1　An animal that influenced scientific thought has died. A chimpanzee named Washoe and born in Africa died of natural causes late last month at the age of 42 at a research center in the American state of Washington. Wash0e had become known in the scientific community1 and around the world for her ability to use American Sign Language2. She was said to be the first non-human to learn a human language. Her skills also led to debate3 about primates and their ability to understand language.

　　2　Research scientists Allen and Beatrix Gardner began teaching Washoe sign language in 1966. In 1969, the Gardners7 described Washoe's progress in a scientific report. The people who experimented with Washoe said she grew to understand4 about 250 words. For example, Washoe made signs to communicate when it was time to eat. She could request foods like apples and bananas. She also asked questions like, "Who is coming to play?" Once5 the news about Washoe spread, many language scientists began studies of their own6 into this new and exciting area of research. The whole direction of primate research changed.

　　3　However, critics argued Washoe only learned to repeat sign language movements from watching her teachers. They said she had never developed true language skills. Even now, there　are some researchers who suggest that primates learn sign language only by memory, and perform the signs only for prizes. Yet Washoe's keepers disagree. Roger Fouts is a former student of the Gardners7. He took Washoe to a research center in Ellensburg, Washington. There, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimpanzees, which are still alive.

　　4　Scientists like private researcher Jane Goodall believes Washoe provided new information about the mental workings of chimpanzees8. Today, there are not as many scientists studying language skills with chimps. Part of the reason is that this kind of research takes a very long time.

　　5　Debate continues about chimps' understanding of human communication. Yet, one thing is sure -- Washoe changed popular ideas about the possibilities of animal intelligence.

　　词汇:

　　chimpanzee n.黑猩猩 critic n.评论家，批评家

　　community n.社区，圈子 workings n.活动，运行

　　primate n.灵长类动物 chimp n.=chimpanzee

　　注释：

　　1. in the scientific community : 在科学界，在科学家的圈子里

　　2. American Sign Language(ASL): 美国手语。利用手、脸部表情、身体姿势表达思想的美国聋哑人语言。在加拿大、墨西哥等地也使用ASL。ASL与British Sign Language(BSL英国手语)不同，两者不能相互理解。

　　3. led to debate: 引起辩论。lead to意为“导致”，to为介词，debate为名词。

　　4. she grew to understand about 250 words: 她渐渐掌握约250个单词。9row t0是“渐渐”的意思。

　　5. Once : 一旦。0nce是连接词。例:Children like to cycle once they have learned how. 小孩一旦学会了如何骑自行车，就会喜欢上它。

　　6. of their own: 属于自己的。of their own的含义与on their own不同， on their own是“独自”的意思。

　　7. the Gardners: Gardner夫妇

　　8. Scientists like private researcher Jane Goodall believe...: 像个体研究者Jane Goodall这样的科学家相信……。like(像，跟……一样)是介词，本句的谓语是believe。句子中的private researcher意为“不受雇于任何单位，自己独立工作的科研人员。”

　　练习：

　　1. Paragraph 1

　　2. Paragraph 2

　　3. Paragraph 3

　　4. Paragraph 4

　　A Reason Why Not Many Scientists Carry out This　Research Nowadays

　　B Report about Washoe's Progress in Learning Sign Language

　　C General Information about Washoe

　　D The Gardeners' Contributions Recognized

　　E Debate on Chimps' Intelligence

　　F Washoe's Love for Three Young Chimps

5. Washoe could make signs to communicate

　　6. Some scientists doubted

　　7. Washoe taught three younger chimps sign language

　　8. The experimenters thought Washoe was intelligent

　　A if the Gardeners' argument was sound

　　B because she was cleverer than other chimps

　　C when she wanted to eat

　　D while she was at a research center in Ellensburg

　　E because she could use sign language to ask for fruits

　　F while Washoe was learning sign language

　　答案与题解：

　　1. C 第一段主要介绍猩猩Washoe的出生地、死亡年龄、被带到美国学习美式手语等一般情况。用General Information about Washoe来概括是很准确的。

　　2. B 第二段的关键句是In 1969, the Gardners described Washoe's progress in a scientific report.随后的句子简略的介绍了Washoe的学习情况和结果，如已学会了250个单词，并能用手语表达“该吃饭了”等概念。所以，Report about Washoe's Progress in Learning Sign Language(选项B)是答案。

　　3. E 第三段介绍了对Gardener夫妇发表的报告有两种不同的解读。一派认为Washoe的手语能力只是机械重复、死记硬背、物质激励的结果，不是智能的表现。另一派认为知识智能的表现，其证据是Washoe还能教三个小猩猩学习手语。争论的焦点是猩猩有没有智能。选项E用debate来概括上述争论，所以是答案。

　　4. A 第四段解释了为什么现在从事这项研究的科学家人数不多。部分原因是研究周期太长。

　　5. C 选C 的第四段第二句：Washoe made signs to communicate when it was time to eat.

　　6. A 第三段的上半段说了一些科学家对Gardener 夫妇的试验的解读所持怀疑态度。题干中出现的doubted引导我们选A。

　　7. D 选D DE 依据是第三段的最后一句,即“He took Washoe to a research center in Ellensburg, Washington. There, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimpanzees, which are still alive.”

