考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit45
Unit 45
Five days before the opening move of Kasparov vs. the World, the chess champion sat in a fashionable Manhattan restaurant fighting off symptoms of a nasty head cold. Hunched over a cup of hot lemon juice and pinching his throat in pain, Garry Kasparov didn't look quite ready to rumble with the rest of the human race. Was this the world team's last, best hope at victory? Don't count on it. "There will," Kasparov says firmly, "be no mistakes in this game."
You'd better believe it. The tournament, which kicks off this Monday, pits the greatest living chess player in a single match against all comers on the Internet. Anybody who logs on (at www.zone.com) can vote on a variety of moves suggested by a panel of young grand masters. The most popular move is made; 24 hrs. later, Kasparov responds. And a few sniffles aren't likely to prevent the mighty Russian from beating amateur pawn pushers like you or me into a bloody pulp. "I don't expect us to win or anything," says Irina Krush, the 15-year-old U.S. women's chess champ and world-team coach, "but it'll be a fun game."
And a closely watched one too. Quite apart from being a timely test of war by committee (take note, NATO), it's Kasparov's first public confrontation with computer technology since his match with IBM's Deep Blue in 1997. Those games, billed as a historic confrontation between man and machine, ended with man's humiliating defeat (and petulant calls by Kasparov for IBM to hand over Deep Blue's printouts; two years later, they still refuse).
This time, however, man and machine will work in harmony--on both sides. Kasparov and many of his opponents will be consulting vast databases of past games and plotting computer-assisted strategies, a practice as common in chess now as using calculators to do long division. What's new here is the vast scale. In the long run, Kasparov vs. the World may tell us more about chess and human thought processes than Deep Blue ever could. "The result is irrelevant," says Kasparov, himself a part-time computer scientist and Internet addict. "It's a big experiment."
Indeed, you could say Kasparov is experimenting on us. The idea of playing a match in cyberspace was his, and the grand master has carefully controlled the setup from start to finish. He chose the game's host--Microsoft--for its software and marketing muscle. He insisted on up-and-coming chess prodigies to lead the world team--rather than more famous rivals like Anatoly Karpov or Nigel Short--so it wouldn't become a grudge match. And he set the 24-hr. gap between moves to ensure an antiseptic game, with none of the silly blunders you get in speed chess.
All well and good. But isn't there any way we lab rats can beat the chess scientist? Grand master Daniel King, who will do the commentary, thinks the sluggish time frame could actually work in our favor. Kasparov, he says, "thrives on pressure situations" and may play less aggressive chess at a leisurely pace. Let's hope so. Otherwise, we'll have to start rooting for the head cold.
注（1）：本文选自Time; 06/28/99, p55, 2/3p, 2c；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年真题Text1；
1. What is Kasparov’s attitude toward this match?
[A]Reserved.
[B]Proud.
[C]Confident.
[D]Indifferent
2. Which of the following is not the description of this match?
[A]It is a confrontation between man and computer.
[B]It is a match between one and the rest of the world.
[C]The vast scale makes this match different from the former ones.
[D]This match involves long match hours.
3. The expression “beating amateur pawn pushers like you or me into a bloody pulp”(Line
4, Paragraph 1) indicates that _____________.
[A]the amateurs have no intention to defeat Kasparov
[B]the amateurs have great confidence in themselves
[C]the amateurs can become mighty competitors
[D]the common participants can be easily defeated
4. What is the author’s attitude toward Kasparov?
[A]Apprehensive.
[B]Respectful.
[C]Contemptible.
[D]Indifferent.
5．What is Kasparov’s weak point in this game?
[A]He has got a bad cold.
[B]He has too many rivals.
[C]Less pressure makes him inactive.
[D]The match hours are too long.
