外刊精讀精練

外帶咖啡紙杯的"回收難題"

一、語(yǔ)篇泛讀

Vocabulary:problemsandsolutions詞匯：?jiǎn)栴}與解決辦法

Millionsofusgrabacoffeeonourwaytowork.Andwhenwedo,it

probablycomesservedinabranded,disposable,cardboardcoffeecup.Once

thecoffeeisdone,justpopthecupintoarecyclingbinandforgetaboutit.

Thecupwillbetakenawayandturnedintoanewoneforyoutouseagain

tomorrow.Thesystemworks,right?

There'sahitch.IntheUK,wethrowawayanestimated2.5billion

disposablecoffeecupseveryyear.Anddespitebeingrecyclableintheory,in

practiceonlyveryfewofthemaredealtwithinawaythatmakesthem

sustainable.Thismakesthemabitofanobstacle.Whatthrowsaspannerin

theworksisthelayerofpolyethylenethatmakesthecupwaterproof,and

thelidzwhichismostoftenmadeofpolystyrene.Asaresult,mostofthe

cupsendupinlandfill.

Butthereareeffortsunderwaytotacklethisissue.Onecompany,

BiomeBioplastics,hascomeupwithafullycompostable,recyclablecupthat

usesnaturalmaterials,suchaspotatostarch,aswaterproofing.MrMines,

itschiefexecutive,believesthatthisisthefirsttimebioplastichasbeen

usedfordisposablecupsandlidsthathavetocopewithhotliquid.And

they'restillfullyrecyclable.

AnotherfeasiblesolutionhasbeenproposedbyFrugalpac,whohave

patentedacupwithalightly-attachedplasticlining.Thiscanbeeasily

separatedduringtherecyclingand'offersamorepragmaticsolution1than

changingourcurrentrecyclinghabits,saysFrugalpac'sfounderMartin

Myerscough.

SafiaQureshisaysIndiahasprovidedtheinspirationforhersolution.

Sheputsforwardthatweusereturnableandreusablecups,whichare

trackedandcollectedbyhercompanyCupClub.Theywillberesponsiblefor

collecting,washingandredistributingthecleancupstoparticipating

retailers.

OnefinalexampleoflateralthinkingcomesfromCupffee.Thistrio

fromBulgariahavecombinedcerealstoformacupwhichcanbeeatenonce

thedrinkisfinished.Itisapparentlysweetandcrisp,canholdacoffeefor

upto40minutesandwillbiodegradewithinweeks.

Whetheranyoftheseinnovativeideasareaperfectfitforthis

disposableissue,onlytimewilltell.It'spossiblethatamoreviablesolution

hasyettobeventured,thoughitmaynotbelongincoming.Allitmay

requireisalittlemorethinkingoutsidethebox...orshouldthatbecoffee

cup?

二、詞匯表

hitch小問題

intheory理論上

obstacle障礙

throwaspannerintheworks從中搗亂，打亂計(jì)劃

tackle解決，處理

issue問題

comeupwith提出、想出（主意）

feasible行得通的,可行的

propose提出

offerasolution給出解決方案

pragmatic實(shí)用的，重實(shí)效的

inspiration靈感

putforward提出（建議、想法等）

lateralthinking橫向思維，發(fā)散式思維

perfectfit完美的答案

viable可行的，可望成功的

venture冒險(xiǎn)去做，大膽嘗試

thinkingoutsidethebox以新的眼光看問題，跳出傳統(tǒng)思維框架

三、測(cè)試與練習(xí)

閱讀課文并回答問題。

1.HowmanydisposablecoffeecupsarethrownawayintheUKeach

year?

2.Whyarethedisposablecoffeecupsnotrecycled?

3.InwhatwayareBiomeBioplastics'cupsdifferent?

4.WheredidSafiaQureshifindinspirationforherCupClubidea?

5.WhatadvantagesaretheretoCupffee/sediblecup?

