Passage One Later the Greeks moved east from Cumae to Neapolis, the New City, a little farther along the coast where modern Naples now stands. We have a very good idea what life in this sun-splashed land was like during the Roman era because of the recovered splendor of Pompeii and Herculaneum. But as the well-trod earth of Campania continues to yield ancient secrets, Mastrolorenzo and Petrone, with their colleague Lucia Pappalardo, have put together a rich view of an earlier time and what may have been humankind's first encounter with the primal force of Vesuvius. Almost all has come to light by chance. In May 2001, for example, construction workers began digging the foundation for a supermarket next to a desolate, weed-strewn intersection just outside the town of Nola. An archaeologist working for the province of Naples noticed several trances of burned wood a few feet below the surface, an indication of earlier human habitation. At 19 feet below, relicts of a perfectly preserved Early Bronze Age village began to emerge. Over the next several months, the excavation unearthed three large prehistoric dwellings: horseshoe shaped huts with clearly demarked entrances, living areas, and the equivalent of kitchens. Researchers found dozens of pots, pottery plates, and crude hourglass-shaped canisters that still contained fossilized traces of almonds, flour, grain, acorns, olive-pits, even mushrooms. Simple partitions separated the rooms; one hut had what appeared to be a loft. The tracks of goats, sheep, cattle, and pigs, as well as their human masters, crisscrossed the yard outside. The skeletons of nine pregnant goats lay in an enclosed area that included an animal pen. If a skeleton can be said to cower, the bones of an apparently terrified dog huddled under the eaves of one roof. What preserved this prehistoric village, what formed a perfect impression of its quotidian contents right down to leaves in the thatch roofs and cereal grains in the kitchen containers, was the fallout and surge and mud from the Avellino eruption of Vesuvius. Claude Albore Livadie, a French archaeologist who published the initial report on the Nola discovery, dubbed it "a first Pompeii". During May and June 2001, provincial archaeological authorities oversaw excavation of the site Mastrolorenzo hurried out to Nola, about 18 miles east of Naples. He and Pappalardo took samples of the ash and volcanic deposits, which contained chemical clues to the magnitude of the eruption. But then the scientific story veered off into the familiar opera buffa of Italian archaeology. The owner of the site agitated for construction of the supermarket to resume or to be compensated for the delay—not an unusual dilemma in a country where the backhoes and bulldozers of a modern economy clang against the ubiquitous remains of ancient civilizations. Government archaeologists hastily excavated the site and removed the objects. As it turns out, the supermarket was never built, and all that remains of a site that miraculously captured one of civilization's earliest encounters with volcanic destruction is a hole in the ground on a vacant, weed- choked lot, the foundation walls of the huts barely visible. A small, weathered sign proclaiming the "Pompeii of Prehistory" hangs limply from a padlocked gate. Despite the loss of Nola as well as some other archaeological sites, Mastrolorenzo, Petrone, Pappalardo, and American volcanologist Michael Sheridan triggered worldwide fascination when they summarized these findings in the spring of 2006 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). But their research went beyond mere archaeological documentation. The Avellino event, they wrote, "caused a social-demographic collapse and abandonment of the entire area for centuries." The new findings, along with computer models, show that an Avellino-size eruption would unleash a concentric wave of destruction that could devastate Naples and much of its surroundings. In the world before Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami, these warnings might have sounded as remote and transitory as those prehistoric footsteps. Not anymore.
1. The site of Nola was compared to Pompeii because ______.
A.they were both reported by French archaeologists
B.they both gave us a good picture of ancient people's life
2. Which of the following statements about the Nola discovery is CORRECT?
A.The site was discovered by archaeologists' extensive study.
B.It was the first time human encountered the eruption of volcano.
C.The government had little interest in it.
D.The site has been practically destroyed.
