1、考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 138及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 The close relationship between poetry and music scarcely needs to be argued. Both are aural modes which employ rhythm, rime, and pitch as major devices; to these the one adds linguistic meaning, connotation, and various traditional figures, and the
2、 other can add, at least in theory, all of these plus harmony, counterpoint, and orchestration techniques. In English the two are closely bound historically. Anglo-Saxon heroic poetry seems certainly to have been read or chanted to a harpists accompaniment; the verb used in Beowulf for such a perfor
3、mance, the Finn episode, is singan, to sing, and the noun gyd, song. A major source of the lyric tradition in English poetry is the songs of the troubadours. The distance between the gyd in Beowulf and the songs of Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan may seem great, but is one of time rather than aesthetics.
4、 The lyric poem as a literary work and the lyrics of a popular song are both still essentially the same thing: poetry. Whether the title of the work be Gerontion, or Hound Dog, our criteria for evaluating the work must remain the same. The most important prerequisite for both a significant poem and
5、significant lyrics in a popular song is that the writer be faithful to his own personal vision or to the vision of the poem he is writing. Skill and craft for writing poetry are indeed necessary because these are the only means by which a poet can preserve the integrity of this vision in the poem. A
6、 poet must not, either because of lack of skill or because of worship of popularity, wealth, or critical acclaim, go outside of his own or his own poems vision on pain of writing only the derivative or the trivial. Historically, the writers and singers of the lyrics of popular songs have seemed ofte
7、n to be incapable of personal vision, and to have confused both originality and morality with a servile compliance to popular taste. 1 According to the writer, the relationship between poetry and music _. （ A） is a debatable topic （ B） can be made but in a limited way （ C） is indisputable if you ana
8、lyse history （ D） needs to be acknowledged more by poets 2 The author cites Beowulf in order to show that _. （ A） the distance between song and poetry is not so great （ B） a song like Beowulf can sound like a poem （ C） English poetry is highly connected to songs （ D） songs generally evolve into poet
9、ry over time 3 Which of the following statements is true, according to the text? （ A） The lyrics of a song are no different from the lyrics of poetry. （ B） Song lyrics and poetry must be treated analytically as the same. （ C） The differences between poetry and song lyrics have been overstated. （ D）
10、It is the time not the aesthetics that is different in most poems and song lyrics. 4 A poem or a song can be significant when _. （ A） it is done by a faithful writer （ B） the writer has a personal vision of the poem or song （ C） it is written within the vision of the poem, song, poet or songwriter （
11、 D） the writer is willing to go outside of the vision 5 In the text, the author focuses on _. （ A） the shared, most important evaluation criteria in songwriting and poetry （ B） the various ways songs and poems are similar （ C） the difference between good poetry and songs and mediocre ones （ D） how t
12、o evaluate a poem and a songs value from a lyrical standpoint 5 Whatever their chosen method, Americans bathe zealously. A study conducted found that we take an average of 4.5 baths and 7.5 showers each week and in the ranks of non-edible items purchased by store customers, bar soap ranks second, ri
13、ght after toilet paper. We spend more than $700 million annually on soaps, but all work the same way. Soap is composed of molecules that at one end attract water and at the other end attract oil and dirt, while repelling water. With a kind of pushing and pulling action, the soap loosens the bonds ho
14、lding dirt to the skin. Unless youre using a germicidal soap, it usually doesnt kill the bacteria soap simply removes bacteria along with dirt and oil. Neither baths nor showers are all that necessary and unless youre in a Third World country where infectious diseases are common, or you have open so
15、res on your skin, the dirt and bacteria arent going to hurt. The only reason for showering or bathing is to feel clean and refreshed. There is a physiological basis for this relaxed feeling. Your limbs become slightly buoyant in bathwater, which takes a load off muscles and tension. Moreover, if the
16、 water is hotter than normal body temperature, the body attempts to shed heat by expanding the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, lessening the circulatory systems resistance to blood flow, and dropping blood pressure gently. A bath is also the most effective way to hydrate the skin. The lo
