第五节 专项阅读练习
Passage 1
Sleep is very ancient. In the electroencephalographic sense we share it were all the primates and almost all the other mammals and birds: It may extend back as for as the reptiles.
There is some evidence that the two types of sleep, dreaming and dreamless, depend on the lifestyle of the animal, and that predators are statistically much more likely to dream than prey, which are in turn much more likely to dream than prey, which are in turn much more likely to experience dreamless sleep. In dream sleep, the animal is powerfully immobilized and remarkably unresponsive to external stimuli. Dreamless sleep is much shallower, and we have all witnessed cats or dogs cocking their ears to a sound when apparently fast asleep. The fact that deep dream sleep is rare among prey today seems clearly to be a product of natural selection, and it makes sense that today, when sleep is highly evolved, the stupid animals are less frequently immobilized by deep sleep than the smart ones. But why should they sleep deeply at all? Why should a state of such deep immobilization ever have evolved?
Perhaps one useful hint about the original function of sleep is to be found in the fact that dolphins and whales and aquatic mammals in general seem to sleep very little. There is, by and large, no place to hide in the ocean. Could it be that, rather than increasing an animal's vulnerability, the function of sleep is to decrease it? Wilse Webb of the University of Florida and Ray Meddis of London University have suggested this to be the case. It is conceivable that animals who are too stupid to be quiet on their own initiative are, during periods of high risk, immobilized by the implacable arm of sleep. The point seems particularly clear for the young of predatory animals. This is an interesting notion and probably at least partly true.
1. The author states that during dream sleep, the animal sleeps _____ .
［A］ without moving
［B］ shallowly
［C］ intermittently
［D］ on its side
2. It can be inferred from the passage that animals that are prey rarely experience dream sleep because they _____ .
［A］ have evolved further than predators
［B］ are particularly intelligent animals
［C］ need less sleep than predators
［D］ would be caught if deeply asleep
3. The author suggests that, because there are no hiding places in the oceans, whales and dolphins _____ .
［A］ sleep only when they are very young
［B］ cannot afford to sleep very much
［C］ usually dream while awake
［D］ take turns sleeping
4. The author implies that, if they did not sleep, babies of hunting animals might _____ .
［A］ be more aware of danger
［B］ make noise at the wrong times
［C］ fail to grow properly
［D］ be able to catch more food
Passage 2
The development of Jamestown in Virginia during the second half of the seventeenth century was closely related to the making and use of bricks. There are several practical reasons why bricks became important to the colony. Although the forests could initially supply sufficient timber, the process of lumbering was extremely difficult, particularly because of the lack of roads. Later, when the timber on the peninsula had depleted, wood had to be brought from some distance. Building stone was also in short supply. However, as clay was plentiful, it was inevitable that the colonist would turn to brickmaking.
In addition to practical reasons for using brick as the principal construction material, there was also an ideological reason. Brick represented durability and permanence. The Virginia Company of London instructed the colonists to build hospitals and new residence out of brick. In 1662, the town Act of the Virginia Assembly provided for the construction of thirtytwo brick buildings and prohibited the use of wood as a construction material. Had this law ever been successfully enforced, Jamestown would have been a model city. Instead, the residents failed to comply fully with the law; and by 1699 Jamestown had collapsed into a pile of rubble with only three or four habitable houses.
1. In the first half of the 1600's, most buildings on Jamestown were probably made of _____ .
［A］ earth
［B］ stone
［C］ wood
［D］ brick
2. It can be inferred from the passage that Jamestown was established on _____ .
［A］ a rocky peninsula with a small forested area
［B］ a barren peninsula near other towns
［C］ an uninhabitable peninsula with few natural resources
［D］ a wooded peninsula with a clay soil
3. It can be inferred from the passage that settlers who built with bricks in the 160's were _____ .
［A］ planning to return to England
［B］ obeying the laws
［C］ not concerned about durability
［D］ interested in larger residences
4. According to the passage, what eventually happen to Jamestown?
［A］ it was practically destroyed
［B］ it became a model city
［C］ It remained the seat of government
［D］ It was almost completed
5. It can be inferred from the passage that prior to the action of the Virginia Company of London, Jamestown had an insufficient number of _____ .
