英语阅读材料.docx
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英语阅读材料.docx
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英语阅读材料
Unit2Lesson2
TheCaroftheFuture
1.Mondaymorning,August17,2020,andyou’reofftowork.Youhopintothedriver’sseat,which,likethecabintemperature,isadjustedpreciselytoyourliking.Eventhoughyourdaughterusedittogotoafriend’shouselastnight,thecarknowsit’syoudrivingnow.SothesatelliteradiohasswitchedfromR&B(节奏极强的一种美国音乐)(yourdaughter’sfavorite)toyourpreferredall-newsstation.Thecar’selectricmotorrunsonhydrogen,andhasalreadybeentoppedoff(装满),automatically,fromanapplianceinyourgarage.Sofar,sogood.
2.Youglideontothefreewayramp(高速公路匝道)anddecidetogetajumpontheworkweek.Settingtheautomaticpilot,youcalluptheofficee-mailthroughtheon-boardcomputer.Guidedbyadvancedcruisecontrol,GPS,andsensorsembeddedintheroadway,thecarstaysinitslane,maintainsasafedistancefromothervehicles,andalertsyoutoyourexit.Onceintheparkinglot,youcheckthefuelgauge(燃油面指示器)andfigureyou'vegotmorethanenoughjuicetomakeithome.Soyouplugintothecity’spowergridtofeeditelectricitygeneratedbyyourcar---forwhichyou’llgetanenergycreditlateron.
3.Soundsgreat,doesn’tit?
Whatthischeeryvisionofamorningcommute(上下班)hidesisagrowingsenseofurgencyonthepartoftheworld’sautomakers.ThecurrentmodelformakingandsellingcarsintheUnitedStates---bigvehicleswithbigfueltanksandsky-highcosts---hasalmostdriventheautoindustryofftheroad.Noone’spredictingthatgasolinepriceswillcomedowndramaticallyanytimesoon,ifever.Thepollutionandenergyconsumption,plusthetraffic,createdbysomanycarswillsimplyforcetheindustrytochange.
4.Thequestionsarewhat,andhowsoon.Expertsgenerallyagreethatwe'reonthevergeofaneraofnewfuels.“Wehavetofindalternatives,”saysLarryBurns,vicepresidentofResearchandDevelopmentandStrategicPlanningforGeneralMotorsCorp.,andoneoftheindustry’smostoptimisticvisionaries.“By2020,we’reexpecting1.1billioncarsandtrucksontheplanet,comparedto750milliontoday.Imagine125freewaylanesrunningsidebyside,bumper(汽车的保险杆)tobumper,goingallthewayaroundtheworld.”
5.Theleadingcandidatetoreplacegoodoldsmellygasolineishydrogen(氢),themostplentifulandavailableelementontheplanet.Noonegeographicalregionhasamonopolyonit---sothere’slittlechanceofaproductioncartel,likeOPEC.Andintheoryatleast,hydrogenwilldeliversuperiorfuelefficiencywithnoairpollution.Already,themajorautomakersareworkingonhydrogen-fedfuelcells.Demonstrationhydrogen-poweredvehiclesareontheroads,andBurnspredictsrealconsumerswillbebehindthewheelsby2010.
6.Others,however,believehydrogencarsaremuchfurtherinthefuture,maybeevenahalf-centuryaway.Forstarters,thefuelcellsmadewithtoday’stechnologyarehugelyexpensive.Scienceknowshowtomakethem---justnothowtomakethemcheaply.Addtothatthelackofahydrogen-fuelinginfrastructure(基础设施),andtechnicaldifficultiesofstoringandhandlinghydrogen,andyou’relookingatyearsofworkahead.
7.“Fundamentally,weseenogame-changingtechnologyavailableby2020,”saysBobRivard,vicepresidentofAdvancedTechnologyandProductMarketingforautomotivesupplierRobertBoschCorp.“We’llseeevolutionarysteps,notaparadigmshift.”Amongthestagesheenvisionsarecleaner,morefuel-efficientgasoline-poweredvehicles,alongwithalternativefuelsandnewpropulsionsystems(动力装置).Gasoline-electrichybrids,liketheToyotaPrius,FordEscape,andHondaCivicandInsight,willbemorecommon.“Asmuchaswe’dliketobegettingaroundinflyingsaucers,therealityisthatby2020we’llstillbedrivingvehiclesthatusefossilfuels,”saysMaryAnnWright,FordMotorCo.’sdirectorofSustainableMobilityTechnologiesandHybridVehiclePrograms.“ButIdothinktherewillcomeapointintimewheneveryvehiclewillhavesomekindofhybridtechnology.”
8.Withinthenextdecade,expecttoseemorecleandiesel-poweredengines,likethoseavailablefromVolkswagenandMercedes-Benz.Thesevehiclesareupto40percentmorefuel-efficientthangasolinecars,andproduceabout15percentlesscarbondioxide.Thedownsideofdiesel?
Oxidesofnitrogen---knownasNOx---arepotentirritants(有效的刺激剂).Othernewgasolinereplacementstowatchfor:
biofuelandbiodiesel,andnaturalgas.
9.Ifthere’sdisagreementoverjustwhatwillpowerthecarofthefuture,there’snodebateabouthowcooltheactualvehicleswillbe---very,verycool.Electronicfunctions,driverpreferences,wirelessconnectivity---it’sallinthepipeline,comingatusfast.Picturethis:
It’s2020andyou’redrivinghomefromworkonthefreeway.Buttherearenoroadsignsanywhere,notforstores,gasstations,restaurantsoreventhelocalexitsandinterchanges(立体交叉道).There’snoneedforthem---yourcar’scomputerkeepsyouorientedandontrack.(Italsoknowsthespeedlimit,soyou'llhavenoexcuseswiththelocalcop.)Can’trecallifyouneedmilkforbreakfast?
