2014职称英语综合类教材完形填空深度解析(珍藏版)

第一篇 A Life with Birds 有鸟陪伴的生活（2012年新增，未考）For nearly 17 years David Cope has worked as one of the Tower of London's yeoman warders, _ better（更…）known to tourists as beefeaters. David, 64, lives in a three-bedroomed flat right at the top（顶部）of the Byward Tower, one of the gatehouses. "From（从）our bedroom we have a marvellous view of Tower Bridge and the Thames, " says David.

作为伦敦塔的守卫者之一的David Cope在那里工作了近17年，被游客们称为Beefeaters。David，64岁，生活在Byward塔顶部的一个三居室的单元里，一个警卫室。David说：“从我们的卧室看去，我们可以看到伦敦塔桥和泰晤士河的一个美好景色。

The Tower of London is famous for（以..而著名）its ravens, the large black birds which have lived there for over three centuries. David was immediately fascinated by the birds and when he was _ offered(提供)__ the post of Raven Master eight years ago he had no _ hesitation（犹豫）_ in accepting it. "The birds have now become my life and I'm always _ aware（意识到）of the fact that I am _ maintaining （保持）_ a tradition. The legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower, England will fall to enemies, and it's my job to _ make（确保）sure this doesn't happen!"

伦敦塔以大黑色的鸟----乌鸦而著名，它们已经在那里生活了三个多世纪。David立刻被这种鸟迷住了，当他在八年前被提供乌鸦主人的职位时他毫不犹豫地接受了它。“这种鸟类现在已成为我的生命，我总是警觉到我在保持一个传统。传说中说，如果乌鸦离开了伦敦塔，英国将落到敌人的手中，我的工作就是确保这种情况不会发生！

David devotes（献身于）about four hours a day to the care of the ravens. He has grown to love them and the _ fact（事实）that he lives right next to them is ideal. "I can keep（关注） a close eye on them all the time, and not just when I'm working." At first（起初）, David's wife Mo was not _keen（对..感兴趣）on the idea of life in the Tower, but she too will be sad to leave when he retires next year. "When we look out of our windows, we see history all（所有）around us, and we are taking it in and storing it up for our future memories."

David每天大约用四个小时的时间来护理乌鸦。他已经爱上了它们，而他紧挨在它们的旁边生活是最佳选择。“我可以在所有的时间内密切关注它们，不仅仅是在工作的时候。”起初，David的妻子Mo对生活在塔里的想法并不热衷，但David明年即将退休，她要离开时也会很伤心。“当我们透过我们的窗口向外看，我们看到历史环绕在我们身边，我们正接受它并为我们未来的记忆存储它。”

第二篇 A Lucky Break 幸运的骨折（2012年新增，未考）

Actor Antonio Banderas is used to breaking bones, and it always seems to happen when he's doing(做) sport. In the film Play It to the Bone he plays（扮演一个…）the part of a middleweight boxer alongside Woody Harrelson. During（过程中）the making of the film Harrelson kept（连续）complaining that the fight scenes（场面）weren't very convincing, so one day he suggested that he and Banderas should have a fight for real. The Spanish actor wasn't keen（对…热衷）on the idea at first, but he was eventually（最终）persuaded by his co-star to put on his gloves and climb into the boxing ring. However, when he realized how seriously his opponent（对手）was taking it all, he began to regret his decision to fight. And then in the third round, Harrelson hit Banderas so（太…以至于..）hard in the face that he actually broke his nose. His wife, actress Melanie Griffith, was furious that he had been playing "silly macho games". "She was right," confesses Banderas, "and I was a fool to take（冒险） a risk like that in the middle of a movie."

演员Antonio Banderas经常骨折，而且它似乎总是发生在运动时。在影片《拳拳到骨》中，他与Woody Harrelson 肩，扮演一个中量级拳击手。在影片制作过程中，Harrelson不停地抱怨整个打斗场面并不是很令人信服，所以一天，他提议他和Banderas应该进行一场真正的打斗。这位西班牙演员起初到这一想法并不热衷，但最终还是被他的搭档说服了，他戴上他的手套，爬上了拳击台。然而，当他意识到他的对手是全心全意投入进来时，他开始后悔自己要打斗的决定。在第三轮，Harrelson狠狠地打在Banderas的脸上，以至于居然打破了Banderas的鼻子。女演员Melanie Griffith他的妻子对他进行这样一场“傻男子气概的游戏”非常愤怒。“她是对的”Banderas 承认道，“我在电影拍摄过程中进行这样一个冒险真是一个傻瓜。”

He was reminded（提醒）of the time he broke his leg during a football match in his native Malaga. He had always dreamed（梦想）of becoming a soccer star, of performing in front of a big crowd, but doctors told him his playing days were probably over. "That's when I decided to take up（开始）acting; I saw it as another（另外）way of performing, and achieving recognition. What happened to me on that football pitch（场）was, you might say, my first lucky break."

