初三英语时文阅读(二)

初三英语时文阅读（二）（材料一两个人有没有夫妻相。Doelderlycouplesreallylookalike?You’veprobablyseenitbeforetwoelderlypeoplewalkinghandinhanddownthestreetandlookingverymuchlikeeachother.Theylooksomuchalikethattheycouldbebrotherandsister.Doyoubelievethatpeoplewholivetogetherformanyyearswouldlookalike?It’sstrange,butscientistssayit’strue.Howscientistsprovedit?Inastudy,scientistsfoundyoungcouplesonlyshowedsimilaritybychance.However,eldercoupleswereverylikelytolooklikeeachother.Thesimilaritycouldbeverysubtleandcouldbefoundinwrinkles,furrows,etc.Besides,somecoupleslookfarmorealikethanothercouples.ThereasonbehinditThescientiststhoughtofseveralpossiblereasons:Diet.“Wearewhatwecouplesusuallysharethesamediet,willtheyprobablylookalike?Forexample,ifbothpartnerseatahighfatdiet,theirfaceswilltendtolookfat.However,thescientistsruledthisoutusinganothersmallstudy.Environment.Willelderlycouplesshowsimilaritybecausetheylivetogetherinthesameareaforalongtime?Theenvironmentalfactorssuchassunshineandwindaffecttheskininsimilarways.Thescientistsruledthispossibilityoutaswell.Empathy.Thisisthetheorythescientistsbelievein.Couplesgrowtolooksimilarbecausetheyareempathizingwitheachother.Theycopyeachother’sfacialexpressions.Forexample,ifonepartneroftensmilesinacertainway,theotherislikelytocopyit.Inthisway,theirfacessharesimilarwrinklesandfurrows.AlookintothefutureSomepeoplestilldon’tbelieveinthe“empathy”theory.And,somethinkgrowingtolookmorelikeyourpartnerisahorrificidea.Others,though,thinkthere’ssomethingverysweetandromanticaboutit.（材料二）请相信，音乐是有魔力的！MagicMusicWhatcanmusicdo?Asapersonalexpression?Toincreasepatriotism?Orasawaytopassontraditions?SweetmusicformilkingScientistsbelievefarmerscouldgetmoremilkfromtheircowsbyplayingclassicalmusicinthecowshed.In2001,agroupofUKpsychologistsplayedmusicofdifferenttempostosomecows.Beethoven’sPastoralSymphony*wasabighitinthemilkingshed.Butwhennoisymusicwasplayed,therewasnoincreaseinmilkyield.Accordingtoresearch,calmingmusiccanimprovemilkyield,probablybecauseitreducesstress.Musiccanhelpplantsgrowfasteraswell.In2007,SouthKoreanscientistsprovedthatplayingmusic,especiallyclassicalpieces,toplantsreallyhelpsplantsgrowmorequickly.Muzak*,morethanmusicToday,youhearmuzakalmosteverywhere.Muzakisfunctionalmusicratherthanentertainment;itaffectsthosewhohearit.Musicisart,butMuzakisscience.AndwhenyouusethescienceofMuzak:Inanoffice,workerstendtoworkmoreefficiently,andfeelhappier.Inafactory,peoplefeelbetterand,withlessfatigueandtension,theirjobsseemlessmonotonous.Inastore,peopleseemtoshopinamorerelaxedandleisurelymanner.That’swhywesayMuzakismuchmorethanmusic.MusicassymbolAtthementionofthe1988SeoulOlympics(汉城奥运会),whatcomesintoyourmindfirst?ThethemesongHandinHand(汉城奥运会主题曲《手拉手》),ofcourse!ItisoneofthemostfavoritesongsinOlympichistory.AsasuccessfulOlympicsong,HandinHandiseasybutnotsimple.Thesongconveysthecommondreamofpeoplearoundtheworld—peaceandthespiritoftheOlympics.Anyone,whosawthemomentwhen18,000spectatorssangHandinHandtogetherwiththesingersonthestage,wouldfeelthepowerofmusic.（材料三）谁是这几周最火的人物？非苏珊·波伊尔莫属。