1、考博英语（阅读理解）练习试卷 20及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 Family is older than the human species- work is younger, friendship is about as old as we are. It is friendship that marks us as human. The biologist Lewis Thomas wrote an essay comparing human beings with termites. Termites build nests as elaborate
2、 and as well designed as our cathedrals. Every termite nest is an architectural wonder, with arches, vaults, galleries, ventilators, storerooms, and nurseries. But no single termite carries the architectural plan in her head. The building of the nest is a collective process. Each termite rolls littl
3、e balls of, mud sticks them onto other little bails rolled by her neighbors. Out of this collective rolling and sticking the cathedral grows. Thomas is saying that human societies grow in the same fashion. Instead of rolling mud balls we play with words. Instead of sticking mud balls together to mak
4、e arches, we stick words together to make conversations. Instead of piling arch upon arch to make a nest, we pile conversation upon conversation to make a culture. Just as no single termite knows how to build a nest, no single human knows how to build a culture. A single termite alone cannot survive
5、, and a single human being alone is not human. Work came later in human history ihan conversation. We invented work when we become civilized. Unlike friendship, work is a mixed blessing. At its worst, work is slavery. At its best, work is a sustained and lifelong conversation. The more satisfying an
6、d enjoyable work is, the more it partakes of the nature of conversation. Science at the working level is mostly conversation. The building where I work has twenty people in twenty rooms. Most of the doors are open. From morning till night the buzz of conversation seldom ceases. That is the way scien
7、ce is done. When I am not talking with friends down the hall, I am writing papers for friends around the world. Without the friends, my activity would be pointless. Scientists are as gregarious a species as termites. If the lives of scientists are on the whole joyful, it is because our friendships a
8、re deep and lasting. Our friendships are lasting because we are engaged in a collective enterprise. Our enterprise, the exploration of natures secrets, had no beginning and will have no end. Exploration is as natural an activity for human beings as conversation. Our friends, the explorers are scatte
9、red over the centuries, from Archimedes and Euclid to the unborn genius who will one day understand the mystery of how our exploring minds work. (420 words) 1 What is most typical of man according to the author? （ A） Long history. （ B） Elaborate thinking. （ C） Friendship. （ D） Ability to build archi
10、tectural wonders. 2 The writer compares humans to termites in order to prove that （ A） both have the same function to a society （ B） we are doing a collective job like termites （ C） just as termites like to build a nest, so humans like to build a cathedral （ D） an architectural wonder is always as e
11、laborate as a termites nest 3 The work human beings have created results from_. （ A） humans desire for food and clothing （ B） humans longing for friendship （ C） inevitable evolution trend （ D） development of civilization 4 What does the author mean by saying “work is a mixed blessing“? （ A） Work is
12、contradictory to conversation. （ B） Work is the antonym of friendship. （ C） Work contains both good and bad aspects. （ D） There are various kinds of person in the world. 5 What does “enterprise“ in the last paragraph refer to? （ A） The course of an action （ B） A firm or a company （ C） The exploratio
13、n of something （ D） A spirit of working hard 5 The biggest trend today in the world of fashion isnt so much what clothes you are wearing, but rather what or whose fragrance you are wearing. Our noses connect the subconscious with an onslaught of emotions and thoughts, so be sure your fragrance works
14、 for you instead of against you! Regardless what the trend is, remember that each one of us has different body chemistry, so the scent that works for one person may not necessarily work for you. Although the trend may be important, keep in mind that finding a scent that works well for your body chem
15、istry is even more so. Todays trends in fragrance mainly involve who is behind the fragrance. Popular singers like Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez arc currently hocking a variety of perfumes, Although neither the pop tart nor Jenny from the block has personally worked in a laboratory to brew her o
