英语长篇阅读文章

英语长篇阅读文章

导读：我根据大家的需要整理了一份关于《英语长篇阅读文章》的内容，

具体内容：对于语言学习者而言，阅读是语言输入的重要方式。阅读策略

是语言学习者为了提高阅读理解而采取的技巧和方法。下面是我带来的，

欢迎阅读!1科技与自然Technolo...

对于语言学习者而言，阅读是语言输入的重要方式。阅读策略是语言学

习者为了提高阅读理解而采取的技巧和方法。下面是我带来的，欢迎阅读!

1

科技与自然

Technologythatimitatesnature

Biomimetics:Engineersareincreasinglytakingaleafoutof

naturesbookwhenlookingforsolutionstodesignproblems

AFTERtakinghisdogforawalkonedayintheearly1940s,George

deMestral,aSwissinventor,becamecuriousabouttheseedsofthe

burdockplantthathadattachedthemselvestohisclothesandto

thedogsfur.Underamicroscope,helookedcloselyatthe

hook-and-loopsystemthattheseedshaveevolvedtohitchhikeon

passinganimalsandaidpollination,andherealisedthatthesame

approachcouldbeusedtojoinotherthingstogether.Theresult

wasVelcraproductthatwasarguablymorethanthreebillionyears

inthemaking,sincethatishowlongthenaturalmechanismthat

inspiredittooktoevolve.

Velcroisprobablythemostfamousandcertainlythemost

successfulexampleofbiologicalmimicry,or〃biomimetics”.In

fieldsfromroboticstomaterialsscience,technologistsare

increasinglyborrowingideasfromnature,andwithgoodreason:

naturesdesignshave,bydefinition,stoodthetestoftime,soit

wouldbefoolishtoignorethem.Yettransplantingnaturaldesigns

intoman-madetechnologiesisstillahit-or-missaffair.

Engineersdependonbiologiststodiscoverinterestingmechanisms

forthemtoexploit,saysJulianVincent,thedirectoroftheCentre

forBiomimeticandNaturalTechnologiesattheUniversityofBath

inEngland.Soheandhiscolleagueshavebeenworkingonascheme

toenableengineerstobypassthebiologistsandtapintonatures

ingenuitydirectly,viaadatabaseof"biologicalpatents”.Theidea

isthatthisdatabasewillletanyonesearchthroughawiderange

ofbiologicalmechanismsandpropertiestofindnaturalsolutions

totechnologicalproblems.

Hownottoreinventthewheel

Surelyhumanintellect,andthedeliberateapplicationofdesign

knowledge,candevisebettermechanismsthanthemindless,random

processofevolution?Farfromit.Overbillionsofyearsoftrial

anderror,naturehasdevisedeffectivesolutionstoallsortsof

complicatedreal-worldproblems.Taketheslipperytaskof

controllingasubmersiblevehicle,forexample.Usingpropellers,

itisincrediblydifficulttomakerefinedmovements.ButNekton

Research,acompanybasedinDurham,NorthCarolina,hasdeveloped

arobotfishcalledMadeleinethatmanoeuvresusingfinsinstead.

Insomecases,engineerscanspenddecadesinventingand

perfectinganewtechnology,onlytodiscoverthatnaturebeatthem

toit.TheVenusflowerbasket,forexample,akindofdeep-sea

sponge,hasspinyskeletaloutgrowthsthatareremarkablysimilar,

bothinappearanceandopticalproperties,tocommercialoptical

fibres,notesJoannaAizenberg,aresearcheratLucentTechnologys

BellLaboratoriesinNewJersey.Andsometimesthesystemsfound

innaturecanmakeeventhemostadvancedtechnologieslook

primitivebycomparison,shesays.

