山东 李全忠

主题语境：科学技术 篇幅：346词 建议用时：7分钟

1We're living in an astonishing moment for science.Every day,countless breakthroughs,inventions,and discoveries are announced.At this very moment,all around the world,an untold number of scientists are peering into the dark corners of reality to illuminate their secrets.

Scientists built a nano-robot from DNA

2Understanding what's happening in our bodies is something we've gotten pretty good at.Scientists have constructed a nano-robot made out of DNA which looks like folded paper.The robot is small enough to interact with human cells at a resolution（分辨率）of one piconewton（皮克牛顿）.That level of precise force allows the robot to target specific mechanical receptors（接收器）on the surface of a cell and activate them so scientists can see what they're up to.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS)(肌萎缩性侧索硬化症，渐冻症)patient speaks using a computer-brain interface

3According to a paper,electrode arrays(电极阵列)were placed in the patient's brain and the system was trained to recognize activity in nearby nerves.The patient controlled a computer by activating those nerves,reportedly by trying to move his eye,in order to answer yes or no questions and painstakingly spell out sentences.There's a long way to go before these interfaces become widely available.

The birth of a gas giant

4A recent study published in the journalNature Astronomytook a good hard look at a system called AB Aurigae,505 light years away from Earth.The star at the center of that system is young,estimated at only 2 million years old and is in its planetary nursery phase.Among the planets forming,there is a gas giant roughly nine times the size of Jupiter which is in the process of forming.

Asteroid impacts create diamond-like materials

5Diamonds typically form deep beneath Earth's surface in an environment with intense heat and pressure,but it turns out that the universe has found more than one way to make them.Asteroid impacts bring heat and pressure in spades,creating conditions that could be ripe for diamond production.An international team of scientists recently published a study which confirms that a50,000-year-old impactor created novel diamond-like materials when it crash-landed on our planet.

Reading Check

Inference1.What is the function of the first paragraph?

A.To lead in the main topic.

B.To describe four discoveries.

C.To explain the significance of discoveries.

D.To state the primary uses of technologies.

Detail2.How does a nano-robot work?

A.By activating humans'nerves.

B.By interacting with human cells.

C.By making some similar DNA.

D.By creating a strong response.

Detail3.What do we know about computer-brain interfaces?

A.They're controlled by ALS patients with electrode arrays.

B.Their users are people with emotional problems.

C.Their functions haven't been clear till now.

D.They haven't been in use widely.

Inference4.What can be inferred about diamonds?

A.Scientists can make them in only one method.

B.The earliest diamond-like materials were found centuries ago.

C.Diamonds can't form without great heat and pressure.

D.Earth's movement brings diamonds to the surface of Earth.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

An international team of scientists recently published a study which confirms that a 50,000-year-old impactor created novel diamond-like materials when it crash-landed on our planet.一个国际科学家团队最近发表了一项研究，研究证实一个有5万年历史的小行星在紧急降落在我们的星球上时创造了新的类钻石材料。

【点石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。which引导定语从句，修饰先行词a study；that引导宾语从句；when引导时间状语从句。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

be made out of制造

look like看起来像

interact with与……相互作用

in order to为了；以便；目的是

spell out拼写；拼读

turn out结果是……；证明是……