2022年，這些科學突破有點酷

山東 李全忠

主題語境：科學技術 篇幅：346詞 建議用時：7分鐘

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（皮克牛頓）.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)(肌萎縮性側索硬化癥，漸凍癥)patient speaks using a computer-brain interface

3According to a paper,electrode arrays(電極陣列)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.一個國際科學家團隊最近發表了一項研究，研究證實一個有5萬年歷史的小行星在緊急降落在我們的星球上時創造了新的類鉆石材料。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句。which引導定語從句，修飾先行詞a study；that引導賓語從句；when引導時間狀語從句。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

be made out of制造

look like看起來像

interact with與……相互作用

in order to為了；以便；目的是

spell out拼寫；拼讀

turn out結果是……；證明是……