Ford Abandons Electric Vehicles

　　The Ford motor company’s abandonment of electric cars effectively signals the end of the road for the technology，analysts say.

　　General Motors。and Honda’ceased production of battery.powered cars in 1 999, to focus on fuel cell and hybrid electric gasoline engines, which are more attractive to the consumer.Ford has now announced it will do the same.

　　Three years ago.the company introduced the Think City two―seater car and a golf cart called the THINK, or Think Neighbor.It hoped to sell 5，000 cars each year and 10，000 carts.But a lack of demand means only about l，000 of the cars have been produced，and less than 1。700 carts have been sold so far in 2002.

　　“The bottom line is we don’t believe that this is the future of environment transport for the mass market.”Tim Holmes of Ford Europe said on Friday.“We feel we have given electric our best shot”

　　The Think City has a range of only about 53 miles and up to a six-hour battery recharge time.General Motors’EVI electric vehicle also had a limited range。of about 100 miles.

　　The very expensive batteries also mean electric cars cost much more than petrol-powered alternatives.An electric Toyot~RAV4 EV vehicle costs over$42，000 in the US, compared with just $17，000 for the petrol version.Toyota and Nissan…are now the only major auto manufacturers to produce electric vehicles.

　　“There is a feeling that battery electric has been given its chance.Ford now has to move on with its hybrid program“，and that is what we will be judging them on，”Roger Higman，a senior transport campaigner at UK Friends of the Earth，told the Environment News Service.

　　Hybrid cars introduced by Toyota and Honda in the past few years have sold well.Hybrid engines Offer Greater mileage than petrol―only engines , and the batteries recharge themselves. Ford says it thinks such vehicles will help it meet planned new guidelines“on vehicle emissions” in the U.S.

　　However,it is not yet clear exactly what those guidelines will permit.In June，General Motors and Daimler Chrysler won a court injunction，delaying by two years Californian legislation requiring car―makers to offer 100，000 zero-emission and other low―emission vehicles in the state by 2003.Car manufacturers hope the legislation will be rewritten to allow for more low--emission，rather than zero―emission，vehicles.

　　1. What have the Ford motor company.General Motor’s and Honda done concerning electric cars?

　　A)They have started to produce electric cars.

　　B)They have done extensive research on electric Cars

　　C)They have given up producing electric cars.

　　D)They have produced thousands of electric Cars

　　2. According to Tim Holmes of Ford Europe，battery-powered cars

　　A)will be the main transportation vehicles in the future

　　B)will not be the main transportation vehicles in the future.

　　C)will be good to the environment in the future

　　D)will replace petrol―powered vehicles in the future.

　　3. Which auto manufacturers are still producing electric vehicles?

　　A)Toyota and Nissan

　　B)General Motor’s and Honda

　　C)Ford and Toyota

　　D)Honda and Toyota

　　4. According to the eighth paragraph，hybrid cars

　　A)offer fewer mileage than petrol driven cars

　　B)run faster than petrol driven cars

　　C)run more miles than petrol driven cars

　　D)offer more batteries than petrol driven cars

　　5. Which of the following is true about the hope of car manufacturers according to the last paragraph?

　　A)Low-emission cars should be banned.

　　B)Only zero-emission cars are allowed to run on motorways.

　　C)The legislation will encourage car makers to produce more electric cars.

　　D)The legislation will allow more 10w.emission to be produced.

　　參考答案:

　　1.C 第一段第一個句子告訴我們福特汽車公司放棄了電動汽車，第二段說通用汽車公司和本田汽車公司停止生產(chǎn)電動汽車。

　　2.B 第四段第一個句子是Tim Holmes對電動汽車未來的評價，他認為未來的交通運輸?shù)拇蟊娛袌霾豢赡苁请妱悠嚒?/P>

　　3.A 答案的依據(jù)是第六段最后一句。

　　4.C 答案的依據(jù)是倒數(shù)第二段第二句.

　　5. D 答案的依據(jù)是文章的最后一句：the legislation will be written to allow for low-emission, rather than zero-emission, vehicles.

　　Find Yourself Packing It On Blame Friends

　　Obesity can spread from person to person，much like a virus，researchers are reporting today.When one person gains weight，close friends tend to gain weight，too.

　　Their study，published in The New England Journal of Medicine，involved a detailed analysis of a large social network of 12，067 people who had been closely followed for 32 years，from 1971 to 2003.

　　The investigators knew who was friends with whom as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor，and they knew how much each person weighed at various times over three decades.1 That let them reconstruct2 what happened over the years as individuals became obese.Did their friends also become obese?Did family members?Or neighbors?

　　The answer，the researchers report，was that people were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese.That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent. 3 There was no effect when a neighbor gained or lost weight4，however，and family members had less influence than friends.

