英语听力精选进阶版 6419

Do you drink a lot of coffee? The water boiling in the kettle, the aroma¹, the first mouthful from the cup in the morning – so many people see it as part of a ritual that it inspired an expression in English: 'Wake up and smell the coffee!'

I read the other day in the New Scientist magazine that coffee contains a stimulant², caffeine, which is the planet's most popular "psychoactive drug". In the United States alone, more than 90% of adults are estimated to use it every day. That's a lot of people!

Organisations which research public health thought it too. They're concerned about the addition of caffeine to products such as waffles, energy drinks and chewing gum. Lynne Goldman, dean of the George Washington University School of Public Health, says that many people don't know how much caffeine they are taking. As a result they could have insomnia³, indigestion or high blood pressure.

I don't want to have any of that but I must say that when I can't have any coffee I feel a bit tired, have a mild headache and find it difficult to concentrate. Scientists say that these must be the withdrawal⁴ symptoms of caffeine - because coffee can cause an addiction⁵.

But if you are a coffee lover like me, you shouldn't be afraid because in moderation, caffeine may have some positive effects. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition linked drinking coffee and tea with a lower risk of diabetes⁶.

There is an interesting story behind the use of coffee. Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore⁷ of Alcohol and Caffeine, says that the substance became popular in Europe with the industrial revolution. There was a race for productivity during that time.

And some famous people believed that coffee has creative powers. French novelist and playwright⁸ Honoré de Balzac and German composer Ludwig van Beethoven are said to have liked it a lot.

American film-maker David Lynch ate at the same Los Angeles diner every day for seven years. He drank up to seven cups of coffee with lots of sugar every time, which he said would guarantee him "lots of ideas".

What about you: Does coffee fill you with ideas? Is it an important part of your social life?

Quiz 测验

1. How many people in the US are believed to consume caffeine daily?

90% of adults.

2. Is this statement true or false? Coffee drinkers might get insomnia if they don't have their usual cup.

False. People might get insomnia if they drink too much coffee.

3. According to the article, when did coffee become popular?

During the industrial revolution.

4. Who liked sweetened coffee?

American film-maker David Lynch.

5. Which expression means 'something you do regularly as part of a routine'?

A ritual.

Glossary⁹ 词汇表

aroma (咖啡的)香味；芳香

a ritual 习惯

Wake up and smell the coffee! 认清事实

a stimulant 兴奋剂，刺激物

the caffeine 咖啡因

a psychoactive drug 精神药物

an energy drink 能量饮料

insomnia 失眠症

indigestion 消化不良

high blood pressure 高血压

a withdrawal symptom 断瘾症状

an addiction 上瘾

in moderation 适量，适度地

diabetes 糖尿病

productivity 生产力，生产率

1 aroma   

n.香气，芬芳，芳香

参考例句：

• The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
• The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。

2 stimulant   

n.刺激物，兴奋剂

参考例句：

• It is used in medicine for its stimulant quality.由于它有兴奋剂的特性而被应用于医学。
• Musk is used for perfume and stimulant.麝香可以用作香料和兴奋剂。

3 insomnia   

n.失眠，失眠症

参考例句：

• Worries and tenseness can lead to insomnia.忧虑和紧张会导致失眠。
• He is suffering from insomnia.他患失眠症。

4 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

5 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 lore   

n.传说；学问，经验，知识

参考例句：

• I will seek and question him of his lore.我倒要找上他，向他讨教他的渊博的学问。
• Early peoples passed on plant and animal lore through legend.早期人类通过传说传递有关植物和动物的知识。

8 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

9 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。