第二章 阅读理解

1、第二章 阅读理解第二节 强化训练题Reading Comprehension (Multiple Choice) Directions: Read the following passages carefully and choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C and D. Passage 1 Psychics (通灵的人) are people who can get information about people, places, or situations through a sixth sense-a s

2、ense that exists in addition to those of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. They can use their psychic ability to heal people who are sick, to give advice, to give hints about the future, and to do many other things. And its not just individuals who use psychics; sometimes companies a

3、nd governments use psychics, too. One year a company called Delphi and Associates earned $120,000 on the stock market with the help of psychics. So how can I get some psychic help? you may ask yourself. Well, you dont have to pay a lot of money to a professional psychic. You can start by using your

4、own psychic ability. Psychic abilities are really just another sense, similar to our other five senses. The difference is that we never develop our psychic sense in the same way that we develop our other senses. We train our eyes to see the difference between a V and a U; we train our ears to hear t

5、he difference between a /ch/ and a /sh/ sound; we can feel the difference between silk and leather; we can smell and taste if milk is sour. But our sixth sense, our psychic sense, seldom develops very much. Because most of us ignore our psychic sense for so long, it takes some time to develop it. If

6、 you have never played soccer before, you cannot expect to be a good player after three lessons. It might take years to become really good. Psychic ability works the same way.1. People use psychics _A_. A mainly to see the future B to make money C to see what one cannot usually see D for many reason

7、s 2. _C_ learn to use their psychic ability. A Many people B Many companies C Few people D Few governments 3. Psychic abilities _A_. A are similar to other senses B work in the same way as other senses C are different from other senses D work together with other senses 4. Our psychic sense seldom de

8、velops very much because _C_. A we never sense it B. we never believe in it C we ignore it D we dont want to take time to train it 5. The attitude of the author towards psychic abilities is _A_. A positive B negative C critical D neutral Passage1 1. A语义题mainly 是个关键词，它让A做正确答案更合适，BC过于决断，D不确切 2. C细节题 见

9、第三段3. A 细节题 见第三段首句B为干扰项虽然和最后一句话一样但含义有差别，最后一句是指Psychic ability takes time to develop, just as the other five sense.4. C 细节题 见第三段倒数第三句5. A 态度题 见第三段首句和末句Passage 2 It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman wa

10、s protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆) or decimum. Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of being abandoned, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The decimum was the wifes right to receive a tenth of all h

11、er husbands property. The wife had the right to hold back consent, in all transactions (交易) the husband would make. And more than just a right: the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in

12、 the legal status of husband and wife. The wife shared in the management of her husbands personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine figh

13、ting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas, a Catalan woman of Barcelona. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the official in charge

14、to have a contract as expected drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miros personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, for the sake of peace. Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the Catalan wife knew how to win herself, within t

15、he context of the family, a powerful economic position. 6. A decimum was _. A the wifes inheritance from her father B a gift of money to the new husband C a written contract D the wifes right to receive one-tenth of her husbands property 7. In the society described in the passage, the legal standing

16、 of the wife in marriage was _C_.A higher than that of her husband B lower than that of her husband C the same as that of her husband D higher than that of a single woman 8. What compensation did Maria Vivas get for the field? A Some of the land Miro had inherited B A tenth of Miros land. C Money fo

17、r household expenses. D Money from Miros inheritance. 9. Could a husband sell his wifes inheritance? A No, under no circumstances. B Yes, whenever he wished to. C Yes, if she agreed. D Yes, if his father-in-law agreed. 10. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an effect of the dowry system? A T

18、he husband had to share the power of decision in marriage. B The wife was protected from being abandoned. C The wife gained a powerful economic position. D The husband was given control over his wifes property Passage 26. D语义题见第一段第四句。7. C 细节题 见第一段最后一句。8. A 细节题 见第二段第四句。9. C 细节题 the case of Maria Viva

19、s is an example10. D 推理题 见第一段第三句，AC见第一段四五六七句，D明显与文中例子矛盾，所以选D。Passage 3 Some cynical experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that

20、 the car will remain a leading means of city travel in the immediate future. The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pol

21、lution-free than present models. Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main source of traffic congestion (拥挤) in cities. One proposed solution to this problem is the computerized highway system. When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸缩的) arm will

22、 drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the

23、cars movements. The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器)

24、that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that a computerized highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway.11. One significant improvement in the future car will probably be _A_.A its powe

25、r source B its driving system C its monitoring system D its seating capacity 12. What is the authors main concern? CA How to make automobiles pollution-free B How to abandon automobiles in the future. CHow to solve the problem of traffic jams. DHow to develop a computerized subway system. 13. What p