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节判断题。原文第二段首句指出,这儿所有的发现几乎都是by chance(偶然的),并非是考古学家经过大量的研究之后发现的,故排除A;首段尾句提到这可能是人类第一次面对维苏威火山最初的威力,而B中的陈述语气过于绝对,故错误;从第五段第一句讲到政府匆忙地发掘了遗址,并搬走了物品,可见政府对此废墟还是感兴趣的,故排除C;第五段描述废墟荒凉的现状,以及第六段首句中提到的the loss of Nola,可见这个遗址实际上是被毁掉了。故答案为D。
3. According to the discovery of the relicts of Nola, we CANNOT conclude that people in this village ______.
A.made artware
B.grew crops
C.tended flocks
D.lived with their livestock
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节推断题。第三段中有对Nola废墟的详细描写。首句讲述研究者发现了许多的pots(罐),pottery plates(陶盘),and crude hourglass-shaped canisters(粗糙的沙漏状的筒),可推断那时已有工艺制造技术,故排除A;沙漏状的筒中装着已经成为化石的almonds,flour(面粉),grain(谷粒),acorns,olive-pits,even mushrooms(有蘑菇),面粉和谷粒的发现说明当时已经种植农作物,排除B;在外面的院子发现goats,sheep,cattle,and pigs,as well as their human masters(山羊、绵羊、牛、猪和它们的主人),推断当时的人们已经有牲畜群,故排除C;九只怀孕的山羊的骨架躺在包括一个牲畜圈的一块封闭区域,可推断人和牲畜是分开住的。故答案为D。
4. According to the relicts, we can infer that domestic animal died because ______.
Passage Two Hippies were members of a youth movement of the 1960's and 1970's that started in the United States and spread to Canada, Great Britain, and many other countries. The hippies rejected the customs, traditions, and life styles of society and tried to develop those of their own. Most hippies came from white middle-class families and ranged in age from I5 to 25 years old. They thought too many adults cared about making money and little else. The term hippie may come from the word hip, which means "tumed-in" or aware. Hippies wanted a world based on love of humanity and peace. Many believed that wonderful, magical changes were about to take place. They thought these changes would happen as soon as people learned to express their feelings honestly and to behave naturally at all times. Hippies strongly opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Many hippies lived together in small groups, working with one another and sharing possessions. Others refused to be tied down to a fixed job or home. They wandered from place to place seeking part-time work and temporary shelter. Some begged for spare change and lived in the streets or camped in parks or other public lands. Hippies were sometimes called "flower children" because they gave people flowers to communicate gentleness and love. They let their hair grow long and walked barefoot or in sandals. Hippies attracted public attention by wearing clothing that featured unusual combinations of colors and textures. A large number of hippies used marijuana, LSD, and other drugs. Drug experiences shaped many of their symbols and ideas. The Beatles, a popular English rock group, helped spread the hippie movement with their song. Hippie favorites included such other rock groups as the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane, singers Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, poet Allen Ginsberg, and novelist Ken Kesey. Many hippies admired Timothy Leary, a psychologist who preached salvation through the use of drugs. In time, most hippies realized it was not easy to reform society by "dropping out" of it. Some joined more organized political movements to work for specific social causes. Others turned to spirituality or religion. The majority simply left the hippie stage of their lives behind while trying to hold on to at least a few of the ideals that once inspired them.
1. It can be inferred that hippies most want people to be aware of ______.
A.the necessity of being different and independent
Passage Three The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is trying to track down as many as 386 piglets that may have been genetically engineered and wrongfully sold into the U. S. food supply. The focus of the FDA investigation is pigs raised by researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. They engineered the animals with two genes: One is a cow gene that increases milk production in the sow. The other, a synthetic gene, makes the milk easier for piglets to digest. The goal was to raise bigger pigs faster. There has been no evidence that either genetically altered plants or animals actually trigger human illness, but critics warn that potential side effects remain unknown. University officials say their tests showed the piglets were not born with the altered genes, but FDA rules require even the offspring of genetically engineered animals to be destroyed so they don' t get into the food supply. The FDA, in a quickly arranged news conference Wednesday prompted by inquiries by USA TODAY, said the University of Illinois will face possible sanctions and fines for selling the piglets to a livestock broker, who in turn sells to processing plants. Both the FDA and the university say the pigs that entered the market do not pose a risk to consumers. But the investigation follows action by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in December to fine a Texas company that contaminated 500, 000 bushels of soybeans with com that had been genetically altered to produce a vaccine for pigs. Critics see such cases as evidence of the need for more government oversight of a burgeoning area of scientific research. "This is a small incident, but it's incident like this that could destroy consumer confidence and export confidence," says Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America. "We already have Europe shaky on biotech. The countries to whom we export are going to look at this." The University of Illinois says it tested the DNA of every piglet eight times to make sure that the animal hadn't inherited the genetic engineering of its mother. Those piglets that did were put back into the study. Those that didn't were sold to the pig broker. "Any pig who' s tested negative for the genes since 1999 has been sent off to market," says Charles Zukoski, vice chancellor for research. But FDA deputy commissioner Lester Crawford says that under the terms of the university's agreement with the FDA, the researchers were forbidden to remove the piglets without FDA approval. "The University of Illinois failed to check with FDA to see whether or not the animals could be sold on the open market. And they were not to be used under any circumstance for food." The FDA is responsible for regulating and overseeing transgenic animals because such genetic manipulation is considered an unapproved animal drug.
