英文原文:
Nanotechnology (sometimes shortened to "nanotech") is the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabrication of macroscale products, also now referred to as molecular nanotechnology. A more generalized description of nanotechnology was subsequently established by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, which defines nanotechnology as the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers. This definition reflects the fact that quantum mechanical effects are important at this quantum-realm scale, and so the definition shifted from a particular technological goal to a research category inclusive of all types of research and technologies that deal with the special properties of matter that occur below the given size threshold. It is therefore common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to the broad range of research and applications whose common trait is size. Because of the variety of potential applications (including industrial and military), governments have invested billions of dollars in nanotechnology research. Through its National Nanotechnology Initiative, the USA has invested 3.7 billion dollars. The European Union has invested 1.2 billion and Japan 750 million dollars.
Nanotechnology as defined by size is naturally very broad, including fields of science as diverse as surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, microfabrication, etc. The associated research and applications are equally diverse, ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale.
Scientists currently debate the future implications of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology may be able to create many new materials and devices with a vast range of applications, such as in medicine, electronics, biomaterials and energy production. On the other hand, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as any new technology, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as speculation about variousdoomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.
题型难度分析:段落细节配对+人名理论配对+部分段落的摘要题。对于绝大多数的考生来说,两套配对题在同一篇文章中出现,压力较大。尤其是段落细节配对这种题型的存在使得这篇文章的题型难度系数中等偏上。
题型技巧分析:
Matching(人名&观点)在近期的雅思阅读考试中出现的次数比较多。做这一题型,首先要明确它的题干是有序还是无序的(人名出现在题干中一般为有序)。其次要注意解题的顺序,若是有序型的,则可按人名在文中出现的顺序解题,若是无序型的,按人名出现次数从少到多解题。在解题时,当定位到某一人名后,要特别留意此人所说的话(即引号中的内容),而这一人名后附加的一长串头衔,则可省略不读。
A. 人名观点配对一般考察的是某个人的言论(statement)、观点(opinion)、评论(comment)、发现(findings or discoveries)。这样,一般这个题的答案在文中就只有两个答案区:
1. 人名边上的引号里面的内容;
2. 人名+ think /say /claim /argue /believe /report /find /discover /insist /admit /report... + that从句。
B. 人名在文中一般以以下方式出现:
1. 全称(full name), 如:Brian Waldron
2. 名(first name), 不常见
3. 姓(surname), 如:Professor Smith
4. He/she(在同一段话中,该人再次出现时,用指示代词替代)
因此,建议考生去文中找人名时,应该将上述四种情况均考虑进去。再者,应该谨记在心的是:如果一个人名在一段话中出现N次,也只能算一次。如果一个人名在N段话中出现,就算N次。
C. 该题的答案遍布于全文。因此应该从文章的开头往后依次寻找人名。
D. 该题貌似是全篇文章的考察,其实考察的就是这些人所说的几句话。故应先从文中找人名,再去找答案。