2023年创新英语大赛题目及答案

2023创新英语大赛题目及答案

SectionIIReadingComprehension

PartA

Directions:

Readthefollowingfourtexts.AnswerthequestionsbeloweachtextbychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersontheANSWERSHEET.(40points)

Text1

Firsttwohours,nowthreehours—thisishowfarinadvanceauthoritiesarerecommendingpeopleshowuptocatchadomesticflight,atleastatsomemajorU.S.airportswithincreasinglymassivesecuritylines.

Americansarewillingtotoleratetime-consumingsecurityproceduresinreturnforincreasedsafety.ThecrashofEgyptAirFlight804,whichterroristsmayhavedownedovertheMediterraneanSea,providesanothertragicreminderofwhy.Butdemandingtoomuchofairtravelersorprovidingtoolittlesecurityinreturnunderminespublicsupportfortheprocess.Anditshould:WastedtimeisadragonAmericans’economicandprivatelives,nottomentioninfuriating.

Lastyear,theTransportationSecurityAdministration(TSA)foundinasecretcheckthatundercoverinvestigatorswereabletosneakweapons---bothfakeandreal—pastairportsecuritynearlyeverytimetheytried.Enhancedsecuritymeasuressincethen,combinedwithariseinairlinetravelduetotheimprovingChicago’sO’HareInternational.Itisnotyetclearhowmuchmoreeffectiveairlinesecurityhasbecome—butthelinesareobvious.

Partoftheissueisthatthegovernmentdidnotanticipatethesteepincreaseinairlinetravel,sotheTSAisnowrushingtogetnewscreenersontheline.Partoftheissueisthatairportshaveonlysomuchroomforscreeninglanes.Anotherfactormaybethatmorepeoplearetryingtooverpacktheircarry-onbagstoavoidchecked-baggagefees,thoughtheairlinesstronglydisputethis.

ThereisonesteptheTSAcouldtakethatwouldnotrequireremodelingairportsorrushingtohire:EnrollmorepeopleinthePreCheckprogram.PreCheckissupposedtobeawin-winfortravelersandtheTSA.Passengerswhopassabackgroundcheckareeligibletouseexpeditedscreeninglanes.ThisallowstheTSAwantstoenroll25millionpeopleinPreCheck.

Ithasnotgottenanywhereclosetothat,andonebigreasonisstickershock.Passengersmustpay$85everyfiveyearstoprocesstheirbackgroundchecks.Sincethebeginning,thispricetaghasbeenPreCheck’sfatalflaw.Upcomingreformsmightbringthepricetoamorereasonablelevel.ButCongressshouldlookintodoingsodirectly,byhelpingtofinancePreCheckenrollmentortocutcostsinotherways.

TheTSAcannotcontinuedivertingresourcesintounderusedPreChecklaneswhilemostofthetravelingpublicsuffersinunnecessarylines.Itislongpasttimetomaketheprogramwork.

21.ThecrashofEgyptAirFlight804ismentionedto_____.

[A]stresstheurgencytostrengthensecurityworldwide

[B]explainAmerican’stoleranceofcurrentsecuritychecks

[C]highlightthenecessityofupgradingmajorU.S.airports

[D]emphasizetheimportanceofprivacyprotection

22.Whichofthefollowingcontributestolongwaitsatmajorairports?

[A]Newrestrictionsoncarry-onbags

[B]ThedecliningefficiencyoftheTSA

[C]Anincreaseinthenumberoftravelers

[D]Frequentunexpectedsecretchecks

23.Theword“expedited”(Line4,Para5)isclosestinmeaningto____

[A]quieter

[B]cheaper

[C]wider

[D]faster

24.OneproblemswithethePreCheckprogramis______.

[A]adramaticreductionofitsscale

[B]itswrongly-directedimplementation

[C]thegovernment’sreluctancetobackit

[D]anunreasonablepriceforenrollment

25.Whichofthefollowingwouldbethebesttitleforthetest?

[A]LessScreeningforMoreSafety

[B]PreCheck——aBelatedSolution

[C]GettingStuckinSecurityLines

[D]UnderusedPreCheckLanes

Text2

“TheancientHawaiianswereastronomers,”wroteQueenLiliuokalani,Hawaii’slastreigningmonarch,in1897.StarwatcherswereamongthemostesteemedmembersofHawaiiansociety.Sadly,allisnotwellwithastronomyinHawaiitoday.ProtestshaveeruptedoverconstructionoftheThirtyMeterTelescope(TMT),agiantobservatorythatpromisestorevolutionizehumanity’sviewofthecosmos.

AtissueistheTMT’splannedlocationonMaunaKea,adormantvolcanoworshipedbysomeHawaiiansasthepiko,thatconnectstheHawaiianIslandstotheheavens.ButMaunaKeaisalsohometosomeoftheworld’smostpowerfultelescopes.RestedinthePacificOcean,MaunaKea’speakrisesabovethebulkofourplanet’sdenseatmosphere,whereconditionsallowtelescopestoobtainimagesofunsurpassedclarity.

OppositiontotelescopesonMaunaKeaisnothingnew.AsmallbutvocalgroupofHawaiiansandenvironmentshavelongviewedtheirpresenceasdisrespectforsacredlandandapainfulreminderoftheoccupationofwhatwasonceasovereignnation.

Someblameforthecurrentcontroversybelongstoastronomers.Intheireagernesstobuildbiggertelescopes,theyforgotthatscienceistheonlywayofunderstandingtheworld.TheydidnotalwaysprioritizetheprotectionofMaunaKea’sfragileecosystemsoritsholinesstotheisland’sinhabitants.Hawaiiancultureisnotarelicofthepast;itisalivingcultureundergoingarenaissancetoday.

Yetsciencehasaculturalhistory,too,withrootsgoingbacktothedawnofcivilization.ThesamecuriositytofindwhatliesbeyondthehorizonthatfirstbroughtearlyPolynesianstoHawaii’sshoresinspiresastronomerstodaytoexploretheheavens.CallstodisassemblealltelescopesonMaunaKeaortobanfuturedevelopmentthereignoretherealitythatastronomyandHawaiianculturebothseektoanswerbigquestionsaboutwhoweare,wherewecomefromandwherewearegoing.Perhapsthatiswhyweexplorethestarryskies,asifansweringaprimalcallingtoknowourselvesandourtrueancestralhomes.

TheastronomycommunityismakingcompromisestochangeitsuseofMaunaKea.TheTMTsitewaschosentominimizethetelescope’svisibilityaroundtheislandandtoavoidarchaeologicalandenvironmentalimpact.TolimitthenumberoftelescopesonMaunaKea,oldoneswillberemovedattheendoftheirlifetimesandtheirsitesreturnedtoanaturalstate.ThereisnoreasonwhyeveryonecannotbewelcomedonMaunaKeatoembracetheirculturalheritageandtostudythestars_______.

26.QueenLiliuokalani’sremarkinParagraph1indicates

[A]itsconservativeviewonthehistoricalroleofastronomy.

[B]theimportanceofastronomyinancientHawaiiansociety.

[C]theregrettabledeclineofastronomyinancienttimes.

[D]herappreciationofstarwatchers’featsinhertime.

27.MaunaKeaisdeemedasanidealastronomicalsitedueto_______.

[A]itsgeographicalfeatures

[B]itsprotectivesurroundings.

[C]itsreligiousimplications.

[D]itsexistinginfrastructure.

28.Theconstructionofthe