他记起在他的故乡马拉加进行的一场足球比赛，那次他的腿骨折了。他一直梦想成为一个足球明星，在从多观众前比赛。但他的医学告诉他，他的比赛生涯也许就要结束了。“就在那时我决定开始演戏，我认为这是另外一种比赛并且能够得到认可。可以这么说，发生在那次足球场上的事对我而言，是一次幸运的骨折。

第三篇Global Warming 全球变暖(2012年新增，2013已考) Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world's climate. Many scientists put （把…归咎于）the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase in（在）the world's temperatures and are convinced that, more than ever(任何时候) before, the Earth is at risk(危险) from the forces of the wind, rain and sun. According(据说) to them, global warming is making extreme weather events, such(例如) as hurricanes and droughts, even more severe(严重) and causing sea levels all around the world to rise(上升) .

现在很少有人质疑全球变暖的现实及其对世界气候的影响。许多科学家把全球气温上升归咎于最近的自然灾害，他们确信，地球现在比以住任何时候都更受到风、雨和太阳这些力量的威胁。据他们说，全球变暖制造了极端的天气事件，例如飓风、干旱，甚至更为严重的以至于世界各地的海平面上升。

Environmental groups are putting pressure(压力) on governments to take action to reduce the amount(数量)

of carbon dioxide which is given off(排放) by factories and power plants, thus attacking the problem at its source. They are in favour(赞成) of more money being spent on research into solar, wind and wave energy devices, which could then replace existing power stations(装置) .

环保团体对政府施加压力，要求政府采取行动减少工厂和发电厂排放的二氧化碳，攻击它的资源问题。他们都赞成把更多的资金用到研发太阳能、风能和波浪能装置上，以取代现有的发电站。

Some scientists, however(然而) believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, we would have to wait several(几) hundred years to notice the results. Global warming, it seems, is here to stay.

然而，还有一些科学家，他们相信即使明天我们不再排放二氧化碳和其他气体到大气层中，我们也将不得不等待几百年才能得到结果。全球变暖似乎要在这里停留。

第四篇 A Success Story 一个成功的故事（2012年新增，未考）At 19, Ben Way is already a millionaire, and one of a growing number of teenagers who have made(制造) their fortune through the Internet. What(这) makes Ben's story all the more remarkable is that he is dyslexic, and was told(告知) by teachers at his junior school that he would never be able to read or write properly(正确地) . "I wanted to prove them wrong(错了) ", says Ben, creator and director of Waysearch, a net search engine which can be used to find goods in online shopping malls.

19岁时，Ben Way已经是一个百万富翁了，他是越来越多的通过互联网获得财富的青少年之一。而使得Ben 的故事更引人注意的是他有诵读困难，并且曾被他的初中教师告知他将永远不能正确读写。“我要证明他们错了。“Ben说。他后来成为Waysearch的创建者和董事长，Waysearch是一个在网上购物商场查找货物的网络搜索引擎。

When he was eight, his local authorities provided(提供) him with a PC to help with school work. Although he was unable(不能) to read the manuals, he had a natural ability with the computer, and encouraged(鼓励) by his father, he soon began charging(收费)people $l0 an hour for his knowledge and skills. At the age of 15 he set(创建) up his own computer consultancy, Quad Computer, which he ran from his bedroom, and two years later he left school to devote(精力) all his time to business.

Ben八岁时，他所在的地方当局提供给他一台个人电脑以帮助学校工作。虽然他不能阅读使用指南，但他对计算机有一种天赋，在父亲的鼓劢下，Ben很快就开始以自己的知识能力收费----每小时10英镑。15岁时，Ben 成立了自己的电脑顾问公司----夸德电脑，他在自己的卧式里运营（这个公司），两年之后，他离开了学校，并将所有的精力投入到公司经营当中。

"By this time the company had grown and I needed to take on a couple(一些) of employees to help me", says Ben. "That enabled me to start doing(做) business with bigger companies.” It was. his ability to consistently overcome(克服)difficult challenges that led him to win the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the same year that he formed Waysearch, and he has recently signed a deal worth(价值)$25 million with a private investment company, which will finance his search engine.

