1、大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 257及答案与解析 Section C 0 Naturally, in a group of animals as diverse as the snakes, and with so many varied enemies, there are numerous defensive reactions and devices. There is, however, one general pattern of behavior. In the presence of suspected enemy the first reaction is to try
2、 to escape observation; if this fails, the next resort is the flight to some inaccessible retreat, but if this is not possible, or is circumvented, various kinds of intimidatory gestures and warning devices are brought into play; in the last resort the snake attacks. This pattern varies with the cir
3、cumstances; some stages may be omitted or combined unpredictably whilst all some notoriously irascible species may dispense with all the preliminaries and attack almost at once, though seldom or never without some provocation. Amongst the factors that increase aggressiveness are hunger, the mating s
4、eason and surprise, with the last mentioned the commonest; when hunting for food or for mate, activity and the aggressive instinct are both at their peak. Owing to their poor sense of hearing snakes are very liable to be, quite literally, caught napping and a similar situation arises during their pe
5、riods of temporary blindness just before sloughing (蜕皮 ) begins. By far the greatest number of snake-bit accidents result from the unwitting disturbance of resting snakes, and this hazard is much increased with species that are well disguised and whose natural instinct is to trust to this concealmen
6、t as their principal defense. As well as differences in aggressiveness between individuals of the same species according to the circumstances and conditions, there are also notable differences between species, even closely allied species; and the reports of those who have been attacked may understan
7、dably be lacking in objectivity. So it is impossible to forecast, even in outline, how any encounter will develop. The Hamadryad, for example, is usually credited with being amongst the most aggressive of snakes, and there are many accounts of unprovoked attacks, yet on one occasion fourteen men and
8、 seven dogs passed and returned within two yards from a nest and no snake was seen although the female, which guards the nest, could not have been far away. 1 When a snake meets a potential enemy, its primary device is _. （ A） avoiding any observation （ B） finding a safe shelter （ C） giving a warnin
9、g threat （ D） starting a quick attack 2 The phrase “dispense with all the preliminaries“ (Line 7, Para. 1) most probably means_. （ A） the snakes combine all the previous three steps （ B） the snakes give up all the previous three steps （ C） the snakes follow all the previous steps one by one （ D） the
10、 snakes reverse the order of all the previous steps 3 A snake is most aggressive when_. （ A） it meets a possible enemy （ B） it is caught when it is sleeping or sloughing （ C） it is disturbed unknowingly （ D） it seeks a partner in the mating season 4 It is difficult to predict what would happen when
11、a snake meets a man because _. （ A） no one has ever clearly known how he himself was bit （ B） man tends to be subjective when he describes his encounter with a snake （ C） the aggressiveness of the snakes differs according to diverse situations （ D） a snake does not begin to attack without provocatio
12、n 5 The author uses the example in the last paragraph to support his idea that_. （ A） snakes do not begin the aggressive act if it is not disturbed （ B） some snakes are more aggressive and more ready to attack （ C） it is hard to forecast whether and how snakes would attack （ D） snakes often conceal
13、themselves as their principal defense 5 A massive pool of warm ocean water is causing changes in the atmosphere that could produce unusual weather around the world in the next few months, the US National Weather Service reported on Monday. As a result of this phenomenon, known as El Nino, more rainf
14、all than normal is likely this winter across some areas of the United States, with unusually warm or cold weather in other parts of the country. Currently the phenomenon is marked by a warm pool of water along the equator extending from the International Date line nearly to the coast of South Americ
15、a That water is nearly 4 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, explained Vernon Kousky of the climate center. This warm water “spreads almost a quarter of the way around the globe. So its massive and it has an impact on our weather. It has a global influence. because it disturbs the atmosphere“, said Dav
16、e Rodenhuis, director of the climate center. “El Nino is probably the most important climate event beyond the annual cycle of seasons“, he added. Because the changes tended to be first noticed around Christmas, the phenomenon was given the name El Nino, which is Spanish for child, a term often used
