1、专业英语四级（科学技术类阅读理解）模拟试卷 2及答案与解析 0 LGC Forensics, on a former RAF base in deepest Oxfordshire. (This lab deals mainly in chemical and biological traces, and DNA. Half a dozen others across the UK do marks and tracks, drugs, forensic pathology, firearms and digital forensics.) The company is Britains la
2、rgest single supplier of outsourced forensic science services. It was scientists from LGC Forensics it employs 675 of them, 225 on this site who found the evidence that helped convict the killers of Joanna Yeates, Damilola Taylor, Milly Dowler, Vikki Thompson, Rachel Nickell and, most recently and f
3、amously, Stephen Lawrence. For a much-hyped, very modern science that has advanced at breakneck speed since the discovery of genetic fingerprinting by Sir Alec Jeffreys in the mid-1980s and the launch, barely a decade later, of the worlds first national DNA database by Britains soon-to-be-defunct Fo
4、rensic Science Service or FSS, DNA forensics still relies, above all, on painstaking process. Theres little glamour here, and a lot of methodical, meticulous, minute and above all time-consuming graft. Exhibits come in and are logged. Depending on the nature of case and evidence, an appropriate repo
5、rter, the senior scientist on the investigation, is allocated. “The reporter liaises with the police, establishes what has to be looked for, draws up a strategy,“ Sheriff explains. “They instruct the forensic examiners, review and interpret what they find. And its the reporter who stands up in court
6、.“ Rigour, continuity, integrity of procedure are all. Everything is recorded: who handles material, where its come from, what they do to it, what they find, where it goes next. Stray DNA, any risk of contamination, must be minimised: hence the protective clothing (junked after every session), the b
7、rown paper (bagged for eventual debris), the company DNA database that allows any staff DNA found to be swiftly discounted. Because the thing about DNA evidence, strong as it is, large as it looms in the publics imagination, is that it connects a human and an object. It doesnt prove when the two cam
8、e into contact. Nor does it necessarily prove they were actually in direct contact at all. “Its not just the finding of the evidence,“ says Ros Hammond, a senior scientific adviser who has worked on many high-profile cases. “Its how did it get there, and can we rule out any other way it did so? And
9、what does it mean?“ You have to be careful, analytical, determined, patient and as five experts relate, in relation to six major cases occasionally inspired. From The Guardian, January 17, 2012 1 What is the function of LGC Forensics according to the passage? （ A） convict killers （ B） deal with DNA
10、（ C） analyze cases （ D） stand up in court 2 Whats work at the lab like according to the passage? （ A） strict （ B） inspiring （ C） nauseous （ D） holy 3 Which of the following words can best replace the underlined word “minute“ (Para 4)? （ A） slight （ B） immediate （ C） insignificant （ D） exact 4 What i
11、s the purpose of Ros Hammonds explanation? （ A） To show its preciosity of the procedure. （ B） To illustrate its difficulties in the case. （ C） To indicate the job is challenging. （ D） To help the public know its true function. 5 What is the passage mainly about? （ A） Britains advance in DNA research
12、 （ B） the application of the DNA evidence （ C） the glamour of the LGC forensics （ D） behind the scenes at Britains top forensic lab 5 Below are some common criticisms and requests that science journalists receive from researchers. Im not arguing that science journalism cannot be improved, but respon
13、ding to these criticisms by changing what we do would do nothing to improve the coverage of science. Heres why. The standard structure of news stories doesnt work for science. Theres been some shrewd criticism of the “inverted pyramid“ model of writing news but theres a reason we stick to it doggedl
14、y. It works. Some readers come to news sites wanting a quick hit. Others want to know more about each story. The inverted pyramid essentially presenting the new results at the top then filling in the background can satisfy both camps if it is done well. Those who suggest otherwise should look at the
15、ir blog posts and work out how far down the page most of their readers get. They may be surprised. Your headline is hyperbolic. The purpose of a headline is not to tell the story. Thats the purpose of the story. The purpose of the headline is to pique the interest of readers without lying. So the ne
16、xt time a multi-squillion pound experiment reports evidence of neutrinos going faster than the speed of light, dont expect the headlines to say “Astonishing but esoteric particle physics finding likely to be flawed though no one can see how yet“. Change my colourful quote at once! No. Quotes serve m
17、any functions in a news story but one important reason theyre there is to inject some humanity into the piece. Most scientists are human and, thankfully, dont speak in the arid tone that characterises an academic paper. They get excited and say things like “If we do not have causality, we are bugger