“此时公司已经发展壮大，我需要雇用几个员工帮助我”，Ben说，“这使我开始与更大的公司做生意。”正是他持续不断地克服困难挑战的能力使他赢得了“年度最佳青年企业家”，也是同年，他成立了Waysearch。最近，他与一家私人投资公司签署了价值2500万英镑的交易，这家公司为他的搜索引擎提供资金。

第五篇Traffic in Our Cities我们的城市交通(2012年新增，2012已考) The volume of traffic in many cities in the world today continues to expand. This causes many problems, including serious air pollution, lengthy delays, and the greater risk of（..的风险）accidents. Clearly, something must be done, but it is often difficult to persuade(说服) people to change their habits and leave their cars at home.

当今世界，许多城市的交通量在不断扩大。这导致了许多问题，包括严重的空气污染、长时间拥堵，以及交通事故发生概率的增大。显而易见，我们必须要有所行动，但往往说服人们改变他们的生活习惯，使他们把车留在家里是很困难的。

One possible approach(方法)is to make it more expensive for people to use their cars by increasing(增加) charges for parking and bringing(收益) in tougher fines for anyone who breaks(打破) the law. In addition, drivers could be required to pay for using particular routes at different times of the day. This system, known(为所熟知) as "road pricing", is already being introduced in a number(一些)of cities, using a special electronic card fixed(固定在..上) to the windscreen of the car.

一种可行的方法是通过增加停车收费和加强违规罚款而使人们使用汽车的成本变得更加昂贵。此外，在每天的不同时间，一些特殊路段将对司机另行收费。这个被称为“道路收费”的系统被一些城市所引用，它使用一种特殊的电子卡固定在汽车的挡风玻璃上。

Another way of dealing(处理) with the problem is to provide cheap parking on the outskirts(效区) of the city, and strictly control the number of vehicles allowed into the centre. Drivers and their passengers then use a special bus service for the final(最后的)stage of their journey.

另一种处理这个问题的方法是在城市的郊区提供廉价的停车场，并严格控制进入城市中心的车辆数量。司机和乘客乘坐特殊巴士完成他们最后的旅程。

Of course, the most important thing(..的事) is to provide good public transport. However, to get people to give up(放弃) the comfort of their cars, public transport must be felt to be reliable, convenient and comfortable, with fares kept(保持) at an acceptable level.

当然，最重要的事情还是提供良好的公共交通。然而，要让人们放弃他们汽车的舒适，公共交通必须要让人感觉可靠、便利、舒适，同时票价也要保持在一个可接受的水平。

第六篇Teaching and learning 教与学(2012年新增，2013已考) Many teachers believe that the responsibilities for learning lie with the student. If a long reading assignment is given, instructors expect students to be familiar with the information（信息）__in the reading even if they do not discuss it in class or take an examination. The idea （理想）_ student is considered to be one who is motivated to learn for the sake of learning（学习）_, not the one interested only in getting high grades. Sometimes homework is returned with（带…回来）brief written comments but without a grade. Even if a grade is not given, the student is responsible（对…负责）for learning the material assigned.

许多教师认为学习是学生的责任。如果教师布置了一篇阅读的任务，即使他们没有在课堂上讨论过或者考试过，他们还是期望学生熟悉这篇读物里的信息。理想的学生被认为是那种为了学习而有动机地学习而不是那种只对高分感兴趣的学生。有时被发回来的作业上只有简短的评价，并无分数。即使不给分数，学生也有责任学习布置的材料。

When research is assigned （选定）_ , the professor expects the student to take it actively and to complete it with minimum(最少的)guidance. It is the student's responsibility to find books, magazines, and articles in the library. Professors do not have the time to explain how(如何) a university library works; they expect students particularly (尤其)graduate students to exhaust the reference _ sources(资源) _in the library. Professors will help students who need it, but prefer(更喜欢) that their students should not be too(太)dependent on them. In the United Stats professors have many other duties besides(除…之外)teaching，such as administrative or research work. Therefore, the time that a professor can spend with a student outside of class is limited(有限的) . If a student has problems with classroom work , the student should either _ approach(接近)_ a professor during office hours or make an appointment.