26、rovides autos with electric power in a computerized highway system? AA A rail. B An engine.C A retractable arm.D A computer controller.14. In a computerized highway system, all the driver needs to do is _D_. A keep in the right lane B wait to arrive at his destination C keep in constant touch with t

27、he computer center D inform the system of his destination by phone 15. What is the authors attitude toward the future of autos?CAEnthusiastic. BCynical. COptimistic. D Cautious. Passage 311. A推理题 见第三段第一句12. C推理题 见第三段13. A细节题 见第四段第一二句14. D细节题 见第五段第一句15. C态度题 文章解决了未来汽车两个问题，污染问题和交通拥挤问题，可见作者对未来汽车是持积极态度的

28、。Passage 4Stock prices tumbled on Wall Street and across much of the rest of the world yesterday. They were driven sharply lower by worries over slowing economic growth in the United States and worsening borrowing conditions that could make everything from huge corporate buyouts to buying a new home

29、 more difficult. Major stock market gauges - including the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poors 500-stock index - were down more than 2 percent.It was the worst one-day decline on Wall Street since markets plunged worldwide in late February after an investing scare in Shanghai, and

30、it occurred amid the biggest volume of trading on the New York Stock Exchange in five years. Losses were comparable throughout Europe, and larger in many developing countries. The preconditions for a shock are in place, said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys E. Until very recently inve

31、stors were very nonchalant about risks.Stock markets have been volatile in recent weeks. Continued strong profits for many companies and an economic boom in Asia have helped push oil prices higher. Meanwhile, however, there are various signs of weakness in the American economy and new difficulties i

32、n borrowing for many homeowners and companies that are highly leveraged or have poor credit.The plunge came a day after the private equity firm buying Chrysler from DaimlerChrysler said it would complete the transaction for the automaker despite an inability to borrow the money in credit markets, as

33、 had been planned. Banks will hold those loans, as they will for a similar deal involving Alliance Boots, a British pharmacy chain. Shares of DaimlerChrysler fell $4.11, to $88.91. There is fear, but not a fear of recession, said Bill Gross, chief investment officer of the Pacific Investment Managem

34、ent Company, known as Pimco, a large bond management firm. The fear is directed toward the question of who will be willing to lend $200 billion to provide takeout financing for previously announced private equity deals.Yesterday, the Dow industrials plunged 311.50 points, or 2.3 percent, to 13,473.5

35、7, while the S.& P. 500 dropped 35.43 points, or 2.3 percent, to 1,482.66. The Nasdaq composite index was down 48.83 points, or 1.8 percent, to 2,599.34. The S.& P. is still up 4.5 percent for the year, while the Dow is 8.1 percent higher. But the S.& P. has fallen 4.5 percent since reaching a recor

36、d last week. In the last hour or so of trading, the major Wall Street indexes recovered about a third of their steepest losses for the day. Losses of more than 2 percent were recorded in Spain, France and Germany, while Britain, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil fell more than 3 percent. Asian markets fe

37、ll less yesterday, closing before the worst selling began, but opened down sharply on Friday.16.The passage is mainly_A_.A a review of the current condition of the American and world stock marketB an introduction of the world stock market C a survey of the stock deal of DaimlerChryslerD about the up

38、s and downs of stock prices17.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?A Currently it is more difficult for Americans to borrow money from banks for house purchase. AB The losses from stock markets are similar in U.S. and some developing countries.C Investors were worried about the poten

39、tial risks in stock market before yesterday.D Economic boom in Asia prevent its stock market from falling.18. If you were an investor, you might be able to earn money if _C_.A you held the shares of DaimlerChryslerB you purchased new shares when the stock market opened yesterday.C you bought and sol

40、d shares at the last one or two hours before closingD you didnt trade any shares yesterday.19.We can infer from the text that _D_.A The Chrysler transaction will turn to be a failure.B The banks hold the loans because of Alliance Boots.C Bill Gross thinks the fear is from the huge amount of money.D

41、The difficulty of borrowing leads to the shrinking prices of shares of DaimlerChrysler.20. The writers attitude towards the current stock market is_B_.A biasedB objectiveC pessimisticD optimisticPassage 416A. 主旨题。判断文章主旨要从文章整体来把握。文章第一段就指出美国股市昨日大幅下跌，接下来的几段都在介绍下跌的状况、原因、相关因素，并且详细介绍了各个股票指数的一系列数据，最后一段又描述了

