Passage One Some problems can be readily identified simply by looking around. These problems concern the pollution of our environment by technology as a result of sudden upsets in the physical, economic and social balance. The most obvious of these are the general pollution of our physical environment and the destruction of irreplaceable natural resources. Not so obvious as these, but just as painfully significant to some, are the disappearing and changing of jobs which overnight often create large groups of jobless citizens. Can technology be used to undo what it has done, replace what it has destroyed or substitute for what it has caused to disappear? No one knows. Many wonder whether or not all of the sources of pollution have yet been identified, whether or not they are being arrested and whether or not they will be prevented from recurring. Another set of problems relates to what technological advancement has done to the quality of life. An improved social life has not been unfortunately, either the goal or the chief beneficiary of technological change. Rather, any improvements that have occurred have been more accidental than intended. Too much has happened too fast. The changes demanded of marriage and family relationships remain largely unexamined. It is often a matter of "put up or shut up", and a person has to adapt his life-style to ever-changing conditions with little time for choice. The "no-move-no-advancement" type is an example of one such problem. Many people are coming to think that the reward is simply not worthy the struggle, and they are taking jobs with less responsibility and lower pay.
1. In the First paragraph the author is mainly talking about ______.
A.environmental protection
B.environment and technology
C.technology producing obvious and insidious problems
Passage Two Liver disease is the 12th-leading cause of death in the U.S., chiefly because once it's determined that a patient needs a new liver it's very difficult to get one. Even in case where a suitable donor match is found, there's guarantee a transplant will be successful. But researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have taken a huge step toward building functioning livers in the lab, successfully transplanting culture-grown livers into rats. The livers aren't grown from scratch, but rather within the infrastructure of a donor liver. The liver cells in the donor organ are washed out with a detergent that gently strips away the liver cells, leaving behind a biological scaffold of proteins and extracellular architecture that is very hard to duplicate synthetically. With all of that complicated infrastructure already in place, the researchers then seeded the scaffold (支架) with liver cells isolated from healthy livers, as well as some special endothelial cells to line the bold vessels. Once repopulated with healthy cells, these livers lived in culture for 10 days. The team also transplanted some two-day-old recellularized livers back into rats, where they continued to thrive for eight hours while connected into the rats' vascular systems. However, the current method isn't perfect and cannot seem to repopulate the blood vessels quite densely enough and the transplanted livers can't keep functioning for more than about 24 hours (hence the eight-hour maximum for the rat transplant). But the initial successes are promising, and the team thinks they can overcome the blood vessel problem and get fully functioning livers into rats within two years. It still might be a decade before the tech hits the clinic, but if nothing goes horribly wrong—and especially if stem-cell research establishes a reliable way to create health liver cells from the very patients who need transplants—lab-generated livers that are perfect matches for their recipients could become a reality.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the animal model was mainly intended to ______.
A.investigate the possibility of growing blood vessels in the lab
B.explore the unknown functions of the human liver
C.reduce the incidence of liver disease in the U.S.
Passage Three The elements other than hydrogen and helium exist in such small quantities that it is accurate to say that the universe is somewhat more than 75 percent hydrogen. Astronomers have measured the abundance of helium throughout our galaxy and in other galaxies as well. Helium has been found in old stars, in relatively young ones, in interstellar gas, and in the distant objects known as quasars. Helium nuclei have also been found to be constituents of cosmic rays that fall on the earth (cosmic "rays" are not really a form of radiation; they consist of rapidly moving particles of numerous different kinds). It doesn't seem to make very much difference where the helium is found. Its relative abundance never seems to vary much. In some places, there may be slightly more of it; in others, slightly less, but the ratio of helium to hydrogen nuclei always remains about the same. Helium is created in stars. In fact, nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen to helium are responsible for most of the energy that stars produce. However, the amount of helium that could have been produced in this manner can be calculated, and it turns out to be no more than a few percent. The universe has not existed long enough for this figure to be significantly greater. Consequently, if the universe is somewhat more than 25 percent helium now, then it must have been about 25 percent helium at a time near the beginning. However, when the universe was less than one minute old, no helium could have existed. Calculations indicate that before this time temperatures were too high and particles of matter were moving around much too rapidly. It was only after the one-minute point that helium could exist. By this time, the universe had cooled sufficiently that neutrons and protons could stick together. But the nuclear reactions that led to the formation of helium went on for only a relatively short time. By the time the universe was a few minutes old, helium production had effectively ceased.