SusanBoyle:ADreamComeTrueHerappearanceontherealityshowBritain’sGotTalent(真人秀节目“英国达人”)lastedjustafewminutes,butthatwasenoughtobring47-year-oldScottishchurchvolunteerSusanBoyletoinstantfame.StunningperformanceOntheshow,viewerssawtheplainandplump(胖胖的)BoylestepontothestageandsaythatherdreamistobeaprofessionalsingerlikeElainePage*.Thejudgessnickered.Therewaslaughterfromtheaudience,andviewers,bothlive( 现)andathome,werereadytoseeanotherhopelessloser.ButwhenBoyleopenedhermouthandsangIDreamedADream(《我曾有梦》)fromLesMisérables(《悲惨世界》),thejudgeswereshocked,thecrowdwentwild,and—Boylebecameastar.AglobalphenomenonTheriseofSusanBoylehasbeenaglobalphenomenon.FromJapantoDenmarktotheU.S.,theclipofBoyle’sperformancehasfascinatedviewers.HerclipwasthemostwatchedvideoonglobalnetworkYouTubetheweekbeforelast(上上周),attractingover12millionhits(点击).Boyle’sfacehasappearedonthefrontpagesofnewspapersinBritainandothercountries.ShehasbeenofferedaseatonOprah’ssofa*,andithasbeenpredictedthatshewillhaveaworldwidenumberonealbum.AnunderdogBoylehasshatteredtheprejudicessurroundingage,appearance,andtalentintheentertainmentindustry(娱乐业).Shehasprovedthatyoudon’thavetobeyoungandattractivetobetalented,andrecognizedassuch.“Thisiscompletelyunprecedented,”saysAndrewLlinares,executiveproducer(监制)ofBritain’sGotTalent.“Wehavehadbigresponsesinthepast,butwehaveneverseenanythinglikethisbefore.Peopleloveanunderdogandsheistheultimateunderdog.”（材料四）地球需要“休息”：不仅仅是每年一小时的演示，更是我们365天的努力。ElectricHeroesOnMarch28,wherewereyouwhenthelightswentout?Well,ifyouwerelikethemillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldwhowerecelebratingEarthHour*,hedark!Onthatday,atthathour(8:30to9:30p.m.),“electricheroes”in4,000citiesin88countrieschosedarknessoverthelightstoshowtheirconcernforglobalwarming).Anelectricheroissomeone(likeyou!)wholimitstheirenergyusewheneverpossible.Itcanbeasimplethingsuchasturningoffthelightswhenyouleavearoom,orjustspendinglesstimeonthecomputerorwatchingtelevision.Thesesmallenergysavingscanadduptobigenergysavingswhendonebymillionsofpeople.Andthat’simportantforacountrylikeChina.China’seconomyhasbeengrowingrapidly,anditsenergyconsumptionhasbeengrowingevenfaster.MostoftheenergyChinausescomesfromfossilfuels:coal,oilandnaturalgas.Theyarecalledfossilfuelsbecausetheycomefromliving(有生命)materialthatdiedmillionsofyearsago.Alllivingthingsaremadeofcarbon,andwhentheyareburnedasfossilfuels,thecarbonisreleasedintotheairintheformofcarbondioxideandothergreenhousegases( 导“温室效”的气).Itisthesegreenhousegasesthatscientistssayarethecauseofglobalwarming.Aspartofthefive-yearplanannouncedin2006,Chinahaspromisedtoreduceenergyconsumptionby20percentbytheyear2010.Sofar,theyareontracktoachievethatgoal;mostlybymakingindustrymoreefficient.Butmorecanbedone,andthat’swhereyoucomein().Bybeingmoreawareoftheenergyyouuseandbyusinglessenergywheneverpossible,youcanhelpreducegreenhousegases.It’ssosimpletodo...andsoheroic,too!（材料五潮流。GreenCarTechnologyClimatechangeisoneofthebiggestthreatsfacingtheworld.Vehicleemissionsaddtogreenhousegaseslinkedtoclimatechange.Carmanufacturersallovertheworldhavespentalotoftimeandmoneymaking“greener”cars,whichdolessharmtotheenvironment.Therearevarioustypesofgreencars,anddifferenttechnologyisused.ElectriccarsElectricvehicleshavebeenaroundforanumberofyears,butnowtheirnumbersareincreasingwithpopularity.Anelectriccarispoweredbyanelectricmotorthatdrawsitspowerfromanon-boardbatterypack(),whichactsasanenergystore().Batteries,usuallyNickelmetal-hydride)orLithium-ion(),arechargedbysimplyconnectingthevehicletoamainpowersupply.Onefeatureofmostmodernelectriccarsisthebrakingsystem(刹车系统)whichallowsthebatterytobetoppedupwhenthebrakesareapplied.HybridcarsHybridcarsgenerallyuseacombinationof twopowersources.Themostcommonhybridcarscurrentlyavailableonthemarketusebothelectricmotorsandpetrolengines().Batterieschargeandactasastoragedevicetopoweranelectricmotor,usuallyworkingwhenthevehicleistravellingatlowspeedorstuckintraffic,thereforehybridcarsareidealforcitydriving.Thepetrolengine,usuallyasmallefficientunit,thenpowersthecarwhenmorepowerisneeded,suchasathigherspeed.Thisallowstheenginetooperateonlyatitsmostsuitablespeed.BiodieselcarsBiodieselisproducedfromrenewableenergysourcessuchasrapeseed(油菜籽),sunflower,orsoybeanoil.Biodieselisgreenasithasthepotentialtobecarbon-neutral.Inotherwords,thecarbondioxideemittedfromthevehicleisbalancedbytheabsorptionofitfromtheatmosphereduringthefuelcrop’s(燃料作物)growth.