答案：CADBC
篇章剖析
本文主要介绍了国际象棋冠军卡斯帕罗夫同世界上所有的人在网上进行的一次公开对抗赛。第一段指出卡斯帕罗夫同“世界队”开赛前的身体和精神状况；第二段指出比赛如何进行；第三段指出这次比赛的性质；第四段指出这次比赛的意义；第五段指出这次比赛的具体操作；第六段指出此次比赛对卡斯帕罗夫的不利方面。
词汇注释
take on 同（对手）较量，对付
champ[tFAmp]n.=champion 冠军
fight off v.击退, 排斥, 竭力避免
symptom[5sImptEm]n.[医][植]症状, 征兆
head cold n.伤风
hunch[hQntF]vi.向前移动, 隆起
pinch[pIntF] vt.掐, 夹痛, 修剪, 勒索, 使感缺乏, 使萎缩, 偷
rumble[5rQmb(E)l]v.隆隆声, 辘辘行驶, 低沉地说；（主美）打群架
tournament[5tJEnEmEnt; (?@) 5t\:rn-]n.比赛, 锦标赛, 联赛
kick off v.踢脱(鞋等)；开球，开始比赛
pit[pIt]vt.窖藏, 使凹下, 去...之核, 使留疤痕, 使竞争
log on 登录
Grand Master n.（社会团体的）会长，主席, 高段棋手之尊号, 在任何方面有特殊成就者
sniffle[5snIf(E)l]n.抽鼻子；感冒，一种伴有鼻塞的状态，例如伤风，与 the一起使用
amateur[5AmEtE(r)]n.业余爱好者, 业余艺术家
pawn[pC:n]n.典当, 抵押物, 人质, (象棋)兵、卒, 爪牙, 被人利用的人
pulp[pQlp]n.(水果的)果肉, 纸浆；beat (sb.) to a pulp 把某人打得遍体鳞伤, 打个半死
bill[bIl]vt.用海报宣传, 把...列成表, 给...开帐单
humiliating[hjU:`mIlIeItIN]adj.羞辱性的
petulant[5petjJlEnt]adj.脾气坏的, 使性子的
long division n. 长除法
in the long run adv.最后，从长远的观点看来，终究，毕竟，结果
addict[E5dIkt]n.入迷的人, 有瘾的人
experiment on v.对...进行实验
cyberspace n.电脑空间
host[hEJst]n.主机,主人,旅馆招待
Microsoft n微软公司：全球最大规模的电脑软件公司和最有价值的企业，微软涉足操作系统，应用软件，开发工具，多媒体及网络技术等许多领域
up-and-coming adj.积极进取的,很有前途的,日见重要的
prodigy[5prRdIdVI]n.惊人的事物, 天才(特指神童), 奇观, 奇事
grudge match n.旗鼓相当的比赛
antiseptic[AntI5septIk]adj.冷静客观的，不掺杂个人感情的
well and good adv.好(也好,满意)
sluggish[5slQ^IF]adj.行动迟缓的
time frame 时间帧，时间范围；［时框］
thrive[WraIv]v.兴旺, 繁荣, 茁壮成长, 旺盛
root for v.支持, 赞助
难句突破
1． Those games, billed as a historic confrontation between man and machine, ended with man's
humiliating defeat (and petulant calls by Kasparov for IBM to hand over Deep Blue's printouts; two years later, they still refuse).
主体句式：Those games …ended with man's … defeat
结构分析：本句是一个简单句。主语是“those games”；“billed as”之前省去了“which were”；谓语是“ended with”，意思是“以...结束”；“hand over”的意思是“移交”。
句子译文：以前进行的那些比赛被宣布为人与机器之间具有历史性意义的对抗赛，比赛最终以人类丢人的失败结束（窝火的卡斯帕罗夫多次要求IBM公司交出“深蓝”计算机的打印棋谱；事隔两年，他们仍然拒绝这样做）。
2． Kasparov and many of his opponents will be consulting vast databases of past games and
plotting computer-assisted strategies, a practice as common in chess now as using calculators to do long division.
