资源简介

23年高考英语外刊阅读训练——阅读理解：小行星碰撞，显示了业余天文学家的贡献
【原标题】
Asteroid collision shows how much amateur astronomers have to offer
【原文】
When NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft slammed into an asteroid on purpose last September, many telescopes were trained on this one-of-a-kind celestial event. Some were operated by teams of amateur astronomers — skilled skywatchers for whom astronomy is not their full-time day job (or, more accurately, night job). Three such teams on France’s Réunion island in the Indian Ocean, plus one in Nairobi, managed to watch the impact in real time.
These skywatchers are among the authors of a study in Nature that describes how the asteroid, named Dimorphos, became temporarily brighter and redder as the spacecraft hit it. One of five papers about the impact published in Nature, it describes a real-time view of a cosmic collision — similar to that when Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter in July 1994.
The four telescopes were of a type that has become popular in the amateur-astronomy community, with 112-millimetre-diameter mirrors. Manufactured by Unistellar, based in Marseille, France, they come with an app that uploads observational data to the company’s server, so professional astronomers can quickly combine and analyse records of an event made by their amateur associates.
It’s the latest example in the long-running story of how amateur stargazers have assisted in making observations of the night sky. In the past, for example, astronomers have improved their understanding of variable stars — those whose brightness as seen from Earth changes with time — by tapping into an extensive database of observations built partly by amateur astronomers as part of a global network called the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Other such community-science efforts include helping working astronomers to categorize galaxies, and sifting through cosmic signals in search of any that might be coming from extraterrestrial civilizations. Amateur astronomers routinely discover comets and other celestial events, as well as identify previously undescribed phenomena and objects from old photographs of the night sky. In 2020, for instance, Italian amateur astronomer Giuseppe Donatiello discovered three dwarf galaxies orbiting a distant galaxy, just by going through public data from the Dark Energy Survey, recorded by a telescope in Chile.
Coordination between amateur and professional researchers is not unique to astronomy. In January, researchers unveiled a model called BirdFlow, which uses machine learning to predict where 11 North American bird species will migrate to. They explained that this was made possible because of the amateur ornithologists who contribute several million records of bird sightings to an online database called eBird every year.
Whatever the discipline, community science collects data from many contributors, which must be checked and calibrated. The payoff is that the more people can confirm an observation, the more robust that observation becomes. In the case of the DART impact, the amateur scientists were able to rapidly gather, distribute and publish information about the event. Other teams of amateurs continue to monitor the DART asteroid system. For example, a French–Greek effort supported by the European Space Agency includes amateur observations and aims to refine our understanding of the system’s orbit around the Sun.
As science becomes ever-more specialized and dependent on ever-more-specific instrumentation, it is tempting to think that the day of the amateur scientist is over. But this would be wrong. More working researchers in more fields should think about how they can harness the enthusiasm of their amateur colleagues in creative ways.
