Passage 1 Gopher Prairie, in which the action of Sinclair Lewis' Main Street (1920) takes place, is a town of 3,000 inhabitants, smug, dull people whose one idea is to get on materially. They have no use for anyone who wishes something better for them; they oppose civic reform, cultural and educational projects. The most honored citizens are bankers. Carol, who has been to college and held a position as a librarian, comes to Gopher Prairie to live with her doctor husband. Appalled by the stagnant life of the town, and failing to become adjusted to it, she tries a number of cultural ideas. Her efforts to establish a little theater meet with no encouragement. Indeed, the people merely think she is putting on airs. Her affection for her husband wanes, and she takes up with Erik Valborg, in whom she sees a spirit akin to her own. She leaves the little town for Washington D.C., where she works as a government clerk. Later she returns to Gopher Prairie, better equipped than before to understand the forces which shape Main Street. At the time of its first appearance, Main Street provoked a storm of protest on the ground that the novelist libeled good Americans. Today, no one thinks of repeating this charge. Indeed, as Lewis Gannett points out, Main Street has in no way changed except externally, it is the same Main Street; yet doubtless it reads Sinclair Lewis, novels as eagerly as the rest of the nation. At the time when Main Street was published Lewis was accused of hating dull people. The novelist retorted that he did not hate them. He loved them. The truth is, the world of 1920 could not stand criticism. The Pulitzer Prize Committee refused to award Main Street a prize. The novelist was to have his revenge six years later, when he rejected the same award for Arrowsmith.
1. Which of the following is the central preoccupation of the people of Gopher Prairie?______
A.Progressive.
B.Material possessions.
C.Cultural activity.
D.Civic reform.
A B C D
B
[解析] 推理题。从第一段的第一句话“...whose one idea is to get on materially”可推知,他们最关注的是“物质所有物”。答案为B。
2. According to the passage, why is Carol unhappy in Gopher Prairie?______
A.She regrets that her husband is a doctor and not a banker.
B.She dislikes being a housewife and wants to live in Washington D.C.
C.She cannot find a job as a librarian or a theater director.
D.She finds the town residents dull and unreceptive to her ideas.
Passage 2 If you know exactly what you want, the best route to a job is to get specialized training. A recent survey shows that companies like the graduates in such fields as business and health care who can go to work immediately with very little on-the-job training. That's especially true of booming fields that are challenging for workers. At Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, for example, bachelor's degree graduates get an average of four or five job offers with salaries ranging from the high teens to the low 20s and plenty of chances for rapid advancement. Large companies, especially, like a background of formal education coupled with work experience. But in the long run, too much specialization doesn't pay off. Business, which has been flooded with MBAs, no longer considers the degree an automatic stamp of approval. The MBA may open I doors and command a higher salary initially, but the impact of a degree washes out after five years. As further evidence of the erosion of corporate faith in specialized degrees, Michigan State's Scheetz cites a pattern in corporate hiring practices. Although companies tend to take on specialists as new hires, they often seek out generalists for middle and upper-level management. "They want someone who isn't constrained by nuts and bolts to look at the big picture," says Scheetz. This sounds suspiciously like a formal statement that you approve of the liberal-arts graduate. Time and again labor-market analysts mention a need for talents that liberal-arts majors are assumed to have: writing and communication skills, organizational skills, open-mindedness and adaptability, and the ability to analyze and solve problems. David Birch claims he does not hire anybody with an MBA or an engineering degree. I hire only liberal-arts people because they have a less-than-canned way of doing things, says Birch. Liberal-arts means an academically thorough and strict program that includes literature, history, mathematics, economics, science, human behavior plus a computer course or two. With that under your belt, you can feel free to specialize. "A liberal-arts degree coupled with an MBA or some other technical training is a very good combination in the market place," says Scheetz.
1. What kinds of people are in high demand on the job market?______
A.Students with a bachelor's degree in humanities.
B.People with an MBA degree from top universities.
C.People with formal schooling plus work experience.
Passage 3 The term "flying saucer" refers to strange objects travelling through the earth's atmosphere at very high speeds. Thousands of people all over the world claim to have seen them. Some believe them to be spaceships from other planets. Others insist that they are a secret type of aircraft being built on earth. Many people maintain that they are only natural phenomena happening under special temperature, light, or weather conditions. All reports, however, agree that the strange objects move at extremely high speeds and fail to follow the laws of motion by reversing (逆转) direction instantly without slowing down. In the United States, the first flying saucers were reported on June 4, 1947, by a private plane pilot. He saw nine objects travelling in the sky. Each was disk-shaped and very bright. Because their movements were compared to those of a "saucer skimming across the water", newspaper reporters called them "flying saucers". Some weeks after the first reported sighting, the United States Air Force was given the job of investigating all the reports of flying saucers. Because of the confusing variety of shapes, sizes, and colors reported, the Air Force adopted the term Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) to describe them. Since the Air Force officials began their investigation of flying saucers, they have identified most of the objects as stars, planes, man-made satellites, experimental missiles (导弹), or weather phenomena. Some of the UFO reports, including photographs, were deliberate (蓄意的) tricks made to cheat people. All the research so far has failed to prove that UFOs are spaceships coming from outside the earth. Most investigators agree, however, that more study is needed before the question of whether or not flying saucers really exist can be answered.
