大学英语-大学英语六级综合模拟题阅读(十五)

大学英语-大学英语六级综合模拟阅读(十五) 大学英语六级综合模拟题阅读(十五) Reading Comprehension Section A Passage One A tattoo may give parents of children with food allergies some peace of mind when they send their kids off to school. Yes, a tattoo—but it's a 1 one. SafetyTat sells colorful stick-on labels and wash-off tattoos that 2 of a nut allergy or provide other important medical information. Michele Welsh, a mother-of-three, 3 the company about five years ago. The idea came to her after she wrote her cell phone number on her kids' arms with a pen in case they got 4 while at an amusement park. She then thought of her nephew, who has a 5 fatal peanut allergy and how much time her sister-in-law had spent in the emergency room with him. What if she could just have a 6 ! Welsh pointed out that caregivers may remember not to give the child a peanut butter cookie, but 7 they don't think to look on the packaging of other products. "Sometimes you need something visual to remind others to check the ingredients," she said. "And for older kids it's not as big of a 8 because they know to check the ingredients themselves, but the little kids are still learning." However, some have expressed 9 that the labels would draw unwanted attention from schoolyard bullies. "A lot of kids do get bullied at school about their food allergies, so some parents fear that this might give more ammunition to kids," Kevin McGrath, a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy. However, he did say that the tattoos "may just be another thing to make parents feel more 10 when sending their children off to a party or picnic or class trip." A. separated B. warn C. generally D. negotiated E. apparently F. established G. challenge H. reminder I. confident J. concerns K. potentially L. remind M. temporary N. incentive O. radiant 10、 Passage Two Aristotle defined a friend as "a single soul dwelling in two bodies". Members of Facebook whose "friends" reach triple figures may have a looser definition, but how many friends we have, and how easily we make, 11 and lose them, has a significant impact on our 12 well-being. It's no surprise, then, that friends can improve just about every aspect of our life. A recent study says that the recovery from a surgery included, 13 , a reduction in the level of pain felt by patients with the most friends. Likewise, friends can protect us from the aftershocks of bereavement (丧失亲人) or 14 . They don't even have to be great friends—some of the 15 effect is simply down to the company: have a pint with a mate and you're by definition not socially 16 . We first recognise the importance of friends in childhood, when we're not really sure how to make them. While some of us may 17 a few childhood friends, the biggest opportunity for friendship comes in higher education. A study of long-term friendships found that friendships formed during college years stayed close 20 years later, if they scored highly in closeness as well as communication to begin with. These friendships 18 great distances and an average of six house moves "At college you can cultivate close friendships because you're in such close 19 for sustained periods," says Glenn Sparks, Purdue's professor of communication. "These relationships are 20 and hard to replicate; they're very unusual outside family relationships. Even when distance, jobs, family tended to pull them apart, these friends would say that once they re-established contact, they didn't miss a beat." A. positive B. suspiciously C. proximity D. retain E. submitted F. emotional G. divorce H. maintain I. sensitive J. rare K. survived L. reunion M. isolated N. ambiguity O. incredibly Section B Passage One The Value of Writing Well A(It's that time of year again. No, not "the holiday season". I mean, it is holiday time, but for professors it doesn't start feeling like holiday time until final grades are in and the books are closed on another semester. No, for me, it's paper-grading time, the time of year when I'm reminded over and over of the importance of good writing skills—and of their rarity. B(The ability to write well is not a gift. Sure, the special something that sets apart a Tolstoy or Shakespeare or Salman Rushdie or Isabel Allende is a gift, a talent born of disposition, experience, and commitment. But just to be able to communicate clearly with the written word takes no special talent; it's a skill like any other. C(Well, not exactly like any other. Because the words we use to write with are the same words we use to think with, learning to write well has outcomes that go beyond the merely technical. As we improve our writing ability, we improve our ability to think—to build an argument, to frame issues in compelling ways, to weave apparently unrelated facts into a coherent whole. D(And despite the recurring hand-wringing and chest-beating about the "end of literacy" and the "death of the printed word", the reality is that we write more than ever these days. While it's a rare person who sits down with pen and paper in hand and writes a letter to a friend or loved one, we pour emails at an astounding rate. We text message, tweet, instant message, blog, comment, and otherwise shoot words at each other in a near-constant flow of communication. At work, we write letters, proposals, PowerPoint presentations, business