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实用英语综合教程第二册-6
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UNIT 6 Text A PRE-READING TASK Exercise 1 Before reading the passage, think about the questions. 1. What makes human beings different from animals? A. The ability to use tools. B. The learning and sharing of behavior. c. The use of language. 2. Do you think animals have a culture? If yes, give an example. Now read the passage and compare your answers with the author's. Do Animals Have a Culture? 1. Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in humans, or if some animals have culture too. When we speak of culture, we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Culture includes the beliefs and attitudes we learn. It is the patterns of behaviour that help people to live together. It is also the patterns of behaviour that make one group of people different from another group. 2. Our culture lets us make up for having lost our strength, claws, long teeth, and other defenses. Instead, we use tools, cooperate with one another, and communicate in language. But these aspects of human behaviour, or "culture", can also be found in the lives of certain animals. 3. We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Lately, however, we have found that this is not the case. Chimpanzees can not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. This is a major step up from simply picking up a handy object and using it. For example,
have been seen stripping the leaves and
off a branch, then putting it into a
nest. When the
bite at the stick, the
removes it and eats them off the end -- not unlike our use of a fork! 4. For some time we thought that although human beings learned their culture, animals could not be taught such behaviour. Or even if they could learn, they would not teach one another in the way people do. This too has proven to be untrue. A group of Japanese monkeys was studied at the Kyoto University Monkey Centre in Japan. They were given sweet potatoes by scientists who wanted to attract them to the shore of an island. One day a young female began to wash her sweet potato to get rid of the sand. This practice soon spread throughout the group. It became learned behaviour, not from humans but from other monkeys. Now almost all monkeys who have not come into contact with this group do not. Thus we have a "cultural" difference among animals. 5. We have ruled out tool use and invention as ways of telling animal behaviour from human behaviour. We have also ruled out learning and sharing of behaviour. Yet we still have held onto the last feature -- language. But even the use of language can no longer separate human culture from animal culture: Attempts to teach apes to speak have failed. However, this is because apes do not have the proper
organs. But teaching them language has been very successful if we are willing to accept other forms than just the spoken word. Two psychologists trained a chimpanzee named Washoe to use Standard American Sign Language. This is the same language used by deaf people. In this language, "talk" is made through gestures, and not by spelling out words with individual letters. By the time she was five years old, Washoe had a vocabulary of 130 signs. Also, she could put them together in new ways that had not been taught her originally. This means she could create language and not just copy it. She creates her own sentences that have real meaning. This has allowed two-way talk. It permits more than one-way command and response. 6. Of course, there are limits to the culture of animals. As far as we know, no ape has formed social institutions such as religion, law, or economics. Also, some chimps may be able to but this form of language is limited in its ability to communicate abstract ideas. Yet with a spoken language we can communicate our entire culture to anyone else who knows that language. Perhaps the most important thing we have learned from studies of other animals is that the line dividing us from them is not as clear as we used to think. New Words lately ad. recently 近来，最近 attitude n. a way of feeling, thinking or behaving 态度，看法 behaviour n. manners (good or bad) 行为，举止，品行 claw n. （鸟、兽、昆虫等的）爪 defense/defence n. 防御能力，防御（物） cooperate v. to work or act together with another or others 合作 handy a. 1. not far away 手边的，近便的 2. useful 方便的，便利的 chimpn. [口语]黑猩猩(=chimpanzee) strip v. to take off (coverings, clothes, parts, etc.) 剥去，除去
