考研英语核心词汇速成胜经Unit40一、真题文章(1996年Text5)Rumorhasitthatmorethan20booksoncreationism/evolutionareinthepublisher'spipelines.Afewhavealreadyappeared.Thegoalofallwillbetotrytoexplaintoaconfusedandoftenunenlightenedcitizenrythattherearenottwoequallyvalidscientifictheoriesfortheoriginandevolutionofuniverseandlife.Cosmology,geology,andbiologyhaveprovidedaconsistent,unified,andconstantlyimprovingaccountofwhathappened.Scientificcreationism,whichisbeingpushedbysomeforequaltimeintheclassroomswheneverthescientificaccountsofevolutionaregiven,isbasedonreligion,notscience.Virtuallyallscientistsandthemajorityofnonfundamentalistreligiousleadershavecometoregardscientificcreationismasbadscienceandbadreligion.ThefirstfourchaptersofKitcher'sbookgiveaverybriefintroductiontoevolution.Atappropriateplaces,heintroducesthecriticismsofthecreationistsandprovidesanswers.Inthelastthreechapters,hetakesoffhisglovesandgivesthecreationistsagoodbeating.Hedescribestheirprogramsandtactics,and,forthoseunfamiliarwiththewaysofcreationists,theextentoftheirdeceptionanddistortionmaycomeasanunpleasantsurprise.Whentheirbasicmotivationisreligious,onemighthaveexpectedmoreChristianbehavior.Kitcherisaphilosopher,andthismayaccount,inpart,fortheclarityandeffectivenessofhisarguments.Thenon-specialistwillbeabletoobtainatleastanotionofthesortsofdataandargumentthatsupportevolutionarytheory.Thefinalchapteronthecreationistswillbeextremelycleartoall.Onthedustjacketofthisfinebook,StephenJayGouldsays:Thisbookstandsforreasonitself.Andsoitdoes---andallwouldbewellwerereasontheonlyjudgeinthecreationism/evolutiondebate.二、译文有传言说,有20多本关于创世论与进化论之争的书即将出版,有几本已经面世了。所有这些书的目的是试图告诉那些感到困惑的而且常常是还不开通的芸芸众生:就宇宙和生命的起源与发展问题而言,不可能存在两种都成立的科学理论。对于所发生的一切,宇宙学、地质学、生物学已经提供了一贯的、统一的并且是在不断完善的解释。当课堂上讲授进化论时,有些人就想争抢“相同的课时”来解释“科学”创世论,其实科学创世论是基于宗教,而非科学。实际上,所有科学家和大多数非原教旨主义宗教领袖们都已将“科学”创世论看作是拙劣的科学和拙劣的宗教。Kitcher的书在前四章中对进化做了简单的介绍。在合适的地方,他介绍了对创世论者的批判并给出了回答。在最后三章中,他终于显露出本意,给创世论者一顿痛击。他描述了这些人伎俩,对那些不熟悉创世论者的人来说,这些人对真相的欺骗和歪曲程度让人不快和震惊。因为既然这些人的最初动机是宗教,他们本应该采取更加符合基督教徒的行为。Kitcher是位哲学家,这也许部分解释了他的论证为何如此清晰和有效。非专业人士起码可以了解支持进化论的各种数据和观点。关于创世论者的最后一章对每个人来说都阐述得极为清楚。这部优秀作品的护封上引用了斯蒂芬.杰.古尔德的一句话,“这本书本身就代表了理性”。的确如此——如果理性是创世论和进化论之争的惟一裁判,一切问题就解决了。三、考研核心词汇rumor/5ru:mE/n.流言,谣言,传闻vt.谣传,传闻[例]Therumorwasfabricatedbytheenemyradiostation.这谣言是敌人广播电台捏造出来的。[同义]broadcast,circulate,gossip[派生]rumorous/`rU:mErEs/adj.传说的,谣传的creationism/kri:`eIFEnIzEm/n.创造宇宙说,特别创造说[例]ThefocusofthisdiscussionisonamorenarrowsenseofCreationism.这次讨论的中心更多的是关于狭义的创世学说。[派生]creation/kri5eiFEn/n.创造,创作物creative/kri(:)5eitiv/adj.创造性的pipeline/5paip7lain/n.