主体句式：Kasparov and many of his opponents will be consulting …and plotting …
结构分析：本句是一个简单句。“consulting”和“plotting”都是谓语动词；“a practice”之前省去了“which is”； “as … as” 的意思是“如同… 一样”。
句子译文：卡斯帕罗夫和他的很多对手都将查阅有关过去比赛的庞大数据库，并在计算机辅助下谋划策略，这种做法正如使用计算机来进行长除法运算一样，在象棋领域中也是非常常见的。
题目分析
1．答案为C，属情感态度题。从“"There will," Kasparov says firmly, "be no mistakes in this game." ”我们可看出Kasparov对比赛是充满信心的。
2. 答案为A，属事实细节题。从“it's Kasparov's first public confrontation with computer technology”我们知道这是卡斯帕罗夫与电脑科技进行的首次公开对抗；从“This time, however, man and machine will work in harmony--on both sides.”我们知道在这次比赛中人和机器将协调工作。这场比赛是卡斯帕罗夫通过计算机与全世界其他人的对抗赛，而不像是1997年进行的卡斯帕罗夫同“深蓝”计算机的比赛。
3. 答案为D，属事实细节题。“beat (sb.) to a pulp”的意思是“把某人打得遍体鳞伤, 打个半死”，在文中的意思是“把你我这样的业余无名小卒打得落花流水”。
4. 答案为B，属情感态度题。从句子“And a few sniffles aren't likely to prevent the mighty Russian from beating amateur pawn pushers like you or me into a bloody pulp.”我们可看出作者对卡斯帕罗夫的态度。
5. 答案为C，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“Kasparov, he says, "thrives on pressure situations" and may play less aggressive chess at a leisurely pace.”。
参考译文
在卡斯帕罗夫同“世界队”开赛前五天，这位国际象棋冠军坐在曼哈顿一家时髦人物经常光顾的餐馆里，竭力摆脱烦人的伤风感冒症状。加里·卡斯帕罗夫弯着身坐在那儿，面前放着一杯热柠檬汁，咽喉疼痛难忍，他看起来还没做好迎战全人类的准备。这是否是世界队力图取得胜利的最后的、最大的希望呢？可别指望这个！“这场比赛绝对不会出现失误。” 卡斯帕罗夫坚决地说。
你最好还是相信他的话。这次比赛于本周一开赛。比赛把在世的实力最强的象棋选手与全世界互联网上的所有人放在一场比赛中对抗。任何人只要登录（网址www.zone.com），就可以对由年轻的高段棋手小组提供的各种各样的走法进行投票。他们下出了最为出名的一招棋。24小时后，卡斯帕罗夫做出了回应。因感冒抽抽鼻子是不可能阻止这位实力强大的俄罗斯人把你我这样的业余无名小卒打得落花流水的。“我并没有期望我们能赢或什么的，”这位15岁的美国女子国际象棋冠军兼世界队教练的伊利娜 ·克鲁什说，“但这会是场有趣的比赛。”
这场比赛也是倍受关注的。这除了是一场由委员会（注意，是“北大西洋公约组织”）发起的象棋大战的一个适时检验以外，还是自卡斯帕罗夫1997年与IBM公司的“深蓝”计算机进行人机对战后，与电脑科技进行的首次公开对抗。以前进行的那些比赛被宣布为人与机器之间具有历史性意义的对抗赛，比赛最终以人类丢人的失败结束（窝火的卡斯帕罗夫多次要求IBM公司交出“深蓝”计算机的打印棋谱；事隔两年，他们仍然拒绝这样做）。
然而这次，人和机器将协调工作——双方都是如此。卡斯帕罗夫和他的很多对手都将查阅有关过去比赛的庞大数据库，并在计算机辅助下谋划策略，这种做法正如使用计算机来进行长除法运算一样，在象棋领域中也是非常常见的。不同之处在于它的规模之大。从长远的观点来看，卡斯帕罗夫与世界队的较量会比“深蓝”更好地告诉我们有关象棋和人类的思想过程。“结果并不重要，”卡斯帕罗夫本人是位兼职计算机科学家、网虫，他是这样说的，“这是一项大实验。”
事实上，你可以说卡斯帕罗夫在拿我们做实验。在电脑空间进行比赛其实就是他的主意。这位高段棋手从棋赛开始到结束一直在小心地控制着局势。他之所以选择进行比赛的主机——微软公司的主机——是因为这家公司的软件和市场实力。他坚持让那些有发展希望的象棋奇才来领导世界队——而不是选择象阿那托利·卡尔波夫和奈杰尔·肖特这些较为出名的竞争对手——因此这不是一场旗鼓相当的比赛。并且每步棋之间留出24小时的时间，以保证比赛的客观性，不会出现快棋赛中的愚蠢错误。
一切都很好。但是我们这些“试验鼠”就没有可能击败这位象棋科学家吗？高段棋手丹尼尔·金将要做出评论。他认为缓慢的时间范围实际上对我们有利。他说卡斯帕罗夫“在压力状态下比较活跃”，这种悠然的速度可能会使他下棋的进攻性弱一些。希望如此。否则，我们真得为这位感冒患者喝彩了。
