1、模擬試題八PART V READING COMPREHENSIONIn this section there are several reading passages followed by twenty questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked A、B、C and D. Choose the one that you think is the correct answer. Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET. 題 82&

2、#160;- 86 TEXT A No other holiday that is today widely oBserved in North America Bas such a long and curious history as Thanksgiving. Throughout the BiBle, there are references to the Israelites setting apart days for special thanksgiving to the Lord. Such days were common in England Before the

3、 reformation and afterwards figured in the lives of the Protestants. In 1872, FeBruary 27 was set aside as a day of thanksgiving for the Prince of Wales' recovery from typhoid fever, for example. But these were only days of thanksgiving. The real, distinctively American Thanksgiving Day is a leg

4、acy of the Pilgrims-the English colonists, led By separatists from the Church of England-who arrived in America in DecemBer 1620 aBoard the Mayflower and founded Ply- mouth Colony. During the winter after arriving in the New World, 47 of the 103 Mayflower passengers died, But the remainder did not l

5、ose hope. By spring, each family had a home, and all were planting grains they had Brought with them and corn given them By friendly Wampanoag Indians. They were eating fish the Indians Bad taught them how to net, along with wild game from the woods. In gratitude for the plenteous harvest, Governor

6、Bradford set aside DecemBer 13, 1621 (old style calendar) for feasting and celeBration. There was no specific day of thanksgiving set aside in 1622. But in 1623, Thanksgiving Day was so devoted to showing gratitude to God, rather than to social activity, that some authorities say it was the real Beg

7、inning of Thanksgiving as we know it today. After the hard, severe winter of 1622 - 23, the Pilgrims planted seeds. Governor Bradford wrote that they hoped for a large crop, But suffered a drought from May till July. After discussing the situation with the worried colonists, Governor Bradford ordere

8、d a day of prayer and fasting, during which the Pilgrims were to humBle themselves Before the Lord. The crops were saved, and, after the harvest, "another solemn day was set apart for returning glory, honor and praise, with all thankfulness, to our Good GoD." During the following years thr

9、oughout New England, there were specific days of thanksgiving-sometimes once a year, sometimes twice. Sometimes a year was skipped. The part of the day spent in religious services varied, at least partially in keeping with the colonists' and the preachers' assessment of just how much they ha

10、d to Be thankful for at that particular time. George Washington was inaugurated president of the United States on April 30, 1789, and a few months later issued his first proclamation. It had to do with Thanksgiving. In SeptemBer, a few days Before Congress adjourned, Rep. Elias Boudinot made a motio

11、n that the president Be requested to recommend a day of prayer and thanksgiving for the many Blessings of the Almighty God, and particularly for His allowing them to estaBlish a government that would provide safety and happiness. The motion was carried, and President Washington proclaimed NovemBer 2

12、6, 1789, to Be Thanksgiving Day.82.According to the passage, _. Athe BiBle records Israelites' celeBration of Thanksgiving Day BThanksgiving Day originated from England Cpeople in England did not oBserve Thanksgiving Day until the reformation DFeBruary 27, 1872 was the first

13、Thanksgiving Day ever celeBrated in the world參考答案 A  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答根據文章第二段可知此題選A。83.All of the following contriButed to the survival of the Mayflower passengers EXCEPT _. Aplanting corn Bfishing Chunting Draising animals參考答案 D  您

14、的答案   得分 0詳細解答第四段說五月花號的乘客通過種糧食、打魚、打獵得以生存下去，因此選D。84.Some authorities Believe that the real Beginning of Thanksgiving was in the year of _. A1621 B1622 C1623 D1624參考答案 C  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答第六段說1623年的時候感恩節主要用來對上帝表示感謝，而不是某個特定的舉行社會活動

15、的日子。因此一些權威人士認為這就是我們今天所熟悉的感恩節的真正開始。85.In different parts of New England, Thanksgiving was celeBrated in all of the following ways EXCEPT _. Aonce a year Btwice a year Cevery other year Devery three years參考答案 D  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答文章倒數第二段說在新英格蘭的一些地方人們

