5. Residents of Pine Beach are divided over plans for a highway aimed at reducing traffic ______ by vacationers every year.
A.implied
B.restored
C.generated
D.complicated
A B C D
C
[解析] vacationers表示“度假者”,implied为imply的过去分词,imply表示“含蓄的”;restore表示“恢复,修建”;generate表示“产生、导致”;complicate表示“使复杂化”。traffic generated by vacationers every year表示“每年由于度假者导致的交通堵塞”,这是一个表示被动的定语从句,符合题意,故本题正确答案为C选项。
6. All international orders are ______ via Global Express Mail within five to ten business days.
14. This skirt was made ______ your mother ______ her own measure.
A.for; to
B.for; for
C.to; to
D.for; by
A B C D
A
[解析] 句意:这条裙子是按照你妈妈的尺寸为她定做的。make for sb. to(one's own) measure按(某人的)尺寸为其定做。
15. ______ alone in the dark room, the little girl was so frightened as to cry loudly.
A.Leaving
B.Left
C.Having left
D.To be left
A B C D
B
[解析] 在一些状语从句中,如果谓语动词是be,主语又和主句的主语一致,或者主语为it,常常可以把从句中的主语和be省略掉。在本题中,根据主句可知从句中的动词和从句中的主语是被动关系,且从句动词应该用一般过去时,因此从句是“the little girl was left in the darkroom”的省略形式,省略掉主语和be,则从句是“left alone in the dark room,”故选B项。
二、阅读理解题 Science is a dominant theme in our culture. Since it touches almost every facet of our life, educated people need at least some acquaintance with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific concepts is easier to attain if one knows something about the things that excite and frustrate the scientist. This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of gadgets; and for the person who views the scientist as some sort of magician. The book can be used to supplement a course in any science, to accompany any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or independent of any course——simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader perspective on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an awareness and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. In addition, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies that are pervasive in our culture. We have tried to present in this book an accurate and up-to-date picture of the scientific community and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to comprise more and more women. This increasing role of women in the scientific subculture is not an unique incident but, rather, part of the trend evident in all segments of society as more women enter traditionally male-dominated fields and make significant contributions. In discussing these changes and contributions, however, we are faced with a language that is implicitly sexist, one that uses male nouns or pronouns in referring to unspecified individuals. To offset this buih-in bias, we have adopted the policy of using plural nouns and pronouns whenever possible and, when absolutely necessary, alternating he and she. This policy is far from being ideal, but it is at least an acknowledgment of the inadequacy of our language in treating half of the human race equally. We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our approach is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a grim and dreary way to earn a living.
1. According to the passage, "scientific subculture" means ______.
A.cultural groups that are formed by scientists
B.people whose knowledge of science is very limited
C.the scientific community
D.people who make good contributions to science
A B C D
C
[解析] 通过第一段中的“They should also have an understanding of the subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are.”及第三段中“We have tried to present in this book an accurate and up-to-date picture of the scientific community and the people who populate It.”可以推断科学社区即亚文化。
2. We need to know something about the structure and operation of science because ______.
A.it is not easy to understand the things that excite and frustrate scientists
B.science affects almost every aspect of our life
C.scientists live in a specific subculture
D.it is easier to understand general characteristics of science
A B C D
B
[解析] 由第一段中的“Science is a dominant theme in our culture. Since it touches almost every facet of our life, educated people need at least some acquaintance with its structure and operation.”可以推断B项为正确答案。
3. The book mentioned in this passage is written for readers who ______.
A.are intelligent college students and lay person who do not know much about science
B.are good at producing various gadgets
C.work in a storehouse of dried facts
D.want to have a superficial understanding of science
A B C D
A
[解析] 由第二段首句“This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial...”可以推出本题正确答案为A项。