1. What does the passage mainly explain?
A.How stars produce energy.
B.The difference between helium and hydrogen.
C.When most of the helium in the universe was formed.
3. Why does the author mention "cosmic rays" in Paragraph 2?
A.As part of a list of things containing helium.
B.As an example of an unsolved astronomical puzzle.
C.To explain how the universe began.
D.To explain the abundance of hydrogen in the universe.
A B C D
A
[解析] 文章第二段中介绍了许多包含氦的物质,包括in old stars, in relatively young ones, in interstellar gas, and in the distant objects known as quasars,同时作者还提到了宇宙射线,并告诉我们宇宙射线中也包含氦。因此,作者在这里也提到了cosmic rays的目的是要使人们知道另外一种包含氦的物质,具体而言,就是说宇宙射线也是众多包含氦元素的物质中的一部分。
4. The creation of helium within stars ______.
A.cannot be measured
B.produces energy
C.produces helium to be much more abundant in old stars than in young stars
D.produces carbon
A B C D
B
[解析] 第三段开头有这样一句话:“In fact, nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen to helium are responsible for most of the energy that stars produce. ”这句话的意思是,星体产生的多数能量来源于氢聚变为氦的原子核反应。也就是说,星体上的氢聚变为氦的原子核反应产生了能量,这与选项B中的“星体中的氦的创造过程中产生了能量”是一致的。
5. Most of the helium in the universe was formed ______.
A.in interstellar space
B.in a very short time
C.during the first minute of the universe's existence
D.before most of the hydrogen
A B C D
B
[解析] 文章的末尾有这样一句话:“But the nuclear reactions that led to the formation of helium went on for only a relatively short time. ”这句话的意思是,“但是导致氦形成的原子核反应持续的时间相对较短。”文章在最后指出,在宇宙形成的早期,氦并不存在,因为那时的温度太高。后来随着温度逐渐降低,中子和质子才得以黏在一起。原子核反应形成了氦,但这一过程进行的时间很短。到了the universe was a few minutes old的时候,氦的生产就停止了。
Passage Four Auctions are public sales of goods, conducted by an officially approved auctioneer. He asked the crowd to gather in the auction room to bid for various items on sale. He encourages buyers to bid higher figures and finally names the highest bidder as the buyer of the goods. This is called "knocking down" the goods, for the bidding ends when the auctioneer bangs a small hammer on a raised platform. The ancient Romans probably invented sales by auction and the English word comes from the Latin "autic", meaning "increase". The Romans usually sold in this way the spoils taken in war, these sales were called "sub hasta", meaning "under the spear", a spear being stuck in the ground as a signal for a crowd to gather. In England in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries goods were often sold "by the candle"; a short candle was lit by the auctioneer and bids could be made while it was burning. Practically all goods can be sold by auction. Among these are coffee, skins, wool, tea, cocoa, furs, fruit, vegetables and wines. Auction sales are also usual for land and property, antique furniture, pictures, rare books, old china and works of art. The auction rooms at Chritie's and Sotheby's in London and New York are world famous. An auction is usually advertised beforehand with full particulars of the articles to be sold and where and when they can be viewed by the buyers. If the advertisement cannot give full details, catalogues are printed, and each group of goods to be sold together, called a "lot", is usually given a number. The auctioneer need not begin with lot one and continue the numerical order; he may wait until he notices the fact that certain buyers are in the room and then produce the lots they are likely to be interested in. The auctioneer's services are paid for in the form of a percentage of the price the goods are sold for. The auctioneer therefore has a direct interest in pushing up the bidding.
