1、考博英语（阅读理解）练习试卷 8及答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 0 By the 1820s in the United States, when steamboats were common on western waters, these boats were mostly powered by engines built in the West (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, or Louisville), and of a distinctive western design specially suited to western ne
2、eds. The first steam engines in practical use in England and the United States were of low-pressure design. This was the type first developed by James Watt, then manufactured by the firm of Boulton and Watt. Steam was accumulated in a large, double-acting vertical cylinder, but the steam reached onl
3、y a few pounds of pressure per square inch. It was low-pressure engines of this type that were first introduced into the United States by Robert Fulton. He imported such a Boulton and Watt engine from England to run the Clermont. But this type of engine was expensive and complicated, requiring many
4、precision-fitted moving parts. The engine that became standard on western steamboats was of a different and novel design. It was the work primarily of an unsung hero of American industrial progress. Oliver Evans (1755 1819) was the self-educated son of a Delaware farmer. Evans early became obsessed
5、by the possibilities of mechanized production and steam power. As early as 1802 he was using a stationary steam engine of high-pressure design in his mill. Engines of this type were not unknown, but before Evans they were generally considered impractical and dangerous. Within a decade the high-press
6、ure engine, the new type had become standard on western waters. Critics ignorant of western conditions often attacked it as wasteful and dangerous. But people who really knew the Ohio, the Missouri, and the Mississippi insisted, with good reasons, that it was the only engine for them. In shallow wes
7、tern rivers the weight of vessel and engine was important; a heavy engine added to the problem of navigation. The high-pressure engine was far lighter in proportion to horsepower, and, with less than half as many moving parts, was much easier and cheaper to repair. The main advantages of low-pressur
8、e engines were safe operation and economy of fuel consumption, neither of which meant much in the West. (354 words) 1 What is the passage mainly about? （ A） Steamboat engines in the western United States. （ B） River travel in the western world. （ C） The first steamboat engine was invented by Oliver
9、Evans. （ D） The worlds first practical steamboat. 2 In the 1820s, the steam engines used in the western America were_. （ A） of low-pressure design （ B） of high-pressure design （ C） created by Watt （ D） manufactured by the firm of Boulton and Watt 3 Which statement of the following is NOT true? （ A）
10、Engines of high-pressure were not known at Evans times. （ B） Evans taught himself about steam engines. （ C） The low-pressure engine was expensive and complicated. （ D） The high-pressure engine was far lighter. 4 What can we learn about the western rivers from the passage? （ A） It was difficult to fi
11、nd fuel near them. （ B） They were not deep enough. （ C） They were rarely used for transportation. （ D） They flooded frequently. 5 Which of the following points was made by the critics of high-pressure engines? （ A） Having more moving parts. （ B） Not powerful enough for western waters. （ C） Fuel cons
12、uming. （ D） Too heavy. 5 My son Joey was born with club feet. The doctors assured us that with treatment he would be able to walk normally but would never run very well. The first three years of his life were spent in surgery, casts and braces. By the time he was eight, you wouldnt know he had a pro
13、blem when you saw him walk. The children in our neighborhood ran around as most children do during play, and Joey would jump right in and run and play, too. We never told him that he probably wouldnt be able to run as well as the other children. So he didnt know. In seventh grade he decided to go ou
14、t for the cross-country team. Every day he trained with the team. He worked harder and ran more than any of the others - perhaps he sensed that the abilities that seemed to come naturally to so many others did not come naturally to him. Although the entire team runs, only the top seven runners have
15、the potential to score points for the school. We didnt tell him he probably would never make the team, so he didnt know. He continued to run four to five miles a day, every day even the day he had a 103-degree fever. I was worried, so I went to look for him after school. I found him running all alon
16、e. I asked him how he felt. “Okay,“ he said. He had two more miles to go. The sweat ran down his face and his eyes were glassy from his fever. Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running. We never told him he couldnt run four miles with a 103-degree fever. So he didnt know. Two weeks later, the na
17、mes of the team runners were called. Joey was number six on the list. Joey had made the team. He was in seventh grade the other six team members were all eighth-graders. We never told him he shouldnt expect to make the team. We never told him he couldnt do it. We never told him he couldnt do it. . .
18、 so he didnt know. He just did it. (358 words) 6 “Club feet“ (Line 1, Para. 1) probably means_. （ A） big feet （ B） one foot （ C） deformed feet （ D） feet without toes 7 Which statement of the following is NOT true? （ A） Joey knew his trouble, so he doubled his efforts. （ B） Only seven members out of
19、the team could go out for cross-country team. （ C） The doctors predicted Joey would never run very well. （ D） Joey could run as well as the children in his neighborhood. 8 Why couldnt others detect Joeys trouble with his feet when he was eight? （ A） Because nobody paid attention to his walking. （ B）
20、 Because he had received a good treatment already. （ C） Because his father didnt tell others. （ D） Because he was old enough to control himself. 9 From the passage, we can infer that Joey was_. （ A） miserable （ B） stubborn （ C） naughty （ D） of strong will 10 What is the best title for this passage?
