大学英语阅读理解练习.doc

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1、Passage 1There have been many great inventions,things that changed the way we live.The first great invention was one that is still very important today the wheel.Thismade it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had

2、as much effectas the wheel.Then in the early 1800s the world started to change.There was littleunknown land left in the world.People didnt have to explore much anymore.Theybegan to work instead to make life better.In the second half of the 19th century many inventions were made.Among themwere the ca

3、mera,the electric light and the radio.These all became a big part of our lifetoday.The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions.The helicopter in1909.Sound movies in 1926.The computer in 1928.And jet planes in 1930.This wasalso a time when a new material was first made.Nylon came out

4、 in 1935.It changedthe kind of clothes people wear.The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get overdiseases.They worked very well.They made people healthier and let them live longlives.By the 1960s most people could expect to live to be at least 60.By this time most peopl

5、e had a very good life.Of course new inventionscontinued to be made.But man now had a desire to explore again.The world is knownto man but the stars are not yet.Man began looking for ways to go into space.Russiamade the first step.Then the United States took a step.Since then other countries,includi

6、ng China and Japan,have made their steps into space.In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth.Americans first walked on themoon.This is certainly just beginning though.New inventions will someday allow usto do things we have never yet dreamed of.1._inventions had had as much effect as the wh

7、eel before the 19th century.A.Quite a number ofB.SomeC.FewD.Many other2.Nylon came out nearly at the same time as _.A.the radioB the cameraC jet planesD the movies3.People can live longer lives because _ to help people cure diseaseshave worked very well.A.doctorsB new methodsC medicinesD new hospita

8、ls4.By the 1960s _.A.people knew everything about the worldB.people could live longer.C.only the moon was still unknownD.the world as a whole was known to man5.We can safely come to the conclusion that peoples lives will be made evenbetter through _.A.new discoveriesB.greater inventionsC.better ways

9、 to help get over diseaseD.all of the abovePassage 2Early in the 16thcentury men were trying to reach Asia by traveling west fromEurope.In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South America.The man whoeventually found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was FerdinandMagellan.Mag

10、ellan sailed from Seville inAugust 1519 with five ships and about 280 men.Fourteen months later,after spending the severe winter on the coast of Patagonia,hediscovered the channel which is now called Magellans Strait.In November 1520,aftermany months of dangers from rocks and storms,the three remain

11、ing ships entered theocean on the other side of SouthAmerica.They then continued,hoping to reach Asia.But they did not see any land untilthey reached the islands off the coast of Asia.Before they arrived at these islands,laterknown as the Philippines,men were dying of starvation.While they were stay

12、ing inthe Philippines,Magellan was killed in battle.The remaining officers then had to getback to Spain.They decided to sail round Africa.After many difficulties,one ship witheighteen men sailed into Seville three years after leaving.They were all that remainedof Magellans expectation.However,their

13、achievement was great.They were the firstmen to sail round the world.1.The purpose of Magellans expectation was _.A.To sail round the worldB.To find navigation lane from theAtlantic to the PacificC.To make a voyage toAsiaD.To carry them to Philippines2.The time Magellan Strait was discovered was _.A

14、.inAugust 1519B.in October 1520C.in November 1520D.not mentioned3.The number of the ships lost on the whole expedition was _.A.twoB.threeC.fourD.five4.Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage concerning the expedition?A.Lack of navigation equipment.B.Sever winter in Patagonia.C.The dea

15、th of Magellan.D.Dangers from rocks and storms.5.The best title for this passage is _.A.The discovery of Magellans StraitB.The Discovery of the PhilippinesC.The Most Dangerous Expedition in NavigationD.The First Expedition toAsiaPassage 3A rich American went into a shop in London.He wanted very much

16、 to buy anice-looking gold watch.He saw one that he liked,but the owner of the shop askedfive hundred U.S.dollars for it.Suddenly a young man came to the shop,snatched thewatch out of the owners hands,and ran away with it.It all happened in a few seconds.When the owner ran into the street,the thief