Yourcar’scomputercontactsyourhomeinventorysystem(存储系统)tocheck.Sureenough,youneedmilk---andOJtoo.Theinteractivesystemstakeover.Yourcarspotsaconveniencestoreatthenextexitandzaps(快速备好)yourgrocerylistahead.Whenyouarrive,everythingisbaggedandreadyforpickup.
10.“By2020,itwillnolongerbeabigdealtohaveInternetconnectivityalmostanywhere,anytime,”saysK.VenkateshPrasad,technicalleaderinFord’sInfotronicsTechnologiesDepartment.Henotesthattheyoungestoftheyear2020’snewgenerationofcarbuyersisaboutthreeyearsoldrightnow.“ThatmeanseveryonecomingintotheautomarketwillhaveknownnothingbuttheInternet,andheorshewilltakeitforgranted,”hesays.Far-fetched?
Prasadthinksnomoresothanwhatwasonceanotherradicalidea---distributingmoneyfrommachinescalledATMs.
Unit3Lesson1
ThePursuitofHappiness
Modernscienceandancientwisdomagree:
whatwillreallymakeyouhappymightnotbewhatyouthink.
1Agoodfriendofminewasdrivingonerainymorningwhenhiscarsuddenlyhitanoilypatch(小块土地)andspunoutofcontrol.Hisattemptstoregaincontrolofthevehiclewerefutile.Thecarswerveddowntheroadandbegantoroll.Afterwhatseemedlikeaneternity,thecarcametoastoprightsideup.Ashesatclutching(紧紧抓住)thesteeringwheelinahotsweat—shakenbutuninjured—theradiostartedplayingthesong“Don’tWorry,BeHappy.”Laughablenow,thesentimentwasagoodoneatthetime,butalittlechallengingtoimplement(执行)underthecircumstances.
ThePursuit
2AnneFrankonceasserted,“Wealllivewiththeobjectiveofbeinghappy;ourlivesarealldifferentandyetthesame.”Indeed,weareallonacommonquest—thepursuitofhappiness.Sohowcanwediscoverit?
3Agoodplacetostartistoidentifythethingsthatdonotguaranteehappiness.Acommonmisconceptionisthatmoney,andplentyofit,isintegraltoahappylife.Researchindicatesthatinordertobehappywedoneedthebasics(itiscertainlymorechallengingtobecheerywhenyouaresittingintherainbecauseyoudon’thavearoofoveryourheadwhileyourtummyscreamsatyouforsomefilling),but,afterourbasicneedsaremet,itseemsthatmoneycontributeslittletoourlevelofhappiness.Itistrue:
happinesscan’tbebought.
4Careerdoesn’tguaranteehappinesseither.Ifitishappinessyouareseeking,pursuingitbyclimbingthecorporateladdercouldfindyoustaringatthewrongwall.Studieswithincompanieshavefoundsimilarlevelsofhappinessfromtheentry-levelworkersupthroughseniormanagement.Essentially,itisnotthetypeofworkwedothatpromotesorreducesourlevelofhappiness;itiswhatthatworkmeanstousthatmakesthedifference.
5Finally,evenlovedoesn’tpromisehappiness.Marriedpeoplereportsimilarlevelsofhappinesstosingleindividuals,exceptaroundthedatingandweddingtimeswhenthereisanupwardtrendinhappinessscores.Thispeaktendstoleveloutoncemarriedlifebecomesroutineandhappinessscoresreturntobaseline.Yetwhilelovedoesnotpromisehappiness,itmayprovidetheopportunityforit.Inonesurveyindividualscommonlyreportedthatfamily(especiallychildren)andfriendsbroughtthemthegreatestjoyintheirlife.Indeed,relationshipshavetheeffectofmagnifyingouremotions—thegoodgetbetterandthebadgetworse.Itwouldseemthenthatiftimeswithfamilyandfriendsaremostlyhappyones,thenourliveswillbesignificantlyenriched.
6Ifmoney,career,andrelationshipsaren’thappinessguarantors,whatisthebestpathtohappiness?
Theanswerdependsonthetypeofhappinessyou’reseeking.PioneerhappinessresearcherDr.MartinSeligmanhasidentifiedthreelevelsofhappiness.
Level1:
Pleasure
7Agoodgiggle(大笑)doesusaworldofgood.Laughterstimulatesthereleaseofstress-relievinghormones(荷尔蒙)similartothatreleasedduringstrenuousexercise,andsothe“high”wegetfromlaughterisarealone.
8Undeniably,tolaughispleasurable,andpleasuremakesushappy,butthereisadownside.Laughterisnotlimitless.Pleasureisneverpermanent.Eventhebestjokeslosetheirpunch(吸引力)thethirdorfourthtimearound,andourmostenjoyedactivitieswearthinunlessthereisanewtwist.Sointhepursuitofhappiness,pleasureisproblematic.Ifourhappinessisfoundedinourabilitytoattainandmaintainpleasure,wearedestinedfordiscontent.JohnD.Rockefelleronceasserted,“Icanthinkofnothinglesspleasurablethanalifedevotedtopleasure.”
9Thisisnottodenigrate(诋毁
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