21、（ A） The History of a Little Boy. （ B） Joey, a Disabled Boy. （ C） We Never Told Him He Couldnt Do It. （ D） How a Boy Become a Cross-country Team Member. 10 To live forever was the dream of many emperors in ancient China. People was ordered to call them Wansui, which means 10 000 years, but no human
22、could live that long. How long can humans really live? According to the latest scientific discovery, humans are able to live up to the age of 120 or perhaps even longer. Several recent studies showed that our life span can be extended far beyond normal limits. Cynthia Kenyon, a professor at the Univ
23、ersity of California in San Francisco, doubled the life of a worm from two weeks to a month. By changing the function of a single gene, known as daf-2, the scientist not only added extra days to the worms life but also kept it as healthy as worms which were half its age. There are two similar genes
24、in the bodies of mammals. By changing the function of one gene, scientists extended the life of a mouse by 18 per cent (or 4. 5 months). Another gene is called IGF-1. Researchers still dont know how it affects our body. But by reducing its functions, the life of a mouse increases by 33 per cent (or
25、8. 6 months). The average life span of a mouse is 26 months. In the experiment of extending life, an ancient saying, you are what you eat,“ also seems to be true. Vegetables contain fewer calories than meat, and help to prolong life, scientists say. Research has found that taking in fewer calories a
26、ffects our lives in a similar way to reducing IGF-1. US biologist John Phelan suggests low calorie diets could increase human life span, but there is no proof yet. Researchers are still waiting for the results of a study started in 1987. Monkeys are fed with low calorie food to see what happens. A m
27、onkeys typical life span is 40 years, so there is a little while to wait. In China, average life expectancy has now reached 70, double that of 1949. Increasing the length of our lives may bring us closer to the dreams of our ancient emperors. But it may also cause social problems such as housing and
28、 employment, social scientists have warned. (360 words) 11 Which animal can live longer after daf-2 is altered? （ A） Worm. （ B） Monkey. （ C） Mouse. （ D） Mammal. 12 After the function of IGF-1 is changed, about how long will a mouse live? （ A） 26 months. （ B） 30 months. （ C） 18 months. （ D） 35 months
29、. 13 Which of the following is false? （ A） Its advisable that we eat vegetarian foods always. （ B） Different living creatures have diverse genes concerning life expectancy. （ C） Nowadays people can live twice longer than the people before 1949. （ D） There is still a long way to go before humans can
30、find the solution to human life span. 14 From the passage, we can see_. （ A） scientists have also found out how to increase our life span by changing the gene. （ B） the results of a study show that monkey can live longer through taking less fat. （ C） extending life is by no means a 100% good thing.
31、（ D） the experiment on the worm is most successful. 15 “Ancient saying“(Line 1 , Para. 4) is the equivalent to _. （ A） maxim （ B） slogan （ C） slang （ D） proverb 考博英语（阅读理解）练习试卷 8答案与解析 一、 Reading Comprehension 【知识模块】 阅读理解 1 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 本篇讲述的是 Oliver Evans如何把英国已有的蒸汽发动机改造成一种非常适合美国西部河流特色的蒸汽发动机。 【知识模块
32、】 阅读理解 2 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 文章第一段第三句说，第一代轮船发动机是低压的，第二段开始叙说第二代蒸汽发动机。 Evans根据西部河流的特点采用了高压设计，所以到了 19世纪 20年代，行驶在美国西部河流的蒸汽船都是高压设计的。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 3 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 参考第二段第四句， not unknown“ 不是不知道 ”。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 4 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 第二段倒数第三句中有 “shallow”一词。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 5 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 第二段第六句中的 “wasteful”就是 “费油的 ”之意
33、。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 【知识模块】 阅读理解 6 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 club feet是 “畸形足 ”之意，故选 C。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 7 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 参考第二段最后两句。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 8 【正确答案】 B 【试题解析】 从第一段第二、三句，我们可以看出， Joey在一至三岁期间做过手术、上过固定架、戴过吊带，这些都是良好的治疗，故选 B。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 9 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 of strong will是 “意志很坚强 ”之意。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 10 【正确答案】 C 【 试题解析】 由于本文是以父亲
34、的口吻来叙说的，所以与 C“我们从来没有告诉他说他的脚不能跑 ”符合要求。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 【知识模块】 阅读理解 11 【正确答案】 A 【试题解析】 参考第二段最后一句。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 12 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 老鼠的平均寿命是 26个月，改变 IGF一 1基因功能多活 8 6个月，这就是说它能活 34 6个月， D“36个月 ”与之最接近。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 13 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 由于 C项 “如今的人寿命比 1949年那个年代的人寿命长一倍 ”，没有限定中国人，而文章中有 in China，故选 C。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 14 【正确答案】 C 【试题解析】 文章中最后一段说的是，人类寿命的延长会带来其他一些问题，这就是说 “延长人的寿命不是一件百分之百的好事 ”，故选 C。由于猴子的试验要到2027年才能看到结果，所以 B和 D都不对。 【知识模块】 阅读理解 15 【正确答案】 D 【试题解析】 A“格言 ”、 B“口号 ”、 C“俚语 ”、 D“谚语 ”。 【知识模块】 阅读 理解
