英语六级阅读备考练习题及答案

英语六级阅读备考练习题及答案

无论是在学校还是在社会中，我们会经常接触并使用练习题，做习题在我们的学习中占有非常重要的位置，对掌握知识、培养能力和检验学习的效果都是非常必要的，还在为找参考习题而苦恼吗？下面是小编精心整理的英语六级阅读备考练习题及答案，仅供参考，大家一起来看看吧。

The life story of the human species goes back a million years, and there is no doubt that man came only recently to the western hemisphere. None of the thousands of sites of aboriginal habitation uncovered in North and South America has antiquity comparable to that of old World sites. Man‘s occupation of the New World may date several tens of thousands of years, but no one rationally argues that he has been here even 100,000 years. Speculation as to how man found his way to America was lively at the outset, and the proposed routes boxed the compass. With one or two notable exceptions, however, students of American anthropology soon settled for the p(苹果***强制关机发出警报声的解决方法如下：1、线路松了，换个排线。2、如果是内屏坏了，直接换屏幕总成。3、如果换了屏幕还不行，那就是主板的触屏ic问题了，所谓触屏ic就是控制触摸屏的一个芯片，能换，但是对工艺要求非常高，这是芯片级别的维修，一般的小店都不会的。只能联系售后中心进行维修。)lausible idea that the first immigrants came b way of a land bridge that had connected the northeast comer of Asia to the northwest corner of North America across the Bering Strait. Mariners were able to supply the reassuring information that the strait is not only narrow – it is 56 miles wide – but also shallow, a lowering of the sea level there by 100 feet or so would transform the strait into an isthmus (地峡). With little eels in the way of evidence to sustain the Bering Strait land bridge, anthropologists (人类学家) embraced the idea that man walked dryshod (不湿鞋的) from Asia to America. Toward the end of the last century, however, it became apparent that the Western Hemisphere was the New World not only for man but also for a host of animals and plants. Zoologists and botanists showed that numerous subjects of their respective kingdoms must have originated in Asia and spread to America. These findings were neither astonishing nor wholly unexpected. Such spread of populations is not to be envisioned as an exodus or mass migration, even in the case of animals. It is, rather, a spilling into new territory that accompanies increase in numbers, with movement in the direction of least population pressure and most favorable ecological conditions. But the immense traffic in plant and animal‘s forms placed a heavy burden on the Bering Strait land bridge as the anthropologists ahead envisioned it. Whereas purposeful men could make their way across a narrow bridge, the slow diffusion of plant and animals would require an avenue as a continent and available for ages at a stretch.

1.The movement of plants and animals form Asia to America indicates ______.

A.that they could not have traveled across the Bering Strait

B.that Asia and the Western hemisphere were connected by a large land mass

C.that the Bering Sea was an isthmus at one time

D.that migration was in the one direction only

2.The author is refuting the notion that _____.

A.life arose in America independently of life in Europe

B.the first settlers in America came during the sixteenth century

C.a large continent once existed which has disappeared

D.man was a host to animals and plants

3.By using the words ―boxed the compass ―(in Line 7) the author implies that _____.

A.the migration of mankind was from West to East

B.the migration of mankind was from East to West

C.mankind traveled in all directions

D.mankind walked from Asia to America

4.One reason for the migration not mentioned by the author is _____.

A.overcrowding B.favorable environmental conditions

C.famine D.the existence of a land bridge

5.We may assume that in the paragraph that follows this passage the author argues about______.

A.the contributions of anthropologist

B.the contributions of zoologists and botanists

C.the contributions made by the American Indians

D.the existence of a large land mass between Asia and North America

答案：BCCCD

Plastic, it seems, is no longer fantastic. Even Hollywood, that factory of artifice (欺骗), is demanding areturn to reality when it comes to women’s bodies.

Disney Studio s recent casting call for female extras for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film included a surprise announcement: Must have real breasts. Do not submit if you have implants (移植物). Surgically enhanced breasts might still be considered sexy or essential by airhead starlets and models. but the new buzzword(时髦语) in America is authenticity . That s why. for women in the public eye. having fake breasts is looking increasingly less like a career move and more like career suicide. Another indication thatfake breasts are going bust is the fact that television shows such as Extreme Makeover and The Swan (TV which promised to nip and tuck ordinary women into goddesses) have been cancelled. while statistics from theAmerican Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that the number of breast enlargements in America fellfrom 365,000 to 312,000 last year.