17、nger you soak, the more water gets into the skin and because soap lowers the surface tension of the water, it helps you hydrate rapidly and remove dry skin flakes. However, in a bath, all the dirt and grime and the soap in which its suspended float on the surface. So when you stand up, it covers you
18、r body like a film. The real solution is to take a bath and then rinse off with a shower, however, after leaving a tub or freshly exposed skin becomes a playground for microbes. In two hours, you probably have as many bacteria on certain parts of the body, such as the armpits, as before the bath. 6
19、The statement “Americans bathe zealously“ (Line 1, Para. 1) is closest to saying _. （ A） Americans bathe wastefully （ B） Americans are rather ambivalent to bathing （ C） Americans bathe with intense enthusiasm （ D） Americans bathe too much 7 Which of the following is mentioned as one of the benefits
20、of bathing? （ A） Dry skins flakes will disappear from the body once you get out of the bathtub. （ B） It kills bacteria better than showering. （ C） It reduces your blood circulation if it is nice and warm. （ D） The floating action can reduce the stress on your muscles. 8 According to the text, bathin
21、g removes dry skin flakes because _. （ A） the soap draw it off the body （ B） the skin hydrates （ C） the circulation of blood expands skin particles （ D） the change in blood pressure releases the film 9 A bath will not kill the bacteria from your body even if _. （ A） you use a germicidal soap （ B） us
22、e an anti-bacterial soap （ C） you use soap to scrub it vigorously （ D） you are under special treatment for it 10 We can infer from this text that the author believes _. （ A） the real benefits of bathing are psychological not hygienic （ B） bathing is superior to taking shower （ C） buying soap is a wa
23、ste of money （ D） we do not need to bathe as much as we do currently 10 Very soon, unimaginably powerful technologies will remake our lives. This could have dangerous consequences, especially because we may not even understand the basic science underlying them. Theres a growing gap between our techn
24、ological capability and our underlying scientific understanding. We can do very clever things with the technology of the future without necessarily understanding some of the science underneath, and that is very dangerous. The technologies that are particularly dangerous over the next hundred years a
25、re nanotechnology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The benefits they will bring are beyond doubt but they are potentially very dangerous. In the field of artificial intelligence there are prototype designs for something that might be 50,000 million times smarter than the human brain by th
26、e year 2010. The only thing not feasible in the film Terminator is that the people win. If youre fighting against technology that is that much smarter than you, you probably will not win. Weve all heard of the grey goo problem that self-replicating nanotech devices might keep on replicating until th
27、e world has been reduced to sticky goo, and certainly in biotechnology, weve really got a big problem because its converging with nanotechnology. Once you start mixing nanotech with organisms and you start feeding nanotech enabled bacteria, we can go much further than the Borg in Star Trek, and thos
28、e superhuman organisms might not like us very much. We are in a world now where science and commerce are increasingly bedfellows. The development of technology is happening in the context of global free trade regimes which see technological diffusion embedded with commerce as intrinsically a good. W
29、e should prepare for new and unfamiliar forms of argument around emerging technologies. 11 From the text, we know that the authors greatest worry is _. （ A） our lack of technological understanding of the process involved （ B） our lack of technological capability （ C） creating technology without real
30、ly understanding the issues （ D） our refusal to face the consequences of the technology we create 12 It can be inferred from the text that the author _. （ A） thinks people overestimate the capabilities of technology （ B） is not optimistic that artificial intelligence will always be used positively （
31、 C） thinks that we should take science fiction movies more seriously （ D） believes artificial intelligence is the greatest threat we face technologically 13 Why does the author say it is not feasible in the film Terminator that the humans win? （ A） Because the power of the technology was exaggerated
32、. （ B） Because the strength of the machines would be much greater. （ C） Because machines with that much intelligence would not allow it. （ D） Because even heroic humans would achieve nothing from such a battle. 14 The mixing of nanotech with organisms may _. （ A） produce dangerous viruses capable of
33、 killing many people （ B） produce creatures that are unfriendly to humans （ C） upset our balance of nature （ D） reduce the world to sticky glue 15 The authors attitude toward the emerging technologies is _. （ A） critical （ B） skeptical （ C） provocative （ D） alarmist 15 The long, wet summer here in t