Theskeletonsofbrittlestars,whichareseacreaturesrelated

tostarfishandseaurchins,containthousandsoftinylensesthat

collectivelyformasingle,distributedeye.Thisenables

brittlestarstoescapepredatorsanddistinguishbetweennightand

day.Besideshavingunusualopticalpropertiesandbeingvery

small一eachisjustone-twentiethofamillimetreindiameter-the

lenseshaveanothertrickofparticularrelevancetomicro-optical

systems.Althoughthelensesarefixedinshape,theyareconnected

viaanetworkoffluid-filledchannels,containinga

light-absorbingpigment.Thecreaturecanvarythecontrastofthe

lensesbycontrollingthisfluid.Thesameideacanbeappliedin

man-madelenses,saysDrAizenberg."Thesearemadefromsilicon

andsocannotchangetheirproperties,，zshesays.Butbycopying

thebrittlestarsfluidicsystem,shehasbeenabletomake

biomimeticlensarrayswiththesameflexibility.

Anotherdemonstrationofthepowerofbiomimeticscomesfromthe

gecko.Thislizardsabilitytowalkupwallsandalongceilingsis

ofmuchinterest,andnotonlytofansofSpider-Man.Twogroups

ofresearchers,oneledbyAndreGeimatManchesterUniversityand

theotherbyRonFearingattheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,

haveindependentlydevelopedwaystocopythegeckosabilityto

clingtowalls.Thesecretofthegeckossuccessliesinthetiny

hair-likestructures,calledsetae,thatcoveritsfeet.Instead

ofsecretingastickysubstance,asyoumightexpect,theyowetheir

adhesivepropertiestoincrediblyweakintermolecularattractive

forces.ThesevanderWaalsforces,astheyareknown,whichexist

betweenanytwoadjacentobjects,arisebetweenthesetaeandthe

walltowhichthegeckoisclinging.Normallysuchforcesare

negligible,butthesetae,withtheirspatula-liketips,maximise

thesurfaceareaincontactwiththewall.Theweakforces,

multipliedacrossthousandsofsetae,arethensufficienttohold

thelizardsweight.

BoththeBritishandAmericanteamshaveshownthattheintricate

designofthesemicroscopicsetaecanbereproducedusingsynthetic

materials.DrGeimcallstheresult"geckotape〃・Thetechnology

isstillsomeyearsawayfromcommercialisation,saysThomasKenny

ofStanfordUniversity,whoisamemberofDrFearingsgroup.But

whenitdoesreachthemarket,ratherthanbeingusedtomake

wall-crawlinggloves,itwi11probablybeusedasanalternative

toVelcro,orinstickingplasters.Indeed,saysDrKenny,itcould

beparticularlyusefulinmedicalapplicationswherechemical

adhesivescannotbeused.

Whileitisfarfromobviousthatgeckosfeetcouldinspireanew

kindofstickingplaster,therearesomefields-suchas

robotics一inwhichborrowingdesignsfromnatureisself-evidently

thesensiblethingtodo.Thenextgenerationofplanetary

explorationvehiclesbeingdesignedbyAmericasspaceagency,NASA,

forexample,willhavelegsratherthanwheels.Thatisbecauselegs

cangetyouplacesthatwheelscannot,saysDrKenny.Wheelswork

wellonflatsurfaces,butaremuchlessefficientonuneventerrain.

ScientistsatNASAsAmesResearchCentreinMountainView,

California,areevaluatinganeight-leggedwalkingrobotmodelled

onascorpion,andAmericasDefenceAdvancedResearchProjects

Agency(DARPA)isfundingresearchintofour-leggedrobotdogs,with

aviewtoapplyingthetechnologyonthebattlefield.

Havinglegsisonlyhalfthestory—itshowyoucontrolthemthat

counts,saysJosephAyers,abiologistandneurophysiologistat

NortheasternUniversity,Massachusetts.Hehasspentrecentyears

developingabiomimeticroboticlobsterthatdoesnotjustlooklike

alobsterbutactuallyemulatespartsofalobstersnervoussystem

tocontrolitswalkingbehaviour.Thecontrolsystemofthescorpion

robot,whichisbeingdevelopedbyNASAinconjunctionwiththe

UniversityofBremeninGermany,isalsobiologicallyinspired.

Meanwhile,aFinnishtechnologyfirm,Plustech,hasdevelopeda

six-leggedtractorforuseinforestry.Clamberingoverfallenlogs

andupsteephills,itcancrossterrainthatwouldbeimpassable

inawheeledvehicle.

