阅读理解-专项阅读练习
考研英语每日一课（阅读理解-专项阅读练习）
阅读理解-专项阅读练习
Passage 1
Before the 1870's, trained nurses were virtually unknown in the United States. Hospital nursing was an unskilled occupation, taken up by women of the lower classes, some of whom were conscripted from the penitentiary or the almshouse. The movement for reform originated not with doctors, but among upper-class women, who had taken on the role of guardians of a new hygienic order. Though some doctors approved of the women's desire to establish a nurses training school, which would attract the daughters of the middle class, other medical men were opposed. Plainly threatened by the prospect, the objected that educated nurses would not do as they were told-a remarkable comment on the status anxieties of nineteenth-century physicians. But the women reformers did not depend on the physicians' approval: When resisted, as they were at Bellevue in efforts to install trained nurses on the maternity wards, they went over the heads of the doctors to men of their own class of greater power and authority. (Florence Nightingale, who had friends high in the English government, had followed exactly the same course in reforming her country's military hospitals.) professional nursing, in short, emerged neither from medical discoveries nor from a program of hospital reform initiated by physicians; outsiders saw the need first.
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
［A］ public Hygiene in the United States
［B］ Florence Nightingale: A Nurse's story
［C］ The Fight for Nursing Education in the United States
［D］ Health Care in Upper-and lower-class Neighborhoods
Passage 2
The economy of the United States after 1952 was the economy of a well-fed, almost fully employed people. Despite occasional alarms, the country escaped any postwar liquidation and lived in a state of boom. The history of extraction, production, and distribution had therefore been almost nothing but a statistical table reflecting prosperity. An economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950's, may be typical as illustrating the decade. The national output was valued at about 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War Ⅱ.The country's business spent about 30 billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 256 billion dollars; that is, about 700 million dollars a day, or about twenty-five million dollars every hour, all around the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them. Only agriculture complained that it was not sharing in the boom. To some observers this was an ominous e
cho of the mid-1920's. As farmers' share of their products declined, marketing costs rose. But there were few pessimists among the observers of the national economy. Those few seemed to fear that the prosperity was based on government pump-priming on a stupendous scale.
The passage is mainly concerned with which of the following aspects of the United States history?
［A］ The agricultural trends of the 1950's
［B］ The unemployment rate in 1955
［C］ The general economic situation in the 1950's
［D］ the federal budget of 1952
Passage 3
During the American War of Independence, women were involved in the active fighting in three ways. First, as members of a distinct branch of the Continental Army, referred to as “Women of the Army”, women water carriers, who had plenty of opportunity to observe the firing of cannons, could replace a wounded comrade. The second way that women were involved in active fighting was as regular troop members who wore men's uniforms and fought side by side with their male counterparts. Theoretically, women were not supposed to be recruited into the Continental Army, but if a woman was a good soldier, no one made an issue of sex at a time when the army was so short of soldiers that boys not yet in their teens were also being recruited in violation of rules. Third, women were occasional fighters affiliated with local militia companies or committees of safety firmed to protect the local community.
What is the main idea expressed in the passage?
［A］ Women played an important role in military hospitals during the Revolutionary War.
［B］ The Continental Army was successful in teaching women to fire cannons.
［C］ The services of women on committees of safety were crucial in winning the war.
［D］ Woman were active in combat during the Revolutionary War.
Passage 4
In the long run a government will always encroach upon freedom to the extent to which it has the power to do so; this is almost a natural law of politics, since whatever the intentions of the men who exercise political power, the sheer momentum of government leads to a constant pressure upon the liberties of the citizen. But in many countries society has responded by throwing up its own defenses in the shape of social classes or organized corporations which, enjoying economic power and popular support, have been able to set limits to the scope of action of the executive. Such, for example, in England was the origin of all our liberties-won from government by the stand first of the feudal nobility, then of churches and politics parties, and lately of trade unions, commercial organizations, and the societies for promoting various causes. Even in European lands which were arbitrarily ruled, the powers of the monarchy, though absolute in theory, were in their exercise checked in a similar fashion. Indeed the fascist dictatorships of today are truly tyrannical governments which fashion. Indeed the fascist dict
atorships of today are truly tyrannical governments which western Europe has known for centuries, and they have been rendered possible only because on coming to power they destroyed all forms of social organization which were in any way rivals to the state.