1. The term "flying saucer" is generally used to refer to ______.
A.spaceships from other planets
B.a secret type of aircraft being built
C.some natural phenomena
D.strange objects flying very fast in the sky
A B C D
D
[解析] 词义理解题。文章第一段的第一句话中说道:The term "flying saucer" refers to strange objects travelling through the earth's atmosphere at very high speeds.词语“飞碟”就是指以飞快的速度在地球的大气层飞舞的一些奇怪物体。
2. The first flying saucers got their name ______.
A.from a private plane pilot who saw them
B.for their brightness in color
C.because they looked like disks moving in the air
3. The Air Force preferred the term UFO because ______.
A.newspaper reporters used it
B.the term "flying saucer" was very confusing
C.UFO is a general term that can refer to a larger variety of objects
D.the Air Force didn't find any objects that looked like flying saucers
A B C D
C
[解析] 因果关系题。文章第三段的第二行中说道:Because of the confusing variety of shapes, sizes and colors reported...the Air Force adopted the term Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) to describe them. 由于这些物体的形状,体积,颜色都不一样……空军把它称作“不明飞行物”。
4. All the research has failed to identify any UFOs as ______.
A.man-made satellites
B.aircraft
C.experimental missiles
D.spaceships sent from other planets
A B C D
D
[解析] 细节理解题。文章最后一段的第一句话中说道All the research SO far has failed to prove that UFOs are spaceships coming from outside the earth,即到目前为止,所有的研究人员都无法证明UFO是来自地球以外的飞船。
5. From this passage we know that ______.
A.the US Air Force was the first reporter of flying saucers
B.the term UFO was first used by the US Air Force investigators
C.UFOs are not worth further investigating
D.the question of whether there exist flying saucers has already been answered
Passage 4 Television that most pervasion and persuasive of modern technologies, marked by rapid change and growth is moving into a new era, an era of extraordinary sophistication and versatility, which promises to reshape our lives and our world. It is an electronic revolution of sorts, made possible by the marriage of television and computer technologies. Very simply put, television works in this way: through a sophisticated system of electronics, television provides the capability of converting an image into electronic impulses, which can be sent through a wire or cable. These impulses, when fed into a receiver (television set), can then be electronically reconstituted into that same image. The field of television can be divided into two categories determined by its means of transmission. First, there is broadcast television, which reaches the masses through broad-based airwave transmission of television signals. Second, there is one broadcast television, which provides for the needs of individuals or specific interest groups through controlled transmission techniques. Traditionally, we are most familiar with broadcast television; ABC, NBC and CBS have been the major purveyors of news, information, and entertainment. But now, in addition, we have CNN, Cable News Network, the first global TV news company. With its advent, the very definition of news was rewritten from something that has happened to something that is happening at the very moment you are hearing of it. In 1991, one of the most eventful years of this century, the world witnessed the dramatic and transforming impact of live televised news coverage on the latest developments. For turning viewers in 150 countries into instant witnesses of history, whereby influencing the dynamic of events, Robert Edward Turner president of CNN, was Time's Man of the Year for 1991.
1. With what topic is the passage primarily concerned?______
Passage 5 Alcatraz Island, sometimes referred to as the Rock, is a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California. It served as a lighthouse, then a military fortification (要塞), then a military prison followed by a federal prison until 1963. It became a national recreation area in 1972. Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tourists. The first Spaniard to discover the island was Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, and the earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julian Workman, to whom it was given by Mexican governor Pio Pico in June 1846 with the understanding that the former would build a lighthouse on it. Later that same year John C. Fremont bought the island for $5,000 in the name of the United States government. When California became part of the United States in 1848, the U.S. Army used the island as a military camp for the protection of San Francisco Bay. Later, the army decided to turn it into the site of detention (拘禁), a task for which it was well suited because of its isolation. In 1867 a brick jailhouse was built, and in 1868 Alcatraz was officially designated a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western US Military Prison. Due to its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, dangerous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War prisoners as early as 1861. In 1898, the Spanish-American war would increase the prison population from 26 to over 450. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement. By 1912 there was a large cellhouse, and in the 1920s a large 3-story structure was nearly at full capacity. The island became a federal prison in August 1934. During the 29 years it was in use, the jail held such notable criminals as A1 Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz), James Bulger and Alvin Karpis, who served more time at Alcatraz than any other inmate. It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prison staff and their families, and no prisoner had ever successfully escaped from the island.