4. According to this passage, ______.
A.English is a sexist language
B.only in the scientific world is the role of women increasing rapidly
C.women are making significant contributions to eliminating the inadequacy of our language
D.male nouns or pronouns should not be used to refer to scientists
A B C D
D
[解析] 通过第三段中“...that uses male nouns or pronouns in referring to unspecified individuals. To offset this built-in bias, we have adopted the policy of using plural nouns and pronouns whenever possible and, when absolutely necessary, alternating he and she.”可以判断D项为正确选项。
5. This passage most probably is ______.
A.a book review
B.the preface of a book
C.the postscript of a book
D.the concluding part of a book
A B C D
B
[解析] 通过第二段首句“This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial...”及最后一段首句“We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative...”容易推断出本文是一本书的前言。
President Arling has put his long-awaited economic restructuring program before the Congress. It provides a coordinated program of investment credits, research grants, educational reforms, and tax changes designed to make American industry more competitive. This is necessary to reverse the economic slide into unemployment, lack of growth, and trade deficits that have plagued the economy for the past six years. The most liberal wing of the President's party has called for stronger and more direct action. They want an incomes policy to check inflation while Federal financing helps rebuild industry behind a wall of protective tariffs. The Republicans, however, decry even the modest, graduated tax increases in the President's program. They want tax cuts and a more open market. They say if Federal money has to be injected into the economy, let it through defence spending. Both these alternatives ignore the unique nature of the economic problem before us. It is not simply a matter of markets or financing. The new technology allows vastly increased production for those able to master it. But it also threatens those who fail to adopt it with permanent second-class citizenship in the world economy. If an industry cannot lever itself up to the leading stage of technological advances, then it will not be able to compete effectively. If it cannot do this, no amount of government protectionism or access to foreign markets can keep it profitable for long. Without the profits and experience of technological excellence to reinvest, that industry can only fall still further behind its foreign competitors. So the crux is the technology and that is where the President's program focused. The danger is not that a plan will not be passed, it is that the ideologues of right and left will distort the bill with amendments that will blur its focus on technology. The economic restructuring plan should be passed intact. If we fail to restructure our economy now, we may not get a second chance.
6. The focus of the President's program is on ______.
A.investment
B.economy
C.technology
D.tax
A B C D
C
[解析] 通过第四段的“The new technology allows vastly increased production for those able to master it. But it also threatens those who fail to adopt it with permanent second-class citizenship...”及最后一段第一句“so the crux is the technology and that is where the President's program focused.”可以推出总统计划的要点在技术。
7. What is the requirement of the most liberal wing of the Democratic Party?
A.They want a more direct action.
B.They want an incomes policy to check inflation.
C.They want to rebuild industry.
D.They want a wall of protective tariffs.
A B C D
A
[解析] 通过第二段的“The most liberal wing of the President's party has called for stronger and more direct action. They want an incomes policy to check inflation while Federal financing helps rebuild industry behind a wall of protective tariffs.”可知,B、c、D项都只是他们要求中的部分内容,不完整。本题正确答案为A项。
8. What is the editor's attitude?
A.Support.
B.Distaste.
C.Disapproval.
D.Compromise.
A B C D
A
[解析] 通过最后两段可以看出评论者的观点,支持的理由和论点。
9. The danger to the plan lies in ______.
A.the two parties' objection
B.different ideas of the two parties about the plan
C.its passage
D.distortion
A B C D
D
[解析] 通过最后一段的“The danger is not that a plan will not be passed, it is that the ideologues of right and left will distort the bill with amendments that will blur its focus on technology. The economic restructuring plan should be passed intact.”容易推出D项正确。
Most people believe they don't have much imagination. They are wrong. Everyone has imagination, but most of us, once we become adults, forget how to access it. Creativity isn't always connected with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time routinely think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve, a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you. This technique involves taking unrelated ideas and trying to find links between them. First, think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image, word, idea or object, for example, a candle. Write down all the ideas/words associated with candles; light, fire, matches, wax, night, silence, etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the ideas to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original present, you could buy him tickets to a match or take him out for the night. Imagine that normal limitations don't exist. You have as much time/space/money, etc, as you want. Think about your goal and the new possibilities. If, for example, your goal is to learn to ski, you can now practice skiing every day of your life because you have the time and the money. Now adapt this to reality. Maybe you can practice skiing every day in December, or every Monday in January. Look at the situation from a different point of view. Good negotiators(谈判者)use this technique in business, and so do writers. Fiction writers often imagine they are the characters in their books. They ask questions; what does this character want? Why can't she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? What does she dream about? If your goal involves other people, put yourself "in their shoes". The best fishermen think like fish!