In many surveys. research has shown that the larger the breasts, the more stupid a woman is considered to be. Other women,meanwhile, consider women with large breasts as a threat-so having a surgical enhancement is a lose-lose situation. Chantelle Houghton (from Big Brother remember her?) almost immediately regrettedgelling implants to boost her chest and admits that they were taking over her life . and she had io resort to physiotherapy to deal with the back pain they caused. Even Sharon Osbourne, voted the queen of nip and tuck(整容手术), said recently: I wish I d never had my breasts done. It s like having a waterbed on your chest I hate them. I want to have the bags taken out-then I ll put them on eBay.

The more stories we hear like this the better. because then perhaps young women will realize that large breasts aren’t che assets they think they are-or Hollywood has made them out to be.

1. What is the new trend in Hollywood as to women’s bodies?

2. For mindless starlets and models. plastic breasts might be___________________.

3. That surgically enhanced breasts are not popular is manifested by the______________ of some TV shows.

4. According to many surveys. if a woman has large breasts. she will be regarded as_______________by otherwomen.

5. The author hopes that through some real stories, young women can be aware that large breasts____________________as they think.

答案：

1.[A return to reality.]

[定位]根据题干中的Hollywood和women s bodies查找到第1段第2句。

解析：本段第1句中的no longer道出整形潮流的改变。第2句指出，好莱坞对女性身材也要求回归真实自然，题干中as towomen s bodies对应原文中的when it comes to women s bodies，答案可在该句主句中找到。

2.[sexy or essential]

[定位]根据题干中的starlets and models查找到第2段第2句。

解析：题干中的mindless和plastic breasts分别为原文中airhead和surgically enhanced breasts的同义替换，所以原文中considered后的sexy or essential为本题答案。

3.[cancellation]

[定位]根据题干中的TV shows查找到第2段第4句。

解析：根据空白处前后的冠词和介词，推断这里需要填入一个名词。该句提到，另一个隆胸潮流不再的迹象，就是有些节目被取消了(have been cancelled)，因此需将cancelled转化为其名词形式cancellation。

4.[a threat]

[定位]根据题干中的surveys, large breasts以及other women查找到第3段第2句。

解析：题干将原文主动句改成了被动句，原文中的consider... as 对应题干中的regarded as,故原文中的as的`宾语a threat就是答案。

5.[aren t the assets]

[定位]根据题干中的young women，large breasts以及they think查找到第4段。

解析：原文最后一段说，这样的真实故事听得越多，也就越明白丰满的胸部并不像想象中的那样是一种优势，题干表达相同的意思，比较原文与题干，可知aren t the assets为答案。

Depending on which player you ask, the Fevernova ball that sports equipment maker Adidas says provides the ultimate soccer experience is Uncontrollable, too big or just simply stupid . The ball also has its fans, like England s David Beckham. but so far they seem to have been outnumbered by critics.

Adidas says the ball. splashed with gold coloring. is quite simply the best around-25 percent more accurate than the ball used at France 98 thanks to meticulous testing by scientists in Germany.

The tongue-twisting nature of its contents confirms that the World Cup ball has come a long way from the leather-and-laces variety that was common as recently as the 1960s.

The Fevernova s secret. Adidas says. is its radically improved Syntactic foam and unique knitted Raschel fabric.

Given that this is supposed to make the ball faster and provide the freekick specialists like Beckham withmore power, it may not be surprising that goalkeepers like Buffon are unhappy. Spain goalkeeper Pedro Contreras said the bail acts strangely , while Danish keeper Thomas Sorensen admitted gloomily that it would probably result in more spectacular goals. As a goalkeeper, you have to live with the fact that the makers create balls for the benefit of strikers. he said before leaving Copenhagen for South Korea.

But outfield players have also weighed in with criticism, many saying the ball is too light and therefore hard to control. It’s big and it s too light, Japan s Jiji news agency quoted Brazilian forward Edilsonas saying earlier this month. while striker Rivaldo said it soared too far when kicked.

Journalists at the main press centre in Yokohama have been given the chance to try out the Fevernova from the penalty spot, with the aim of hitting special targets in the goal. So far. few have been able to scoremore than five out of ten, although this may have little to do with the quality of the ball.

Putz. admits that the ball is on the light side of FIFA s 420 to 445 gram weight requirement. but says it is no bigger than previous balls.

The controversy over the ball also has an off-pitch dimension. Industry insiders say it may be no coincidence that players from Brazil. sponsored by Adidas rival Nike, have been among the ball s most vociferous critics.

The same might go for the praise dished out for the ball by Beckham. one of the main players used to promote Adidas equipment.

1. How does Adidas describe the Fevernova”ba11?

A) The experience provided by the ball is the best so far.

B) The ball is almost impossible to control because of its large size.

C) The ball has gone through a long way of development.

