1、考研英语模拟试卷 79及答案与解析 一、 Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D. (10 points) 1 All over the earths surface is a layer of air which extends upwards for many miles. This air (1)_ the oxygen without which neither p
2、lants nor animals (2)_ live. Its movements, temperature and pressure (3)_ the weather, and it is a vehicle (4)_ the clouds of water vapor (5)_ condense and fall as rain. It forms a blanket which (6)_ us from the extreme heat of the sun during the day and (7)_ the extreme cold when the sun has (8)_ I
3、t is chiefly (9)_ air that sound travels, so that if there were no air we should (10)_ practically nothing. The atmosphere is held (11)_ the earths surface by the gravitational pull of the earth that is, it has weight. High up it is thin (12)_ near the surface it is compressed by the (13)_ of air ab
4、ove, and is more dense. The weight of air pressing (14)_ each square inch of surface at sea-level is nearly (15)_ pounds, which means that the total force (16)_ the skin of an average man is about 30,000 pounds. He is not, (17)_ this because the pressure is equal in all directions and the pressure i
5、nside him is equal (18)_ -that without, but should he go up in a balloon to a height at which the outside- pressure is (19)_ he would suffer acutely. It is (20)_ this reason that the cabins of aeroplanes are pressurized. （ A） forms （ B） contains （ C） consists （ D） fills （ A） would （ B） should （ C） c
6、ould （ D） needed （ A） determine （ B） choose （ C） make （ D） create （ A） into （ B） near （ C） for （ D） above （ A） what （ B） and （ C） but （ D） which （ A） protects （ B） proves （ C） controls （ D） helps （ A） about （ B） out （ C） off （ D） from （ A） sit （ B） set （ C） sat （ D） settled （ A） into （ B） up （ C） th
7、rough （ D） along （ A） know （ B） hear （ C） get （ D） observe （ A） to （ B） before （ C） near （ D） across （ A） for （ B） since （ C） because （ D） but （ A） pressure （ B） space （ C） weight （ D） movement （ A） in （ B） on （ C） for （ D） around （ A） kilometres （ B） ponds （ C） miles （ D） pounds （ A） inside （ B） in
8、to （ C） of （ D） on （ A） aware of （ B） sure of （ C） afraid of （ D） delighted about （ A） at （ B） to （ C） against （ D） after （ A） more or less （ B） much little （ C） much less （ D） more than （ A） for （ B） to （ C） from （ D） by Part A Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below e
9、ach text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points) 21 Computer people talk a lot about the need for other people to become “computer literate“, in other words, to learn to understand computers and what make them tick. But not all experts agree, however, that this is a good idea. One pioneer, in particul
10、ar, who disagrees is David Tebbutt, the founder of Computer-town UK. Although many people see it that way. He says that Computer-town UK was formed for computer, but David does not see it that way. He says that Computer-town UK was formed for just the opposite reason to bring computer to the people
11、and make them “People-literate“. David first got the idea when he visited one of Americas best-known computer “guru“ figures Bob Albrecht, who had started a project called Computer-town USA in the local library. Over here, in Britain, Computer-towns have taken off in a big way, and there are now abo
12、ut 40 scattered, over the country. David Tebbutt thinks they are most successful when tied to a computer club. He insists there is a vast and important difference between the two, although they complement each other. The clubs cater for the enthusiasts, with some computer knowledge already, who get
13、together and eventually form an expert computer group. This frightens away non-experts, known as “grockles“(游客 ) who are happier going to Computer-towns where there are computers available for them to experiment on, with experts available to encourage them and answer any question; they are not told
14、what to do, they find out. David Tebbutt finds it interesting to see the two different approaches working side by side. The computer experts have to learn not to tell people about computers, but have to be able to explain the answers to the questions that people really want to know. People are not h
15、aving to learn computer jargon(行话 ), but the experts are having to translate computer mysteries into easily understood terms; the computers are becoming “peopleliterate“. 21 According to the passage, which of the following is NOT wrong?_ （ A） The computer experts should tell people everything about
16、computers （ B） David insisted that the computer clubs should open to all the people, including those non experts （ C） The foundation of computer town is a successful attempt to bring people closer to the computer （ D） It is unnecessarily for all the people to become “computer-literate“ 22 David Tebb
17、utt is a(n)_ computer expert. （ A） English （ B） American （ C） Japanese （ D） German 23 According to the author, the concept of “people-literate“ in para. 2 means_ （ A） to make the computer learn to understand people （ B） to bring computers closer to the people （ C） that all the people should understa
18、nd computers （ D） that all the people should learn to use computers 24 About the computer towns and the computer clubs, David Tebbutt thinks that_ （ A） it is just to take trouble to see the two working side by side （ B） the computer towns are more important than the computer clubs （ C） they can comp
19、lement each other but there is great difference between （ D） the computer clubs are as important as the computer towns 25 According to the passage, which of the following description about the computer clubs is NOT TRUE?_ （ A） The computer clubs are open to the people with some computer knowledge al