The next time you’re looking for an observation partner or someone to help crunch data, consider the amateur.
【重点词汇】
1. collision [k l n] n. 碰撞，相撞；冲突，抵触；争用；collisions
2. amateur [ m t ( ), m tj ] n. 业余爱好者；生手，外行 adj. 非专业的，业余爱好的；不熟练的；amateurs
3. spacecraft [ spe skrɑ ft] n. 宇宙飞船，航天器；spacecraft；spacecrafts
4. slam [sl m] v. （使）砰地关上；用力一放，使劲一推；猛烈撞击；猛烈抨击；突然（或猛然）采取行动；闯，冲； 轻松得分或战胜（某人）； （电话公司）未经允许接管（电话顾客）的账单（slamming） n. 猛关（或推、摔、撞等），猛摔（或撞等）的声音； 诗歌朗诵比赛；（桥牌）满贯； 监狱（the slam） 【名】 （slam）（俄、美）斯拉姆（人名）；slams；slams；slamming；slammed；slammed
5. telescope [ tel sk p] n. 望远镜；射电望远镜，无线电望远镜（radio telescope 的简称） v. 叠套缩短，叠缩；缩短，精简；使（车辆）相撞而嵌进；压缩；telescopes；telescopes；telescoping；telescoped；telescoped
6. astronomy [ str n m ] n. 天文学
7. impact [ mp kt] n. 撞击，冲击力；巨大影响，强大作用 v. 冲击，撞击；挤入，压紧；（对……）产生影响
8. cosmic [ k zm k] adj. 宇宙的，外层空间的；巨大的，极重要的；精神的，神灵的
9. diameter [da m t ] n. 直径；放大倍数；diameters
10. manufacture [ m nj f kt ] v. （用机器大量）生产，制造；编造，捏造；生成，产生（一种物质） n. 大量制造，批量生产；工业品；制造业；manufactures；manufactures；manufacturing；manufactured；manufactured
11. associate [ s e t] v. 联想，联系；支持，同意；交往，（尤指）混在一起 n. 同事，伙伴；副学士，准学士；副职，副手；准会员；联想 adj. 副的，准的，非正式的；联合的，有关连的；associates；associates；associating；associated；associated
12. observation [ bz ve n] n. 观察，监视；观察力；观察资料，观察结果；言论，评论；遵守，奉行；测天 adj. 用于观察的；observations
13. variable [ ve r bl] adj. 易变的，多变的；时好时坏的；可变的，可调节的；（数）（数字）变量的；（植，动）变异的，变型的；（齿轮）变速的 n. 可变性，可变因素；（数学中的）变量，变元；（计算机）变量（元）；（天文）变星的简称；（东北信风带以北或南半球的东南信风带与西风带之间的）变风区；variables
14. extensive [ ks tens v] adj. 广阔的；广泛的；巨大的，大量的；（农业）粗放（经营）的
15. global [ gl b l] adj. 全球的，全世界的；全面的，整体的；（计算机）全局的；球形的
16. galaxy [ g l ks ] n. 星系；银河，银河系（the galaxy）；群英，人才荟萃；galaxies
17. civilization [ s v la `ze Ln;-l `z-] n. 文明；文明社会，文明国家；人类社会；舒适的生活环境；教化，开化；civilizations
18. identify [a dent fa ] v. 认出，识别；查明，确认；发现；证明（身份），表明；认同，理解；认为……和……一致；和（某人）打成一片；identifies；identifying；identified；identified
19. instance [ nst ns] n. 例子，实例 v. 举……为例；instances；instances；instancing；instanced；instanced
20. dwarf [dw f] n. （神话中有魔法的）小矮人；侏儒，矮子；矮星 v. 使显得矮小，使相形见绌 adj. 矮小的，矮种的；dwarfs；dwarves；dwarfs；dwarfing；dwarfed；dwarfed
21. survey [s ve ] n. 民意调查，民意测验；考察，调查；（对课题或情况的）全面考察，概述；测量，勘测；测绘图，勘测记录；测量部门； （尤指为欲购房者所做的）房屋鉴定；查勘报告 v. 做民意测验，做民意调查；（尤指认真地）审视，检查；测量，勘测； （尤指为可能的买家）查勘，检视（建筑物的状况）；全面评述，概述；surveys；surveys；surveying；surveyed；surveyed
22. learning [ l n ] n. 学习；知识，学问 v. 得知，获悉；学习，学会；认识到，从……吸取教训（learn 的现在分词形式）
23. species [ sp z] n. （动植物的）种，物种；种类；（具有相同特征的）一类人；（化学，物理）核素；（圣餐中用的）面包和圣酒 adj. 原种的；species
24. migrate [ma gre t, ma gre t] v. （候鸟或动物）迁徙；（尤指为找工作）移居，迁移；转移（从一个部位移到另一部位）；把（程序，硬件）从一系统转移到另一系统；改用操作系统；migrates；migrating；migrated；migrated
25. discipline [ d s pl n] n. 纪律，风纪；惩罚，处分；训导，管教；训练，锻炼；自制力，自律能力；（尤指大学的）科目，学科 v. 惩罚，处分；训练，管教；disciplines；disciplines；disciplining；disciplined；disciplined
26. robust [r b st] adj. 强健的，强壮的；（系统或组织）稳固的，健全的；（物体）结实的，坚固的；（观点等）强烈的，坚定的；（食物或饮料）味浓的，醇厚的；特大的；粗野的，粗鲁的
27. refine [r fa n] v. 精炼，提纯；改进，改善；使……文雅；refines；refining；refined；refined
28. specialize [ spe la z] vi. 专门研究（或从事），专攻；专营；（生）使（器官）专化，使特化；specializes；specializing；specialized；specialized
29. dependent [d pend nt] adj. 依赖的，依靠的；取决于；有瘾的 n. 受供养者；dependents
30. tempt [tempt] v. 引诱，诱惑；怂恿，利诱；冒……的风险；tempts；tempting；tempted；tempted
31. harness [ hɑ n s] v. 控制并利用；（把动物）拴在一起（或拴到某物上）；给（马）套上挽具；连接，串联 n. （马的）挽具，马具；系带，吊带；日常工作；harnesses；harnesses；harnessing；harnessed；harnessed
32. enthusiasm [ n θju z z m] n. 热情，热忱；热衷的活动，热爱的事物；enthusiasms
33. creative [kr ( ) e t v] adj. 创造（性）的，创作的；有创造力的，有想象力的 n. 创作者；创意，创作素材
【阅读理解练习题】
1. According to the passage, what was the purpose of NASA's DART spacecraft mission
A) To hit an asteroid.
