科普園地
We’re all familiar with the sensation—it usually starts with a little itch deep inside one of the nostrils . Next comes the awareness that it’s going to happen. Then, achoo! Air erupts out of your nose and/or mouth at an astonishing 100 miles per hour, blasting out whatever was causing the tickling. The high-pressure release of a sneeze has led some people to speculate that if we didn’t close our eyes, they could pop right out of their sockets.
For decades, countless people have tested the theory. Upon finding it almost impossible to keep their eyes open while sneezing, many have concluded that the theory must be true. If you try it yourself, the chances are that your eyes are still where they belong. That’s because they are held securely by the muscles in the sockets. Furthermore, increased pressure released from sneezing actually builds up in the blood vessels, which may cause capillary ruptures but is less likely to cause the eyeballs to pop out.
Why did this myth start, anyway? Some say that it all began in 1882, when the New York Times reported an incident of a woman who burst one of her eyeballs during a sudden sneeze. Others point at the fact that different high-pressure experiences from sneezing, such as childbirth, can cause blood vessels in the eyes to pop. Still others say that closing our eyes when we sneeze is proof itself. Scientists, on the other hand, explain that we close our eyes for the same reason we sneeze—to prevent unwanted irritants from entering our bodies. Either way, as far as we know, there are no actual documented cases of anyone losing an eyeball because of a sneeze, so don’t lose any sleep over it!
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1. According to the passage, why won’t eyeballs pop out if eyes are kept open while we sneeze? (A) They are too small to be affected. (B) They are held strongly by tiny vessels. (C) They are fixed firmly in the eye sockets. (D) They are attached to the brain with blood vessels. |
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2. What can we infer from the passage? (A) Sneezes usually cause an itchy nose. (B) The high pressure caused by a sneeze will be released through breathing. (C) If you sneeze with your eyes open, it is likely that your body will take in what you blast out. (D) A woman’s eyeballs may burst if she sneezes with her eyes open while giving birth to a baby. |
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3. What technique does the author adopt to answer the question “Can your eyes pop out if you keep them open while sneezing?” (A) Drawing inferences from an incident. (B) Providing scientific statistics. (C) Expressing opinions. (D) Describing facts. |
答案: 1.C 2.C 3.D
I wouldn’t demand proof of loyalty from a friend.
我不會向朋友要求忠誠的證明。
The judge required proof of what the defendant said.
法官要求被告提出說辭的證據。
Most banks’ safes are proof against fire.
大部份銀行的保險箱都是防火的。
Most banks’ safes are fireproof.
大部份銀行的保險箱都是防火的。
After sneezing several times, I realized I was allergic to my friend’s cat.
打了幾次噴嚏後,我才發現我對朋友的貓過敏。
Coughs and sneezes spread flu viruses.
咳嗽和噴嚏會散播流感病毒。
For Jane, a weekly wage of five hundred bucks is nothing to sneeze at.
對珍而言,每週 500 美金的工資是一筆不可輕忽的收入。
For Jane, a weekly wage of five hundred bucks is not to be sneezed at.
對珍而言,每週 500 美金的工資是一筆不可輕忽的收入。
I have an itch on the left side of my back. Can you
scratch it for me?
我左背在癢。你可以幫我抓一下嗎?
I have an itch for a good vacation.
我好想度個愉快的假期。
I have an itch to go to Kenting for a visit.
我好想到墾丁去玩一趟。
The fabric of the vest itches me.
這件背心的布料讓我很癢。
My nose itches, and I can’t concentrate.
我的鼻子很癢,所以我無法專心。
After the protest, the police feared that a riot would erupt anytime.
那場抗議之後,警方擔心暴動隨時會一觸即發。
After the protest, the police feared that a riot would break out anytime.
那場抗議之後,警方擔心暴動隨時會一觸即發。
After a pause, the entire room erupted into laughter and applause.
停頓了一下後,整個房間的人突然大笑並且鼓掌叫好。
A sudden blast of wind blew my hat away and I had to run after it.
突然一陣強風把我的帽子吹走,讓我得追著它跑。
It is reported that there were 20 people killed in the blast.
據報導,有 20 人在此爆炸中喪生。
We blasted the door open with a bomb.
我們用炸彈把門炸開了。
The workmen tried to blast away at the road surface, but to no avail.
工人們試圖爆破路面,但徒勞無功。
We watched the spaceship blast off on TV.
我們在電視上看見太空船升空。
The sudden explosion blasted out many windows in the buildings.
那場突然的爆炸使許多建築物的窗戶被噴飛。
he team played well but still lost the game.
這隊打得很好,卻還是輸了那場比賽。
Adrian has lost his new phone.
亞德里安弄丟了他的新手機。
Jack has lost interest in his job.
傑克對工作失去了興趣。
Stay calm. Don't lose your temper.
保持冷靜,別發脾氣。
Seth won't lose any sleep over tomorrow's test since he is well-prepared.
賽斯一點也不擔心明天的考試,因為他準備充足。
The old couple took in the child after his parents died in the plane crash.
這對老夫婦在這個孩子的雙親死於空難後收留了他。
Seth won't lose any sleep over tomorrow's test since he is well-prepared.
賽斯一點也不擔心明天的考試,因為他準備充足。
I need to do more exercise to build up my muscles.
我需要多做運動來鍛鍊我的肌肉。
Without regular exercise, fat can build up in the body.
