1、阅读同步练习试卷 19及答案与解析 一、 Part III Reading Comprehension (40 minutes, 40 points) Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on
2、the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center. 0 Here in the United States, before agricultural activities destroyed the natural balance, there were great migrations of Rocky Mountain locusts (Melanoplus spretus). Great migrating hordes of these insects once darkened the skies on the plains
3、 east of the Rockies where crops were often destroyed; the worst years were those from 1874 to 1877. One of these migrating swarms was estimated to contain 124 billion locusts. During another migration in Nebraska it was estimated that the swarm of locusts averaged half a mile high and was 100 miles
4、 wide and 300 miles long. Usually, these swarms take off from the ground against the wind, but, once airborne, they turn and fly with it. Warm convection (对流 ) currents help to lift them, often to great heights. During the great locust plagues the situation in Nebraska became so serious that the ori
5、ginal state constitution had to be rewritten to take care of the economic problems. The new document was known as “The Grasshopper Constitution“. It is now believed that these locusts were a migratory form or phase of the lesser migratory locust, which is still common there. In this respect, the Nor
6、th American migratory locusts resemble their African relatives. In both regions the migratory forms arise as a result of crowding and climatic factors. Migratory forms are apparently natural adaptations which bring about dispersal when locust populations become too crowded. Fortunately for our farme
7、rs, the migratory form the so called spretus species no longer seems to occur regularly, although there was a serious outbreak as late as 1938 in midwestern United States and Canada. Actually, there is no reason why the destructive migratory form might not again appear if circumstances should become
8、 favorable. 1 Which of the following is the best title for the passage? （ A） The Life Cycle of Locusts. （ B） Migratory Locusts in the United States. （ C） Locust Plagues in Nebraska. （ D） The Reproductive Capability of the Locust. 2 According to the passage, the worst destruction by locusts in the pl
9、ains area east of the Rockies occurred during the_. （ A） eighteenth century （ B） early nineteenth century （ C） late nineteenth century （ D） twentieth century 3 It can be inferred from the passage that the state constitution of Nebraska was rewritten in order to_. （ A） make the constitution more unde
10、rstandable to the public （ B） encourage farmers to leave the state （ C） solve difficulties that resulted from loss of crops （ D） provide for a regular census of the locust population 4 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as influencing the migration of locusts? （ A） Darkness. （ B）
11、 Agricultural activities. （ C） Warm air currents. （ D） Overcrowding. 5 The passage supports which of the following conclusions? （ A） The outbreak of locusts in 1938 was more serious than any other in history. （ B） Nebraska farmers had no locust problems in the years 1874 1877. （ C） There is a possib
12、ility that crops in the Unite States might be destroyed by locusts in the future. （ D） There is a chance that African migratory locusts may make their way to the United States. 5 The questions of whether war is inevitable is one which has concerned many of the worlds great writers. Before considerin
13、g this question, it will be useful to introduce some related concepts. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities (统一体，实体 ) directed against one another, is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition among social entities independently striving for something which is in inadequ
14、ate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the parties to a conflict are. Conflict and competition are both categories of opposition, which has been defined as a process by which social entities function in the disservice of one another. Opposition is thus contrasted with coopera
15、tion, the process by which social entities function in the service of one another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to emphasize that competition between individuals of groups is inevitable in a world of limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very l
16、ikely to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human societies. Many authors have argued for the inevitability of war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species, only the fittest survive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is competition
17、, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not in such fights, but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the occupancy (占有 ) of areas free from meat-eating animals. Those who fail in t
18、his competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the competition of individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to
19、 satisfy all. Among nations there is competition in developing resources, trades, skills, and a satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and prosper (繁荣 ); the unsuccessful decline. While it is true that this competition may induce efforts to expand territory at the expense of others, a
20、nd this leads to conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitable, although competitions are. 6 In the first paragraph, the author gives the definitions of some terms in order to_. （ A） argue for the similarities between animal societies and human societies （ B） smooth
21、out the conflicts in human societies （ C） distinguish between two kinds of opposition （ D） summarize the characteristic features of opposition and cooperation 7 According to the author, competition differs from conflict in that_. （ A） it results in war in most cases （ B） it induces efforts to expand
22、 territory （ C） it is a kind of opposition among social entities （ D） it is essentially a struggle for existence 8 The phrase “function in the disservice of one another“ (Lines 78, Para. 1) most probably means_. （ A） betray each other （ B） harm one another （ C） help to collaborate with each other （
23、D） benefit one another 9 The author indicates in the passage that conflict_. （ A） is an inevitable struggle resulting from competition （ B） reflects the struggle among social entities （ C） is an opposition among individual social animals （ D） can be avoided 10 The passage is probably intended to ans
24、wer the question “_“. （ A） Is war inevitable? （ B） Why is there conflict and competition? （ C） Is conflict desirable? （ D） Can competition lead to conflict? 10 For several years, scientists have been testing a substance called interferon, a potential wonder drug that is proving to be effective in tr
25、eating a variety of ailments, including virus infections, bacteria infections, and tumors. To date, the new drug has provoked no negative reaction of sufficient significance to discourage its use. But in spite of its success, last year only one gram was produced in the entire world. The reason for t
