考满分 toefl

1 .Listen to a conversation between a student and his biology professor.

听一段学生和他生物教授之间的对话

1 .Professor Landrea.

landrea教授

1 .Hi, Dennis. You are right on time. Come on in and have a seat.

你好啊，丹尼斯，来得正是时候。进来坐坐。

1 .Great! Thanks.

好啊，谢谢

1 .So like I told you in class, I just wanted to take a few minutes to meet with everyone to make sure your class presentations for next week are all in order and coming along well.

那么，就跟我课上跟你说得一样，我只想跟每个人都聊几分钟，确保大家下周得课堂演讲都能正常进行。

2 .And as you know, you are supposed to report on some area of recent research in genetics, something... you know... original.

你也知道，你得就近期基因学上的研究做一些报告，并且得是原创的。

1 .Well, I think I found just the thing!

嗯，我刚找到话题。

2 .It actually occurred to me a couple nights ago while I was eating dinner in the cafeteria.

其实是我在餐厅吃完饭的时候想到的。

3 .Tell me professor, do you like broccoli?

教授，你说，你喜欢西兰花吗？

1 .Broccoli? You mean the vegetable broccoli?

西兰花？你是说蔬菜吗？

1 .Yeah.

是

1 .Well, I guess not really.

不太喜欢

1 .Me neither. I have never liked it or most other vegetables for that matter... brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower... you name it.

我也不。一直都不喜欢，其实其他蔬菜我也不喜欢，球芽甘蓝、芦笋、花椰菜，各种蔬菜。

2 .They just taste bitter and... well... nasty to me.

他们尝起来很苦，对我来说，味道很怪。

3 .My mother always called me a picky eater.

我妈妈经常说我挑食。

1 .OK... And?

然后呢？

1 .And so I got to wondering, I mean, I am obviously not the only person like this.

所以我就想啊，我是说，我明显不是唯一一个这样的人。

2 .So is this just because of some... like trauma from our childhoods? Some bad experience we've had with some vegetables?

所以，我们讨厌蔬菜是不是因为童年的阴影的？我们对蔬菜有不好的经历？

3 .Or could there be some genetic explanation for why some people are picky eaters and others aren't?

或者，从基因学上能找到解释，为什么有的人挑食，而有的人不？

1 .OK. I see. Well, I suppose it's a possibility.

哦，我知道了，我觉得有可能。

1 .Actually, it turns out it's more than a possibility.

其实，不仅仅是个可能。

2 .I started doing some research in the library that night and I found out that a biologist at the National Institutes of Health has been looking at that very question recently.

。我当天晚上去图书馆做了些调研，发现国家健康研究所的一名生物学家最近正在研究这个问题。

1 .Well, I guess that's not too surprising.

意料之中。

2 .And this is great stuff actually.

很好的点子。

3 .So what's the verdict?

所以，结论是什么呢？

1 .Well, this guy seems to have discovered a particular gene that actually makes it possible for people to taste the bitterness in certain green vegetables.

嗯，这个人发现有一种特定的基因会让人尝到某些绿色蔬菜的苦味。

2 .But people who have a mutation in that gene cannot taste the bitterness.

但携带这个基因的变异基因的人则不能尝到苦味。

1 .Well... that's certainly fascinating!

嗯，很有趣儿。

2 .But... so this biologist is basically claiming that people who like to eat these vegetables actually have some sort of sensory deficit?

那么，这个生物学家是说喜欢吃这些蔬菜的人其实是有某种感官上的缺陷么？

3 .Sort of makes us picky eaters than normal ones, doesn't it?

哈哈，这么说来，咱们这帮挑食的人倒成了正常人了，是吧？

4 .I mean, that's kind of turning things on their head, isn't it?

我是说，正好反过来了。

1 .Well... then again, it wouldn't be the first time, would it?

呃，但是呢，这又不是头一回，是吧？

2 .Think of it this way: humans originally needed to have a stronger sensitivity to bitter-tasting foods so they could learn what plants were good for them and which ones might be poisonous.

咱们这么想，人类原本需要对味道苦的食物有很高的敏感度，这样才可以将对自己有益的植物和有毒的植物区分开。

3 .But at some point, as people figured out what they could safely eat, this need became less crucial and a segment of the population lost that ability.

但，到了某个时间点，人们已经知道了什么食物吃起来是安全的，这个需要就变得不那么关键了，所以人口中的一部分就丧失了这个能力。

1 .OK. Well, you make a compelling case.

嗯，好，你很有说服力。

2 .I can't wait to hear more about this when you deliver your report.

等不及听你做报告时说这个了。