［A］ colonists
［B］ medical facilities
［C］ clay sources
［D］ bricklayers
Passage 3
More than half a million students take an introductory calculus course in any given year, and the number is growing. A large proportion have no choice. Calculus is a barrier that must be overcome on the way to a professional career in medicine or engineering. Even disciplines like history now sometimes require some college mathematics. But for many people who in the last few years have passed through such a course, the word "calculus" brings back painful memories.
In many universities about half of the students who take introductory calculus fail the course. A surprisingly large number must take the course several times to get through. At the same time, engineering and physical sciences professors complain that even the students who pass don't know very much about calculus and don't know how to use it.
"The teaching of calculus is a national disgrace," says Lynna Steen, President of the Mathematical Association of America. "Too often calculus is taught by inexperienced instructors to illprepared students in an environment with insufficient feedback," he says. "The result is a serious decline in the number of students pursuing advanced mathematics, and a majority of college graduates who have learned to hate mathematics."
Now many educators have started a movement to change what is taught in an introductory calculus course, to improve the way it is taught and to bring the teaching of calculus into the computer age. Though they admit that there is nothing they could do about calculus, many of them do bring worthwhile suggestions.
1. Many students take an introductory calculus course because _____ .
［A］ calculus is a required course
［B］ college mathematics is required in more and more subjects
［C］ calculus is fundamental for students majoring in engineering
［D］ mathematics plays a key role in one's professional career
2. We can conclude after reading the first paragraph that _____ .
［A］ calculus is a boring but useful subject
［B］ students of arts and letters are becoming more interested in mathematics than students of science.
［C］ many students are reluctant to take the calculus course
［D］ without a good mastery of mathematics, students will amount to nothing
3. The professors' complaint in the second paragraph implies that _____ .
［A］ calculus is such a difficult course that no students could really meet its high standards
［B］ it is hard to apply calculus to practice
［C］ the examination results of the calculus course are questionable
［D］ the quality of the calculus course is very poor
Passage 4
The most striking single fact about chimpanzees is the flexibility of their social life, the lack of any rigid form of organization. It represents about as far a departure from the baboon type of organization as one can find among the higher primates, and serves to emphasize the great variety of primate adaptations. Chimpanzees are more human than baboons, or rather they jibe better with the way we like to picture ourselves, as free wheeling individuals who tend to be unpredictable, do not take readily to any form of regimentation, and are frequently charming.(Charm is relatively rare among baboons.)
Two researchers have described what they found during more than eight months spent among chimpanzees in their natural habitat, the forest: "We were quite surprised to observe that there is no single distinct social unit in chimpanzee society. Not only is there no `family' or `harem' organization; neither is there a `troop' organization-that is to say, no particular chimpanzees keep permanently together. On the contrary, individuals move about at will, alone or in small groups best described as bands, which sometimes form into large aggregations. They leave their associates if they want to, and join up with new ones without conflict."
The general practice is best described as "easy come, easy go," although there are certain group forming tendencies. As a rule chimpanzees move about in one of four types of band: adult males only: mothers and offspring and occasionally a few other females; adults and adolescents of both sexes, but no mothers with young; and representatives of all categories mixed together. The composition of bands may change a number of times during the course of a day as individuals wander off and groups split or combine with other groups. On the other hand, certain individuals prefer one another's company. One of the researchers observed that four males often roamed together over a fourmonth period, and mothers often associated with their older offspring.
1. The author's main purpose is to explain _____ .
［A］ how chimpanzees mate
［B］ the differences between baboons and chimpanzees
［C］ why chimpanzees live in the forest
［D］ the relationships among chimpanzees
2. The author implies that the social behavior of baboons is _____ .
［A］ predictable
［B］ practical
［C］ political
［D］ primitive
3. According to the passage, the researchers were surprised that chimpanzees had such _____ .
［A］ temporary associations
［B］ humanlike families
［C］ violent conflicts
［D］ large harems
4. In line 15, the phrase "easy come easy go" could best be replaced by _____ .
［A］ immobile
［B］ nonchalant
［C］ functional
［D］ aggressive
Passage 5
Heroin addiction today is found chiefly among young people in ghetto areas. Of the more than 60,000 known addicts, more than half live in New York State. Most of these live in New York City. Recent figures show that more than half of the addicts are under 30 years of age.
