Cork
CORK
1.[U] the bark (= outer part ) of a tree from southern Europe and North Africa, used to make things栓皮，软木〔南欧和北非的一种橡树的树皮〕•a cork bulletin board 软木公告板 •
2.[C] a long round piece of cork or plastic which is put into the top of a bottle, especially a wine bottle, to keep liquid inside木瓶塞，软木塞
1. Cork - the thick bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus suber) - is a remarkable material. It is tough, elastic, buoyant, and fire-resistant, and suitable for a wide range of purposes. It has also been used for millennia: the ancient Egyptians sealed their sarcophagi (stone coffins) with cork, while the ancient Greeks and Romans used it for anything from beehives to sandals.
大意归纳：引出主题-Cork+性能描述及用途广泛的特点。
译文：软木——软木橡树的厚皮——是一种特别的材料。它具有坚韧、弹性、浮力和防火性能，适用用途广泛。它也被使用了几千年:古埃及人用软木塞封住他们的石棺(石棺)，而古希腊和罗马人则用它来做（几乎）任何东西，从蜂箱到凉鞋。 生词：
Elastic[ɪ'læstɪk] adj. 有弹性的；灵活的；易伸缩的n. 松紧带；橡皮圈
1.a type of rubber material that can stretch and then return to its usual length or size〔橡皮〕弹力材料 a piece of elastic 一根橡皮带2.made of elastic弹力材料制成的an elastic cord 弹力绳3.a system or plan that is elastic can change or be changed easily〔系统或计划〕灵活的，有伸缩性的 Demand for this type of holiday will probably be fairly elastic. 对这类假期的需求可能有相当的弹性。elasticity [elæ'stɪsɪtɪ; iː-; ɪ-] n. 弹性；弹力；灵活性
buoyant ['bɒɪənt]adj. 轻快的；有浮力的；上涨的1.happy and confident愉快而自信的Phil was in a buoyant mood. 菲尔心情愉快。2.buoyant prices etc tend to rise〔价格等〕趋于上升的，上涨的a buoyant economy 欣欣向荣的经济3.able to float or keep things floating易浮起的，有浮力的•Cork is very buoyant. 软木浮性很好。DERIVATIVE 派生词buoyantly adv millennia英 [mɪˈleniə] n. 千年期（millennium的复数）；一千年；千年庆典；太平盛世millennium /mi'leniəm/n.1.一千年，千年期2.千周年纪念日，千周年庆祝活动3.the millennium千禧年,千年王国 n. millenniums millennia -- over millennia数千年来 millennia 4.it may have religious or theological (adj. 神学的) implications—millenarianism [,mili'nεəriənizəm] n. 千福年说（传说耶稣将重临人世统治的一千年）
sarcophagi（雕花大理石）石棺（sarcophagus的复数）n.1.(常饰有精美雕刻的)石棺.sarcophagus 的复数 n. 2.(古希腊人用以制石棺的)大理石，石灰石
beehive /ˈbiːhaɪv/ n. [C ]1.a structure where bee s are kept for producing honey蜂房，蜂箱 2.a way of arranging a woman’s hair in a high pile on the top of her head, that was popular in the 1960s〔20世纪60年代流行的〕蜂窝式发型
2．And the cork oak itself is an extraordinary tree. Its bark grows up to 20cm in thickness, insulating the tree like a coat wrapped around the trunk and branches and keeping the inside at a constant 20°C all year round. Developed most probably as a defence against forest fires, the bark of the cork oak has a particular cellular structure - with about 40 million cells per cubic centimetre - that technology has never succeeded in replicating. The cells are filled with air, which is why cork is so buoyant. It also has an elasticity that means you can squash it and watch it spring back to its original size and shape when you release the pressure. • •
大意归纳：软木橡树（cork oak）本身的性能—保温性，防火性，轻巧性（浮力大），高弹性等。 译文：软木橡树本身就是一棵特别的树。其树皮长大到20厘米厚度，像外套缠绕在树干和树枝上使得树体和外界绝缘，保持在一个全年20°C恒温的状态。可能是进化成为一种防御森林火灾的方法，软木橡树的树皮有一种特殊的细胞结构——每立方厘米大约有4000万个细胞——这种技术从未成功地复制。这些细胞充满了空气，这就是为什么软木塞如此大的浮力。它也富有弹性，这意味着你可以挤压它然后释放压力的时候它会回弹回原样。