20、ready （ B） The computer experts in the clubs have to explain everything in easily understood （ C） The expert computer group is easily formed in the clubs （ D） The grockles would rather go to computer towns than go to clubs 26 There was great public interest when a big hole mysteriously appeared in t
21、he middle of a field. Army mechanics and engineers were called in to explain how it had got there. They referred various explanations but were not at all sure how the hole had been caused. It was thought that a large shell which must have lain buried under the ground for many years had suddenly expl
22、oded, but it was not possible to prove this. A “simple“, but highly improbable, explanation was offered by a man who claims to be especially well-informed about “flying saucers the strange objects which are round in shape and are said to visit the earth occasionally from outer space. The mans explan
23、ation may have been nonsense, but at least it was imaginative. At any rate, it was far more interesting than the one given by the army. After examing the ground carefully, the man claimed to have seen special marks on the soil quite near the hole. These, he said, could only have been caused by a fly
24、ing saucer. Moreover, the leaves on some bushes nearby had turned yellow because of a strange hot gas which had come from the saucer just before it landed. Even a small tree some way off appeared to have been burnt slightly. A small piece of metal found in the hole itself provided further proof that
25、 a strange object had been there. According to the man, it was quite clear that people from another world had been circling the earth trying to pick up information, when something had gone wrong. Because of this they had been forced to land in a field so that the damage could be repaired. The hole h
26、ad been caused when the saucer struck the earth, while the strange marks nearby were made when it took off again. This, said the man, was the simplest explanation of how the hole had appeared. Judging from the interest the public took in the matter, there must be quite a few people who secretly beli
27、eve or hope that this “simple“ explanation is the true one. 26 The author thinks of the explanation given by the army as_ （ A） ridiculous （ B） not capable of proof （ C） adequate （ D） scientific though seemingly simple. 27 The author holds that the mans explanation was_ （ A） utterly infeasible （ B） l
28、acking in imagination （ C） more probable than the one offered by the army （ D） creative though not necessarily reasonable 28 By way of explanation the man produced all the following proofs EXCEPT_ （ A） strange marks close to the hole （ B） strange hot gas （ C） a slightly burnt small tree （ D） a tiny
29、piece of metal in the hole 29 In the mans opinion something happened to the flying saucer when_ （ A） it was carrying out a mission （ B） it was flying back to outer space （ C） it was landing in a field （ D） people aboard were repairing a damage 30 It is implied but not directly state in the passage t
30、hat_ （ A） the public took a great interest in the big mysterious hole （ B） army engineers and mechanics were not in the least certain how the hole had appeared （ C） objects from outer space hold a special attraction, for many people （ D） the man who claimed to be well-informed about flying saucers t
31、urned out to be a cheat 31 The farm is a major marketplace for millions of tons of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides (杀虫剂 ),and advanced machinery and the fuel required to run it. The modern super farm, large and highly capitalized, is resource dependent compared with the diversified small farms
32、that were once dominant. On diversified farms, major energy needs may be supplied by resident humans and animals. Soil fertility may be maintained by alternating cash crops and restorative crops, and also by returning animal manure(肥料 ) to the soil. This farming model of relatively self- sufficient
33、agriculture, and the way of life associated with it, are still economically viable(可行 ), as demonstrated by prosperous Amish farmers and other practitioners of “alternative“ agriculture. Particularly relevant to todays mainstream agriculture are the energy-saving practices on large “organic“ farms,
34、which are thoroughly mechanized but which minimize the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. By comparison, mainstream American agriculture has until lately been careless in its use of energy, water, and land. When fossil energy was cheap, applications of fertilizers and pesticides paid large
35、 dividends, so farmers were encouraged to use these products. Soon most farmers used too much fertilizer and pesticide. Farmers in dry regions enjoyed an era of cheap water, obtained from publicly subsidized irrigation systems or from pumping groundwater using, inexpensive energy. The soil too was e
36、xpendable as demand grew for U.S. agricultural products. The period of extraordinary profligacy in the use of soil, water, and fossil fuels may well be at an end. The new structure of large farms is quite sensitive to cost factors. These adaptive farms, whose development was assisted by public tax,
37、subsidy, and research policies, have access to capital, technologies, and management skills, enabling them to switch relatively quickly to resource-conserving practices for example, to a low-tillage system that requires less fuel, that shepherds soil moisture, and that may reduce soil erosion(侵蚀 ).