管道,传递途径[例]Fartherdownthepipelinearethreeotherapproachestovaccinedevelopment?(BostonGlobe)“除供给渠道外,培植牛痘还有其它三种途径”(波士顿环球)unenlightened/5Qnin5laitnd/adj.无知的,不文明的,落后的[例]Asweknow,heisunenlightened.正如我们所知道的他是一个无知的人。[派生]enlighten/in5laitn/vt.启发,启蒙,教导,授予...知识,开导,古照耀citizenry/5sItIz(E)nrI/n.公民,市民(集合称)[例]ItcorrespondstotheLatinclassis,awordborrowedfromtheGreek,meaningthatpartofthecitizenrywhichhasbeencalledtothecolours.它的意思同拉丁文的classis(阶级、阶层等级)一样——一个借自希腊语的词——公民中的有色人种。[派生]citizen/5sitizn/n.市民,公民valid/5vAlid/adj.1[律]有效的,有根据的2正当的,正确的[例]Illnessisavalidexcuseforbeingabsentfromwork.生病是不去上班的正当理由。[同义]adequate,authorized,cogent,effective,established,[反义]invalid/in5vAlid/n.病人,残废者adj.有病的,残废的origin/5CridVin/n.1起源,由来,起因2出身,血统,[数]原点[例]Wecannotescapeourorigins,howeverhardwetry?(JamesBaldwin)“无论如何努力,我们也改变不了我们的出身”(詹姆斯·鲍德温)[同义]beginning,birth,derivation,inception,start[反义]result/ri5zQlt/n.结果,成效,计算结果vi.起因,由于,以...为结果,导致[派生]original/E5ridVEnEl/adj.最初的,原始的,独创的,新颖的n.原物,原作cosmology/kCz5mClEdVi/n.宇宙哲学,宇宙论[例]Thisessayisaboutcosmology.这篇文章是关于宇宙论的。[派生]cosmic/5kCzmik/adj.宇宙的geology/dVi5ClEdVi/n.地质学,地质概况[例]thegeologyofNorthAmerica北美地质概况consistent/kEn5sistEnt/adj.1一致的,调和的2坚固的[例]Thetestimonywasconsistentwiththeknownfacts.口供与已知的事实相符合[反义]inconsistent/7inkEn5sistEnt/adj.不一致的,不协调的,矛盾的[派生]consistentlyadv.一贯地,一向,始终如一地unified/5ju:nifaid/adj.统一的,统一标准的,一元化的[例]unifiedcoarsethread统一标准粗牙螺纹[派生]unification/ju:nIfI5keIF(E)n/n.统一,合一majority/mE5dVCriti/n.多数,大半n.[律]成年[例]Themajorityofchildreninourclasshavebrowneyes;onlythreehaveblueeyes.我们班大多数孩子是棕色眼睛,只有三个是蓝眼睛。[反义]minority/mai5nCriti,mi-/n.少数,少数民族[派生]major/5meidVE/n.美[教]主修课,[律]成年人,[乐]大调adj.主修的,成年的,大调的vi.主修criticism/5kritisiz(E)m/n.批评,批判[例]Thesetwocriticismsprovideagoodstartingpoint.这两条批评意见开创了良好的开端。[反义]admiration/7AdmE5reiFEn/n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕[派生]criticize/5kritisaiz/v.批评,吹毛求疵,非难critic/5kritik/n.批评家,评论家,吹毛求疵者tactics/5tAktiks/n.战术,策略[例]Guerrillatacticswereemployedduringmostofthewar.游击战术被应用于战争的大部分时间里[同义]strategydistortion/dis5tC:FEn/n.扭曲,变形,曲解,失真[例]ahopelessdistortionofthetruth肆意歪曲真理[派生]distort/dis5tC:t/vt.弄歪(嘴脸等),扭曲,歪曲(真理、事实等),误报motivation/7mEuti5veiFEn/n.动机[例]Thestrongerthemotivation,themorequicklyapersonwilllearnaforeignlanguage.一个人学外语的内在要求越高,那么他就学得越快。[派生]motivational/9mEJtI`veIFLnEl/adj.动机的,有关动机的motivate/5mEutiveit/v.激发philosopher/fi5lCsEfE/n哲学家,哲人,达观者[例]Youareaphilosopher.你真想得开。[派生]philosophic/7filE5sCfik/adj.哲学的,贤明的philosophy/fi5lCsEfi/n.哲学,哲学体系,达观,冷静clarity/5klAriti/n.清楚,透明[例]theclarityofthedifficultproblembygivingafullexplanation以充分的说明来阐明那个难题o