Nouabalé-Ndoki's rangers are，however，about to get some high-tech help in the form of TrailGuard，a system of small and easily hidden electronic detection and communication devices．They will soon begin burying radio-transmitting metal detectors alongside elephant trails leading into the park．Authorised travelers through the park will be given transponders that tell the detectors who they are，as with the“identification friend-or-foe” systems on military aircraft．But when poachers carrying rifles walk by a detector，it will send a radio signal to a treetop antenna．Seconds later the rangers will receive the intruder's co-ordinates on their satellite phones．They will then be able to respond precisely，rather than running around on fruitless and demoralising patrols on the small chance of catching a poacher up to no good.

TrailGuard is the brainchild of Steve Gulick，an electrical engineer turned biologist who recently left the State University of New York（SUNY）to set up a not-for-profit organisation called Wildland Security，to promote his idea. Besides catching more（or，indeed，any）poachers，he hopes his invention will also prove to be an example of an idea from another one-time electrical engineer，Arthur C．Clarke．Clarke's Third Law，as it is known to fans of his science-fiction writing，is that“any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”．Many people in Congo do believe in magic and Mr．Gulick does not propose to disabuse them of the notion．Local people will receive no explanation for the rangers' new powers．That，Mr．Gulick hopes，will discourage potential poachers from turning thought into deed.

Nor are metal detectors the only magic to be deployed．Small fire detectors hidden in trees should add to the anti-poaching unit's reputation for detection．Poachers frequently smoke meat from their kills to preserve it during transport to market．Like the metal detectors，the fire detectors will alert the rangers by satellite phone，allowing them to swoop as from nowhere.


注（1）：本文选自Economist；

注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象为1998年真题Text 2和1997年真题Text 3第4题。



1．According to the author，illegal hunting is _______.

A) a shared problem in some tropical countries in Africa

B) not as serious as it seems because the number of poachers is declining

C) becoming less and less eyecatching due to the increased supply of ivory

D) already effectively controlled due to the rangers’ efforts

2．What is the author's attitude towards the technology of TrailGuard?

A) supportive

B) objective

C) indifferent

D) worried

3．Local people's reaction to the rangers’ new power is probably that _______.

A) they become keen of advanced technologies

B) they fear it is some kind of magical power

C) they tend to challenge the new technological equipment

D) they are not concerned about the issue at all

4．Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A) Steve Gulick's invention is from Arthur C．Clarke's idea.

B) The radio-transmitting metal detectors can distinguish between travelers and poachers.

C) Arthur C．Clarke is known as a writer of science fictions.

D) There are various kinds of detectors buried across the national park.

5．It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A) before adopting the new technology，the rangers could not catch any poacher

B) TrailGuard has already achieved significant success in fighting against illegal hunting

C) poachers use fire to smoke meat of their preys so as to make food

D) the fact that both Guilick and Clarke were electrical engineers has great influence on the invention of TrailGuard





篇章剖析


本文是一篇说明文，介绍诺娃贝尔多基国家公园如何通过高科技手段来提高与偷猎者作斗争的效率。第一段先说明了国家公园里存在着严重偷猎问题，而传统的守林方式已经无法继续对公园里的生物进行有效的保护；第二段介绍了一种电子探测通讯工具的特点和功能；第三段介绍了这种工具的发明者；最后一段则简要介绍了另一种高科技工具。





词汇注释


ranger /ˈreɪndʒə/ n. 巡逻骑兵；护林员

poacher /ˈpəʊtʃə/ n．偷猎者

detection /dɪˈtekʃən/ n. 探测

trail /treɪl/ n. 踪迹，痕迹，形迹

transponder /trænˈspɒndə/ n. 【无】 脉冲转发器

foe /fəʊ/ n. 反对者，敌人

rifle /ˈraɪfl/ n. 来复枪，步枪

antenna /ænˈtenə/ n. 天线

intruder /ɪnˈtruːdə/ n．入侵者

demoralise /dɪˈmɒrəlaɪz/ v. 士气受挫

patrol /pəˈtrəʊl/ n．巡逻





难句突破


TrailGuard is the brainchild of Steve Gulick，an electrical engineer turned biologist who recently left the State University of New York（SUNY）to set up a not-for-profit organisation called Wildland Security，to promote his idea.

主体句式：TrailGuard is the brainchild of Steve Gulick.