requirement documents, memos, speeches, mission statements, and dozens of more specialized types of documents. We are, it seems, writing creatures. E(It's no wonder that businesses repeatedly cite "communication skills" as the single most desirable trait in new employees. The kicker, though, is that we are as a society incredibly bad at writing. Public schools do a poor job of teaching students how to write well—they barely manage to instill the basic rules of grammar and the miserable 5-paragraph essay, let alone how to write with style and verve, how to put together an argument that moves steadily from one point to the next to persuade a reader of some crucial point, how to synthesize ideas and data from multiple sources into something that takes those ideas one step further. F(It's not just the teachers' fault. Teachers do the best they can with what they're given, and all too often what they're given is inadequate resources with which to teach classrooms full of unmotivated students who could care less about writing. Add to that the requirements of mandatory nation-wide tests that reward conformity, not creativity, and the threat of punishment for any school whose students fail to fall within the fairly rigid boundaries of the test's requirements, and you've got a pretty bad situation all around for instilling in students the power to write well. G(That is, alas, a great disservice. Being able to write well vastly improves students'—and others'—potential for success, regardless of the field they find themselves in. The skills that make us better writers make us better explainers and better persuaders. They are the skills that allow us to "sell" our ideas effectively, whether in giving a presentation to potential funders of our company, proposing a new project to our corporate leadership, or transmitting a new policy to our employees. Being able to write well lessens the chance that we'll be misunderstood, and increases the likelihood that our ideas will be adopted. H(Writing well is not a gift reserved for the few but a set of skills that can be learned by anyone. The technical aspects can be learned in any of several ways: by taking a class, by studying books on writing, by working with a partner or a group and acting on their feedback. But while grammar and structure are an important part of writing, to write well also demands some effort to develop style. Style is what keeps people reading past the first sentence, and what keeps what you've written on their minds, impelling them to take action. I(Style is rather less teachable than the nuts and bolts of writing, but it is learnable. It demands patience, attention, and most of all practice, but it is possible for anyone who has something to say to learn how to say it well. Here are some tips to help you move from being merely capable to being a good writer. J(21 Read: Reading is essential to good writing. It is how we learn the vastness of the language and the limits of the grammar—and how to push those limits. The more you read, the greater your understanding of language's potential becomes. K(22 Write: Good writing takes practice. Unfortunately, unless we create opportunities to write, we get far too few opportunities to get that practice after we've left school. Start a journal, a blog, a newsletter, or whatever else you can think of to get you writing on at least a semi-regular basis. L(23 Read Again: Most people who fail to become better writers fail because they do not read their own writing. They don't read it before they post/mail/submit/publish/otherwise finish it, and they don't read it after they're done with it. That means they don't see the awkward parts, the flat bits, the pieces that say something different from what was intended—and they never learn how to fix or, better yet, avoid those problems. M(24 Repeat: Writing is personal, and seeing your writing ill-received can strike a blow to the strongest of egos. The only answer for it, though, is persistence—the goal is to become a better writer, not to be perfect out of the gate. Pay attention to criticism, learn from it, but don't internalize it—there's no shame in writing poorly, only in failing to try to do better next time. N(Today's world is a world of text; it is the lifeblood of the information economy. In Ancient Rome, it was the orators who ruled, those who could compel obedience, loyalty, and devotion with their spoken words. Today, the written word is dominant, not only because so much of the information that shapes our lives is written down, but because the habits that make us good writers are the same habits that allow us to flourish in the information economy. If you worry about your writing ability, commit yourself now to becoming a solid writer in the year to come. If you are already a decent writer, commit yourself to becoming better. And if you're one of the rare few who write well, reach out to those around you and share your talent, so that others may learn from you. Let that be your gift this holiday season. 21、 What sets those writing masters apart from other people is their born talent. 22、 Compared with teaching the basics of writing, style is more difficult to teach. 23、 The improvement of writing ability will also enhance the ability to think. 