The main idea of this paragraph is best expressed as .
［A］ limited powers of monarchies
［B］ the ideal of liberal government
［C］ functions of trade unions
［D］ safeguards of individual liberty
Passage 5
American Indians played a central role in the war known as the American Revolution. To them, however, the dispute between the colonists and England was peripheral. For American Indians the conflict was a war for American Indian independence, and whichever side they choose they lost it. Mary Brant was a powerful influence among the Iroquois. She was a Mohawk, the leader of the society of all Iroquois matrons, and the widow of Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Her brother, Joseph Brant, is the best-known American Indian warrior of the Revolution, yet she may have exerted even more influence in the confederacy than he did. She used her influence to keep the western tribes of Iroquois loyal to the English King, George Ⅲ. When the colonists won the war, she and her tribe had to abandon their lands and retreat to Canada. On the other side, Nancy Ward held positions of authority in the Cherekee nation. she had fought as a warrior in the war against the Creeks and as a reward for her heroism was made “Beloved Woman” of the tribe. This office made her chief of chiefs. She was friendly with the White settlers and supported the Patriots during the Revolution. Yet the Cherekees too lost their land.
What is the main point the author makes in the passage?
［A］ Siding with English in the Revolution helped American Indians regain their land
［B］ At the time of the revolution, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs had little power
［C］ Regardless of whom they supported in the Revolution, American Indians lost their land
［D］ The outcome of the Revolution was largely determined by American Indian women
Passage 6
Forces other than damaging winds are also at work inside tornadoes. Sometimes, as the twisting funnel passes over a house, the walls and ceiling burst apart as if a bomb had gone off inside. This explosion is caused by the low air pressure at the center of a tornado.
The pressure at the center of a tornado is usually 13 pounds per square inch. However, inside the house the air pressure is normal, about 15 pounds per square inch. The difference of 2 pounds per square inch between the inside and outside pressure may not seem like much. But suppose a tornado funnel passes over a small building that measures 20 by 10 feet. On each square inch of the building, there is 2 pounds of pressure from the inside that is not balance by air pressure outside the building. on the ceiling, that added up to an unbalanced pressure
of 57000 pounds. The pressure on the four walls adds up to 172800 pounds.
If windows are open in the building, some of the inside air rush out through them. This will balance the pressure inside and outside the building. But if the windows are shut tightly, the enormous inside pressure may cause the building to burst.
Unfortunately, heavy rain and hail often occur in thunderstorms that later produce tornadoes. so people frequently shut all windows to protect their property. This may cause far worse damage later. For the same reason, tornado cellars must have an air vent, otherwise, the cellar door might be blown out when a tornado passes over it.
Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
［A］ How tornadoes can be prevented
［B］ When tornadoes usually occur
［C］ Where tornadoes are formed
［D］ Why tornadoes cause so much damage
Passage 7
Resources can be said to be scarce in both an absolute and in a relative sense; the surface of the Earth is finite, imposing absolute scarcity; but the scarcity that concerns economists is the relative scarcity in different uses. Materials used for one purpose cannot at the same time be used for other purposes; if the quantity of an input is limited, the increased use of it in one manufacturing process must cause it to become less available for other uses.
The cost of a product in terms of money may not measure its true cost to society. The true cost of, say, the construction of a supersonic jet is the value of the schools and refrigerators that will never be built as a result. Every act of production uses up some of society's available resources; it means the fore going of an opportunity to produce something else. In deciding how to use resources most effectively to satisfy the wants of the community, this opportunity cost must ultimately be taken into account.