结构分析：这个长句看上去结构复杂，其实其主句非常短，而后面部分都是Steve Gulick的同位语，用来补充说明Steve Gulick这个人物。同位语中包括了一个定语从句，而最后的不定式结构是对前面“建立非营利组织”的补充。

句子译文：“行踪警卫”由史蒂夫·固利克发明。固利克先生从电子工程师转行成为生物学家，他最近离开了美国纽约州立大学并创建了一个名为“野外安全”的非盈利组织，以推广他的构想。





题目分析


1．A 细节题。文章第一段提到偷猎并不是刚果一个国家的问题，可见这一问题存在于非洲的一些热带国家，是他们共有的问题。而B、C和D选项的表述均与第一段的文意相反。

2．B 情感态度题。本文作者自始至终都以非常客观的角度介绍“行踪警卫”技术，没有加入个人的观点，即使是对该技术一些成果的表述也不是作者自己的看法，而是引用事实或者他人的评价。

3．B 细节题。文章第三段指出固利克先生不会向本地人解释这种科技产品的原理和能力，从而利用当地人信奉魔法的心理来减少偷猎行为，由此可以推出当地人对这种未知的“魔力”会产生恐惧感。

4．A 细节题。文章第三段中指出固利克从亚瑟·克拉克那里学到的是让人们以为科技是魔力的想法，而不是他的发明灵感，因此A选项的意思不正确。

5．B 推理题。文章第三段提到这项技术几乎帮助抓获了每一个偷猎者，因此是非常成功的。A选项的错误原因在于，采用新技术之前护林员们抓获偷猎者的几率很低，但并不是完全抓不到。C选项的错误原因在于偷猎者们熏肉主要是为了能够长时间地保存动物尸体。D选项的错误原因在于两个人的背景对于“行踪警卫”的发明没有直接影响。





参考译文



位于刚果共和国的诺娃贝尔多基国家公园是一片面积达4200平方公里的热带雨林处女地，林中居住着大量大象和大猩猩，而护林员的数目却相对非常少。14名护林员在过去的一年多时间内没有抓到一个偷猎者。这不是因为森林中偷猎的人很少。在日本和越来越富有的中国，消费者对于象牙的需求量很大，并且不断上升。此外，随着伐木工和矿工们不断深入这个国家的森林，大象、猩猩和其他动物的食用价值也变得越来越高。这个问题并不仅限于刚果。有数据显示去年偷猎者们猎杀了23000多头非洲象。华盛顿大学的一项调查表明，这个数字相当于非洲大陆大象总数的1/17。

但是现在诺娃贝尔多基公园的护林员们将要开始使用一项名为“行踪警卫”的高科技手段，该系统是一个微型、易隐蔽的电子探测通讯工具。护林员们很快就会沿着大象通向国家公园的行踪埋下传播无线电的金属探测器。经过批准的森林旅游者们可以领到一个脉冲转发器，这个脉冲转发器可以使探测器确认旅游者的身份，就像战机上配备的“敌友认证”系统一样。但是当偷猎者们举着步枪经过探测器的时候，探测器就会向树顶上的天线发出无线电信号。几秒钟后护林员们就可以通过卫星电话收到入侵者们的坐标。这样他们就可以准确地作出反应，而不是盲目地在森林中进行没有成效且降低士气的巡逻（因为用这种方式抓到偷猎者的几率非常小）。

“行踪警卫”由史蒂夫·固利克发明。固利克先生从电子工程师转行成为生物学家，他最近离开了美国纽约州立大学并创建了一个名为“野外安全”的非盈利组织，以推广他的构想。固利克先生除了通过该系统抓获更多的（或实际上是每一个）非法偷猎者，他还希望他的发明能证明另一位曾经担任过电子工程师的名叫亚瑟·克拉克的人的想法。克拉克的“第三法则”是其科幻小说读者都非常熟悉的，该法则指出“任何一种高科技都无法与魔法相区别”。许多刚果人都迷信魔法，而固利克先生并不打算破除他们的迷信。对于护林员的新能力，本地人不会得到任何解释。固利克先生希望这样能打击潜在的偷猎者，使他们（在魔力的震慑下）不会把想法变为行动。

金属探测器并不是在林区使用的唯一魔法。隐藏在树木中的小型火事探测器也增强了护林员的侦查能力。非法偷猎者经常会在林区烟熏猎物，从而保证猎物在被运送到市场的过程中不会变质。火事探测器与金属探测器一样，发送信号到护林军的卫星电话上，使他们能够对偷猎者们进行突袭。





Unit 52


Bryant Linares has one heck of a secret family recipe: how to make world-class diamonds．Seven years ago his father，Robert，produced a diamond in a high-pressure chamber of carbon gas and dropped it into an acid solution to clean it off．When he returned the next morning，he expected to find the usual yellow stone—a crude artificial diamond of some use to industry，perhaps，but not the stuff of dreams．At first there didn’t seem to be any stone at all．Then he saw，at the bottom of the beaker，so clear it was almost invisible，a perfect quarter-carat crystal of pure carbon．“It was the eureka moment,” says Bryant．① His father had managed what many scientists had given up on long ago: to manufacture a stone that wouldn’t look out of place on an engagement ring.