24、 Public schools do not take enough efforts to teach students the basic writing ability. 25、 By reading again and again his own writings, one can see the flaws in writing and make improvement. 26、 If your writing is ill-received, the only solution to it is to learn from it and keep on writing. 27、 Reading enables us to understand the vastness of language and the limits of grammar. 28、 Those with the ability to write well can better express their ideas and their chances of being misunderstood decrease. 29、 I constantly realize the significance of writing well in the paper-grading time. 30、 Students' poor writing ability is partly contributed to the rigid requirements of the nation-wide tests. Passage Two 5 Weeks to a Stress-Free Life A(Who will you be this year? Will you be a better, wiser version of yourself by the time the calendar flips again? Or will you add to your potbelly, downgrade your mood, and move one risk factor closer to your first heart attack? Every day of your life, you answer these questions—in the ways you handle stress. That's not a joke. Stress is one national disaster that strikes each of us where we're most vulnerable: brains first, and bodies later. Unless, that is, you learn to control it. Not by means of will, but by employing lab-tested strategies that can truly calm you down. And unless you're getting a rubdown from Evangeline Lilly every night, we're guessing you could use them. So here's your 5-week plan, complete with our full anxiety-back guarantee. Week 1: Separate the stressors from the energizers. B(Some stress is unavoidable. Some is not. "The trick is learning to distinguish between the two," says Paul Rosch, M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress. He can't identify your sources of stress for you, because one man's stress is another man's joy. So you'll have to do that part yourself. Divide your stresses into two lists: "accept" and "change." C(As you draw up your lists, you'll naturally pay attention to what your brain knows about your sources of stress, but make sure you listen to your body's complaints as well. When are you experiencing those headaches? Or back pain? Is there a pattern to your heartburn, or a particular stretch of your commute that provokes road rage? "Learn how your body responds so you can detect early warning signs of stress," says Dr. Rosch. D(Your activities during these first 7 days are not merely a prelude. Simply sitting down to identify all the things that stress you out, and deciding to do something about them, is a powerful stress buster in itself. It's been known since the 1950s that stress is aggravated if a person has no sense of control and no hope that things will get better. Having goals, and reaching those goals, is the healthy opposite of that. "Too often, we are adrift on the sea of life," says Dr. Rosch. Drop anchor. Week 2: Hands off the hot buttons. E(Some men are perfect specimens of mental health. They calmly apply their considerable problem-solving abilities to the sources of their stress. Then there are the rest of us who don't deal very well. According to one survey, 46% of stressed adults don't care what they eat, 57% stop exercising, and 53% lose sleep. In short, we need a week (at least!) just to rid ourselves of our serf-destructive old ways of coping. Consider these five: alcohol, junk food, television, the Internet, and tobacco. We reach for them out of habit, and that's exactly what they become: bad habits. F(Alcohol is obviously a risky way to self-medicate. But here's an interesting finding: Alcohol doesn't really take the edge off stress. Just the opposite: Stress takes the edge off alcohol, according to University of Chicago researchers. Although stress increases our desire to drink, those drinks make us feel sluggish, not high. You'll end up drinking more and enjoying it less. G(As for junk food, yes, the high-fat, high-carb content of so-called comfort foods actually does give short-term comfort by signaling the brain to stop the discharge of stress hormones. But in the long run, it will add stress to your waistband. An Ohio State University study found that stress causes triglycerides to linger longer in the bloodstream, thus interfering with the body's normal metabolism of fats. H(And television? Go ahead, watch My Name Is Earl. Many studies have shown that laughter is stress medicine—even the anticipation of a good laugh lowers stress hormones in the blood. But don't watch 4 hours of old Survivor episodes beforehand. Same goes for hanging out in online casinos. Those hours should be spent with your friends. Social ties are tied to lower stress, longer life, and quicker recovery from illness. I(Tobacco? The more you use, the greater your chances of impotence, and there is perhaps no calm more profound than the postcoital one. Why risk messing with that? Week 3: Stop multitasking. J("It's the death of people," says Jeff Davidson, author of 36 serf-help books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Things Done. People think they have to accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously in order to be productive and profitable. "Just the opposite is true," he says. When Davidson gives speeches, he performs an onstage experiment: He takes two people from the audience and gives each 15 pennies, 15 paper clips, and a pen and