1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 138 及答案与解析Part ADirections: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. (40 points)0 An accidental discovery has brought earthquake scientists one step closer to being able to predict earthquakes. As part of an effort to measure undergro
2、und changes caused by shifts in barometric pressure, a team of researchers found that increases in subterranean pressure preceded earthquakes along Californias San Andreas Fault by as much as 10 hours. If follow-up tests advance the findings, earthquake scientists may eventually be able to provide a
3、 few hours notice for people to find safe haven prior to quakes. “Predicting earthquakes is the final goal for earthquake scientists,“ says Fenglin Niu, the research teams lead author and a Rice University earthquake scientist. “This is a start. “Reporting in the July 10 edition of the journal Natur
4、e, researchers used a high-tech equivalent of a stereo speaker lowered into a bore hole near Parkfield, Calif. , a half-mile deep and five yards from a measuring device. For two months beginning in late 2005, researchers transmitted pulse signals three times per second, from the speaker to the measu
5、ring device, calculating travel time between the two stations. Surprised scientists learned the seismic waves slowed dramatically on only two occasions: two hours prior to a magnitude-1 quake, and a startling 10 hours before a magnitude-3 quake.The research team theorizes that the immense amount of
6、pressure building along the fault causes small cracks within the rock during the final hours before an earthquake, increasing rock density and slowing the transmission signals. “The more cracks you have, the slower the seismic velocity,“ says study co-author Paul Silver, a geophysicist with the Carn
7、egie Institution of Washington. Still unknown is whether there is any significance to the fact that the magnitude-3 quake had a much longer pre-seismic signal than the lower-magnitude quake, or whether it was simply because its magnitude was larger and its center closer to the sensors.If scientists
8、can flesh out the new findings during future earthquakesa two-year study at the same seismically active location begins this Septemberit could form the basis of a vastly improved early-warning system for quakes. Current earthquake-warning systems give just a few seconds notice because they detectonl
9、y P-waves, the fast-moving seismic waves that precede the more destructive waves released during a quake. Upgrading to a seismic stress meter, however, is still a long way off. “To use this for earthquake prediction, you need to know the precursor waves have a physical basis(that is, increased press
10、ure and a pending quake)and that its repeatable(with a larger sample size of quakes),“ Niu says. He also hopes to test whether the stress signals would still be detectable on a larger scale, with the two sensors spaced more than a few yards apart.Except a major effort to drill multiple, half-mile-de
11、ep bore holes along fault lines, researchers would also need to develop a surface-based detection system capable of filtering out temperature swings, precipitation and other “noise“ that could confuse their seismic readings. Says Silver, “We obviously have more work to do, but were certainly encoura
12、ged because this is what people are looking for. “1 According to the first paragraph, the team of researchers（A）aimed to push the development of earthquake prediction science.（B） measured underground changes caused by shifts in barometric pressure.（C） knew subterranean pressure would increase before
13、 earthquakes.（D）warned people to find safe places before the earthquakes.2 Which of the following is true according to the last sentence of the third paragraph?（A）The researchers dont know whether higher-magnitude quakes have longer pre-seismic signals than lower-magnitude ones.（B） The researchers b
14、elieve it important that higher-magnitude quakes have longer pre-seismic signals than lower-magnitude ones.（C） The researchers dont think it important that higher-magnitude quakes have longer pre-seismic signals than lower-magnitude ones.（D）The researchers are not sure about the importance of the fa
15、ct.3 We can learn from the fourth paragraph that P-waves（A）are difficult to detect.（B） appear shortly before an earthquake.（C） are very destructive.（D）appear during an earthquake.4 From this passage, we can infer that the author（A）holds that it is impossible to predict an earthquake.（B） is very surp
16、rised about this discovery.（C） thinks that scientists could do better.（D）thinks this discovery is very important for earthquake prediction.5 Which of the following is the best title for this passage?（A）A New Clue in Predicting Earthquakes（B） Increases in Subterranean Pressure（C） An Accidental Discov
17、ery（D）The Use of High-Tech Equipment in Earthquake Prediction5 The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania. The first barrels of crude fe