17、to refer to the baby Jesus. The phenomenon occurs every three to five years, sometimes in a mild form and sometimes strongly affecting weather patterns worldwide. Details of its cause are not fully understood, but when it occurs, unusually warm air can be pumped into Canada, Alaska and the northern
18、United States. At the same time, conditions tend to be wetter than normal along the US Southeast Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. And the Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season tends to be milder than usual. The strong El Nino of 1982-1983 was blamed for worsening the devastating drought in Africa, ca
19、using a series of severe winter storms to come ashore in California, spawning the first typhoon to strike French Polynesia in 75 years followed by five more in five months deluging Peru and Ecuador with torrential rains and promoting the worst drought in two centuries in Australia. Overall damage wa
20、s estimated at between $2 billion and $8 billion by a United Nations analysis and the death toll topped 1,500 worldwide. 6 El Nino can best be described as _. （ A） unusually long period of hot or cold weather （ B） unusual changes of weather around the world （ C） atmospheric change caused by warm oce
21、an water （ D） rising temperature of the ocean water and atmosphere 7 The warm water is affecting the weather globally because _. （ A） its temperature is too much above normal （ B） it covers a vast area in the world （ C） it is one of the most important climate events （ D） its influence begins from th
22、e equator 8 Which of the following is true about the naming of El Nino? （ A） The name had something to do with Christianity. （ B） The name was given by a religious researcher. （ C） The name indicates that El Nino most usually happens around Christmas. （ D） The name implies that the first phenomenon
23、of El Nino appeared in Spain. 9 What is least known about El Nino, according to the passage? （ A） The climate changes caused by El Nino. （ B） The areas influenced by El Nino. （ C） How often El Nino happens. （ D） How El Nino is formed. 10 What does the author wants to tell us about El Nino by the las
24、t two paragraphs? （ A） The UNs concern about it. （ B） The measures taken against it. （ C） Its intensity. （ D） Its frequency. 10 When global warming finally came, it stuck with a vengeance (异乎寻常地 ). In some regions, temperatures rose several degrees in less than a century. Sea levels shot up nearly 4
25、00 feet, flooding coastal settlements and forcing people to migrate inland. Deserts spread throughout the world as vegetation shifted drastically in North America, Europe and Asia. After driving many of the animals around them to near extinction, people were forced to abandon their old way of life f
26、or a radically new survival strategy that resulted in widespread starvation and disease. The adaptation was farming: the global-warming crisis that gave rise to it happened more than 10,000 years ago. As environmentalists convene in Rio de Janeiro this week to ponder the global climate of the future
27、, earth scientists are in the midst of a revolution in understanding how climate has changed in the past and how those changes have transformed human existence. Researchers have begun to piece together an illuminating picture of the powerful geological and astronomical forces that have combined to c
28、hange the planets environment from hot to cold, wet to dry and back again over a time period stretching back hundreds of millions of years. Most important, scientists are beginning to realize that the climatic changes have had a major impact on the evolution of the human species. New research now su
29、ggests that climate shifts have played a key role in nearly every significant turning point in human evolution: from the dawn of primates (灵长目动物 ) some 65 million years ago to human ancestors rising up to walk on two legs, from the huge expansion of the human brain to the rise of agriculture. Indeed
30、, the human history has not been merely touched by global climate change, some scientists argue, it has in some instances been driven by it. The new research has profound implications for the environmental summit in Rio. Among other things, the findings demonstrate that dramatic climate change is no
31、thing new for planet Earth. The benign (宜人的 ) global environment that has existed over the past 10,000 years during which agriculture, writing, cities and most other features of civilization appeared is a mere bright spot in a much larger pattern of widely varying climate over the ages. In fact, the
32、 pattern of climate change in the past reveals that Earths climate will almost certainly go through dramatic changes in the future-even without the influence of human activity. 11 Farming emerged as a survival strategy because man had been obliged_. （ A） to give up his former way of life （ B） to lea