当一项研究课题被选定时，教授们期望学生积极去做并且以最少的指导完成。在图书馆查找书籍、杂志和论文是学生的责任。教授们没有时间去解释一个大学的图书馆如何运行；他们期望学生，尤其是研究生阅尽图书馆中的文献资源。教授们愿意帮助需要帮助的学生，但是更希望学生不要太过依赖他们。在美国，教授除了上课以外还有其他职责，比如管理工作或研究工作。因此一个教授能分给学生的课外时间是有限的。如果一个学生对课堂作业有问题，他应该在办公时间找老师或者预约。

*第七篇The Difference between Man and Computer 人与电脑的区别（2012年新增，未考）

What makes people different from computer programs? What is the missing element that our theories don’t yet account(解译)__for? The answer is simple: People read newspaper stories for a reason: to learn more about _ what(那些) __ they are interested in. Computers, on the other hand，don't. In fact，computers don't even (甚至) have interests; there is nothing in particular that they are trying to find out when they read. If a computer program（程序）_ is to be a model of story understanding ，it should also read for a "purpose".

是什么让人有别于电脑程序？我们的理论还没有解释的缺少的要素是什么？答案很简单：人们阅读报纸故事为了学习更多他们感兴趣的东西，而电脑不是。事实上，电脑甚至连兴趣都没有，当它们试图阅读时它们没有寻找任何特别的东西。如果一个电脑程序是理解故事模式，那它也是为了某个意图去阅读。

Of course ，people have several goals that do not make sense（合理）to attribute to computers. One might read a restaurant guide in （为了）order to satisfy hunger or entertainment goals, or to find （寻找） a good place to go for a business lunch. Computers do not get hungry, and computers do not have business lunches.

诚然，人类的意图若是被强加到电脑身上便没有任何意义。一个要可能会读就餐指南，只是为了解决饥饿或是有娱乐目的，也可能是为了寻找一个吃商务餐的好地方。电脑不会饿，也不吃商务餐。

However ，these physiological and social goals give rise （导致）to several intellectual or cognitive goals. A goal to satisfy hunger gives rise to goals to find information（信息）about the name of a restaurant which serves（供应）the desired type of food ，how expensive the restaurant is，the location of the restaurant, etc. These are goals to _ acquire（获取）information or knowledge, what we are calling learning（学习）_ goals. These goals can be held by computers too; a computer might（可能）_ "want" to find out the location of a restaurant ，and read a guide in order to do so in（以…方式）the same way as a person might. While such a goal would not arise（起于）out of hunger in the case of the computer，it might well arise out of the "goal" to learn more about restaurants.

然而，这些心理和社会目标会导致一些智力或者认知目标。一个想要解决饥饿的意图会促使这样的念头产生：找到一个提供我们想要的食物的餐厅，这餐厅叫什么名，价位如何，在什么位置等。我们把这些为了获取信息或者知识的目标叫做学习目标。电脑也能有这些目标；一台电脑也许“想要”寻找餐厅的方位，并且为了做得像一个人一样去阅读一个指南。虽然这样的目标就电脑来说不是产生于饥饿，但电脑很可能从这个目标去获得更多关于餐厅的信息。

*第八篇Look on The Bright Side看光明的一面(2012年新增，2012已考) Do you ever wish you were more optimistic, someone who always expected（期望）to be successful? Having someone around who always fears（恐惧）the worst isn’t really a lot of fun（乐趣）. We all know someone who sees a single cloud on a sunny day and says ，"INooks like（像）rain. " But if you catch yourself thinking such things，it's important to do something about（对此）it.

你曾经想要让自己变得更乐观吗？想过让自己变成一个总是期待成功的人吗？若是周围有个总是往事情最坏处考虑的人，我们一定没有什么乐趣----就像我们都知道某些人看到天空有一片云便要说下雨。但是你要是发现自己也这样想了，那就要必要针对它采取一些措施了。

You can change your view of life ，according（根据）to psychologists. It only takes a little effort ，and you'll find life more rewarding as a result（结果）. Optimism，they say，is partly about self-respect and confidence but it's also a more positive way of looking at life and all it has to offer（提供）. Optimists are more likely（很有可能）to start new projects and are generally more prepared to take risks.

