2014北外网院专升本入学考试英语题目汇编阅读理解2(含答案)

阅读理解2

Passage 1

Passage One Artist Sam Easterson’s “Animal, Vegetable, Video” project offers a unique look at people in the world: the world as seen by animals and plants. The videos are taken by placing cameras as tiny as half an ounce on animals or plants. There's no specific length for the shooting; it lasts until the camera falls off. The result is a unique perspective applauded by naturalists in which the stars of the film are also the videographers. "If people can see things from the animal and plant perspective, they are far less likely to harm them or their environment, and that's why I present it," Easterson said.

It all started from equipping a small flock of sheep with cameras in 1998. Easterson said he learned a lot about his new craft and the nature of animals. "The first thing I realized was how intelligent and aware they are," he said. "The project changed everything in terms of respect. I was shocked to realize all the other animals in the flock could tell that this one sheep with the camera had been 'altered' in some way. She kept trying to enter, and they kept treating her as an enemy. I also learned sheep can run very fast."

While not a scientist, Easterson works with researchers by offering details that they may have never seen. Easterson said no animals have been hurt working as videographers. In the long term, Easterson said he hopes to create a library of hundreds of animals, from the unique "first animal" perspective.

Questions 1-5: Choose the best answer from A, B, C and D. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet. 从A, B, C, D选项中选择一个正确的答案写在答题卷上。

1.Easterson’s cameras on animals will keep on working _______.

A. for a specific length of time set by Easterson

B. until they are taken off by Easterson

C. as long as they are still in their positions

D. until they cannot offer him something new

2.Easterson has presented the world seen by animals and plants mainly to

_______.

A. gain fame and recognition in his own field

B. encourage people to protect animals and plants

C. exhibit his innovative techniques as a video artist

D. help museums to deal with their financial difficulties

3.The phrase "changed everything in terms of respect" in paragraph 2 probably

means _______.

A. changed my understanding of how to show respect

B. changed my understanding of what is respect

C. changed my attitude toward my job

D. changed my attitude toward sheep

4.Easterson used to consider sheep as _______.

A. intelligent and slow

B. unintelligent and slow

C. sensitive and fast

D. insensitive and fast

5.It can be inferred from the passage that Easterson _______.

A. is of a great help to the scientists

B. has gradually become a scientist

C. doesn't think much of scientific researches

D. doesn't want to take part in scientific researches

Passage Two

The Inca Empire in South America was known for its huge reserves of gold and silver and its stone architecture. The Incan leader originally named the capital city Qusco, meaning "navel." This name signifies how central the capital city was to the vast empire.

During its nearly 300-year existence, the Inca Empire was the largest in the world. "The social and political organization was amazing in the Incas," Nunez said, noting how well the Incan leaders controlled the vast territory they conquered. The Incan people were considered warriors, but their day-to-day existence was relatively peaceful. Jails did not exist, for two reasons. The crime rate was low, and keeping prisoners would require feeding them with precious food resources. All law boiled down to three basic rules: Don't steal, don't lie and don't be lazy.

Their cities, carved out of stone, also draw praise. The Temple of the Sun is the reason why the Spanish conquerors came. The walls of the temple were covered in gold so that the sun would enter the room, and cast a blinding light on the golden statues. When the conquerors arrived, they immediately began melting down the statues to be shipped back to Spain.

The Incans had not considered the Spaniards a threat, either because they believed in their own natural superiority or because they mistook the bearded white men as gods. "They remembered a god that came and that was a very good person and the appearance was similar to the Spaniards," says Nunez.

Later Incans realized the Spaniards were enemies, but their resistance was easily put down. They finally fell prey to their own sense of superiority when they came face to face with the Spanish conquerors.

Questions 6-10: Choose the best answer from A, B, C and D. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet. 从A, B, C, D选项中选择一个正确的答案写在答题卷上。

6.What does the word "navel" in paragraph 1 mean?

A. Sea

B. Center

C. Stone

D. Rule

7.The Inca society was _______.

A. a well-functioning social organization

B. ruled by the leaders with cruel hearts

C. inhabited by peace-loving people

D. a society rich in food supplies

8.The Spanish came to the Inca Empire to _______.

A. open trade routes

B. explore the vast land

C. obtain precious gold

D. visit the Temple of the Sun

9.The Inca warriors lost the war against the Spanish because _______.