請(qǐng)?jiān)诓粎⒖颊n文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個(gè)意思合適的單詞填

入句子的空格處。

1.Theconstructionhasmeta.Thesteelweusedwon'thold

theweightoftheroof.We'llneedtochangeit.

hitchissue

proposedviable

2.Thankyouforcomingtothemeeting.I'dliketoanidea

thatIthinkyouwilllike.

tackleproposed

putforwardinspire

3.I'msorry,butthereturnontheinvestmentdoesn'tcoverthe

expenses,whichmeansit'snoteconomically.

issueproposed

pragmaticviable

4.Usingyourbelttorepairthebrokenhandleonyourbagwasgreat

offerasolutionpragmatic

lateralthinkingintheory

5.Sobyusingthefoodsupermarketsarethrowingawaytofeedthe

homeless,wesolvebothproblems.It'sa.

inspirationfeasible

perfectfitissue

【參考答案】

閱讀課文并回答問題。

1.HowmanydisposablecoffeecupsarethrownawayintheUKeach

year?

IntheUK,wethrowawayanestimated2.5billiondisposablecoffeecups

everyyear.

2.Whyarethedisposablecoffeecupsnotrecycled?

Whatthrowsaspannerintheworksisthelayerofpolyethylenethatmakes

thecupwaterproof,andthelid,whichismostoftenmadeofpolystyrene.

Asaresult,mostofthecupsendupinlandfill.

3.InwhatwayareBiomeBioplastics'cupsdifferent?

BiomeBioplasticshascomeupwithafullycompostable,recyclablecup

thatusesnaturalmaterials,suchaspotatostarch,aswaterproofing.

4.WheredidSafiaQureshifindinspirationforherCupClubidea?

SafiaQureshisaysIndiahasprovidedtheinspirationforhersolution.

5.WhatadvantagesaretheretoCupffee'sediblecup?

Itisapparentlysweetandcrisp,canholdacoffeeforupto40minutesand

willbiodegradewithinweek.

請(qǐng)?jiān)诓粎⒖颊n文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個(gè)意思合適的單詞填

入句子的空格處。

1.Theconstructionhasmetahitch.Thesteelweusedwon'tholdthe

weightoftheroof.We'llneedtochangeit.

2.Thankyouforcomingtothemeeting.I'dliketoputforwardanidea

thatIthinkyouwilllike.

3.I'msorry,butthereturnontheinvestmentdoesn'tcoverthe

expenses,whichmeansit'snoteconomicallyviable.

4.Usingyourbelttorepairthebrokenhandleonyourbagwas

greatlateralthinking.

5.Sobyusingthefoodsupermarketsarethrowingawaytofeedthe

homeless,wesolvebothproblems.It'saperfectfit.

你不知道的"入睡邊緣"常識(shí)

導(dǎo)讀：

每個(gè)人一生中大約有三分之一的時(shí)間都處于睡眠狀態(tài)。一直以來(lái)，科

學(xué)家對(duì)于人類為什么要睡覺，睡覺時(shí)大腦究竟處于什么狀態(tài)等問題進(jìn)行了

多方面的深入研究。那么，當(dāng)人類處于睡眠邊緣狀態(tài)時(shí)，身體里到底發(fā)生

著什么變化？它又意味著什么？新的研究正在尋找這些答案。本集《外刊

精讀》介紹有關(guān)人類睡眠邊緣狀態(tài)的研究。

一、語(yǔ)篇泛讀

Vocabulary:sleep詞匯：睡眠

Howlongdoesittakeyoutofallasleep?Areyououtlikealightassoon

asyourheadhitsthepillow,ordoesittakeyoumorethanalittletime

todozeoff?

Iftheaveragenight'ssleepiseighthours,orathirdofaday,thenit

meanswespendaroundonethirdofourlivesinthisdormantstate.Science

alreadyhasreamsofdataonthebrain'sactivityduringsleepitself.Now,an

internationalgroupofresearchersattheUniversityofCambridgeare

researchingthatdopeystateweallgothroughbetweenwide

awakeandfastasleep.

Thistransitionalperiodusuallylastsbetweenfiveand20minutes,says

SridharRajanJagannathan,oneofCambridge'sGatesScholars.However,

peopleexhibitavarietyofbehaviourwithinthistime.Forsome,goingtothe

landofnodisasmooth,quickjourney,whileothershavemoredifficulty.

They“begintogetdrowsy"andthensnapoutofit"backtoalertness"'he

says.

