2014年英語專八考試閱讀練習(xí)題(11).doc

Passage Eleven (The Affect of Electricity on Cancer)Can electricity cause cancer? In a society that literally runs on electric power, the very idea seems preposterous. But for more than a decade, a growing band of scientists and journalists has pointed to studies that seem to link exposure to electromagnetic fields with increased risk of leukemia and other malignancies. The implications are unsettling, to say the least, since everyone comes into contact with such fields, which are generated by everything electrical, from power lines and antennas to personal computers and micro-wave ovens. Because evidence on the subject is inconclusive and often contradictory, it has been hard to decide whether concern about the health effects of electricity is legitimateor the worst kind of paranoia.Now the alarmists have gained some qualified support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the executive summary of a new scientific review, released in draft form late last week, the EPA has put forward what amounts to the most serious government warning to date. The agency tentatively concludes that scientific evidence “suggests a casual link” between extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fieldsthose having very longwave-lengthsand leukemia, lymphoma and brain cancer, While the report falls short of classifying ELF fields as probable carcinogens, it does identify the common 60-hertz magnetic field as “a possible, but not proven, cause of cancer in humans.”The report is no reason to panicor even to lost sleep. If there is a cancer risk, it is a small one. The evidence is still so controversial that the draft stirred a great deal of debate within the Bush Administration, and the EPA released it over strong objections from the Pentagon and the Whit House. But now no one can deny that the issue must be taken seriously and that much more research is needed.At the heart of the debate is a simple and well-understood physical phenomenon: When an electric current passes through a wire, tit generates an electromagnetic field that exerts forces on surrounding objects, For many years, scientists dismissed any suggestion that such forces might be harmful, primarily because they are so extraordinarily weak. The ELF magnetic field generated by a video terminal measures only a few milligauss, or about one-hundredth the strength of the earths own magnetic field, The electric fields surrounding a power line can be as high as 10 kilovolts per meter, but the corresponding field induced in human cells will be only about 1 millivolt per meter. This is far less than the electric fields that the cells themselves generate.How could such minuscule forces pose a health danger? The consensus used to be that they could not, and for decades scientists concentrated on more powerful kinds of radiation, like X-rays, that pack sufficient wallop to knock electrons out of the molecules that make up the human body. Such “ionizing” radiations have been clearly linked to increased cancer risks and there are regulations to control emissions.But epidemiological studies, which find statistical associations between sets of data, do not prove cause and effect. Though there is a body of laboratory work showing that exposure to ELF fields can have biological effects on animal tissues, a mechanism by which those effects could lead to cancerous growths has never been found.The Pentagon is for from persuaded. In a blistering 33-page critique of the EPA report, Air Force scientists charge its authors with having “biased the entire document” toward proving a link. “Our reviewers are convinced that there is no suggestion that (electromagnetic fields) present in the environment induce or promote cancer,” the Air Force concludes. “It is astonishing that the EPA would lend its imprimatur on this report.” Then Pentagons concern is understandable. There is hardly a unit of the modern military that does not depend on the heavy use of some kind of electronic equipment, from