考研英语阅读unit-.pdf
文档 Unit 17 All things are difficult before they are easy.万事开头难。学习内容 题 材 词 数 建议时间 得分统计 做题备忘 Part A Text 1 商业经济 425 /10 Text 2 科普知识 397 /10 Text 3 社会生活 413 /10 Text 4 文化教育 391 /10 Part B 社会生活 602 /10 Part C 科普知识 442 /10 Part A Directions：Read the following texts.Answer the questions blow each text by choosing A,B,C or D.Text 1 The United States Interstate Highway System is an infrastructure feat of unprecedented proportions.Not only does it join all fifty states in the union together allowing for rapid transport of goods and people,but it also has legitimate claim to the title of the largest public worker program in history.The project was motivated by both military and economic goals.Interest in the project existed since the early 1940s,but was delayed by the outbreak of World War II,followed by the postwar recovery.Although approved by Congress in 1944,the building did not actually begin until 1956.The postwar prosperity in America accentuated the need for such a massive infrastructure project.After Americas success in World War II and recovery of its economy from the Great Depression,the populations disposable income soared,allowing most families to purchase automobiles,previously thought of as luxury items.With the sudden boom of cars,a more efficient road on which to travel was desperately needed,and the interstate highway system provided that,allowing travelers to safely and reliably visit other states or destinations closer to home.The same surge in car ownership that created the need for the interstate highway system also provided the means by which to pay for the project.A new tax on gasoline provided 90 percent of the funding for the project,and state taxes covered the remaining 10 percent.With the new highway system in place,not only could travelers visit previously unfeasible destinations on their holidays and vacations,but businesses could transport their products to markets in other states,increasing competition across the country,to the benefit of consumers and product quality alike.The military had a keen eye on the system as well.Troop transport was now possible to all corners of America in a rapid and efficient manner,and the long stretches of straight highways instantly provided runways for military aircraft in times of emergency.The country,linked together by a network,of roads that greatly reduced travel time,could now more efficiently be defended.In the last forty years alone,17 trillion miles have been traveled on the US Interstate Highway System.Those miles can be equated to three trips around the world for every American,a trip to 文档 the moon for 75 million people,or three light years in space.No matter what figure is used,the numbers are stunning.The interstate highway has gotten and continues to get people where they need to go in America,and at a fraction of the time it would otherwise take.1.The outbreak of World War II A wasted precious time by delaying the Interstate Highway project.B had a positive impact by contributing to the means by which the Interstate Highway System was built.C delayed the start of the project but resulted in more money by which to fund it.D spurred the military to throw their support in favor of the Interstate Highway project.2.The US Interstate Highway System was built mainly A to respond to urgent needs that had arisen.B in order to better defend a country in a time of war.C with economic and businesses in mind.D from state taxpayer dollars.3.What can we infer from the Paragraph 3?A The tax on gasoline was the most efficient way by which to fund the building of the interstate highway system.B The interstate highway system was an immense financial burden that required huge amounts of resources to complete.C Without the postwar surge in car ownership,funding for the interstate highway system would have been insufficient.D Those who stood to benefit most from the interstate highway system provided the majority of the funding for its construction.4.By“Those milesin space”(Line 2-3,Para.5),the author intends to A stress the effects of the interstate highway system that continue to this day.B highlight the incredible distances that have been traveled on the interstate highway system.C state the distances traveled on the interstate highway system in more comparable terms.D make a final statement attesting to the greatness of the interstate highway system.5.The author views the United States Interstate Highway System with A whole-hearted approval.B a judgment of the good outweighing the bad.C positive feelings on its economic impact.D critical support.Text 2 The word science is heard so often in modern times that almost everybody has some notion of its meaning.On the other hand,its definition is difficult for many people.The meaning of the term is confused,but everyone should understand its meaning and objectives.Just to make the explanation as simple as possible,suppose science is defined as classified knowledge(facts).Even in the true sciences