A New Invention—An Electric Fork
Do you know electricity can change the way we taste food?Don't feel surprised at the fact. A special electric fork invented by Japanese researchers could make any dish taste salty.
According to Hiromi Nakamura, a Post Doctor Researcher at Meiji University of Japan, the technology can be very useful for people with special eating habits. For example, the sick with high blood pressure(高血压) can easily develop a low-salt eating habit and still enjoy delicious food. And with the fork, there's totally no risk of over-salting their food.Luckily, the voltage(电压) is so small that it is safe to use the fork.
The idea of adding electricity to food was first shown to public as an experiment at the Computer Human Interaction Conference in Austin, Texas, in 2012. Nakamura and her team connected a wire(导线) to a 9-volt battery(电池) and passed it through a straw(吸管)placed in a cup of sweet lemonade.Volunteers reported that the lemonade tasted not as sweet as it usually was, because the electricity created the taste of salt.
Nakamura has improved the technology to be able to make the electricity reach the food through forks and chopsticks. “The metallic part of the fork is one electrode(电极),and the handle is the other,” Nakamura explained. “When you take a piece of food with the fork and put it in your mouth, you connect the circuit. When you take the fork out of your mouth, you disconnect the circuit. So, it actually works as a switch.”
Simon Klose, TV presenter of food program Munchies, who recently visited Nakamura to try out the fork himself, then said it was one of the greatest eating experiences he'd ever had. “When I first heard of electric food, it sounded terrible.” he said. He later continued to use the fork to eat pieces of fried chicken, and found that the saltiness greatly increased as the electricity was connected.
Nakamura has been eating “electric” food for the past three to four years in order to understand it better. “For me,” she said, “it may seem like we're cooking but we're actually working on the human taste.”
27. The electric fork may be good for people who .
A. need to lose weightB. show interest in physics
C. work as researchersD. have high blood pressure
28. Paragraph 4 mainly tells us .
A. how the electric fork worksB. what creates the taste of salt
C. where the electric fork was inventedD. when the technology was known to public
29. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The electric fork can create unreal taste.
B. A researcher from England invented the electric fork.
C. People can use the electric fork by pushing the switch.
D. The idea of adding electricity to food was first shown in a TV program.
一、 核心生词
- electricity /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/ n. 电，电能
- researcher /rɪˈsɜːtʃə(r)/ n. 研究人员
- post doctor（固定表达）博士后
- technology /tekˈnɒlədʒi/ n. 技术，科技
- habit /ˈhæbɪt/ n. 习惯
- blood pressure /blʌd ˈpreʃə(r)/ n. 血压
- delicious /dɪˈlɪʃəs/ adj. 美味的
- risk /rɪsk/ n. 风险，危险
- voltage /ˈvəʊltɪdʒ/ n. 电压
- experiment /ɪkˈsperɪmənt/ n. 实验
- interaction /ˌɪntərˈækʃn/ n. 互动，交互
- conference /ˈkɒnfərəns/ n. 会议
- connect /kəˈnekt/ v. 连接
- wire /ˈwaɪə(r)/ n. 电线，导线
- volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə(r)/ n. 志愿者
- improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ v. 改进，提高
- metallic /məˈtælɪk/ adj. 金属的
- electrode /ɪˈlektrəʊd/ n. 电极
- handle /ˈhændl/ n. 手柄，把手
- explain /ɪkˈspleɪn/ v. 解释
- circuit /ˈsɜːkɪt/ n. 电路
- switch /swɪtʃ/ n. 开关
- presenter /prɪˈzentə(r)/ n. 主持人，主播
- experience /ɪkˈspɪəriəns/ n. 经历，体验
- saltiness /ˈsɔːltinəs/ n. 咸味，咸度
二、 重要短语与搭配
- change the way we taste food
改变我们品尝食物的方式（the way 后面省略了 that/in which 引导定语从句） - feel surprised at
对……感到惊讶 - be useful for
对……有用 - eating habits
饮食习惯 - high blood pressure
高血压 - develop a ... habit
养成……的习惯 - with the fork
有了这把叉子（with 表伴随或拥有） - the risk of... ……
的风险 - be safe to use
使用起来很安全 - add... to...
把……添加到……中 - pass through
穿过，通过 - reach the food
到达食物那里 - take out
拿出，拔出 - work as
作为……起作用，充当 - try out
试用，试验 - one of the greatest...
最棒的……之一 - hear of
听说 - in order to
为了 - work on
致力于，从事
文中长难句
1. 原句： Do you know electricity can change the way we taste food?
结构拆解：
主句：Do you know...（一般疑问句） 宾语从句：electricity can change the way 定语从句：we taste food（修饰 the way，省略了关系代词 that 或 in which）翻译： 你知道电可以改变我们品尝食物的方式吗？难点： the way 后面接定语从句时，习惯上省略 that 或 in which，初三同学容易在这里断句错误，把 way we taste 看成一整块。
2. 原句： According to Hiromi Nakamura, a Post Doctor Researcher at Meiji University of Japan, the technology can be very useful for people with special eating habits.
结构拆解：
介词短语作状语：According to Hiromi Nakamura... 同位语：a Post Doctor Researcher at Meiji University of Japan（解释中村裕美的身份） 主句：the technology can be very useful for people with special eating habits 主语：the technology 谓语：can be 表语：very useful 状语：for people with special eating habits
翻译： 据日本明治大学的博士后研究员中村裕美介绍，这项技术对具有特殊饮食习惯的人非常有用。难点： 主语 the technology 前面插入了很长的介词短语和同位语，容易导致主谓分离；be useful for 是固定搭配。
3. 原句： Volunteers reported that the lemonade tasted not as sweet as it usually was, because the electricity created the taste of salt.