18、ed“ and “I dont like to sound hyperbolic, but I think the word seismic is likely to apply to this paper“. Thats nothing to be ashamed of. It is no secret that reporters go fishing for a good quote. Thats nothing to be ashamed of either. Why did you emphasise the tabloid implications of my work? Ther
19、es a fundamental misapprehension among many in the scientific community that the principal job of science journalists is to communicate the results of their work to the general public. Its not. A journalist might emphasise one part of the research and ignore other parts altogether in an effort to co
20、ntextualise the story for their readers. That does not, of course, justify spinning the story out of all recognition so that it fundamentally misrepresents the work. The story didnt contain this or that “essential“ caveat. Was the caveat really essential to someones understanding of the story? Are y
21、ou sure? In my experience, its rare that it is. Research papers contain all the caveats that are essential for a complete understanding of the science. They are also seldom read. Even by scientists. From The Guardian, January 17, 2012 6 Why does the author think the “inverted pyramid“ model of writi
22、ng news is appropriate? （ A） Because it is the standard writing model accepted by all the science journalists. （ B） Because it can best meet the requirements of the vast majority of the readers. （ C） Because it needs to contain all the results of the scientific experiments. （ D） Because it helps mak
23、e known the scientists. 7 What does the author think of the colorful quote in writing? （ A） It works well in academic pieces. （ B） It is not appropriate in science articles. （ C） It works in science journalism. （ D） It is adored by all the scientists. 8 Which of the following words can best replace
24、the underlined word “pique“ (Para 3)? （ A） offend （ B） arouse （ C） irritate （ D） dampen 9 What is the main duty of science journalist according to many scientists? （ A） stir peoples interest in science （ B） communicate with scientists （ C） make known the new findings （ D） explain scientific mysterie
25、s 10 What can be inferred from the passage? （ A） Scientists dont understand journalism. （ B） Science reports cant be always true. （ C） Science journalism attracts few people. （ D） Science journalism is a challenging. 10 Chris Stevens has literally written a book. Its called Appillionaires: Secrets f
26、rom Developers Who Struck It Rich on the App Store, and is based on interviews with the developers of Doodle Jump, Harbor Master, Stick Wars and, yes, Angry Birds. Success cant be guaranteed. But when it does strike, how has it changed app developers? Are they all buying speedboats and counting thei
27、r loot on desert islands? In a word, no. “This was the question they answered with the least fluency,“ says Stevens. “They seemed to have no idea if it had; they were just really focused on creating more apps that they loved. Maybe thats just a common consequence of having a creative spirit: its les
28、s about the cash, and more about the effect your work is having on the world.“ He points to the developer of Stick Wars as a particularly interesting case study. His game took off, yet he stuck to his original plan of joining the Navy. “Hes now the pilot of a nuclear submarine,“ says Stevens. “That
29、was his initial plan, and it was completely unchanged by his success on the App Store. He jokes that he updates the app when his submarine surfaces.“ Stevens also points to a notably different culture from independent app developers when it comes to sharing information, whether that be lessons from
30、making their own apps, or sales figures and usage stats once theyve been released. “That willingness to share seems to exist in most indie developers,“ he says. “They realise that sharing ideas and information doesnt necessarily deplete your own stock. A lot of bigger companies are incredibly materi
31、alistic and cagey. Although also, if people arent talking about their revenues, its because theyre incredibly small.“ For that reason, Stevens is optimistic about the future for small, independent app developers armed with creativity, enthusiasm and low overheads, even as big brands and publishers i
32、nvest more in this market. “Its reassuring that there is still this meritocracy on the App Store where good-quality work can shine through,“ he says. “There will still be a place for the indie developer.“ In the meantime, Stevens is also keen to see whether Apples next move is a democratisation of e
33、-books as well as apps. Hed like to see the company make part of its Xcode development tools accessible to authors and designers with no coding skills, so they can self-publish on its iBooks store. “The biggest problem I see is accessibility. Authors cannot program Xcode. Solve that problem and you