42、世界其他地区股市情况，可见全文都是在说明美国和世界股市的现状。17A. 细节题。根据文章第一段第二句，“从大公司收购到普通人购买房屋等各种事情都变得更加困难”，答案显而易见。其余三个选项均与文章意思相反。18C. 细节题。根据文章第五段最后一句，“在昨日收盘前的一小时左右时间里，华尔街的各种主要指数在一天的狂跌之后上涨了约三分之一的幅度”，所以在最后一两个小时内进行买卖的投资者有可能会获利。19D. 推理题。根绝文章第四段第一、二句话谈到借钱不顺利，银行不愿意贷款等情况，因此导致了克莱斯勒收购案进展受到了一定的阻碍。这一消息的结果影响到了公司的股价，紧接着第三句话就是谈到了戴姆勒-克莱斯勒股票

43、价格的下跌。可见两者之间是有因果联系的。20B. 态度题。作者的态度可以通过材料的选择和措辞来判断。纵观全文，作者基本上都在描述事实和引用各种数据、言论，并没有发表自己的看法。可见，作者对于股市现状的态度是非常客观的。Passage 5In the next century well be able to alter our DNA radically, encoding our visions and vanities while concocting new life-forms. When Dr. Frankenstein made his monster, he wrestled wi

44、th the moral issue of whether he should allow it to reproduce, “Had I the right, for my own benefit, to inflict the curse upon everlasting generations?” Will such questions require us to develop new moral philosophies?Probably not. Instead, well reach again for a timetested moral concept, one someti

45、mes called the Golden Rule and which Kant, the millenniums most prudent moralist, conjured up into a categorical imperative: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; treat each person as an individual rather than as a means to some end.Under this moral precept we should recoil at human clo

46、ning, because it inevitably entails using humans as means to other humans ends and valuing them as copies of others we loved or as collections of body parts, not as individuals in their own right. We should also draw a line, however fuzzy, that would permit using genetic engineering to cure diseases

47、 and disabilities but not to change the personal attributes that make someone an individual (IQ, physical appearance, gender and sexuality).The biotech age will also give us more reason to guard our personal privacy. Aldous Huxley in Brave New World, got it wrong: rather than centralizing power in t

48、he hands of the state, DNA technology has empowered individuals and families. But the state will have an important role, making sure that no one, including insurance companies, can look at our genetic data without our permission or use it to discriminate against us.Then we can get ready for the brea

49、kthroughs that could come at the end of the next century and the technology is comparable to mapping our genes: plotting the 10 billion or more neurons of our brain. With that information we might someday be able to create artificial intelligences that think and experience consciousness in ways that

50、 are indistinguishable from a human brain. Eventually we might be able to replicate our own minds in a “dryware” machine, so that we could live on without the “wetware” of a biological brain and body. The 20th centurys revolution in infotechnology will thereby merge with the 21st centurys revolution

51、 in biotechnology. But this is science fiction. Lets turn the page now and get back to real science.21.Dr. Frankensteins remarks are mentioned in the text_A to give an episode of the DNA technological breakthroughs.B to highlight the importance of a means to some everlasting ends.C to show how he cr

52、eated a new form of life a thousand years ago.D to introduce the topic of moral philosophies incurred in biotechnology.22.It can be concluded from the text that the technology of human cloning should be employed_A excessively and extravagantly. B reasonably and cautiously.C aggressively and indiscri

53、minately. D openly and enthusiastically.23.From the text, we learn that Aldous Huxley is of the opinion that_A DNA technology should be placed in the charge of individuals.B government should assume less control over individuals.C people need government to protect their DNA information.D old moral p

54、recepts should be abolished on human cloning.24.Judged from the information in the last paragraph, we can predict that the author is likely to write which of the following in the next section?A The reflection upon biotechnological morality.B The offensive invasion of our personal privacy.C The inevi

55、table change of IQs for our descendants.D The present state of biotechnological research.25.According to the last paragraph, “dry-ware” is to “wet-ware” as_A “collective” to “individual”. B “fictional” to “factual”.C “mechanical” to “corporeal”. D “temporary” to “permanent”.Passage 6Before a big exa

56、m, a sound nights sleep will do you more good than poring over textbooks. That, at least, is the folk wisdom. And science, in the form of behavioral psychology, supports that wisdom. But such behavioral studies cannot distinguish between two competing theories of why sleep is good for the memory. On

57、e says that sleep is when permanent memories form. The other says that they are actually formed during the day, but then “edited” at night, to flush away what is superfluous.To tell the difference, it is necessary to look into the brain of a sleeping person, and that is hard. But after a decade of painstaking work, a team led by Pierre Maquet at Liege University in Belgium has managed to do it. The particular stage of sleep in which the Belgian group is interested in is rapid eye movement (REM) sl