Narcotic addiction in the United States is not limited to heroin users. Some middleaged and older persons who take narcotic drugs regularly to relieve pain can also become addicted. So do some people who can get drugs easily, such as doctors, nurses and druggists. Studies show that this type of addict has personality and emotional problems very similar to those of other regular narcotic users.
Many addicts admit that getting a continued supply is the main objective of their lives. His concentration on getting drugs often prevents the addict from continuing his education or his job. His health is often poor. He may be sick one day from effects of withdrawal and sick the next from an overdose. Statistics show that his life span may be shortened by 15 to 20 years. He is usually in trouble with his family and almost always in trouble with the law.
Some studies suggest that many of the known narcotic addicts had some trouble with the law before they became addicted. Once addicted, they may even become more involved with crime because it costs so much to support the heroin habit.
Most authorities agree that the addict's involvement with crime is not a direct effect of the drug itself. Turning to crime is usually the only way he has of getting that much money. His crimes are nearly always thefts or other crimes against property.
Federal penalties for illegal narcotics usage were established under the Harrison Act of 1914.The Act provides that illegal possession of narcotics is punished by fines and/or imprisonment. Sentences can range from 2 to 10 years for the first offense, 5 to 20 years for the second, and 10 to 20 years for further offenses.
Illegal sale of narcotics can mean a fine of 20,000 and a sentence from 20 to 40 years for later offenses. A person who sells narcotics to someone under 18 is refused parole and probation, even for the first offense. If the drug is heroin, he can be sentenced to life imprisonment or to death.
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the first paragraph?
［A］ the number of known addicts in the US
［B］ the causes of drug abuse
［C］ the place where most drug addicts live
［D］ the age of drug addicts
2. It is implied in the second paragraph that _____ .
［A］ some people become addicted to drugs unintentionally
［B］ patients are apt to become addicted
［C］ most drug addicts are those who are in the medical profession
［D］ people over 30 years old are immune to drug abuse
3. A drug addict is always in trouble with law _____ .
［A］ which is due to the side effects of the drug
［B］ because turning to crime is his only way of getting money to buy the expensive drugs
［C］ because he rebels against the society and does not see things in the light of reason
［D］ because he often gets into bad company
4. Who will be most severely punished by the law?
［A］ A person who sells drugs to the teenagers
［B］ A person who sells heroin
［C］ A nurse who steals drugs from the hospital
［D］ A person who buys illegal drugs
Passage 6
Scientific explanations require objective thinking. Both theoretical research and experimental exploration have shown that no child below school age is truly able to grasp these two concepts, without which abstract understanding is impossible. In his early years, until age eight or ten, the child can develop only highly personalized concepts about what he experiences. Therefore it seems natural to him, since the plants which grow on this earth nourish him as his mother did from her breast, to see the earth as a mother or a female god, or at least as her abode(住所).
Even a young child somehow knows that he was created by his parents; so it makes good sense to him that, like himself, all men and where they live were created by a superhuman figure not very different from his parents-some male or female god. Since his parents watch over the child and provide him with his needs in his home, then naturally he also believes that something like them, only much more powerful, intelligent, and reliable-a guardian angel-will do so out in the world
A child thus experience the world order in the image of his parents and of what goes on within the family. The ancient Egyptians, as a child does, saw heaven and the sky as a motherly figure who protectively bent over the earth, enveloping it and them serenely (安详地). Far from preventing man from later developing a more rational explanation of the world, such a view offers security where and when it is most needed-a security which, when the time is ripe, allows for a truly rational world view. Life on a small planet surrounded by limitless space seems awfully lonely and cold to a child-just the opposite of what he knows life ought to be. This is why the ancients needed to feel sheltered and warmed by an enveloping mother figure. To depreciate protective imagery like this as mere childish projections of an immature mind is to rob the young child of one aspect of the prolonged safety and comfort he needs.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that children in their early years are capable of _____ .