如果不經常運動,脂肪就會在體內堆積。
Snow built up on the roof after the storm.
暴風雪過後,屋頂上積滿了雪。
Chances are that robots will replace humans in the workplace.
機器人未來很有可能在職場中取代人力。
Chances are we will hire Lisa once her internship is completed.
我們很有可能在莉莎實習結束後聘用她。
Chances are that this plan will succeed if followed carefully.
如果仔細執行,這個計畫很有可能會成功。
When the magician opened the box, a rabbit popped out.
當那名魔術師打開盒子時,一隻兔子跳了出來。
I'm just popping out for a few minutes to grab a bite to eat.
我只是出去幾分鐘吃點東西。
Some people enjoy reading, others like to listen to music, and still others are fond of exercising.
有些人喜歡閱讀,有些人喜歡聽音樂,還有些人喜歡運動。
Hobbies vary from person to person. Some enjoy reading. Others love watching movies. Still others have a passion for hiking.
嗜好因人而異。有人享受閱讀。有人喜歡看電影。而也有人喜歡健行。
The athlete has won an astonishing 28 medals at the Olympic Games.
那位運動員獲得了驚人的二十八面奧運獎牌。
incident [ ˋɪnsədnt ] n. 事件
• As shooting incidents occurred repeatedly, the public urged the authorities to take action.
因為槍擊事件一再地發生,民眾敦促當局採取行動。
以下介紹其他表「事,事件」的名詞:
a. incident 尤指不尋常、重要或暴力的「事件」。
b. accident [ ˋæksədənt ] 表「意外事件;事故」。
• Jeff had a car accident; luckily, he was only slightly injured.
傑夫發生車禍;幸運地是,他只受了輕傷。
c. event [ ɪˋvɛnt ] 尤指重大或不尋常的「事件,大 事」。
• The Super Bowl is a major sporting event throughout the US.
超級盃是一項全美國重大的運動賽事。
d. occurrence [ əˋkɝəns ] 表「發生的事件」,尤用於 表示其頻繁與否。
• Flooding is a common occurrence here due to its geographical location.
這裡因為地理位置的關係所以很常發生水災。
e. happening [ ˋhæpənɪŋ ] 表「發生的事(尤指怪 事)」。
• A number of odd happenings took place in that old house.
那棟老房子裡曾發生過一些怪事。
f. episode [ ˋɛpə͵sod ] 表一連串事情中的「一起事 件;一段經歷」。
• Being posted to Paris is the most memorable episode of Emily’s career.
被派駐到巴黎是艾蜜莉職涯中最難忘的一段經歷。
破除流言 : 睜眼打噴嚏眼球會飛出去嗎?
我們都很熟悉這種感覺 ─ 通常一開始是一個鼻孔深處覺得有點癢。接著你就會察覺到要發生了。然後,哈啾!氣體從你 的鼻子和/或嘴巴以每小時一百英里(約一百六十公里)的驚人速度噴出,並同時噴出讓你發癢的東西。噴嚏釋出的高壓讓某些 人猜測如果我們不閉眼,眼睛可能會馬上噴出眼窩。
幾十年來,有無數人測試過這項理論。一發現人們幾乎不可能睜眼打噴嚏時,很多人斷定該理論必定是正確的。如果你自 己試試看,很有可能你的眼睛還在原處。那是因為它們被眼窩裡的肌肉牢牢地抓著。再者,噴嚏所釋放的高壓其實是堆積在血管 裡,這可能會造成微血管破裂,卻不太可能會讓眼球飛出去。
那這個迷思到底為何會開始流傳呢?有些人說一切都起始於 1882 年,當時《紐約時報》報導了一起事件,一名女子在突然 打噴嚏的時候,一顆眼球爆了出來。另一些人指出,不同於打噴嚏的高壓體驗(像是分娩)可能會造成眼睛裡的血管爆裂。還有 一些人說我們打噴嚏時會閉眼本身就是證明。另一方面,科學家解釋道,我們閉眼的原因跟打噴嚏一樣 ─ 避免不需要的刺激 物進入體內。不管怎樣,就我們所知,並沒有實際的案例記載有人因為一個噴嚏就失去一顆眼球,所以別擔心啦!
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1. 根據本文,為什麼我們睜眼打噴嚏眼球不會噴出去? (A) 它們太小了,所以不會受影響。 (D) 血管把它們跟大腦連接在一起。 |
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2. 我們可以從本文推論出什麼? (A) 打噴嚏通常會讓鼻子癢。 (B) 打噴嚏造成的高壓會透過呼吸釋放出去。 (C) 如果你睜眼打噴嚏,身體可能會吸入你噴出去的東西。 (D) 女性在生產時如果睜眼打噴嚏,眼球可能會爆出來。 |
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3. 作者在回答「睜眼打噴嚏眼球會飛出去嗎?」這個問題 時採用了什麼技巧? (A) 從一起事件得出推論。 (B) 提供科學的統計數字。 (C) 闡述意見。 (D) 描述事實。 題解: 本文第二段提到,試著睜眼打噴嚏的話,很有可 能眼睛還在原處,那是因為它們被眼窩裡的肌肉 牢牢地抓著,且噴嚏所釋放的高壓只會堆積在血 管裡,這兩項敘述為有確實證據的「事實」,故答案應選 (D)。 |
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