根据心理学家的说法，人们可以改变对生活的看法。只需一点儿努力，你将发现生活会回报给你的更好。人们说乐观主义在一定程度上是自尊和自信，但它也是对待生活和它所给予的一种积极态度。乐观主义者更有可能开始新的项目，通常也更容易准备好去承担风险。

Upbringing is obviously very important in forming your attitude（态度）to the world. Some people are brought up to depend（依赖于）too much on others and grow up forever blaming other people when anything goes （发生）wrong. Most optimists，on the _other（另一方面）hand, have been brought up not to regard （把..看作）failure as the end of the world—they just get on（继续）with their lives.

很显然，成长经历对于你对待世界的态度的形成是至关重要的。有些人养成了过于依赖别人的习惯，一旦事情出了差错，便责备他人。然而另一方面，许多乐观主义者被教导，不要失败当成世界末日，只需继续生活。

*第九篇The First Bicycle第一辆自行车（2012年新增，未考）

The history of the bicycle goes back more than 200 years. In 1791，Count de Sivrac delighted（使...喜悦）onlookers in a park in Paris as he showed off his two-wheeled invention ，a machine called the celeriferé. It was basically an enlarged（扩大）version of a children’s toy which had been in use（在使用中）for many years. Sivrac's "celeriferéhad a wooden frame，made in the shape（形状）of a horse ，which was mounted on a wheel at either end．To ride it ，you sat on a small seat ，just like a modem bicycle ，and pushed hard（努力）against the ground（地面）with your legs—there were no pedals. It was impossible to steer a celeriferéand it had no brakes，but despite these problems the invention very much appealed（吸引）to the fashionable young men of Paris. Soon they were holding（举行）races up and down the streets.

自行车的历史可以追溯到两百多年前。1791年，西夫拉克伯爵在巴黎的一个公园里向众人展示并炫耀了自己的发明，一架被称为”celerifere”的双轮车。它主要就是一个使用了很多年的儿童玩具的扩大版。西夫拉克的”celerifere”有一个马形状的木框，两端分别装有一个轮子。坐上一个小座位便可以骑了，就像现在的自行车一样，但双脚要使劲蹬地——因为没有脚踏板。操纵方向和刹车也是不太可能的，尽管有这些问题，这个发明在当时还是吸引了许多巴黎时尚的年轻人。很快他们便举行了比赛，在街上到处骑。

Minor injuries（受伤）were common as riders attempted a final burst of speed（速度）. Controlling the machine was difficult ，as the only way to change direction（方向）was to pull up the front of the "celeriferé" and turn（掉转）it round while the front wheel was spinning（自旋）in the air. "Celeriferés" were not popular for long ，however ，as the combination（组合）of no springs ，no steering and rough roads made riding them very uncomfortable. Even so，the wooden celeriferéwas the origin（始祖）of the modem bicycle.

当骑手尝试最后冲刺时，受到一些小伤是很普通的事情。控制那台机器是很难的，改变行驶方向唯一的方法是拉起车前身，当前轮还在空中打转时掉转车头。然而这种木制的双轮车并没有流行很长时间，结合了没有弹簧、没有方向舵，以及遭遇不平整路段等问题，木制的双轮车骑起来十分不舒服。尽管如此，这种木制的”celerifere”还是现在的自己车的始袓。

*第十篇Working Mothers职业母亲（2012年新增，未考）

Carefully conducted researches that have followed the children of working mothers have not been able to show any long-term problems，compared with children whose mothers stayed at home. My personal view（观点）is that mothers should be allowed to work if they wish. Whether we like it or not ，there are a number（很多）of mothers who just have to work.. There are those who have invested such a big part of their lives in establishing a career that they cannot afford（负担）see it lost. Then there are many who must work out of pure economic necessity（有必要）. Many mothers are not cut （适合于）out to be full-time parents. After a few months at home with a much loved infant ，they feel trapped and isolated.

