.

    All of this caused a crisis of confidence. Americans stopped taking prosperity for granted. They began to believe that their way of doing business was failing, and that their incomes would therefore shortly begin to fall as well. The mid-1980s brought one inquiry after another into the causes of America’s industrial decline. Their sometimes sensational findings were filled with warnings about the growing competition from overseas.

    How things have changed! In 1995 the United States can look back on five years of solid growth while Japan has been struggling. Few Americans attribute this solely to such obvious causes as a devalued dollar or the turning of the business cycle. Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride. “American industry has changed its structure, has gone on a diet, has learnt to be more quick-witted,” according to Richard Cavanagh, executive dean of Harvard’s School of Government. “It makes me proud to be an American just to see how our businesses are improving their productivity,” says Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute, think-tank in Washington, DC. And William Sahlman of the Harvard Business School believes that people will look back on this period as “a golden age of business management in the United States.” (420 words)

    Notes: think-tank 智囊團(tuán)，專家小組。

    1. What is stated in the first paragraph can best be summarized as the ____________.

    A. predominance of the U.S. in global economy after World War II

    B. long and effortless success achieved by the U.S. economy

    C. prosperous period of the U.S. economy during the Second World War

    D. unparalleled advantages of the U.S. workforce over its competitors

    2. According to the logical clue of the text, the second paragraph is written to show ___________.

    A. the destruction of American industries by its powerful competitors

    B. the loss of part of U.S. predominance in the world economy in the 1980s

    C. the reduction of U.S. industrial products in its domestic market

    D. the fading industrial competitiveness of U.S. economy after the 1980s

    3. From the third paragraph we can reasonably deduce that, in a broad sense, ___________.

    A. the crisis of confidence discouraged the rapid expansion of the American economy

    B. international cooperation contributed to the revival of America’s economy in the 1990s

    C. the economic progress in America in the 1990s resulted in a great measure from the intense competition from abroad

    D. the reconstruction of industry and improved business management helped to rapidly develop the American economy

    4. By saying “ Self-doubt has yielded to blind pride.” the author is most likely to attribute the economic progress of the U.S. in the 1990s to the ___________.

    A. efficient business management B. rapid growth of productivity in industries

    C. change in the structure of businesses D. turning of the business cycle or a devalued dollar

    5. The best title for the text would be ___________.

    A. A Long History of Economic Success in the U.S.A. B. U.S. Economic Reforms and Its Achievements

    C. Change in U.S. Economic Situation over the Past 50 Years D. Predominance of U.S. Economy in the World

    Word Study

    1. be at a loss … 對…不知所措。例如：1) We are at a loss what to do next. 2) Her statement left me completely at a loss.

    2. in (the) face of 面對著，在（危險(xiǎn)困難）情況下。例如：1) He ran away in the face of danger. 2) In the face of threats and dangers they didn’t retreat. 3) What could we do in the face of all these difficulties?

    3. sweep into 昂然走進(jìn)，以絕對多數(shù)進(jìn)入。例如：The Conservative swept into power in the election of last year.

    4. be on the ropes 步履艱難，困難重重。例如：Frank was out of work and broke, and he was on the ropes.

    5. take … for granted 把…認(rèn)為理所當(dāng)然。例如：I keep telling myself never to take anything for granted.

    6. look back on 回顧。例如：I look back on my childhood with mixed feelings. (回想到我的童年，我百感交集。)

    7. attribute …to 把…歸因于：1) Jim attributes his success to hard work. 2) The car accident was attributed to faulty brakes.

    8. diet 適合某種病人的特種飲食。例如：1)The doctor put her on a diet. 2) I mustn’t have chocolate – I’m on a diet.

    II. Writing (I)

    Directions: In this section, you are to write an essay entitled “What Is Success?”

    Your composition must be based on the information given in the outline below.

    1. Different opinions on success

    2. Ways to achieve success

    3. My view on success

    什么是成功? 不同的人對此問題有不同的看法。有些人認(rèn)為, 如果一個(gè)人能掙許多的錢, 他就是成功者。 另一些人則爭辯說, 成功意味著高居政府要職。還有些人則認(rèn)為, 誰有高級職稱, 誰就是成功者�？梢�, 對成功有截然不同的看法。