In a market economy the price of a good and the quantity supplied depends on the cost of making it, and that cost, ultimately, is the cost of not making other goods. The market mechanism enforces this relationship. The cost of, say, a pair of shoes is the price of the leather, the labor, the fuel, and other elements used up in producing them. But the price of these inputs, in turn, depends on what they can produce elsewhere-if the leather can be used to produce handbags that are valued highly by consumers, the price of leather will be bid up correspondingly.
What does this passage mainly discuss?
［A］ The scarcity of manufactured goods
［B］ The value of scarce materials
［C］ The manufacturing of scarce goods
［D］ The cost of producing shoes
Passage 8 (1990年试题)
In May 1989, space shuttle “Atlantis” released in outer space the space probe “Megallan”, which is now on her 15-month and one-billion-kilometer flight to Venus. A new phase in space exploration has begun.
The planet Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth; it is the only other object in
the solar system, in fact, that even comes close to the Earth's size. Venus has a similar density, so it is probably made of approximately the same stuff, and it has an atmosphere, complete with clouds. It is also the closest planet to earth, and thus the most similar in distance from the sun. In short, Venus seems to justify its long-held nickname of “earth's twin.”
The surface temperature of Venus reaches some 900F. Added to that is an atmospheric pressure about 90 times Earth's. High overhead in the carbon dioxide (CO2) that passer for air is a layer of clouds, perhaps 10 to 20 miles thick, whose little drops consist mostly of sulfuric acid (H2SO4). water is all but nonexistent.
Born with so many fundamental similarities to Earth, how did Venus get to be so radically different: It is not just an academic matter. For all its extremes, Venus is a valuable laboratory for researchers studying the weather and climate of Earth. It has no Earth's oceans, so the heat-transport and other mechanisms are greatly simplified. In addition, the planet Venus takes 243 earthdays to turn once on its axis, so incoming heat from the sun is added and distributed at a more leisurely, observable pace.
The main idea of this passage is about .
［A］ problems of space travel
［B］ scientific methods in space exploration
［C］ the importance of Venus to Earth
［D］ conditions on Venus
Passage 9
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don't usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone's preference, is that it's one person's opinion. But because the two big cola companies-coca-cola and Pepsi cola-are marketed so aggressively, we've wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. we set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-Cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who has a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet (低糖的) coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they'd have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. we asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants' choices with what mere guess-work could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
While both groups did better than chance would predict, nearly half the participants i
n each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so fatigue, or taste burnout, was not a factor. our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and coke fans may reality be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
The author's purpose in writing this passage is to .
［A］ show that taste preference is highly subjective
［B］ argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy
［C］ emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
［D］ recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of cola
Passage 10
Procrastinators are people who have a chronic habit of putting things off, usually until the last minute and sometimes until it is too late altogether. The most common reason that procrastinators themselves give for their habit, which they are usually quite willing to talk about even if not willing to change, is that they are lazy. Other typical excuses are that they are undisciplined, brilliant but disorganized, or very poor at organizing their time.
Some procrastinators, however, almost against their very nature, actually get as far as trying to do something about their problem and seek help. Recent research with such people seems to suggest that their difficulties are much more complex than the procrastinators themselves think. The general conclusions are that such people have a vulnerable sense of self-worth, are particularly fearful of failure, and deliberately put things off precisely so that they never leave themselves time to produce their best work. The reason for their delaying tactics is that, since they do everything at the last moment and under pressure, the procrastinators can retain their illusion of brilliance without ever having to put it to the test.