（材料六）富豪大亨们并非都像“GreenOrchids”中的富翁HarrySaleem那样贪婪成性。世界上最富有的一些人正在用自己的财富为拯救这个星球出力。EcoBarons:SavetheEarthScientistsandenvironmentalistshavereachedagrowingconsensusthattimeisrunningoutforPlanetEarth.Thepolaricecaps(极地冰盖)aremelting.Oneineightbirdspeciesisvanishing.Air,water,andgroundpollutantsarepoisoningmajorpopulationcenters…Butaccordingtoarecentlypublishedbook,thereis“asecretplantosavetheEarth.”Thisplanisbeingcarriedoutbyagroupof“ecobarons.”Whoare“ecobarons”then?Theyareabandofvisionaries—someoftheworld’swealthiesttycoonsandentrepreneurs—whoareusingtheirwealth,theirenergy,theirfame,andtheirknowledgeoflawandsciencetopersuadetheworldtotakeanewdirectiontosavetheEarth.Thesepeople,bothmenandwomen,arethemodern-dayheroiccounterpartstotheevil19thcenturyrobberbaronswhooriginallysettheworldonthepathtoenvironmentaldestruction.BillGatesandWarrenBuffet(“沃伦·)areamongtheecobarons.Thesetwocannyinvestors,whoregularlyswapplacesatthetopofForbesmagazine’sannuallistofworldbillionaires(),havespentsomeoftheirfinancialpowerondifferentareas.Gateshasbackedalternativefuelssuchasoilfromalgae(),whileinBuffet’scase,it’swindpowerandelectriccars.DouglasTompkins,thefounderoftheNorthFaceandEspritclothinglines,hasalsoembracedenvironmentalism.Hewasalwaysanoutdooradventurer—hewouldregularlydisappearformonths-longtripstotheforestsofSouthAmerica—sowhenheburnedoutinthebusinessworld,Tompkinstookhisfortune,worthhundredsofmillionsofdollars,andbegansteadilybuyingacreafteracreofthreatenedvirginforest()inChile().TompkinsandhiswifehaveobtainedmorethantwomillionacresforconservationinChile.（材料七）经济危机使许多职场人士遭遇了“饭碗危机”，于是不少人为保工作，使出浑身解数。“SuckingUp”intheWorkplaceontheRiseWhetherit’scalled“butteringuptheboss,”“suckingup”or“managingup*,”expertssayingratiatingbehaviorintheworkplaceiscertaintobeontheriseasworkersworryaboutkeepingtheirjobsintougheconomictimes.“Peoplewhotendto‘manageup’anywayaremanagingupmore.Theyreallywanttomakesurepeoplearenoticingwhatthey’redoing,”saysMaxCaldwell,aworkforceexpert.“It’samentalityof‘Inotonlywanttodoagoodjob,butIwanttobeseenasdoingagoodjob.’”AccordingtoJenniferChatman,professoroforganizationalbehavior()attheUniversityofCaliforniaatBerkeley(),thatbehaviorincreaseswhenstakesarehigh.“It’swhatwedowhenwefeelourselvesvulnerabletothedecisionsofothers,”shesays.“Insuchanenvironment,underlingsmaybemorelikelytopraisebaddecisionsorexcusepoorjudgmentbyabossandavoidbeingChatman.“Itcanbebadforbusiness,keepingtheyea-sayers)around.”Butaccordingtosomeresearchers,“suckingup”works.AstudybytheUniversityofTexas()found:challengingachiefexecutiveless,complimentingtheCEOmoreanddoingtheCEOapersonalfavorincreasedthelikelihoodofbeingappointedtoacorporateboard)by64percent.StephenViscusi,awriter,suggestsasimplechangeinworkhabits.“Ifyoucomeinfiveminutesearlierthanthebossandstayfiveminuteslater,thebossdoesn’tknowhowlongyou’rethere.Hejustknowsthatyou’realwaysworking.”OtherslikewriterBillHanoverruleoutingratiatingbehavioraltogether.“Ifyouvalueself-respect,therespectofyourpeersandleaders,thensuckingupyourwaytoapromotionwillleaveyouashamed.”（材料八我们取得进步时总希望听到别人的赞美TheValueofTruthIfeelgoodwhenpeopleItrustsaygoodthingsaboutme.Ithelpsmetohavepositivethoughtsaboutmyabilities,anditbringsasmiletomyfa