16、慶祝感恩節有時一年一次，有時一年兩次，有時跳過一年，也就是兩年一次，因此選D。86.NovemBer 26, 1789 was _. Athe first officially proclaimed Thanksgiving Day in America Bthe first Thanksgiving Day oBserved By Americans Cthe day When George Washington was inaugurated President of the U. S. Dthe day when Elias Boudinot ma

17、de the motion to set up an official Thanksgiving Day參考答案 A  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答根據最后一段尤其是最后一句可知此題選A。 題 87 - 90 TEXT B Humour is proBaBly the hardest commodity to export. Jokes that make one country laugh out loud are likely to leave another nation co

18、nfused and silent. But humour can also Be very revealing, if not always funny. After all, jokes are often just another way of expressing anxieties, fears and even prejudices. In Britain, one of the most enduring types of humour is satire. This is the art of making fun of people in positions of power

19、-politicians, celeBrities and even royalty-in order to draw attention to their faults. While satire is not uniquely British, it does have a special appeal in Britain, and one of the Best examples of this is the success of the satirical magazine Private Eye. This magazine has Been poking fun at "

20、;the great and the good" in British puBlic life for the last 35 years, and its victims admit to reading it and laughing with it. One of the magazine's former contriButors, AuBeron Waugh, Believes the "Eye" is successful Because it repeats the Best jokes over and over again. "

21、You go Back and make the same jokes with a new twist every time, so you are, By the end, talking a private language, and I think readers like that." He goes on to say that "Americans come to London and claim to enjoy Private Eye, yet they can't understand a word of it." But it is

22、not only Americans who have difficulties understanding the "Eye". Its esoteric sense of humour and sometimes oBlique references to British news mean that only those people who closely follow the news Benefit from the jokes. This is why the magazine has practically no Buyers overseas even t

23、hough each issue sells 180,000 copies in Britain. The editor of the "Eye", Ian Hislop, explains how they choose their targets. "AnyBody who-in the words of a very old English satirist-is guilty of vice, folly or humBug. That's them." The Royal Family is always a favourite tar

24、get. One cartoon strip called "Liz" portrayed them as a rough, working class family from northern EnglanD. Over the years Private Eye has paid the price for criticising the powerful and has Been successfully sued several times. Ian Hislop says there are still "ten or 12" liBel wr

25、its outstanding. But some say the magazine is not as cutting or even as funny as it used to Be. They say it is too incestuous, featuring too much gossip aBout journalists and not enough hard-hitting satire. So are Ian Hislop and his gang in danger of Becoming part of the estaBlishment they claim to

26、expose?87.The writer Believes that _. Ahumour is the greatest Barrier Between nations Bjokes reveal national prejudices Chumour is language specific Djokes may dispel fears and anxieties參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答文章第一段最后一句說玩笑經常是表達焦慮、恐懼甚至偏見的另一種方式，據此選

27、B。88.By "victims" in Paragraph 3 the writer means _. Athe readers of Private Eye Bthe powerful people satirized By Private Eye Cthe British puBlic Dthe common people exploited By those in power參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答第三段說Private Eye的諷刺對

28、象是那些大人物，因此選B。89.Which of the following makes it difficult for foreigners to understand Private Eye? _ AMaking the same jokes with different words. BWriting jokes in a regional dialect of English. CFooling the powerful. DReferring to the local news of Britain.參考答案 D 

29、0;您的答案   得分 0詳細解答第五段談為什么外國人難以理解Private Eye中的文章，原因是它運用了一種不易被人領會的幽默，并且經常和英國當地新聞間接有關，因此選D。90.The criticism against Private Eye is that _. Ait has asked for too much legal trouBle Bit has prejudices against journalists Cits targets are limited in range Dit has Bec