D) The experience provided by the ball is most welcome by strikers.

2. What does the author think about the Syntactic foam and unique Raschel fabric chat are used to make theball?

A) The materials have long been used in history.

B) The materials do not sound Familiar.

C) The materials are new and advanced.

D) The materials improve che precision of the ball.

3. The goalkeepers tend to admit reluctantly that_____________.

A) the ball is too strange to control

B) the ball is so light that it goes too fast

C) the ball may make the game more thrilling

D) the ball may help to enhance the strikers skills

4. Which of the following js true according to Putz?

A) The ball is lighter than but of the same size as the previous ones.

B) The ball should have been heavier to meet the required weight.

C) The ball should have been bigger than the previous ones.

D) The ball is light but still meets the weight requirement.

5. According to industry insiders. Beckham s comment on the ball_____________.

A) is justified in his daily training

B) is out of commercial purpose

C) goes as radical as the Brazilian players

D) is similar to that by the Brazilian players

答案：

1.阿迪达斯如何形容“飞火流星”球?

A) 这个球所带来的体验是迄今为止最好的。

B) 这个球基本上不可能控制，因为体积太大了。

C) 这个球已经经过了很长时间的开发。

D) 这个球所带来的体验最为前锋所欢迎。

[A]首段首句中的ultimate experience表明Adidas公司认为“飞火流星”是至今最完美的足球，因此选项A为本题答案。

2. 作者怎么看用来制造这个球的复合泡沫塑料以及独特的拉歇尔经编针织物?

A) 在历史上这种材料已经使用了很长时间。

B) 这种材料听上去很陌生。

C) 这种材料是新型的先进的。

D) 这种材料提高了球的精准度。

[B]第3段开头的tongue-twisting表明人们对于制作“飞火流星”的材料及其功能都并不熟悉，因此选项B为本题答案。第3段表明“飞火流星”的材料经过很长时间才研制出来，并非长久以来一直在使用，由此可见。选项A不正确;第4段是Adidas公司的看法，并非作者的看法，因此选项C不符合题意;根据第2段可判断选项D也是Adidas公司的看法。而并非作者的看法。

3.守门员会不情愿地承认，______________。

A) 这个球很奇怪，很难控制 B)这个球很轻，速度太快

C) 这个球会让整场比赛更加精彩 D)这个球可以提高前锋的技艺

[C]本题题干中的reluctantly是关键词，指出本题要求查找的是“飞火流星”具有的优点，而这个优点是守门员们不想面对或承认的。选项C与第5段第2句中的gloomily that it would probably result in more spectacular goals 内容相近，符合题意.为本题答案。

4.根据Putz所说，下列哪一种说法是正确的?

A) 相比以前同样大小的球，这种球更加轻。

B) 这种球本应该更重一些，才能达到要求的重量。

C) 这种球本应该比以往的球更大一些。

D) 这种球很轻，但是仍能达到要求的重量。

[D]本题要求正确理解第8段中的on the light side of FIFA s 420 to 445 gram weight requirement，该句应理解为“飞火流星”重量偏轻，但仍属于要求范围内，选项D是正确的理解，为本题答案。

5. 根据业内人士所称，贝克汉姆对这种球的评价_________________.

A) 是根据他平时的训练所作出的

B)是出于商业目的`的考虑

C) 跟巴西球员的评价一样激烈

D) 与巴西球员的评价类似

[B]概括最后两段可以得知，业内人士认为对“飞火流星”的批评和称赞都与赞助公司有关，也就是说，这些评价都出于商业目的，由此可推断选项B为本题答案。选项A中的training在原文根本没有提及;末段开头的The same might go 表明的是Beckham和巴西球员对“飞火流星”做出的评价源于相似的目的，而非表明他们的评价内容相似，程度相同，因此选项C和D都不正确。

An industrial society, especially one as centralized and concentrated as that of Britain, is heavily dependant on certain essential services: for instance, electricity supply, water, rail and road transport, the harbors. The area of dependency has widened to include removing rubbish, hospital and ambulance services, and, as the economy develops, central computer and information services as well. If any of these services ceases to operate, the whole economic system is in danger.

It is this interdependency of the economic system that makes the power of trade unions such an important issue. Single trade unions have the ability to cut off many economic blood supplies. This can happen more easily in Britain than in some other countries, in part because the labor force is highly organized. About 55 per cent of British workers belong to unions, compared to under a quarter in the United States. For historical reasons, Britain s unions have tended to develop along trade and occupational lines, rather than on an industry-by-industry basis, which makes wage policy, democracy in industry and the improvement of procedures for fixing wage levels difficult to achieve.

