1、专业英语八级（阅读）模拟试卷 63及答案与解析 0 Cruelty to animals, it is said, is often a precursor to graver crimes. So would there not be some usefulness to a registry of individuals convicted of felony animal abuse? Legislators in California want the Golden State to be the first to establish such a recordjust as Cali
2、fornia was the first in the nation to create a registry of sex offenders. The goal of the registry, which would list crimes against both pets and farm animals, is to make it easier for shelters and animal-adoption groups to identify people who shouldnt be allowed access to animals. It would also be
3、a boon to law enforcement because animal abuse, the bills authors say, often escalates to violence against people. Abuses covered in the bill would include the malicious and intentional maiming, mutilation, torture, wounding or killing of a living animal. It would also target pet hoarders and operat
4、ors of animal-fighting rings(such as dog-baiting and cockfighting)who have felony convictions. “We think California is primed for this kind of a bill,“ says state senate majority leader Dean Florez, who introduced the bill in late February. “Weve progressed to the point where we as a legislature are
5、 moving in a direction of this bill, which is ultimately, how do we in essence prevent repeat offenses when it comes to cruelty to animals in the state of California?“ It is an issue that, Florez says, Californians care for deeply. About 60% of California residents own pets, he says; add in farm ani
6、mals, and 80% of the population has some kind of ownership of animals. The bills biggest stumbling block may be the funding it would require. Created with the assistance of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the bill would raise the approximately $500,000 to $1 million necessary for its launch through a
7、 2- or 3-cent tax per pound of pet food, says Florez, a Democrat who is chairman of the Food and Agriculture Committee. He estimated that after its launch, the project could cost between $300,000 to $400,000 a year to maintain. Yet even that relatively small amount has some organizations, including
8、a national pet-product trade group and even the Humane Society, raising concerns. Jennifer Fearing, California senior state director and chief economist for the US Humane Society, supports the measures aims but worries about whether it can get passed. Says Fearing: “I would be shocked if this legisl
9、ature is prepared to enact any tax this year, much less one levied on pet owners who are struggling to care for their animals, when many of them are dropping them off at shelters. “ Ed Rod, vice President of government affairs for the American Pet Products Association, says the proposal is inherentl
10、y inequitable. “Youre looking at pet owners paying for something thats really going to benefit everyone,“ says Rod. “And animal abuse certainly affects pets, but it also affects agricultural animals as well, and in this case I dont believe there is any provision to impose a fee on livestock feed. Th
11、e goal we support, certainly, but we think this is kind of a blunt instrument to reach that goal. “ There may be other ways to fund the registry. Fearing says the Humane Society supported a similar law in Tennessee that called for those convicted of animal abuse to pay $50 toward the cost of an anim
12、al-abusers registry. The bill, however, was defeated. Florez says having offenders pay a fee toward the operation of the registry is also under consideration in the California legislation. Even if those convicted of animal-abuse felonies were charged a fee, however, that may not be enough to cover t
13、he cost of the registry, since only a small percentage of animal-abuse cases result in felony charges, according to Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles. “The bottom line is that there arent a lot of felony convictions for animal abuse in
14、the state of California,“ says Bernstein. The proposal also puts an added burden on local police operating at a time of state funding cuts by requiring them to gather registry information on convicted felons and transfer the information to the Department of Justice within three days of collection. D
15、espite the obstacles, Florez expects to push the legislation as far as it can go. Could he get the two-thirds majority required to turn the bill into law particularly from the Republican minority that pledged not to raise taxes? “In this case,“ he says, “the issue is simple. Do Republican members re
16、ally want to be seen on the side of animal abuse? I dont think they do. “ 1 If the bill were passed, which of the following actions would be registered for animal abuse? （ A） Lions in the zoo were safely locked in the cage for the safety of the visitors. （ B） The researcher dissected the dead sheep
17、to make clear the tissue pattern. （ C） The tamer beat the beast to treat its infectious disease. （ D） The researcher pinned tightly the belly of the bird to observe its response. 2 All of the following account for Californias being first to register for animal abuse EXCEPT that_. （ A） the majority o
