英语听力精选进阶版 6189
时间：2019-02-13 作者：英语课 分类：英语听力精选进阶版
Wacky Science with a Purpose 稀奇古怪但又有目的的科研项目
The simple bra: something worn discreetly 1 by women around the world, or a powerful, life-saving device?
Well, maybe both. A team in Chicago has invented a bra that can be quickly turned into a pair of gas masks – one for the wearer and one for a needy 2 bystander.
For their troubles they’ve received one of this year’s Ig Nobel awards.
The wacky awards honour achievements that "first make people laugh and then make them think", and are handed out at Harvard University for the year’s most eccentric 3 research.
Prizes are awarded in categories that mirror the better-known Nobel Prize, such as physics, literature and peace.
This year’s peace prize went to a Swiss research team who made a brave breakthrough in the field of bar-room brawling 4. The question was whether it was better to be hit on the head by an empty beer bottle or a full one. Their answer? A full one.
Winning the biology prize was a piece of unusual research involving giant pandas.
Chinese and Japanese scientists working together discovered that bacteria taken from the mammal’s faeces could be used to break downkitchen refuse. In fact it was so effective it could reduce the mass of the refuse by 90%.
Other prizes went to an American team who conducted a study into why pregnant 6 women don’t fall over, and a British couple who found that cows with names gave more milk than cows that are nameless.
And spare a thought for the man who has been diligently 7 cracking the knuckles 8 on his left hand for 60 years in a quest 5 to determine whether this contributes to arthritis 9.
Luckily for Donald L Unger, it didn’t, at least for him, which will hopefully make carrying home his medicine prize a little bit easier.
So, if you have an idea that sounds crazy, why not send it to us? If bras can win prizes, maybe somewhere in your wardrobe is the key to world peace.
GLOSSARY 词汇表
discreetly 不引人注意的
life-saving device 救生器材
gas masks 防毒面罩
needy bystander 站在旁边需要帮助的人
for their troubles 看在他们努力的份上
wacky 古怪的，怪癖的
eccentric （人，行为）古怪的，不合常规的
mirror 相对应
breakthrough 突破性发展
bar-room brawling 酒吧斗殴
bacteria 细菌
faeces 粪便
break down 分解，瓦解
kitchen refuse 厨房废物
conducted a study 做了一个研究
mass 质量
diligently 勤奋刻苦的
cracking the knuckles 扳手指关节
determine 决定，裁决
arthritis 关节炎
- He had only known the perennial widow, the discreetly expensive Frenchwoman. 他只知道她是个永远那么年轻的寡妇，一个很会讲排场的法国女人。
- Sensing that Lilian wanted to be alone with Celia, Andrew discreetly disappeared. 安德鲁觉得莉莲想同西莉亚单独谈些什么，有意避开了。
- Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
- They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。
- His actions since that morning have been eccentric and unpredictable.自从那天早晨，他的行动一直是反常而不可捉摸。
- He had the name of an eccentric.他有怪人之称。
- They were arrested for brawling in the street. 他们因在街上打斗而遭到拘捕。
- The officers were brawling commands. 军官们大声地喊口令。
- Man will suffer many disappointments in his quest for truth.人类在探索真理过程中必然会遭受挫折。
- His quest for perfection is relentless.他不断追求完美。
- He applied himself diligently to learning French. 他孜孜不倦地学法语。
- He had studied diligently at college. 他在大学里勤奋学习。
- He gripped the wheel until his knuckles whitened. 他紧紧握住方向盘，握得指关节都变白了。
- Her thin hands were twisted by swollen knuckles. 她那双纤手因肿大的指关节而变了形。 来自《简明英汉词典》