学位英语考试模拟试题

试题3

Part IV READING COMPREHENSION (45 minutes, 30 points, 1 point each) Directions: In this part of the test, there are five short passages. Read each passage carefully, and then

do the questions that follow. Choose the best answer A, B, C, or D and mark the corresponding letter with

a single bar across the square brackets on your Answer Sheet.

Passage One

Of all the accessories and adornments to clothes one perhaps pays least of all attention to buttons. Functional and often unexciting, replaced by zip fasteners or hooks and eyes, there is, one would think, nothing much to he said about the humble button.

Yet it is very probable that buttons started life as ornaments; certainly it is not known that they had any practical function until the 13th century. By the 14th century buttons were once again ornamental, often wastefully so, to such an extent that it was by no means uncommon for a person of wealth and consequence to have as many as 300 buttons on a single article of dress. Unimaginable as it seems today,

sewing superfluous buttons on clothes became a craze—not one that seems harmful to us though some Italians took a different view and a law against buttons was enforced in Florence. No buttons were to be

worn on the upper arms penalty for disobedience—a sound whipping. (How often this had to be carried out.

history does not relate!)

Most of the buttons on modern clothes which could lie called decorative once did in fact serve a useful purpose. Buttons on boots are one good example. Sleeve buttons on men's coats are a reminder of

the days when the fashion was for wearing shirts with frilly lace cuffs.

On the tails of a modern tail coat there are indeed buttons which are purely ornamental but in earlier days horsemen used these buttons to keep the tails out of harm's way.

With regard lo the side on which clothes are buttoned, originally both male and female dress was buttoned on the left hand side. Change came when men had to have access to their swords.

So perhaps it is worth taking a look at buttons.

51. Which of the following statements is true regarding buttons?

A. They have little function.

B. They are the only useful accessory.

C. They receive the least attention among accessories.

D. They are one of the best adornments to any clothes.

52. According to the author, _______. .

A. buttons are used as ornaments only in modern times

B. buttons have been used as ornaments since the 14th century

C. buttons were used as ornaments before the 13lh century

D. buttons have been used as ornaments on and off throughout the history

53. It is implied that in the 14th century buttons ________.

A. were a symbol of wealth

B. were occasionally put on clothes

C. began to have practical functions

D. represented the wearers' artistic taste

54. In Florence, a city in Italy, buttons were once______.

A. loved by every citizen

B. banned because they were a craze

C. considered harmful and nobody wore them

D. forbidden on the upper arms

55. It seems to the author that buttons

A. are worth a second look

B. have never served any function

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C. should not he sewed on coats

D. play an important role in our lives

56. Male and female dress is now buttoned

A. on the right side

B. on the left side

C. on different sides

D. on the same side

Passage Two

Behind most of the bad things we do to our bodies as adults, eating more than we should is the idea

we carry with us from childhood. On the one hand, we assume that we arc indestructible. On the other, we

think that any damage we impose on ourselves can be undone when we finally clean up our act.

If the evidence for how wrong the first idea is isn't apparent when you stand naked in front of the mirror, just wait. But what if you cat right and drop all your bad habits? Is there still time to repair the damage?

To a surprising degree- the answer is yes. Over the past five years, scientists have accumulated a wealth of data about what happens when aging people with had habits decide to turn their lives around. The heartening conclusion: the body has an amazing ability to heal itself, provided the damage is not too

great.

The effects of some bad habits smoking, in particular—can haunt you for decades. But the damage from other habits can be largely healed.

Any time you improve your behavior and make lifestyle changes, they make a difference from that point on. says Dr. Jeffrey Koplan. Maybe not right away. It's like slamming on the brakes. You do need a certain distance.

But the distance can be remarkably short. Consider the recent announcements from the front lines of medical research:

—A study concluded that women who consume as little as two servings of fish a week cut their risk

of suffering a stroke to half that of women who eat less than one serving of fish a month.

—The day you quit smoking, the carbon monoxide levels in your body drop dramatically. Within weeks, your blood becomes less sticky and your risk of dying from a heart attack starts to decline…Adopting healthy habits won't cure all that bothers you, of course. But doctors believe that many chronic diseases—from high blood pressure to heart disease and even some cancers can be warded off

with a few sensible changes in lifestyle.

Not sure where to start? Surprisingly, it doesn't matter, since one positive change usually leads to another. Make enough changes, and you'll discover you've adopted a new way of life.

57. Most people with bad habits of eating more than they should believe that ______.

A. they can never change the habits that have haunted them for decades

B. their bodies cannot be damaged by the bad habits

C. their bodies can heal all the damage without the help from outside

D. they can force themselves to clean up the had habits later

58. The evidence to disapprove the assumption that we are indestructible_____.

A. is seldom apparent

B. is clearly shown in the mirror

C. will appear obvious sooner or later

D. is still a question

59. According to the passage the human body can heal the damage caused by bad habits_____.

A. when the damage is not very serious

B. no matter how serious the damage is

C. after we have dropped our bad habits

D. much more slowly than we think

60. According to the recent announcements______.

A. women should eat as much fish as possible

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B. women arc at a higher risk of suffering a stroke than men

C. eating a little more fish can improve women's health

D. men don't have to eat as much fish as women

61. It is implied in the passage that______ .

A. smokers have lower levels of carbon monoxide than non-smokers

B. the blood of smokers is more sticky than that of non-smokers

C. smokers will be unlikely to die from heart attack if they quit smoking

D. chronic diseases can be cured if we drop our habit of smoking

62. In the last paragraph the author tells us _____.

A. when we should start quitting our bad habits

B. it doesn't matter how we start quitting our bad habits

C. that making enough changes will make doctors unnecessary to us

D. it's never too late to start making sensible changes in our lifestyle

Passage Three

Our true challenge today is not debts and deficits or global competition but the need to find a way to

live rich, fulfilling lives without destroying the planet's biosphere, which supports all life. Humanity has

never before faced such a threat: the collapse of the very elements that keep us alive.

An apple is an easy thing to take for granted. If you live where apples grow in abundance, you might assume that they arc readily available and. better yet, that you may pick from a wide variety. But do you

know that there arc far fewer types to choose from today than there were 100 years ago?

Between the years 1804 and 1905, there were 7,098 varieties of apples grown in the United States. Today 6,121 of those are extinct. But does diversity really matter?

In the 1840's. Ireland's population exceeded eight million, making it the most densely populated country in Europe. Potatoes were its dietary mainstay, and a single variety called lumpers was the most widely grown.

In 1845 the farmers planted their lumpers as usual, but a plant disease known as blight struck and wiped out almost the entire crop. Most of Ireland survived that difficult year, wrote Paul Raeburn in his book The Last Harvest The Genetic Gamble That Threatens to Destroy American Agriculture. The devastation came the next year. Farmers had no choice but to plant the same potatoes again. They had no

other varieties. The blight struck again, this lime with overwhelming force. The suffering was indescribable. Historians estimate that up to 1 million people died of starvation, while another 1. 5 million emigrated, most to the United States. Those remaining suffered from crushing poverty.

In the Andes of South America, farmers grew many varieties of potatoes, and only a few were affected by blight. Hence, there was no epidemic. Clearly, diversity of species and diversity within species

provide protection. The growing of just one uniform crop runs counter to this basic survival strategy and

leaves plants exposed to disease or pests, which can destroy an entire region's harvest. That is why many

farmers depend so heavily on the frequent use of pesticides, even though such chemicals are often

environmentally hazardous.

Why do farmers replace their many folk varieties with one uniform crop? Usually in response to economic pressures. Planting uniform crops promises ease of harvesting, attractiveness of the product, resistance to go bad, and high productivity. But these trends may be destroying man's own food supply.

63. The main idea of the passage is_____ .

A. it is important to protect the earth's bio-diversity

B. man is destroying his own food supply

C. we now have fewer bio-species than before

D. numerous strains of plants can resist plagues

64. With regard to the variety of apples in the United Slates_______.

A. it is the fewest in variety in terms of plant family

B. over 80% of its varieties have been destroyed

C. we have done our best to protect it

D. it is as wide as it was 100 years ago

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65. The author tells the story in Ireland in the 1840's to show that_____.