Man-made diamonds are nothing new—industry started making them in the 1950s，and each year about 80 tons of low-quality synthetic diamonds are used in tools like drill bits and sanders．② High-quality crystals，though，open up huge possibilities，jewelry being the least of them. Scientists are most excited about the prospect of making diamond microchips．As chips have shrunk over the years，engineers have struggled with ways of dissipating the heat they create．Because silicon，the main component of semiconductors，breaks down at about 200 degrees Fahrenheit，some experts believe a new material will be needed in a decade or so．Diamonds might fit the bill．They can withstand 1,000 degrees，and electrons move through them so easily that they would tend not to heat up in the first place．Engineers could cram a lot more circuits onto a diamond-based micro-chip—if they could perfect a way of making pure crystals cheaply.

The race is on．After working in secrecy for years refining their technique，the Linareses’ company，Apollo Diamond，now spits out 20 carats a week，both for jewelry and for diamond wafers that could be fashioned into microchips．Rivals have also been busy．Gemesis，a Sarasota，Fla.，firm，has developed a“diamond growth chamber”—a press that squeezes out high-quality diamonds in much the same way that the early presses made rough ones．Gemesis is making blue diamonds—rare and sought-after gemstones.

Chipmakers are also getting into the act．The Japanese firm Nippon Telegraph and Telephone has already made prototype diamond semiconductors，and the Japanese government is actively promoting the technology．Most U.S．research is going on in universities and military labs，but Intel has recently taken an interest．Before the technology is ready for prime time，chipmakers will have to come up with a way to keep out impurities during manufacturing．And the attribute that makes diamonds so attractive—their hardness—also makes them difficult to manipulate.

The new diamonds are likely to show up first as tiny light-emitting diodes，or LEDs，in flat-screen displays and high-definition televisions．And then，of course，there's jewelry．Although synthetics still carry a stigma，even experts can’t tell the difference．Natural-diamond merchants claim they aren’t worried，but De Beers has made a device that can distinguish between the natural stones and the synthetics and is distributing it to jewelers．Will consumers care? We might find out next year when Gemesis is ready to market its blue diamonds in the United States.


注（1）：本文选自Newsweek；

注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象为2002年真题Text 4。



1．From the first paragraph，we learn that ______.

A) all the diamonds are almost invisible

B) many scientists had tried hard to make perfect diamonds long time ago

C) Bryant's father expected to find a diamond used in industry

D) diamonds are produced with carbon gas

2．Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?

A) Diamond can withstand higher degree than silicon.

B) The main component of semiconductors will be replaced in a few years.

C) High-quality crystals have least usages，esp．in jewelry.

D) Engineers could not find perfect ways of making pure crystal cheaply.

3．According to the passage，why can the companies increase and perfect their production of diamond?

A) They all work in secrecy.

B) They have improved their techniques.

C) They have developed their own diamond chambers.

D) They have turned the rough diamonds to high-quality ones.

4．Which of the following best defines the word“attribute”（Line 5，Paragraph 4）?

A) Quality．

B) Contribution.

C) Appearance．

D) Value.

5．The new diamond is NOT first used in ______.

A) LEDs

B) flat-screen displays

C) high-definition televisions

D) prototype diamond semiconductors





篇章剖析


本篇文章主要介绍了人造钻石的制造、用途和应用前景。第一段叙述了布赖恩特·李艾尔斯的父亲偶然发现了制造精美人工钻石的技术；第二段介绍工业上生产钻石的情况和人造钻石的用途；第三段说明钻石制造公司的制造技术不断进步；第四段叙述芯片制造商设法生产出钻石半导体来生产微芯片；最后一段介绍了人造钻石的应用前景。





词汇注释


recipe /ˈresɪpi/ n．处方，秘诀

artificial /ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃəl/ adj. 人造的，假的，非原产地的

eureka /ɪʊəˈriːkə/ int. 我发现了！（表达有重大新发现时的欢乐）

synthetic /sɪnˈθetɪk/ adj. 合成的，人造的，综合的

dissipate /ˈdɪsɪpeɪt/ v. 驱散，（使云、雾、疑虑等）消散；浪费（金钱或时间）

silicon /ˈsɪlɪkən/ n. 【化】 硅，硅元素

wafer /ˈweɪfə/ n. 晶片，圆片；薄饼；干胶片

gemstone /ˈdʒemˌstəʊn/ n. 经雕琢的宝石

prototype /ˈprəʊtəʊtaɪp/ n. 原型；模型；典型

impurity /ɪmˈpjʊərɪti/ n. 杂质，混杂物；不洁，不纯

attribute /əˈtrɪbju(ː)t/ n. 属性，品质，特征

manipulate /məˈnɪpjʊleɪt/ vt.（熟练地）操作，操纵（人或市价、市场）；利用；应付；假造

stigma /ˈstɪgmə/ n. 污名，耻辱

distribute /dɪsˈtrɪbju(ː)t/ vt.分发；分配；散布，分布





难句突破


① His father had managed what many scientists had given up on long ago: to manufacture a stone that wouldn't look out of place on an engagement ring.