There are considerable strains and tensions in the trade union movement, some of them arising from their outdated and inefficient structure. Some unions have lost many members because of industrial changes. Others are involved in arguments about who should represent workers in new trades. Unions for skilled trades are separate from general unions, which means that different levels of wages for certain jobs are often a source of bad feeling between unions. In traditional trades which are being pushed out of existence by advancing technologies, unions can fight for their members disappearing jobs to the point where the jobs of other union s members are threatened or destroyed. The printing of newspapers both in the United States and in Britain has frequently been halted by the efforts of printers to hold on to their traditional highly-paid jobs.

21. Why is the question of trade union power important in Britain?

A. The economy is very much interdependent.

B. Unions have been established a long time.

C. There are more unions in Britain than elsewhere.

D. There are many essential services.

22. Because of their out-of-date organization some unions find it difficult to______.

A. change as industries change B. get new members to join them

C. learn new technologies D. bargain for high enough wages

23. Disagreements arise between unions because some of them

A. try to win over members of other unions

B. ignore agreements

C. protect their own members at the expense of others

D. take over other union s jobs

24. It is difficult to improve the procedures for fixing wage levels because______.

A. some industries have no unions

B. unions are not organized according to industries

C. only 55 per cent of workers belong to unions

D. some unions are too powerful

25. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A. There are strains and tensions in the trade union movement.

B. Some unions have lost many members.

C. Some unions exist in the outdated structure.

D. A higher percentage of American workers belong to unions than that of British workers.

21. A 22. A 23. C 24. B 25. D

The History of Chinese Americans

Chinese have been in the United States for almost two hundred years. In fact. the Chinese had business relations with Hawaii prior to relations with the mainland when Hawaii was not yet part of the United States.But United States investments controlled the capital of Hawaii at that time. In 1788,a ship sailed from Guangzhou to Hawaii. Most of the crewmen were Chinese. They were considered the pioneers of Hawaii. The Immigration Commission reported that the first Chinese arrived in the United States in 1820. eight in 1830 andseven hundred and eighty in 1850. The Chinese population gradually increased and reached 64,199 in 1870.

For many years it was common in the United States to associate Chinese Americans with restaurants and laundries. People did not realize that the Chinese had been driven into these occupations by the prejudice anddiscrimination that faced them in this country.

The First Chinese to reach the mainland United States came during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Like most of the other people there, they had come to search for gold. In that largely unoccupied land,the men staked a claim for themselves by placing markers in the ground. However. either because the Chinese were sodifferent from the others or because they worked so patiently that they sometimes succeeded in turning a seemingly worthless mining claim into a profitable one, they became che scapegoats of their envious competitors. They were harassed in many ways. Often they were prevented from working their claims; some localities even passed regulations forbidding them to own claims. The Chinese therefore started to seek out other ways of earning a living. Some of them began to do che laundry for the white miners; others set up small restaurants. (There were almost no women in California in those days,and the Chinese filled a real need by doing this“woman s work”.) Some went to work as farmhands or as fishermen.

In the early 1860 s many more Chincse arrived in California.This time the men were imported as work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad.They were sorely needed because the work was so strenuousand dangerous, and it was carried on in such a remote part of the country that the railroad company could not find other laborers for the job. As in the case of their predecessors,these Chinese were almost all males; and like them, too, they encountered a great deal of prejudice. The hostility grew especially strong afrer the railroad project was complete, and the imported laborers returned to California-thousands of them, all out of work. Because there were so many more of them this time,these Chinese drew even more attention than the earlier group did. They were so very different in every respect: in their physical appearance,including a long“pigtail”at the back of their otherwise shaved heads; in the strange, non-Western clothes they wore; in their speech (few had learned English since they planned to go back to China); and in their religion. They were contemptuously called “heathen Chinese” because there were many sacred images in their houses of worship.

When times were hard. they were blamed for working for lower wages and taking jobs away from white men. who were in many cases recent immigrants themselves. Anti-Chinese riots broke out in several cities. culminating in arson and bloodshed. Chinese were barred from using the courts and also from becoming American citizens. Californians began to demand that no more Chinese be permitted to enter their state. Finally. in 1882. they persuaded Congress to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, which stopped the immigration of Chinese laborers. Many Chinese rerurned to their homeland, and their numbers declined sharply in the early part of this century. However. during the World War II,when China was an ally of the United States. the Exclusion laws were ended; a small number of Chinese were allowed to immigrate each year, and Chinese could become American citizens. In 1965, in a general revision of our immigration laws,may more Chinese were permitted to settle here,as discrimination against Asian immigration was abolished.