17、was already lost among the crowds.The American went on.At the next corner he saw the young thief with the stolenwatch in his hand.Do you want to buy a fine watch,minister?he whispered.Itsonly a hundred dollars.Its clear the thief doesnt know I saw him stealing the watch,the Americanthought.He paid a

18、t once and went back to his hotel with the watch.He couldnt helptelling his friend about his good luck.His friend too a look at the watch and laughed,saying,Youve been made a foolof.This watch isnt worth even ten dollars.Im sure that the shop owner and the thiefplanned this together.Why dont you ask

19、 the police to help you get your moneyback?The rich man decided not.He thought hed better keep quiet about it.1.Ayoung man snatched the watch out of the owners hand,so _.A.he must have taken it very quicklyB.he must have taken it gentlyC.he must have taken it without any forceD.he must have taken it

20、 without any haste2.The thief stood at the next corner,for _.A.he knew that theAmerican must pass hereB.he thought that it was a quiet placeC.he though that he wouldnt be seen there by the policeD.he used to stand there after stealing a watch3.TheAmerican bought the watch at once,because he thought

21、_.A.the watch was very niceB.the watch was very cheapC.the thief was very sillyD.it was a stolen watch4.TheAmerican told his friend the whole story,because he thought _.A.the story was funnyB.the story was interestingC.the watch was a nice oneD.he was very luck5.The American didnt ask the police to

22、help him to get his money back,because_.A.he wanted to get it back by himselfB.he didnt know the way to the policeC.he was very richD.it was a stolen watch,and it might bring him troublePassage 4Some skyscrapers now being built will have built-in devices to help firemen inrescuing people from top fl

23、oors.Steel bars,much like the rails trains run on,arefirmly attached to the outer walls.The rails run straight up the walls between rows ofwindows.During a fire alert at a skyscraper with this device,a special fire engine willarrive.Instead of an extension ladder,the engine will carry a light metal

24、box.On itsfront is a window;on the back are a door opening and four special wheels.An electricmotor that turns the wheels receives its supply of power from the fire engine througha long cable.The firemen handle the box so that the wheels grip two adjacent rails on thebuilding.The motor is switched o

25、n.The box,with a fireman inside,runs up the wallof the skyscraper where people await rescue at the windows.1.Built-in devices on skyscrapers are meant to help people awaiting rescuefrom_.A.elevators or liftsB.television towersC.the upper floorsD.the lower floors2.Steel rails for the device must be a

26、ttached_.A.firmlyB.straight up the wallsC.straight across the wallsD.bothAand B3.The rescue equipment grips the rails by _.A.steel hooksB.two special wheelsC.four special wheelsD.The article does not say.4.The power moving the equipment up the rails is _.A.steamB.electricityC.gravityD.human energy5.

27、Whats the authors attitude towards this new device?A.The author doesnt sayB.supportiveC.negativeD.very supportivePassage 5 5Im usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier orunhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago.While

28、 any of thesestatements might be true,they are practically impossible to prove scientifically.Still,I was struckby a report which concluded that todays children are significantly more anxious than children inthe 1950s.In fact,the analysis showed,normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of

29、anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.Why are Americas kids so stressed?The report cites two main causes:increasing physicalisolation-brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community,among otherthings-and a growing perception that the world is

30、 a more dangerous place.Given that we cant turn the clock back,adults can still do plenty to help the next generationcope.At the top of the list is nurturing(培育)a better appreciation of the limits of individualism.No child is an island.Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect in

31、dividualsagainst stress.To help kids build stronger connections with others,you can pull the plug on TVs andcomputers.Your family will thank you later.They will have more time for face-to-facerelationships,and they will get more sleep.Limit the amount of virtual(虚拟的)violence your children are expose

32、d to.Its not just videogames and movies;children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.Keep your expectations for your children reasonable.Many highly successful people neverattended Harvard or Yale.Make exercise part of your daily routine.It will help you cope with your own anxieties andp

