参考译文

俄罗斯最近报导了几个事例，有人能用手指看书识字和辨认颜色，甚至能透过厚实的门和墙看到东西。其中有一例谈到有一个名叫维拉·彼托洛娃的11岁女学生。她的视力与常人一样，但她还能用皮肤的不同部位辨认东西，甚至看穿坚实的墙壁。是她父亲首先发现她这一功能的。一天，维拉走进父亲的办公室，偶然把手放在一个锁着的保险柜的门上，她突然问父亲为什么把这么多的旧报纸锁在柜子里，还说了报纸捆扎的情况。

维拉的特异功能引起了她家附近乌里扬诺夫斯克城一个科研单位的注意。4月里，俄罗斯卫生部的一个特别委员会对她进行了一系列的测试。在这些测试中，她能隔着不透明的屏幕读报纸。更为奇怪的是，她把肘部在儿童玩的“罗托”纸牌上移动一下，便能说出印在纸牌上的数字和颜色。还有一次，她穿着长筒袜子和拖鞋，能用脚识别出藏在地毯下面的一幅画的轮廓和颜色。其他实验表明，她的膝盖和双肩有类似的感觉能力，在所有这些实验中，维拉的双眼都是蒙着的。如果不蒙上双眼她的皮肤就不再具有识别物体的能力。这是千真万确的。同时还发现，尽管她能用手指识别东西，但她的手一旦弄湿，这种功能便会立即消失。

Comprehension理解

Give short answers to these questions in your own words as far as possibe．Use one complete sentence for each answer.

1How did Vera 's father accidentally discover that his daughter possessed unusual powers of perception?

2Under what conditions was Vera incapable of perceiving objects with her skin?

3Under what conditions did Vera lose the ability to perceive objects with her fingers?

Vocabulary词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: several（1.1）; detect（1.1）; vision（1.3）; perceive（1.3）; curious（1.7）;series（1.8）; outlines（1.12）; a similar（1.13）；ceased（1.15）.

Sentence structure 句子结构

ASupply the missing words in the following sentences．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people ___ can read ______ detect colours with their fingers, __________ even see through solid doors and walls．One case concerns an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, ____ has normal vision _____ _______ can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, __________ through solid walls．(11.1-4)

2It was also found that ______ she could perceive things with her fingers, this ability ceased ______________her hands were wet．(11.14-15)

BComplete these sentences in any way you wish．Then compare what you have written with the sentences in the passage:

1One day she came into his office and _________．(11.4-5)

2Suddenly she asked her father why _________．(11.5-6)

3Vera 's curious talent was ________．(1.7)

4During these tests she ________．(1.9)

5It was also found that ________．(11.14-15)

CWrite three sentences describing Vera 's unusual abilities.

Key structures关键句型

ASupply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses．Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1Several cases _________ (report) in Russia recently of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers．(11.1-2)

2This ability first _______ (notice) by her father．(1.4)

3Vera 's curious talent _______ (bring) to the notice of a scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives, and in April she ________ (give) a series of tests by a special commission of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federal Republic．(11.7-9)

4It also ______ (find) that although she ______ (can) perceive things with her fingers, this ability ______ (cease) the moment her hands _____ (be) wet．(11.14-15)

BCompare the word order in these two sentences:

Why did he keep so many old newspapers locked away there?

She asked her father why he kept so many old newspapers locked away there．(11.5-6)

Write these sentences again, beginning each one with the words 1asked him:

1When did he buy that car?

2Where did he find that book?

3Why did he send a fax?

4How did he know I was here?

5Which one did he like best?

CNote the form of the verb in italics in this sentence:

By moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it．(11.10-11)

Supply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses:

1He can walk for miles without ________ (get) tired．

2On ____ (arrive) at the station, I went and bought a ticket.

3While ________ (try) to climb over that wall, he fell down and broke his leg.

4You will never succeed in _______ (persuade) me to come with you.

DCompare these two sentences:

Instead of saying: She was able to describe the colours and figures printed on it．(11.9-10)

We can say: She succeeded in describing the colours and figures printed on it.