From the start,the Chinese had lived apart in their own separate neighborhoods, which came to be known as “Chinatowns”. In each of them the residents organized an unofficial government to make rules for the community and to settle disputes. Unable to find jobs on the outside, many went into business for themselves-primarily to serve their own neighborhood. As for laundries and restaurants. some of them soon spread to other parts of the city,since such services continued to be in demand among non-Chinese, too. To this day. certain Chinatowns. especially those of San Francisco and New York. are busy. thriving communities, which have become great attractions for tourists and for those who enjoy Chinese food.

Most of today s Chincse Americans are the descendants of some of the early miners and railroad workers. Those immigrants had come from the vicinity of Canton in Southeast China. where they had been uneducated farm laborers.The same kind of young men,from the same area and from similar humble origins,migrated to Hawaii in those days. There they fared far better, mainly because they did not encounter hostility. Some married native Hawaiians, and other brought their wives and children over. They were not restricted to Chinatownand many of them soon became successful merchants and active participants in general community affairs.

Chinese Americans retain many aspects of their ancient culture. even after having lived here for several generations. For Example, their family ties continue to be remarkably scrong (encompassing grandparents. uncles, aunts, cousins. and others). Members of the family lend each other moral support and also practical help when necessary. From a very young age children are imbued with the old values and attitudes. including respect for their elders and a feeling of responsibility to the family. This helps co explain why there is so little juvenile delinquency (少年犯罪 ) among them.

The high regard for education which is deeply imbedded in Chinese culture.and the willingness to work veryhard to gain advancement, are other noteworthy characteristics of theirs. This explains why so many descendants of uneducated laborers have succeeded in becoming doctors. lawyers, and other professionals.(Many ofthe most outstanding Chinese American scholars,scientists, and artists are more recent arrivals, who come from China s former upper class and who represent its high cultural traditions.)

Chinese Americans make up only a tiny fraction of our population; there are fewer than half a miilion, living chiefly in California. New York. and Hawaii. As American attitudes toward minorities and toward ethnicdifferences have changed in recent years, the long-reviled Chinese have gained wide acceptance. Today, they are generally admired for their many remarkable characteristics, and are often held up as an example worth following. And their numerous contributions to their adopted land are much appreciated.

1.Most Chinese Americans worked in restaurants and laundries because of______________.

A)the skills they acquired at the motherland

B)local people s discrimination against them

C)their high employment rates

D)their comparatively high pay

2. During the California Gold Rush.restaurant and laundry were regarded as________________.

A)unprofitable work

B)comfortable work

C)woman s work

D)Chinese work

3.In the early l860 s, more Chinese were shipped to California to work as________________.

A)gold miners

B)railroad builders

C)steelworkers

D)farmhands

4.Few Chinese learned English at that time because_________________.

A)they seldom used Engiish in Chinatown

B)they were too old to learn a new tongue

C)they couldn t find good English teachers

D)they wouldn t stay in America for long

5.The Chinese Exclusion Act came to an end_________________.

A)by the California governor then

B)after a massive bloodshed

C)during WWII

D)in 1965

6.One of the Chinatowns as a busy and thriving community now is located in________________.

A)Florida

B)Hawaii

C)New Jersey

D)New York

7.Chinese immigrants to Hawaii found that they________________.

A)were treated without discrimination

B)were provided with fewer job choices

C)couldn t travel to mainland America

D)could only live or work in Chinatown

8.The old values and attitudes imparted into the young Chinese Americans effectively help prevent_______________.

9.China s high cultural traditions are represented by the Chinese American_____________.

10.The contributions made by Chinese to America had gained much_____________.

答案解析：

1.[B][定位]根据题干中的restaurants and laundries定位到第2段。

解析：第2段首句提到了中国移民被迫到餐厅和洗衣房打工，第2句则揭示了个中的原因，B的内容在第2句中提及，为本题答案。

2.[C][定位]根据题干中的California Gold Rush，restaurant和laundry定位到第3段倒数第2、3句。

解析：原文该句中的this“woman s work”指的就是前一句提到的laundry和restaurant的工作，可见本题应选C。

3.[B][定位]根据题干中的In the early 1860 s定位到第4段开头两句。

解析：原文该段第2句中的work crews to construct the first transcontinental railroad表明那时候华人到美国是为了修建铁路，可见本题应选B。

4.[D][定位]根据题干中的Few和learned English定位到第4段倒数第2句。

解析：原文该句中括号里的内容明确表明很少华人学习英语的原因是他们都计划要回中国，也就是他们没想过要长久留在美国，因此本题应选D。

5.[C][定位]根据题干中的The Chinese Exclusion Act定位到第5段倒数第2句。

解析：原文该句中的during the World War II... the Exclusion laws were ended明确表明本题应选C。干扰项D中的1965在原文该段末句提及，但与Chinese Exclusion Act无关，故不能选。