n. a small shoot on or at the end of a branch 小枝，嫩枝 nest n. 窝，巢，穴 unlike prep. different from 不像，不同 female n. 1.雌性动物 2.女子 a. 1.雌(性)的 2.女(性)的 rid v. (rid, rid)to make free 使摆脱,从...清除 attempt n. a try 试图,企图,尝试 v. to try (to do something) 尝试,试图 successful a. having success 成功的 chimpanzee n. 黑猩猩 vocabulary n. a list or collection of words 词汇(量) command n. 1. an order 命令,指令 2. the ability to control and use 控制,运用能力 economics n. 经济学 Phrases and Expressions speak of 谈起，提到 in common 共同 different from 与...不同,不同于 make up for 补偿,弥补 cooperate with 与...合作/相配合 strip off 剥去 get rid of 除去 come into contact with 与...接触,接触到 rule out 排除在外 hold onto 保持,继续 tell...from 区别 separate...from 区分 be willing to 愿意,乐意 spell out 拼(写)出(词的字母) Proper Names the Kyoto University Monkey Center 京都大学猴子研究中心 Washoe 一黑猩猩名 Text B PRE-READING TASK Exercise 1 Before reading the passage, think about the questions. 1. Have you ever heard of I.P. Pavlov, a famous Russian scientist? 2. What was the important theory he developed? Now read the passage to learn more about Pavlov. Animal Learning: Pavlov and Beyond 1. Much of an animal's behaviour depends on what it inherits from its parents, that is, on instincts. These do not change according to circumstances. Behaviour which is learned, on the other hand, does vary and can adapt to different conditions. 2. All animals can learn, but learning is easier for some species than for others. Worms and , for example, learn much more slowly than mice. Some species (chimpanzees,
and elephants, for instance) are famous for their ability to learn and to remember. And interestingly in all species, including man of course, learning is easier for some than for others. 3. I.P. Pavlov (), a famous Russian scientist, found that dogs associated the sound of a bell with food if they always received food after hearing a bell. Of course, when they see food, most animals salivate. Pavlov discovered that, after a time, salivating occurred when the dogs heard the bell, even if there was no food. This was because conditioning had taken place. He called this kind of reaction a conditioned reflex. 4. However, Pavlov also found that the effect of conditioning disappeared gradually if there was no reward (that is, the dogs stopped salivating if on many occasions the bell rang but no food followed). This showed that reinforcing the animals' conditioned behaviour was very important. 5. Learning through conditioned reflexes is not the only kind of learning that animals are capable of. In laboratory experiments with rats, for instance, it has been proved that those which are brought up in a very "limited" (boring) environment find it more difficult to learn things later than those which are brought up in "" environments, with more things to do (like climbing ladders, exploring tunnels, etc.). It seems that, as Julian Huxley said, " cages minds as well as bodies". 6. Then there is the question of intelligence. Some species can recognise colours (bees, for example), some can recognise numbers, and some (such as chimpanzees) can do quite complicated tasks, while others (like the famous elephant that "never forgets") can distinguish and remember hundreds of different commands. Some animals, especially chimpanzees and gorillas, can solve problems which are new for them and, using different kinds of codes, can even "speak" to the scientists studying them, using sign language. 7. In fact, many animals can communicate, but they cannot really speak. They are
of doing so. Human beings have been able to speak for thousands of years, and speaking may be the most important element in learning. Certainly, it has helped man to distinguish himself from other species. New Words inherit v. 1. to
(qualities, etc.) from ancestors 由遗传而得(性格、特征等) 2. 继承(财产、爵位等) adapt v. to make suitable for a new use, need, situation, etc. 使适应,使配合 worm n. 虫，蠕虫，蛆 mouse n. (复数 mice) 鼠
n. 大猩猩 conditioning n. 条件作用，条件反射作用 conditioned a. 在某种条件下的, 有条件的 reflex n. 反射，反射作用 reinforce v. 1.强化 2.to strengthen or support 增强，加强 laboratory n. a room or building used for scientific experiments, research, testing, etc. 实验室 bore v. to make someone tired or uninterested 使厌烦, 使厌倦 boring a. dull 令人厌烦的,乏味的
v. to excite 刺激,激励 stimulating a. exciting 使人兴奋的, 激励的 tunnel n. an underground passage 隧道,地道 captivity n. 囚虏，监禁，束缚 cage v. 控制住，把...囚禁起来 n. 笼子 distinguish v. 1. to recognize clearly 辨别出,认出 2. to recognize the difference (between) 区分,辨别 incapable a. not capable 无能力的,不能胜任的 element n. 1. 要素,性质 2. 元素 Phrases and Expressions adapt to 适应 associate with 联想, 使联合,使结合 capable of 1.有...能力的 2.能...的, 可以...的 bring up 养育 incapable of 不能...的 distinguish ... from 区别,区分 Proper Names Pavlov 巴甫洛夫(, 前苏联生理学家) Julian Huxley 朱利安.赫胥黎(, 英国生物学家,科学哲学家)
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参考例句：
In fact,the color of gorilla and chimp are light-color.其实大猩猩和黑猩猩的肤色是较为浅的。
The chimp is the champ.猩猩是冠军。
（非洲）黑猩猩( chimp的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Chimps are too scarce, and too nearly human, to be routinely slaughtered for spare parts. 黑猩猩又太少，也太接近于人类，不可以作为人器官备用件说杀就杀。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
And as nonprimates, they provoke fewer ethical and safety-related concerns than chimps or baboons. 而且作为非灵长类，就不会产生像用黑猩猩或狒狒那样的伦理和安全方面的顾虑。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 医学的第四次革命
n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解
参考例句：
He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。
The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。
细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。
参考例句：
The termite control was also probed into further in this text.本文还进一步探讨了白蚁的防治方法。
Termite often destroys wood.白蚁经常破坏树木。
