雅思阅读真题（Part 3）
科学与电影制作：CGI如何让皮肤更真实
本篇也叫：科学与电影制作、CGI与电影、电脑生成图像、斯坦福大学奥斯卡、次表面散射、皮肤渲染
Part 3 · 考频：高频 · 最近考试：2024.8.19
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 3）《Science and filmmaking》，共 14 题，2024.8.19雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讲述学术界与电影业在计算机生成图像（CGI）领域的合作。斯坦福大学Steve Marschner团队因研发模拟皮肤半透明效果的次表面散射技术而获奥斯卡奖，该技术让数字角色皮肤更真实，两年内被所有大型视觉特效公司采用。
Academics are now working more with filmmakers who are impressed by the results of their research in computer generated imagery (CGI)
A
Every year the film academy in the USA celebrates the outstanding achievements of the year in a ceremony known as the Oscars. In 2004 a notable event took place: the academic world met the cinematographic world when researchers from Stanford University in the USA were awarded an Oscar. These researchers, led by Steve Marschner, were from the field of Computer Graphics at Stanford. They were part of a growing cohort of computer scientists that has become fundamental to moviemaking. Films have demonstrated that CGI can be used to alter an actor's appearance - making them seem younger, older, more fragile, or more powerful - while still looking surprisingly real. However, this effect only works well if the modified actors are not shown in extreme close-up shots. This is because replicating the detailed textures of skin and fabric is difficult, and the illusion becomes less convincing at close range. Marschner and his team made major progress in accurately and realistically reproducing both skin and cloth. They identified that one of the key problems in making believable computer- generated characters is that CGI often treats skin as opaque and flat (two-dimensional), whereas real skin is translucent and has depth (three-dimensional), meaning it lets some light pass through.
B
The group won an Oscar for successfully creating a CGI system that mimics translucency when light enters the skin, scatters underneath, and then exits again. This process, known as subsurface scattering, is based on mathematical concepts that date back decades to their use in astrophysics. Since human skin naturally possesses translucency, it had to be artificially simulated to capture the soft, realistic quality of actual skin. Earlier CGI systems that assumed skin was fully opaque resulted in characters looking artificial and plastic-like. The breakthrough was so important for giving life to digital characters that, within two years of their research being published, every major visual effects company had adopted it in their rendering software.
C
Even after receiving their award, the researchers remained determined to perfect their work, believing that the fine details of light reflection still were not reproduced convincingly. They examined closely how skin and fabrics reflect light in different ways depending on their physical structure - the precise arrangement of fibers in cloth and the network of fibers in skin. To investigate this, Marschner's team used computerized tomography, a medical imaging technique most familiar for viewing internal organs. Like traditional X-rays, it uses radiation, but instead of producing a single photographic exposure, it combines images taken from multiple angles in a computer, allowing it to capture subtle details invisible in conventional radiographs.
D
This advanced imaging provided a highly detailed,three-dimensional map of the microstructure of various materials. By analyzing these maps, the researchers could develop new algorithms that accurately simulate how light interacts with the complex geometry of skin pores and fabric weaves. Their subsequent work focused on replicating the phenomenon of specular reflection, where light glints off individual fibers or skin oils, and diffuse reflection, where light is scattered evenly from a rough surface. This dual approach was crucial for overcoming the final hurdle of achieving photorealism in extreme close-ups, ensuring that a digital character’s skin would show pores and fine wrinkles just like real human skin, and that cloth would exhibit the intricate play of light across its woven threads.
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答案：NOT GIVEN
原文定位：In 2004 a notable event took place: the academic world met the cinematographic world when researchers from Stanford University in the USA were awarded an Oscar. These researchers, led by Steve Marschner, were from the field of Computer Graphics at Stanford
同义替换：「Oscar awarded」↔「were awarded an Oscar」，「the first one ever given」↔「」
答案：FALSE
原文定位：Films have demonstrated that CGI can be used to alter an actor's appearance - making them seem younger, older, more fragile, or more powerful - while still looking surprisingly real. However, this effect only works well if the modified actors are not shown in extreme close-up shots
同义替换：「close‑ups」↔「close‑up shots」，「altering an actor's appearance」↔「used to alter an actor's appearance」
答案：NOT GIVEN
原文定位：They identified that one of the key problems in making believable computer- generated characters is that CGI often treats skin as opaque and flat (two-dimensional), whereas real skin is translucent and has depth (three-dimensional)
同义替换：「the first group to identify」↔「」
答案：FALSE
原文定位：This process, known as subsurface scattering, is based on mathematical concepts that date back decades to their use in astrophysics
同义替换：「principles」↔「concepts」，「originally developed for filmmaking」↔「date back decades to their use in astrophysics」
答案：FALSE
原文定位：The breakthrough was so important for giving life to digital characters that, within two years of their research being published, every major visual effects company had adopted it in their rendering software
同义替换：「major visual effects companies」↔「every major visual effects company had adopted it」，「before the research was officially published」↔「within two years of their research being published」
答案：reflection
原文定位：Even after receiving their award, the researchers remained determined to perfect their work, believing that the fine details of light reflection still were not reproduced convincingly
同义替换：「After winning the Oscar」↔「after receiving their award」，「improve」↔「perfect」，「shown」↔「the fine details of」
答案：computerized tomography
原文定位：To investigate this, Marschner's team used computerized tomography, a medical imaging technique most familiar for viewing internal organs
同义替换：「employed」↔「used」，「method from medical science」↔「medical imaging technique」
答案：radiation
原文定位：Like traditional X-rays, it uses radiation, but instead of producing a single photographic exposure, it combines images taken from multiple angles in a computer
同义替换：「This technique」↔「computerized tomography」，「composite images from various angles」↔「combines images taken from multiple angles」
答案：map
原文定位：This advanced imaging provided a highly detailed, three-dimensional map of the microstructure of various materials
同义替换：「material structures」↔「microstructure of various materials」，「create」↔「provided」
答案：algorithms
原文定位：By analyzing these maps, the researchers could develop new algorithms that accurately simulate how light interacts with the complex geometry of skin pores and fabric weaves
同义替换：「created」↔「develop new」，「simulate」↔「accurately」，「tiny structures」↔「complex geometry of skin pores and fabric weaves」
答案：fully opaque
原文定位：Earlier CGI systems that assumed skin was fully opaque resulted in characters looking artificial and plastic-like
同义替换：「early CGI systems」↔「Earlier CGI systems」，「human skin」↔「skin」，「incorrectly assume」↔「」
答案：astrophysics
原文定位：This process, known as subsurface scattering, is based on mathematical concepts that date back decades to their use in astrophysics
同义替换：「original mathematical concepts」↔「mathematical concepts that date back decades」，「simulating skin translucency」↔「subsurface scattering」
答案：light reflection
原文定位：Even after receiving their award, the researchers remained determined to perfect their work, believing that the fine details of light reflection still were not reproduced convincingly
同义替换：「winning the Oscar」↔「receiving their award」，「visual problem」↔「details not reproduced convincingly」，「achieve realism in close-ups」↔「perfect their work」
答案：specular and diffuse reflection
原文定位：Their subsequent work focused on replicating the phenomenon of specular reflection, where light glints off individual fibers or skin oils, and diffuse reflection, where light is scattered evenly from a rough surface
同义替换：「later」↔「subsequent」，「reflection」↔「reflection」