常春藤解析英语【5】I Didn't Know That. 我不知道

by Jerri Graham

How much do you know? Once you watch National Geographic¹ Channel's I Didn't Know That, you will be surprised at how little knowledge you actually have. This 10-part series is packed with action as it explores dozens of minute facts about everyday items. All of these ordinary things that we use on a daily basis may not appear exciting, but once National Geographic Channel shines the spotlight² on them, you'll never see them in the same way again.

Money makes the world go round. We all use it, need it, and want more of it. Did you know that the average bank note has microscopic³ grains of cocaine⁴ on it? Yes, that's right. Cocaine! This illegal drug can be found in small amounts on a $100 bill. Speaking of cash, the Aztecs didn't use paper money the way we do nowadays. Instead, they used cocoa beans. The same beans that are used to make hot chocolate were once the main currency for these people. Just imagine; you could actually drink away your entire allowance.

In most offices, you'll see desks, computers, and chairs. Those office chairs get a lot of use throughout the course of a lifetime. Office chairs must be durable⁵ and have the ability to stand up to the pressure of being sat on 5,000 times a year. In order to test their durability⁶, a fake butt⁷ mechanically sits in a chair some 50,000 times.

After meals, most people brush their teeth. In a person's lifetime, this toothpaste adds up to some 80 liters. If you're short on cash, you could always make your own toothpaste. All you need are five ingredients — baking soda⁸, salt, glycerin, water, and peppermint⁹. Once you've finished brushing your teeth, you could also use the toothpaste to polish your silver.

Yes, money may make the world go round, but trivia about everyday items in our lives makes the world much richer. After watching these 10 episodes, you won't be able to say, "I didn't know that!"

1. The passage is mainly about ______.
(A) interesting bits of information featured on a TV show
(B) a TV show about designing office equipment
(C) new developments in making money
(D) advances made in technology in the past decade

2. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about money?
(A) Cocoa beans are the most valuable form of currency in the world.
(B) Half of all the money in Colombia is made from cocaine.
(C) A group of people once used a type of beans as money.
(D) Money is spinning around us all of the time.

3. Why are chairs tested?
(A) To test their sturdiness.
(B) To figure out who will use them.
(C) To see how much they weigh.
(D) To find out how many times people sit down every year.

4. In the article, why would someone want to make their own toothpaste?
(A) They want cleaner teeth.
(B) They have over 80 liters of it.
(C) They don't have enough toothpaste.
(D) They can save money if they make their own.

精解字词词组

1. be surprised at...　　对……感到惊讶
例： None of us were surprised at the fact that Sam won the essay contest.
（没人对山姆赢得作文比赛这件事感到惊讶。）

2. be packed with...　　充满……
例： Each month, this fashion magazine is packed with useful advice for young women.
（这本流行杂志每个月都刊满了给年轻女性的实用建议。）

3. spotlight n. 聚光灯
be in the spotlight　　成为众人焦点
例： The actress has been in the spotlight ever since she began acting¹⁰ at the age of six.
（那位女演员自六岁开始演戏起，就一直是镁光灯的焦点。）

4. in small/large amounts　　小量∕大量地
例： You can only buy food in large amounts at that store.
（在那家店你只能购买量贩商品。）

5. instead adv. 相反地；（反）而
例： I'm not going home next month. Instead, I'll go to Hong Kong.
（下个月我不会回家。相反地，我要去香港。）

6. in/during/throughout the course of...　在……的过程中
例： Throughout the course of Mr. Lee's life, he worked to help the poor in his country.
（在李先生的一生中，他竭尽心力帮助他国家的穷人。）

7. add up to...　　总计达……
例： His credit card bills add up to $50,000 this month.
（他这个月的信用卡账单加起来总共五万元。）

8. be short on...　　缺少……
例： Robert is short on time, but he'll call you back as soon as he can.
（罗伯特没有时间，但他会尽快打电话给你。）

9. polish vt. 擦亮
例： Mother polished the table until it looked better than it did when it was new.
（妈妈努力擦拭桌子，直到它看起来比刚买的时候还亮为止。）

10. feature vt. 以……为特色
例： The book features some of the best short stories of the past 20 years.
（这本书特别收录过去二十年来最棒的一些短篇小说。）

文法一点灵

...a fake butt mechanically sits in a chair some 50,000 times.