　　It did not even matter if the friend was hundreds of miles away，the influence remained. 5And the greatest influence of all was between close mutual friends.There，if one became obese，the other had a 171 percent increased chance of becoming obese，too.

　　The same effect seemed tO occur for weight loss，the investigators say.But since most people were gaining，not losing，over the 32 years，the result was，on average，that people grew fatter.

　　Dr.Nicholas A.Christakis，a physician and professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School and a principal investigator in the new study，said one explanation was that friends affected each others’ perception of fatness6.When a close friend becomes obese，obesity may not look so bad.

　　“You change your idea of what is an acceptable body type by looking at the people around you，”Dr.Christakis said.

　　The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years―each person who became obese was likely to drag along some friends.

　　Their analysis was unique，Dr.Christakis said，because it moved beyond a simple analysis of one person and his or her social contacts and instead examined an entire social network at once，looking at how a person’s friend’s friends，or a spouse’s sibling’s friends，could have an influence on a person’s weight.

　　The effects，he said，“highlight the importance of a spreading process，a kind of social contagion8，that spreads through the network.”

　　Of course，the investigators say，social networks are not the only factors that affect body weight.There is a strong genetic component at work，too.

　　Science has shown that individuals have genetically determined ranges of weights，spanning perhaps 30 or so pounds for each person.But that leaves a large role for the environment in determining whether a person’s weight is near the top of his or her range or near the bottom.As people have gotten fatter，it appears that many are edging toward9 the top of their ranges.The question has been why.

　　If the new research is correct，it may say that something in the environment seeded what some call an obesity epidemic，making a few people gain weight.Then social networks let the obesity spread rapidly.

　　詞匯：

　　obesity n.肥胖，肥大

　　virus n.病毒

　　detailed adj.細的，逐條的i

　　nvestigator n.調(diào)查人

　　spouse n.配偶(指夫或妻)

　　sibling n.兄弟，姐妹

　　influence n.影響

　　principal adj.主要的，首要的

　　highlight v.使顯著，強調(diào)

　　epidemic adj.流行的，傳染的，流行性的

　　注釋：

　　1.The investigators knew...over three decades.：調(diào)查人員了解被調(diào)查人的朋友以及夫妻、兄弟姐妹或者鄰居，并且了解他們?nèi)陙砀鱾€時期的體重。as well as表示“和”、“又”。

　　2.reconstruct：重建，推想。re是表示“又，再”之義的詞根。

　　3.That increased a person’s chances of becoming obese by 57 percent.：這使得發(fā)胖的幾率增加了57%。chance這里指機率、可能性。

　　4.gained or lost weight：體重增加或減肥。

　　5.It did not even matter if the friend was hundreds of miles away，the influence remained.：即使朋友遠在千里之外，這種影響仍然存在。

　　6.verception of fatness：對于肥胖的感知。

　　7.The investigators say their findings can help explain why Americans have become fatter in recent years―each person who became obese was likely to drag along some friends：調(diào)查人員聲稱他們的發(fā)現(xiàn)可以幫助解釋近年來美國人變得越來越胖的原因：每個發(fā)胖的人都可能帶動朋友一起變胖。

　　8.contagion：傳染，傳染病。

　　9.edge toward：向……緩慢或逐漸地前進。

　　練習：

　　1. Who had the greatest influence on people who became obese?

　　A) Their friends.

　　B) Their neighbours.

　　C) Their family members.

　　D) Their colleagues.

　　2. Which of the following statement about a friend's influence is false according to the report?

　　A) Friends had more influence than family members on people who became obese.

　　B) Even ifthe friend lives far away, the influence still remained.

　　C) People were not likely to lose weight when they have skinny friends.

　　D) The greatest influence of all was between close mutual friends.

　　3. According to Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, what is the explanation for friends being the

　　greatest influence?

　　A) Friends usually spend a lot of time together.

　　B) Friends share similar eating habits.

　　C) Friends are more important than family members.

　　D) Friends affected each others' feelings of fatness.

　　4. Which factor of becoming obese is not mentioned in this report?

　　A) Social contact.

　　B) Genetic information.

　　C) Life style.

　　D) Environmental influences.

　　5. In what way is obesity contagious and epidemic?

　　A) Social networks let the obesity spread rapidly.

　　B) Individuals have genetically determined ranges of weights.

　　C) Obesity can easily spread from one to another without any physical contact.

　　D) Obesity can spread rapidly and extensively by infection and affecting many individuals in an area or a population at the same time.

　　參考答案：ACDCA

　　Feast On Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving

　　Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets.That was Halloween.‘In a few weeks American houses will be red and green and filled with presents.For Christmas.

　　As if all this isn’t enough，on Thursday this week，America will enjoy another festival―Thanksgiving.

　　Children will have two days off school，shops will close and houses will be filled with families enjoying mountains of food.