与全职母亲的孩子相比，对职业母亲的孩子仔细进行的调查并没有展示出任何长期的问题。我的个人观点是，只要妈妈们想工作，那么他们就可以工作。不管我们是否喜欢这一点，有许多妈妈不得不工作，这是事实。有这样的母亲，她们已投入了大半生去创建事业，若是失去这份事业，她们承受不起。还有许多母亲完全是出于经济上的原因必须工作。很多母亲并不是做全职母亲的这块料，与这么可爱的婴儿在家待几个月之后，她们感觉受到了限制，被孤立了。

There are a number of options when it comes（涉及）to choosing childcare. These range from child minders and nannies through to Granny or the kind lady across（对面）the street. In reality（在现实状况下）, however ，many parents don't have any choice; they have to accept anything they can get. Be prepared! No matter （无论）how good the childcare may be ，some children are going to protest wildly if they are left. This is a perfectly（完全）normal stage of child development. Babies separate well in the first six months，but soon after that they start to get a crush on Mum and close family members（成员）. Make sure that in the first week you allow plenty of（大量）time to help your child settle in.

涉及儿童托管，有很多方式可供选择，从托儿所和保姆到奶奶或是街对面的好心女士。然而实际上，许多父母没有任何选择，不管能有什么都得接受。准备好了啊！不管你选的托管方式有多好，一些孩子被留下时，都会激烈抗议，这是儿童发展过程中完全正常的一个阶段。婴儿刚出生的前六个月对与母亲分开没有感觉，但不久之

后他们便会对母亲和亲密家族成员产生依恋。要保证在第一周付出足够多的时间来帮助他安稳下来。

All children are different. Some are independent ，while others are more attached(依恋于)to their mothers. Remember that if you want to do（做）the best for your children ，it's not the quantity of time you spend with them，it's the quality（质量）that matters.

每个孩子都是不一样的，有的很独立，有时却很依恋母亲。如果你想为你的孩子做到最好，那么记住这一点，你与孩子相处时间的长短不重要，相处过程中的质量才重要。

+第十一篇School Lunch学校午餐（2012年新增，未考）

Research has shown that over half the children in Britain who take their own lunches to school do not eat properly（正常地）in the middle of the day. In Britain schools have to provide（提供）meals at lunchtime. Children can choose（选择）to bring their own food or have lunch at the school canteen.

研究显示，在英国超过一半以上的儿童将午餐带到学校去吃而不是在中午饭点正常吃。英国学校在午餐时间会正常提供午餐，孩子们可以选择带餐过去或者在食堂就餐。

One shocking finding（发现）of this research is that school meals（餐）are much healthier than lunches prepared by parents. There are strict standards（标准）for the preparation of school meals, which have to include one portion（比例）of fruit and one of vegetables, as well as meat, a dairy item and starchy food like bread or pasta. Lunchboxes examined（检查）by researchers contained sweet drinks, crisps and chocolate bars. Children consume （摄取）twice as much sugar as they should at lunchtime.

在此项研究中，一项令人震惊的发现显示，学校提供的午餐比家长准备的更加健康。学校午餐有着严格的准备标准：包括一份水果、一种蔬菜和肉、奶制品以及含有大量淀粉的食物，如面包、意大利面食。然而被检查的学生自带的饭盒中含有甜饮料、薯条和巧克力棒。学生摄取的糖分是他们应当在午餐中摄取的2倍。

The research will provide（提供）a better understanding （解释）of why the percentage（百分比）of overweight students in Britain has increased（增长）in the last decade. Unfortunately, the government cannot criticise（批评）parents, but it can remind them of the nutritional（营养的）value of milk, fruit and vegetables. Small changes（改变）in their children's diet can affect（影响）their future health. Children can easily develop （发展）bad eating habits（习惯）at this age, and parents are the only ones who can prevent（阻止）it.

这份调查研究对为什么在过去的十年中英国学生的超重人数上升提供了一个更好的解释。但不幸的是，政府不能批评家长但却可以提醒他们牛奶、水果、蔬菜的营养价值。孩子们饮食上小小的改变可能会影响他们未来的健康。孩子们在这样的年龄段很容易养成坏习惯，家长却是唯一能够阻止这件事发生的人。

+第十二篇 A Powerful Influence强大的影响（2012年新增，未考）There can be no doubt（怀疑）at all that the Internet has made a huge difference to our lives. Parents are worried that children spend too much time playing on the Internet, hardly ever（几乎不）doing anything else in their spare time. Naturally, parents are curious（对…好奇）to find out why the Internet is so attractive, and they want to know if it can be harmful（伤害）to their children. Should parents worry if their children are spending that much time staring at （盯着看成）their computers?