18、tched $18. It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting. Other liquids produced in the refining process were burned or dumped. But the unwanted petrol and diesel did not go to waste for long, thanks to the development of the internal-combustion engine a few years later.Since t
19、hen demand for oil has risen steadily alongside ever-increasing travel by car, plane and ship. Three-fifths of it ends up in fuel tanks. With billions of Asian people growing richer and itching to get behind the wheel of a car, the big oil companies, the International Energy Agency(IEA)and Americas
20、Energy Information Administration all predict that demand will keep on rising.We believe that they are wrong, and that oil is close to a peak. This is not the “peak oil“ widely discussed several years ago, when several theorists reckoned that supply would flatten and then fall. We believe that deman
21、d, not supply, could decline. In the rich world oil demand has already peaked: it has fallen since 2005.The first revolution was led by a Texan who has just died. George Mitchell championed “fracking“ as a way to release huge supplies of “unconventional“ gas from shale beds. This, along with vast ne
22、w discoveries of conventional gas, has recently helped increase the worlds reserves from 50 to 200 years. ln America, where thanks to Mr. Mitchell shale gas already billows from the ground, liquefied or compressed gas is finding its way into the tanks of lorries, buses and local-delivery vehicles.Th
23、e other great change is in automotive technology. Rapid advances in engine and vehicle design also threaten oils dominance. Foremost is the efficiency of the internal-combustion engine itself. Petrol and diesel engines are becoming ever more frugal. The materials used to make cars are getting lighte
24、r and stronger. The growing popularity of electric and hybrid cars, as well as vehicles powered by natural gas or hydrogen fuel cells, will also have an effect on demand for oil.Not surprisingly, the oil “supermajors“ and the IEA disagree. They point out that most of the emerging world has a long wa
25、y to go before it owns as many cars, or drives as many miles per head, as America. But it would be foolish to extrapolate from the rich worlds past to booming Asias future. The sort of environmental policies that are reducing the thirst for fuel in Europe and America by imposing ever-tougher fuel-ef
26、ficiency standards on vehicles are also being adopted in the emerging economies.6 What made people realize that oil could be a source of fuel?（A）The development of technology in exploring oil.（B） The development of artificial lighting using kerosene.（C） The development of refining process of crude o
27、il.（D）The development of petrol- or diesel-powered engines.7 According to the author, “peak oil“ means（A）the highest point of oil demand.（B） the top supply of crude oil.（C） the largest consumption of oil.（D）the longest period oil reserve could last.8 According to the passage, George Mitchell（A）disco
28、vered the “unconventional“ gas from shale beds.（B） predicted the worlds oil reserve could last for 200 years.（C） found a successful way of gathering “unconventional“ gas.（D）noticed that “unconventional“ gas could be used as fuel.9 What is most likely the effect of the change in automotive technology
29、 on oil?（A）Oil will be unevenly distributed in the world.（B） Oil will eventually lose its popularity.（C） More high-quality oil will be needed.（D）The demand of oil will gradually drop.10 What is the mistake IEA and other oil giants have made about oil demand?（A）They didnt take modern environmental fa
30、ctor into consideration.（B） They forgot more and more fuel-efficiency standards have been introduced.（C） They ignored the developing countries intention of protecting the environment.（D）They are figuring out the condition only from the developed counties perspective.10 Apple doesnt make the iPhone i
31、tself. It neither manufactures the components nor assembles them into a finished product. The components come from a variety of suppliers and the assembly is done by Foxconn, a Taiwanese firm, at its plant in Shenzhen, China. A “teardown“ graphic, based on data from iSuppli, a market-research firm,
32、shows who makes what inside the iPhone, and how much the various bits cost. Samsung turns out to be a particularly important supplier. It provides some of the phones most important components: the flash memory that holds the phones apps, music and operating software; the working memory, or DRAM; and
33、 the applications processor that makes the whole thing work. Together these account for 26% of the component cost of an iPhone.This puts Samsung in the somewhat unusual position of supplying a significant proportion of one of its main rivals products, since Samsung also makes smart phones and tablet
34、 computers of its own. Apple is one of Samsungs largest customers, and Samsung is one of Apples biggest suppliers. This is actually part of Samsungs business model: acting as a supplier of components for others gives it the scale to produce its own products more cheaply. For its part, Apple is happy