6.[D][定位]根据题干中的Chinatowns和busy and thriving community定位到第6段末句。

解析：原文该段提到繁荣的Chinatown时，只提到了San Francisco和New York，D正是其中一个，其他选项均未提及。

7.[A][定位]根据题干中的immigrants和Hawaii定位到第7段第3、4句。

解析：原文该段第4句中because引出的原因从句表明华人在夏威夷“没有遭到敌视”，A“没有受到歧视”与原文该句意思一致。所以本题应选A。

8.[juvenile delinquency]

[定位]根据题干中的old values and attitudes定位到第8段最后两句。

解析：空白处应为名词(词组)。原文该段最后两句表明孩子们从小就被灌输古代的价值观与看问题的方法，这使他们在青少年时期很少犯罪，也就是说，这些价值观与看问题的'方法可有助于减少“青少年犯罪”，即juvenile delinquency。

9.[scholars,scientists,and artists]

[定位]根据题干中的high cultural traditions和represented定位到第9段末句。

解析：空白处应为名词(词组)。原文该段末尾的who represent its high cultural traditions中的who指的是末句开头提到的Many of the most outstanding Chinese American scholars，scientists，and artists。题目将段末的定语从句改写为被动语态，所以who所指的内容就是本题答案，即scholars，scientists and artists。

10.[appreciation]

[定位]根据题干中的contributions定位到末段末句。

解析：空白处应为不可数名词。题目是对原文该句的同义改写，所不同的是，原文的谓语部分是are much appreciated.而题目的是had gained much...，作答时要将appreciated改为其名词形式appreciation，才可作题目中gained的宾语。

The food irradiation process is a simple one. The new U.S. plant, Vindicator of Florida Incorporated in Mulberry, Fla., uses a material called cobalt 60 to irradiate food. Cobalt 60 is radioactive isotope (form) of the metallic element cobalt. Cobalt 60, which gives off radiation in the form of gamma rays, is also used for radiation therapy for cancer patients and for sterilizing hospital equipment. The radioactive isotope is created by bombarding cobalt with subatomic particles in a nuclear reactor. However, irradiation plants do not themselves contain nuclear reactors.

In the irradiation plant, food is exposed to thin rods of cobalt 60. The rods give off gamma rays, which disrupt chemical processes in contaminating organisms. The disruption breaks down the cell walls of organisms or destroys their genetic material. The dose, set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is enough to kill organisms on food, but not enough to produce significant changes in the food itself.

Although irradiation slightly decreases the nutritive value of foods, the loss is less than that produced by some other methods of food preservation. Canning, for example, results in a much greater loss of nutrients.

Those who object to irradiation say that the process may create substances not found in nonirradiated food. Since the 1960’s researchers have studied irradiated food at microscopic levels to try to find such substances, called unique radiolytic products. After reviewing these studies, the FDA determined that compounds formed during irradiation are similar to substance found in nonirradiated foods and are not dangerous to consume.

Destruction of microorganisms that cause illness is an important goal of irradiation. About 250 million cases of food poisoning or 1 per person—occur every year in the U.S., according to FDA estimates. Food poisoning can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache—and, occasionally, death.

Because of the apparent safety of food irradiation, and the problems presented by contaminated food, scientific groups—including the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations food and Agriculture Association—have voiced nearly universal support for the process. Worldwide, 38 nations have approved irradiation for 355 products.

Like microwave ovens, food irradiation has aroused apprehension and misunderstanding. Yet it has been scrutinized more thoroughly than other methods of food treatment that we have come to regard as safe, and it appears to be a method whose time has come.

1.Cobalt 60, besides irradiating food, is also employed to ___.

A.detect metallic flaws

B.run a nuclear reactor

C.cure cancer patients

D.strengthen concrete walls

2.Gamma rays used to irradiate food ___.

A.are generally not strong enough to destroy contaminating organisms

B.do not bring about significant changes in the food itself

C.may destroy some of the nutrients in the food

D.should be submitted to FDA for approval

3.Irradiated food ___.

A.certainly loses its nutritive value

B.maintains its nutritive value no different from the nonirradiated

C.keeps its nutritive value better than canned food

D.is recommended as the best of all preserved foods

4.With cases of food poisoning increasing, ___.

A.food irradiation should be carried out with care

B.it is more urgent to irradiate foods

C.medical researches into treatment of the diseased should be strengthened

D.Americans are beginning to accept food irradiation

5.The passage may be taken from ___.

