The people of Kiribati are afraid that one day in the not-too-distant future, their country will disappear from the face of the earth-literally. Several times this year, the Pacific island nation has been flooded by a sudden high tide. These tides, which swept across the island and destroyed houses, came when there was neither wind nor rain. "This never happened before." says the older citizens of Kiribati. What is causing these mysterious high tides? The answer may well be global warming. When fuels like oil and coal are being burned, pollutants (污染物) are released; these pollutants trap heat in the earth's atmosphere. Warmer temperatures cause water to expand and also create more water by melting glaciers (冰川) and polar (极地的) ice caps. If the trend continues, scientists say, many countries will suffer. Bangladesh, for example, might lose one-fifth of its land. The coral (珊瑚) island nations of the Pacific, like Kiribati and the Marshall Islands, however, would face an even worse fate-they would be swallowed by the sea. The loss of these coral islands would be everyone's loss. Coral formations are home to more species than any other place on earth. The people of these nations feel frustrated. The sea, on which their economies have always been based, is suddenly threatening their existence. They don't have the money for expensive technological solutions like seawalls. And they have no control over the pollutants, which are being released mainly by activities in large industrialized countries. All they can do is to hope that industrialized countries will take steps to reduce pollution.
1. The people of Kiribati worry that one day their country will be taken away by a sudden high tide.
1. Ford's great strength was the manufacturing process--not invention. Long before he started a car company, he was a worker, known for picking up pieces of metal and wire and turning them into machines. He started putting cars together in 1891, although it was by no means the first popular automobile, the Model T showed the world just how creative Ford was at combining technology and market. 2. The company's assembly line alone threw America's Industrial Revolution into overdrive (高速运转的). Instead of having workers put together the entire car, Ford's friends, who were great toolmakers from Scotland, organized teams that added parts to each Model T as it moved down a line. By the time Ford's Highland Park plant was humming (嗡嗡作响) along in 1914, the world's first automatic conveyor belt could turn out a car every 93 minutes. 3. The same year Henry Ford shocked the world with the $5-a-day minimum Wage scheme, the greatest contribution he had ever made. The average Wage in the auto industry then was $2.34 for a 9-hour shift. Ford not only doubled that, he also took an hour off the workday. In those years it was unthinkable that a man could be paid that much for doing something that didn't involve an awful lot of training or education. The Wall Street Journal called the plan "an economic crime" and critics everywhere laughed at Ford. 4. But as the wage increased later to daily $10, it proved a critical component of Ford's dream to make the automobile accessible (可及的) to all The critics were too stupid to understand that because Ford had lowered his costs per car, the higher wages didn't matter-except for making it possible for more people to buy cars. A. Ford's Followers B. The Assembly Line C. Ford's Great Dream D. The Establishment of the Company E. Ford's Biggest Contribution F. Ford's Great Talent
5. A. criticized by the media B. the low wage in the auto industry C. own a car D. produce cars in large numbers E. the 8-hour-shift practice F. combined technology and market The assembly line made it possible to ______.
8. Ford's higher-wage and lower-cost strategy was strongly ______.
A
[解析] 根据第三段和第四段内容可知选A，Ford的高工资、低成本策略受到了传媒的批评。
第4部分：阅读理解 下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。
第一篇
The Eye's Adaptation to Color
As one works with color in a practical or experimental way, one is impressed by two apparently unrelated facts. Color as seen is a mobile changeable thing depending to a large extent on the relationship of the color to other colors seen simultaneously. It is not fixed in its relation to the direct stimulus which creates it. On the other hand, the properties of surfaces that give rise to color do not seem to change greatly under a wide variety of illumination colors, usually (but not always) looking much the same in artificial light as in daylight. Both of these effects seem to be due in large part to the mechanism of color adaptation mentioned earlier. When the eye is fixed on a colored area, there is an immediate readjustment of the sensitivity of the eye to color in and around the area viewed. This readjustment does not immediately affect the color seen but usually does affect the next area to which the gaze is shifted. The longer the time of viewing, the higher the intensity, and the larger the area, the greater the effect will be in terms of its persistence in the succeeding viewing situation. As indicated by the work of Wright and Schouten, it appears that, at least for a first approximation, full adaptation takes place over, a very brief time if the adapting source is moderately bright and the eye has been in relative darkness just previously. As the stimulus is allowed to act, however, the effect becomes more persistent in the sense that it takes the eye longer to regain its sensitivity to lower intensities. The next result is that, if the eye is so exposed and then the gaze is transferred to an area of lower intensities, the loss of sensitivity produced by the first area will still be present and appear as an "afterimage" superimposed on the second. The effect not only is present over the actual area causing the "local adaptation" but also spreads with decreasing strength to adjoining areas of the eye to produce "lateral adaptation". Also, because of the persistence of the effect if the eye is shifted around from one object to another, all of which are at similar brightness or have similar colors, the adaptation will tend to become uniform over the whole eye.