34、put content creation in the hands of the creatives, not the digital strategy managers,“ he says. “The question is not how to save the publishers, but how to kill them, and let storytellers get on with the storytelling. Where is the Apple Garageband equivalent for writers? The Xcode wall is too high
35、to climb at the moment.“ From The Guardian, January 17, 2012 11 What can we expect to read from Stevenss book according to the beginning of the passage? （ A） Apples next plan （ B） coding skills （ C） developers views （ D） key to success 12 Whats the purpose of the author to mention the developer of S
36、tick Wars? （ A） To show that most of the developers are interested in arms. （ B） To tell that the developers ultimate wish is to join the army. （ C） To indicate that independent developers are likely to succeed. （ D） To represent that the developers are not changed by success. 13 Which of the follow
37、ing words can best replace the underlined word “deplete“ (Para 6)? （ A） deprive （ B） expand （ C） surge （ D） diminish 14 What is Stevens concerned about according to the end of the passage? （ A） How to save the publishers. （ B） How to kill the publishers. （ C） The approachability of Xcode. （ D） The r
38、ight of the author and designer. 15 Why did the author compose the book Appillionaires according to the passage? （ A） To celebrate the apps great success in the world. （ B） To see the effect of success on the developers. （ C） To raise peoples attention to Apples e-book. （ D） Not clearly explained in
39、 the passage. 15 It is in consumers interests that Three emerges from this years 4G auction on a more equal footing with its rivals. Austria, a four-player market, now faces the same dilemma. Hutchison Whampoa, the conglomerate controlled by Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing and owner of the Three brand,
40、 wants to take out one of its rivals, leaving just three competitors. These maneuverings matter to UK consumers because a scenario is beginning to emerge in which we too could be left with a choice of three. If this happens, could consumers be faced with higher prices, and for a potentially inferior
41、 service? The UK network at most danger of being toppled is Three. The newest entrant, loss-making since launch and the smallest by a country mile, Three has argued vocally for protection from regulators to ensure this remains a four-player market which could create some interesting dilemmas as it p
42、ushes for consolidation in Austria. Urgings from bank analysts to squeeze out a British network are becoming insistent. Their employers, starved of action since the credit crunch, are hungry for the fees that could be earned if Europes largest economies consent to a series of telecoms mega-mergers.
43、Their arguments are being listened to because cash is about to be poured into rolling out super-fast mobile broadband across Europe. The costs are high. The largest-ever sale of British airspace, due to start at the end of this year, could raise up to 4bn for the Treasury, according to Pricewaterhou
44、seCoopers. To this sum must be added the cost of building the masts, and laying fibre optic cables to connect them. The UKs largest network, Everything Everywhere, has promised to spend 1.5bn over the next three years. Multiply that by three, to take account of lower investment by smaller players, a
45、nd 8bn could be spent on masts and spectrum in the UK alone to make 4G a reality. If consolidation is to take place, it should probably happen before billions are poured into creating four duplicate 4G networks. Bernstein Research analyst Robin Bienenstock has argued eloquently against such wasteful
46、ness. Telecoms watchdog Ofcom, on the other hand, insists it wants four players. In its much-disputed rules for the UK auction, revised and published for a second consultation last week, it says further consolidation could be harmful: “It is likely that a reduction in the market from four credible n
47、ational wholesalers to three would lead to a reduction in competition, and hence to an adverse impact on consumers.“ Those wondering what consolidation could lead to should cast their minds back 20 years. Vodafone and BT Cellnet had the terrain to themselves from the mid-1980s, but the signal was pa
48、tchy and prices were high. Mobile phones did not become affordable mass-market devices until a decade later, when two more operators Orange and the company now known as T-Mobile - had established themselves. From The Guardian, January 17, 2012 16 Whats the dilemma of Austria according to the passage
49、? （ A） To invest more or less in the 4G spectrum. （ B） To squeeze out which company in the market. （ C） To get consent of which European economies. （ D） To have a 4-player or 3-player market. 17 Which of the following is NOT true about Three according to the passage? （ A） It is of a smaller size than others. （ B） It makes more profits than others. （ C） It was founded later than others. （ D） It was more popular than others. 18 Which of the following words can best replace the underlined word “patchy“ (last p