1. The 386 piglets wrongfully sold into food supply are from ______.
A.Europe
B.an American research organization
C.a meat processing plant
D.an animal farm
A B C D
B
[解析] 细节事实题。根据题干关键词386 piglets,wrongfully sold into,food supply定位到原文首段。接着第二段首句讲到,FDA调查的焦点是位于Urbana Champaign的伊利诺伊大学的科研人员培育的猪。因此可以断定这些仔猪来自于美国科研机构。故答案为B。
2. The purpose of the transgenic engineering research is to ______.
3. The 4th paragraph shows that the University of Illinois ______.
A.was criticized by the FDA
B.is in great trouble
C.is required by the FDA to call back the sold piglets
D.may have to pay the penalty
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节事实题。第四段中的face possible sanctions (处罚) and fines(罚款)与选项D(将可能被迫交纳一笔罚金)对应。故答案为D。
4. The FDA declares that the wrongfully sold piglets ______.
A.may have side effects on consumers
B.may be harmful to consumers
C.are safe to consumers
D.may cause human illness
A B C D
C
[解析] 细节判断题。粗略浏览全篇,似乎都是对动物转基因实验的不利内容,选项C容易被忽略。FDA的举措只是为防范未知的可能危害。第五段首句明确表示,FDA和伊利诺伊大学均声称进入市场的仔猪不会对消费者构成威胁,原句中的do not pose a risk to consumers与选项C对应。故答案为C。
Passage Four The nuclear age in which the human race is living, and may soon be dying, began for the general public with the dropping of an atom bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. But for nuclear scientists and for certain American authorities, it had been known for some time that such a weapon was possible. Work towards making it had been begun by the United States, Canada and Britain very soon after the beginning of the Second World War. The existence of possibly explosive forces in the nuclei of atoms had been known ever since the structure of atoms was discovered by Rutherford. An atom consists of a tiny core called the "nucleus" with attendant electrons circling round it. The hydrogen atom, which is the simplest and lightest, has only one electron. Heavier atoms have more and more as they go up the scale. The first discovery that had to do with what goes on in nuclei was radioactivity, which is caused by particles being shot out of the nucleus. It was known that a great deal of energy is locked up in the nucleus, but, until just before the outbreak of the Second World War, there was no way of releasing this energy in any large quantity. A revolutionary discovery was that, in certain circumstances, mass can be transformed into energy in accordance with Einstein's formula which states that the energy generated is equal to the mass lost multiplied by the square of the velocity of light. The A-bomb, however, used a different process, depending upon radioactivity. In this process, called "fission", a heavier atom splits into two lighter atoms. In general, in radioactive substances this fission proceeds at a constant rate which is slow where substances occurring in nature are concerned. But there is one form of uranium called "U235" which, when it is pure, sets up a chain reaction which spreads like fire, though with enormously greater rapidity. It is this substance which was used in making the atom bomb. The political background of the atomic scientists' work was the determination to defeat the Nazis. It was held—I think rightly—that a Nazi victory would be an appalling disaster. It was also held, in Western countries, that German scientists must be well advanced towards making an A-bomb, and that if they succeeded before the West did they would probably win the war. When the war was over, it was discovered, to the complete astonishment of both American and British scientists, that the Germans were nowhere near success, and as everybody knows, the Germans were defeated before any nuclear weapons had been made. But I do not think that nuclear scientists of the West can be blamed for thinking the work urgent and necessary. Even Einstein favored it. When, however, the German war was finished, the great majority of those scientists who had collaborated towards making the A-bomb considered that it should not be used against the Japanese, who were already on the verge of defeat and, in any case, did not constitute such a menace to the world as Hitler. Many of them made urgent representations to the American Government advocating that, instead of using the bomb as a weapon of war, they should after a public announcement, explode it in a desert, and that future control of nuclear energy should be placed in the hands of an international authority. Seven of the most eminent of nuclear scientists drew up what is known as "The Franck Report" which they presented to the Secretary of War in June 1945. This is a very admirable and far-seeing document, and if it had won the assent of the politicians, none of our subsequent terrors would have arisen.