A.a news report

B.a textbook of food processing

C.a book of popular science

D.a manual of food irradiation

答案：CBCCD

In the last two hundred years there have been great changes in the method of production of goods. This is now also true of the building industry; for mechanization has been introduced. System building can save both time and money. The principle of system building is that the building is made from a set of standard units. These are either made at the building-site or at a factory. Some designers, in fact, are standardizing the dimensions of rooms. They are made in multiples of a single fixed length, usually ten centimeters. This is called a modular (标准件的) system, and it means that manufactures can produce standardized fittings at a lower cost. The most important fact about system building is its speed. A ten-storey flat, for example, can be completed in four months.

There are several new methods of system building. One is the panel method. In this case, the construction company sometimes erects a factory on the site. The walls and floors of the building, called panels, are cast in a horizontal or vertical position. Conduits for electrical wires and sleeves for pipes are cast in the panels when they are being made. The moulds for making these castings are situated all around the building.

After the concrete panels are cast, they are allowed to set and harden for a week. Next they are lifted by a tower crane on to any section of the building. There the panels are cemented together at their joints and the floor covering is laid.

After the panels have been cemented together, the crane lifts a case into the area. It contains all the fittings to be installed, such as wash-basins, radiators and pipes. Finishing tradesmen, such as plumbers, plasterers, painters and electricians, follow behind to complete the work.

In some building developments, in some countries, whole flats with internal features like their bathrooms, bedrooms and connecting stairs, and weighing as much as twenty tons, are carried to the building-site ready-made. A giant overhead crane is used to lift them into position. In the future, this method may become more widespread.

1. The main difference between panel method and the method discussed in the last paragraph is_______.

A. the latter uses ready-made internal features

B. panels are cast in a level position

C. the former is used to build walls and floors while the latter to construct bathrooms or bedrooms

D. the former is more expensive than the latter

2. Which of these statements is TRUE of system building?

A. It employs more men. B. It is difficult and dangerous.

C. It can save both time and money. D. It means less mechanization.

3. According to the passage, the principle of system building is that_______.

A. construction methods are safer

B. buildings are made from a set of standardized units

C. similar buildings can be produced

D. all units are produced on the site

4. The usual fixed length in the modular system is_______.

A. twenty centimeters B. ten millimeters

C. fifty centimeters D. ten centimeters

5. What lifts the concrete panels onto the building?

A. Cranes. B. Man-power.

C. Pulleys. D. Hydraulic jacks.

参考答案： 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. D 5. A

It is a curious paradox that we think of the physical sciences as “hard”, the social sciences as “soft,” and the biological sciences as somewhere in between. This is interpreted to mean that our knowledge of physical system is more certain than our knowledge of biological systems, and these in turn are more certain than our knowledge of social systems. In terms of our capacity of sample the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. We are able to sample earth’s social systems with some degree of confidence that we have a reasonable sample of the total universe being investigated. Our knowledge of social systems, therefore, while it is in many ways extremely inaccurate, is not likely to be seriously overturned by new discoveries. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system derived form the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal experience.

In contrast, our image of the astronomical universe, or even if earth’s geological history, ca easily be subject to revolutionary changes as new data come in and new theories are worked out. If we define the “security” of our image of various parts of the total system as the probability of their suffering significant changes, then we would reverse the order for hardness and as the most secure, the physical sciences as the least secure, and again the biological sciences as somewhere in between. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simply because we observe such a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial records of biological systems. Records of the astronomical universe, despite the fact that we learnt things as they were long age, are limited in the extreme.

Even in regard to such a close neighbor as the moon, which we have actually visited, theories about its origin and history are extremely different, contradictory, and hard to choose among. Our knowledge of physical evolution is incomplete and insecure.

1.The word “paradox” (Line 1, Para. 1) means “_____”.

A.implication B.contradiction

C.interpretation D.confusion

2.Accroding to the author, we should reverse our classification of the physical sciences as “hard” and the social sciences as “soft” because _______.

A.a reverse ordering will help promote the development of the physical sciences

B.our knowledge of physical systems is more reliable than that of social systems

C.our understanding of the social systems is approximately correct

D.we are better able to investigate social phenomena than physical phenomena

3.The author believes that our knowledge of social systems is more secure than that of physical systems because______.

A.it is not based on personal experience

B.new discoveries are less likely to occur in social sciences

C.it is based on a fairly representative quantity of data

D.the records of social systems are more reliable

4.The chances of the physical sciences being subject to great changes are the biggest because _____.

