1、考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 38及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains.But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against rain.Its first use was as a shade against the sun. Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbre
2、lla was used in very ancient times.Probably the first to use it were the Chinese, way back in the eleventh century B.C. We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade.And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor and authority.In the
3、 Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those in high offices. In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade.And the umbrella was in common use in ancient Greece.But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbr
4、ella as protection against rain were the ancient Romans. During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared.Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century.And again it was considered a symbol of power and authority.By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and late
5、r on in England. By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.Umbrellas have not changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight.It wasnt until the twentieth century that womens umbrellas began to be made in a whol
6、e variety of colors. 1 The first use of umbrella was as （ A） protection against rain （ B） a shade against the sun （ C） a symbol of power （ D） a symbol of honor 2 _were the people who first used umbrellas. （ A） Chinese （ B） Romans （ C） Greeks （ D） Egyptians 3 The umbrella was used only by royalty or
7、by those in high offices_. （ A） in Europe in the 18th century （ B） in ancient Egypt and Babylon （ C） in the Far East in ancient times （ D） during the Middle Ages 4 According to the passage, which of the following is not true? （ A） Women enjoy using umbrellas with varied kinds of colors nowadays. （ B
8、） The inventor of the umbrella is unknown. （ C） Once ordinary people had no right to use umbrellas. （ D） Umbrellas were popular and cheap in ancient times. 5 Which of the following is the best title of the passage? （ A） When Was the Umbrella Invented? （ B） The History of Umbrella （ C） Umbrella A Sym
9、bol of Honor （ D） Who Used Umbrella First? 5 Adam Smith, writing in the 1770s, was the first person to see the importance of the division of labor and to explain part of its advantages.He gives as an example the process by which pins were made in England. “One man draws out the wire; another strengt
10、hens it; a third cuts it; a fourth points it; a fifth grinds it at the top to prepare it to receive the head.To make the head requires two or three operations.To put it on is a separate operation, to polish the pins is another.And the important business of making pins is, in this manner, divided int
11、o about eighteen operations, which in some factories are all performed by different people, though in others the same man will sometimes perform two or three of them.“ Ten men, Smith said, in this way, turned out twelve pounds of pins a day or about 4,800 pins per worker.But if all of them had worke
12、d separately and independently without division of labor, none of them could have made twenty pins in a day and perhaps not even one. There can be no doubt that division of labor is an efficient way of organizing work.Fewer people can make more pins.Adam Smith saw this but he also took it for grante
13、d that division of labor is in itself responsible for economic growth and development and that it accounts for the difference between expanding economies and those that stand still.But division of labor adds nothing new; it only enables people to produce more of what they already have. 6 According t
14、o the passage, Adam Smith was the first person to_. （ A） take advantage of the division of labor （ B） introduce the division of labor into England （ C） understand the effects of the division of labor （ D） explain the causes of the division of labor 7 Adam Smith saw that the division of labor_. （ A）
15、enabled each worker to make pins more quickly and more cheaply （ B） increased the possible output per worker （ C） increased the number of people employed in factories （ D） improved the quality of pins produced 8 Adam Smith mentioned the number 4,800 in order to_. （ A） show the advantages of the divi
16、sion of labor （ B） show the advantages of the old craft system （ C） emphasize how powerful the individual worker was （ D） emphasize the importance of increased production 9 According to the writer, Adam Smiths mistake was in believing that division of labor_. （ A） was an efficient way of organizing
17、work （ B） was an important development in methods of production （ C） certainly led to economic development （ D） increased the production of existing goods 10 Which of the following could serve as an appropriate title for the passage? （ A） Adam Smith, the English Economist （ B） The Theory of Division
18、 of Labor （ C） Division of Labor, an Efficient Way of Organizing Work （ D） Adam Smith, the Last Discoverer of Division of Labor 10 With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can now watch the Corporations news coverage, as well as listen to it. And of cou
19、rse in Britain listeners and viewers can tune in to two BBC television channels,five BBC national radio services and dozens of local radio station.They are brought sport ,comedy, drama, music, news and current affairs , education , religion , parliamentary coverage, childrens pragrammes and films fo
20、r an annual licence fee of 83 pounds per household. It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years-yet the BBCs future is now in doubt.The Corporation will survive as a publicly-funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time being, but its role, its size and its programmes are now
21、 the subject of a nation-wide debate in Britain. The debate was launched by the Government , which invited anyone with an opinion of theBBC-including ordinary listeners and viewers-to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping.The reason for it
22、s inquiry is that the BBCs royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is,or to make changes. Defenders of the Corporation-of whom there are many are fond of quoting the American slogan “If it aint broke, dont fix it.“ The BBC “aint broke“ ,they say, by w
23、hich they mean it is not broken (as distinct from the wordTDroke, meaning having no money), so why bother to change it? Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing.The commercial TV channels TV and Channel 4 were required by the Thatcher Governments Broadcas
24、ting Act to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers, and cutting costs and jobs.But it is the arrival of new satellite channels funded partly by advertising and partly by viewers subscriptions which will bring about the biggest changes in the long term . 11 The world famous
25、 BBC now faces_. （ A） the problem of new coverage （ B） an uncertain prospect （ C） inquiries by the general public （ D） shrinkage of audience 12 In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue? （ A） Extension of its TV service to Far East. （ B） Programmes as the