［A］ objective thinking
［B］ rational thinking
［C］ religious thinking
［D］ subjective thinking
2. According to the passage, young chidden get to know the world _____ .
［A］ by comparing it with the family life
［B］ by learning from their parents and brothers or sisters
［C］ by conducting experimental explorations
［D］ by reading ancient folk tales
3. The author indicates that the ancient people usually created a superhuman figure because _____ .
［A］ they wanted to conquer nature
［B］ they didn't know how the world went round
［C］ they had a sense of safety that way
［D］ they wanted their children to live in safety
Passage 7
To produce the upheaval in the United States that changed and modernized the domain of higher education from the mid1880's, three primary causes interacted. The emergence of a halfdozen leaders in education provided the personal force that was needed Moreover, an outcry for a fresher, more practical, and more advanced kind of instruction arose among the alumni and friends of nearly all of the old colleges and grew into a movement that overrode all conservative opposition. The aggressive "Young Yale" movement appeared, demanding partial alumni control, a more liberal spirit, and a broader course of study. The graduates of Harvard College simultaneously rallied to relieve the college's poverty and demand new enterprise. Education was pushing toward higher standards in the East by throwing off church leadership everywhere, and in the West by finding a wider range of studies and a new sense of public duty.
The oldstyle classical education received most crushing blow in the citadel of Harvard College, where Dr. Charles Eliot, a young captain of thirtyfive, son of a former treasurer of Harvard, led the progressive forces. Five revolutionary advances were made during the first years of Dr. Eliot's administration. They were the elevation and amplification of entrance requirements, the enlargement of the curriculum and the development of the elective system, the recognition of graduate study in the liberal arts, the raising of professional training in law, medicine, and engineering to a postgraduate level, and the fostering of greater maturity in student life. Standards of admission were sharply advanced in 1872-1873 and 1876-1877. By the appointment of a dean to take charge of student affairs, and a wise handling of discipline, the undergraduates were led to regard themselves more as young gentlemen and less as young animals. One new course of study after another was opened up-science, music, the history of the fine arts, advanced Spanish political economy, physics, classical philosophy, and international law.
1. Which of the following is the author's main purpose in the nineteenth century?
［A］ To explain the history of Harvard college.
［B］ To criticize the conditions of United States universities in the nineteenth century.
［C］ To describe innovations in United States higher education in the later 1800's.
［D］ To compare Harvard with Yale before the turn of the century.
2. According to the passage, the changes in higher education during the later 1800's were the result of _____ .
［A］ plans developed by conservatives and church leaders
［B］ efforts of interested individuals to redefine the educational system
［C］ the demands of social organizations seeking financial relief
［D］ rallies held by westerners wanting to compete with eastern schools
3. Which of the following can be inferred about Harvard College before progressive changes occurred?
［A］ Admission standards were lower.
［B］ Classes ended earlier.
［C］ Students were younger.
［D］ Courses were more practical.
4. It can be concluded that a characteristic of the classical course of study was _____ .
［A］ most students majored in education
［B］ students were limited in their choice of courses
［C］ students has to pass five levels of study
［D］ courses were so difficult that most students failed
Passage 8
Wild claims on labels of worthless medicines are much less frequent than there were years ago. But some overthecounter drugs are still being promoted by tall stories, sometimes told in booklets or through advertising rather than on the label.
One tall story is that every American today suffers from a vitamin or mineral deficiency and needs vitamin supplements. This isn't so. Vitamins and minerals are plentiful in our food supply. Eating a variety of foods makes it almost certain that you will get a full amount of these nutrients.
Infants, pregnant women, the sick and those who are dieting may need special supplements. But the family physician is the best authority on what vitamin supplements are needed
If your doctor does recommend supplements, take the suggested dose--no more. Some people take or give vitamins on the principle that if a little is good, twice as much is better. Excessive doses of certain vitamins are known to be poisonous.