结构拆解：
主句：Volunteers reported that... 宾语从句：the lemonade tasted not as sweet as it usually was 谓语：tasted（系动词） 表语：not as sweet as it usually was（not as... as...比较结构） 原因状语从句：because the electricity created the taste of salt
翻译： 志愿者们报告说，柠檬水尝起来不像平时那么甜了，因为电流创造出了咸味。难点： not as sweet as it usually was 是比较结构，as 引导比较状语从句；后面又跟了 because 引导的原因状语从句。
4. 原句： Nakamura has improved the technology to be able to make the electricity reach the food through forks and chopsticks.
结构拆解：
主句：Nakamura has improved the technology（现在完成时） 目的状语：to be able to make the electricity reach the food 方式状语：through forks and chopsticks - make sth. do sth.
：使某物做某事（make the electricity reach the food）翻译： 中村对这项技术进行了改进，使电流能够通过叉子和筷子到达食物。难点： to be able to... 不定式短语作目的状语；make the electricity reach 是 make + 宾语 + 动词原形 的复合结构。
5. 原句： “When you take a piece of food with the fork and put it in your mouth, you connect the circuit.”
结构拆解：
时间状语从句：When you take a piece of food with the fork and put it in your mouth 主语：you 谓语1：take 谓语2：put 由 and 连接两个动作 主句：you connect the circuit
翻译： 当你用叉子叉起一块食物放进嘴里时，你就接通了电路。难点： When 引导的时间状语从句中，take 和 put 是并列谓语，共用主语 you
6. 原句： Simon Klose, TV presenter of food program Munchies, who recently visited Nakamura to try out the fork himself, then said it was one of the greatest eating experiences he'd ever had.
结构拆解：
主语：Simon Klose 同位语：TV presenter of food program Munchies（解释身份） 定语从句：who recently visited Nakamura to try out the fork himself（修饰 Simon Klose） 谓语：said 宾语从句：it was one of the greatest eating experiences he'd ever had 宾语从句中又有一个省略了关系代词 that 的定语从句：he'd ever had（修饰 experiences）翻译： 美食节目《Munchies》的电视主持人西蒙·克洛斯最近拜访了中村，亲自试用了这把叉子，他说这是他有过的最棒的用餐体验之一。难点： 主语 Simon Klose 和谓语 said 之间，插入了同位语和很长的 who 引导的定语从句，导致主谓分离严重。宾语从句中还有 one of the + 最高级 + 名词复数 结构，以及省略关系词的定语从句。
7. 原句： He later continued to use the fork to eat pieces of fried chicken, and found that the saltiness greatly increased as the electricity was connected.
结构拆解：
主句：He later continued to use the fork to eat pieces of fried chicken, and found that... 并列谓语1：continued to use... 并列谓语2：found that... 宾语从句：the saltiness greatly increased as the electricity was connected 时间/原因状语从句：as the electricity was connected
翻译： 他后来继续用叉子吃炸鸡块，并发现当通电时，咸味大大增加了。难点： 主句有两个并列谓语；found 后面接了 that 引导的宾语从句，宾语从句中又有 as 引导的时间/原因状语从句。
8. 原句： “For me,” she said, “it may seem like we're cooking but we're actually working on the human taste.”
结构拆解：
直接引语：it may seem like we're cooking but we're actually working on the human taste 主句1：it may seem like we're cooking 转折并列句：but we're actually working on the human taste
翻译： “对我来说，”她说，“这看起来可能像是在做饭，但实际上我们是在研究人类的味觉。”
难点： seem like 后面接从句（口语中 like 常作连词用，相当于 as if）；but 连接两个并列分句，前后形成对比。
C一项新发明——电叉子
你知道电可以改变我们品尝食物的方式吗？不要对这个事实感到惊讶。日本研究人员发明的一种特殊电叉子可以让任何菜肴吃起来都有咸味。
据日本明治大学的博士后研究员中村裕美介绍，这项技术对具有特殊饮食习惯的人非常有用。例如，患有高血压的病人可以很容易地养成低盐的饮食习惯，同时依然能享受美味的食物。而且有了这把叉子，他们的食物完全没有过咸的风险。幸运的是，电压非常小，使用这把叉子是安全的。
给食物通电的想法最初是在2012年于德克萨斯州奥斯汀举行的“计算机人机交互会议”上作为实验向公众展示的。中村和她的团队将一根导线连接到一块9伏的电池上，并将导线穿过一根放在一杯甜柠檬水中的吸管。志愿者们报告说，柠檬水尝起来不像平时那么甜了，因为电流创造出了咸味。
中村对这项技术进行了改进，使电流能够通过叉子和筷子到达食物。“叉子的金属部分是一个电极，手柄是另一个，”中村解释说。“当你用叉子叉起一块食物放进嘴里时，你就接通了电路。当你把叉子从嘴里拿出来时，你就断开了电路。所以，它实际上就像一个开关。”
美食节目《Munchies》的电视主持人西蒙·克洛斯最近拜访了中村，亲自试用了这把叉子，他说这是他有过的最棒的用餐体验之一。“当我第一次听说电食物时，听起来很糟糕。”他说。他后来继续用叉子吃炸鸡块，并发现当通电时，咸味大大增加了。
在过去的三四年里，中村一直在吃“带电”的食物，以便更好地了解它。“对我来说，”她说，“这看起来可能像是在做饭，但实际上我们是在研究人类的味觉。”
参考答案
27.D
28.A
29.A