33、rovide a good model for your kids.Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable.But it doesnt have to ruinyour life.1.The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about peoples state of mind are_.A)surprisingB)confusingC)illogicalD)questionable2.What does the author mean when he says,we cant turn the c

34、lock back(Line 1,Para.3)?A)Its impossible to slow down the pace of change.B)The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.C)Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.D)Its impossible to forget the past.3.According to an analysis,compared with normal children today,children tre

35、ated as mentally ill50 years ago_.A)were less isolated physicallyB)were probably less self-centeredC)probably suffered less from anxietyD)were considered less individualistic4.The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is _.A)to provide them with a safer environmentB

36、)to lower their expectations for themC)to get them more involved sociallyD)to set a good model for them to follow5.What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?A)Anxiety,though unavoidable,can be coped with.B)Childrens anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.C)Childrens anxiety can be eliminated wi

37、th more parental care.D)Anxiety,if properly controlled,may help children become mature.Passage 6Most of us grow up taking certain things for granted.We tend to assume that experts andreligious leaders tell us“the truth”.We tend to believe that things advertised on television or innewspapers cant be

38、bad for us.However,encouragement of critical thinking in students is one of the goals of most collegesand universities.Few professors require students to share the professors own beliefs.In general,professors are more concerned that students learn to question and critically examine the argumentsof o

39、thers,including some of their own beliefs or values.This does not mean that professors insistthat you change your beliefs,either.It does mean,however,that professors will usually ask you tosupport the views you express in class or in your writing.If your premises(前提)are shaky,or if your arguments ar

40、e not logical,professors personallypoint out the false reasoning in your arguments.Most professors want you to learn to recognizethe premises of your arguments,to examine whether you really accept these premises,and tounderstand whether or not you draw logical conclusions.Put it this way:Professors

41、dont tell youwhat to think;they try to teach you how to think.On the other hand,if you intend to disagree with your professors in class,you should beprepared to offer a strong argument in support of your ideas.Arguing just for the sake of arguingusually does not promote a critical examination of ide

42、as.Many professors interpret it asrudeness.1.In the first paragraph,the writer tries to tell us that people _.A)easily accept certain things without a second thoughtB)grow up through learning certain things in lifeC)are forming their views during their growthD)have strong beliefs in authorities whil

43、e getting old2.Nowadays,most colleges and universities encourage students to _.A)criticize othersB)share professorsbeliefsC)give their own ideasD)change their own beliefs3.The word“shaky”(Line l,Para.3)most probably means“_”.A)creativeB)firmC)falseD)weak4.To help students develop their critical thin

44、king,professors mainly teach them _.A)choice of their premisesB)the way to think independentlyC)skills of drawing conclusionsD)different kinds of argument5.According to the writer,the right way to argue is to _.A)argue mainly for the sake of arguingB)prove it with a good conclusionC)support your ide

45、a with sound reasoningD)examine othersideas criticallyPassage 7The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health.Although science has madeenormous steps in making food more fit to eat,it has,at the same time,made many food unfit toeat.Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of

46、 all human illnesses are related to dietand forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well,especially cancer of the colon.Differentcultures are prone to contract certain illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in thesecultures.That food is related to illnesses is not a new disco

47、very.In 1945,government researchersrealized that nitrates and nitrites,commonly used to preserve color in meats,and other foodaddictives,caused cancer.Yet,these carcinogenic addictives remain in our food,and it becomesmore difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of proces

48、sed food arehelpful or harmful.The addictives which we eat are not all so direct.Farmers often give penicillinto cows and poultry and because of this,penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows.Sometimes similar drugs are administered(given)to animals not for medical purposes,but forfinanc

49、ial reasons.The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higherprice on the market.Although the Food and Drug Administration has tried repeatedly to controlthese procedures,the practices continue.1.How has science done a disservice to mankind?A)Because of science,disease

50、caused by contaminated food has been virtually done awaywith.B)It has caused a lack of information,concerning the value of food.C)As a result of scientific intervention,some potentially harmful substances have been addedto our food.D)The scientists have preserved the color of meats,but not of vegeta