If you are overweight, don't fall for a formula that promises you a slim, trim figure without dieting or calorie counting. To reduce, you must consume fewer calories than you use up in daily living.
The energyproducing or heatproducing value of food is measured in calories. One calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water one degree centigrade. If calories are not used in producing heat or energy, they build fat.
If you need to lose only a few pounds, you can probably work out your own diet. But if you need to lose many pounds, have your doctor plan a diet for you. Crash diets can break down your health, not your weight.
Beware of cosmetics that make exaggerated claims or promises. There are no quick or easy cures for spots. Spots on the face are caused by a combination of factors. No cream that comes in a jar can cure them.
Don't trust any cream of gadget (small device) that promises to give you curves where you want them or take them from where they are not wanted. Any cream that could do this would not be safe to use and there are no gadgets that are effective for spot reducing.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act protects the consumer by prohibiting any statements on labels or packages that are false or misleading.
1. In this article the author defends _____ .
［A］ the high cost of prescription drugs
［B］ the quality of television advertising
［C］ the safety of the overthecounter drugs
［D］ the vitamin content of American food
2. According to the article, which of the following is NOT true?
［A］ Worthless drugs used to be promoted on the label.
［B］ Vitamin supplements are needed by elderly people.
［C］ There is no quick cure for spots.
［D］ Crash diets do harm to health.
3. The author implies in the last paragraph but one that no cream can _____ .
［A］ give you a suntan
［B］ cure skin diseases
［C］ change the shape of the body
［D］ bleach the skin fair
4. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of this passage?
［A］ Beware of misleading advertising.
［B］ Being on diet will ensure a good health.
［C］ Drastic action should be taken against worthless medicines.
［D］ There is no need for Americans to supplement vitamins.
Passage 9
The making of classifications by literary historians can be a somewhat risky enterprise. When Black poets are discussed separately as a group, for instance, the extent to which their work reflects the development of poetry in general should not be forgotten, or a distortion of literary history may result. This caution is particularly relevant in an assessment of the differences between Black poets at the turn of the century (1900-1909) and those of the generation of the 1920's. These differences include the bolder and more forthright speech of the later generation and its technical inventiveness. It should be remembered, though, that comparable differences also existed for similar generations of White poets.
When poets of the 1910's and 1920's are considered together, however, the distinctions that literary historians might make between "conservative" and "experimental" would be of little significance in a discussion of Black poets, although these remain helpful classifications for White poets of these decades. Certainly differences can be noted between "conservative" Black poets such as Countee Cullen and Claude McKay and "experimental" ones such as Jean Loomer and Langston Hughes. But Black poets were not battling over old or new styles; rather, one accomplished. Black poet was ready to welcome another, whatever his or her style, for what mattered was racial pride.
However, in the 1920's Black poets did debate whether they should deal with specifically racial subjects. They asked whether they should only write about Black experience for a Black audience or whether such demands were restrictive. It may be said; though, that virtually all these poets wrote their best poems when they spoke out of racial feeling, race being, as James Weldon Johnson rightly put it. "perforce the thing the Negro poet knows best."
At the turn of the century, by contrast, most Black poets generally wrote in the conventional manner of the age and expressed noble, if vague, emotions in their poetry. These poets were not unusually gifted, though Boscoe Jamison and G M McClellen may be mentioned as exceptions. They chose not to write in dialect, which, as Sterling Brown has suggested "meant a rejection of stereotypes of Negro life." and they refused to write only about racial subjects. This refusal had both a positive and a negative consequence. As Brown observes." Valuably insisting that Negro poets should not be confined to issues of race, these poets committed［an］ error...they refused to look into their hearts and write. These are important insights, but one must stress that this refusal to look within was also typical of most White poets of the United States at the time. They too, often furned from their own experience and consequently produced not very memorable poems about vague topics, such as the peace of nature.
1. Most turnofthecentury Black poets generally did which of the following?
［A］ Wrote in ways that did not challenge accepted literary practice.
［B］ Described scenes from their own lives.
［C］ Aroused patriotic feelings by expressing devotion to the land.
