第一段
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that socialepidemicsare drivenin large partby the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials, who are unusually informed, persuasive, or well-connected. The idea is intuitivelycompelling, but it doesn't explain how ideas actually spread.
单词&词组
epidemic [ˌepɪˈdemɪk]（出现7次）adj.流行的，传染的，泛滥的；n.传染病，泛滥，蔓延
influential [ˌɪnfluˈenʃl]（出现17次）adj.有影响的，有权势的；n.有影响的人/事物
informed [ɪnˈfɔːrmd] adj.见多识广的
persuasive [pərˈsweɪsɪv] adj.有说服力的
intuitively [ɪnˈtuːɪtɪvli] adv.直接地
compelling [kəmˈpelɪŋ] adj.令人信服的
be driven by（由...所驱动）
a tiny minority（极少数）
in large part （很大程度上）
本段翻译
马尔科姆在其《引爆点》一书中提出，“社会流行潮”在很大程度由极少数与众不同的个人的行为所推动，这些人通常被称为“有影响力人士”，他们货见识非常广博，或很有说服力，或人脉极广。这一观点虽直觉上令人信服，但未能解释观念实际上是如何传播
第二段
The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible sounding but largely untested theory called the "two step flow of communication": Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those selected people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, orneighborhoods. In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends
单词&词组
supposed [səˈpoʊzd] （出现10次）adj.所谓的
plausible [ˈplɔːzəbl]（出现3次）adj.可信的，有道理的
neighborhood ['neɪbərˌhʊd]（出现4次）n.地区，街区，临近的地方放
cursory [ˈkɜːrsəri] adj.粗略的
anecdotal [ˌænɪkˈdoʊtl] （出现1次）adj.轶事的
marketer [ˈmɑːrkɪtər] n.营销人员，买卖人
embrace [ɪmˈbreɪs] v.拥抱，接纳，采纳
derive from（起源于）
fit nicely with （与....高度契合）
本段翻译
有影响力的人的所谓重要性的假设源于一个貌似合理，但是在很大程度上未经证实的理论，即所谓的“两级流动传播”：信息先从媒体流向有影响力人事，然后再从他们传播给其他人。营销人员采纳这个两步流动理论，是因为该理论认为，如果他们能够找到有影响力人士并且对他们施加影响，这些被挑选出来的人就会替他们完成大部分的营销工作。该理论似乎也解释了某些装扮、品牌，或者地段突然出人意料地大受欢迎的原因。在在诸多此类情况中，粗略调查其原因会发现，的确有一小部分人在其他人开始留意之前，就率先穿戴、推广或开发各类东西。这种轶事的证据正好符合“只有某些特别的人才能推动流行”的观点。
第三段
In their recent work, however, some researchers have come up with the finding that influentials have far less impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. In fact, they don't seem to be required of all.
单词&词组
come up with（想出，提出）
本段翻译
但是，在最近的研究中，一些研究人员发现，有影响力人士对于社会流行趋势的影响力远比通常假定的要小得多。事实上，他们似乎根本不是所必需的。
第四段
The researchers' argumentstems from a simple observing about social influence, with the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah Winfrey—whoseoutsizepresence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influence—even the most influential members of a population simply don't interact with that many others. Yet it is precisely these non-celebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics by influencing their friends and colleagues directly. For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected, must then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influence theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential. If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial influential prove resistant, for example from the initial influential prove resistant, for example thecascadeof change won't propagatevery far or affect many people.