11. According to the passage, when we become adults ______.
Baekeland and Hartmann report that the "short sleepers" had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 or so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities. These men tended to view their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines. In general, these "short sleeps" appeared ambitious, active, energetic, cheerful, conformist(不动摇) in their opinions, and very sure about their career choices. They often held several jobs at once, or worked full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear "normal" or "acceptable" to their friends and associates. When asked to recall their dreams, the "short sleepers" did poorly. More than this, they seemed to prefer not remembering. In similar fashion, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was to deny that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away. The sleep patterns of the "short sleepers" were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic(疯人). The "long sleepers" were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hartmann report that these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concerned when they were occasionally deprived of their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to recall their dreams much better than did the "short sleepers." Many of the "long sleepers" were shy, anxious, introverted (内向), inhibited (压抑), passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves (particularly in social situations). Several openly states that sleep was an escape from their daily problems.
16. According to the report, ______.
A.many short sleepers need less sleep by nature
B.many short sleepers are obliged to reduce their nightly sleep time because they are busy with their work
C.long sleepers sleep a longer period of time during the day
D.many long sleepers preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood
A B C D
D
[解析] 文章倒数第二段提到“these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood”,“睡眠长的人”童年就已经养成这种习惯,并一直保留到他们成人,所以答案是D项。
17. Many "short sleepers" are likely to hold the view that ______.
A.sleep is a withdrawal from the reality
B.sleep interferes with their sound judgment
C.sleep is the least expensive item on their routine program
D.sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles
A B C D
C
[解析] 第一段最后提到“睡眠短的人”,“...view...as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines”,晚上睡眠的时间是对他们日常工作的干扰。
18. It is stated in the third paragraph that short sleepers ______.
A.are ideally vigorous even under the pressures of life
B.often neglect the consequences of inadequate sleep
20. Which of the following is NOT included in the passage?
A.If one sleeps inadequately, his performance suffers and his memory is weakened.
B.The sleep patterns of short sleepers are exactly the same as those shown by many mental patients.
C.Long and short sleepers differ in their attitudes towards sleep.
D.Short sleepers would be better off with more rest.
A B C D
B
[解析] 第四段开头“The sleep patterns of the 'short sleepers' were similar to, but less extreme than"表明,他们和精神病人只是有些相似,但没有他们那么极端。
What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that? For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say "I wish I could help you but I'm short of money myself." In fact, you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie? Professor Jereald Jellison of the University of Southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a "white lie," such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it looks awful. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely tell more serious lies, such as making a promise which they have no intention of fulfilling. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at. the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way. Research has also been done into the way people's behavior changes in a number of small, apparently unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying "I wish I were somewhere else now." They also tend to touch certain parts of the face more often, in particular the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to such changes and the increased pressure makes it itch (痒). Another gesture which gives liars away is what the writer Demond Morris in his book Manwatching calls "the mouth cover". He says there are several typical forms of this, such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touching the upper-lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side of the mouth. Such a gesture can be interpreted as an unconscious attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself or herself from lying. Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, or moving about in a chair cannot be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to occur more frequently in this situation. It is not one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and, in particularly, the context in which the lie is told.