16、wn fragrance, the star power behind their names is powerful! Also, the fragrance counters have been filled with fragrances from a variety of fashion designers. Hot designers today include the ever popular Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger to the preppy Lacoste and the junior favorite, Candies. Often,
17、individuals buy fragrances not because of what is inside the bottle, but wdrose name is on the bottle or whose face is behind the advertising campaign. The current trend on the actual scent of the fragrance tends to lean towards the fresh, light, and clean smells. Whereas past years saw the popular
18、perfumes being those with heavy and even spicy scents, todays trend is completely opposite. Just look at Cliques signature fragrance, Happy. This perfume has been around for years, but is now more popular than ever, with the recent introduction of Happy Heart added to the collection. Other companies
19、, including rival Lance have introduced new fragrances that smell heavenly, and light enough to float away! Many individuals choose to swap body sprays or mists for traditional perfumes. Stores like Bath and Body Works and the Body Shop produce a phenomenal array of scents, with everything from frui
20、t to flowers. During the holiday season, many individuals shift their scents to those evoking a particular feeling. Consider following this trend and use holiday related scents during the long winter months. Bath and Body Works popular seasonal scents include light vanilla fragrances and even those
21、with a hint of cranberry! Just like your wardrobe, your scent should change with the season, so stay abreast of the trends to find out which perfume works best for you! (421 words) 6 What can best describe this passage? （ A） Wear the most suitable fragrance. （ B） Learn about the latest trends in fra
22、grance now. （ C） Buy the iragrance the powerful star likes. （ D） Different persons have different body chemistry. 7 The second paragraph is meant to say （ A） producers of perfumes like to make advertisements with a famed singing star as statesman （ B） popular singers like Britney Spears and Jennifer
23、 Lopez use different perfumes simultaneously （ C） customers tend to follow celebrities even in purchasing fragrance （ D） hot scents are filling the fragrance counters in big stores 8 What statement of the following is contradictory to the passage? （ A） Lances traditional perfume smells heavenly. （ B
24、） A particular scent can incur a special feeling in others. （ C） People like to judge the perfume in line with the prestige of a designer. （ D） Perfumes smelling fruity are popular with customers nowadays. 9 What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean? （ A） People like to have their
25、 wardrobes smell different with the season changing. （ B） Since they contain differential clothes as seasons change, wardrobes send off various scents. （ C） Just as your wardrobes contain different clothes as seasons go, so you should use different scents. （ D） Since people like to spray their cloth
26、es with perfumes, the wardrobes smell different. 10 This passage is_. （ A） an essay （ B） an argumentation （ C） an advertisement （ D） a document 10 Over the past two decades, teenage childbearing in the United States as measured by the number of births to teenagers has decreased considerably. The num
27、ber of teen births declined 19% between 1970 and 1990 from 656 000 to 533 000. This downward trend, however, masks the fact that births to married and to unmarried teens have been moving in opposite directions. Births to married teens declined by 62% from 457 000 in 1970 to 173 000 in 1990, while bi
28、rths to unmarried teens over this period increased by 80% from 200 000 to 361 000. As a consequence of these divergent ends, the proportion of teen births to unmarried women rose from 30 to 68% between 1970 and 1990. Americans generally are not dispassionate about teenage out-of wedlock childbearing
29、. For some, concerns are rooted mainly in moral or religious beliefs. Others are troubled because single parenthood seems to trigger the onset of difficult social and economic circumstances. Indeed, a long line of academic research has documented strong associations between nonmarital teenage childb
30、earing and low levels of completec schooling, earnings, and family income, increased likelihoods of being poor or on welfare, and future marital instability. First marriage behavior is one dimension of a single teenage womans future lift circumstances whose connection to childbearing has not been ex
31、plored in depth. The objective of this study is to help fill this gap in the literature. It seems reasonable to hypothesize that out-of-wedlock childbearing influences a womans likelihood of marriage. Whether or not they were born outside of marriage children may be perceived by prospective husbands