1. The selection is concerned primarily with ______.
A.the eye's adaptation to color
B.the properties of colored surfaces
C.the color of colors
D.the effect of changes in color intensity
A B C D
A
[解析] 整篇文章都在讲人眼对光的适应。
2. Whether a colored object would, no two viewings separated in time, appear to the view as similar or different in color would depend mostly on ______.
A.the color mechanism of the eye in use at the time of each viewing
B.what kind of viewing had immediately preceded each of the viewings
3. If a person's eye has been looking at an object in bright sunlight for some time, and then shifts to an object not well lit-such as a lawn or shrub in shadow-we can expect ______.
A.a time lag in the focusing ability of the eye
B.some inability to see colors of the latter-named objects until loss of sensitivity has been regained
C.the immediate loss of the "afterimage" of the first object
D.adaptation in the central area of the eye but little adaptation in the lateral areas to the new intensity level
4. The present selection has apparently been preceded by some explanation of ______.
A.some experiments with color pigments
B.the nature of color
C.the color properties of various surfaces
D.the mechanism of the eye's adaptation to color
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题问这篇节选文章的前面很明显是解释什么的。根据第一段最后一句话，“...seem to be due...to the mechanism of color adaptation mentioned earlier.”“……似乎在很大程度上是由于前面所提到的颜色适应机制”。
5. What does "lateral adaptation" mean?
A.Side
B.Subsequent
C.Simultaneous
D.Slow
A B C D
A
[解析] lateral是形容词，意为“周围的，侧面的”。
第二篇
Microelectronics Revolution
The 1980s are likely to be considered as a more than somewhat interesting decade for the United Kingdom and indeed for other industrialized countries. The political, social and economic autonomic reflexes in operation for the greater part of this century will have to give way to the new as conditions change. Paramount amongst these changes is the advent of microelectronics with their ability to increase productivity and the end of cheap, easily manipulated sources of energy. Together these will undoubtedly change the pattern of industrialization and industrialized life in a radical manner not seen in the UK since the early 19th century. Most technological changes are somewhat less than fundamental. Many act on an individual process of industry and so their effects on the general economy can be boxed off. Others act on the demand side with new products, often for new markets. Microelectronics, though, are different. It is difficult to think of parts of the economy on which they will not have an impact; it is especially very difficult to think of the many new consumer products that will evolve. It is already being used, in productive processes through robotics, in production planning through cheap computers, as cheap and easy to maintain components, and through telecommunications, teletext systems and word processing to provide, transmit and store information. The resulting large increases in productivity will mean that increased levels of output will be produced using fewer resources of manpower, raw materials and energy. On the face of it this has to be a good thing, it opens vistas that were previously closed. The cost, however, is measured in terms of the resulting job losses, job changes and lack of new jobs. If we sit back and allow the market to work allocating wealth and jobs-in other words-continue as we are at present, either the technologies will not be introduced at all or there will be social confrontation on a massive scale. This new technology improves productivity at precisely the time world trade growth is declining, and this is likely to diminish even further given the responses to the shortage of energy sources. This will almost certainly mean that our ability to supply will outstrip (超过) our ability to demand, giving a classic high unemployment.
1. The most important changes in the 1980s ______.
A.are affecting individual industries
B.ate not evident in the UK
C.concern microelectronics and energy
D.are being caused by changes of attitudes
A B C D
C
[解析] 第一段第三句话“Paramount amongst these changes (最显著的变化) is the advent of microelectronics...and the end of...sources of energy.”所以C正确。A错在第一段根本没有提到individual industry，这个词组是第二段出现的，指的是在大多数技术变革中，这次微电子变革推动了能源变革。B错在与原文意思正好相反，文中出现的paramount，undoubtedly，radical等词均表明这一变革是evident，而不是not evident。D错在这一变革不是由态度的改变引起的，文中也没有提到态度。
2. According to the text, developments in technology usually ______.
A.have far-reaching effects in a wide range of industries
B.increase unemployment significantly
C.affect only limited areas of the economy
D.affect the general economy considerably
A B C D
C
[解析] 第二段一开始就说明了大部分技术变革并不是根本性的，且只对单一领域有所影响，因此C正确。而A和C的内容正好互为矛盾，则A错误。B中失业只是微电子变革带来的影响，而不是所有技术变革的影响，因此错误。从原文中“and so their effects on the general economy can be boxed off”可知，其对总体经济的影响几乎可以忽略不计，当然就不可能是considerably了，所以D错误。