paper. He tells one person to stack the pennies, link the paper clips, and draw 15 stars—in that order. He tells the other person to switch back and forth among the tasks. Guess who finishes first. K(What Davidson calls "sharp attention" is possible only if you focus on one task at a time. "Breakthrough thinking doesn't happen when you're multitasking," he says, noting that our society's current fascination with "faster, better, more" adds to our stress in ways people couldn't have imagined a generation ago. He agrees that some multitasking is inevitable. But for this week, cut the cord, take notes about what does and doesn't work, then reintroduce the multitasking only when it benefits you. Week 4: Release the demons. L(It's always the quiet ones, the men who bottle it up inside, who end up going on chain-saw massacres, right? Maybe quiet is the enemy. In an experiment regarding "emotional disclosure," students suffering from post-traumatic (外 伤后得) stress at Temple University, in Philadelphia, were asked to write—longhand, not on computers—for 20 minutes a day. After only 3 days, those who repeatedly wrote about a single traumatic event showed fewer physical and mental signs of stress. Even 8 weeks later, they felt better and were sick less often than students who wrote about emotionally neutral events. M(The results surprised the clinical psychologists who conducted this recent research. "Knowing how hard it is for people to change, we were impressed that this could work," says Denise Sloan, Ph.D. But it does work, Sloan says, because "often, people who have survived trauma try not to think about those events. And the more you avoid something, the more intense and stressful it becomes. It's good to be expressive." So sit down 3 nights this week and get it out there on paper, where it won't hurt you. Week 5: Find a release valve. N(Now we're ready to dive into all the relaxation techniques you were probably expecting to read about in this chapter. Here's the thing: There are literally hundreds of them. They can be grouped into six categories: stretching exercises, also known as hatha yoga; progressive muscle relaxation; deep-breathing exercises; autogenic training, in which you quietly suggest to yourself that various body parts are getting heavy, or warm, or whatever; imagery, wherein you daydream of peaceful settings; and meditation or mindfulness, two distinct mental activities that both re- strict attention and calm the mind. O(Should you arbitrarily sign on for one of these methods? No way. You have to find which works best for you. "No one shoe fits all," says Jonathan C. Smith, Ph.D., director of the Roosevelt University stress institute, in Chicago. Each technique produces a different state of mind, he says, from the energized mental state of yoga to the disengaged frame of mind that comes with autogenic training. But they all work to lower stress. 31、 It is said that trying to do more than one task at the same time is not productive or profitable. 32、 It is hard to recognize the source of one's stress in that people response differently to things in their life. 33、 According to the author, one should not spend hours watching episodes or playing online games but should stay with friends. 34、 Junk food can signal the brain to stop producing stress hormones, thus bringing short-term comfort. 35、 Since the 1950s, people realize that stress will become worse if the person doesn't control it and is pessimistic. 36、 According to the statistics from a survey, we can conclude that a lot of people can't handle stress properly. 37、 When we are faced with stress, our brains will be stricken first and then our bodies. 38、 A study from a university shows that stress may affect the metabolism of fats in the body. 39、 One of the relaxing measures that can restrict attention and calm the mind is meditation or mindfulness. 40、 An experiment found students were more likely to be relieved from physical and mental stress when they repeatedly wrote about a single traumatic event. Section C Passage One Why are so many people unhappy in their jobs? There are two primary reasons. First, some people are convinced that earning a living is wasting time that they could spend enjoying themselves or uncovering their true talents. If this is the case with you, recall your last long vacation. Was it two weeks of complete enjoyment? More likely it was a week and a half of fun in the sun, with another half a week of "Boy, I can't wait to get back to work." While all work and no play is not good, all play and no work is disastrous. We need to feel we are accomplishing something. We also need some form of order in our lives. The second and perhaps more prevalent reason for people not to like their work is that they feel trapped. Once you've been at a company for five years and have a spouse, a mortgage and a child, you often feel you have very little choice about jumping ship if things aren't turning out as you'd planned. A steady paycheck can be the biggest manacle of all. People resent having to do something because they have no other choice. If you find yourself resenting your job because you can't afford to quit, it may be time to prepare what one career counselor humorously calls a "cyanide capsule". He recalls spy movies in which the secret agent has