30、ome part of the estaBlishment it satires參考答案 C  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答最后一段談到人們對Private Eye的批評，其中之一是有過多內容涉及新聞記者，換句話說它的報道范圍過于狹窄，因此選C。 題 91 - 93 TEXT C You can take the person out of nature, But you can't take nature out of the person. The latest scie

31、ntific thinking tells us that even in the modem workplace, we're still at the mercy of Basic Biology. Consider the workweek. For inalienaBle Biological reasons, Monday tends to Be the least productive day for most people. "It's simply natural to feel stress when making the transition fr

32、om pleasuraBle engagement Back into work," says Arnold Brown, principal at Weiner Edrich Brown, a New York City trend-tracking firm that culls scientific findings with workplace implications. He's come across a study, meanwhile, that shows Tuesday is our most productive day, falling after t

33、he Monday doldrums and Before a pre-week-end slump that Builds throughout the rest of the week. We also can't shut out input from our senses. For example, findings show that our sense of smell is closely tied to memory. Brown's workplace tip: DaB on a Bit of scent-any scent-while you're

34、practicing a speech. When you deliver it, put on the same scent, and your recall will Be improved. Studies also show there's no suBstitute for natural light. It triggers our Brains to produce serotonin, which makes us awake and alert. "Why are meeting moms often deep inside Buildings, with

35、muted light?" asks Brown. "Are we telling executives, 'let's not think aBout things'?"91.By the first sentence, the writer means that _. Ayou can change a person's nature for a while, But you can't change it permanently Byou can change man's living co

36、nditions, But you can't change his nature Cyou can follow Biological roles But you can't Break them Dyou can improve yourself But you can't change your nature參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答本文主要談人們在工作場所如何受到自然和生物規律的支配。第一句話緊扣主題，意思是“你可以使一個人脫離大自然的環境，卻不能使他擺

37、脫大自然規律的支配?！币虼诉xB。92.According to the study discussed in the second paragraph, which of the following weekdays is the most productive?_ AFriday. BWednesday. CMonday. DThursday.參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答第二段說對大部分人來說，星期一效率最低，星期二效率最高，然后在一周剩下的工作日里會逐漸積聚起一種

38、周末之前的拖沓萎靡(a pre-week-end slump)，由此推斷此題選B。93.According to the passage, which of the following statements aBout Arnold Brown is tree?_ AHe Believes that Thursday is the most productive day. BHe found that the sense of smell influences memory. CHe discovered that natural light makes us a

39、wake and alert. DHe suggests that meeting rooms Be put where there is enough natural light.參考答案 D  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答根據上一題解釋可知A不正確；第三段說有研究表明氣味與記憶緊密相關，Arnold Brown只是根據這個研究對一些單位提出提高工作效率的建議，因此B不正確；由于同樣的原因C也不正確；最后一句話是Arnold Brown的一個反問：“難道我們在告訴主管們：讓我們不要思考吧?”，言下之意是會議室應

40、該安排在有充足自然光源的地方，因此選D。 題 94 - 97 TEXT D Poetry Daily, a weB site for professionally puBlished poetry, was set up in April 1997 and By the end of August had Been visited By more than a million internet users. The online anthology offers a new poem every day from more than 50 puBlish

41、ers of poetry Books and journals. The service is one of many sites Benefiting from the growing popularity of poetry on the world Wide WeB. "Our goal is to make poetry a part of daily life again," says co-founder of Poetry Daily, Don SelBy. "Using the weB, our readers can enjoy a new p

42、oem over their morning coffee, at the start of their work day, or on their lunch hour." Although more than a thousand poetry Books are puBlished in the United States every year, promotional Budgets for poetry puBlications remain small, and competition for Bookstore shelf space has intensifieD.