21. One sometimes tells one's friend a "white lie" because one wants to ______.
A.make a profit from the other person
B.avoid offending the other person
C.convince the other person
D.have some fun
A B C D
B
[解析] white lies意思是“无害的谎言、善意的谎言”,从文章第二段的第二句作者的举例可以看出,女性对自己的朋友撒无害的谎言,是因为她不想说实话令朋友不快,并非出于说服别人的目的,所以选B项。
22. One research suggests that women ______.
A.generally lie far more than men
B.tend to tell more serious lies than men
C.make more promises they can fulfill than men
D.are better at telling less serious lies than men
A B C D
D
[解析] 文章第二段指出“women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a 'white lie'”,即女性比男性更善于撒善意的、不太严重的谎言。本段中间提到men are more likely tell more serious lies,男性会撒更为严重的谎言。所以选D项。
23. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.politicians tend to tell intentional lies
B.men are less skilled at telling lies
C.businessmen seldom break their promises
D.women tend to make false promises
A B C D
A
[解析] 推断题。本题答案参见第二段的最后一句“This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at”。政治家更擅长说严重的谎言。C(生意人很少不信守自己的诺言)和文章内容不符,他们也撒谎,是为了谋取利润,D(女性会做出空许诺)文章没有涉及,因此选A。
24. People may rub their noses when they lie because ______.
A.they suffer from high blood pressure at the time
B.the nose is the most sensitive part of the human body
C.the nose reveals the liar more easily than the other parts of the face
D.they do so in order to stop themselves from telling more lies
A B C D
A
[解析] 人们触摸鼻子的原因在于“lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure”,谎言使得人的血压略有升高,从而鼻子发痒,C(鼻子比其他身体部位更容易暴露谎言)只是其中之一,D说明了撒谎人捂嘴的原因,所以只有选项A是其原因。
25. Which of the following is not a gesture to suggest that one lied?
A.He or she will rub the nose.
B.Liars tend to cover part of his or her mouth.
C.The liar is likely to put on a red face.
D.Liars are likely to have more frequent movement when sitting in their chairs.
The law says that women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them. The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men. They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won't consider. And they lose because they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children. All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government's Women's Unite. The biggest problem isn't equal pay in workplaces such as factories. It is a sort of work women do. Make a list of the low-paid jobs, then consider who does them. Try nurses, secretaries, cleaners, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies, and child care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there? Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start. So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer——because they are women. This is not going to be put right overnight. But the Government which employs a lot of them, and other bosses have to make a start. It is disgraceful(可耻的) that we have gone into the 21st Century but still treat women as second-class citizens.
26. Women should have the chance of doing the same jobs and be paid equally as men ______.
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone. Enter the Red Hat Society—a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun. "My grandmothers didn't do anything but keep house and serve everybody. They were programmed to do that," said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society. While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age. But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents' way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old. If you take into consideration feminism (女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable (必然的). In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing. "The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn't go," said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998. When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention. "The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else," Cooper said, "Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves." This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful. "We're a ladies' play group. It couldn't be more simple," added Cooper's assistant Joe Heywood.
31. The underlined word "chapter" in Paragraph 2 means ______.
A.one branch of an organization
B.a written agreement of a club
C.one part of a collection of poems
D.a period in a society's history
A B C D
A
[解析] 根据该词的定语“of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society”可猜测出这个词的意思是“某个组织的一个分部”。
32. From the text, we know that the "baby boomers" are a group of people who ______.
A.have gradually become more noticeable
B.are worried about getting old too quickly
C.are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D.try living a different life from their parents when they were young
A B C D
D
[解析] 第三段“But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers, and the same people who refused their parents' way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.”说明她们想过一种新的生活。
33. It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ______.
A.interested in raising money for social work
B.programmers who can plan well for their future
C.believers in equality between men and women
D.good at cooking big meals and taking care of others
A B C D
C
[解析] 根据第四、五段内容可推断出这个组织的成员相信男女平等。
34. Who set up the Red Hat Society?
A.Emily Cornette.
B.Ellen Cooper.
C.Jenny Joseph.
D.Joe Heywood.