B) To collect data on asteroids.
C) To study the impact of space debris on our planet.
D) To search for extraterrestrial civilizations.
答案：A
解析：第一段提到了 DART spacecraft 是故意撞向小行星的，因此可以得出正确答案为 A。
2. What was the significance of the observation made by the amateur astronomers in Réunion island and Nairobi
A) They discovered a new asteroid.
B) They witnessed the impact of a spacecraft on an asteroid.
C) They detected a signal from extraterrestrial civilizations.
D) They categorized galaxies more accurately than professional astronomers.
答案：B
解析：第二段提到这些业余天文学家实时观察了 DART 撞击小行星的过程，因此可以得出正确答案为 B。
3. What is the role of the app developed by Unistellar
A) To calibrate observational data collected by amateur astronomers.
B) To upload observational data to professional astronomers’ servers.
C) To provide images of the night sky to amateur astronomers.
D) To help coordinate amateur and professional researchers.
答案：B
解析：第三段提到 Unistellar 公司开发的 app 可以上传观测数据到专业天文学家的服务器，因此可以得出正确答案为 B。
4. What is community science
A) The collaboration between amateur and professional scientists.
B) The use of machine learning to predict scientific phenomena.
C) The discovery of new celestial events by amateur astronomers.
D) The dependence of modern science on high-tech instrumentation.
答案：A
解析：第五段提到社区科学（community science）是指从众多贡献者那里收集数据，然后对这些数据进行核对和校准，其回报是，越多人能够证实一项观察结果，这个结果就变得更加可靠。因此可以得出正确答案为 A。
5. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to:
A) Argue that amateur scientists should be taken more seriously.
B) Advocate for more funding for scientific research.
C) Describe the history of amateur astronomy.
D) Discuss the limitations of modern scientific research.
答案：A
解析：本篇文章主要介绍了业余天文学家如何协助专业的天文学家进行科学观测，并且强调了业余天文学家在这方面发挥的重要作用。因此可以得出正确答案为 A。
【长难句分析】
They explained that this was made possible because of the amateur ornithologists who contribute several million records of bird sightings to an online database called eBird every year.
主句是主谓宾结构（They explained that ……），that引导宾语从句。在从句中，核心句子结构是主谓结构（this was made possible），possible是形容词作主语补足语。because of the amateur ornithologists是复合介词短语作原因状语。who contribute several million records of bird sightings to an online database是定语从句，every year是时间名词作时间状语，called eBird是过去分词作定语。
他们解释说，这之所以成为可能，是因为业余鸟类学家每年都会向一个名为eBird的在线数据库贡献数百万条鸟类目击记录。
【语言点积累】
学习amateur的用法。这个词作形容词，表示doing something for pleasure, or done for pleasure, and not as a job，业余的，业余爱好的，例：an amateur golfer 业余高尔夫球手。这个词作名词，表示someone who does an activity just for pleasure, not as their job，业余爱好者，例：a gifted amateur 有天赋的业余爱好者
【全文翻译】
When NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft slammed into an asteroid on purpose last September, many telescopes were trained on this one-of-a-kind celestial event. Some were operated by teams of amateur astronomers — skilled skywatchers for whom astronomy is not their full-time day job (or, more accurately, night job). Three such teams on France’s Réunion island in the Indian Ocean, plus one in Nairobi, managed to watch the impact in real time.
去年9月，当美国国家航空航天局的双小行星重定向测试（DART）航天器故意撞上一颗小行星时，许多望远镜都接受了这一独一无二的天体事件的训练。其中一些是由业余天文学家团队操作的，他们是技术娴熟的天文爱好者，天文学不是他们的全职工作（或者更准确地说，是夜间工作）。在印度洋的法国留尼汪岛上的三个这样的团队，加上在内罗毕的一个团队，成功地实时观察了影响。
These skywatchers are among the authors of a study in Nature that describes how the asteroid, named Dimorphos, became temporarily brighter and redder as the spacecraft hit it. One of five papers about the impact published in Nature, it describes a real-time view of a cosmic collision — similar to that when Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 slammed into Jupiter in July 1994.