Insulate英 ['ɪnsjʊleɪt] vt. 隔离，使孤立；使绝缘，使隔热 insulated cable [电] 绝缘电缆 1.to cover or protect something with a material that stops electricity, sound, heat etc from getting in or out使绝缘；使隔热；使隔音an insulated attic 隔热[隔音]的阁楼insulate sth from/against sth Pipes may need insulating against the cold. 管道可能需要隔温以防冰冻。2.to keep someone apart from particular experiences or influences, especially unpleasant ones使免除〔尤指不愉快的经历〕；使免受〔尤指不良影响〕；隔离insulate sb from sth The royal family tried to insulate him from the prying eyes of the media. 王室想使他避开媒体窥视的目光。
cellular structure [高分子] 微孔结构；蜂窝状结构 cellular英 ['seljʊlə] adj. 细胞的；多孔的；由细胞组成的n. 移动电话；单元1.consisting of or relating to the cells of plants or animals由细胞组成的，细胞的2.a cellular telephone system works by using a network of radio stations to pass on signals〔电话系统〕蜂窝状的，蜂窝式的 a cellular network 蜂窝式网络系统 cellular network 蜂窝网络细胞/蜂巢网路cellular phone 移动电话/手机/蜂窝电话/行动电话 replicate replicate 英 ['replɪkeɪt] vt. 复制；折叠vi. 重复；折转adj. 复制的；折叠的n. 复制品；八音阶间隔的反覆音1.[T] formal if you replicate someone’s work, a scientific study etc, you do it again, or try to get the same result again重做；复制There is a need for further research to replicate these findings. 需要进一步的研究来验证这些结果。2.[I,T] technical if a virus or a molecule replicates, or if it replicates itself, it divides and produces exact copies of itself〔病毒、分子〕自我复制the ability of DNA to replicate itself 脱氧核糖核酸的自我复制能力 DERIVATIVE 派生词replication n.
squash 英 [skwɒʃ] vt. 镇压；把…压扁；使沉默vi. 受挤压；发出挤压声；挤入n. 壁球；挤压；咯吱声；南瓜属植物；（英）果汁饮料 复数 squashes或 squash
squash 1 /skwɒʃ,skwɑʃ/ v.1.PRESS 挤压[T] to press something into a flatter shape, often
breaking or damaging it挤扁；压扁；压碎；压坏SYN FLATTEN •The cake got a bit squashed on the way here. 蛋糕在送来这里的路上有点压坏了。•Move over - you’re squashing me. 挪过去点，你挤着我了。squash sth down•Her hair had been squashed down by her hat. 她的头发被帽子压得平平的。2.SMALL SPACE 狭小空间[I,T always + adv/prep] to push yourself or something else into a space that is too small挤进；塞进SYN SQUEEZE [+ into]•Seven of us squashed into the car. 我们七个挤进了汽车。squash sth in•We can probably squash another couple of things in. 我们也许还可以塞几件东西进去。3.STOP STH 阻止某事[T] informal to use your power or authority to stop something镇压，压制SYN QUASH 【非正式】 •Her suggestions were always squashed. 她的建 议总是受到压制。
squash rumours/hopes/reports etc (=say that a rumour etc is not true)辟谣/粉碎希望/压制报道等•The government was quick to squash any hopes of reform. 一有改革的苗头，政府马上就进行打压。squash up -- to move closer together or closer to something, especially in order to make room for someone or something else挤在一起〔尤为腾出地方给别人或别的东西〕•The others squashed up against Jo.其他人都挤到乔这边来了。
squash 2 n.1.SPORT 体育运动[U] a game played by two people who use rackets to hit a small rubber ball against the walls of a square court壁球•a squash court 壁球场 2.it’s a squash--spoken used to say that there is not enough space for everyone to fit in comfortably太挤了3.VEGETABLE 蔬菜[C,U] one of a group of large vegetables with solid flesh and hard skins, such as pumpkins南瓜属植物的果实
3. Cork oaks grow in a number of Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Morocco. They flourish in warm, sunny climates where there is a minimum of 400 millimetres of rain per year, and not more than 800 millimetres. Like grape vines, the trees thrive in poor soil, putting down deep roots in search of moisture and nutrients.Southern Portugal’s Alentejo region meets all of these requirements, which explains why, by the early 20th century, this region had become the world’s largest producer of cork, and why today it accounts for roughly half of all cork production around the world.