　　Every year, in Gainesville，F(xiàn)lorida，all entire class celebrate Thanksgiving together.The class dresses up and puts on plays for their families.After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie.

　　Dean Foster, an 1 1-year-old boy will take part in this celebration.He said：‘I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school，lots of nice food and a happy family.’

　　His brother Ben，nine，said：‘the best thing about Thanksgiving，is that when it is finished，it is time to start Christmas.’

　　But behind the food and the large amount of money spent there is another message.On Thursday evening，Dean and Ben’s family will make a basket and put it on the table as they eat their evening meal.

　　Each of them will write a 1ist of things that they are thankful for and place the paper in the basket.The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives.

　　Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621，when the first pilgrims arrived in the US to start a new life.After a hard year, they had a big autumn harvest.They held a feast and invited the native American Indians along to thank God for giving them enough food.

　　Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving.They often fall after the fields have been harvested and the crops collected for winter.

　　turkey n.火雞

　　pumpkin n.南瓜

　　pilgrim n.朝圣者

　　Thanksgiving：感恩節(jié)(11月的第四個星期四)

　　Halloween ： 10月31日之夜(據(jù)傳此時可見到鬼)

　　Christmas： 圣誕節(jié)(12月25日)

　　1. On Halloween, children in the United States often dress up as( ).

　　A)ghosts

　　B)players.

　　C)pilgrims.

　　D)visitors.

　　2.When are turkey and pumpkin pie eaten?( )

　　A)On Halloween.

　　B)On Thursday.

　　C)On Thanksgiving.

　　D)On Christmas Day.

　　3.Thanksgiving is the time for the American people to thank God for( ).

　　A)looking after them.

　　B)providing them with comfortable and happy lives•

　　C)clothing them.

　　D)protecting them

　　4.Many children in the United States like Thanksgiving because( ).

　　A)they call stay with their parents at home and eat a lot of nice food•

　　B)they can dress up like monsters.

　　C)they can put on plays.

　　D)they call visit American Indians.

　　5.The first pilgrims settled in the United States in( ).

　　A)1621.

　　B)1620.

　　C)1622.

　　D)1619.

　　參考答案:

　　1. 答案選A。該題問：在‘10月31日之夜’，美國兒童常常打扮成什么樣子? 首先利用問題中的特征詞Halloween作為答案線索，這樣很快在文章第二句中找到涉及到答案相關句： That was Halloween.代詞That提示我們應該接著看前面的句子：Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets.這句話中出現(xiàn)了與問題句中的核心結(jié)構(gòu)children in the United States呼應的結(jié)構(gòu)，因此判斷這個句子需要認真看， 這個句子說“四周前，美國兒童打扮成怪物，四處要糖吃?！薄肮怼?ghosts)跟“怪物”(monsters)比較接近，A正確。

　　2. 答案選C。該題問：火雞和南瓜餅是什么時候吃的? 火雞和南瓜餅是感恩節(jié)的傳統(tǒng)食品。利用提干中的新信息詞(也是標志詞)turkey 和pumpkin 作為答案線索，這樣在第4段的最后一個句子中找到答案相關句：After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie. (演出過后這些家庭將分享傳統(tǒng)的感恩節(jié)食物，如火雞和南瓜餡餅) ，因此判斷C(感恩節(jié))是答案。

　　3. 答案選B。該題問：感恩節(jié)是美國人因為什么而感謝上帝的日子? 這個句子中的新信息是“感謝上帝”， 所以利用“thank God”作為答案線索，這樣在文章的倒數(shù)第三段中找到答案相關句：The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives (感謝上帝為他們提供了舒適、幸福生活的日子)，因此判斷B是答案。

　　4.答案選A。該題問：許多美國兒童喜歡感恩節(jié)的原因是什么? 利用問題句中的核心結(jié)構(gòu)“l(fā)ike Thanksgiving”作為答案線索，這樣在第5段中找到答案相關句：Dean Foster, an 1 1-year-old boy will take part in this celebration.He said：‘I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school，lots of nice food and a happy family.’’(喜歡感恩節(jié)是因為它以為著學校放假，有很多好吃的食物， 而且能和家人在一起享受快樂)，選項A(他們可以呆在家里，跟父母在一起，并且會吃到很多好吃的東西)與該句內(nèi)容一致，答案是A。

　　5. 答案選A。該題問：第一批朝圣者是什么時候到美國來定居的? 被選項都是年代，所以直接注意文章中表示年代的數(shù)字，這樣栽倒數(shù)第二段的第1個句子中找到答案相關句：Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621，when the first pilgrims arrived in the US to start a new life.該題考查考生對when引導的定語從句的理解。該句說“感恩節(jié)是源于1621年的美國傳統(tǒng)節(jié)日，在這一年第一批朝圣者抵達美國開始新的生活。”因此答案是A。

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