这些天文观测者是《自然》杂志上一项研究的作者之一，该研究描述了这颗名为Dimorphos的小行星是如何在航天器撞击时变得暂时更亮、更红的。这是发表在《自然》上的五篇关于撞击的论文之一，它描述了宇宙碰撞的实时视图，类似于1994年7月舒梅克-利维9号彗星撞击木星时的视图。
The four telescopes were of a type that has become popular in the amateur-astronomy community, with 112-millimetre-diameter mirrors. Manufactured by Unistellar, based in Marseille, France, they come with an app that uploads observational data to the company’s server, so professional astronomers can quickly combine and analyse records of an event made by their amateur associates.
这四台望远镜的口径为112毫米，在业余天文学界很受欢迎。它们由总部位于法国马赛的Unistellar公司制造，带有一个应用程序，可以将观测数据上传到该公司的服务器，这样专业天文学家就可以快速组合和分析业余同事对事件的记录。
It’s the latest example in the long-running story of how amateur stargazers have assisted in making observations of the night sky. In the past, for example, astronomers have improved their understanding of variable stars — those whose brightness as seen from Earth changes with time — by tapping into an extensive database of observations built partly by amateur astronomers as part of a global network called the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Other such community-science efforts include helping working astronomers to categorize galaxies, and sifting through cosmic signals in search of any that might be coming from extraterrestrial civilizations. Amateur astronomers routinely discover comets and other celestial events, as well as identify previously undescribed phenomena and objects from old photographs of the night sky. In 2020, for instance, Italian amateur astronomer Giuseppe Donatiello discovered three dwarf galaxies orbiting a distant galaxy, just by going through public data from the Dark Energy Survey, recorded by a telescope in Chile.
这是业余观星者如何协助观测夜空的长期故事中的最新例子。例如，在过去，天文学家通过利用一个广泛的观测数据库来提高他们对变星的理解，变星是指从地球上观察到的亮度随时间变化的恒星，该数据库部分由业余天文学家建立，是一个名为美国变星观测者协会的全球网络的一部分。其他此类社区科学工作包括帮助在职天文学家对星系进行分类，以及筛选宇宙信号，以寻找任何可能来自外星文明的信号。业余天文学家经常发现彗星和其他天体事件，并从旧的夜空照片中识别以前未描述的现象和物体。例如，2020年，意大利业余天文学家朱塞佩·多纳蒂耶洛仅通过智利望远镜记录的暗能量调查的公开数据，就发现了三个围绕遥远星系运行的矮星系。
Coordination between amateur and professional researchers is not unique to astronomy. In January, researchers unveiled a model called BirdFlow, which uses machine learning to predict where 11 North American bird species will migrate to. They explained that this was made possible because of the amateur ornithologists who contribute several million records of bird sightings to an online database called eBird every year.
业余和专业研究人员之间的协调并不是天文学独有的。今年1月，研究人员公布了一个名为BirdFlow的模型，该模型使用机器学习来预测11种北美鸟类将迁徙到哪里。他们解释说，之所以能做到这一点，是因为业余鸟类学家每年都会向一个称为eBird的在线数据库贡献数百万份鸟类目击记录。
Whatever the discipline, community science collects data from many contributors, which must be checked and calibrated. The payoff is that the more people can confirm an observation, the more robust that observation becomes. In the case of the DART impact, the amateur scientists were able to rapidly gather, distribute and publish information about the event. Other teams of amateurs continue to monitor the DART asteroid system. For example, a French–Greek effort supported by the European Space Agency includes amateur observations and aims to refine our understanding of the system’s orbit around the Sun.
无论学科是什么，社区科学都会从许多贡献者那里收集数据，这些数据必须经过检查和校准。结果是，越多的人能够证实一个观察结果，这个观察结果就变得越稳健。在DART撞击的情况下，业余科学家能够迅速收集、分发和发布有关该事件的信息。其他业余团队继续监测DART小行星系统。例如，欧洲航天局支持的法国和希腊的一项工作包括业余观测，旨在完善我们对该系统绕太阳轨道的理解。
As science becomes ever-more specialized and dependent on ever-more-specific instrumentation, it is tempting to think that the day of the amateur scientist is over. But this would be wrong. More working researchers in more fields should think about how they can harness the enthusiasm of their amateur colleagues in creative ways.
随着科学变得越来越专业化，越来越依赖于特定的仪器，人们很容易认为业余科学家的时代已经结束。但这是错误的。更多领域的在职研究人员应该思考如何以创造性的方式利用业余同事的热情。
The next time you’re looking for an observation partner or someone to help crunch data, consider the amateur.
下次你在寻找观察伙伴或帮助处理数据的人时，可以考虑一下业余爱好者。

展开更多......

收起↑