    要成為成功者, 首先, 你必須有毅力, 又勤奮。正如你所知道的，不管你做什么事, 總有兩種可能的結(jié)果：成功或失敗。當(dāng)你失敗時(shí)，你不應(yīng)喪失信心。相反，你應(yīng)該增強(qiáng)信心，并加倍努力。你應(yīng)始終牢記, 毅力是成功之母, 勤奮則是成功的關(guān)鍵。此外，你應(yīng)注意工作方法。你應(yīng)不斷總結(jié)經(jīng)驗(yàn)。提高工作效率。比較后你應(yīng)該和你的同事搞好協(xié)作，互相幫助，互相關(guān)心。如果你遵循這些原則, 你將來一定能取得成功。

    我認(rèn)為, 成功就是在一個(gè)人的工作中取得輝煌成就, 也就是說, 對國家的發(fā)展做出貢獻(xiàn)、為人民帶來幸福。因此, 我的結(jié)論是, 即使你在工作中取得了巨大的進(jìn)步, 你也沒有任何理由固步自封。

    What Is Success?

    What is success? Different people hold different views on this question. Some people think that one is successful if he can make a great deal of money. Others argue that success means holding an important government post. Still others believe that whoever has got a high academic title is successful. It is clear that there are quite different opinions on success.

    In order to become successful, you should first of all be both perseverant and hardworking. As you know, whatever you do, there are always two possible results: success and failure. When you fail, you should never lose heart. On the contrary, you must build up your confidence and work even harder. You should always keep in mind that perseverance is the mother of success and industry is the key to it. In addition, you should pay great attention to your work method. It is necessary for you to sum up your experience constantly and improve the efficiency of your work. Finally, it is important for you to get along well with your co-workers, care for each other and help each other. If you follow these principles, you will certainly achieve remarkable success in the future.

    In my opinion, success means achieving brilliant results in one’s work, that is, making outstanding contributions to the development of the country and bringing happiness to the people. So my conclusion is that even if one has made great progress in what he does, I don’t think there’s any reason for him to be conceited (自滿). (248 words)

    背記重點(diǎn)詞語漢英對照：1. 掙錢：make money。 2. 擔(dān)任重要職位：hold an important post。 3. 一些人…，另一些人…，還有一些人…：Some people … , others … , still others …。 4. 喪失信心：lose heart=lose confidence。5. 樹立信心：build up(=create, establish) confidence。 6. 牢記某事：keep sth. in mind=bear sth. in mind。7. 非常注意：pay great attention to; attach great importance to …。 7. 總結(jié)經(jīng)驗(yàn)：sum up one’s experience。 8. 與某人相處融洽：get along with sb.。 9. 奉行/遵守這些原則：follow /observe these principles。 10. 對…做出杰出貢獻(xiàn)：make outstanding contributions to sth.。 10. 在…方面取得進(jìn)步：make progress in …。

    Put the following sentences from English into Chinese:

    1. 他過去在政府中擔(dān)任要職，現(xiàn)在他已下海經(jīng)商掙錢。

    2. 有些人年輕模仿明星的衣著和談吐，而另一些人則是學(xué)明星的發(fā)式。

    3. 無論何時(shí)我們都不應(yīng)該喪失信心，我們應(yīng)該牢記：失敗是成功之母。

    4. 只要你遵循這些原則，你一定會(huì)對社會(huì)做出杰出貢獻(xiàn)。

    (II) 課外背誦篇

    III. Writing:

    Directions: You are to write an essay of 160—200 words, which is based on the following outline:

    1. Interpret the graph below,

    2. Give possible reasons for the change in the number of film-goers and TV-watchers,

    3. Predict future prospect.

    比較近對某市看電影者和看電視者的一次調(diào)查分析了二者人數(shù)的變化。曲線圖表明，1993年到2003年期間看電影的人數(shù)已急趨下降，2003年總計(jì)為4萬人。而看電視的人數(shù)在過去的10 年中持續(xù)上升, 2003年達(dá)到15萬。比較后，有趣的是, 1997年電影觀眾和電視觀眾數(shù)量相等。

    我想，這種變化可能有兩點(diǎn)原因。首先，電視不僅是一種方便的消遣形式，而且相對來說價(jià)錢便宜�？措娨暡槐匕才沤煌üぞ�。人們也不須支付電影院昂貴的座位費(fèi)。第二，電視可以使人及時(shí)了解當(dāng)前大事和科技的比較新發(fā)展。因此, 許多人寧愿呆在家里看電視，而不愿出去看電影，因?yàn)榭措娪凹荣M(fèi)時(shí)又費(fèi)錢。

    依我看，到現(xiàn)在仍有許多人愛看電影。他們聲稱，電影是一種令人心曠神怡的藝術(shù)形式。 舒適地坐在電影院里, 人們可以欣賞到比較新的影片，而這些影片通常要過很長時(shí)間才會(huì)在電視上播放。因此, 我認(rèn)為電影觀眾的人數(shù)將來會(huì)增加。

    A recent survey analyzed the change in the number of film-goers and TV watchers in X city. As is shown by the graph, during the period from 1993 to 2003 there has been a sharp decline in the number of film-goers, adding up to 40,000 persons in 2003. On the other hand, the number of TV watchers has steadily increased in the last decade, reaching 150,000 in 2003. Finally, it is interesting to note that there were as many film-goers as TV watchers in the year 1997.