A.contradictory theories keep emerging all the time

B.new information is constantly coming in

C.the direction of their development is difficult to predict

D.our knowledge of the physical world is inaccurate

5.We know less about the astronomical universe than we don about any social system because ______.

A.theories of its origin and history are varied

B.our knowledge of it is highly insecure

C.only a very small sample of it has been observed

D.few scientists are involved in the study of astronomy

答案：ACDAD

The difference between a liquid and a gas is obvious under the conditions of temperature and pressure commonly found at the surface of the Earth. A liquid can be kept in an open container and fill it to the level of a free surface. A gas forms no free surface but tends to diffuse throughout the 11 available; it must therefore be kept in a closed container or held by a gravitational field, as in the 12 of a planet s atmosphere. The distinction was a 13 feature of early theories describing the phases of matter. In the nineteenth century, for example, one theory maintained that a liquid could be dissolved in a vapor without losing its identity, and another theory 14 that the two phases are made up of different kinds of molecules. The theories now prevailing take a quite different approach by emphasizing what liquids and gases have in 15 They are both forms of matter that have no 16 structure, and they both flow readily.

The fundamental similarity of liquids and gases becomes clearly apparent when the temperature and pressure are 17 somewhat. Suppose a closed container 18 filled with a liquid is heated. The liquid expands, or in other words becomes less dense; some of it evaporates. In contrast, the vapor above the liquid surface becomes denser as the evaporated molecules are 19 to it. The combination of temperature and pressure at which the densities become 20 is called the critical point.

A. added

B. case

C. prominent

D. held

E. equal

F. partially

G. example

H. previous

I. space

J, lifted

K. permanent

L. particularly

M. extended

N. raised

0. common

11. I 12. B 13. C 14. D 15. O 16. K 17. N 18. F 19. A 20. E

Federal Reserve System, central banking system of the United States, popularly called the Fed. A central bank serves as the banker to both the banking community and the government; it also issues the national currency, conducts monetary policy, and plays a major role in the supervision and regulation of banks and bank holding companies. In the U.S. these function are the responsibilities of key officials of the Federal Reserve System: the Board of Governors, located in Washington, D.C., and the top officers of 12 district Federal Reserve banks, located throughout the nation. The Fed’s actions, described below, generally have a significant effect on U.S. interest rates and, subsequently, on stock, bond, and other financial markets.

The Federal Reserve’s basic powers are concentrated in the Board of Governors, which is paramount in all policy issues concerning bank regulation and supervision and in most aspects of monetary control. The board enunciates the Fed’s policies on both monetary and banking matter. Because the board is not an operating agency, most of the day-to day implementation of policy decisions is left to the district Federal Reserve banks, stock in which is owned by the commercial banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Ownership in this instance, however, does not imply control; the Board of Governors and the heads of the Reserve banks orient their policies to the public interest rather than to the benefit of the private banking system.

The U.S. banking system’s regulatory apparatus is complex; the authority of the Federal Reserve is shared in some instances for example, in mergers or the examination of banks with other Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In the critical area of regulating the nation’s money supply in accordance with national economic goals, however, the Federal Reserve is independent within the government, Income and expenditures of the Federal Reserve banks and of the board of governors are not subject to the congressional appropriation process; the Federal Reserve is self-financing. Its income ($20.2 billion in 1992) comes mainly from Reserve bank holdings of income-earning securities, primarily those of the U.S. government. Outlays ($1.5 billion in 1992) are mostly for operational expenses in providing services to the government and for expenditures connected with regulation and monetary policy. In 1992 the Federal Reserve returned 416.8 billion in earnings to the U.S. treasury.

1.The Fed of the United States ___.

A.function as China Bank

B.is the counterpart of People’s Bank of China

C.is subjected to the banking community and government

D.has 13 top officers who can influence the American financial market

2.The fact that stock in the Fed belongs to commercial banks ___.

A.doesn’t mean the latter is in control

B.means the latter is in control

C.means the latter is subjected to the Reserve banks

D.means the Reserve banks orient the latter’s policies

3.Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?

A.The fed is a very big, complex and significant system which comprises many local banks.

B.All the commercial banks are not the components of Federal Reserve System.

C.Board of governors is the supreme policy-makers of America.

D.District Reserve banks rather than Board of governors perform the day-to-day policies.

4.The authority of the federal Reserve ___.

A.has to be shared with other establishments.

B.is exclusive at other times

C.isn’t limited by comptroller of the Currency and FDIC

D.is limited by Board of governors

5.Income of the Board of governors ___.

A.is borrowed from the U.S. treasury

B.is used by the government to make various policies

C.comes from the U.S. Treasury

D.is not granted by the government

答案：BACBD