考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇【信息技術(shù)類】

考研英語閱讀理解精讀100篇unit39
Unit 39
Many people think that information technology and biotechnology will rule the 21st century. Robert Birge, a chemist at the University of Connecticut, is trying to combine them, by making computer memories out of protein.
 
The protein in question is bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a molecule that undergoes a structural change when it absorbs light. By using genetic engineering to tweak wild bR from a bacterium called Halobacterium salinarum, Dr Birge and his colleagues have made a variety of the molecule that they claim is well-suited to act as an element of a computer's memory. Hit with a green light, it adopts one shape. Hit subsequently with a red light, it twists itself into another. Then, if hit with blue light, it resets itself into its original state.
 
To make a memory from the protein, Dr Birge suspends elements made from it in a transparent plastic cube known as a cuvette. A pair of lasers arranged at right angles to one another write data into the cuvette by shining in turn on "slices" through the plastic matrix. The first laser, which produces green light, sweeps the whole cuvette, causing its protein contents to take on a shape that (in binary code) is designated as "zero". The second laser, which produces red light, then stimulates particular sites to take the second shape. This corresponds to "one" in binary code. Once the lasers are switched off, data recorded this way will, according to Dr Birge, remain stable for more than 12 years.
 
To read the stored data, a low-powered red laser is shone slice by slice through the cuvette. This does not disturb the conformation of the protein molecules; but those in state "zero" absorb light at this wavelength. A machine placed behind the cuvette detects this absorption pattern and translates it into the appropriate string of ones and zeroes. Once the contents have been read into a more conventional storage device, the cuvette can be wiped clean and reset by illuminating it with a blue laser.
 
Dr Birge says that each cuvette can now hold about seven gigabytes of data (a small laptop computer might have about this much space on its hard drive). He hopes to boost that figure to ten gigabytes by finding a better-performing variety of the protein. Only those with deep pockets, however, could afford the $25,000 cost of each device.
 
Luckily for Dr Birge, the deep-pocketed American air force thinks that bR cuvettes could be a good way to equip its aircraft and satellites with light, high-density devices to store the mountains of images collected during reconnaissance missions. A protein-based memory is particularly suitable for this, because the bR molecule is robust enough to withstand the barrage of radiation from space that wreaks havoc on conventional magnetic-memory devices operating at high altitude.
 
注（1）：本文選自Economist; 12/22/2001, p94, 1/2p, 1c；
注（2）：本文習(xí)題命題模仿對象2001年真題Text 3(第一題到第三題); 2004年真題Text 1(第四題和第五題)；
 
1.       What is the passage mainly about?
 
[A]What will rule the 21st century.
[B]How bacterial protein can be used in computers.
[C]What we can get from bacterial protein.
[D]How to make bacterial protein.
 
2.       The application of bR turns out to be___________.
 
[A]very trustworthy
[B]rather superficial
[C]somewhat contradictory
[D]quite encouraging
 
3.       The basic problem of applying bR to computer lies in ____________.
 
[A]limited space on hard drive
[B]its complexity
[C]its high price
[D]its limited users
 
4.       Which of the following is not the advantage of bR?
 
[A]Working at higher altitude.
[B]Light weight.
[C]High density.
[D]Safe from strong radiation.
 
5.       Which of the following is true according to the text?
 
[A]bR has a wide variety of application in life.
[B]The protein molecules have stable characteristics.
[C]The data recorded with bR can be kept for a long time.
[D]The new device will replace conventional storage device.
 
答案：BDCAC
 
篇章剖析
本文論述了信息技術(shù)和生物工程學(xué)如何完美地結(jié)合在用蛋白質(zhì)做電腦存儲器這一新技術(shù)當(dāng)中。第一段引出論點(diǎn)；第二段、三段和四段詳細(xì)介紹這一技術(shù)的具體實(shí)施；第五段和六段介紹這一技術(shù)的應(yīng)用情況。
 
詞匯注釋
bacteriorhodopsin[]n.細(xì)菌視紫紅質(zhì)，類似于視紫紅質(zhì)的親鹽桿菌屬，出現(xiàn)在細(xì)菌細(xì)胞膜上的紫色色素，它把陽光直接轉(zhuǎn)變成化學(xué)能。
tweak vt. 扭，擰，掐；調(diào)節(jié)；調(diào)整
hit vt. 瞬時干擾；瞬時中斷
deep pocket 財富，資產(chǎn)
havoc [] n. 大破壞; 蹂躪; 毀壞; 浩劫; 大混亂
play [raise] havoc with [among] 對...造成嚴(yán)重破壞, 使...陷入大混亂
wreak [ri:k] vt. 泄(怒); 雪(恨)；懲罰, [古]報仇；施加, 造成(禍災(zāi))
 
難句突破
A pair of lasers arranged at right angles to one another write data into the cuvette by shining in turn on "slices" through the plastic matrix.
主體句式：A pair of lasers …write data …
結(jié)構(gòu)分析：本句是一個簡單句。句子的主語是“a pair of lasers”，“arranged at right angles to one another”是后置定語，用來修飾主語；謂語是“write”；“by”做伴隨狀語，短語“in turn”意思是“輪流”。
句子譯文：一對事先調(diào)整到一個合適角度的激光器通過塑料矩陣輪流在“切片”上閃爍，這樣就把數(shù)據(jù)寫入試管。
 