such a capsule hidden somewhere on his body. If he's captured and tortured unbearably, he has an option. And having an option gives him the strength to hold on a little longer in the hope that the situation may change. Rather than cyanide, your option takes the form of an up-to-date resume. You might also take a weekly glance through the help-wanted section, and make some visits to industry functions where low-key networking can take place. You're not giving up your current job. Rather, you are providing yourself with an option. If things get unbearable at work, you could jump ship. Being in this position can do wonders for your attitude. It allows you to enjoy your work since, in reality, you are there only because you want to be. At the core of adopting a positive attitude to your workplace is, above all, assuming responsibility for your own situation. Most people feel controlled by their environment, but they really aren't. They have to learn to manage that environment so they can get from it what they need. 41、 What do we most likely want during a long vacation, according to the author? A(To extend the vacation as long as possible. B(To gain a balance between work and play. C(To go back to work as soon as possible. D(To relax completely, free from worry. 42、 It is indicated in the passage that most people dislike their jobs because ______. A(going to work is wasting their time B(they can't feel fulfilled in their jobs C(they are confined to the jobs tightly D(pay seldom corresponds with work 43、 When one considers changing job, the biggest difficulty is ______. A(leaving a company and a good boss B(reducing the family burden C(giving up a stable income D(drawing up a better plan for the future 44、 The author suggests that, by having a "cyanide capsule" at work, one will ______. A(find a satisfactory job soon B(be as brave as the hero in spy movies C(be more tolerant with the present job D(have the courage to give up the unbearable job 45、 You will change your attitude towards your job when ______. A(you are provided with the chance to choose B(you are responsible for your present job C(you get ready your up-to-date resume D(you get what you need from your job Passage Two Scattered around the globe are more than 100 small regions of isolated volcanic activity known to geologists as hot spots. Unlike most of the world's volcanoes, they are not always found at the boundaries of the great drifting plates that make up the earth's surface; on the contrary, many of them lie deep in the interior of a plate. Most of the hot spots move only slowly, and in some cases the movement of the plates past them has left trails of dead volcanoes. The hot spots and their volcanic trails are milestones that mark the passage of the plates. That the plates are moving is now beyond dispute. Africa and South America, for example, are moving away from each other as new material is injected into the sea floor between them. The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined. The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth's interior. It is not possible to determine whether both continents are moving in opposite directions or whether one continent is stationary and the other is drifting away from it. Hot spots, anchored in the deeper layers of the earth, provide the measuring instruments needed to resolve the question. From an analysis of the hot-spot population it appears that the African plate is stationary and that it has not moved during the past 30 million years. The significance of hot spots is not confined to their role as a frame of reference. It now appears that they also have an important influence on the geophysical processes that propel the plates across the globe. When a continental plate comes to rest over a hot spot, the material rising from deeper layer creates a broad dome. As the dome grows, it develops deep fissures (cracks); in at least a few cases the continent may break entirely along some of these fissures, so that the hot spot initiates the formation of a new ocean. Thus just as earlier theories have explained the mobility of the continents, so hot spots may explain their mutability (inconstancy). 46、 We can learn from the first paragraph that ______. A. there are no volcanic activities on hot spots B. most hot spots are located in the inner part of a plate C. hot spots usually lie at the boundaries of drifting plates D. the passage of plates through hot spots will leave dead volcanoes 47、 The author believes that ______. A(the motion of the plates corresponds to that of the earth's interior B(the geological theory about drifting plates has been proved to be true C(the hot spots and the plates move slowly in opposite directions D(the movement of hot spots proves the continents are moving apart 48、 That Africa and South America were once joined can be deduced from the fact that ______. A(the two continents are still moving in opposite directions B(they have been found to share certain geological features C(the African plate has been stable for 30 million years D(over 100 hot spots are scattered all around the globe 49、 The hot spot theory may prove useful in explaining ______. A(the structure of the African plates. B(the revival of dead volcanoes. C(the mobility of the continents. D(the formation of new oceans. 