distinguishing fact from fiction is not always easy.For this reason great care should be taken to distinguish between beliefs and truths.There is no danger as long as a clear difference is made between temporary and proved explanations.For example,hypotheses and theories are attempts to explain natural phenomena.From these positions the scientist 文档 continues to experiment and observe until they are proved or discredited.The exact status of any explanation should be clearly labeled to avoid confusion.The objectives of science are primarily the discovery and the subsequent understanding of the unknown.Man cannot be satisfied with recognizing that secrets exist in nature or that questions are unanswerable;he must solve them.Toward that end specialists in the field of biology and related fields of interest are directing much of their time and energy.Actually,two basic approaches lead to the discovery of new information.One,aimed at satisfying curiosity,is referred to as pure science.The other is aimed at using knowledge for specific purposesfor instance,improving health,raising standards of living,or creating new consumer products.In this case knowledge is put to economic use.Such an approach is referred to as applied science.Sometimes practical-minded people miss the point of pure science in thinking only of its immediate application for economic rewards.Chemists responsible for many of the discoveries could hardly have anticipated that their findings would one day result in applications of such a practical nature as those directly related to life and death.The discoveries of one bit of information opens the door to the discovery of another.Some discoveries seem so simple that one is amazed they were not made years ago;however,one should remember that the construction of the microscope had to precede the discovery of the cell.The hosts of scientists dedicating their lives to pure science are not apologetic about ignoring the practical side of their discoveries;they know from experience that most knowledge is eventually applied.6.We may simply define science as A the study of unrelated subjects.B an attempt to explain natural phenomena.C the study of related fields.D labelled knowledge.7.A scientist interested in adding to our general knowledge about oxygen would probably call his approach A applied science.B agriculture science.C pure science.D environmental science.18.Pure science,leading to the construction of a microscope,A may lead to antiscientific,“impure”results.B necessarily precedes applied science,leading to the discovery of a cell.C is not always as pure as we suppose.D necessarily results from applied science and the discovery of a cell.9.On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree?A Scientists engaged in theoretical research should not be blamed for ignoring the practical side of their discoveries.B Today few people have any notions of the meaning of science.C In science,it is not difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.D Practical-minded people can understand the meaning and objectives of pure science.10.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?文档 A The Nature of Science and Scientists B Biology and the Science and Scientist C Hypotheses and Theories D On Distinguishing Fact from Fiction Text 3 Great emotional and intellectual resources are demanded in quarrels;stamina helps,as does a capacity for obsession.But no one is born a good quarreler,the craft must be learned.There are two generally recognized apprenticeships.First,and universally preferred,is a long childhood spent in the company of fractious siblings.After several years of rainy afternoon,brothers and sisters develop a sure feel for the tactics of attrition and the niceties of strategy so necessary in first-rate quarreling.The only child,or the child of peaceful or repressed households,is likely to grow up failing to understand that quarrels,unlike arguments,are not about anything,least of all the pursuit of truth.The apparent subject of a quarrel is a mere pretext;the real business is the quarrel itself.Essentially,adversaries in a quarrel are out to establish or rescue their dignity;hence the elementary principle:anything may be said.The unschooled,may spend an hour with knocking heart,sifting the consequences of calling this old acquaintance a lying fraud.Those who miss their first apprenticeship may care to enroll in the second,the bad marriage,This can be perilous for the neophyte;the mutual intimacy of spouses makes them at once more vulnerable and more dangerous in attack.Once sex is involved,the stakes are higher all round.And there is an unspoken rule that those who love,or have loved,one another are granted a license for unlimited beastliness as is denied to mere sworn enemies.For all that some of our most tenacious black belt quarrelers have come to it late in life and mastered every throw.A quarrel may last years.Among brooding types with time on their hands,like writers,half a lifetime