主体句式：His father had managed...

结构分析：这是一个复杂句，what引导的是宾语从句，to manufacture a stone实际上是what many scientists had given up的同谓语，that引导的是定语从句。

句子译文：他的父亲完成了许多科学家很久以前放弃的研究，即制造出一块用在订婚戒指上也显得再合适不过的钻石。

② High-quality crystals，though，open up huge possibilities，jewelry being the least of them.

主体句式：Crystals open up possibilities...

结构分析：Jewelry being the least of them是一个分词独立主格结构，在句中作伴随状语。

句子译文：高质量的水晶展现了巨大的应用潜力，用来制作珠宝只是其中最小的一部分。





题目分析


1．B 推理题。文中第一段讲到，布赖恩特的父亲完成了许多科学家很久以前放弃的研究，说明以前许多科学家曾努力去研究制造精美钻石。

2．C 细节题。选项A、B、D在文中第二段都可以找到相应的意思，C选项却和文中意思相悖。文中的意思是：高质量的水晶展现了巨大的应用潜力，用来制作珠宝只是其中最小的一部分。

3．B 细节题。文中第三段第二句谈到，阿波罗钻石公司秘密研究多年之后改良了技术，从而提高了产量，而盖迈希公司也通过成立“钻石成长室”，用和以往相同的方式制造出品质更高的钻石，可见他们也改进了技术。

4．A 语义题。attribute本身就是特点和性质的意思。从后面的their hardness（钻石的硬度），也可以推断出。

5．D 细节题。文中第五段第一行讲到新钻石可能首先被用在什么地方。





参考译文



布赖恩特·李艾尔斯有一副家传秘方：如何制造世界级的钻石。七年前，他的父亲罗伯特在一间高压碳气室中制造了一颗钻石，把它放入酸性溶液中清洗干净。第二天早晨当他回来时，他本指望看到通常的黄色钻石——在工业上具有某种用途的未加工的人工钻石，但可能并非梦寐以求的那种。开始他根本没有看到什么石头。接着他看到在烧杯底有一块完美的四分之一克拉的纯碳钻石，如此透明，几乎让人看不到它。“这是一个令人狂喜的时刻”，布赖恩特说。他的父亲完成了许多科学家很久以前放弃的研究，即制造出一块用在订婚戒指上也显得再合适不过的钻石。

人造钻石并不是什么新生事物，20世纪50年代工业上就开始制造了，每年大约生产800吨低质量的人造钻石，用来制造工具，如钻头和打磨机。高质量的水晶展现了巨大的应用潜力，用来制作珠宝只是其中最小的一部分。科学家对于制造钻石芯片的前景最乐观。因为芯片会在多年以后收缩，工程师们努力想办法驱散它们产生的热量。因为半导体的主要成分硅在大约华氏200度就会破裂，一些专家认为大约十年后将需要一种新的材料。钻石可能是合适之选。首先它们可以承受1,000度的高温，电子很容易通过钻石，它们不容易升温。如果工程师们能找到一种完美的低成本制造纯水晶的方法，他们可以在一个钻石芯片上安装更多的线路。

竞赛正在进行。理纳莱西（the Linareses）下属公司——阿波罗钻石公司秘密改进技术多年，如今坦言每周能生产20克拉钻石，用来制造珠宝和可以用来制造微芯片的钻石晶片。其竞争对手也很忙。佛罗里达州萨拉索塔的盖迈希（Gemesis）公司建造了一个“钻石成长室”，通过压力制造出高品质钻石，和以前制造低质量钻石的方法大体相同。盖迈希公司还可以生产蓝钻石，这是一种世人争相追求的珍贵宝石。

芯片制造商也在行动。日本电报电话公司也已经制造出钻石半导体样品，日本政府正积极推动这项技术。美国的多数研究在大学和军队的实验室进行，但英特尔公司最近也已产生兴趣。在这项技术进入全盛期前，芯片制造商必须提出一种生产过程中去除杂质的方法。钻石之所以如此吸引人，是因为它的硬度，而这一特性也增加了钻石制造难度。

新的钻石可能首先以微小的发光二极管，或者平板显示器和高清晰电视中的发光二极管的形态出现。当然还有珠宝。虽然人造的会带有瑕疵，但甚至专家们也不能分辨真伪。尽管天然钻石商人声称他们并不担心，但是德·比尔斯制造了一种可以区分天然钻石和人造钻石的设备，已经分发给珠宝商。消费者会在意吗？下一年盖迈希公司准备在美国销售它的蓝钻石，到那时，我们或许会明白的。