50、 The passage is mainly about ______. A(the features of volcanic activities B(the importance of the theory about drifting plates C(the significance of hot spots in geophysical studies D(the process of the formation of volcanoes Passage Three Our culture has caused most Americans to assume not only that our language is universal, but that the gestures we use are understood by everyone. We do not realize that waving good-bye is the way to summon a person from the Philippines to one's side, or that in Italy and some Latin-American countries, curling the finger to oneself is a sign of farewell. Those private citizens who sent packages to our troops occupying Germany after World War ? and marked them GIFT to escape duty payments did not bother to find out that "Gift" means poison in German. Moreover, we like to think of ourselves as friendly, yet we prefer to be at least 3 feet or an arm's length away from others. Latins and Middle Easterners like to come closer and touch, which makes Americans uncomfortable. Our linguistic and cultural blindness and the casualness with which we take notice of the developed tastes, gestures, customs and languages of other countries, are losing us friends, business and respect in the world. Even here in the United States, we make few concessions to the needs of foreign visitors. There are no information signs in four languages on our public buildings or monuments; we do not have multilingual (多语音的) guided tours. Very few restaurant menus have translations, and multilingual waiters, bank clerks and policemen are rare. Our transportation systems have maps in English only and often we ourselves have difficulty understanding them. When we go abroad, we tend to cluster in hotels and restaurants where English is spoken. The attitudes and information we pick up are conditioned by those natives—usually the richer—who speak English. Our business dealings, as well as the nation's diplomacy, are conducted through interpreters. For many years, America and Americans could get by with cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance. After all, America was the most powerful country of the free world, the distributor of needed funds and goods. But all that is past. American dollars no longer buy all good things, and we are slowly beginning to realize that our proper role in the world is changing. Last year, a Harris poll reported that 55 percent of Americans want this country to play a more significant role in world affairs; we want to have a hand in the important decisions of the next century, even though it may not always be the upper hand. 51、 It can be inferred that Americans being approached too closely by Middle Easterners would most probably ______. A(stand still B(jump aside C(step forward D(draw back 52、 The author gives many examples to criticize Americans for their ______. A(cultural self-centeredness B(casual manners C(indifference towards foreign visitors D(arrogance towards other cultures 53、 In countries other than their own most Americans ______. A(are isolated by the local people B(are not well informed due to the language barrier C(tend to get along well with the natives D(need interpreters in hotels and restaurants 54、 According to the author, Americans' cultural blindness and linguistic ignorance will ______. A(affect their image in the new era B(cut themselves off from the outside world C(limit their role in world affairs D(weaken the position of the U.S. dollar 55、 The author's intention in writing this article is to make Americans realize that ______. A(it is dangerous to ignore their foreign friends B(it is important to maintain their leading role in world affairs C(it is necessary to use several languages in public places D(it is time to get acquainted with other cultures Passage Four If you go down to the woods today, you may meet high-tech trees—genetically modified to speed their growth or improve the quality of their wood. Genetically-engineered food crops have become increasingly common, albeit controversial, over the past ten years. But genetic engineering of trees has lagged behind. Part of the reason is technical. Understanding, and then altering, the genes of a big pine tree are more complex than creating a better tomato. While tomatoes sprout happily, and rapidly, in the laboratory, growing a whole tree from a single, genetically altered cell in a test tube is a tricky process that takes years, not months. Moreover, little is known about tree genes. Some trees, such as pine trees, have a lot of DNA—roughly ten times as much as human. And, whereas the Human Genome Project is more than half-way through its task of isolating and sequencing the estimated 100,000 genes in human cells, similar efforts to analyze tree genes are still just saplings (幼苗). Given the large number of tree genes and the little that is known about them, tree engineers are starting with a search for genetic "markers". The first step is to isolate DNA from trees with desirable properties such as insect resistance. The next step is to find stretches of DNA that show the presence of a particular gene. Then, when you mate two trees with different desirable properties, it is simple to check which offspring contain them all by looking for the genetic markers. Henry Amerson, at North Carolina State University, is