毫无疑问，互联网给我们的生活带来了巨大改变，家长们担心孩子们在网上花费大量的时间，在他们的课余时间几乎不做其他事情。自然而然地家长们好奇找出网络之所以吸引人的原因，并且他们想知道这是否会对他们的孩子造成伤害。花了大量的时间盯着电脑看，家长们是否应该担心呢?

Obviously，if children are bent over their computers for hours, absorbed（沉迷）in some game, instead of（而不是）doing their homework, then something is wrong. Parents and children could decide how much use the child should make（利用）of the Internet, and the child should give his or her word（诺言）that it won’t interfere（参与）with homework. If the child is not holding（坚持）to this arrangement, the parent can take more drastic steps （采取措施）dealing with a child's use of the Internet is not much different from negotiating（协商）_ any other soft of bargain about behaviour（行为）.

很显然，如果孩子在电脑上花费了太长时间，如沉迷网络游戏，而不是做功课，就是不对的。家长和孩子应该决定多大程度上利用电脑，并且孩子应该保证这不会干预他的功课。如果孩子没坚守这个安排，家长会采取更加严厉的措施处理孩子对网络的应用，这样与协商任何关于这样的行为的讨价还价无异。

Any parent who is seriously（严重）alarmed about a child's behaviour should make an appointment to discuss （讨论）the matter with a teacher. Spending time in front of the screen does not necessarily（不一定）affect（影响）a child's performance at school. Even if a child is absolutely（完全地）crazy about using the Internet，he or she is probably just going（度过）through a phase, and in a few months there will be something else to worry about!

任何家长对孩子这样的行为产生警觉时应该与老师讨论一下，在电脑屏幕前太长时间并不一定会影响孩子的在校表现，即使一个孩子已经疯狂地迷恋使用网络，他也许仅仅是在度过一个时期，几个月以后还会有其他事情去担心。

+第十三篇The Old Gate古老之门(2012年新增，2012已考) In the Middle Ages the vast majority of European cities had walls around them. This was partly for defensive reasons(原因)but another factor was the need to keep out anyone regarded as undesirable, like people with contagious diseases(疾病). The Old City of London gates were all demolished(拆毁)by the end of the 18th century. The last of London's gates was removed a century ago, but by a stroke(极其) of luck, it was never destroyed.

在中世纪，绝大多数欧洲城市都有城墙围绕着。城墙一方面是为了防御外敌，但另一方面是阻止任何不受欢迎的人入城，比如患有传染病的人。伦敦古城的城门，均在18世纪末被拆毁。伦敦最后一道城门也在一个世纪之前迁移，但是极其幸运的是，它从未遭到破坏。

This gate is, in actual(实际的) fact, not called a gate at all; its name is Temple Bar, and it marked the boundary（分界线）between the Old City of London and Westminster. In 1878 the Council of London took the Bar down, numbered the stones and put the gate in storage(存储)because its design was unfashionable(老套) it was expensive to maintain(维修) and it was blocking the traffic.

事实上，这道门，完全不能称其为门；它的名字叫圣殿酒吧区，是伦敦古城与威斯敏斯特的分界线。1878年，伦敦议会将其推倒，给石头编了号，并将它们储藏。原因是这个门设计老套，维修费用昂贵，并且堵塞交通。The Temple Bar Trust was set out(建立) in the 1970's with the intention of returning the gate home. The aim of the trust is the preservation(保存)of the nation's architectural heritage.Transporting the gate will mean physically pulling it down(推倒) , stone by stone, removing and rebuilding it near St Paul's Cathedral. Most of the facade of the gate will probably be replaced(替换) , though there is a good chance(机会)_ that the basic structure will be sound. The hardest job(工作) of all, however, will be to recreate the statues of the monarchs that once stood on top of the gate.

在20世纪70年代，最初为了恢复城门，建立了圣殿酒吧区信托基金，目的是保存国家的建筑遗产。运送城门如同亲手将它推倒一般不易，一块石头接着一块石头，搬运再重建。它坐落在圣保罗大教堂附近，尽管基本的结构可能很稳固，但城门的大部分外观将被替换。然而，其中最难的工作是重建曾经屹立在城门的君主们的雕像。

+第十四篇Family History家族史(2012新增，2013已考)

In an age when technology is developing faster than ever（曾经）before, many people are being attracted（吸引）to the idea of looking back into the past. One way they can do this is by investigating（调查）their own family history. They can try to find（找出）out more about where their families came from and what they did, This is now a fast—growing hobby, especially（尤其是）in countries with a fairly（相当）short history, like Australia and the United States.