1. We may infer that the writer's attitude towards the A-bomb is that ______.
A.it is a necessary evil
B.it is a terrible threat to the whole of mankind
C.it played a vital part in defeating the Japanese
D.it was a wonderful invention
A B C D
B
[解析] 可以推断,作者对原子弹的看法是它严重地威胁着全人类。答案的依据是第1段第1句。
2. The American and British scientists were astonished at the end of the Second World War against Germany because ______.
A.the Germans had been defeated without the use of nuclear weapons
B.the Western countries had won before they had invented nuclear weapons
C.they thought the Germans would probably win the war
D.the Germans had made little progress in developing nuclear weapons
3. According to the writer, most scientists who had helped in making the A-bomb considered that it should not be used against the Japanese because ______.
Passage Five Most new words are made up from other, earlier words; language-making is a conservative process, wasting little. When new words unfold out of old ones, the original meaning usually hangs around like an unrecognizable scent, a sort of secret. There are two immense words from Indo-European, gene and bheu, each a virtual anthill in itself, from which we have constructed the notion of everything. At the beginning or as far back as they are traceable, they meant something like being. Gene signified beginning, giving birth, while bheu indicated existence and growth. Gene turned itself successively into kund jaz (Germanic) and gecynd (Old English), meaning kin or kind. Kind was at first a family connection, later an elevated social rank, and finally came to rest meaning kindly or gentle. Meanwhile, a branch of gene became the Latin gens which emerged as genus, genius, genital, and generous; then still holding on to its inner significance it became "nature" (out of gnasci). While gene was evolving into "nasture" and "kind" bheu was moving through similar transformations. One branch became the English word "build". It also moved into Greek, as phuein, meaning to bring forth and make grow; then as phusis, which was another word for nature. Phusis became the source of physic which at first meant natural science and later was the word for medicine. Still later, physic became physics. Both words, at today's stage of their evolution, can be taken together to mean, literally, everything in the universe. You do not come by words like this easily; they cannot just be made up from scratch. They need long lives before they can signify. "Everything," C.S. Lewis observed in a discussion of the words, "is a subject on which there is not much to be said." The words themselves must show the internal marks of long use; they must contain their own inner conversation.
1. The passage is mainly concerned with ______.
A.how to coin new words
B.where to trace the origin of language
C.the evolution of words
D.language and nature
A B C D
C
[解析] 本文通过两个单词gene和bheu介绍了单词的演化过程。选项C正确。
2. When a new word is formed from an old one ______.
A.the original meaning of the old dies out
B.it is hard to know the secret of the development of the word
C.the new word carries with itself some of the original meaning
D.the meaning of the new word is often confusing
A B C D
C
[解析] 第1段说When new words unfold out of old ones, the original meaning usually hangs around,即新词通常会保留原本意思。选项C正确。
3. Why does the writer say "gene" and "bheu" are immense words?
A.Because they are rich in meaning.
B.Because they come from a very old language.
C.Because they remind us of anthill.
D.Because they mean beginning and birth.
A B C D
A
[解析] 第2段作者指出从这两个单词中we have constructed the notion of everything,并且这两个单词从最初的意思beginning,giving birth和existence and growth发展到kindly or gentle等。由此可以判断选项A正确。