    There might be two reasons, I think, for the change. Firstly, TV is not only a convenient source of entertainment, but a comparatively cheap one. arranging transport. And one needn’t pay for expensive seats at the cinema. Secondly, TV makes it possible for one (=allows one; enables one) to keep abreast of (=keep track of; keep up with) current events and the latest developments in science and technology. As a consequence, most people prefer to stay at home, watching TV, rather than go out to the cinema, which wastes both time and money.

    Personally, there are still a lot of people who enjoy watching films. They argue that the film is a fascinating form of art. Sitting comfortably in the cinema, one can appreciate the latest movies, which will usually be shown on TV far later on. Therefore, I trust the number of film-goers will be on the rise in the future. (232 words)

    背記重點(diǎn)詞語漢英對照：1. 分析在…方面的變化：analyzed the change in …。 2. 總計(jì)達(dá)到：add up to。 3. There is no point in doing sth. 沒有必要做某事。 4. 及時(shí)了解：keep abreast of (=keep track of; keep up with)。 5. 寧愿做某事而不愿做另一事：prefer to do sth. rather than do sth. else。 6. 在上升：be on the rise；在下降：be on the decline。 7. 因此：as a consequence。

    作業(yè)：1. 結(jié)合“復(fù)習(xí)與指導(dǎo)”一書中的相關(guān)內(nèi)容, 認(rèn)真復(fù)習(xí)書中材料;

    2. 詞匯復(fù)習(xí)必須參照“牛津高級英漢雙解詞典”;

    3. 做詞匯練習(xí)時(shí)要仔細(xì)閱讀和背記“復(fù)習(xí)指導(dǎo)”的注釋, 注意近義詞辨析和詞的搭配和習(xí)語;

    4. 要把主要精力逐漸轉(zhuǎn)移到精讀和快讀上去, 以此帶動(dòng)完形填空選搭題和英譯漢。

    贈(zèng)言： 考研成功三要素：早作準(zhǔn)備、把握方向 + 刻苦鉆研、培養(yǎng)能力 + 教師指導(dǎo)、總結(jié)規(guī)律 = 成功。

    Text 1 參考譯文

    基因工程為農(nóng)民和消費(fèi)者帶來巨大的潛在報(bào)償，它使莊稼能抵抗害蟲、疾病和用來除去周圍野草的化學(xué)物質(zhì)。但是比較新研究又提出了新的問題：改變莊稼以便經(jīng)受這樣的威脅可能會(huì)產(chǎn)生新的危險(xiǎn)，這種危險(xiǎn)不是來自其它因素，而恰好來自野草本身。這是因?yàn)橐安菘梢詮泥徑�農(nóng)作物獲得基因。研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)一種野草和農(nóng)場培育的近親莊稼雜交并因而獲得新的基因特征時(shí) － 可能包括使莊稼更有抗性的人工合成基因 － 這種雜交野草就會(huì)把那些特征代代傳下去。

    “其結(jié)果可能會(huì)出現(xiàn)非常有抗性的、很難殺滅的野草，”Allison Snow 說，這位哥倫布市俄亥俄州立大學(xué)的植物生態(tài)學(xué)家在過去6年中與兩位同事進(jìn)行了這方面的實(shí)驗(yàn)。他們在上周威斯康星洲麥迪遜市的美國生態(tài)協(xié)會(huì)年會(huì)上發(fā)布了他們的研究成果。

    這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，為改良農(nóng)作物所做的基因工程 － 即給農(nóng)作物新的基因特征，如抗除草劑或害蟲 － 會(huì)比較終對農(nóng)作物造成意想不到的有害影響，假如野草獲得了同樣的基因特征并使用這些特征戰(zhàn)勝農(nóng)作物。斯諾說，“從農(nóng)作物到它們的野草近親的基因轉(zhuǎn)移是一個(gè)不斷進(jìn)行的過程，它比較終可能對農(nóng)作物有害�！�

    斯諾解釋說，實(shí)驗(yàn)結(jié)果對普遍持有的一種想法提出了質(zhì)疑，這種想法認(rèn)為，雜交品種會(huì)在以后幾代逐漸絕跡�！耙恢庇幸环N想法認(rèn)為，農(nóng)作物的基因在作物－野草的雜交品種中不會(huì)長期存在”，因?yàn)殡s交品種被認(rèn)為是較難成功繁衍后代的，她說。然而，斯諾的研究與這種想法相矛盾，因?yàn)殡s交的野生小蘿卜自從研究開始起培育出來存活了6代。

    雖然科學(xué)家所觀察的基因特征是天然的，而不是通過基因工程合成的，但是這些發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，通過基因工程引入農(nóng)作物的人工改良品種可以傳給野草并變成野草的永久性基因特征。

    這樣被強(qiáng)化的野草對農(nóng)作物的長期健康造成嚴(yán)重的危險(xiǎn)。這種危險(xiǎn)存在于許多農(nóng)作物中，其中包括水稻、向日葵、高粱、南瓜和胡羅卜，所有這些都和與它們競爭的野草有密切的親緣關(guān)系。斯諾擔(dān)心，基因從農(nóng)作物轉(zhuǎn)移到親緣的野草可以很快使許多除草劑（除草的化學(xué)制劑）失去效用。她說，這種情況很像能抵抗抗生素的細(xì)菌疾病一樣。

    然而，由于植物的雜交品種只要一代就產(chǎn)生，所以這種情況能很快發(fā)生。她說，“現(xiàn)代農(nóng)業(yè)非常依賴于除草劑。” “因此人們將注意何時(shí)那些除草劑將不起作用�！�

    Text 2 參考譯文

    雖然反奴隸制的情緒在美國和英國比較終強(qiáng)行制訂了政策，但是廢除奴隸制的進(jìn)程在兩國卻大不相同。在美國，奴隸制在一場辯論中得到有力的維護(hù)，比較終導(dǎo)致了1860年的國內(nèi)戰(zhàn)爭。相反，英國到1807年已經(jīng)廢除了奴隸制，到1833年在全部英屬殖民地都已禁止奴隸制。在分析英國廢除奴隸制的進(jìn)程時(shí)，歷史學(xué)家用文件清楚地說明了經(jīng)濟(jì)變革、人道主義的抗議和改革運(yùn)動(dòng)所起的影響。

    然而，學(xué)者們大都沒有注意到的一個(gè)因素是兒童文學(xué)所提供的推動(dòng)作用。兒童文學(xué)在18世紀(jì)下葉在英國深受歡迎，并提供了直接了解年輕的、易受影響的兒童心靈的途徑。因此，兒童文學(xué)就成了傳布人道主義思想的完美工具，并且在引起人們反奴隸制的關(guān)注方面起了十分重要的作用。

    1761年，John Newberry所寫的“湯姆的望遠(yuǎn)鏡”一書中首次在兒童文學(xué)中談到了奴隸貿(mào)易。這本書的主人公湯姆與一個(gè)喜愛家庭寵物的奴隸販子之間發(fā)生了爭論；作為奴隸販子，此人對妻離子散不以為然�！皽�姆的望遠(yuǎn)鏡”這本書寫在大西洋奴隸貿(mào)易的許多可怕情景被揭露以前，所以書中寫到的還是一些隱含的故事。后來，作家和出版商有能力寫得更加直截了當(dāng)。“朋友協(xié)會(huì)”是這場運(yùn)動(dòng)中的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人之一，于1787年出版了“真實(shí)的故事”一書。該書中的許多章節(jié)直接講述了奴隸船上的情況：“黑人兒童在船里就像木桶中的魚一樣擠壓在一起。”

    大約在18世紀(jì)末，黑人首次作為兒童文學(xué)中的主要人物被介紹。這種創(chuàng)作手法的一個(gè)早期例子可以在Thomas Day所寫的一本深受歡迎的小說“Sandford and Merton的歷史”中看到；書中一個(gè)黑人乞丐奇跡般地從一頭憤怒公牛的角下救出了Harry Sandford。值得一提的是，Day很少談到奴隸制度本身，但是給讀者留下的印象是，毫無疑問，奴隸制是不人道的，殘酷的。

    雖然如果以為從1750年到1850年之間出版的每一本兒童書籍都含有反奴隸制情緒，那是誤導(dǎo)人的，但是這類書籍?dāng)?shù)量之多足以表明，它們在形成人們對黑人的態(tài)度方面確實(shí)起了很重要的作用。不過，即使書中承認(rèn)了黑人的能力，可總是存在一種傾向把黑人描繪得與白人不一樣而不是平等的。或許出于無意，兒童文學(xué)有助于形成一種刻版的模式，即盡管它成功地抨擊了奴隸制，但也增強(qiáng)了19世紀(jì)英國人的種族優(yōu)越感。