n.白蚁( termite的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Termites are principally tropical in distribution. 白蚁主要分布在热带地区。 来自辞典例句
This spray will exterminate the termites. 这种喷剂能消灭白蚁。 来自辞典例句
adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句：
The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
章鱼( octopus的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Snails and octopuses are molluscs. 蜗牛和章鱼是软体动物。
Limpets, snails and octopuses are mollusks. 帽贝、蜗牛和章鱼都是软体动物。
n.大猩猩，暴徒，打手
参考例句：
I was awed by the huge gorilla.那只大猩猩使我惊惧。
A gorilla is just a speechless animal.猩猩只不过是一种不会说话的动物。
n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手
参考例句：
the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的
参考例句：
shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。
n.囚禁；被俘；束缚
参考例句：
A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。
adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律
参考例句：
He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
adj.无能力的，不能做某事的
参考例句：
He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。
v.取得；导出；引申；来自；源自；出自
参考例句：
We derive our sustenance from the land.我们从土地获取食物。
We shall derive much benefit from reading good novels.我们将从优秀小说中获得很大好处。
vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋
参考例句：
Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。
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　　新浪教育讯 日全国大学英语六级考试已结束，本次考试为多题多卷，新浪外语第一时间收集整理不同版本试题，供考生参考，以下是2015年12月大学英语六级听力答案（新东方&新东方在线版）：
　　As it is， sleep is so undervalued that getting by on fewer hours has become a badge o？ Plus， we live in a culture that 36 to the late –nighter， from 24-hourgrocery store to ？ shopping site that never close。 It’s no surprise， then， that more than half of American adults get the 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night as 37 by sleep experts。
　　Whether or not we can catch up on sleep – on the weekend， say- is a hotly 38 among sleep researchers。 The latest evidence suggests that while it isn’t 39 ， it might ？ when Liu， the UCLA sleep researcher and professor of medicine， brought 40 sleep-rest people into the lab for a weekend of sleep during which they lagged about 10 hours per night。 ？ showed 41 in the ability of insulin（胰岛素） to process blood sugar。 That suggests ？ up sleep may undo some but not all of the damage that sleep 42 causes， which is encouraging ？ given how many adults don’t get the hours they need each night。 Still， Liu isn’t 43 to end the habit of sleeping less and making up for it later。
　　Sleeping pills， while helpful for some， are not 44 an effective remedy either。 “A sleeping pill will 45 one area of the brain， but there’s never going to be a perfect sleeping pill， because you couldn’t really replicate （复制）the different chemicals moving in and out of different parts ？ the brain to go through the different stages of sleep，” says Dr。 Nancy Collop， director of the Em？ University Sleep Center。
　　A） 　alternatively I） negotiated
　　B）　 caters J） pierce
　　C） chronically K） presumption
　　D） debated L） ready
　　E） deprivation M） recommended
　　F） ideal N） surpasses
　　G） improvements O） target
　　H） necessarily
　　答案：BMDFO GELHJ
　　Climate change may be real， but it’s still not easy being green
　　How do we convince our inner caveman to be greener？We ask some outstanding social scientists。
　　A） The road to climate hell is paved with our good intentions。 Politicians may tackle polluters while scientists do battle with carbon emissions。 But the most pervasive problem is less obvious： our own behaviour。 We get distracted before we can turn down the heating。 We break our promise not to fly after hearing about a neighbor’s rip to India。 Ultimately， we can’t be bothered to change our attitude。 Fortunately for the planet， social science and behavioral economics may be able to do that for us。
　　B） Despite mournful polar bears and carts showing carbon emissions soaring， mot people find it hard to believe that global warming will affect them personally。 Recent polls by the Pew Research Centre in Washington， DC， found that 75-80 per cent of participants regarded climate change as an important issue。 But respondents ranked it last on a list of priorities。
　　C） This inconsistency largely stems from a feeling of powerlessness。 “When we can’t actually remove the source of our fear， we tend to adapt psychologically by adopting a range of defense mechanisms，” says Tom Crompton， change strategist for the environmental organization World Wide Fund for Nature。
　　D） Part of the fault lies with our inner caveman。 Evolution has programmed humans to pay most attention to issues that will have an immediate impact。 “We worry most about now because if we don’t survive for the next minute， we’re not going to be around in ten years’ time，” says Professor Elke Weber of the Centre for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University in New York。 If the Thames were lapping around Big Ben， Londoners would face up to the problem of emissions pretty quickly。 But in practice， our brain discounts the risks—and benefits—associated with issues that lie some way ahead。
