1、GMAT（ VERBAL）阅读模拟试卷 9及答案与解析 0 Coral reefs are one of the most fragile, biologically complex, and diverse marine ecosystem on Earth. This ecosystem is one of the fascinating para- doxes of the biosphere: how do clear, and thus nutrient-poor waters support such prolific and productive communities? Par
2、t of the answer lies within the tissues of the corals themselves. Symbi- otic cells of algae known as zooxanthel-lae carry out photosynthesis using the metabolic wastes of the coral thereby producing food tor themselves, for their corals, hosts, and even for other mem- bers of the reef community. Th
3、is symbiotic process allows organisms in the reef community to use sparse nutrient resources efficiently. Unfortunately for coral reefs, how- ever, a variety of human activities are causing worldwide degradation of shallow marine habitats by adding nutrients to the water. Agriculture, slash-and-burn
4、 land clearing, sewage disposal and manufacturing that creates waste byproducts all increase nutrient loads in these waters. Typical symptoms of reef decline are destabilized herbivore populations and an increasing abundance of algae and filter-feeding animals. Declines in reef communities are consi
5、stent with observations that nutrient input is increasing in direct proportion to growing human populations, thereby threat- ening reef communities sensitive to subtle changes in nutrient input to their waters. 1 The passage is primarily concerned with （ A） describing the effects of human activities
6、 on algae in coral reefs. （ B） explaining how human activities are posing a threat to coral reef communities. （ C） discussing the process by which coral reefs deteriorate in nutrient-poor waters. （ D） explaining how coral reefs produce food for themselves. （ E） describing the abundance of algae and
7、filter-feeding animals in coral reef areas. 2 The passage suggests which of the following about coral reef communities? （ A） Coral reef communities may actually be more likely to thrive in waters that are relatively low in nutrients. （ B） The nutrients on which coral reef communities thrive are only
8、 found in shallow waters. （ C） Human population growth has led to changing ocean temperatures, which threatens coral reef communities. （ D） The growth of coral reef communities tends to destabilize underwater herbivore populations. （ E） Coral reef communities are more complex and diverse than most e
9、cosystems located on dry land. 3 The author refers to “ filter-feeding animals“(line 30)in order to （ A） provide an example of a characteristic sign of reef deterioration. （ B） explain how reef communities acquire sustenance for survival. （ C） identify a factor that helps herbivore populations thriv
10、e. （ D） indicate a cause of decreasing nutrient input in waters that reefs inhabit. （ E） identify members of coral reef communities that rely on coral reefs for nutrients. 4 According to the passage, which of the following is a factor that is threatening the survival of coral reef communities? （ A）
11、The waters they inhabit contain few nutrient resources. （ B） A decline in nutrient input is disrupting their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae. （ C） The degraded waters of their marine habitats have reduced their ability to carry out photosynthesis. （ D） They are too biologically complex to
12、survive in habitats with minimal nutrient input. （ E） Waste by-products result in an increase in nutrient input to reef communities. 5 It can be inferred from the passage that the author describes coral reef communities as paradoxical most likely for which of the following reasons? （ A） They are thr
13、iving even though human activities have depleted the nutrients in their environment. （ B） They are able to survive in spite of an over-abundance of algae inhabiting their waters. （ C） They are able to survive in an environment with limited food resources. （ D） Their metabolic wastes contribute to th
14、e degradation of the waters that they inhabit. （ E） They are declining even when the water surrounding them remains clear. 5 Two divergent definitions have dominated sociologists discussions of the nature of ethnicity. The first emphasizes the primordial and unchanging character of ethnicity. In thi
15、s view, people have an essential need for belonging that is satisfied by membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture. A different conception of ethnicity de-emphasizes the cultural component and defines ethnic groups as interest groups. In this view, ethnicity serves as a way of mobili
16、zing a certain population behind issues relating to its economic position. While both of these definitions are useful, neither fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the United States. Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting co
17、mmunal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations. One example of this process is the rise of participation by Native American people in the broader United States political system since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