注意：
此处的 some 为修饰数量形容词的副词，表『大约』之意，常见的此类副词尚有：about, around, nearly, roughly, approximately。

例： After the floods, the Red Cross fed some 10,000 people in that shelter.
（洪水之后，红十字会供应那间避难所约一万人的粮食。）

单字小铺

1. minute a. 微细的，微小的

2. bank note　　钞票，纸币

3. microscopic a. 极微小的

4. cocaine n. 古柯碱

5. currency n. 货币

6. allowance n. 零用钱
= pocket money

7. durable a. 耐用的，持久的

8. pressure n. 压力

9. durability n. 耐久性

10. mechanically adv. 机械地

11. toothpaste n. 牙膏

12. liter n. 公升

13. glycerin n. 甘油

14. peppermint n. 薄荷

15. trivia n. 琐事

16. episode n.（电视节目的）一集

17. spin vi. 旋转

18. sturdiness n. 坚固，耐用

词组小铺

1. on a daily basis　　每天

2. Money makes the world go round.　　有钱能使鬼推磨。

3. drink away...　　喝掉……

中文翻译＆标准答案

你知道的事有多少？看了国家地理频道全新系列 I Didn't Know That 后，你会惊讶地发现自己拥有的知识少得可怜。这个系列分成十个单元，探索生活用品的同时，又让节目充满动感。我们每天所用的这些普通用品也许并不起眼，但是经过国家地理频道的『加持』，会让你用不同以往的眼光来看待。

有钱能使鬼推磨。我们都会使用钱、需要钱，也想要得到更多的钱。但你知道一般的银行钞票里含有极少量的古柯碱吗？没错，就是古柯碱！百元钞票里就含有这种少量非法药物。说到钱，阿兹提克人不像我们现代人一样使用纸钞。相反地，他们使用可可豆。这些用来泡热巧克力的豆子曾经是这些人主要的货币。想象一下，你可以真的喝掉你的零用钱。

在大部分的办公室里，你会看到桌子、计算机和椅子。这些办公室椅子在一生中会被坐很多次。它们必须很耐用，并且能承受一年被坐上五千次的压力。为了测试其持久性，会用一个假屁股机械性地坐椅子约五万次之多。

多数人餐后会刷牙。一个人一辈子用掉的牙膏多达八十公升。假如你缺钱的话，也可以自己做牙膏。只要有五种成分即可：食用苏打、盐、甘油、水和薄荷。你刷完牙后还可以用牙膏来擦拭银器。

没错，有钱能使鬼推磨，但关于日常用品的小知识却能使这个世界更丰富。看完这十个单元后，你再也不能说『我不知道』了。

1. 这篇文章主要是关于 _____。
(A) 某个电视节目所放映的有趣知识
(B) 设计办公室设备的节目
(C) 制作钱币的新发展
(D) 过去十年来的科技发展
题解： 本文一开始即说这个系列节目在探索关于日常生活用品的各种知识，可知 (A) 应为正选。

2. 根据本文，以下关于钱的叙述何者为真？
(A) 可可豆是全世界最有价值的货币。
(B) 哥伦比亚一半的钱都是用古柯碱制成的。
(C) 有群人曾经使用某种豆子作为货币。
(D) 钱无时无刻绕着我们打转。
题解： 本文第二段提到阿兹提克人曾使用可可豆作为货币，故(C) 为正选。

3. 为何椅子会被测试？
(A) 为了测试其坚固性。
(B) 以便了解谁会使用它们。
(C) 测试它们的重量。。
(D) 看看人们一年坐下几次。
题解： 文中第三段说，为了测试椅子的持久性，会让一个假屁股坐椅子坐上五万次，可知 (A) 应为正选。

4. 在文章中，为何有人想要自己制作牙膏？
(A) 他们想要更干净的牙齿。
(B) 他们有超过八十公升的牙膏。
(C) 他们的牙膏不够用。
(D) 他们自己做牙膏就可以省钱。
题解： 文中第四段说，假如你缺钱的话（short on cash），你可以自己做牙膏，可知 (D) 应为正选。

标准答案： 1. (A)　2. (C)　3. (A)　4. (D)
 

1 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

4 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

5 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

6 durability   

n.经久性，耐用性

参考例句：

• Nylons have the virtue of durability.尼龙丝袜有耐穿的优点。

7 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

8 soda   

n.苏打水；汽水

参考例句：

• She doesn't enjoy drinking chocolate soda.她不喜欢喝巧克力汽水。
• I will freshen your drink with more soda and ice cubes.我给你的饮料重加一些苏打水和冰块。

9 peppermint   

n.薄荷，薄荷油，薄荷糖

参考例句：

• Peppermint oil is very good for regulating digestive disorders.薄荷油能很有效地调节消化系统失调。
• He sat down,popped in a peppermint and promptly choked to death.他坐下来，突然往嘴里放了一颗薄荷糖，当即被噎死。

10 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。