1. The main idea in the first paragraph is .
［A］ the nature of procrastination
［B］ the undisciplined character of procrastinators
［C］ that disorganization is the procrastinator's main problem
［D］ the reasons procrastinators give for their behavior
2. The main idea in the second paragraph is .
［A］ how procrastinators have an illusion of brilliance
［B］ how procrastinators seek help
［C］ research findings regarding procrastinators
［D］ that procrastinators always leave everything until the last moment
3. A suitable title for this passage might be .
［A］ The Chronic Habit of Procrastination
［B］ Procrastination: Exercises and Reality
［C］ Disorganization, the True Cause of Procrastination
［D］ Procrastination: Never Do Today What You Can Put Off Until Tomorrow
4. Of all the following ideas that appear in the passage, which do you think the author attributes most importance to?
［A］ Some procrastinators seek help for their problem
［B］ Procras
tinators, in general, put off things deliberately so as to avoid a real test
［C］ Procrastinators usually think that they are very bad at organizing their time
［D］ Procrastinators sometimes put off things until it is too late
Passage 11
What does a scientist do when he or she “explains” something? Scientific explanation comes in two forms; generalization and reduction. Most psychologists deal with generalization. They explain particular instances of behavior as examples of general laws. For instance most psychologists would explain a pathologically strong fear of dogs as an example of classical conditioning. presumably, the person was frightened earlier in life by a dog. An unpleasant stimulus was paired with the sight of the animal(perhaps the person was knocked down by a dog) and the subsequent sight of dogs evokes the earlier response-fear.
Most physiologists deal with reduction. Phenomena are explained in terms of simpler phenomena. For example, the movement of a muscle is explained in terms of changes in the membrane of muscle cells, entry of particular chemicals, and interactions between protein molecules within these terms of forces that bind various molecules together and cause various parts of these molecules to be attracted to one another.
The task of physiological psychology is to “explain” behavior in physiological terms. Like other scientists, physiological psychologists believe that all natural phenomena-including human behavior-are subject to the laws of physics. Thus, the laws of behavior can be reduced to descriptions of physiological processes.
How does one study the physiology of behavior? Physiological psychologists simply be reductionists. It is not enough to observe behaviors and correlate them with physiological events that occur at the same time. Identical behaviors, Under different conditions, may occur for different reasons, and thus be initiated by different physiological mechanisms: This means that we must understand “psychologically” why a particular behavior occurs before we can understand what physiological events made it occur.
What does the passage mainly discuss?
［A］ The difference between “scientific” and “unscientific” explanations
［B］ The difference between human and animal behavior
［C］ How fear would be explained by the psychologist, physiologist, and molecular biologist
［D］ How scientists differ in their approaches to explaining natural phenomena
Passage 12
A wise man once said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. So, as police officer, I have some urgent things to say to good people.
Day after day my men and I struggle to hold back a tidal wave of crime. Something has gone terribly wrong with our once-proud America way of life. It has happened in the area of values. A key ingredient is disappearing, and I think I know what it is: accountability.
Accountability isn
't hard to define. it means that every person is responsible for his or her actions and liable for their consequences.
Of the many values that hold civilization together-honesty, Kindness, and so on accountability may be the most important of all. Without it, there can be no respect, no trust, no law-and, ultimately, no society.
My job as a police officer is to impose accountability on people who refuse, or have never learned, to impose it on themselves. But as every policeman knows, external controls on people's behavior are far less effective than internal restraints such as guilt, shame and embarrassment.
Fortunately there are still communities-smaller towns, usually-where schools maintain discipline and where parents hold up standards that proclaim: “In this family certain things are not tolerated-they simply are not done!”
Yet more and more, especially in our larger cities and suburbs, these inner restraints are loosening. Your typical robber has none. He considers your property his property; he takes what he wants, including your life if you enrage him.
The main cause of this break-down is a radical shift in attitudes. Thirty years ago, if a crime was committed, society was considered the victim. Now, in a shocking reversal, it's the criminal who is consider victimized: by his underprivileged upbringing, by the school that didn't teach him to read, by the church that failed to reach him with moral guidance, by the parents who didn't provide a stable home.
I didn't believe it. Many others in equally disadvantaged circumstances choose not to engage in criminal activities. If we free the criminal, even partly, from accountability, we become a society of endless excuses where no one accepts responsibility for anything.
We in America desperately need more people who believe that the person who commits a crime is the one responsible for it.
The key point of the passage is that .
［A］ Stricter discipline should be maintained in schools and families
［B］ more good examples should be set for people to follow
［C］ more restrictions should be imposed on people's behavior
［D］ more people should accept the value of accountability