大意归纳：软木橡树生长环境：区域，气候条件，土壤要求（贫瘠）；葡萄牙南部的Alentejo地区是种植理想之地，在20世纪初九成为软木塞产量第一地区，占世界产量50%
译文：软木橡树生长在许多地中海国家，包括葡萄牙、西班牙、意大利、希腊和摩洛哥。它们在温暖、阳光充足的气候下生长，每年至少有400毫米的降雨量，但不超过800毫米。像葡萄藤一样，树木在贫瘠的土壤里茁壮成长，扎根于土壤中寻找水分和养分。葡萄牙南部的Alentejo地区满足了所有这些要求，这也解释了为什么在20世纪早期，这个地区已经成为世界上最大的软木塞生产国，为什么今天它占了所有软木生产的一半。
4. Most cork forests are family-owned. Many of these family businesses, and indeed many of the trees themselves, are around 200 years old. Cork production is, above all, an exercise in patience. From the planting of a cork sapling to the first harvest takes 25 years, and a gap of approximately a decade must separate harvests from an individual tree. And for top-quality cork, it’s necessary to wait a further 15 or 20 years. You even have to wait for the right kind of summer’s day to harvest cork. If the bark is stripped on a day when it’s too cold - or when the air is damp - the tree will be damaged.
大意归纳： 软木生产的要求。
译文：大多数软木森林是家族所有的。许多家族企业，甚至许多树木本身，都已经有200年的历史了。软木生产首先是一种耐心的锻炼。从种植软木橡树幼苗到第一次收获需要25年，而每一棵树上收获必须大约空出10年的时间间隔。对于优质的软木塞，有必要再等15到20年。你甚至还得等到合适的夏日去收割软木塞。如果在天气太冷或空气潮湿的时候剥去树皮，树就会被破坏。
Sapling英 ['sæplɪŋ] n. 树苗；年轻人、幼树、小树sapling stage 幼树阶段sapling bank 稚树库 sapless 英 ['sæplɪs] adj. 枯萎的；无生气的；无价值的
5. Cork harvesting is a very specialised profession. No mechanical means of stripping cork bark has been invented, so the job is done by teams of highly skilled workers. First, they make vertical cuts down the bark using small sharp axes, then lever it away in pieces as large as they can manage. The most skilful cork-strippers prise away a semi-circular husk that runs the length of the trunk from just above ground level to the first branches. It is then dried on the ground for about four months, before being taken to factories, where it is boiled to kill any insects that might remain in the cork. Over 60% of cork then goes on to be made into traditional bottle stoppers, with most of the remainder being used in the construction trade. Corkboard and cork tiles are ideal for thermal and acoustic insulation, while granules of cork are used in the manufacture of concrete.