在科技空前发展的时代，当下很多人对回首往事沉迷不已。回首过去的一种方法是研究各自的家族历史。人们试图查明更多的历史，例如，他们的家族来自哪里，他们以什么为生。这已经成为一种快速增长的业余爱好，特别是有相当短历史的国家，如澳大利亚、美国。

It is one（一方面）thing to spend some time going（探究）through a book on family history and to take the decision（决心）to investigate your own family's past. It is quite（的确）another to carry out the research work successfully. It is easy to set about it in a disorganized way and cause（引起）yourself many problems which could have been avoided（避免）with a little forward planning.

花费时间去查阅一本有关家族史的书，并促使你去探究家族的过去是一方面，成功地实施这项研究工作却是另一方面。杂乱无序地开始很容易。但如果开始有一点点计划，就能避免引起那么多麻烦。

If your own family stories tell you that you are connected（有关系）with a famous character, whether hero or criminal, do not let this idea take over your research. Just treat（当作）it as an interesting possibility（可能的事物）. A simple system for（用）collecting and storing your information will be adequate（足够的）to start with;

a more complex（复杂的）one may only get in your way（道路）. The most important thing, though, is to get（被）started. Who knows what you might（可能）find ?

如果你家族的故事写着你与某个名人有着一定的关系，不论是英雄或者罪人，都不要让这个话题替代了你的研究。把它当成一个有趣的可能事件再好不过。用一个简单的系统来搜集和存储信息足以让你有个好的开头，越复杂的方式可能只会扰乱你的方寸。尽管开头是最重要的事情，但谁知道你会发现什么呢?

+第十五篇Helen and Martin海伦和马丁（2012年新增，未考）With a thoughtful sigh, Helen turned away from the window and wa1ked back to her favourite（最喜欢的）armchair. Would（将要）her brother never arrive? For a brief moment, she wondered if she really cared that much.

海伦若有所思地叹了口气，转身离开了窗户，向她最喜欢的扶手椅走去坐了下来。哥哥将永远不再回来了吗?这种想法在她脑海里迅速闪过后，她又想自己是否真的很在意他的到来。

Over the years Helen had given up (放弃)_ waiting for Martin to take an interest in her. Her feelings（感觉）for him had gradually weakened(变淡)_ until now, as she sat waiting for him, she experienced no more than a sister's. curiosity(好奇心) to see what had become(发生…事) of her brother.

这些年来，海伦已经放弃了等待马丁对她产生兴趣。她一直坐那等他，对他的感觉到现在已经渐渐地变淡了。她所有的不过是一个妹妹的好奇心，想知道她的哥哥到底发生了什么事。

Almost without warning(预兆) , Martin had lost his job with a busy publishing company after spending the last eight years in New York as a key figure in the US office. Somehow（不管怎样）the two of them hadn't bothered(烦扰) to keep in touch（保持联系）and, left alone, Helen had slowly found her confidence(对…有信心) in her own judgment growing. Ignoring(不顾) the wishes of her parents, she had left university halfway through(过程中)her course（课程）and now, to the astonishment of the whole family, she was gaining(获得) a fast-growing reputation in the pages of respected art magazines and was actually earning enough to live on(靠)from her paintings.

几乎没有任何预兆的，马丁就失去了工作。他是一家出版社美国办事处的重要人物，那里非常忙碌，他在纽约最后的八年是为其工作的。在某种程度上，他俩不会因为彼此的联系或不联系而烦扰。渐渐地，海伦发现她对自己的判断越来越有信心了。她不顾父母的期望，大学学业未念完就辍了学。现在让全家人吃惊的是，她很快地在一个很受业内认可的艺术杂志上成了名，而且她的画作足以维持生活。

Of course, she took(对) no pleasure in Martin's sudden misfortune, but she couldn't help(忍不住)looking forward（向前）to her brother's arrival with quiet(暗暗地) satisfaction at what she had achieved.

当然，她也对马丁所遭遇的突然不幸感到难过。但是她还是忍不住期望他哥哥的到来，并暗暗地对自己所取得的成就感到欣慰。