38、It seems likely that federal programs that have enlarged our farms, therefore, have had a further result of creating the potential for a more conserving agriculture. With respect to energy use, for example, energy costs per unit of output are lower for large farms, mainly because these farms quickly
39、 economized on energy as costs rose. In the future, according to one authoritative assessment, “agricultural production is likely to use capital and land more intensively but energy, fertilizer and labor less intensively.“ 31 The main difference between the modem superfarm and diversified farms is_
40、（ A） their sizes （ B） the machinery employed （ C） the degree of dependence on resources （ D） the kinds of crops cultivated and animals raised 32 Whats the main idea of the second paragraph?_ （ A） Fossil energy was once very cheap （ B） Farms in dry areas could get cheap water （ C） Most American farme
41、rs used too much fertilizer and pesticide （ D） Mainstream American agriculture used to be wasteful of energy, water and land 33 The word “profligacy“ (line 1, para. 3) most probably means_ （ A） wastefulness （ B） carefulness （ C） profitability （ D） economy 34 According to the passage, which of the fo
42、llowing is NOT true?_ （ A） The farming model and the way of life on diversified farms are workable （ B） Large “organic“ farms use large amounts of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers （ C） The new adaptive farms are capable of resource-conserving practices （ D） To reduce soil erosion is a resource-c
43、onserving practice 35 It can be seen from the passage that the problem of resource conservation in agriculture_ （ A） has been solved in the U. S. （ B） has not yet been paid any attention to （ C） is being seriously and effectively dealt with （ D） will soon be solved by using more capital and land 36
44、By the 1980s, according to international but admittedly inconsistent definitions of literacy, about seven out of ten adults in the world were considered literate. The increase in literacy from ancient times to the present has not been a story of unbroken progress. The ability of people within a give
45、n society to read and write has been influenced by a number of factors, including economic well-being, the availability of material to read, the amount of education available, and the basic matter of the usefulness of reading. Of these factors, usefulness has probably been the most decisive. In anci
46、ent societies, as people settled into stable patterns of agriculture and trade, it became useful for some of them to read and write in order to keep records, to transact business, and to measure amounts of land, animals, goods, materials, and produce. Since all economic aspects of a society were clo
47、sely tied to the operations of government, literacy became useful and even necessary for the keeping of records by officials. The responsibilities of citizenship led to a fairly high level of literacy in ancient Greece and Rome, but in addition to that, there also grew an appreciation of good litera
48、ture, poetry, drama, history, and philosophy. During the early Middle Ages, with the general breakdown of society in Europe and the decrease of commerce, literacy became largely confined to the church. But in the late Middle Ages, in the period of the Renaissance, the great expansion of commerce and
49、 banking led to a revival in literacy for the same reason that had caused it to increase in the ancient world usefulness. With the invention of the printing press and inexpensive paper late in the 15th century there was for the first time a great availability of reading material for a much greater number of people. Religious reformers were among the first to utilize the situation, quickly getting translations of th
