2020考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇：Unit 31

Unit 31

In a lab in Princeton University’s ultra-sleek chemistry building, researchers toil in a modern-day hunt for an elusive power: alchemy.

Throughout the centuries, alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like iron and lead into precious ones like gold or platinum. Today, Paul Chirik, a professor of chemistry at Princeton, has managed a new twist on the timeworn pursuit.

Dr. Chirik, 39, has learned how to make iron function like platinum, in chemical reactions that are crucial to manufacturing scores of basic materials. While he can’t, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.

The process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.

“No chemist would think lithium was in short supply,” Dr. Chirik said, “but what happens if you put a lithium battery in every car? This is why chemistry needs to be ahead of the curve. We need to have adaptable solutions.”

Despite the cost and relative scarcity of precious metals—iridium, platinum, rhodium—we rely on them to manufacture products from denim to beer, pharmaceuticals to fuel cells. The elements are used as catalysts, substances that kick off or enable chemical reactions.

Dr. Chirik’s work involves dissolved catalysts, which are mixed into the end product. The molecules of the catalyst dissipate during the reaction. For instance, a solution containing platinum is used to make silicone emulsifiers, compounds that in turn feed products like makeup, cookware and glue. Tiny amounts of the expensive metal are scattered in all these things; your jeans, for instance, contain unrecoverable particles of platinum.

注（1）：本文選自The New York Times;

注（2）：本文習題模仿對象：本文習題的第1、5題模仿2011年真題Text 1的第1、5題；第2題模仿2010年真題Text 2的第2題；第3、4題模仿2011年真題Text 2的第3、4題。

1. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that alchemy ______.

A) incurs suspicion

B) is a new pursuit

C) hasn’t been realized

D) arouses curiosity

2. Which of the following is NOT true?

A) In some chemical reactions, iron can function like platinum.

B) Dr. Chirik’s practical alchemy enables him transform iron ore into valuable jewelry.

C) Flexible manufacturing technologies can avoid the use of scarce elements as prices rise in the future.

D) Chemists would think lithium was sufficient.

3. The phrase “be ahead of the curve” （Line 2, Paragraph 5） most probably means ______.

A) making change in advance

B) before curving

C) forward

D) keeping changing

4. It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that ______.

A) catalysts are mixed into the end product

B) the molecules of the catalyst decompose during the reaction

C) it would be the biggest deal so far

D) catalysts feature in wide-ranging function in chemical reactions as well as in the end products

5. From the text we can see that the writer seems ______.

A) positive

B) negative

C) uncertain

D) neutral

篇章剖析

本文是一篇科技說明文，主要介紹了煉金術(shù)及其新發(fā)展。前兩段介紹了煉金術(shù)由來已久，直到今天煉金師們依然在做新嘗試；第三段講述了奇瑞克博士學會如何使鐵和鉑具有相似功能，但依然不能點石為金；第四、五段講述了靈活制造技術(shù)的到來具有很大意義，可以利用可替代的金屬，進而避開一些環(huán)境或政治問題；文章最后兩段則講述了催化劑的重要作用。

詞匯注釋

elusive /??lu?s?v/ adj. 難獲得的；難懂的；易忘的

alchemy /??lk?mi/ n. 煉金術(shù)；魔力

alchemist /??lk?m?st/ n. 煉金士

platinum /?pl?t?n?m/ n. 鉑

timeworn /?ta?mw??n/ adj. 陳舊的，老朽的

herald /?her?ld/ v. 預示

lithium /?l?θi?m/ n. 鋰

iridium /??r?d??m/ n. 銥

rhodium /?r??d??m/ n. 銠

pharmaceutical /?fɑ?m??sju?t?kl/ n. 藥品adj. 制藥的

catalyst /?k?t?l?st/ n. 催化劑

dissipate /?d?s?pe?t/ v. 消失；驅(qū)散；浪費

silicone /?s?l?k?un/ n. 硅樹脂

emulsifier /??m?ls?fa?(r)/ n. 乳化劑

難句突破

The process could herald a new era of flexible manufacturing technologies, while enabling companies to steer clear of scarce elements as prices rise or obtaining them becomes environmentally or geopolitically risky.

主體句式：The process could herald a era of flexible manufacturing technologies...

結(jié)構(gòu)分析：這個長句看上去結(jié)構(gòu)復雜，其實while后面是由or連接的兩個并列成分整體作為一個獨立主格結(jié)構(gòu)，表結(jié)果。正是有了靈活的制造技術(shù)，公司才可以利用其他物質(zhì)替代稀缺元素，達到節(jié)省資金，或者避免開采所引起的環(huán)境或地理政治問題。

句子譯文：這項技術(shù)可能預示著一個靈活的制造技術(shù)的新時代的到來，公司從此便可以利用其他物質(zhì)來替代價格日益上漲的稀缺元素，或者避開因為采集它們而引起的環(huán)境或地理政治問題。

題目分析

1. C 推斷題。原文“alchemists tried in vain to transform common metals like...”中in vain這個詞組表示“白費力氣，徒勞”，雖然煉金師們嘗試了各種方法，但煉金術(shù)還是沒有實現(xiàn)，故C項正確。其余三項并沒有在文章中體現(xiàn)。

2. B 細節(jié)題。文中對應原句“While he can’t, sadly, transmute a lump of iron ore into a pile of valuable jewelry, his version of alchemy is far more practical, and the implications are wide-ranging.”其中正確的邏輯關(guān)系是，雖然齊瑞克博士的煉金術(shù)更實用，影響更廣泛，然而他并不能把鐵礦石變成珠寶，B選項正好混淆了邏輯。A、C和D選項皆在文章中有直接或間接的體現(xiàn)。

3. A 語義題。由前后文語義和“We need to have adaptable solutions.”可以推斷出，化學科學需要走在轉(zhuǎn)變之前，以應對各種狀況，也就是要提前做出改變，故選A。

4. D 推斷題。最后兩段講述了催化劑不僅能促成化學反應，而且會被混合到最終產(chǎn)品中，由此可知D正確。A、B和C陳述的僅僅是一種現(xiàn)象，不能作為推斷的結(jié)果。

5. D 情感態(tài)度題。本文是一篇科學研究類文章，旨在講述科學技術(shù)，因此作者持中立態(tài)度。

參考譯文

在普林斯頓大學一座超現(xiàn)代的化學樓的實驗室里，科學家們正在苦心鉆研一項很難獲得的技術(shù)，它是當代的尋金之旅：煉金術(shù)。

幾個世紀以來，煉金師都在嘗試將普通的金屬，如鐵和鉛，轉(zhuǎn)化為像金或鉑一樣的貴重金屬，但這些努力都是徒勞的。今天，普林斯頓大學的化學教授保羅·齊瑞克對這一陳年舊日的追求進行了新的嘗試。

39歲的齊瑞克博士已經(jīng)學會了如何使鐵和鉑具有相似的功能，在化學反應中，此功能對制造大量的基礎(chǔ)材料至關(guān)重要。盡管他不能把一塊鐵礦石變成許多價值連城的珠寶，這很可惜，但他的煉金術(shù)其實更實用而且影響更為廣泛。

這項技術(shù)可能預示著一個靈活的制造技術(shù)新時代的到來，公司從此便可以利用其他物質(zhì)來替代價格日益上漲的稀缺元素，或者避開因為采集它們而引起的環(huán)境或地理政治問題。

齊瑞克說：“沒有哪位化學家會覺得鋰有一天會成為稀缺元素，但是如果每輛汽車都用鋰電池做燃料呢？這就是為什么化學科學應走在轉(zhuǎn)變之前的原因。我們需要可替代的辦法?！?

盡管貴重金屬，如銥、鉑、銠的成本昂貴而且相對稀缺，我們卻在很多產(chǎn)品的生產(chǎn)方面依賴它們，從牛仔布到啤酒，從藥品到燃料…它們被用作催化劑，即用來引起或促成化學反應的物質(zhì)。

齊瑞克博士的工作涉及溶解性催化劑，它們被混合到最終產(chǎn)品中。催化劑的分子在反應過程中消失。例如，一種含有鉑元素的溶液被用來制造硅乳化劑，該合成物轉(zhuǎn)而又被用來制造化妝品、炊具和膠水。這些東西中都含有少量的昂貴金屬，例如你的牛仔褲中就含有不可回收的鉑粒子。