4. The word "gene" develops into the following meanings and words EXCEPT ______.
A.beginning
B.growth
C.generous
D.gentle
A B C D
B
[解析] 根据文中第2段bheu indicated existence and growth可知,growth是bheu的意思。
Part Ⅳ Cloze Public image refers to how a company is viewed by its customers, suppliers, and stockholders, by the financial community, by the communities 1 it operates, and by federal and local governments. Public image is controllable to considerable extent, just as the product, price, place, and promotional efforts are. A firm's public image plays a vital role in the 2 of the firm and its products to employees, customers, and to such outsiders 3 stockholders, suppliers, creditors, government officials, as well as 4 special groups. With some things it is impossible to 5 all the diverse publics: for example, a new highly automated plant may meet the approval of creditors and stockholders, but it will undoubtedly find 6 from employees who see their jobs 7 . On the other hand, high quality products and service standards should bring almost complete approval, while low quality products and 8 claims would be widely looked down upon. A firm's public image, if it is good, should be treasured and protected. It is a valuable 9 that usually is built up over a long and satisfying relationship of a firm with publics. If a firm has earned a quality image, this is not easily countered or imitated by competitors. Such an image may enable a firm to 10 higher prices, to win the best distributors and dealers, to attract the best employees, to expect the most 11 creditor relationships and lowest borrowing costs. It should also allow the firm's stock to command higher price-earnings ratio than other firms in the same industry with such a good reputation and public image. A number of factors affect the public image of a corporation. 12 include physical 13 , contacts of outsiders 14 company employees, product quality and dependability, prices 15 to competitors, customer service, the kind of advertising and the media and programs used, and the use of public relations and publicity.
1.
A.which
B.what
C.where
D.whom
A B C D
C
[解析] 定语从句。在词组by the communities——it operates中,名词communities后有主语it和谓语动词operates,因此判断该从句为定语从句。而先行词在定语从句中作状语,即it operates in the communities,于是选择where。故答案为C。
[解析] 名词词义辨析。本句中,两个分句是转折关系,而且作为利益对立双方creditors and stockholders和employees,他们对待工厂自动化的态度也是对立的。前者有单词approval(赞成)表明态度,后者的态度就应是resistance(抵抗,反对)。故答案为D。support“支撑,支持,支援,维持,赡养”;identification“辨认,鉴定,证明,视为同一”;compliment“称赞,恭维,致意,问候,道贺”。
7.
A.ensured
B.promoted
C.threatened
D.unemployed
A B C D
C
[解析] 动词词义辨析。由上下文得知,丁厂高度自动化遭到了工人们的抵制,而他们抵制的原因就在于他们的工作岗位受到威胁,他们将面临下岗。因此see their jobs threatened或者see themselves unemployed。故答案为C。ensure“保证,担保,使安全,保证得到”;promote“促进,发扬,晋升为”;unemployed“失业的,未被利用的”。
[解析] 固定搭配与上下文语义。首先判断空格一词能与to搭配,再通过句义判断词组prices to competitors的意义为“能与同行竞争者相抗衡的价格”。选项中,relative to(相对于)符合句意。故答案为A。relative“有关系的,相对的,比较而言的”;related“叙述的,讲述的,有关系的”,related to“与…有关的”;reliable“可靠的,可信赖的”;reconcilable“可和解的,可调和的”。
Part Ⅴ Writing
1. Directions:Write an essay (200-300 words), according to the topic given. As a measure to curb excessive population growth, the one-child policy has been implemented in China for more than three decades. While applauding the benefits some people begin to express worries about the development of an only child. Is being an only child of a family good or not?
The Hazards of Being an Only Child
Some people who have grown up in multichild families think that being an only child is the best of all possible worlds. They point to such benefits as the only child's annual new wardrobe and the lack of competition for parental love. But single-child status isn't as good as people say it is. Instead of having everything they want, only children are sometimes denied certain basic human needs. First, only children lack companionship. An only child can have trouble making friends, since he or she isn't used to being around other children. Often, the only child comes home to an empty house; both parents are working, and there are no brothers or sisters to play with or to talk to about the day. Owing to this lack of companionship, an only child sometimes lacks the social ease and self-confidence that come from being part of a close-knit group of contemporaries. Second, only children lack privacy. An only child is automatically the center of parental concern. There's never any doubt about which child tried to sneak in after midnight on a weekday. And who will get the lecture the next morning. Also, whenever an only child gives in to a bad mood, runs into his or her room, and slams the door, the door will be opened thirty seconds later, revealing an anxious parent. Parents of an only child sometimes don't even understand the child's need for privacy. Most importantly, children get all the love; but if something goes wrong, they also get all the punishment. Moreover, an only child has no recourse when asking for a privilege of some kind, such as permission to stay out late or to take an overnight trip with friends. Being an only child isn't as special as some people think. It's no fun being without friends, without privacy, and without power in one's own home. But the child who can triumph over these hardships grows up self-reliant and strong. Perhaps for this reason alone, the hazards are worth it.