单词&词组
argument [ˈɑːrɡjumənt] （出现13次）n.观点，理由，争吵，辩论
celebrity [səˈlebrəti]（出现5次）n.名人，名流，名望
outsize [ˈaʊtsaɪz] adj.特大的
presence [ˈprezns]（出现11次）n.出席，在场，仪态，存在感
precisely [prɪˈsaɪsli]（出现10次）adv.精确地
acquaintance [əˈkweɪntəns]（出现3次）n.认识的人，
cascade [kæˈskeɪd] n.瀑布，大量倾泄的物体
propagate [ˈprɑːpəɡeɪt] v.传播，宣传
stem from（基于）
interact with（与人交往）
be supposed to（应当）
in turn（依次，轮流）
pay attention to（注意）
本段翻译
研究人员的观点源于对社交影响的一个简单观察：除了个别像Oprah Winfrey这样的名人之外——她的非凡影响力主要是媒体影响的作用，而非人际关系的影响作用——即使是群体中最具影响力的那些人坦白来说也不会与那么多的“其他人”交往。然而，根据两级流动理论，恰恰就是这些非名人有影响者通过直接影响了他们的朋友和同事，从而推动了社会的潮流。但是，要让一种社会流行潮流发生，每个受影响的人还必须影响他的熟人，这些熟人又必须反过来影响他们的熟人，就这样依此类推；只不过会有多少人去关注这些熟人中的每个人，与最初的影响者几乎没有关系。例如，如果在这一“社交网络”中与最初的影响者存在两个层级的距离的人（对其）产生抵制，那么这种一连串的影响变化就不会传播很远，或者影响很多人。
第五段
Building on the basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of populations by conducting thousands of computersimulations of populations, manipulating a number of variables relating to people’s ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced. They found that the principal requirement for what is called “global cascades”—the widespread propagation of influence through networks—is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.
单词&词组
dynamic [daɪˈnæmɪk]（出现7次）adj.精力充沛的，动态的；[僻义] n.相互作用
simulation [ˌsɪmjuˈleɪʃn]（出现2次）n.模仿，仿真
manipulate [məˈnɪpjuleɪt]（出现2次）（暗转）操作，操作
variables [ˈvɛriəbəlz]
propagation [ˌprɒpə'ɡeɪʃ(ə)] n.传播，宣传
本段翻译
在人际影响这一基本事实的基础之上，研究人员研究了社交影响的动态变化，他们的方法是通过操控一些与人们影响他人的能力以及被他人影响的倾向相关的变量，对人群进行几千次计算机模拟试验。研究显示，所谓的“全球连锁反应”——通过“社交网络”实现广泛传播的影响作用——主要需要的并不是少数几个影响者，而是关键的大批易受影响的人群，每一个人易受影响的人接触了某一个使用（比如）一种装扮或者一种品牌的邻居之后，也使用这些东西。
5道题目
31. By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends to .
[A]analyze the consequences of social epidemics
[B]discuss influentials’ function in spreading ideas
[C]exemplify people’s intuitive response to social epidemics
[D]describe the essential characteristics of influentials
32. The author suggests that the “two-step-flow theory” .
[A]serves as a solution to marketing problems
[B]has helped explain certain prevalent trends
[C]has won support from influentials
[D]requires solid evidence for its validity
33. What the researchers have observed recently shows that .
[A] the power of influence goes with social interactions
[B] interpersonal links can be enhanced through the media
[C] influentials have more channels to reach the public
[D] most celebrities enjoy wide media attention
34. The underlined phrase “these people” in Paragraph 4 refers to the ones who .
[A] stay outside the network of social influence
[B] have little contact with the source of influence
[C] are influenced and then influence others
[D] are influenced by the initial influential
35. What is the essential element in the dynamics of social influence?
[A]The eagerness to be accepted.
[B]The impulse to influence others.
[C]The readiness to be influenced.
[D]The inclination to rely on others.
选项单词
consequence [ˈkɑːnsɪkwens] n.结果，后果；[僻义] 重要性
essntial [ɪˈsenʃl]（出现28次）adj.必不可少的，本质的；n.必需品，要素，要点
solution [səˈluːʃn] （出现9次）n.溶液；解决办法
validity [vəˈlɪdəti]（出现2次）n.有效性
channel [ˈtʃænl]（出现11次）n.海峡，水道频道，
eagerness [ˈigərnəs] n.渴望
impulse [ˈɪmpʌls] n.冲动
inclination [ˌɪnklɪˈneɪʃn] n.倾向
readiness [ˈredinəs] n.意愿
参考答案
BDACC
胡说八道
这篇文章做起来很难，文中有很多单词要记忆，题目选起来也很纠结。开篇从一本书《引爆点》提出的有影响力人士的作用，最后一句予以反驳，其实并没有揭示传播的实质。说明作者其实再明褒实贬，表明作者的批判态度。作者态度知道以后，后面都是作者驳斥influential的两级流动，赞同多极流动。