題目分析
1．答案為B，屬主旨大意題。文章第一段點(diǎn)出了本文的論題。
2. 答案為D，屬推理判斷題。綜觀全文，雖然bR用在電腦中，其售價不菲，但是其使用效果，以及在軍事領(lǐng)域中的運(yùn)用都說明這一應(yīng)用是非常鼓舞人心、令人看好的。
3. 答案為C，屬事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)。原文對應(yīng)信息是“Only those with deep pockets, however, could afford the $25,000 cost of each device.”這一句話中，關(guān)鍵是要理解“deep pockets”的含義。它的意思是“財富，資產(chǎn)”，暗示了這一產(chǎn)品售價高昂。
4. 答案為A，屬事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。原文對應(yīng)信息是“…because the bR molecule is robust enough to withstand the barrage of radiation from space that wreaks havoc on conventional magnetic-memory devices operating at high altitude.”，我們無從判斷bR是否能在更高的高度上正常運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。
5. 答案為C，屬事實(shí)細(xì)節(jié)題。原文對應(yīng)信息是“This corresponds to "one" in binary code. Once the lasers are switched off, data recorded this way will, according to Dr Birge, remain stable for more than 12 years.”。
 
參考譯文
許多人認(rèn)為，信息技術(shù)和生物工程學(xué)將主宰21世紀(jì)。康涅狄格大學(xué)的化學(xué)家羅伯特•伯奇正在設(shè)法通過用蛋白質(zhì)做電腦存儲器的方法把它們結(jié)合在一起。
 
所說的蛋白質(zhì)就是細(xì)菌視紫紅質(zhì)(bR)，即一種分子，當(dāng)它吸收了光線以后，就會發(fā)生結(jié)構(gòu)變化。伯奇博士和他的同事應(yīng)用遺傳工程從一種叫做嗜鹽菌的細(xì)菌中提取混亂無序的細(xì)菌視紫紅質(zhì)，培養(yǎng)出各種各樣的分子。他們聲稱這些分子非常適合做計算機(jī)的存儲元件。若用綠光對它進(jìn)行瞬(時干)擾，它呈現(xiàn)一種形狀；若再用紅光瞬擾, 它便變成另一種形狀；然后再用藍(lán)光瞬擾，它便恢復(fù)到其原始狀態(tài)。
 
為了用蛋白質(zhì)做存儲器，伯奇博士把用蛋白質(zhì)研制成的元素懸浮在一個透明塑料試管中。此時，一對事先調(diào)整到一個合適角度的激光器通過塑料矩陣輪流在“切片”上閃爍，這樣就把數(shù)據(jù)寫入試管。產(chǎn)生綠光的第一個激光器掃描整體試管，導(dǎo)致其中的蛋白質(zhì)成分呈現(xiàn)一種在二進(jìn)制編碼中被定為“0’的形狀。產(chǎn)生紅光的第二個激光器刺激某些地方，使其呈現(xiàn)第二種形狀，此形狀對應(yīng)于二進(jìn)制編碼中的“1”。據(jù)伯奇博士說，一旦這些激光器被斷開后，用這種方式記錄下來的數(shù)據(jù)能穩(wěn)定地保留12 年以上。
 
讀取存儲的數(shù)據(jù)時，就讓一個低能紅色激光器通過試管一片一片地發(fā)光。這不會干擾蛋白質(zhì)分子的構(gòu)造，但那些“0”狀態(tài)的蛋白質(zhì)分子將吸收這個波長的光。放置在試管后面的機(jī)器可檢測吸收圖形，并把它轉(zhuǎn)換成適當(dāng)?shù)囊涣泻�有�?”和“0”的數(shù)字。當(dāng)其中的內(nèi)容讀入一個更常規(guī)的存貯設(shè)備后，通過藍(lán)色激光器的閃爍就可使試管清零復(fù)位。
 
伯奇博士說，每支這樣的試管現(xiàn)在可保存約七十億字節(jié)的數(shù)據(jù)(一臺小型手提電腦的硬盤也就這么大的空間)。他希望通過找到一種性能更好的蛋白質(zhì)把這個數(shù)字提高到100億字節(jié)。不過，只有那些家財萬貫的人才能買得起每臺價值25,000美元的計算機(jī)。
 
伯奇博士感到幸運(yùn)的，財力雄厚的美國空軍認(rèn)為bR試管可能是一種用重量輕、密度高的存儲設(shè)備裝備其飛機(jī)和衛(wèi)星的好方法。這種設(shè)備可以用來儲存儲存?zhèn)刹祜w行中收集到的大量圖像。蛋白質(zhì)存儲器特別適合這種用途，因?yàn)閎R分子十分強(qiáng)壯，足以承受來自太空的大量輻射。這種輻射會對在高空運(yùn)行的常規(guī)磁芯式存儲器造成嚴(yán)重破壞。

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