is not uncommon.In its most refined form,a quarrel may consist of the participants not talking to each other.They will need to scheme laboriously to appear in public together to register their silence.Brief,violent quarrels are also known as rows.In all cases the essential ingredient remains the same;the original cause must be forgotten as soon as possible.From here on,dignity,pride,self-esteem,honor are quarrelling,like jealousy,is an ail-consuming business,virtually a profession.For the quarrelers very selfhood is on the line.To lose an argument is a brief disappointment,much like losing a game of tennis;but to be crushed in a quarrel,rather bite off your tongue and spread it at your opponents feet.11.The expression“rainy afternoon”(Line 3，Para.2)implies a time when A brothers and sisters had to play at home.B brothers and sisters felt depressed.C family members need money.D it is raining in the afternoon.12.The difference between a quarrel and an argument is A the former involves individual pride.B the former concerns strong points of view.C the latter has well-established rules.文档 D the latter concerns trivial issues.13.During the quarrel,either among children or between spouses A brutality is apparent.B politeness is used as a weapon.C skillful tactics are employed.D feeling is exaggerated.14.The word“register”(Line 5，Pra.6)means A show.B enroll.C conceal.D reconcile.15.What does the passage mainly talk about?A The reason why quarrel is bitter.B How to mind your words while arguing.C The characteristics of a quarrel.D How to make a good quarrel.Text 4 After their 20-year-old son hanged himself during his winter break from the University of Arizona five years ago,Donna and Phil Satow wondered what signs they had overlooked,and started asking other students for answers.What grew from this soul searching was Ulifeline(www.ulifeline,org),a website where students can get answers to questions about depression by logging on through their universities.The site has been adopted as a resource by over 120 colleges,which can customize it with local information,and over 1.3 million students have logged on with their college IDs.“Its a very solid website that raises awareness of suicide,de-stigmatizes mental illness and encourages people to seek the help they need,”said Paul Grayson,the director of counseling services at New York University,which started using the service nearly a year ago.The main component of the website is the Self-E-Valuator,a self-screening program developed by Duke University Medical Center that tests students to determine whether they are at risk for depression,suicide and disorders like anorexia and drug dependence.Besides helping students,the service compiles anonymous student data,offering administrators an important window onto the mental health of its campus.The site provides university users with links to local mental health services,a catalog of information on prescription drugs and side effects,and access to Go Ask Alice,a vast archive developed by Columbia University with hundreds of responses to anonymously posted inquiries from college students worldwide.For students concerned about their friends,there is a section that describes warning signs for suicidal behavior and depression.Yet it is hard to determine how effective the service is.The anonymity of the offline service can even play out as a negative.“There is no substitute for personal interaction,”said Dr.Lanny Berman,executive director of the American Association of Suicidology,based in Washington.Ulifeline would be the first to say that its service is no replacement for an actual therapist.“The purpose is to find out if there are signs of depression and then direct people to the right places,”said Ron Gibori,executive director of Ulifeline.Mrs.Satow,who is still involved with Ulifeline,called it“a knowledge base”that might have prevented the death of her son,Jed.“If Jeds friends had known the signs of depression,they 文档 might have seen something,”she said.16.The son of Mr.and Mrs.Satow is mentioned to A introduce the topic of a website called Ulifeline B show the suffering of Mr.and Mrs.Satow C describe the Satows confusion over their sons death D report the suicide of a young man 17.Why do many colleges adopt the website Ulifeline?A It provides their students with campus information B It offers medical treatment to students in mental disorder C It encourages their students to seek advice about depression D It gives their students various help they may need 18.Which of the following is true of Go Ask Alice?A It is a kind of side effect caused by some prescription drugs.B It counsels college students on mental problems C It is a collection of medical responses from students the world over D It describes the various signs of mental disorders 19.The sentence“Yet it isthe service is.”(Line 1,Para.6)shows that A a therapists office is the first place for the depressed to go.B the help given by the web service is doubtful.C doct