［D］ Expressed complex feeling in the words of ordinary people.
2. An issue facing Black poets in the 1920's was whether they should _____ .
［A］ seek a consensus on new techniques of poetry
［B］ write exclusively about and for Blacks
［C］ withdraw their support from a repressive society
［D］ turn away from soul questions to recollect the tranquillity of nature
3. It can be inferred that classifying a poet as either conservative or experimental would be of "little significance" (when discussing Black poets of the 1910's and the 1920's) because _____ .
［A］ these poets wrote in very similar styles
［B］ these poets all wrote about nature in the same way
［C］ these poets were fundamentally united by a sense of racial achievement despite differences in poetic style
［D］ such a method of classification would fail to take account of the influence of general poetic practice
4. It can be inferred that the author finds the work of the majority of the Black poets at the turn of the century to be _____ .
［A］ unexciting
［B］ calming
［C］ confusing
［D］ delightful
Passage 10
In a perfectly free and open market economy, the type of employer-government or private-should have little or no impact on the earnings differentials between women and men. However, if there is discrimination against one sex, it is unlikely that the degree of discrimination by government and private employers will be the same. Differences in the degree of discrimination would result in earnings differentials associated with the type of employer. Given the nature of government and private employers, it seems most likely that discrimination by private employers would be greater. Thus one would expect that, if women are being discriminated against, government employment would have a positive effect on women's earnings as compared with their earnings from private employment. The results of a study by Fuchs support this assumption. Fuchs's results suggest that the earnings of women in an industry composed entirely of government employees would be 14.6 percent greater than the earnings of women in an industry composed exclusively of private employees, other things being equal.
In addition both Fuchs and Sanborn have suggested that the effect of discrimination by consumers on the earnings of selfemployed women may be greater than the effect of either government or private employer discrimination on the earnings of women employees. To test this hypothesis, Brown selected a large sample of White male and female workers from the 1970 Census and divided them into three categories: private employees, government employees, and selfemployed. (Black workers were excluded from the sample to avoid picking up earnings differentials that were the result of racial disparities.) Browns research design controlled for education, laborforce participation, mobility, motivation, and age in order to eliminate these factors as explanations of the study's results. Brown's results suggest that men and women are not treated the same by employers and consumers. For men, selfemployment is the highest earnings category, with private employment next, and government lowest. For women, this order is reversed.
One can infer from Brown's results that consumers discriminate against selfemployed women. In addition, selfemployed women may have more difficulty than men in getting good employees and may encounter discrimination from suppliers and from financial institutions.
Brown's results are clearly consistent with Fuch's argument that discrimination by consumers has a greater impact on the earnings of women than does discrimination by either government or private employers. Also, the fact that women do better working for government than for private employers implies that private employers are discriminating against women. The results do not prove that government does not discriminate against women. They do, however, demonstrate that if government is discriminating against women, its discrimination is not having as much effect on women's earnings as is discrimination in the private sector.
1. The passage mentions all of the following as difficulties that selfemployed women may encounter EXCEPT _____ .
［A］ discrimination from suppliers
［B］ discrimination from consumers
［C］ problems in obtaining government assistance
［D］ problems in obtaining good employees
2. A study of the practices of financial institutions (that revealed no discrimination against selfemployed women) would tend to contradict _____ .
［A］ some tentative results of Fuchs's study
［B］ some explicit results of Brown's study
［C］ a suggestion made by the author
［D］ Fuchs's hypothesis
3. The passage explicitly answers which of the following questions?
［A］ Why were Black workers excluded from the sample used in Brown's study?
［B］ Why do private employers discriminate more against women than do government employers?
［C］ Why do selfemployed women have more difficulty than men in hiring highquality employees?
［D］ Why do suppliers discriminate against selfemployed women?
4. It can be inferred that the statements in the last paragraph are most probably _____ .
［A］ Brown's elaboration of his research results
［B］ Brown's tentative inferences form his data
［C］ Brown's conclusions, based on commonsense reasoning
［D］ the author's conclusions, based on Fuchs's and Brown's results
5.5 判断推理和引申阅读理解练习题
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