32、 as a financial and emotional burden; they also may limit a woman s ability to search for a marriage partner or possibly reduce her interest in finding such a partner, especially in light of rules governing eligibility for AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). In so far as social stigma is
33、 associated with “illegitimacy“, the presence of such children may be expected to diminish an unwed mothers marriage prospects. On the other hand, the presence of children might increase a woman s desirability to prospective husbands who are attracted by instant parenthood, or by parenthood of nonin
34、fant children or of their own biological children. Also, an unwed mother interested in attracting a husband might be willing to go to greater lengths to find a spouse or to make herself attractive as a spouse, thereby increasing her likelihood of marriage. Insofar as some of these mechanisms suggest
35、 a negative effect of out-of-wedlock childbearing on marriage, while others suggest a positive effect. The overall effect is very much an empirical issue. (424 words) 11 Over the past two decades, teenage childbearing in the United States experienced a downward trend, and births to unmarried teens b
36、etween 1970 and 1990_. （ A） declined greatly （ B） increased slightly （ C） declined slightly （ D） increased greatly 12 Generally speaking, the attitude towards teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing is （ A） pitiful （ B） indifferent （ C） passionate （ D） miserable 13 According to the passage, the influenc
37、e of teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing excludes_. （ A） increased likelihoods of being poor or on welfare （ B） low levels of completed schooling, earning, and family income （ C） reduction of the unwed-mothers interest in finding a marriage partner （ D） increment of future marital stability 14 The p
38、robable title for the passage is_. （ A） Marital Instability （ B） Social Welfare （ C） A Womans First Marriage （ D） The Influence of Nonmarital Childbearing 15 What seems to be the biggest problem with an unwed teenager with children? （ A） Future marital instability. （ B） Low levels of completed schoo
39、ling. （ C） Low family income. （ D） Being poor. 考博英语（阅读理解）练习试卷 20答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 【知识模块】 阅读理解 1 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第一段第二句明确地表明 “友谊是 人类区别于其他动物的最大标志 ”。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 白蚂蚁是一种集体劳动的群体，人类在这点方面很像白蚂蚁。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 3 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 文章第二段第一句：当我们文明后就开始发明工作。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 4 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析
40、】 a mixed blessing是 “好坏参半 ”之意。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 5 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 enterprise一词多义，在此指 “事业 ”。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 【知识模块】 阅读理解 6 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 “了解香水气味的最近发展趋势 ”涵盖了文章的几个要点：一是反传统香味的问世，二是名人效应，三是香水可以分季节使用。 A项只是建议， C项和 D项太具体， B项比较全面。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 7 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第二段讲的是名人效应。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 8 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 根据 第三段可知， Lanc
41、e公司也像其他同行公司一样，开发清淡香味的香水，反过来说，它传统型的香水味道浓烈。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 9 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 挂衣服的衣柜在不同季节的时候装有不同的衣服，你以后也可以这样随着季节的变化来改用不同的香水。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 10 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 这是一篇介绍性的文章，所以选择 A“短文 ”比较合适。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 【知识模块】 阅读理解 11 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 参考第一段，已婚少女生育率从 19701990由 457 000减少到 173 000，下降了 62；而未婚少女生育率则由 200 000增加到 361 00
42、0，上升了80。未婚少女生育率比例由 30上升了 68。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 12 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 在文章的第二段第一句中有否定词和否定前缀 dis。两个否定就是肯定，故选 C。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 13 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 D与第二段最后一句 “增加未来婚姻的不稳定 ”相反，故选 D。 【知识 模块】 阅读理解 14 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 文章第一段讲到 20年内美国私生子的数量剧增，第二段谈到社会对私生子的态度以及研究结果，第三段讲私生子对母亲再婚的影响，所以全文都在讲未婚生子问题，故选 D。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 15 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 第二段后半部分和第三段都是在叙说未婚生子的母亲日后要面临的困难，由于谈论她们再婚的困难所占的篇幅大，故选 A。 【知识模块】 阅读理解