    Text 3 參考譯文

    一段長期而不費(fèi)力氣的成功歷史可能成為一種可怕的障礙，但是，如果處理得好，它也可能成為一股推動(dòng)力。當(dāng)二戰(zhàn)結(jié)束后美國進(jìn)入了這樣一段輝煌的時(shí)期，它擁有的市場比任何競爭者大8倍，使它的工業(yè)成為無與倫比的規(guī)模經(jīng)濟(jì)。美國的科學(xué)家是世界第一流的，美國的工人是比較有技術(shù)的。美國和美國人的繁榮超出了歐洲人和亞洲人的夢想，戰(zhàn)爭毀滅了歐亞各國的經(jīng)濟(jì)。

    隨著其它國家變得越來越富，美國的這種主導(dǎo)地位變?nèi)醣緛硎遣豢杀苊獾�。同樣不可避免的是，從�?yōu)勢地位退出來也是痛苦的。到80年代中期，美國人已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)在自己日益萎縮的工業(yè)競爭力面前感到彷徨。有些美國大工業(yè)部門，如電子消費(fèi)品，在外來競爭面前已經(jīng)萎縮或消失。到1987年只剩下一家美國電視制造商Zenith。（現(xiàn)在則一家不剩，Zenith在七月份被南朝鮮的LG電子產(chǎn)品公司收購。）外國制造的汽車和紡織品大舉進(jìn)入美國國內(nèi)市場。美國的機(jī)床工業(yè)舉步維艱。在一段時(shí)期內(nèi)，半導(dǎo)體制造業(yè)，雖然是美國發(fā)明的而且是嶄新的計(jì)算機(jī)時(shí)代的核心，似乎也將成為下一個(gè)被淘汰的對象。

    所有這一切引發(fā)了一場信心危機(jī)。美國不再把繁榮視為理所當(dāng)然。他們開始認(rèn)為，他們的經(jīng)商辦法正在節(jié)節(jié)敗退，因而他們的收入也將很快下降。20世紀(jì)80年代中期對美國工業(yè)衰退的原因進(jìn)行了一次又一次的探究。有時(shí)他們的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)不乏危言聳聽之詞，但卻充滿對來自海外的日益增長的競爭的告誡。

    事態(tài)的變化何等之大！1995年美國可以回顧穩(wěn)步發(fā)展的五年，而日本卻一直在苦苦掙扎。很少有美國人把這種情況歸因于諸如美元貶值或商業(yè)循環(huán)中的轉(zhuǎn)折這樣一些明顯的原因。盲目的驕傲代替了自我反省。根據(jù)哈佛大學(xué)肯尼迪行政學(xué)院執(zhí)行院長理查德 卡佛納的看法，“美國的工業(yè)已經(jīng)改變了結(jié)構(gòu)，進(jìn)行了合理的發(fā)展選擇，學(xué)會(huì)了更為機(jī)智的快速反應(yīng)�！比A盛頓特區(qū)智囊人物、卡托學(xué)院的史蒂芬 莫爾說，“作為一個(gè)美國人看到我們的企業(yè)在大幅度提高生產(chǎn)率是何等令人自豪�！惫�佛商學(xué)院的威廉 薩爾曼認(rèn)為，人們將把這段時(shí)期作為“美國企業(yè)管理的黃金時(shí)代”來回顧。

    趣味英語

    A man was shopping in a toy store with his two sons. Both boys were clamoring(吵鬧著) for electronic guns that make a loud, outerspace-like sound when fired, so the father picked up two. As the clerk rang up(將收入記錄下來) the sale, he said, “These things make a lot of noise. They’ll drive you crazy.”

    The man smiled a wicked little smile. “Not me, he replied. “The boys live with my ex-wife(前妻).”

    幫助你學(xué)習(xí)記憶單詞的有效方法 -- 同根詞解析

    hospit, host [拉丁語] 客人

    *hospital n. 醫(yī)院 *host n. 主人，東道主；節(jié)目主持人；（a host of）許多 *host vt. 主持 *hospice n. 晚期病人收容院 *hostess n. 女主人 *hospitable a. 好客的，招待殷勤的 *hospitality n. 好客，殷勤，款待 *hotel n. 旅館 *hostage n. 人質(zhì) *hostile [host 陌生人，敵人 + ile] a. 敵對的，不友善的 *hostility n. 敵意。