huge ground-based radar towers to the defense systems built into every warship and plane.1. The main idea of this passage is _A. studies on the cause of cancerB. controversial view-points in the cause of cancerC. the relationship between electricity and cancer.D. different ideas about the effect of electricity on caner.2. The view-point of the EPA is _A. there is casual link between electricity and cancer.B. electricity really affects cancer.C. controversial.D.low frequency electromagnetic field is a possible cause of cancer3. Why did the Pentagon and Whit House object to the release of the report? Because _A. it may stir a great deal of debate among the Bush Administration.B. every unit of the modern military has depended on the heavy use of some kind of electronic equipment.C. the Pentagons concern was understandable.D. they had different arguments.4. It can be inferred from physical phenomenon _A. the force of the electromagnetic field is too weak to be harmful.B. the force of the electromagnetic field is weaker than the electric field that the cells generate.C. electromagnetic field may affect health.D. only more powerful radiation can knock electron out of human body.5. What do you think ordinary citizens may do after reading the different arguments?A.They are indifferent. B. They are worried very much.C. The may exercise prudent avoidance. C. They are shocked.Vocabulary1. preposterous 反常的，十分荒謬的，乖戾的2. leukemia 白血病3. malignancy 惡性腫瘤4. legitimate 合法的，合理的5. paranoia 偏執(zhí)狂，妄想狂。這里指：無根據(jù)的擔(dān)心。6. lymphoma 淋巴瘤7. carcinogen 致癌物8. minuscule 很小的，很不重要9. consensus 輿論10. wallop 亂竄，猛沖，沖擊力11. epidemiological 流行病學(xué)的12. blistering 羅嗦的，胡扯的13. critique 評論，批評14. imprimatur 出版許可(官方審查后的)，批準難句譯注1. Because evidence on the subject is inconclusive and often contradictory, it has been hard to decide whether concern about the health effects of electricity is legitimateor the worst kind of paranoia.參考譯文 由于這問題的證據(jù)還不是結(jié)論性的，而且常常是矛盾的，所以就難以斷定有關(guān)電力對身體的影響的顧慮是合乎情理，還是毫無根據(jù)的懷疑。2. EPAU.S. Environmental Protection Agency 美國環(huán)境保護署3. While the report falls short (缺乏，不夠) of classifying ELF fields as probable carcinogens, it does identify the common 60-hertz magnetic field as “a possible, but not proven, cause of cancer in humans.”參考譯文 雖然報告沒有把極低頻磁場歸類為可能致癌物，但它確實指出通常60赫茲的磁場是“一種雖尚未證實，但可能導(dǎo)致人患癌癥的因素?！?. The evidence is still so controversial that the draft stirred a great deal of debate within the Bush Administration, and the EPA released it over strong objections from the Pentagon and the Whit House參考譯文 證據(jù)爭議性仍然很大，所以報告草案在布什政府內(nèi)引起巨大的爭辯，而環(huán)保署無視無角大樓和白宮的強烈反對，公布了這份報告。5. This is far less than the electric fields that the cells themselves generate.參考譯文 這遠比細胞所產(chǎn)生的電磁場低的多。6. and for decades scientists concentrated on more powerful kinds of radiation, like X-rays, that pack sufficient wallop to knock electrons out of the molecules that make up the human body.參考譯文而且?guī)资陙?，科學(xué)家專注于更為強大的輻射類別，如X光射線，其聚合的沖擊力足以把電子從組成人體的分子中撞出來。7. But epidemiological studies, which find statistical associations between sets of data, do not prove cause and effect.參考譯文 可是流行病學(xué)的研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，幾組資料在數(shù)據(jù)方面有所關(guān)聯(lián)，卻沒有證實其因果關(guān)系。8. a body of laboratory work 一批研究成果。9. In a blistering 33-page critique of the EPA report, Air Force scientists charge its authors with having “biased the entire document” toward proving a link.參考譯文 在長達33頁的對環(huán)保署文件的十分尖銳的批評中，空軍方面的科學(xué)家指責(zé)，作者歪曲整個文件以證明癌癥和電磁場之間的關(guān)聯(lián)。10. It is astonishing that the EPA would lend its imprimatur on this report.參考譯文 令人驚訝的是環(huán)保署竟然批準許可這份報告的出籠。寫作方法與文章大意文章以問答的方式，對比的寫作方法，寫出了圍繞電力是否影響健康是否致癌因素的兩種觀點，及其觀點的依據(jù)。一種是美國環(huán)境保護署為代表的：極低頻磁場是一種可能但還未被證實的致癌因素，而且無視白宮和五角大樓反對，公布了這份報告。理由是科學(xué)證據(jù)提出了兩者之間的關(guān)聯(lián)偶然性。另一種以空軍中科學(xué)家為主的觀點：電磁場不會誘發(fā)或觸發(fā)癌癥，而且以歪曲整個文件來證明兩者之關(guān)系，批評了環(huán)保署。其理由人人皆知。因軍隊中任一單位都有點從地面雷達到艦艇飛機防衛(wèi)系統(tǒng)。答案祥解1. D 電力對癌癥影響的不同觀點。文章一開始就提出了“電會致癌嗎?”這個問題。十多年來，一大批科學(xué)家和新聞界人士都指出：研究結(jié)果似乎表示：接觸電磁場可能會增加患白血病和其他惡性腫瘤的危險性。所以說到目前為止還難以確定電力對健康