Otherexamplesofbiomimeticsabound:Autotype,amaterialsfirm,

hasdevelopedaplasticfilmbasedonthecomplexmicrostructures

foundinmotheyes,whichhaveevolvedtocollectasmuchlightas

possiblewithoutreflection.Whenappliedtothescreenofamobile

phone,thefilmreducesreflectionsandimprovesreadability,and

improvesbatterylifesincethereislessneedtoilluminatethe

screen.ResearchersattheUniversityofFlorida,meanwhile,have

devisedacoatinginspiredbytherough,bristlyskinofsharks.

Itcanbeappliedtothehullsofshipsandsubmarinestoprevent

algaeandbarnaclesfromattachingthemselves.AtPennState

University,engineershavedesignedaircraftwingsthatcanchange

shapeindifferentphasesofflight,justasbirdswingsdo.And

DrVincenthasdevisedasmartfabric,inspiredbythewayinwhich

pineconesopenandclosedependingonthehumidity,thatcouldbe

usedtomakeclothingthatadjuststochangingbodytemperatures

andkeepsthewearercool.

Fromhit-and-misstopoint-and-click

Yetdespiteallthesesuccesses,biomimeticsstilldependsfar

tooheavilyonserendipity,saysDrVincent.Heestimatesthatthere

isonlya10%overlapbetweenbiologicalandtechnological

mechanismsusedtosolveparticularproblems.Inotherwords,there

isstillanenormousnumberofpotentiallyusefulmechanismsthat

haveyettobeexploited.Theproblemisthattheengineerslooking

forsolutionsdependonbiologistshavingalreadyfoundthem-and

thetwogroupsmoveindifferentcirclesandspeakverydifferent

languages.Anaturalmechanismorpropertymustfirstbediscovered

bybiologists,describedintechnologicalterms,andthenpicked

upbyanengineerwhorecognisesitspotential.

Thisprocessisentirelythewrongwayround,saysDrVincent.

〃Tobeeffective,biomimeticsshouldbeprovidingexamplesof

suitabletechnologiesfrombiologywhichfulfiltherequirements

ofaparticularengineeringproblem,heexplains.Thatiswhyhe

andhiscolleagues,withfundingfromBritainsEngineeringand

PhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil,havespentthepastthreeyears

buildingadatabaseofbiologicaltrickswhichengineerswillbe

abletoaccesstofindnaturalsolutionstotheirdesignproblems.

Asearchofthedatabasewiththekeyword〃propulsion”,forexample,

producesarangeofpropulsionmechanismsusedbyjellyfish,frogs

andcrustaceans.

Thedatabasecanalsobequeriedusingatechniquedevelopedin

Russia,knownasthetheoryofinventiveproblemsolving,orTRIZ.

Inessence,thisisasetofrulesthatbreaksdownaprobleminto

smallerparts,andthosepartsintoparticularfunctionsthatmust

beperformedbycomponentsofthesolution.Usuallythesefunctions

arecomparedagainstadatabaseofengineeringpatents,butDr

Vincentsteamhavesubstitutedtheirdatabaseof''biological

patents"instead.Thesearenotpatentsintheconventionalsense,

ofcourse,sincetheinformationwillbeavailableforusebyanyone.

Bycallingbiomimetictricks''biologicalpatents”,theresearchers

arejustemphasisingthatnatureis,ineffect,thepatentholder.

Onewaytousethesystemistocharacteriseanengineeringproblem

intheformofalistofdesirablefeaturesthatthesolutionought

tohave,andanotherlistofundesirablefeaturesthatitoughtto

avoid.Thedatabaseisthensearchedforanybiologicalpatentsthat

meetthosecriteria.So,forexample,searchingforameansof

defyinggravitymightproduceanumberofpossiblesolutionstaken

fromdifferentflyingcreaturesbutdescribedinengineeringterms.

“Ifyouwantflight,youdontcopyabird,butyoudocopytheuse

ofwingsandaerofoils,z，saysDrVincent.

Hehopesthatthedatabasewillstoremorethanjustblueprints

forbiologicalmechanismsthatcanbereplicatedusingtechnology.