using genetic markers to breed fungal resistance into southern pines. Billions of these are grown across America for pulp and paper, and outbreaks of disease are expensive. But not all individual trees are susceptible. Dr. Amerson's group has found markers that distinguish fungus-resistant stock from disease-prone trees. Using traditional breeding techniques, they are introducing the resistance genes into pines on test sites in America. Using genetic markers speeds up old-fashioned breeding methods because you no longer have to wait for the tree to grow up to see if it has the desired traits. But it is more a sophisticated form of selective breeding. Now, however, interest in genetic tinkering (基因修补) is also gaining ground. To this end, Dr. Amerson and his colleagues are taking part in the Pine Gene Discovery Project, an initiative to identify and sequence the 50,000-odd genes in the pine tree's genome. Knowing which gene does what should make it easier to know what to alter. 56、 Compared with genetic engineering of food crops, genetic engineering of trees ______. A(began much later B(has developed more slowly C(is less useful D(was less controversial 57、 What does the author think about the genetic engineering of pine trees? A(Time-consuming. B(Worthwhile. C(Significant. D(Technically impossible. 58、 What can we learn about the research on tree genes? A(The research methods are the same as the analysis of human genes. B(The findings are expected to be as fruitful as the analysis of human genes. C(It will take as much time and effort as the analysis of human genes. D(The research has been mainly concentrated on the genes of young trees. It is discovered by Henry Amerson's team that ______. 59、 A(southern pines cannot resist fungus B(all southern pines are not susceptible C(the genetic marker in southern pines was the easiest to identify D(fungus-resistant genes came originally from outside the U.S.A. 60、 What is the primary objective of carrying out the Pine Gene Discovery Project? A(To speed up old-fashioned breeding methods. B(To identify all the genes in the pine tree's genome. C(To find out what desired traits the pine trees have. D(To make it easier to know which gene needs altering. 答案: Reading Comprehension Section A Passage One 1、 [解析] 空格在冠词和代词之间，应为形容词。第2段第1句提及tattoos(纹身)的特点是 stick-on(粘贴的)和wash-off(可洗掉的)，可见，此处说的纹身是暂时的而非永久性的，故选用 temporary，起到启下的作用，与下文提到的特点保持一致。 2、 [解析] 填入空格的词作定语从句的谓语，而且能与介词of搭配。该定语从句描述纹身的作用，结合 第1段和本句内容可知，纹身可以提供有关小孩吃什么过敏的信息，保障有过敏体质的小孩的安全。 故选warn一词，warn of a nut allergy意为“提醒对花生过敏”。词库中:remind通常也可和 of连用，但常用于remind sb. of sth. 结构，故排除。 3、 [解析] 句子缺少谓语，句中的five years ago提示要用过去时态，故空格处应填入动词过去式。 此处应选established，意为Michele Welsh大约在五年前创立了这家公司。 4、 [解析] 空格位于got之后，可为名词、形容词或分词。根据句末的“在游乐场所时”，可推知在孩子 的手臂上写电话号码是为防止出游时走散，词库中separated正好符合语境。 5、 [解析] 空格前后的a fatal peanut allergy语法结构完整，由此判断此处应为副词，用来修饰 形容词fatal。此处应选potentially一词potentially fatal意为“可能会致命的”。 6、 [解析] 空格在不定冠词a之后，应该是一个名词。根据上一句提到的“孩子因花生过敏多次被送进急诊室”，可推知此感叹句要表达的是“要是有什么东西可以提醒她就好了”，reminder符合句意。 7、 [解析] 空格在连词but之后，在整个分句之前，可以推断此处需要一个副词。此处应选用generally，表示看护“通常”不会检查其他产品的外包装，看看这些产品的配料成分是否含有花生。 8、 [解析] a提示此处应填入名词。本句提到了older kids和little kids。由“大一点的孩子已经学会检查产品配料”可知，这对于他们来说不是什么难事，challenge“挑战”符合句意。 9、 [解析] 句子缺少谓语动词expressed的宾语，此处需填入名词。根据后面内容“引来异样的关注”、“许多小孩因食物过敏症而受到欺负”可知，此处说的是某些人的担忧。名词concerns符合句意。 10、 [解析] feel more提示此处应填入形容词。上一段说的是提醒标签可能带来的负面影响，本段转折连词However提示本段讲提醒标签的优点。据此选用confident，表示提醒标签能让父母在送孩子去参加集体活动的时候感到更放心。 Passage Two 11、 [解析] 此处需填入动词原形与make，lose并列作主语从句的谓语。结交朋友(make)、失去朋友(lose)的中间阶段是拥有，词库中maintain“维持”符合此处语义。 12、 [解析] 此处需填入修饰well-being的词。友情应是在精神层面对我们的幸福感起影响，故选emotional“感情上的”。 13、 [解析] 空格将动词included及其宾语a reduction分隔开，且前后都有逗号，应填入副词。此句意为有了朋友的陪伴，病人从外科手术中恢复的过程要减少很多痛苦。incredibly“难以置信地”朋友的神奇作用，呼应本段首句所说的朋友能够改善我们生活的各个方面。 14、 [解析] 填入空格的词与bereavement并列，应为名词且包含消极的词义色彩，divorce“离婚”符合此处语义。 15、 [解析] 此处需填入修饰effect的词，可为名词、形容词或分词。承接上一句，本句讲的是即便只是普通朋友也能对我们有所帮助，故填入的词应表积极意义，positive“积极的;正面的”符合语义。 16、 [解析] 副词socially提示此处需填入分词或形容词。前面指出，朋友的作用可能只是陪伴。冒号后的内容进行解释，有人陪着一起喝酒自然不会觉得……。isolated“孤独的”符合句意。 17、 [解析] may表明此处需填入动词原形，作谓语。根据句意:虽然我们会……一些儿时的伙伴，但建立友谊最佳的时期是在上大学时。动词库中retain“保持;保留”符合句意。 18、 [解析] 此处需填入动词过去式，作谓语。these friendships指代大学期间建立的友谊，它可以在20年后依然很亲密，可见即使受外在不利因素影响(距离遥远、平均搬6次家)，这种友谊仍能“幸存下来”，survived符合上下文语义。 19、 [解析] 空格前的such表明此处需填入名词。在大学能够培养亲密的友谊是因为有很长一段时间可以相处，proximity“接近;亲近”符合语义，与上文的closeness呼应。 20、 [解析] 空格作句子的表语，可为名词、形容词或分词。根据空格后的“难以复制”可知，这些关系很珍贵，rare“罕见的;珍奇的”符合语义。 Section B Passage One 21、 [解析] 根据sets...apart，masters和talent定位到B段。该段提到，使托尔斯泰、莎士比亚、萨尔曼?拉什迪及伊莎贝尔?阿连德这些大师们如此突出的是一种天赋，一种来自于性格、阅历及信仰的天资。本题句子表述与原文相符，set...apart意为“使与众不同，使突出”。 22、 [解析] 根据style和more difficult to teach定位到I段。该段首句说，教授写作风格比教授写作基本功要难，但风格是可以通过学习获得的。本题句子与原文意思一致，题目中的the basics of writing与原文the nuts and bolts of writing对应，more difficult to teach对应原文less teachable。 23、 [解析] 根据writing ability和the ability to think定位到C段。该段末句指出，在提高写作能力的同时，我们也提高了自己思考的能力。本题句子的enhance对应原文的improve。 24、 [解析] 根据public schools定位到E段。该段第3句指出，公立学校在培养学生良好的写作能力这方面所下的工夫是远远不够的，它们几乎连将基本语法和糟糕的5段式散文灌输给学生的教学目标都没有达到。本题句子意思与原文对应。 25、 [解析] 根据reading again定位到L段。文中提到，很多人无法成为优秀作家的原因在于他们不去读自己写的东西。这意味着他们看不到自己文章中累赘、平庸的部分以及与他们所要表达的相抵触的部分，而且他们永远都不会懂得如何去发现、改进和避免这些问题。本题句子概括了这部分内容。 26、 [解析] 根据ill-received定位到M段。文中提到，唯一的解决办法就是坚持不懈，并要关注人们的批评，并从中吸取教训。本题句子的solution to it对应原文的answer for it，而keep on writing对应原文的persistence。 27、 [解析] 根据the vastness of language and the limits of grammar定位到J段。