A B C D
B
[解析] 从倒数第二段“...Ellen Cooper, who founded the Read Hat Society in 1998.”可知,Ellen Cooper创建了这个组织。
35. Women join the Red Hat Society because ______.
A.they want to stay young
B.they would like to appear more attractive
C.they would like to have fun and live for themselves
D.they want to be more like their parents
A B C D
C
[解析] 根据第一段“Enter the Red Hat Society—a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.”及最后一段“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.”可判断出C项正确。
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her. My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs. Tan." And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me check already two week long." And then, in perfect English I said: "I'm getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived." Then she talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't tolerate any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week." The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
36. Why was the author's mother poorly served?
A.Because she was unable to speak good English.
B.Because she was often misunderstood.
C.Because she was not clearly heard.
D.Because she was not very polite.
A B C D
A
[解析] 由文中“Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly.”及文意可知A项为正确答案。
37. From Paragraph 2, we know that the author was ______.
A.good a pretending
B.rude to the stockbroker
C.ready to help her mother
D.unwilling to phone for her mother
A B C D
D
[解析] 从第二段最后一句“I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing”可知作者并不愿意帮母亲打这个电话。
39. What does the author think of her mother's English now?
A.It confuses her.
B.It embarrasses her.
C.It helps her understand the world.
D.It helps her tolerate rude people.
A B C D
C
[解析] 由文中最后一段“But now, I see it differently. To me...and made sense of the world.”可知,C项正确。
40. We can inter from the passage that Chinese English ______.
A.is clear and natural to non-native speakers
B.is vivid and direct to non-native speakers
C.has a very bad reputation in America
D.may bring inconvenience in America
A B C D
D
[解析] 由文中作者母亲的经历可以推测出D项正确。
Millions of people are using cell phones today. In many places it is actually considered unusual not to use one. In many countries, cell phones are very popular with young people. They find that the phones are more than a means of communication—having a mobile phone shows that they are cool and connected. The explosions around the world in mobile phone use make some health professionals worried. Some doctors are concerned that in the future many people may suffer health problems from the use of mobile phones. In England, there has been a serious debate about this issue. Mobile phone companies are worried about the negative publicity of such ideas. They say that there is no proof that mobile phones are bad for your health. On the other hand, why do some medical studies show changes in the brain cells of some people who use mobile phones? Signs of change in the tissues of the brain and head can be detected with modern scanning (扫描) equipment. In one case, a traveling salesman had to retire at a young age because of serious memory loss. He couldn't remember even simple tasks. He would often forget the name of his own son. This man used to talk on his mobile phone for about six hours a day, every day of his working week, for a couple of years. His family doctor blamed his mobile phone use, but his employer's doctor didn't agree. What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful? The answer is radiation. High-tech machines can detect very small amounts of radiation from mobile phones. Mobile phone companies agree that there is some radiation, But they say the amount is too small to worry about. As the discussion about their safety continues, it appears that it's best to use mobile phones less often. Use your regular phone if you want to talk for a long time. Use your mobile phone only when you really need it. Mobile phones can be very useful and convenient, especially in emergencies. In the future, mobile phones may have a warning label that says they are bad for your health. So for now, it's wise not to use your mobile phone too often.
41. People buy cell phones for the following reasons EXCEPT that ______.
How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate is. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques. I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves." Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of day according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings. However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candies, used sand in hour-glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antiques should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past. Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by the time, why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
46. According to the passage, collecting antique clocks ______.
A.can hardly keep the value of your savings
B.will cost much of your money
C.may increase your wealth
D.needs your bravery
A B C D
C
[解析] 根据文章最后“why not invest in air antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?”和开头的意图知道,作者建议大家收藏古董钟的目的是可以赚钱。
47. By quoting (引用) the remark of a being from another planet, the author intends to ______.
A.suggest human beings are controlled by a clock
B.describe why clocks can rule the planet Earth
C.tell readers what clocks look like
D.compare clicks to human beings
A B C D
A
[解析] 根据第二段最后一句“This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves.”知道作者描述的意图是说明时间是人类的主宰。
48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?
B.to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks
C.to compare different ways to make a future profit
D.to tell people that we are the slaves of clocks
A B C D
B
[解析] 第一段最后一句“Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.”说明了文章的意图是介绍收藏古董钟的建议。