Biomimeticscanhelpwithsoftware,aswellashardware,asthe

robolobsterbuiltbyDrAyersdemonstrates.Itsphysicaldesignand

controlsystemsarebothbiologicallyinspired.Mostcurrentrobots,

incontrast,aredeterministicallyprogrammed.Whenbuildinga

robot,thedesignersmustanticipateeverycontingencyoftherobots

environmentandtellithowtorespondineachcase.Animalmodels,

however,provideaplethoraofprovensolutionstoreal-world

problemsthatcouldbeusefulinallsortsofapplications."The

setofbehaviouralactsthatalobstergoesthroughwhensearching

forfoodisexactlywhatonewouldwantarobottodotosearchfor

underwatermines,〃saysDrAyers.Ittooknaturemillionsofyears

oftrialanderrortoevolvethesebehaviours,hesays,soitwould

besillynottotakeadvantageofthem.

AlthoughDrVincentsdatabasewillnotbecapableofproviding

suchspecificresultsascontrolalgorithms,itcouldhelpto

identifynaturalsystemsandbehavioursthatmightbeusefulto

engineers.Butitisstillearlydays.Sofarthedatabasecontains

only2,500patents.Tomakeitreallyuseful,DrVincentwantsto

collecttentimesasmany,ataskforwhichheintendstoaskthe

onlinecommunityforhelp.Buildingarepositoryofnatures

cleverestdesigns,hehopes,willeventuallymakeiteasierand

quickerforengineerstostealandreusethem.

2LessonsfromafeministparadiseonEqualPayDay

Onthesurface,Swedenappearstobeafeministparadise.Look

atanyglobalsurveyofgenderequityandSwedenwillbenearthe

top.Family-friendlypoliciesareitsnorm-with16monthsofpaid

parentalleave,specialprotectionsforpart-timeworkers,and

state-subsidizedpreschoolswhere,accordingtoagovernment

website,z，gender-awarenesseducationisincreasinglycommon.，zDue

toanunofficialquotasystem,womenhold45percentofpositions

intheSwedishparliament.Theyhaveenjoyedtheprotectionof

governmentagencieswithtitlesliketheMinistryofIntegration

andGenderEqualityandtheSecretariatofGenderResearch.Sowhy

areAmericanwomensofaraheadoftheirSwedishcounterpartsin

breakingthroughtheglassceiling?

Ina2020report,theWorldEconomicForumfoundthatwhenitcomes

toclosingthegendergapin,'economicparticipationand

opportunity,theUnitedStatesisaheadofnotonlySwedenbutalso

Finland,Denmark,theNetherlands,Iceland,Germany,andtheUnited

Kingdom.Swedensrankinthereportcanlargelybeexplainedbyits

politicalquotasystem.ThoughtheUnitedStateshasfewerwomen

intheworkforce(68percentcomparedtoSwedens77percent),

Americanwomenwhochoosetobeemployedarefarmorelikelytowork

full-timeandtoholdhigh-leveljobsasmanagersorprofessionals.

ComparedtotheirEuropeancounterparts,theyownmorebusinesses,

launchmorestartstart-ups,andmoreoftenworkintraditionally

malefields.Asforbreakingtheglassceilinginbusiness,American

womenarewellinthelead,asthechartbelowshows.

WhatexplainstheAmericanadvantage?Howcanitbethatsocieties

likeSweden,wheregenderequityisrelentlesslypursuedand

enforced,havefewerfemalemanagers,executives,professionals,

andbusinessownersthanthelaissez-faireUnitedStates?Anew

studybyCornelleconomistsFrancineBlauandLawrenceKahngives

anexplanation.

Generousparentalleavepoliciesandreadilyavailablepart-time

optionshaveunintendedconsequences:insteadofstrengthening

womensattachmenttotheworkplace,theyappeartoweakenit.In

additiontoa16-monthleave,aSwedishparenthastherighttowork

sixhoursaday(forareducedsalary)untilhisorherchildis

eightyearsold.Mothersarefarmorelikelythanfatherstotake

advantageofthislaw.Butextendedleavesandpart-timeemployment

areknowntobeharmfultocareers—forbothgenders.Andwith

womenasecondfactorcomesintoplay:mostseemtoenjoythe

flex-timearrangement(onceknownasthe,'mommytrack")andnever

findtheirwaybacktofull-timeorhigh-levelemployment.Insum:

generousfamily-friendlypoliciesdokeepmorewomeninthelabor

market,buttheyalsotendtodiminishtheircareers.