18、 Besides lead- ing Native Americans to participate more actively in politics(the number of Native American legislative officeholders more than doubled), this movement also evoked increased interest in tribal his- tory and traditional culture. Cultural and instrumental components of ethnicity are not
19、 mutually exclusive, but rather reinforce one another. The Civil Rights movement also brought changes in the uses to which ethnicity was put by Mexican American people. In the 1960s, Mexican Americans formed community-based political groups that emphasized ancestral her- itage as a way of mobilizing
20、 constituents. Such emerging issues as immigration and voting rights gave Mexican American advocacy groups the means by which to promote ethnic soli- darity. Like European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States, late-twentieth-century Mexican American leaders combined ethnic with cont
21、emporary civic symbols. In 1968 Henry Censors, then mayor of San Antonio, Texas, cited Mexican leader Benito Juarez as a model for Mexican Americans in their fight for contemporary civil rights. And every year, Mexican Amer- icans celebrate Cinco de Mayo as fervently as many Irish American people em
22、brace St. Patrick s Day(both are major holidays in the countries of origin), with both holidays having been reinvented in the context of the United States and linked to ideals, symbols, and heroes of the United States. 6 Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage? （ A） In their
23、definitions of the nature of ethnicity, sociologists have underestimated the power of the primordial human need to belong. （ B） Ethnicity is best defined as a dynamic process that combines cultural components with shared political and economic interests. （ C） In the United States in the twentieth ce
24、ntury, ethnic groups have begun to organize in order to further their political and economic interests. （ D） Ethnicity in the United States has been significantly changed by the Civil Rights movement. （ E） The two definitions of ethnicity that have dominated sociologists discussions are incompatible
25、 and should be replaced by an entirely new approach. 7 Which is the following statements about the first two definitions of ethnicity discussed in the first paragraph is supported by the passage? （ A） One is supported primarily by sociologists, and the other is favored by members of ethnic groups. （
26、 B） One emphasizes the political aspects of ethnicity, and the other focuses on the economic aspects. （ C） One is the result of analysis of United States populations, and the other is the result of analysis of European populations. （ D） One focuses more on the ancestral components of ethnicity than
27、does the other. （ E） One focuses more on immigrant groups than does the other. 8 The author of the passage refers to Native American people in the second paragraph in order to provide an example of （ A） the ability of membership in groups based on shared ancestry and culture to satisfy an essential
28、human need. （ B） how ethnic feelings have both motivated and been strengthened by political activity. （ C） how the Civil Rights movement can help promote solidarity among United States ethnic groups. （ D） how participation in the political system has helped to improve a group s economic situation. （
29、 E） the benefits gained from renewed study of ethnic history and culture. 9 The passage supports which of the following statements about the Mexican American community? （ A） In the 1960s the Mexican American community began to incorporate the customs of another ethnic group in the United States into
30、 the observation of its own ethnic holidays. （ B） In the 1960 s Mexican American community groups promoted ethnic solidarity primarily in order to effect economic change. （ C） In the 1960s leader of the Mexican American community concentrated their efforts on promoting a renaissance of ethnic histor
31、y and culture. （ D） In the 1960s members of the Mexican American community were becoming increasingly concerned about the issue of voting rights. （ E） In the 1960s the Mexican American community had greater success in mobilizing constituents than did other ethnic groups in the United States. 10 Whic
32、h of the following types of ethnic cultural expression is discussed in the passage? （ A） The retelling of traditional narratives. （ B） The wearing of traditional clothing. （ C） The playing of traditional music. （ D） The celebration of traditional holidays. （ E） The preparation of traditional cuisine
33、. 11 Information in the passage supports which of the following statements about many European ethnic groups in the nineteenth-century United States? （ A） They emphasized economic interests as a way of mobilizing constituents behind certain issues. （ B） They conceived of their own ethnicity as being