18、f its residents own animals themselves （ B） it is primed to raise sufficient funding for this bill （ C） it has the experience of being first to register for sex offenders （ D） its residents cared the issue of cruelty to animals very much 3 Which of the following statements is CORRECT about Jennifer
19、Fearings opinion? （ A） Registry for animal abuse is by no means feasible in essence. （ B） The funding will be enough as long as there are less felony convictions. （ C） There is still no sufficient funding even if the offenders pay the fee of the registry. （ D） We should seek the offenders instead of
20、 the pet owners to pay the cost of the registry. 4 The authors attitude towards a registry of animal abuse can be summarized as_. （ A） supportive （ B） disapproval （ C） objective （ D） pessimistic 5 Which of the following best describes the authors development of the passage? （ A） Background informati
21、onintroducing the issuedescribing its current situation. （ B） Introducing the issuedescribing its current situationciting ways to solve the issue. （ C） Describing its current situationoffering the re asonsciting ways to solve the issue. （ D） Introducing the issuegiving the background informationdesc
22、ribing its current situation. 5 Despite the clear-cut technological advantages, the railroad didnt become the primary means of transportation for nearly 20 years after the first pioneering American railroads were introduced in the early 1830s. Besides the stiff competition of water transport, an imp
23、ortant hindrance to railroad development was public antipathy, which had its roots in ignorance, conservatism, and vested interest. People thought that speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour would be physically harmful to passengers. Many honestly believed that the railroad would prove to be impractical
24、and uneconomical and would not provide service as dependable as that of the waterways. Unsurprisingly, the most vigorous opposition to railroads came from groups whose economic interests suffered from the competition of the new industry. Millions of dollars had been spent on canals, rivers, highways
25、, and plank roads, and thousands of people depended on these transportation enterprises for their livelihood. Tavern keepers feared their businesses would be ruined, and farmers envisioned the market for hay and grain disappearing as the “iron horse“ replaced the flesh-and-blood animal that drew can
26、al boats and pulled wagons. Competitive interests joined to embarrass and hinder the railroads, causing several states to limit traffic on them to passengers and their baggage or to freight hauled only during the months when canal operations ceased. One railroad company in Ohio was required to pay f
27、or any loss in canal traffic attributed to railroad competition. Other railroads were ordered to pay a tonnage tax to support the operation of canals. These sentiments, however amusing today, were seriously espoused by national leaders, as seen in a 1829 letter from Martin Van Buren, then governor o
28、f New York, to President Andrew Jackson. Despite the opposition of those who feared the railroads, construction went on. In sections of the country where canals could not be built, the railroad offered a means of cheap transportation for all kinds of commodities. In contrast to the municipality that
29、 wished to exclude the railroad, many cities and towns, as well as their state governments, did much to encourage railroad construction. And the federal government provided tariff exemptions on railroad iron. By 1840,railroad mileage in the United States was within 1,000 miles of the combined length
30、s of all canals, the volume of goods carried by water still exceeded that transported by rail. After the depression of the early 1840s, rail investments continued, mostly government assisted, and by 1850,the country had 9,000 miles of railroads, and the railroads superiority was clear. With the more
31、 than 20,000 miles of rails added to the transportation system between 1850 and 1860,total trackage surpassed 30,000 at the end of the decade, and the volume of freight traffic equaled that of canals. All the states east of the Mississippi were connected during this decade. The eastern seaboard was
32、linked with the Mississippi River system, and the Gulf and South Atlantic states could interchange traffic with the Great Lakes. Growing trunk lines like the Erie, the Pennsylvania, and the Baltimore and Ohio completed construction of projects that had been started in the 1840s,and combinations of s
33、hort lines provided new through routes. By the beginning of the Civil War, the eastern framework of the present rail-transportation system had been erected, and it was possible to travel by rail the entire distance from New York to Chicago to Memphis and back to New York. Many modifications and impr