Supply could or was able to in the following sentences:

1I ________ easily swim across this river if I wanted to.

2He ________ run a mile in five minutes when he was younger.

3Amundsen ______ reach the South Pole before Scott.

4I rang up several times before I ______ contact him.

5I ______ get these tickets because I was willing to stand in the queue for several hours.

Special difficulties 难点

AStudy the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1normal (1.3) ---- ordinary

I'm not looking for anything fancy, just a normal kettle.

I'm just an ordinary person.

2skin (1.3) ---- complexion

I got so sunburnt that my skin is peeling.

Drinking a lot of water is good for the complexion.

3noticed (1.4) ---- remarked

I've noticed that there are more butterflies this year.

‘You're looking very well!’she remarked．

4office (1.4) ---- study

Reuters is a big news agency with offices all over the world．

I'll have a bigger study in my new apartment.

5game (1.10) ---- toy

Let's play a game．of hide-and-seek.

Alice got a new toy for her birthday.

6lack (1.14) ---- need

His real problem is that he lacks confidence.

We need an hour to get to the airport.

7wet (1.15) ---- damp

Don't sit on that bench．The paint is still wet.

You shouldn't wear that shirt if it's still damp.

BExplain the expressions in italics:

1The newspapers were done up in bundles．(1.6)

2It's too late to save him now．He's done for.

3She'll never go back to her husband．She's done with him for good．

4This room looks lovely now that we've done it up.

5I wouldn't trust him if I were you．He once did me out of a lot of money.

CExplain the word figure in these sentences:

1By moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it．(11.10-11)

2I could make out the figure of a man on the bridge.

3She has such a beautiful figure, she could make a living as a model, I'm sure.

D Explain the expressions with make in these sentences:

1She was able to make out with her foot the outlines and colours of a picture．(11.10-12)

2The thief made off with quite a lot of money.

3He's a strange fellow．I just can't make him out.

4Before he died, he made over all his money to his wife.

5Are you any good at making up stories for children?

Multiple choice questions多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1Solid doors and walls are _____.

a．no obstacle for people who can read and detect colours with their fingers

b．invisible to people who can read and detect colours with their fingers

c．transparent to people who can read and detect colours with their fingers

d．concerned in cases reported in Russia recently

2Vera Petrova's father _____.

a．had always known his daughter had this talent

b．found that his daughter could perceive things with different parts of her skin

c．discovered his daughter's gift by accident

d．described the way newspapers were done up in bundles

3The scientific research institute in the town of Ulyanovsk ______.

a．made Vera read a newspaper

b．arranged that Vera．should undergo a number of experiments

c．tested Vera thoroughly

d．set up a game of Lotto with Vera

4Which one of these statements is true?

a．Vera couldn't always perceive things with her skin.

b．Vera was occasionally blindfold when she did the tests.

c．Vera 's hands had to be wet before she could perceive things through her skin.

d．Vera 's knees didn't have the same sensitivity as her fingers.

Structure句型

5Several cases have been reported in Russia recently of people _________ can read .．(1.1)

a．whom

b．that

c．which

d．they

6One day she came into his office and put her hands on the door of the safe _____ (1.5)

a．as it happened

b．by chance

c．perhaps

d．intentionally

7________ these tests were being conducted, she was able to read a newspaper．(1.9)

a．During

b．On occasion

c．While

d．As if

8Vera couldn't ‘see* with her skin ______ she was blindfold．(11.13-14)

a．only

b．except

c．as if

d．unless

Vocabulary词汇

9This ability was first ____ by her father．(1.4)

a．observed

b．remarked

c．regarded

d．acknowledged

10Vera 's curious talent was brought to the _____ of a research institute．(1.7)

a．attention

b．observation

c．regard

d．care

11---- wearing stockings and slippers, she was able to _____ colours with her foot．(11.11-12)

a．draw

b．see

c．understand

d．watch

12This abilitythe moment her hands were wet．(1.15)

a．continued

b．renewed

c．increased

d．stopped