每日小短文背诵 (10)啤酒(1)

Fermented beverages made from various types of grain appeared independently in different locations all over the ancient world from Africa to China. The word beer itself comes from a Latin verb meaning "to drink", and the ancient Romans were certainly no strangers to the brew. However, because they considered it the drink of barbarians , the Romans generally preferr...

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每日小短文背诵 (18)沙尘暴(1)

At first glance, dust storms do not seem very fascinating. Winds pick up fine particles from the ground, and then the air becomes thick with dust. What is interesting, though, is that dust storms can travel across the ocean, sometimes from continent to continent. Such dust storms are worth investigating. 乍看之下,沙尘暴似乎不怎么引人注意。地面的细沙被风卷起,空气中便充满厚...

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每日小短文背诵 (11)啤酒(2)

In ancient times, people who made beer lacked the means to preserve and filter it properly, so the drink was cloudy and turned bad quickly. It was medieval European monks who introduced scientific brewing techniques in an effort to produce a nutritious beverage to supplement their meager diets. 古时的啤酒酿造者缺少良好的保存方法及过滤工具,所以啤酒混浊而且容易变质,正是中世...

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每日小短文背诵 (7)慕尼黑(7)

Munich, then, is a city of fascinating contrasts. It has terrific museums, architectural treasures, and open-air shopping as well as space-age factories and world-class markets. If you could visit only one city in Germany, the capital of Bavaria would be a worthy choice. 由此可见,慕尼黑是一个极具迷人的有鲜明反差的城市。它有令人流连忘返的博物馆、建筑珍品,露天商场,也有太空...

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每日小短文背诵 (8)慕尼黑(8)

One of the world's oldest stories, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is a lively tale of heroism and sacrifice from ancient Sumer. It also contains one of the earliest references to beer. In the story, a female friend of the hero changes a wild, primitive beast into a cultured human being by giving him seven cups of beer. 《吉尔伽美什史诗》是世界上流传最久的故事之一,栩栩如生地讲述...

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每日小短文背诵 (17)哈痒的科学研究(3)

Researchers did find a way, however, for people to tickle themselves. When volunteers activated a robot by remote control to tickle them after a short delay, the volunteers felt as if someone else were tickling them. It seems that the cerebellum sends a signal to disregard the forthcoming movement, then moves on to other things. Your brain "forgets" that you are ti...

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每日小短文背诵 (16)哈痒的科学研究(2)

A scientific study was recently done in England to determine whether or not people can tickle themselves. Volunteers were attached to a brain-scanning device and were tickled on their palms with a piece of soft foam. The participants' brain scans were monitored while they were being tickled, and when they tickled themselves. It was found that during self-tickling, the ce...

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每日小短文背诵 (12)啤酒(3)

The monks were not restricted to only brewing the beer, and consumption of it within the monasteries reached astonishing levels. One report from Belgium said that monks were drinking as much as five liters a day. Monastery breweries in Europe also ran their own pubs and enjoyed a tax-free status that came to be resented by the growing merchant class. 僧侣们不只局限在酿造啤酒...

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每日小短文背诵 (15)哈痒的科学研究(1)

We only feel ticklish if we detect a sense of invasion or attack. If we try to tickle ourselves, our brains anticipate this "attack" and prevent us from feeling panicked. Strangely enough, even if a person knows that they are about to be tickled, the fear of being touched may cause the same "ticklish" reaction. Some people laugh even before being tickled....

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每日小短文背诵 (9)慕尼黑(9)

In reality, drinking that much beer is more likely to have the opposite effect. Nowadays, it is the beverage of choice among rowdy young people on a Saturday night out, and it has fueled acts of violence and destruction in more than a few societies. It is, nevertheless, the oldest known alcoholic drink in the world and is widely enjoyed. 事实上,饮用太多啤酒更可能产生相反的...

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