34、ovements occurred, and total factor productivity in railroads more than doubled in the two decades before the Civil War. Technological advances were reflected in the fact that the average traction force of locomotives more than doubled in these two decades. Freight car sizes also increased, with eig
35、ht-wheel cars being common by 1859. Most of the productivity rise, however, resulted from increased utilization of existing facilities. The stock of capital and other inputs grew, but output grew much faster as the initial input became more fully utilized. 6 In two decades after introduced into the
36、U. S., railroads didnt become the chief means of transportation mainly because people were_. （ A） repugnant to it （ B） ignorant of it （ C） afraid of it （ D） doubtful of it 7 The American farmers worried that_. （ A） their horses would be replaced by the “iron horse“ （ B） there would be no market for
37、their crops （ C） there would be no market for their livestock （ D） they would benefit less from railroads than from waterways 8 Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a group that was opposed to railroads? （ A） Political figures. （ B） Inn holders. （ C） Businessmen. （ D） Some interest groups. 9 W
38、hich of the following statements is CORRECT? （ A） Both municipal and state governments were in favor of railroads. （ B） Both state and federal governments gave support to railroads. （ C） State governments went against federal governments on building railroads. （ D） Municipal governments reserved the
39、ir right to disagree with state governments. 10 Which of the following adjectives can best describe American economy between the 1840s and the 1860s? （ A） Diversified. （ B） Stable. （ C） Thrilling. （ D） Prosperous. 11 The passage aims to_. （ A） list the factors that retarded the development of Americ
40、an railroads （ B） illustrate the history of the development of American railroads （ C） analyze advantages and disadvantages of American railroads at an early stage （ D） present the pros and cons of American people in the 19th century 11 You and I, and everyone else in America, own the most stunning
41、oceanfront property, the most amazing mountain ranges, the highest free-falling waterfall on the continent, and the most spectacular collection of geothermal features on the planet. I knew the national parks were beautiful and that there must be interesting human stories behind their creation. But I
42、 was unprepared for how they touched some of the deepest emotions Ive ever felt. The parks can be simultaneously humbling and ennobling. Were aware of our insignificance, yet we feel part of the larger order of things. Its a spiritual, transcendental experience gives it whatever name you want. Its w
43、hy people sometimes use biblical references to describe Yosemite, first set aside in 1864, or Yellowstone, our first truly “national“ park, or the Grand Canyon, essentially a geological library and the greatest canyon on the face of the earth. My crew and I have been literally brought to tears as we
44、 worked on this project, as have many other people over the years. As one man encountering Yosemite Falls for the first time said to his companions, “Now let me die, for I am happy. “ The historical figures we studied, the consultants who helped us understand those men and women, and the people weve
45、 been sharing the parks with today have all had that moment when suddenly they felt connected to everything else in the universe. That isnt bad for a days work. The real secrets of the parks are their little-known places and unseen wonders. When we were floating down the Colorado River during filmin
46、g and going over those dramatic rapids, every little side canyon that we didnt have the benefit of seeing from the rim of the Grand Canyon had its own wonders. The way the light struck in the back, the way the water fell, the way new waterfalls sprouted up in the spring because the melting snow need
47、ed a place to go for me, the most marvelous point about the parks is their hidden and beautiful layers. Every park is like an onion. The layers are sometimes very subtle, and each layer takes time to explore. A very nice old ranger at Zion told us, “You could be a ranger here if you knew the answer
48、to three questions: Wheres the bathroom? How far is it to Las Vegas? And whats the fastest way out of here?“ But the tourist who has the casual “windshield experience“ by driving to Yosemites Inspiration Point can still take a picture that looks awfully like an Ansel Adams shot. The person who parks
49、 the car and hikes half a mile in has a better experience than the person who drives through. The person who hikes two miles in gets an even better experience. And the person who backpacks in and spends two weeks immersed in the high country is, of course, delivered an ecstatic religious experience on the par of naturalist John Muirs. Muir was, to me, the most colorful character in the history of the parks. A Scottish-born wanderer, he fell in love with Yosemite when he first walked into it, and for a while he worked