该段说，通过阅读，我们体会到了语言的博大精深和语法的局限性以及如何去冲破这种局限。本题句子与原文意思一致。 28、 [解析] 根据being misunderstood定位到G段。该段说，提高我们写作水平的那些技巧同时也使我们更能言善辩，能让我们更好地“出售”自己的观点，可以减少我们被误解的几率，增加别人采纳我们观点的几率。本题句子的better express their ideas与原文的make us better explainers或"sell" our ideas effectively对应，decrease对应原文的lessens。 29、 [解析] 根据paper-grading time定位到A段。该段提到，对我来说，现在还是评试卷的时间，是一年中我反复告诉自己要具有良好写作技能的重要性和独特性的时候。本题句子的constantly realize the significance对应原文的reminded over and over of the importance。 30、 [解析] 根据mandatory nation-wide tests定位到F段。该段后半部分提到，硬性规定的全国范围内的测试认同的是统一的标准答案，而不是创新意识。此外，如果学生在测试中没能达到规定的要求学校就会受惩罚，这样的环境自然不利于培养学生的写作能力。本题句子概括了原文的意思。 Passage Two 31、 [解析] 根据do more than one task和productive or profitable可查找到J段。该段第2 句讲到，人们认为要效率高或有利可图，就得同时完成多个任务。第3句Jeff Davidson则指出事实是相反的，即同时完成多个任务不会提高效率或有利可图。题目是对这两句话的概括，其中do more than one task对应原文的accomplish multiple tasks，而at the same time对应simultaneously。 32、 [解析] 根据关键词the source of one's stress和response定位到B段。该段第4句说到“他(Paul Rosch)不能解释压力来源，因为一个人的压力可能是另一个人的快乐”，言下之意是说每个人对于生活中的事情的反应不一样。题目句子是对这句话的同义概括。 33、 [解析] 根据watching episodes, playing online games等可查找到H段。该段刚开始讲到笑声是缓解压力的良药，但第4句开始转而指出，不宜花4个小时的时间看电视剧或玩网络游戏，这些时间应该用来和朋友相处。题目句子是对该段落最后几句话的概括。 34、 [解析] 根据关键词junk food可查找到G段。该段首句便讲到，垃圾食品的高脂肪和高碳水化合物通过示意大脑停止制造压力荷尔蒙，的确能带来短暂的舒适感。题目句子是对该句子的同义转述，其中stop producing stress hormones对应原文的stop the discharge of stress hormones。 35、 [解析] 根据题目中的1950s可查找到D段第3句。题目是对该句子的同义转述。其中become worse与原文的aggravated同义，doesn't control it对应原文的has no sense of control，而pessimistic一词则是对原文has no hope that things will get better的概括。 36、 [解析] 根据关键词statistics, a survey和handle stress可查找到E段。该段前几句讲到，“有些人是精神健康的完美范例。他们能运用他们解决问题的能力处理他们的压力来源，而其余的人却做不到这一点”，接着用数据46%、57%和53%列举了一项调查研究的结果。作者引入调查结果是为说明这些承受生活压力的人很多都不能适当地处理压力来源，故题目结论出自E段。 37、 [解析] 根据关键词句our brains will be stricken first和bodies可查找到A段。该段第6句讲到，我们每个人都会受到压力的攻击，首先是大脑，其次是身体。题目句子是对该句子的同义转述，其中first和then呼应原文的first和later。 38、 [解析] 根据A study from a university和metabolism of fats可查找到G段。该段末句讲到，俄亥俄州立大学的一项研究发现压力引起甘油三酸脂在血液中停留更久，从而影响体内脂肪正常的新陈代谢。题目句子是对该研究发现的同义转述，其中affect是原文interfering with的同义替换。 39、 [解析] 根据relaxing measures和meditation or mindfulness等可查找到N段。该段提到了几种放松技巧(relaxation techniques)，题目句子正是该段末尾提到的最后一个技巧，即meditation or mindfulness。 40、 [解析] 根据题目中的experiment, students和a single traumatic event定位至L段。该段提到的实验将重复写单一创伤事件的学生和写中性事件的学生进行了对比，发现前者比后者更容易从压力中缓解过来。题目是对该实验发现的概括，原文中的showed fewer...与题目中的more likely to be relieved from...内容一致。 Section C Passage One 41、B [解析] 第2段最后三句表明作者认为干活和玩乐应该并行，不能光干活，也不能光玩乐，由此可见， 选项B为本题答案。其他选项与作者观点相反，因此都不正确。 42、C [解析] 原文在首段和第3段分别提到两个人们不喜欢他们的工作的原因，其中第3段提到的第2个原因是more prevalent reason，由此可见，正确选项应与第2个原因同义，选项C是它的近义替换，为本题答案。选项A是第1个原因，但不符合题干most people的要求;选项B和D在原文均未提及。 43、C [解析] 第3段倒数第2句表明最大的困难是steady paycheck，即放弃稳定的收入最困难，因此本题答案为选项C。其他三个选项均未提及，与“最大的”困难无关。 44、C [解析] 作者在第4段首句首先提到“cyanide capsule”，然后在第2、3句对此做出了解释，第4句对cyanide capsule的作用做了总结，选项C是对第4句中hold on a little longer的近义改写，因此为本题答案。 45、A [解析] 第5段倒数第2句表明being in this position就能改变一个人的态度，而this position指的是上文提到的“为自己提供一种选择”，这样，在无法忍受的时候还可以有另一个选择，由此可见，选项A为本题答案。 Passage Two B 46、 [解析] 根据题干直接查找到第1段。第2句第2个分句提到“其中很多位于板块内部的深处”，而表达同样含义的是B选项。该段第1句指出，这些互不相连、发生火山运动的小地区，地质学家称之为热点，可见A项错误。选项C与第2句第1个分句的内容相反。倒数第2句提到“在某些情形下，板块移动经过热点留下死火山的痕迹”，即不是所有板块移动都会留下死火山的痕迹，故D错。 47、B [解析] 文章第2段的开头指出That the plates are moving is now beyond dispute。beyond dispute意为“毋庸置疑”，故答案选B项。从第2段第4句的“但是一个板块相对于另外一个板块的运动不能被顺理成章地解释成板块与它相对于地球内部的运动”，可排除A项。 48、B [解析] 从第2段的第3句可知，非洲和南美洲曾经连接在一起的证据有两个——海岸线所具有的互补的特征(complementary coastlines)及某些地质特点(certain geological features)。B项符合后者，故为正确答案。 49、D [解析] 关于hot spot theory的作用，除了第2段提到的参照作用外，第3段论及的另一个重要作用在于它能够推动板块在地球表面漂移(propel the plates across the globe)，从而引发了新海洋的形成(initiates the formation of a new ocean)。故答案选D项。 50、C [解析] 三个段落主要是围绕“热点对于地球物理学研究的意义”而展开的。故答案选C项。全篇共三段，第1段讲的是hot spots定义与分布，第2段讲hot spots在大陆板块移动中的参照作用，第3段讲hot spots引起新海洋形成的地球物理意义。 Passage Three 51、D [解析] 文章第2段提到，我们喜欢和其他人保持至少3英尺或一臂之长的距离。但拉丁人和中东人却喜欢站得很近，身体互相接触，而这使美国人很不舒服。由此可推断，如双方靠得太近，美国人定会向后退。因此，D与文中所陈述的意思一致，故而正确。 52、A [解析] 作者在文章的开篇就提出了论点，即我们的文化观使大多数美国人认为自己的语言世界通用，自己的手势人皆明白，但这种观点是错误的。围绕此论点，作者举出了数个例子驳斥美国人这种以自我为中心的文化观。因此，A与作者所阐述的观点一致。其余三项都是这种文化观所引起的后果。 53、B [解析] 第5段提到，每次出国，我们一般都食宿在说英语的那些宾馆和饭店中，人们对我们的态度和我们所获得的信息都是由说英语的本地人——通常是富人决定的。我们的生意往来、国家的外交活动也是通过翻译才能进行。因此，B与文中所陈述的意思相符，故正确。A的信息在文中并没有提及;C与文章所提及的观点相悖;D与文中所给的意思不符。 54、C [解析] 第6段和第7段提到，但这一切已成为过去，美元已不再能购买所有的好东西，美国人也开始慢慢地意识到他们在世界的地位正在改变。结合第3段提到的“在语言和文化上的盲目性……正使我们在世界上失去朋友、生意和人们的尊重”，可推断，美国人的作用已受到限制，C与文章所阐述的观点一致，故正确。A的信息在文章中并没有提及;B与文章所陈述的意思相悖;D只是一种次要的影响。 55、D [解析] 题目询问作者写这篇文章是要使美国人意识到什么。作者在文章的开篇就批评了大多数美国人心目中的一种错误的文化观，即美国的语言世界通用。接着又指出这种文化观所引起的语言和文化上的盲目性和随意性使美国人在世界上失去了朋友、生意和人们的尊重。美国在国际事物中的领先地位也正在失去。由此可看出作者的写作意图是要美国人克服这种文化上的盲目性，了解世界的文化。因此，D与作者的意图相符。 Passage Four 56、B [解析] 本文并没有提到树木基因改良技术从什么时候开始，所以有可能树木的基因改良技术和别的基因改良技术在开始的时间上相差不大，但在所取得的成果方面却有很大的差别，因此，本题关键在于理解首段末句中的lag behind指的是程度上的落后，而非时间上的落后，故B正确。 57、A [解析] 第2段第3句中的that，takes years表明研究树木的基因改造技术将花费很长时间，因此选项A为本题答案。原文没有就选项B和C两方面做出讨论，因此不能推断出这两个选项;虽然第2段首句提到technical一词，但文章表明树木基因改造技术是可行的，只是会花费较多的时间，因此选项D也不正确。 58、A [解析] 第2段末句中的similar efforts指的就是task of isolating and sequencing，即基因的常用方法，该句表明人类基因和树种基因的分析方法相同，但进展有差别，因此选项A为正确的推断。 59、B [解析] 选项B是一个半否定的句式，因此本题关键在于理解选项B的All...are not...结构在意义上等同于第3段倒数第3句的not all...are...。第3段倒数第2句中的fungus-resistant stock指的是南方松树中能抗真菌的树种，并非别的与南方松树毫不相关的树种，因此A的说法不正确。 60、B [解析] 末段倒数第2句中的an initiative...是the Pine Gene Discovery Project的同位语，表明开展该计划的目的，因此选项B为本题答案。其他选项都是在完成该计划后能够达成的工作，它们都要以松树基因的排列组合为基础，因此，这些选项都不是primary objective，而是在实现了primary objective之后继续进行的工作。