26、he scarcity lies in the structure of interferon. A species specific protein, the interferon produced from one animal species cannot be used in treating another animal species. In other words, to treat human beings, only interferon produced by human beings may be used. The drug is produced by infecti
27、ng white blood cells with a virus. Fortunately, it is so potent that the amount given each patient per injection is very small. Unlike antibiotics, interferon does not attack germs directly. Instead, it makes unaffected cells resistant to infection, and prevents the multiplication of viruses within
28、cells. As you might conclude, one of the most dramatic uses of interferon has been in the treatment of cancer. Dr. Hans Strander, research physician at Swedens famous Karohnska Institute, has treated more than one hundred cancer patients with the new drug. Among a group of selected patients who had
29、undergone surgical procedures for advanced cancer, half were given conventional treatments and the other half were given interferon. The survival rate over a three-year period was 70 percent among those who were treated with interferon as compared with only 10 to 30 percent among those who had recei
30、ved the conventional treatments. In the United States, a large-scale project supported by the American Cancer Society is now underway. If the experiment is successful, interferon could become one of the greatest medical discoveries of our time. 11 In what does interferon differ from antibiotics? （ A
31、） Interferon has serious side effects, whereas antibiotics do not. （ B） Interferon is available in large supply, whereas antibiotics are not. （ C） Antibiotics are very potent, while interferon is not. （ D） Antibiotics kill germs by attacking them directly, while interferon does not. 12 What effect d
32、oes interferon have on infection? （ A） It provokes a negative reaction. （ B） It keeps healthy cells from becoming infected. （ C） It causes healthy cells to grow. （ D） It attacks viruses. 13 Interferon is produced by_. （ A） infecting viruses, bacteria, and tumors with a drug （ B） infecting proteins w
33、ith a virus （ C） infecting white blood cells with a virus （ D） infecting viruses with proteins 14 Interferon has not been widely used because it is_. （ A） still very dangerous （ B） not yet available in the United States （ C） difficult to produce in large quantities （ D） not effective for human being
34、s 15 Which of the following statements is the results of Dr. Stranders experiments with interferon? （ A） Half of the patients who received interferon reacted favorably. （ B） At the end of three years, all of the patients who had not received interferon had died. （ C） Most of the patients who receive
35、d interferon also needed conventional treatments. （ D） 70 percent among patients who were treated with interferon survived. 15 The current emergency in Mexico City that has taken over our lives is nothing I could ever have imagined for me or my children. We are living in an environmental crisis, an
36、air-pollution emergency of unprecedented severity. What it really means is that just to breathe here is to play a dangerous game with your health. As parents, what terrorizes us most are reports that children are at higher risk because they breathe more times per minute. What more can we do to prote
37、ct them and ourselves? Our pediatricians (儿科医师的 ) medical recommendation was simple： abandon the city permanently. We are foreigners and we are among the small minority that can afford to leave. We are here because of my husbands work. We are fascinated by Mexico its history and rich culture. We kno
38、w that for us, this is a temporary danger. However, we cannot stand for much longer the fear we feel for our boys. We cannot stop them from breathing. But for millions, there is no choice. Their lives, their jobs, their futures depend on being here. Thousands of Mexicans arrive each day in this city
39、, desperate for economic opportunities. Thousands more are born here each day. Entire families work in the streets and practically live there. It is a familiar sight; as parents hawk goods at stoplights, their children play in the grassy highway dividers (分线处 ), breathing exhaust fumes. I feel guilt
40、y complaining about my personal situation; we wont be here long enough for our children to form the impression that skies are colored only gray. And yet the government cannot do what it must to end this problem. For any country, especially a developing Third World economy like Mexicos, the idea of b
41、arring from the capital city enough cars, closing enough factories and spending the necessary billions on public transportation is simply not an option. So when things get bad, as in the current emergency, Mexico takes half measures prohibiting some more cars from circulating, stopping some factorie
42、s from producing that even its own officials concede (承认 ) arent adequate. The word “emergency“ implies the unusual. But when daily life itself is an emergency, the concept loses its meaning. It is human nature to try to adapt to that which we cannot change. Or to mislead ourselves into believing we
43、 can adapt. 16 According to the passage, the current emergency in Mexico City refers to_. （ A） serious air pollution （ B） economic crisis （ C） unemployment （ D） natural disaster 17 Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage? （ A） Kids are in greater danger than grown-ups
44、in Mexico City. （ B） The author is not a native Mexican. （ C） The authors husband is a pediatrician. （ D） The Mexican history and culture appeal to the author. 18 The word “hawk“ (Para. 3) most probably means_. （ A） sell （ B） transport （ C） place （ D） deliver 19 The Mexican government takes half mea
45、sures to solve the pollution problem because_. （ A） Mexican economy depends very much on cars and factories （ B） it is not wise enough to come up with effective measures （ C） Mexicans are able to adapt themselves to the current emergency （ D） Mexicans enjoy playing dangerous games with their health
46、20 The purpose of the passage is to_. （ A） describe the harmful air pollution （ B） explain the way to prevent air pollution （ C） show the worries about the air pollution （ D） recommend a method to avoid air pollution 20 The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audienc
47、e. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs. “ He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how his grade 9 level
48、 had been established. My topic is not standards nor its decline (降低 ). What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult. My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the on
49、e immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷 ). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack. The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaw
