1、考研英语（阅读）模拟试卷 16 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 Aircraft Rapid Decompression ProblemsWithout question, the rapid decompression of the Qantas Boeing 747 that landed in Manila on July 25 was bizarre. For
2、tunately, large gashes do not often appear in passenger jets. When they do, they tend to happen where there is structural strain (like at door hatches), not in the forward cargo compartment, as in this case with Qantas. The cause of the accident remains a mystery, and the U. S. is sending a team fro
3、m the National Transportation Safety Board to assist in the investigation in the Philippines.But rapid decompressions, in general, are not unheard ofand, as the passengers from the Qantas plane now know, not necessarily as apocalyptic as they seem at the time.What happens when your plane suddenly de
4、pressurizes? Any dramatic loss of pressure caused by the sudden surge of outside air into the cabinfeels like you are going up a skyscraper in an elevator powered by a rocket. Your ears pop, and the pain can be intense. You may experience some temporary hearing problems, but nothing too serious in m
5、ost cases.At the same time, the plane will likely drop in altitude quite dramatically. But this sensation is actually good news, says Todd Curtis, an engineer and former airline safety analyst at Boeing. It usually means that the pilots are trying to get the plane low enough so that the outside air
6、is breathable for humans. Says Curtis, “It may seem like the aircraft is going through a radical maneuver, and it is radical compared to normal flying, but this is standard protocol.“Meanwhile, the oxygen masks will probably drop from the ceiling. This, too, may look exceedingly ominous. But you won
7、t die if you dont get a mask on, provided you were already generally healthy. “Passing out is about the worst thing that would happen,“ Curtis says. There are only about 10 to 15 minutes of oxygen on those masks anyway, and they are provided just to help keep you comfortable until the plane reaches
8、a lower altitude, where you can breathe easily and without assistance. The most important thing is that the pilots get their masks on first-and they have been trained to do this much faster than you will get yours on. It is best to put your mask on before helping anyone else, since you only have a m
9、atter of seconds before you may lose consciousness.As if there werent enough going on, it is also quite common to see what looks like smoke in the air. But this is actually fog or mist that comes from the sudden change in pressure.The flight can continue on in this surreal fashion for a while and pa
10、ssengers will usually remain relatively calm, as evidenced by video taken inside the Qantas flight. Decompression may be scary, but it is survivable.1 We can learn from the second paragraph that_.（A）rapid decompressions generally are extraordinary（B） rapid decompressions generally are disastrous（C）
11、passengers from the Qantas plane now know rapid decompressions are not so disastrous（D）passengers from the Qantas plane now know rapid decompressions are disastrous2 When the plane suddenly depressurizes,_.（A）passengers should go into the elevator powered by a rocket（B） passengers may have serious h
12、earing problems（C） pilots should try to fly low enough for breathable air（D）pilots should help passengers put their masks on3 According to Curtis,_.（A）the feeling of dropping dramatically is not good（B） the radical maneuver of piane is normal（C） the radical maneuver of plane is standard protocol（D）y
13、ou may die if you dont get the mask on4 According to this passage, _.（A）the Qanfas Boeing 747 has large gashes at door hatches（B） rapid decompression is apocalyptic（C） passengers should get on their masks in lo to 15 minutes（D）passengers should not help others until they put on their masks5 Which of
14、 the following can be the best title for this passage?（A）The Tragic Landing of Boeing 747 in Manila.（B） Pilots Standard Protocol for Rapid Decompressions.（C） How to Survive Plane Decompression?（D）Disastrous Decompressions.5 Dentist s Clinic will Transform Dentists ImageThe countdown goes something l
15、ike this: (3) IRS auditor, (2) ex-husbands new 20-year-old girlfriend, (1) dentist. The top three people we most hate to see.“Lets face it,“ says Dr.Lorin Berland, a dentist in Dallas. “Dentistry can suck. “ A third of Americans, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, havent even se
16、t foot in the dentists office in the past year. Berland, along with an increasing number of dentists all over the country, is trying to change that. He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy.Spadentistry, as its
17、called, means you can enjoy a hot paraffin-wax hand treatment while getting your teeth cleaned. Or you can slip on some virtual-reality glasses and watch your favorite movie. Or you might just lie back and let the scent of lavender and the sound of falling water quiet your anxiety, while a licensed
18、massage therapist eases the crick in your neck. Most vacations arent this good. In response to spa dentistrys growing popularity, the Chicago Dental Society will teach its first course on the practice at its annual midwinter meeting in February, expected to attract 35, 000 industry professionals.“ S
19、ome people are born to cater to people, and others have to be taught,“ says Dr. Grace sun, a dentist in Los Angeles who, without benefit of a lecture, offers massage, fruit smoothies and movies. In addition, she provides luxury hotel-style concierge services: while youre in the (vibrating, of course
20、) chair, her staff makes dinner reservations, takes your cell-phone calls, baby-sits, dog-sits, orders in food or does just about anything else you ask.Dr. Debra Gray King of the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry calls her practice “the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry“ and in fact sends her “dental co
21、ncierges“ to the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center for training in client relations. Theyre taught to squire each patient as he or she navigates the various rooms of the centers luxe 8, 400-sq.-ft. Twelve Oaks-esque mansion. Once in the dentists chair, Kings patients can use the attached flat-panel mon
22、itor to watch TV, play a DVD or surf the Web. Cant see the screen? No worries, theres one wired to the ceiling too. Noise-reduction headphones block the screech of the drill and play a CD of your choice, and the specially constructed dental chair channels the sound waves from the music into a full-b
23、ody massage. “The more relaxed the patient is,“ says King, “the easier our job.“Patients are responding. Martha Dickey, a Magazine publisher in Atlanta, says a hot paraffin-wax treatment can “change your whole feeling about going to the dentist. You feel like youre there to get nurtured and pampered
24、. Its fabulous. Every one of your senses is taken care of“. If only the offices of the IRS were as pleasant.6 How do Dr. Berland and some other American dentists try to change the image of dentistry?（A）They try to change it by facing it bravely.（B） They try to change it by teaching patients how to t
25、ake good care of their teeth.（C） They try to change it by providing new services to help patients feel relaxed and at home.（D）They try to change it by relieving patientspain with new pills.7 Which of the following is NOT a service provided by spa dentistry?（A）A vacation.（B） Spa.（C） Massage.（D）Dental
26、 treatment.8 The expression “cater to“- (Line 1, Para. 4) most probably means_.（A）meet the requirements of somebody（B） be to somebodys liking（C） take somebody seriously（D）serve somebody well9 Why does Dr. Debra Gray King call her proctice “the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry“?（A）Because her “dental concie
27、rges“ are trained at the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.（B） Because her cosmetic dentistry center provides the kind of concierge services luxury hotels like Ritz-Carlton provide.（C） Because her Center is located in a mansion as large as Ritz-Carlton.（D）Because her patients are also guests at Ritz-Ca
28、rlton.10 Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?（A）Dr. Grace Sun learned her new practice from the course offered by the Chicago Dental Society.（B） The author hopes that dentists offices can be as comfortable as the offices of the IRS.（C） The patients like the new services provided by
29、the dentists mentioned in the text very much.（D）Dental appointments are often associated with relaxation.10 Plants Found in Aspirin SynthesisAspirin is among the most popular remedies used by people. It turns out some plants like it, too. Researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research w
30、ere surprised to discover that stressed plants produce an aspirin-like chemical that can be detected in the air above the plants. The chemical may be a sort of immune response that helps protect the plants, the scientists speculated.According to the researchers, the finding raises the possibility th
31、at farmers, forest managers and others may eventually be able to start monitoring plants for early signs of a disease, an insect infestation or other types of stress. Currently they often do not know if an ecosystem is unhealthy until there are visible indicators, such as dead leaves.“Unlike humans,
32、 who are advised to take aspirin as a fever suppressant, plants have the ability to produce their own mix of aspirinlike chemicals, triggering the formation of proteins that boost their biochemical defenses and reduce injury,“ NCAR scientist Thomas Karl, the lead researcher, said in a statement. “Ou
33、r measurements show that significant amounts of the chemical can be detected in the atmosphere as plants respond to drought, unseasonable temperatures or other stresses.“While researchers had known that plants in the laboratory produce a form of aspirin known as methyl salicylate, they had never loo
34、ked for it in the forest. “But when they set up measuring devices in a walnut grove near Davis, California, to monitor plant emissions that can affect pollution, they discovered measurable amounts of methyl salicylate.“Previous studies have shown that plants being eaten by animals also produce chemi
35、cals that can be sensed by other plants nearby. The new findings, announced Thursday by NCAR in Boulder, Colo. , were published in the journal Biogeosciences. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCARs sponsor.Measuring instruments 100 feet above the ground measured methyl sal
36、icylate from plants that were stressed by a local drought and unseasonably cool nighttime temperatures followed by large daytime temperature increases. In addition to having an immune-like function, the chemical may be a means for plants to communicate to neighboring plants, warning them of the thre
37、at.“These findings show concrete proof that plant-to-plant communication occurs on the ecosystem level,“ says NCAR scientist Alex Guenther, a co-author of the study. “It appears that plants have the ability to communicate through the atmosphere.“ Karl added, “ If you have a sensitive warning signal
38、that you can measure in the air, you can take action much sooner, such as applying pesticides. The earlier you detect that somethings going on, the more you can benefit in terms of using fewer pesticides and managing crops better.“11 Which of the following is true according to the fourth and fifth p
39、aragraphs?（A）Aspirin exists in different forms.（B） Plants use aspirin to fight against animals.（C） Plants use aspirin to communicate with animals eating them.（D）Aspirin can only be detected 100 feet above ground.12 According to the last paragraph, Alex Guenther_.（A）is the leading researcher in NCAR（
40、B） works in the National Science Fundation（C） is the only author of the paper published in Biogeosciences（D）believes plants can communicate with each other13 According to this passage, humans take aspirin to_.（A）suppress fever（B） release stress（C） communicate with others（D）reduce injury14 Which of t
41、he following is true according to this passage?（A）It is impossible to know if an ecosystem is unhealthy until there are dead leaves.（B） People often take aspirin when they have fever.（C） Plants can only produce aspirin in the laboratory.（D）Plants emissions will pollute air.15 Which of the following
42、can be the best title for this passage?（A）The Way Plants Protect Themselves（B） Differences Between Human and Plants（C） Stressed Plants Produce Aspirin-like Chemical（D）Communication Between Plants15 The Action of Vitamin DI, a mother of two girls, gave birth to a third girl one month ago. The pediatr
43、ician recommended a liquid multivitamin that contains 400 international units (IUs) of Vitamin D for the new born baby, which confused me a lot. When my first girl, who is now 4, was born, the doctor told us to simply get her out in the sun from time to time to let her body produce Vitamin D. When o
44、ur second child was born two years ago, we were told to give her a multivitamin that had 200 lUs of Vitamin D. So there is a big change, and what do we really know about its risks and benefits?Turns out the debate about how much Vitamin D we need has intensified over the past 10 years. One part of t
45、he discourse focuses on the growing body of research that point to numerous health benefits of the chemical (actually a hormone) ; it can help prevent rickets in children and severe bone loss in adults and potentially lowers the risk of multiple sclerosis, juvenile diabetes, cancer, heart disease, c
46、olds and influenza.Amid all this new evidence, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has assembled a panel of experts to reevaluate just how much Vitamin D we really need and can safely tolerate. Current IOM recommendations, set in 1997, are 200 Ills a day from birth to age 50 and a bit more after that. T
47、he upper limit of safety, according to the institute, is 2, 000 lUs dailytoo much can lead to, among other things, nausea and kidney stonesyet some vitamin D proponents are pushing for up to 4,000 lUs a day for adults.The IOM review wont be completed until May 2010. In the meantime, Dr. Frank Greer,
48、 chairman of the nutrition committee at the American Academy of Pediatrics, is confident that the academys new guideline of 400 IDs is enough for kids under 2. But, he wonders, “what about adolescents? Do they need 800?“ That remains to be seen.In addition to the question of how much Vitamin D, ther
49、e is debate over the best way to get it. About 10 to 15 minutes spent outside in full sun will give a fair-skinned person dressed only in his skivvies 10,000 to 20,000 lUs. Some vitamin D advocates point to the vigorous use of sunscreen as the reason studies show that so many Americans dont get enough D. But we dont want taking advantage of the potential benefits of Vitamin D to mean increased risk of contracting skin cancer. In addition to supplements, there are foods that naturally co