译文：软木收割是一个非常专业的职业。没有一种机械的剥开软木树皮的方法被发明出来，所以这项工作是由高度熟练的工人组成的团队完成的。首先，他们用小的锋利的斧子将树皮垂直切割下来，然后把它尽可能大的把它撬开。最熟练的软木剥皮工把一个半圆形的外壳撬开，这个外壳长度是沿着树干的从地面上一直延伸到第一个分支。在被带到工厂之前，它会在地上晾干大约4个月，在那里被煮沸以杀死任何可能留在软木塞的昆虫。超过60%的软木塞继续被制成传统的瓶塞，其余的大部分被用于建筑业。软木板和软木砖是隔热和隔音的理想材料，而软木颗粒则用于制造混凝土。
大意归纳： 软木收割及加工用途。
Prise n. 奖赏；捕获；撬杠vt. （英）捕获；撬动；欣赏（等于prize）
husk n. 皮；外壳；无价值之物vt. 削皮；以粗哑的嗓音说vi. 嗓音变得嘶哑1.[C,U] the dry outer part of corn, some grains, seeds, nuts etc〔某些谷物、种子、坚果等的〕干燥外皮，壳，荚 2.[C] the useless outer part of something that remains after the important or useful part is gone or has been used外壳，空壳[+ of]•His drug addiction had turned him into a husk of his former self. 毒瘾已经让他变得只剩下一副空皮囊。husk 2 v. [T ]to remove the husks from grains, seeds etc去除…的干燥外皮；剥去…的干壳[荚]rice husk米糠How can we remove the husk of the grains? 我们怎样去掉谷物的外皮？
Granule gran‧ule /'ɡrænjuːl/ n. [C ]a small hard piece of something颗粒，微粒，细粒•coffee granules 咖啡颗粒starch granule淀粉颗粒；淀粉粒
6. Recent years have seen the end of the virtual monopoly of cork as the material for bottle stoppers, due to concerns about the effect it may have on the contents of the bottle. This is caused by a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which forms through the interaction of plant phenols, chlorine and mould. The tiniest concentrations - as little as three or four parts to a trillion - can spoil the taste of the product contained in the bottle. The result
has been a gradual yet steady move first towards plastic stoppers and, more recently, to aluminium screw caps. These substitutes are cheaper to manufacture and, in the case of screw caps, more convenient for the user.
大意归纳： 软木塞的替代品出现,取代原来的垄断局面。
译文：近年来，软木塞作为瓶塞材料的实质垄断已经结束，因为人们担心它可能对瓶子内的产品产生影响。这是由一种叫做2,4,6 -三氯苯甲醚(TCA)的化合物引起的，这种化合物通过植物酚、氯和霉菌的相互作用形成。哪怕是最微小的浓度——哪怕只有3到4个部分到达万亿——可能会破坏瓶子里的产品的味道。这一结果是一个逐步稳定的趋势，首先是塑料瓶盖，最近，出现铝制螺旋盖。这些替代品的生产成本更低，而且螺旋盖更方便用户使用。
virtual 英 [ˈvɜ:tʃuəl] adj. [计] 虚拟的；实质上的，事实上的（但未在名义上或正式获承认）1.very nearly a particular thing几乎的•Car ownership is a virtual necessity when you live in the country. 住在乡下，拥有汽车几乎是必需的。•Finding a cheap place to rent is a virtual impossibility in this area. 要在这个地区租到便宜的房子几乎不可能。2.made, done, seen etc on the Internet or on a computer, rather than in the real world虚拟的，模拟的〔指通过计算机或网络〕•The website allows you to take a virtual tour of the art gallery. 这个网站可让你对美术馆作一番虚拟参观。•constructing virtual worlds 构筑虚拟世界
monopoly [mə'nɒp(ə)lɪ] n. 垄断；垄断者；专卖权1.[C] if a company or government has a monopoly of a business or political activity, it has complete control of it so that other organizations cannot compete with it垄断；独占；专营•a monopoly in copper trading 对铜交易的垄断[+ of]•the state monopoly of television 国家对电视的垄断[+ on/in]•For years Bell Telephone had a monopoly on telephone services in the US. 贝尔电话公司曾多年垄断美国的电话业务。2.[C] a large company that controls all or most of a business activity垄断者；垄断企业；专卖者•The company is a state-owned monopoly. 该公司是一家国有垄断企业。3.[singular,单数] if someone has a monopoly on something, that thing belongs to them, and no one else can share it垄断品；被独占的东西•Teachers do not have a monopoly on educational debate. 有关教育问题的辩论并不是老师的专利。Monopoly Enterprise 独占企业/垄断企业 spoil 英 [spɒɪl] vt. 溺爱；糟蹋；破坏；掠夺vi. 掠夺；变坏；腐败n. 次品；奖品