1. Auctioned goods are sold ______.
A.for the highest price offered
B.at fixed prices
C.at prices lower than their true value
D.at prices offered by the auctioneer
A B C D
A
[解析] 推断题。这道题的答案在第一段的第三句话。“He encourages buyers to bid higher figures and finally names the highest bidder as the buyer of the goods. ”拍卖师鼓励竞拍者出高价并最终把出最高价的竞拍者指定为买家。选项A意思是:以最高的价钱出售。这就是答案。B、C、D三个选项都是错误的表述。
2. The end of bidding is called "knocking down" because ______.
A.the auctioneer knocks on the table
B.the auctioneers names the highest bidder as the buyer of the goods
C.the goods are knocked down onto the table
D.the auctioneer bangs the table with a hammer
A B C D
D
[解析] 推断题。注意第一段最后的一句话中由“for”引导的原因状语从句,“for the bidding ends when the auctioneer bangs a small hammer on a raised platform. ”意思是:因为竞拍结束时,拍卖师在高台上用锤子敲一下。从中就可以得到答案D。选项D的意思就是这个句子的翻译。
3. In the sentence "The Romans usually sold in this way the spoils taken in war," the word "spoils" most probably means ______.
A.useless goods
B.spears
C.various kinds of food
D.property taken from the enemy
A B C D
D
[解析] 推断题。这句话的意思是:罗马人经常以这种方式出卖在战争中获得的战利品。“taken in war”的东西而且能出卖的,当然不会是A.useless goods;也不会单单只是“spears”或“food”,而该是D“战利品”。
4. In England a candle used to burn at auction sales ______.
A.because the auction sales took place at night
B.as a signal for the crowd to gather
C.to keep the auction room warm
D.to limit the time when offers of prices could be made
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。注意第二段的最后一句话“...and bid could be made while it was burning. ”意思是:当蜡烛点着的时候,拍卖就能够进行。这句话就是答案所在。选项D的意思是:限制出价的时间。这正是点蜡烛的目的。
5. An auction catalogue gives buyers ______.
A.the current market values of the goods
B.details of the goods to be sold
C.the order in which goods are to be sold
D.free admission to the auction sale
A B C D
B
[解析] 分析题。这道题要求掌握“particulars”词意指“详细情况”。本文第四段第二句“If the advertisement cannot give full details, catalogues are printed, ...”意思是:如果广告中没有具体的细节,目录就会被印出来。从这一句中得出正确答案为B。选项B的意思就是得到具体的信息。
Passage Five The biggest thing in operating rooms these days is a million-dollar, multi-armed robot named da Vinci, used in nearly 400,000 surgeries nationwide last year—triple the number just four years earlier. But now the high-tech helper is under scrutiny over reports of problems, including several deaths that may be linked with it and the high cost of using the robotic system. There also have been a few disturbing, freak incidents: a robotic hand that wouldn't let go of tissue grasped during surgery and a robotic arm hitting a patient in the face as she lay on the operating table. Is it time to curb the robot enthusiasm? Some doctors say yes, concerned that the "wow" factor and heavy marketing have boosted use. They argue that there is not enough robust research showing that robotic surgery is at least as good or better than conventional surgeries. Many U. S. hospitals promote robotic surgery in patient brochures, online and even on highway billboards. Their aim is partly to attract business that helps pay for the costly robot. The da Vinci is used for operations that include removing prostates, gallbladders and wombs, repairing heart valves, shrinking stomachs and transplanting organs. Its use has increased worldwide, but the system is most popular in the United States. For surgeons, who control the robot while sitting at a computer screen rather than standing over the patient, these operations can be less tiring. Plus robot hands don't shake. Advocates say patients sometimes have less bleeding and often are sent home sooner than with conventional laparoscopic surgeries and operations involving large incisions. But the Food and Drug Administration is looking into a spike in reported problems during robotic surgeries. Earlier this year, the FDA began a survey of surgeons using the robotic system. The agency conducts such surveys of devices routinely, but FDA spokeswoman Synim Rivers said the reason for it now "is the increase in number of reports received" about da Vinci. Reports filed since early last year include at least five deaths. Whether there truly are more problems recently is uncertain. Rivers said she couldn't quantify the increase and that it may simply reflect more awareness among doctors and hospitals about the need to report problems. Doctors aren't required to report such things; device makers and hospitals are. Company spokesman Geoff Curtis said intuitive Surgical has physician-educators and other trainers who teach surgeons how to use the robot. But they don't train them how to do specific procedures robotically, he said, and that it's up to hospitals and surgeons to decide "if and when a surgeon is ready to perform robotic cases." A 2010 New England Journal of Medicine essay by a doctor and a health policy analyst said surgeons must do at least 150 procedures to become adept at using the robotic system. But there is no expert consensus on how much training is needed. New Jersey banker Alexis Grattan did a lot of online research before her gallbladder was removed last month at Hackensack University Medical Center. She said the surgeon's many years of experience with robotic operations was an important factor. She also had heard that the surgeon was among the first to do the robotic operation with just one small incision in the belly button, instead of four cuts in conventional keyhole surgery.