34、he northeastern U.S. notwithstanding, theres a world shortage of pure, fresh water. As demand for water hits the limits of finite supply, potential conflicts are brewing between nations that share transboundary freshwater reserves. Many people ask why we cannot simply take it from the sea, using our
35、 sophisticated technology of desalinization. But a good water supply must be hygienically safe and pleasant tasting and water containing salt would corrode machinery used in manufacturing in addition to producing chemical impurities. Since more than 95% of our water sits in the salty seas, man is le
36、ft to face the reality that most water on the surface of the earth is not available for us. One very feasible way of sustaining our supply of freshwater is to protect the ecology of our mountains. Mountains and water go together, a fact to which Secretary General Kofi Annan has drawn attention more
37、than once. From 30% to 60% of downstream fresh water in humid areas and up to 95% in arid and semi-arid environments are supplied by mountains. Without interference nature has its own way of purifying water even though chlorination and filtration are still necessary as a precaution. In a mountainous
38、 area, aeration, due to turbulent flow and waterfalls, causes an exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the water. Agriculture, industry, hydroelectric generators and homes that need water to drink and for domestic use depend on these resources and, thus, we must protect mountainous areas as a
39、 means of survival. 16 The author of this text states that _. （ A） the problem of obtaining good drinking water has plagued man throughout time （ B） palatability is synonymous with purity of water （ C） most of the worlds water is unusable as a water supply （ D） man no longer depends on desalinizatio
40、n for his water supply 17 The author believes that industry avoids salt water because _. （ A） water is needed for livestock （ B） crops must be considered before man-made products （ C） it is used in desalinization plants （ D） it causes corrosion 18 Streams would purify themselves if not for _. （ A） h
41、uman beings （ B） nature （ C） chlorination （ D） mountains 19 By saying that nature “has its own way of purifying water“ (Line 5, Para. 3) the author is referring to _. （ A） aeration （ B） filtration （ C） chlorination （ D） absorption 20 The best title for this text is _. （ A） The Water Problem: The Dan
42、gers Ahead （ B） The Water Supply Problem: Our Options （ C） The Mountains: Our Only Hope for Water （ D） Water Conservation: The Challenges Ahead 考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 138答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 1 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 作者在第 l段指出，诗歌与音乐自古就密不可分。据此可知， C项为正确答案。 2 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 本文第 1段中，从历史角度说明诗歌与音乐密切相关，其中，以贝奥武夫
43、为 例是为了说明本段主题，即英国诗歌与歌曲联系紧密。据此可知C项为正确答案。 3 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，诗歌与歌曲的歌词实质上是一回事。因此 B项为正确答案。 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从文中第 3段可知，意义深长的诗歌和流行歌曲的歌词二者最为重要的前提都是，作者忠实于自己的个人眼界或者所写诗歌的境界。因此 C项为正确答案。 5 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 综观全文，本文说明诗歌和音乐密切的关系，主要涉及二者共同的重要评价标准。因此 A项为正确答案。 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从第 1段可知，美国人对洗澡狂热，对肥皂的消费巨大，因此题中该词应理
44、解为 “狂热地 ”。 7 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 A项的说法不正确，第 3段开头提到：在洗澡时，所有污垢和悬浮着污垢的肥皂都浮于水面。所以当你起身时，这些东西像一层薄膜一样覆盖全身。 B项不正确，第 2段指出：除非使用除菌皂，否则肥皂通常不杀菌，只是让细菌和污垢、油渍一起洗掉。可见，洗澡和淋浴都不杀菌。 C项不正确，第 2段同时指出：洗澡能减少循环系统对血流的阻力，慢慢地降低血压，说明洗澡可增 加血液循环。只有 D项正确，因为第 2段指出：在水中四肢微微浮起，使肌肉和身体的紧张状态得到松弛。 8 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从第 2段末尾一句可知，因为肥皂能减轻水的表面张力，所以有
45、助于皮肤迅速水合，从而去除干燥的皮屑。因此 B项为正确答案。 9 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，肥皂通常不杀菌。因此 C项为正确答案。 10 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，洗澡不能杀菌，而且污垢和细菌一般情况下不会伤人。同时又说到：淋浴或洗澡的唯一理由是感觉清爽。所 以，作者认为洗澡的真正好处不在卫生方面，而在心理方面。因此 A项为正确答案。 11 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从第 1段可知，作者先后指出：无比强大的科技很快就将完全改变我们的生活。这可能会产生危险的后果，尤其是因为我们可能不懂背后的基本科学；我们借助于未来科技可以从事非常巧妙的事情，而不
46、必理解基本的科学，这是很危险的。可见，作者的最大担心是在创造技术的同时没有真正懂得问题。因此 C项为正确答案。 12 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 文中第 2段具体分析探讨了人工智能、纳米技术和生物技术 的潜在危险。从中可知，作者对人工智能的积极应用并不乐观。因此 B项为正确答案。 13 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，电影终结者中唯一不可能实现的是人类会胜出。假如你在和比自己聪明得多的技术对抗，你可能不会取胜。这两句话的关系是前果后因。因此 C项为正确答案。 14 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，纳米技术与有机体相结合可能产生对人类不太友好的生物。因此 B项
47、为正确答案。 15 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从第 2段开头可知，未来一百年中特别危险的技 术是纳米技术、人工智能和生物技术。它们带来的好处不容置疑，但它们潜在的危险很大。据此可知， B项为正确答案。 16 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 从第 2段的末尾可知，地球表面的大部分水资源我们无法获得。因此 C项为正确答案。 17 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 从第 2段可知，海水腐蚀生产设备。因此 D项为正确答案。 18 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 从第 3段可知，在没有干预的情况下，大自然用自己的方式净化水源。因此 A项为正确答案。 19 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析 】 本题中大自然净化水源的方式指的是后文提到的充气。因此 A项为正确答案。 20 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 综观全文，本文探讨淡水资源的获取并且给出解决办法，因此 B项为正确答案。