AccordingtoBlauandKahn,Swedish-stylepaternalleavepolicies

andflex-timearrangementsposeasecondthreattowomensprogress:

theymakeemployerswaryofhiringwomenforfull-timepositions

atall.Offeringajobtoamanisthesaferbet.Heisfarless

likelytotakeayearofparentalleaveandthenreturnonareduced

workscheduleforthenexteightyears.

Ibecameawareofthetrialsofcareer-focusedEuropeanwomena

fewyearsagowhenImetapost-doctoralstudentfromGermanywho

wasthenavisitingfellowatJohnsHopkins.Shewasastonishedby

theprofessionalpossibilitiesaffordedtoyoungAmericanwomen.

HerbesthopeinGermanywasagovernmentjobprospectsforwomen

intheprivatesectorweredim."InGermany,，zshetoldme,“wehave

allthebenefits,butemployersdontwanttohireus.〃

SwedisheconomistsMagnusHenreksonandMikaelStenkulaaddressed

thefollowingquestionintheir2020study:whyaretheresofew

femaletopexecutivesintheEuropeanegalitarianwelfarestates?

Theiranswer:"Broad-basedwelfare-statepoliciesimpedewomens

representationinelitecompetitivepositions.

ItistemptingtodeclaretheSwedishpoliciesregressiveandhail

theAmericansystemassuperior.Butthatwouldbeshortsighted.

TheSwedescancertainlytakealessonfromtheUnitedStatesand

lookforwaystoclearapathfortheirhigh-octanefemalecareerists.

Butmostwomenarenotcommittedcareerists.WhenthePewResearch

CenterrecentlyaskedAmericanparentstoidentifytheir"ideal”

lifearrangement,47percentofmotherssaidtheywouldpreferto

workpart-timeand20percentsaidtheywouldprefernottowork

atall.Fathersanswereddifferently:75percentpreferred

full-timework.SomeversionoftheSwedishsystemmightworkwell

foramajorityofAmericanparents,buttheUnitedStatesisunlikely

tofullyembracetheSwedishmodel.Still,wecanlearnfromtheir

experience.

Despiteitsfailuretoshattertheglassceiling,Swedenhasone

ofthemostpowerfulandinnovativeeconomiesintheworld.Inits

2020-2020survey,theWorldEconomicForumrankedSwedenasthe

worldsthirdmostcompetitiveeconomy;theUnitedStatescamein

fifth.Sweden,dubbedthe"rockstaroftherecovery"inthe

WashingtonPost,alsoleadstheworldinlifesatisfactionand

happiness.Itisasocietywellworthstudying,anditseffortsto

conquerthegendergapimpartavitallesson一thoughnotthelesson

theSwedeshadinmind.

Swedenhasgonefartherthananynationonearthtointegratethe

sexesandtoofferwomenthesameopportunitiesandfreedomsasmen.

Fordecades,thesedescendantsoftheVikingshavebeentryingto

showtheworldthattherightmixofenlightenedpolicy,

consciousnessraising,andnon-sexistchildrearingwouldclosethe

genderdivideonceandforall.Yetthedividepersists.

A2020pressreleasefromStatisticsSwedenbearsthetitle

“GenderEqualityinSwedenTreadingWater"andnotes:

Thetotalincomefromemploymentforallagesislowerforwomen

thanformen.

Oneinthreeemployedwomenandoneintenemployedmenwork

part-time.

Womensworkingtimeisinfluencedbythenumberandageoftheir

children,butmensworkingtimeisnotaffectedbythesefactors.

Ofallemployees,only13percentofthewomenand12percentof

themenhaveoccupationswithanevendistributionofthesexes.

Confrontedwithsuchfacts,someSwedishactivistsand

legislatorsaredemandingmoreextremeandfar-reachingmeasures,

suchasreplacingmaleandfemalepronounswithaneutral

alternativeandmonitoringchildrenmorecloselytocorrectthem

whentheygravitatetowardgenderedplay.Whenitcametolightlast

yearthatmothers,farmorethanfathers,chosetostayhomefrom

worktocarefortheirsicktoddlers,UlfKristersson,ministerof

socialsecurity,quicklycommissionedastudytodeterminethe

causesofandpossiblecuresforthisdisturbingstateofaffairs.