　　E） Matthew Rushworth， of the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford， sees this in his lab every day。 “One of the ways in which all agents seem to make decisions is that they assign a lower weighting to outcomes that are going to be further away in the future，” he says。 “This is a very sensible way for an animal to make decisions in the wild and would have been very helpful for humans for thousands of years。”
　　F） Not any longer。 By the time we wake up to the threat posed by climate change， it could well be too late。 And if we’re not going to make national decisions about the future， others may have to help us to do so。
　　G） Few political libraries are without a copy of Nudge： Improving Decisions About Health， Wealth and Happiness， by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein。 They argue that governments should persuade us into making better decisions—such as saving more in our pension plans—by changing the default options。 Professor Weber believes that environmental policy can make use of similar tactics。 If， for example， building codes included green construction guidelines， most developers would be too lazy to challenge them。
　　H） Defaults are certainly part of the solution。 But social scientists are most concerned about crafting messages that exploit our group mentality（心态）。 ”We need to understand what motivates people， what it is that allows them to make change，” says Professor Neil Adger， of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Norwich。 ”It is actually about what their peers think of them， what their social norms are， what is seen as desirable in society。” In other words， our inner caveman is continually looking over his shoulder to see what the rest of the tribe are up to。
　　I） The passive attitude we have to climate change as individuals can be altered by counting us in—and measuring us against—our peer group。 “Social norms are primitive and elemental，” says Dr。 Robert Cialdini， author of Influence： The Psychology of Persuasion。 “Birds flock together， fish school together， cattle herd together … just perceiving norms is enough to cause people to adjust their behavior in the direction of the crowd。”
　　J） These norms can take us beyond good intentions。 Cialdini conducted a study in San Diego in which coat hangers bearing messages about saving energy were hung on people’s doors。 Some of the messages mentioned the environment， some financial savings， others social responsibility。 But it was the one that mentioned the actions of neighbours that drove down power use。
　　K） Other studies show that simply providing the facility for people to compare their energy use with the local average is enough to cause them to modify their behaviour。 The Conservatives plan to adopt this strategy by making utility companies print the average local electricity and gas usage on people’s bills。
　　L） Social science can also teach politicians how to avoid our collective capacity for self-destructive behaviour。 Environmental campaigns that tell us how many people drive SUVs unwittingly （不经意地） imply that this behaviour is widespread and thus permissible。 Cialdini recommends some careful framing of the message。 “Instead of normalising the undesirable behaviour， the message needs to marginalise it， for example， by stating that if even one person buys yet another SUV， it reduces our ability to be energy-independent。”
　　M） Tapping into how we already see ourselves is crucial。 The most successful environmental strategy will marry the green message to our own sense of identity。 Take your average trade union member， chances are they will be politically motivated and be used to collective action—much like Erica Gregory。 A retired member of the Public and Commercial Services Union， she is setting up one of 1，100 action groups with the support of Climate Solidarity， a two-year environmental campaign aimed at trade unionists。
　　N） Erica is proof that a great-grandmother can help to lead the revolution if your get the psychology right—in this case， by matching her enthusiasm for the environment with a fondness for organising groups。 “I think there must be something in it。” She is expecting up to 20 people at the first meeting she has called， at her local pub in the Cornish village of Polperro。
　　O） Nick Perks， project director for Climate Solidarity， believes this sort of activity is where the future of environmental action lies。 “Using existing civil society structures or networks is a more effective way of creating change … and obviously trade unions are one of the biggest civil society networks in the UK，” he says。 The “Love Food， Haste Waste” campaign entered into a collaboration last year with another such network—the Women’s Institute。 Londoner Rachel Talor joined the campaign with the aim of making new friends。 A year on， the meetings have made lasting changes to what she throws away in her kitchen。 “It’s always more of an incentive if you’re doing it with other people，” she says。 “It motivates you more if you know that you’ve got to provide feedback to a group。”