34、 primordial in nature. （ C） They created cultural traditions that fused United States symbols with those of their countries of origin. （ D） They de-emphasized the cultural components of their communities in favor of political interests. （ E） They organized formal community groups designed to promote
35、 a renaissance of ethnic history and culture. 12 The passage suggests that in 1968 Henry Cisneros most likely believed that （ A） many Mexican American would respond positively to the example of Benito Juarez. （ B） many Mexican American were insufficiently educated in Mexican history. （ C） the fight
36、for civil fights in the United States had many strong parallels in both Mexican and Irish history. （ D） the quickest way of organizing community-based groups was to emulate the tactics of Benito Juarez. （ E） Mexican Americans should emulate the strategies of Native American political leaders. 12 The
37、 fact that superior service can generate a competitive advantage for a company does not mean that every attempt at improving service will create such an advantage. Investments in service, like those in production and distribution, must be balanced against other types of investments on the basis of d
38、irect, tangible benefits such as cost re- duction and increased revenues. If a company is already effectively on a par with its competitors because it provides service that avoids a damaging reputation and keeps customers from leaving at an unacceptable rate, then investment in higher service levels
39、 may be wasted, since service is a deciding factor for customers only in extreme situations. This truth was not apparent to man- agers of one regional bank, which failed to improve its competitive position despite its investment in reducing the time a customer had to wait for a teller. The bank mana
40、gers did not recognize the level of customer inertia in the consumer banking industry that arises from the inconvenience of switching banks. Nor did they analyze their service improvement to determine whether it would at- tract new customers by producing a new standard of service that would excite c
41、ustomers or by proving difficult for competitors to copy. The only merit of the improvement was that it could easily be described to customers. 13 The primary purpose of the passage is to （ A） contrast possible outcomes of a type of business investment. （ B） suggest more careful evaluation of a type
42、 of business investment. （ C） illustrate various ways in which a type of business investment could fail to enhance revenues. （ D） trace the general problems of a company to a certain type of business investment. （ E） criticize the way in which managers tend to analyze the costs and benefits of busin
43、ess investments. 14 According to the passage, investments in service are comparable to investments in production and distribution in terms of the （ A） tangibility of the benefits that they tend to confer. （ B） increased revenues that they ultimately produce. （ C） basis on which they need to be weigh
44、ed. （ D） insufficient analysis that managers devote to them. （ E） degree of competitive advantage that they are likely to provide. 15 The passage suggests which of the following about service provided by the regional bank prior to its investment in enhancing that service? （ A） It enabled the bank to
45、 retain customers at an acceptable rate. （ B） It threatened to weaken the bank s competitive position with respect to other regional banks. （ C） It had already been improved after having caused damage to the bank s reputation in the past. （ D） It was slightly superior to that of the banks regional c
46、ompetitors. （ E） It needed to be improved to attain parity with the service provided by competing banks. 16 The passage suggests that bank managers failed to consider whether or not the service improvement mentioned in line 28 （ A） was too complicated to be easily described to prospective customers.
47、 （ B） made a measurable change in the experiences of customers in the bank s offices. （ C） could be sustained if the number of customers increased significantly. （ D） was an innovation that competing banks could have imitated. （ E） was adequate to bring the bank s general level ol service to a level
48、 that was comparable with that of its competitors. 17 The discussion of the regional bank(line 20)serves which of the following functions within the passage as a whole? （ A） It describes an exceptional case in which investment in service actually failed to produce a competitive advantage. （ B） It il
49、lustrates the pitfalls of choosing to invest in service at a time when investment is needed more urgently in another area. （ C） It demonstrates the kind of analysis that managers apply when they choose one kind of service investment over another. （ D） It supports the argument that investments in certain aspects of service are more advantageous than investments in other aspects of service. （ E） It provides an example of the point about investment in service made in the first paragraph. 18 The author uses the word “only“ in line 33 most likely in order to （ A） highlight the