33、ve the coastal areas （ C） to follow the ever-shifting vegetation （ D） to abandon his original settlement 12 Earth scientists have come to understand that climate_. （ A） is going through a fundamental change （ B） has been getting warmer for 10,000 years （ C） will eventually change from hot to cold （
34、D） has gone through periodical changes 13 Scientists believe that human evolution_. （ A） has seldom been accompanied by climatic changes （ B） has exerted little influence on climatic changes （ C） has largely been affected by climatic changes （ D） has had a major impact on climatic changes 14 Evidenc
35、e of past climatic changes indicates that_. （ A） human activities have accelerated changes of Earths environment （ B） Earths environment will remain mild despite human interference （ C） Earths climate is bound to change significantly in the future （ D） Earths climate is unlikely to undergo substanti
36、al changes in the future 15 The message the author wishes to convey in the passage is that_. （ A） human civilization remains glorious though it is affected by climatic changes （ B） mankind is virtually helpless in the face of the dramatic changes of climate （ C） man has to limit his activities to sl
37、ow down the global warming process （ D） human civilization will continue to develop in spite of the changes of nature 大学英语六级改革适用（阅读）模拟试卷 257答案与解析 Section C 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 1 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 首段第 3句提到了蛇遇到可疑敌人时的行为模式：首先躲开对方的监视，第二步是寻找安全藏身处，第三是向对方发出警告，最后实施攻击，因此选项 A为本题答案。选项 B、 C和 D分别是对第二、第三和最后一步的近义替换，因此都不是正确答案
38、。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 首段最后一句中 dispense with的前面提到过 some stages may be omitted or combined，而下文提到 attack almost at once，这说明 dispense with应表示有些蛇不做前几个步骤，而立刻展开进攻，因此它的意思应等同于 omit“免除，省略 ”，也即选项 B中的 give up。其他选项在语法上都说得通，但是与下文的 attack almost at once不一致，因此都不是正确答案。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 3 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 第 2段首句中
39、第 2个分句的 mate一词与选项 D同义，因此选项 D为本题答案。其他选项都在文中提到过，也是蛇会对敌人实施还击的情况，但是这三个干扰项和正确选项之间的区别就在于，文中没有提到在这些情况下 “A snake is most aggressive(蛇最具有攻击性 )”，因此本题要紧扣第 2段首句和其中的peak这个单词。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 2段最后两句由 So连接，显示倒数第 2句是原因，最后一句是结果。选项 C是对倒数第 2句的概括，为本题答案。选项 A和选项 D与题干之间没什么关联，易排除；选项 B虽然与该段倒数第 2句的后一个分句意思相符。但
40、它只是作为附加信息以说明蛇的个体行为差异很大，故也可排除。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 5 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 3段开头就有 for example这个标志性的词组，表明这一句是为了支持上文的例子。结合第 2段末句可知，第 3段是为了证明其不可预测性 的，故 C正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第 2段首句开头表明 this phenomenon就是 El Nino，而 this phenomenon指的是首段提及的 “大量温暖的海水引起大气变化 ”这一现象。由此可见，选项 C是对厄尔尼诺现象最恰当的描述。 【知识模块】 仔
41、细阅读 7 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 原文第 4段第 2句开头的 its massive and 表明暖水对全球气候产生影响是因为 its massive，由此可见，选项 B为本题答案。第 3段末句提及水温比正常高了 4度。但作者没有说明这 4度是否 too much above normal，因此选项A不正确；选项 C没有在原文提及。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 8 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 原文第 6段中的 Christmas和 baby Jesus都表明厄尔尼诺的命名与基督教有关，因此选项 A为本题答案。选项 B中的 religious researcher，选项 C中的 mos
42、t usually happens around Christmas和选项 D中的 the firstin Spain 均难以从原文得到证实。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 9 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 原文第 7段第 2句开头的分句表明厄尔尼诺现象的成因仍不明了，因此选项 D为本题答案。选项 A在文章开头有讨论到，选项 B在第 7段有讨论到，在讨论这两点信息的时候，作者并未提及对它们了解甚少，因此这两个选项不是本题答案；第 7段首句有提及这种现象每隔三到五年出现，故选项 C也不正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 10 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从原文倒数第 2段开头的 was blamed
43、 for 和这两段的用词及数字可以知道，这两段主要陈述了厄尔尼诺现象对全球气候的破坏，即它的破坏力，选项 C的 intensity意为 “强度，剧烈的程度 ”，与两段的主题内容最接近，因此为本题答案。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 11 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 文章第 1段最后两句提到 “人类在将其周围的许多种动物逼向濒临灭绝的境地之后，也被迫放弃他们已导致饥荒、疾病的旧有生活方式而选择全新的求生策略。这种策略就是农业 ”。 A与文章的意思相符合。 【知识 模块】 仔细阅读 12 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 文章第 2段第 2句提到 “研究者已经开始综合出一幅有关
44、强大的地质和天文力量发生作用的说明性的图片，在过去的几百万年中，这两种力量结合在一起改变着地球的环境：从炎热到寒冷，从潮湿到干燥，如此反复，循环不止 ”， D与文章的意思一致，因而正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 13 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 文章第 3段第 1、 2句提到 “最重要的是，科学家已经开始意识到气候的变化对人种的进化有着主要的影响。现在新的研究表明几乎在人类进化的每一个 重大的转折时期天气变化都起着关键的作用 ”。所以人类进化受到气候变化的影响。因此， C正确。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 14 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 文章最后一句提到 “事实上，过去气候变化的模式表明地球的气候在将来肯定会经历重大的变化 即使是没有人类活动的影响 ”，因此， C与文章所表达的意思一致。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读 15 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 全文围绕气候变化给人类带来的影响展开，而文章最后一句 “地球气候几乎注定要在将来发生巨大的变化 甚至无须人类的干预 ”，说明人类无力改变自然， B为正确答案。 【知识模块】 仔细阅读