Theaimoftheresearchistofindouthowthispre-sleepphase,when

theeyesglaze,theattentionwandersandthemindislulled,couldbelinked

toaccidentsanddangerousmistakes.Thiscouldhappenduringthedaywhile

atwork."Ifyou'redoingsomeboringtask,youmightbedrowsyinthis

period.Smalldrift-offscancausebigproblems/'saysMrJangannathan.This

isnotjustconnectedtosafetyconcernswithdriving,forexampie,butany

taskwhereconcentrationanddecisionmakingareimportant.

Therearepositivesidestothishypnagogicperiodtoo.Someexperts

thinkthereisaconnectiontocreativityandimagination.Thisiscausedbya

reductioninyourinhibitions,whichmakesyoumorecreative.Youhavemore

freedomtoexpressyourself,andyou'remorewillingtomakemistakes.It

certainlyseemstosupporttheoldadageofsleepingonittosolvea

problem.

Ultimately,therearehopesthatresearchintobrainactivityduring

fallingasleepandwakingmighthelpstrokevictimswhoaretryingtoregain

lostphysicalfunctions.Thatcouldwellbeapipedream.Therearealso

researcheffortsunderwaytofindwaystowarnoftheonsetofsleep,

identifyingchangesineyemovementsorbrainactivity.Thesecouldhave

practicalapplicationsfortiredpeopleoperatingheavymachineryandmay

helpensurethatwhenitcomestoaccidents,we'renotcaughtnapping.

二、詞匯表

outlikealight迅速入睡

dozeoff入睡

dormant休眠的，沉睡的

dopey迷迷糊糊的

wideawake完全清醒的

fastasleep熟睡的

thelandofnod在睡夢(mèng)中

drowsy半夢(mèng)半醒的，睡意朦朧的

snapoutofit從…迅速恢復(fù)過(guò)來(lái)

alertness清醒

glaze發(fā)呆，（眼神）變呆滯

lull使發(fā)困，使安靜

drift-off漸漸入睡

hypnagogic催眠的,入睡前的

sleepingonit考慮一晚上，把…留到第二天再作決定

pipedream白日夢(mèng)

catchsomeonenapping使某人措手不及、猝不及防

三、測(cè)試與練習(xí)

閱讀課文并回答問題。

1.Howmuchofourlivesdowespendasleeponaverage?

2.Trueorfalse:Everybodyfallsasleepinthesameway.

3.Whatistheaimofthisresearch?

4.Howdoestheperiodbeforesleepenablecreativity?

5.Whatpracticalmedicalapplicationforthisresearchismentionedin

thearticle?

請(qǐng)?jiān)诓粎⒖颊n文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個(gè)意思合適的單詞填

入句子的空格處。

1.John,putthatdown!Doyouknowhowmuchcaffeinethereisinthat

drink?Youwon'tsleep!You'llbeallnight.

outlikealightdopey

wideawakealertness

2.Huh?Whatdidyousay?I'msorry,aheavylunchliketheonewejust

atealwaysmakesme.

dormantdrowsy

snapoutofit

caughtnapping

3.Unlesswechangeourprices,wewon'tbeabletocoverour

overheadsnextmonth.Nowthatweknow,wecanactsowewon'tbe

lulledapipedream

caughtnapping

sleeponit

4.Forthepeasantslivinginthemiddleages,theideaofowning

propertyorgoldwasjust.Itwouldneverhappenforthem.

thelandofnodhypnagogic

snapoutofitapipedream

5.John,what'sgoingonwithyoutoday?Youareusuallymuchquicker

thanthis.Willyou?

dozeoffdopey

snapoutofit

sleeponit

【參考答案】

閱讀課文并回答問題。

1.Howmuchofourlivesdowespendasleeponaverage?

Iftheaveragenight'ssleepiseighthours,orathirdofaday,thenitmeans

wespendaroundonethirdofourlivesinthisdormantstate.

2.Trueorfalse:Everybodyfallsasleepinthesameway.

False.Peopleexhibitavarietyofbehaviourwithinthistime.Forsome,

goingtosleepisasmooth,quickjourney,whileothershavemore

difficulty.

3.Whatistheaimofthisresearch?

Theaim