1. Why did FDA begin to scrutinize da Vinci?
A.The number used in operation has been tripled.
B.It is too expensive.
C.It is reported to have frequent mechanical breakdown.
Passage Six On June 26, 2000, two scientific teams announce at the White House that they had deciphered virtually the entire human genome, a prodigious feat that involved determining the exact sequence of chemical units in human genetic material. An enthusiastic President Clinton predicted a revolution in "the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases". Now, 10 years later, a sobering realization has set in. Decoding the genome has led to stunning advances in scientific knowledge and DNA-processing technologies but it has done relatively little to improve medical treatments or human health. To be fair, many scientists at the time were warning that it would be a long, slow slog to reap clinical benefits. And there have been some important advances, such as powerful new drugs for a few cancers and genetic tests that can predict whether people with breast cancer need chemotherapy. But the original hope that close study of the genome would identify mutations or variants that cause diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and heart ailments—and generate treatments for them—has given way to realization that the causes of most diseases are enormously complex and not easily traced to a simple mutation or two. In the long run, it seems likely that the genomic revolution will pay off. But no one can be sure. Even if the genetic roots of some major diseases are identified, there is no guarantee that treatments can be found. The task facing science and industry in the coming decades is at least as challenging as the original deciphering of the human genome.
1. Back in the year 2000, what was exciting about the deciphered genome?
A.Its claim at the turn of the new millennium.
B.Its great potential of producing medical value.
C.President Clinton's predicting of a moral controversy.
D.Its announcement for the first time at the White House.
A B C D
B
[解析] 细节题。题干:追溯到2000年,关于被破译的基因让人兴奋的是______。第一段中克林顿总统说,这个破译将在the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases方面引发革命,即在医疗方面将会有很大的潜在价值。故本题答案为B。
2. Clinically, according to the passage, the prophecy ten years later ______.
A.is provided to be fair enough
B.is realized in clinical trails
C.turns out to be a reality
D.is far from realization
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节题。题干:根据文章内容,10年后的预言______。用10 years定位到第二段,根据it has done relatively little to improve medical treatments or human health可知,基因破译对人类健康或者医疗受益无几,因此D为正确答案。
3. From our disappointment we have to realize that ______.
A.most human diseases cannot be conquered
B.the deciphering of the human genome was fruitless
C.the cause of disease cannot be simply explained by a mutation or two
D.many clinical harvests have nothing to do with the deciphered genome
A B C D
C
[解析] 细节题。题干:我们从失望中意识到______。从倒数第二段的...has given way to realization that the causes of most diseases are enormously complex and not easily traced to a simple mutation or two可知,本题的答案为C。
4. It can be concluded from the passage that ______.
A.difficulties are hard to predict in doing science
B.Sometimes it is no use finding the genetic roots of diseases
C.scientists are not supposed to make any predictions
D.the clinical benefits of the genomic revolution will take time