IhaveanothersuggestionforKristerssonandhiscompatriots:

acknowledgetheresultsofyourown40-yearexperiment.Thesexes

arenotinterchangeable.WhenCatherineHakim,asociologistatthe

LondonSchoolofEconomics,studiedthepreferencesofwomenand

meninWesternEurope,herresultsmatchedthoseofthe

aforementionedPewstudy.Women,farmorethanmen,givepriority

todomesticlife.TheSwedesshouldconsiderthepossibilitythat

thecurrentdivisionoflaborisnotanartifactofsexism,butthe

triumphofliberatedpreference.

Inthe1940s,theAmericanplaywright,congresswoman,and

conservativefeministClareBootheLucemadeapredictionaboutwhat

wouldhappentomenandwomenunderconditionsoffreedom:

Itistimetoleavethequestionoftheroleofwomeninsociety

uptoMotherNature一adifficultladytofool.Youhaveonlyto

givewomenthesameopportunitiesasmen,andyouwillsoonfind

outwhatisorisnotintheirnature.Whatisinwomensnatureto

dotheywilldo,andyouwontbeabletostopthem.Butyouwill

alsofind,andsowillthey,thatwhatisnotintheirnature,even

iftheyaregiveneveryopportunity,theywillnotdo,andyouwont

beabletomakethemdoit.

InLucesday,sex-rolestereotypesstillpowerfullylimited

womenschoices.Morethanhalfacenturylater,womenintheWestern

democraciesenjoytheequalityofopportunityofwhichshespoke.

NowhereisthismoretruethanSweden.Andalthoughitwasnotthe

Swedesintention,theyhavedemonstratedtotheworldwhatthesexes

willandwillnotdowhenofferedthesameopportunities.

TodayisEqualPayDay.Butasmostfeministsknowbynow,the

wagegapislargelytheresultofwomensvocationalchoicesandhow

theyprefertobalancehomeandfamily.Toclosethegap,itwont

beenoughtochangesocietyorreformtheworkplaceitiswomens

elementalpreferencesthatwillhavetochange.ButlooktoSweden:

womenspreferencesremainthesame.

Notonlyfeminists,butalsoliberalandconservative

policymakersshouldpayattention.Swedenisnotthe"taxandspend”

welfarestateofoldwhiletherestoftheworldisfloundering

indebt,Sweden(alongwithitsNordicneighbors)hasbeen

downsizing,reformingentitlements,andbalancingitsbooks.The

budgetdeficitinSwedenisabout0.2percentofitsGDP;inthe

UnitedStates,its7percent.ButSwedensgenerousfamily-friendly

policiesremaininplace.Thepractical,problem-solvingSwedes

havejudgedthemtobeagoodinvestment.Theymayberight.

Swedishfamilypolicies,byaccommodatingwomenspreferencesso

effectively,arereducingthenumberofwomeninelitecompetitive

positions.TheSwedeswillfindthisparadoxicalandtrytofind

solutions.Letushopethesedonotincludebanninggenderpronouns,

policingchildrensplay,implementingmoregenderquotas,or

treatingwomensspecialattachmenttohomeandfamilyasasocial

injustice.Mostmothersdonotaspiretoelite,competitive

full-timepositions:theSwedishpolicieshavegiventhemthe

freedomandopportunitytolivethelivestheyprefer.Americans

shouldlookpastthegenderrhetoricandconsiderwhatthese

Scandinavianshaveachieved.Ontheirwaytocreatingafeminist

paradise,theSwedeshaveinadvertentlycreatedahavenfornormal

mortals.

3

科学家告诉你：这样学才记得牢

Theolderweget,theharderitseemstoremembernames,dates,

factsofallkinds.Ittakeslongertoretrievetheinformationwe

want,anditoftenpopsrightupafewminutesorhourslaterwhen

wearethinkingaboutsomethingelse.Theexpertssaythatkeeping

yourmindsharpwithgameslikeSudokuandcrosswordpuzzlesslows

theagingprocess,andthatmaybetrue,butwe