　　8. E 本文第二段谈到试验的成果时有一个句子：“She could request foods like apples and bananas”。根据全段意思和上述句子，选择E是正确的。

　　Maglev Trains

　　1　A few countries are using powerful electromagnets to develop high-speed trains, called maglev trains. Maglev is short for magnetic levitation 1 , which means that these trains float over a guide way using the basic principles of magnets to replace the old steel wheel and track trains.

　　2 If you've ever played with magnets, you know that opposite poles attract and like poles repel each other2. This is the basic principle behind electromagnetic propulsion. Electromagnets are similar to other magnets in that they attract metal objects, but the magnetic pull is temporary. You can easily create a small electromagnet yourself by connecting the ends of a copper wire to the positive and negative ends of an AA-cell battery3. This creates a small magnetic field. If you disconnect either end of the wire from the battery, the magnetic field is taken away.

　　3　The magnetic field created in this wire-and-battery experiment is the simple idea behind a　maglev train rail system. There are three components to this system: A large electrical power　source, metal coils lining a guide way or track, and large guidance magnets attached to the　underside of the train.

　　4　The big difference between a maglev train and a conventional train is that maglev trains do not have an engine -- at least not the kind of engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks4. The engine for maglev trains is rather innoticeable. Instead of using fossil fuels, the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combines to propel the trains5.

　　5　The magnetized coil running along the track, called a guideway, repels the large magnets on the train's undercarriage, allowing the train to levitate between 1 to 10 cm above the guideway. Once the train is levitated, power is supplied to the coils within the guideway walls to create a unique system of magnetic fields that pull and push~ th train along the guideway. The electric current supplied to the coils in the guideway walls is constantly alternating to change the polarity of the magnetized coils. This change in polarity causes the magnetic field in front of the train to pull the vehicle forward, while the magnetic field behind the train adds more forward thrust.

　　6　Maglev trains float on a cushion of air', eliminating friction. This lack of friction allows these trains to reach unprecedented ground transportation speeds of more than 500 kph, or twice as fast as the fastest conventional train. At 500 kph, you could travel from Paris to Rome in just over two hours.

词汇：

　　Levitate v. 悬浮 electrified v. 使带电

　　Levitation n. 悬浮 magnetize v. 使带磁

　　guideway n. 导向槽 line v.排列成行

　　propelb vt. 推进 underside n.下侧，下面

　　propulsion n. 推进 undercarriage n. 车盘

　　注释:

　　1. Maglev is short for magnetic levitation :maglev 是 magnetic levitation 的缩略词。

　　2. opposite poles attract and like poles repel each other: 异极相吸，同极相斥

　　3. AA-cell battery:5号电池

　　4. at least not the kind of engine used to pull typical train cars along steel tracks: 至少不是沿着轨道拉动典型的火车车厢的那种发动机。

　　5. the magnetic field created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls and the track combine to propel the train: 由嵌入导向壁内的电磁线圈产生的磁场加上轨道，一起推动火车前进。The magnetic field 和 the track 是句子主语，created by the electrified coils in the guideway walls 是过去分词短语，用作定语，修饰the magnetic field.

　　练习:

　　1. Paragraph 3

　　2. Paragraph 4

　　3. Paragraph 5

　　A The Main Components of the Maglev Train System

　　B High-speed Maglev due to Zero Friction

　　C The Working Principle of the Maglev Train

　　D Differences between Polarity and Magnetic Field

　　E Comparison of Maglev Trains with Traditional Ones

　　F Maglev with a Powerful Motor

　　4. Paragraph 6

　　5. Several countries in the world are using strong electromagnets

　　6. You can connect a wire to the positive and negative ends of a battery 　　　　.

　　7. A unique system of magnetic fields is created by the coils

　　8. The frictionless maglev train enables you

　　A to develop a maglev train rail system

　　B To explain why maglev trains are faster

　　C to pull and push the train forward

　　D to create a magnetic field

　　E to experiment with the maglev train

　　F to travel from Paris to Rome in about two hours

答案与题解：

　　1. 第三段了举了磁浮列车的三个组成部分，动力源、金属线圈和此贴。选项A 概括了第三段列的内容。

　　2. E 第四段就磁浮列车和传统火车进行了比较：磁浮列车没有发动机而传统火车有发动机。选项C用comparsion 来概括是准确的。

　　3. C 第五段比较详细的介绍了为什么磁浮列车会向前运动，也就揭示了磁浮列车的工作原理。

　　4. B 在第五段解释了磁浮列车浮起和向前运动的原理之后，作者在第六段中进行了磁浮列车速度奇快的原因：去除了传统火车的车轮于铁轨的摩擦。

　　5. A 选A 的依据是本文第一段第一句：A few countries using powerful electromagnets to develop high-speed trains, called maglev trains.

　　6.D第二段说，把电线与干电池相连接就能产生一个小磁场，而磁浮列车的运动原理与此相同。第二段第四句是选择D的依据。

　　7. C第五段的第二句，即“0nce the train is levitated，power is supplied to the coils within the guideway walls to create a unique system of magnetic fields that pull and push the train along the guideway”，是选择c的依据。

　　8.F本文最后一句举出坐上时速500公里的磁浮列车从巴黎到罗马只需约2小时这个例子来说明磁浮列车速度之快。