　　P） The power of such simple psychology in fighting climate change is attracting attention across the political establishment。 In the US， the House of Representatives Science Committee has approved a bill allocating $10 million a year to studying energy-related behaviour。 In the UK， new studies are in development and social scientists are regularly spotted in British government offices。 With the help of psychologists， there is fresh hope that we might go green after all。
　　46。 When people find they are powerless to change a situation， they tend to live with it。
　　47。 To be effective， environmental messages should be carefully framed。
　　48。 It is the government’s responsibility to persuade people into making environment-friendly decisions。
　　49。 Politicians are beginning to realize the importance of enlisting psychologists’ help in fighting climate change。
　　50。 To find effective solutions to climate change， it is necessary to understand what motivates people to make change。
　　51。 In their evolution， humans have learned to pay attention to the most urgent issues instead of long-term concerns。
　　52。 One study shows that our neighbors’ actions are influential unchanging our behavior。
　　53。 Despite clear signs of global warming， it is not easy for most people to believe climate change will affect their own lives。
　　54.We would take our future into consideration in making decisions concerning climate change before it is too late。
　　55。 Existing social networks can be more effective in creating change in people’s behaviour。
　　答案：CLGPH DJBFO
　　Passage One
　　More than a decade ago， cognitive scientists John Bransford and Daniel Schwartz， both then at Vanderbilt University， found that what distinguished young adults from children was not the ability to retain facts or apply prior knowledge to a new situation but a quality they called “preparation for future learning。” The researchers asked fifth graders and college students to create a recovery plan to protect bald eagles from extinction。 Shockingly， the two groups came up with plans of similar quality（ although the college students had better spelling skills）。 From the standpoint of a traditional educator， this outcome indicated that schooling and failed to help students think about ecosystems and extinction， major scientific ideas。
　　The researchers decided to go deeper， however。 They asked both groups to generate questions about important issues need to create recovery plans。 On this task， they found large differences。 College students focused on critical issues of interdependence between eagles and their habitats（栖息地）。 Fifth graders tended to focus on features of individual eagles（“How big are they？” and “What do they eat？”）。 The college students had cultivated the ability to ask questions， the cornerstone of critical thinking。 They had learned how to learn。
　　Museums and other institutions of informal learning may be better suited to teach this skill than elementary and secondary schools。 At the Exploratorium in San Francisco， we recently studied how learning to ask good questions can affect the quality of people’s scientific inquiry。 We found that when we taught participants to ask “What if？” and “How can？” questions that nobody present would know the answer to and that would spark exploration， they engaged in better inquiry at the next exhibit —asking more questions， performing more experiments and making better interpretations of their results。 Specifically， their questions became more comprehensive at the new exhibit。 Rather than merely asking about something they wanted to try， they tended to include both cause and effect in their question。 Asking juicy questions appears to be a transferable skill for deepening collaborative inquiry into the science content found in exhibits。
　　This type of learning is not confined to museums or institutional settings。 Informal learning environments tolerate failure better than schools。 Perhaps many teachers have too little time to allow students to form and pursue their own questions and too much ground to cover in the curriculum。 But people must acquire this skill somewhere。 Our society depends on them being able to make critical decisions about their own medical treatment， say， or what we must do about global energy needs and demands。 For that， we have a robust informal learning system that gives no grades， takes all comers， and is available even on holidays and weekends。
　　56。 What is traditional educators’ interpretation of the research outcome mentioned in the first paragraph？
　　A） Students are not able to apply prior knowledge to new problems。
　　B） College students are no better than fifth grader in memorizing facts。
　　C） Education has not paid enough attention to major environmental issues。
　　D） Education has failed to lead students to think about major scientific ideas。
　　57。 In what way are college students different from children？
　　A） They have learned to think critically。
　　B） They are concerned about social issues。
　　C） They are curious about specific features。
　　D） They have learned to work independently。