26、 subject of a nation-wide debate. （ C） Potentials for further international co-operations. （ D） Its existence as a broadcasting organization. 13 The BBC s “royal charter“ (Line 4, Paragraph 4) stands for_. （ A） the financial support from the roval family （ B） the privileges granted by the Queen （ C）
27、 a contract with the Queen （ D） a unique relationship with the royal family 14 The foremost reason why the BBC has to readjust itself is no other than_. （ A） the emergence of commercial TV channels （ B） the enforcement of Broadcasting Act by the government （ C） the urgent necessity to reduce costs a
28、nd jobs （ D） the challenge of new satellite channels 14 The United States is a country made up of many different races.Usually they are mixed together and cant be told from one another.But many of them still talk about where their ancestors came from.It is something they are proud of. The original A
29、mericans, of course were the Indians.The so-called white men who then came were mostly from England.But many came from other countries like Germany and France. One problem the United States has always had is discrimination.As new groups came to the United States they found they were discriminated ag
30、ainst.First it was the Irish and Italians.Later it was the blacks.Almost every group has been able to finally escape this discrimination.The only immigrants who have not are the blacks. Surprisingly enough the worst discrimination today is shown towards the Indians. One reason the Indians are discri
31、minated against is that they have tried so hard to keep their identity.Of course they are not the only ones who have done so.The Japanese have their Little Tokyo in Los Angeles and the Chinese a Chinatown in New York.The Dutch settlement in Pennsylvania also stays separate from other people. Their t
32、owns are like something from the 19th century.They have a different reason from the other groups for staying separately.They live separately for religious reasons rather than keep together in a racial group. Although some groups have kept themselves separate and others have been discriminated agains
33、t, all groups have helped make the United States a great county.There is no group that has not helped in some way.And there is no group that can say they have done the most to make it a great country. Many people still come from other countries to help the United States grow.A good example is the Am
34、erican project that let a man walk on the moon.It was a scientist from Germany who was most responsible for doing that.It is certain that in the future the United States will still need the help of people from all racial groups to remain a great country. 15 Which of the following statements can best
35、 describe the main idea of this passage? （ A） The United States is a country made up of many different races. （ B） Discrimination is the most serious problem in the United States. （ C） All races in the United States have helped make the country a great one. （ D） The prosperity of the United States i
36、s mainly due to the hard work of the most discriminated races. 16 In the first paragraph the word “told“ means_. （ A） separated （ B） distinguished （ C） revealed （ D） made known 17 This passage implies that discrimination is a problem which_. （ A） many races in the United States have experienced （ B）
37、 will still be very serious in the United States in the future （ C） has already been solved in the United States （ D） is strongly opposed by many different races in the United States 18 The main reason why the Indians are most discriminated against is that_. （ A） they have tried hard to keep their r
38、eligions （ B） they have tried hard to live together to keep their Indian customs （ C） they are the only ones who have tried to keep their identity （ D） they discriminate many other races 19 The Dutch live separately in Pennsylvania_. （ A） to escape discrimination （ B） to keep together in a racial gr
39、oup （ C） to enjoy themselves in their own towns （ D） for religious reasons 19 Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that men and animals possess, if they are properly used.If fire did not hurt when it burnt, children would play it until their hands were burnt away.Similarly,
40、if pain existed but fear did not, a child would burn itself again and again, because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before.A really fearless soldier and some do exist is not a good soldier because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army.Fea
41、r and pain are therefore two guards without which men and animals might soon die out. In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used.If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting
42、fear rule you too much.Even in your house you are not absolutely safe: an airplane may crash on your house, or ants may eat away some of the beams in your roof so that the latter falls on you, or you may get cancer! The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead to use fear as your ser
43、vant and guide.Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger.For example, you see a car coming straight towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well. In some cases, howev
44、er, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger.For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing onto your house.In this case, fear has given you its warning; you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of this particular danger is no longer of any
45、 use to you, and you have to try to overcome it. 20 Children would play with fire until their hands were burnt away if_. （ A） they were given no warning beforehand （ B） they had never burnt themselves （ C） they had no sense of pain （ D） they were fearful of the fire 21 A really fearless soldier_. （
46、A） is of little use to the army （ B） is without equal （ C） is nothing but a dead soldier （ D） easily gets killed in a battle 22 Fear should be used properly because_. （ A） an airplane may crash on your house （ B） you may get cancer （ C） fear can only be used as a servant and guide （ D） men are now l
47、etting fear rule them too much 23 People sometimes succeed in timely avoiding danger because_. （ A） they have gained experience （ B） they jump out of the way in time （ C） they are calm in face of danger （ D） they are warned of the danger and can take quick action 24 Which of the following statements
48、 is implied but not stated? （ A） Fear is always something helpful. （ B） Too much fear is harmful. （ C） Fear ought to be used as a servant and guide. （ D） Fear is something unprofitable. 考博英语（阅读理解）模拟试卷 38答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 1 【正确答案 】 B 【试题解析】 本题的依据是第 1段的最后一句话 Its first use was a shade agai
49、nst the sun。因此 B项为正确答案。 2 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 本题的依据是文章第 2段的最后一句话 Probably the first to use it were the Chinese，因此 A项为正确答案。 3 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 本题的依据是文章第 3段的最后一句话： In the Far East in ancient times， the umbrella was allowed to be used only by royalty or by those in high offices。因此 C项为正确答案。 4 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 综观全文，只有 D项文中并未提及，因此 D项是正确答案。 5 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从文中内容可知，作者是在按照时间顺序讲述伞的历史，因此 B项是正确答案。 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 本题的依据是文章第 1段的第 1句话 was the first perso n to see the importance of the division of