43、Editor and co-founder Diane Boiler Believes Poetry Daily provides an opportunity for readers to Browse in a way that would Be difficult in a Bookstore. "We're Bringing readers and puBlishers together at no cost to either party." Readers are responding enthusiastically to the service. &

44、quot;I've always had an interest in poetry," says a weB site reader in Utah, "But since I've started reading the daily selections, I've Become more active in seeking out the poetry magazines and journals featured, and in reading the collected works of poets whose work has Been

45、displayeD." Poetry Daily also generates interest in poetry By providing unusual links to related sites. For example, BoB Hicok's, "My JoB As It Related To Bruegel's Netherlandish ProverBs," featured a link to a weB museum's image of Bruegel's painting. Readers could ac

46、tually see the "pillar Biters" and "hen touchers" referred to in the poem. After seeing the feature, the poet commented, "When I've thought aBout what can and should Be done with a weB puBlication, a primary point of interest has Been the possiBility of linking images an

47、d text. Including a link to the painting is a defining use of the medium, a way of using the technology to achieve what can't Be done elsewhere." Poetry Daily regularly provides links to other sites related to the featured poet of the day. Those within the puBlishing industry have praised t

48、he site as well. Wen Stephenson, Director of the online edition of The Atlantic Monthly, states in a review that "It's rare to find a site with as clear and quietly stated a sense of mission as Poetry Daily." "It provides," he says, "an inexpensive and potentially powerf

49、ul way to promote poets and poetry puBlishers while also serving readers." Stephenson reports that the poetry pages of the online Atlantic Monthly are one of the most popular features of his site.94.Which of the following statements aBout Poetry Daily is true?_ AIt is an online service.

50、60;BIt was initiated in August 1997. CIt puBlishes a new poem every day. DIt has Been the only weBsite of its kind so far.參考答案 A  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答文章第一段告訴我們Poetry Daily網站于1997年4月建立，每天轉載一首刊登在詩集和詩歌雜志上的詩歌，這個網站只是許多同類網站中的一個，因此選A。95.Which of the following is NOT

51、mentioned as one of the advantages of Poetry Daily?_ AIt is convenient to the readers. BIt provides much more shelf space for poetry. CIt enaBles readers to Browse more freely. DIt helps promote poetry magazines and journals.參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳

52、細解答第三段說盡管在美國每年有一千本詩集出版，但用于宣傳的資金很少，而且不同種類的書都在競爭書店中的空間，競爭越來越激烈，而Poetry Daily網站使讀者可以以一種在書店中無法辦到的方式瀏覽詩歌方面的出版物，拉近了讀者和出版商之間的距離，而且兩者都無需為此付出什么，因此選B。96.According to the passage, BoB Hicok is _. Athe painter of Netherlandish ProverBs Ba featured poet on Poetry Daily Ca weB technician with Poetr

53、y Daily Dthe director of a weB museum參考答案 B  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答根據第五段可知此題選B。97.Which of the following statements aBout The Atlantic Monthly is true? _ AIt is a popular poetry weBsite. BIts director is Wen Stephenson. CIt has a clear sense of mission

54、. DIt includes poetry pages in the online edition.參考答案 D  您的答案   得分 0詳細解答根據最后一段特別是最后一句話可知此題選D。 題 98 - 101 TEXT E Medical technology has not only increased the possiBility for a woman to Bear a child, But has led to methods whereBy a couple

55、can make use of another woman's Body to Bear a child for them. Now, in many states it is even legal for fertile women to solicit paying customers. A Houston BillBoard advertisement recently announced "WomB for Rent." Such contractual arrangements should Be made illegal. First, these co

56、ntracts too often result in lawsuits. Why suBject children to years of Bitter courtroom deBate over whom to call "Mommy"? Second, in a day and age when it is so important to maintain the heritage of families, surrogacy only confuses the very definition of "family." Finally, surrogacy is immoral. It's one thing for a spouse to Be assisted By a doctor with his or her own reproductive aBilities. But to Bring a third person's Body into the situation is contrary to the idea of marriage: "two Becoming one." A childless couple sh