　　58。 What is the benefit of asking questions with no ready answers？
　　A） It arouses students’ interest in things around them。
　　B） It cultivates students’ ability to make scientific inquiries。
　　C） It trains students’ ability to design scientific experiments。
　　D） It helps students realize not every question has an answer。
　　59。 What is said to be the advantage of informal learning？
　　A） It allows for failures。
　　B） It charges no tuition。
　　C） It is entertaining。
　　D） It meets practical needs。
　　60。 What does the author seem to encourage educators to do at the end of the passage？
　　A） Train students to think about global issues。
　　B） Design more interactive classroom activities。
　　C） Make full use of informal learning resources。
　　D） Include collaborative inquiry in the curriculum
　　Passage Two
　　“There’s an old saying in the space world： amateurs talk about technology， professionals talk about insurance。” In an interview last year with The Economist， George Whitesides， chief executive of space-tourism firm Virgin Galactic， was placing his company in the latter category。 But insurance will be cold comfort following the failure on October 31st of VSS Enterprise， resulting in the death of one pilot and the severe injury to another。
　　On top of the tragic loss of life， the accident in California will cast a long shadow over the future of space tourism， even before it has properly begun。
　　The notion of space tourism took hold in 2001 with a &29million flight aboard a Russian spacecraft by Dennis Tito， a millionaire engineer with an adventurous streak。 Just half a dozen holiday-makers have reached orbit since then， for similarly astronomical price tags。 But more recently， companies have begun to plan more affordable “suborbital” flights—briefer ventures just to the edge of space’s vast darkness。 Virgin Galactic had， prior to this week’s accident， seemed closet to starting regular flights。 The company has already taken deposits from around 800 would be space tourists， including Stephen Hawking。
　　After being dogged by technical delays for years， Sir Richard Branson， Virgin Galactic’s founder， had recently suggested that a SpaceShipTwo craft would carry its first paying customers as soon as February 2015。 That now seems an impossible timeline。 In July， a sister craft of the crashed spaceplane was reported to be about half-finished。 The other half will have to wait， as authorities of America’s Federal Aviation Administration（FAA） and National Transportation Safety Board work out what went wrong。
　　In the meantime， the entire space tourism industry will be on tenterhooks（坐立不安）。 The 2004 Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act， intended to encourage private space vehicles and services， prohibits the transportation secretary （and thereby the FAA） from regulating the design or operation of private spacecraft， unless they have resulted in a serious or fatal injury to crew or passengers。 That means that the FAA could suspend Virgin Galactic’s license to fly。 It could also insist on checking private manned spacecraft as thoroughly as it does commercial aircraft。； While that may make suborbital travel safer， it would add significant cost and complexity to an emerging industry that has until now operated largely as the playground of billionaires and dreamy engineers.How Virgin Glactic， regulators and the public respond to this most recent tragedy will determine whether and how soon private space travel can transcend that playground。 There is no doubt that spaceflight entails risks， and to pioneer a new mode of travel is to face those risks， and to reduce them with the benefit of hard-won experience。
　　61。 What is said about the failure of VSS Enterprise？
　　A） It may lead to the bankruptcy of Virgin Galactic。
　　B） It has a strong negative impact on space tourism。
　　C） It may discourage rich people from space travel。
　　D） It has aroused public attention to safety issues。
　　62。 What do we learn about the space-tourism firm Virgin Galactic？
　　A） It has just built a craft for commercial flights。
　　B） It has sent half a dozen passengers into space。
　　C） It was about ready to start regular business。
　　D） It is the first to launch “suborbital” flights。
　　63。 What is the purpose of the 2004 Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act？
　　A） To ensure space travel safety。
　　B） To limit the FAA’s functions。
　　C） To legalize private space explorations。
　　D） To promote the space tourism industry。
　　64。 What might the FAA do after the recent accident in California？
　　A） Impose more rigid safety standards。
　　B） Stop certifying new space-tourist agencies。
　　C） Amend its 2004 Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act
　　D） Suspend Virgin Galactic’s license to take passengers into space。
　　65。 What does the author think of private space travel？
　　A） It is worth promoting despite the risks involved。
　　B） It should not be confined to the rich only。
　　C） It should be strictly regulated。
　　D） It is too risky to carry on。
　　答案：DABAC BCDDA
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