A. they overestimated their power and strength

B. they were not united in the fight against the Spanish

C. their weapons were no match to those of the Spanish

D. their love of God reduced their power and strength

10.The writer's tone in describing Inca's destruction is _______.

A. critical

B. regretful

C. delightful

D. factual

Passage Three

A growing body of credible research demonstrates that taking a good walk most days of the week can deliver many health benefits. But somewhere near 75 percent of the

U.S. population fails to get 30 minutes of daily exercise, whether that's walking or some more strenuous forms of sport or recreation. Approximately 35 percent live a life with little or no exercise. Sixty percent of Americans carry more weight than they should.

Why we're not out there walking is a mystery. Could it be that we've filled our lives so full of work and other obligations that we have no energy left for the one thing most likely to keep us strong and healthy for the daily battle?(We don't think so.) Can it be that nobody's figured out how to make money from other people's walking habits, so there's no great commercial force urging us to walk, nothing comparable to the marketing efforts trying to get us to drink sodas, order pizzas and buy new cars? (We think so.)

For the vast majority of people who are not faced with a disability, walking is the best choice as a regular form of physical activity, says Mark Fenton, whose role, as host of the PBS series "America's Walking," make s him America's guru of walking.

Particularly for the people carrying more weight than they should, walking is a safer choice than running, said Fenton. Besides, so many people already have problems with their hips, knees and ankles that they couldn't run very far or very often if they tried. Fenton adds that walking is something you can do even when your life circumstances have been changed－when you're pregnant, injured or older. This makes it something people are likely to stick with.

Questions 11-15: Choose the best answer from A, B, C and D. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet. 从A, B, C, D选项中选择一个正确的答案写在答题卷上。

11.The percentage of the U.S. population that can take on 30-minute exercise

everyday is roughly _______.

A. 25%

B. 35%

C. 60%

D. 75%

12.The author probably suggests that people would like to take a walk if _______.

A. the health benefits were confirmed by credible research

B. they understood that walking is the best form of exercise

C. more time were available for people to do the exercise

D. there were great commercial force s promoting walking

13.What does the underlined word "guru" mean in paragraph 3?

A. strong supporter

B. teaching expert

C. critical thinker

D. leading coach

14.As indicated in the passage, running _______.

A. is not a safe form of exercise

B. is not good for the knee problems

C. is especially good for the overweight

D. is good only for the young and healthy

15.The present American way of living makes the writer feel _______.

A. indifferent

B. embarrassed

C. puzzled

D. relieved

Passage Four

A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has brought about a fundamental change in the way we work. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. More people are self-employed. But the breadth of the economic transformation can't be measured by numbers alone, because it is also giving rise to a radical (彻底的)new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held notion (观点)about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers – all these are being changed.

We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip, would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow's achievements in biotechnology, artificial (人造的) intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more vital, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or service, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be above all else. If you cut your mind ahead 10 years, information service will be predominant. It will be the way you do your job.

Questions 16-20: Choose the best answer from A, B, C and D. Write your answers on the Answer Sheet. 从A, B, C, D选项中选择一个正确的答案写在答题卷上。

16.A characteristic of the information age is that _______.

A. the service industry is relying more and more on the female work force

B. most of the job opportunities can now be found in service industry

C. manufacturing Industries are steadily increasing

D. people find it harder to earn a living by working in factories

17.One of the great changes brought about by the knowledge society is that

_______.

A. the difference between the employee and the employer has become insignificant

B. people's traditional concepts about work no longer hold true

C. people have to change their jobs from time to time

D. most people have to take part-time jobs

18.By referring to computers and their inventions, the author means to say that

_______.

A. people should be able to respond quickly to the advancement of technology

B. future achievements in technology will bring about dramatic changes

C. the importance of high technology has been overlooked

D. computer science will play an educational role in the future

19.The future will probably belong to those who _______.

A. possess and know how to make use of information

B. cast their minds ahead instead of looking back

C. involve themselves in service Industries

D. give full play to their brain potential

20.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Computer and Knowledge Society

B. Service Industries in Modern Society

C. Feature and Implication of the New Era

D. Rapid Advancement of Information Technology

阅读理解2

1. C 6. B 11. A 16. B

2. B 7. A 12. D 17. B

3. D 8. C 13. B 18. B

4. B 9. A 14. B 19. A

5. A 10. D 15. C 20. C