3. The large increase in productivity as a result of microelectronics ______.
A.will help to reduce social inequality
B.will mean a corresponding increase in job opportunities
C.will have positive and negative consequences
D.will create greater prosperity
A B C D
C
[解析] 第三段的二、三句分别讲述了优缺点，其中的however提示前后相反。A选项内容文中并没有提及；文中提到的是将引起lack of new jobs，而不是B选项所说的increase job opportunities该段最后一句说明最后的结果不是无法产生新技术就是引发社会冲突，与D中所描述的“带来更大的繁荣”正好相反。
4. According to the writer, what will happen if we allow market forces alone to allocate wealth and jobs?
A.World trade will immediately start to decline
B.The new technological developments may not be brought into the best possible way
C.Resources will be allocated in the best possible way
No woman can be too rich or too thin. This saying often attributed to the late Duchess of Windsor embodies much of the odd spirit of our times. Being thin is deemed as such a virtue. The problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it. I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes. Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better-or worse-part of my life. Being rich wouldn't be bad either, but that won't happen unless an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars. Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin, and a tittle bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not repellent? All religions have certain days when people refrain from eating, and excessive eating is one of Christianity's seven deadly sins. However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat. In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable salvation and high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well-being. Today the opposite is true. We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue. The result is that being fat-or even only somewhat overweight-is bad because it implies a lack of moral strength. Our obsession with thinness is also fueled by health concerns. It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that, in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease. These diseases, however, may have as much to do with our way of life and our high-fat diets as with excess weight. And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem-too much fat and a lack of fiber-than a weight problem. The real concern, then, is not that we weigh too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well. Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health. A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases. We should surely stop paying so much attention to weight. Simply being thin is not enough. It is actually hazardous if those who get (or already are) thin think they are automatically healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life-style. Thinness can be pure vain glory.
1. In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that ______.
A.the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue
B.looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune
What would you see if you took a cruise to the Caribbean Islands? Palm trees and coconuts (椰子)? White beaches and clear, blue ocean? Colorful corals (珊瑚) and even more colorful fishes and birds? You bet. There are thousands of islands in the Caribbean Sea. They are famous for their arm, tropical climate and great natural beauty. The Caribbean Islands form a chain that separates the Caribbean Sea from the rest of the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the islands were formed by the eruption (爆发) of ancient volcanoes (火山). 1 The Caribbean Islands are known by several names. 2 The explorer Christopher Columbus called the islands the Indies in 1492 because he thought he was near the coast of India. Later, Spain and France called the islands the Antilles. There are four large islands in the Caribbean Sea. 3 These four islands are often called the Greater Antilles Together, they account for about 90 percent of the land area of the Caribbean Islands. The rest of the Caribbean Islands are much smaller. Some of these islands are no more than tiny slivers (小片) of exposed coral. You can see why pirates (海盗) such as the famous Blackbeard sailed these waters. 4 5 The weather of the Caribbean Sea is almost always warm and sunny. Sandy beaches line the coasts of many islands. This is why millions of tourists visit the islands each year. A. But life on the Caribbean Islands is not always painful B. The earliest name used by Europeans is the Indies, later changed to the West Indies C. Others are low-lying coral islands that gradually rose from the ocean D. They are Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola E. Many tourists arrive on cruise ships F. There are countless small islands to bury treasure or hide on
Given the choice between spending an evening with friends and taking extra time for his schoolwork, Andy Klise admits he would probably 1 for the latter. It's not that he doesn't like to have fun; it's just that his desire to excel 2 drives his decision-making process. A 2001 graduate of Wooster High School and now a senior biology major at The College of Wooster, Klise acknowledges that he may someday have 3 thoughts about his decision to limit the time he has spent 4 , but for now, he is comfortable with the choices he has made. "If things had not 5 out as well as they have, I would have had some regrets," says Klise, who was a Phi Beta Kappa inductee as a junior. "But spending the extra time studying has been well worth the 6 . I realized early on that to be successful, I had to make certain 7 ." 8 the origin of his intense motivation, Klise notes that it has been part of his makeup for as long as he can remember. "I've always been goal 9 ," he says. "This internal drive has caused me to give my all 10 pretty much everything I do." Klise 11 Wooster's nationally recognized Independent Study (IS) program with preparing him for his next 12 in life: a research position with the National Institute of Health (NIH). "I am hoping that my IS experience will help me 13 a research position with NIH," says Klise. "The yearlong program gives students a chance to work with some of the nation's 14 scientists while making the 15 from undergraduate to graduate studies or a career in the medical field."
深色：已答题 浅色：未答题