1. Alcatraz Island was first used as ______.
A.a lighthouse
B.a federal prison
C.a military prison
D.a military fortification
A B C D
A
[解析] 题干问,Alcatraz Island首先被用作什么。文中第一段第二句提到It served as a lighthouse, then a...可知,首先被用作一个灯塔。
2. The first owner of Alcatraz Island is ______.
A.Pio Pico
B.Julian Workman
C.John C. Fremont
D.Juan Manuel de Ayala
A B C D
B
[解析] 题干问,Alcatraz Island的第一个主人是谁。文中第二段第一句提到...and the earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is Julain Workman。
3. Alcatraz Island began to house civilian prisoners in ______.
A.1867
B.1898
C.1906
D.1907
A B C D
C
[解析] 题干问,Alcatraz Island开始囚禁平民犯人是在哪一年。文章最后一段After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement。
4. The U.S. Army first used Alcatraz Island as ______.
A.a military camp
B.a national park
C.a civilian prison
D.a military prison
A B C D
A
[解析] 题干问,美国军队首先用Alcatraz Island当作什么。文中第二段中提到When California became...the U.S. Army used the island as a military camp for the protection of San Francisco Bay。故美国军队首先用其当作一个军事营地。
5. Alcatraz Island served as a federal prison between ______.
A.1898 and 1912
B.1907 and 1934
C.1912 and 1934
D.1934 and 1963
A B C D
D
[解析] 题干问,Alcatraz Island在哪年间作为一个联邦政府的监狱。文中最后一段提到The island became a federal prison in August 1934. During the 29 years it was in use,可以算一下是在1934—1963年间作为一个联邦政府的监狱。
Passage 6 In general, as soon as the newborn child's muscles, sense organs, and nerves are fully formed, the child begins to use them. But much of the human nervous system is not fully developed until the child is a year or two old, and some parts, such as the corpus callosum, continue to mature for at least the next 20 years. The general pattern of bodily development is from head to foot. Simple skills, such as head movements, appear first because the structures that control these skills are among the first to mature. More complex behavior patterns, such as crawling, standing, and walking, come much later in the developmental sequence than head movements do. The motor centers in the brain are connected by long nerve fibers (usually through one or more synapses) to the muscles in various parts of the body. Since the head muscles are closer to the brain than the foot muscles, according to one theory, the head comes under the control of the motor centers long before the feet do. The appearance of a new motor skill (such as crawling and grasping) always suggests that a new part of the child's body has just matured-that is, that the brain centers have just begun to control the muscles involved in the new motor skill.
1. What is the author's main purpose in this passage?______
A.To describe how children crawl, stand, and walk.
B.To explain why some children are slow to develop.
C.To describe early physical development in children.
2. According to the passage, the corpus callosum is part of the human ______.
A.muscular system
B.digestive system
C.circulatory system
D.nervous system
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。“根据原文,corpus callosum是人类身体的哪一部分?”A选项“肌肉系统”正确。文中说and some parts, such as the corpus callosum, continue to mature for at least the next 20 years。B选项“消化系统”;C选项“循环系统”;D选项“神经系统”。答案为A。
3. According to the passage, which of the following motor skills does an infant first develop?______
A.Moving the head.
B.Crawling.
C.Controlling the arms.
D.Kicking.
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。“根据原文,婴儿最先学会的是哪种动作技能?”A选项“头部动作”。文中说Simple skills,... among the first to mature,可见婴儿最先学会的是头部动作。其他B选项“爬行”;C选项“控制胳膊”;D选项“踢”。答案为A。
4. Why do the head muscles come under control of the motor centers long before the foot ones do?______
A.Because the head has a shorter distance to the brain than the feet do.
B.Because the head muscles have a longer distance to the brain than the foot ones do.
C.The head muscles are more important than the foot muscles.
D.All of the above are not true.
A B C D
A
[解析] 细节题。“为什么头部肌肉要比脚部肌肉更先受到中枢神经的控制?”文章第三段第二句话Since the head muscles...long before the feet do便是本题答案。答案为A。
5. Which of the following statements is not true in this passage?______
A.Much of the human nervous system is fully developed when the child is one or two years old.
B.The general pattern of bodily development is from foot to head.
C.Simple skills appear first for the structures that control these skills are among the first to mature.
D.More complex behavior patterns come much later in the developmental sequence than head movements do.
A B C D
B
[解析] 判断题。“下列叙述中,哪一个选项不正确?”通过浏览全文,把信息定位到第二段第一句话The general pattern of bodily movement is from head to foot可知B选项不正确。答案为B。