35、 to let other firms handle component production and assembly, because that leaves it free to concentrate on its strengths: designing elegant, easy-to-use combinations of hardware, software and services.Stranger still, Apple sued Samsung in April over the design of its Galaxy S handset(a sm-artphone
36、that bears a strong resemblance to an iPhone)and its Galaxy Tab tablet computer(which looks rather like an iPad), claiming that they copied hardware and design features from Apple products. Samsung retaliated by counter-suing. In the latest twist, Apple has just gained injunctions to prevent the sal
37、e of Samsungs Galaxy Tab in Europe and Australia. But the two firms mutually beneficial trading relationship continues.Beyond manufacturing and component charges, the lions share of the iPhones $560 price tag goes to Apple, though just how much it spends on software development, R she lasted a rocky
38、 four months on the job. And he never managed to implement congestion charging. Still, most New Yorkers were pleased to see him elected to a third term. Unusually, other cities are finding him useful too.His education reforms, which included the opening of 111 charter schools, have become a model fo
39、r other districts. He co-chairs Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and last year he was appointed chairman of the C40, a group of world cities that are committed to slowing climate change.His charity organisation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, is also making an impact on cities. On July 14th it announced a $2
40、4m initiative to fund “Innovation Delivery Teams“ to help mayors solve particular local problems. The idea grew out of a mayors summit hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies in March, which highlighted the need for municipal innovation when budgets are tight. Mayors all over the country are struggling w
41、ith a lack of risk capital and overstretched personnel. Five cities, Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis and Louisvilleall with strong and fairly new mayorswill each receive $1.4m- $2m a year over the next three years, to spend on staffing the innovation teams.Atlanta wants to introduce the 311 s
42、ystem and to tackle homelessness. Memphis wants to reduce handgun violence and to encourage small businesses in certain districts. New Orleans hopes to reduce its horrific homicide rate, and to reduce waiting time for city services. Rahm Emanuel in Chicago is also keen to reduce time wasted. The soo
43、ner permits get processed, the quicker, say, a small business can open up and start making money. The Bloomberg funding will also help Mr. Emanuel get an energy-efficiency programme going.Greg Fischer in Louisville, Kentucky, who came to office six months ago, wants to pep up the performance of city
44、 agencies. His other priority is a partnership with Lexington, long a rival, to devise a new strategy for regional exports. The two cities want to become more globally competitive in advanced car manufacturing. The Brookings Institution is helping them with an economic plan; the Bloomberg money will
45、 help the plan get off the ground.Bruce Katz of Brookings says cities can no longer afford to compete with each other, but must work together in order to thrive economically. The mayor of New York is giving that philosophy a good push forward.16 Bloomberg has been elected for the third time as the m
46、ayor of New York because（A）New Yorkers admire his courage in dealing with urban crimes.（B） he has contributed a lot to the development of New York City.（C） he has reduced effectively governments spending on welfare.（D）citizens get an access to municipal construction through 311 call system.17 In wha
47、t way were people not satisfied with Bloomberg?（A）He failed to solve the congestion problem effectively.（B） He appointed a female as the leader of school system.（C） He has cut down the number of people enjoying welfare.（D）He couldnt give satisfying answers to 311 calls.18 Under the help of Innovatio
48、n Delivery Team, mayors can（A）realize their risk ideas on innovation without the support of risk capitals.（B） set up various innovation teams to facilitate the link among cities.（C） satisfy their specific innovation needs free from their tight budgets.（D）implement municipal reforms with justice and
49、strength.19 With the help of the Bloomberg funding,（A）Atlanta will build the 311 call system to help homeless people.（B） Memphis will take favorable measures for small businesses.（C） New Orleans can prevent more cases of committing suicide.（D）Chicago can help small businesses to save money.20 According to Bruce Katz, the new relation between Louisville and Lexington implies that（A）cooperation leads to a positive development while competition leads to destruction.（B） competition is no longer the value cherished by American culture.（C） competition once c
