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2008-02-27

中学科技 2008年1期

The Smart Parrot

Scientists have taught a parrot English. So what? This time, it seems, the bird not only says the words but also understands them. Alex, an African grey parrot residing atAmerica'sPurdue University inIndiana, hasavocabulary of about 40 words with which it identifies, requests andsometimes refusesmore than 50toys. It seemstomanipulatewordsasabstractsymbols - in other words, to use a primitive form of language.

In many birds, communication takes the form of simple, stereotypedsignals. Somebirds, likeparrots, are capableoflearninghugerepertoriesofphrasesby mimicking each other or other species. But, until now, there has been no evidence that any bird could make the big leap to associating one sound exclusively with one object or quality.

Alex can. Dr. Irene Pepperberg, his trainer, exploited the natural curiosity of the parrot to teach him to use the names of different toys. She did this with a technique known as model rival training. The trainer and an assistant play with the toys and ask each other questions about them. To join in, the parrot has to compete for the trainer's attention. The results were spectacular. Alex rapidly learnt to ask for certain objects, identifying them by wordsfor shape, colorandmaterial. Itwas askedto repeat words until it got them right and was then rewarded by being given the object to play with.

聪明的鹦鹉

科学家们教会了一只鹦鹉说英语。那又有什么稀奇呢？原来这一回这只鹦鹉不仅会说话，而且还懂得这些话的意思。Alex是养在美国印第安那州普杜大学的一只灰色的非洲鹦鹉，它掌握了将近40个词汇，它能用这40个词汇识别50多种玩具，讨要、有时则拒绝接受某种玩具。它看来能把这些词作为抽象符号来熟练运用。换句话说，它能使用语言的原始形式。

对许多鸟来说，相互间的交流用的是简单的、一成不变的信号。有些像鹦鹉那样的鸟能够通过互相模仿或是模仿其他动物的声音而学会大量词语，但迄今为止还没有证据表明哪一只鸟能够来一个飞跃，把某个声音与某个特定物体或品质联系起来。

Alex却能做到这一点。它的驯养员艾琳·佩伯格利用鹦鹉天生的好奇心教它学会说各种玩具的名字。她使用了一种叫做仿效竞争对手的训练法。驯养员和一名助手一起玩这些玩具，并就这些玩具互相提问。鹦鹉如果想加入进来，它就必须与助手竞争，争取吸引驯养员的注意。这样训练的效果出人意料地好。Alex很快就学会了使用表示形状、颜色和材料的词汇来讨要某些玩具。驯养员还要求它把这些词汇重复多次，直到它说对为止，然后再把它要的玩具给它玩，作为奖赏。

（翻译本文时，请注意根据中文习惯使用代词和增减词语）

Invisible to Microwaves

Scientists can't yet make an invisibility cloak like the one that Harry Potter uses. But, for the first time, they've constructed a simple cloaking (1) d___that makes itself and something placed inside it invisible to microwaves.

Like (A) v___light, microwaves are a form of radiant energy. They are part of the electromagnetic (2) s___, which also includes radio waves, infrared light, ultraviolet rays, X rays, and gamma rays. The wavelengths of microwavesare (B) s___than those of radio waves, but longer than those of visible light.

The scientists'new "invisibility device" is the size of a drink coaster and shaped like a ring. The ring is made of a special (C) m___with unusual ability. When microwaves strike the ring, very few bounce off it. Instead, they pass through the ring, which bends the waves all the way around until they reach the opposite side. The waves then return to their original paths.

To a detector set up to receive microwaves on the other side of the ring, it looks asif thewavesnever changedtheir paths - asif therewereno (3)o___in the way! So, the ring is effectively invisible.

When the researchers put a small copper loop inside the ring, it, too, is nearly invisible. However, the cloaking device and anything inside it do cast a pale shadow. And the device worksonlyfor(D) m___, notfor visible light or any kind of electromagnetic (E) r___. So, Harry Potter's invisibility cloak doesn't have any real competition yet.(A,B,C,D,E FOR CROSS, 1,2,3 FOR DOWN. The first letters of the absents were given)

Funny Conjecture

The name, not necessarily respectively, of the brakeman, fireman, and engineer of a certain train are Smith, Jones and Robinson. The three passengers on the train who happen to have the same names - Smith, Jones, and Robinson - will be referred to hereafter as Mr. Smith, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Robinson to distinguish them from the employees.

We are informed that: 1. Mr. Robinson lives in Detroit. 2. Thebrakemanliveshalfway between Chicago and Detroit. 3. Mr. Jonesearnsexactly $20000ayear. 4.Smith beat the fireman at billiards. 5. The brakeman's next-door neighbor, one of the passengers, earns exactly three times as much as the brakeman. 6. The passenger who lives in Chicago has the same name as the brakeman.

Questions:

1.we can conclude that the brakeman's next-door neighbor is ().

A. Mr. RobinsonB. Mr. Jones

C. the firemanD. Mr. Smith

2. The engineer's name is ().

3. Some of the original conditions must have been used in arriving at the above result. They are ().

A. 3,5 B. 1,2,5,6

C. 2,4,6D. All six of the conditions

上期Read&

Comprehension答案

1. A 2. C3. D

4. B 5. C