pp: spoiled spoilt 1.DAMAGE 损坏[T] to have a bad effect on something so that it is no longer attractive, enjoyable, useful etc毁掉，糟蹋，破坏SYN RUIN •The whole park is spoiled by litter. 整个公园环境都给垃圾破坏了。•We didn’t let the incident spoil our day. 我们没有让这件事破坏我们一整天的气氛。2.TREAT TOO KINDLY 过于宽容地对待[T] to give a child everything they want, or let them do whatever they want, often with the result that they behave badly宠坏，惯坏，溺爱〔小孩〕•She’s an only child, but they didn’t really spoil her. 她是独生女，不过他们也没有娇惯她。•His mother and sisters spoil him rotten (= spoil him very much ) . 他母亲和姐姐把他给宠坏了。3.TREAT KINDLY 体贴地对待[T] to look after someone in a way that is very kind or too kind无微不至地关心；过分地照顾，纵容•You’ll have to let me spoil you on your birthday. 你生日那天一定要让我好好待你。spoil yourself •Go on, spoil yourself. Have another piece of cake. 来吧，善待自己，再来一块蛋糕吧。.spoil 毁掉,糟蹋,破坏〔某事物的美或趣味等〕to have a bad effect on something so that it is much less attractive, enjoyable etc •New housing developments are spoiling the countryside. 新住宅区破坏了乡村的景色。 •The bad weather completely spoiled our holiday. 恶劣的天气彻底毁了我们的假期。 spoil 2 n.1.spoils[plural]the things that someone gets by being successful 成功的附带好处
•They tried to take more than a fair share of the spoils. 他们想拿更多的好处。
things taken by an army from a defeated enemy, or things taken by thieves 战利品；掠夺物；赃物the spoils of war/victory etc 战利品
2.[U] waste material such as earth and stones from a mine or hole in the ground〔矿井里或地下挖出的〕废石方，弃土•spoil heaps 废石方堆Spoil Egyptians 掠夺埃及―――迫使敌人提供自己所需要的东西,源于圣经
7. The classic cork stopper does have several advantages, however. Firstly, its traditional image is more in keeping with that of the type of high quality goods with which it has long been associated. Secondly - and very importantly - cork is a sustainable product that can be recycled without difficulty. Moreover, cork forests are a resource which support local biodiversity, and prevent desertification in the regions where they are planted. So, given the current concerns about environmental issues, the future of this ancient material once again looks promising.
大意归纳： 软木塞的优势及前景。
译文：然而，经典的软木塞确实有几个优点。首先，它的传统形象更符合它长久以来与之相联系的高品质产品的类型。其次，而且非常重要的是，软木是一种可持续的产品，可以毫无困难地回收利用。此外，软木森林是一种能保持当地生物多样性的资源，并可防止在其种植区域的沙漠化。因此，考虑到当前对环境问题的关注，这一古老材料的未来将再次充满希望。 in keeping with in keeping with 与…一致/按照/符合/与……协调 In keeping with tradition 合乎传统
promising /'prɒmɪsɪŋ/ adj. showing signs of being successful or good in the future大有希望的，很有前途的a promising career in law 很有前途的法律职业a promising young actor 大有前途的年轻演员a promising start 良好的开端DERIVATIVE 派生词promisingly adv
promising deposit 有开采价值的矿藏promising futuren. 发展前景；光明的前途promising market发展潜力大的市场；有销路的市场
We're trying to bring along several promising young football player. 我们正设法培养出几个有前途的年轻足球运动员。
Question 1-5
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Question 6-13
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 6 - 13 on your answer sheet.
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