A. farmers should grow as many varieties of potatoes as in South America

B. potatoes should not be grown as a dietary mainstay

C. lumpers were not a choice variety of potatoes

D. bio-diversity is essential to life on earth

66. The uniform crop of lumpers in Ireland in the 1840's______.

A. caused blight to strike Ireland repeatedly

B. caused Ireland's population to decline by half

C. destroyed the whole Irish agricultural tradition

D. seriously devastated Ireland s economy

67. Diversity of species and diversity within species can help plants _______.

A. ward off some disastrous diseases and pests

B. resist natural disasters such as droughts

C. withstand the harmful effect of pesticides

D. yield bumper harvests

68. Which of the following is NOT the reason that farmers replace their folk varieties

with one uniform crop?

A. They want to make more money.

B. They want to have a higher output.

C. They want to prevent the destruction of human food.

D. They want to make their products more attractive.

Passage Four

It is a well-documented fact that women still live longer than men. A 1998 study by Harvard Medical

School geriatrician Thomas Perls offers two reasons: one is the evolutionary drive to pass on her genes; the

other is the need to stay healthy enough to rear as many children as possible. A man's purpose is simply to

carry genes that ensure longevity and pass them on to his children.

Okay, so that's the legacy of our cave-dweller past. But what is it about a man's lifestyle that reduces his longevity? As action moviemakers know all too well, men arc supercharged with testosterone. Aside

from forcing us to watch frenzied movies like The Matrix Reloaded, the testes-produced hormone also triggers riskier behavior and aggression, and increases levels of harmful cholesterol, raising the risk of heart disease or stroke. Meanwhile, the female hormone chops harmful cholesterol and raises good cholesterol.

As Perls's study points out: Between ages 15 and 24, men are four to five limes more likely to die than women. This time frame coincides with the onset of puberty and an increase in reckless and violent

behavior in males. Researchers refer to it as a ‘tea -tosterone storm. ' Most deaths in this male group

come from motor vehicle accidents，followed by homicide, suicide.. .and drownings .

While all this jumping from tall buildings may result in some accidental death, it still doesn't account for the onset of fatal illnesses at an earlier age. Statistically, men are crippled more quickly by illnesses like

heart disease, stroke and cancer. A Singapore study found that while men were diagnosed with chronic illness two years earlier than women, women were also disabled by their illnesses four years later. Men more often engage in riskier habits like drinking alcohol and using recreational drugs, as well as eating to

excess. And the stereotype about men being adverse to seeing a doctor on a regular basis? Studies have shown it's true.

If your goal is to become the first 100-year-old man on your family tree, there an* some things you can do to boost your odds. One is to examine what centenarians are doing right. According to the ongoing

New England Centenarian Study, the largest comprehensive study of centenarians in the world, they can

fend off or even escape age associated diseases like heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

Ninety percent of those studied were functionally independent for the vast majority of their lives up until

the age of 92. and 75% were just as autonomous at an average age of 95. Centenarians disprove the perception that 'the older you get, the sicker you get. ' Centenarians teach us that the older you get. the

healthier you've been.

69. This passage mainly discusses ______.

A. why women lead a healthier life than men

B. how women can live longer and slay healthy

C. what keeps men from enjoying a longer life span

D. whether men's life style leads to their early death

70. According lo Thomas Perls, which of the following is a major factor contributing to the relative longevity of women over men?

A. Their natural urge to remain healthy.

B. Their greater natural drive to pass on genes.

C. Their need to bear healthy offspring.

D. Their desire lo have more children.

71. The author mentions he legacy of our cave-dweller past to______.

A. support the argument about women's role in rearing children

B. summarize a possible cause of different life expectancies

C. challenge the theory about our ancestors' behavior patterns

D. illustrate the history of human evolution process

72. According to the passage, testosterone is a hormone that______ .

A. increases as men grow older

B. reduces risk factors in male behavior

C. leads to aggressive behavior and heart disease

D. accounts for women's dislike for violent films

73. Compared with women, men as a whole_____ .

A. suffer from depression more often

B. suffer from diseases later than women

C. are reluctant to have physical checkups

D. arc not affected by violent movies

74. Centenarians refer to people who______.

A. live longer than females

B. live at the turn of the century

C. are extremely independent

D. arc a hundred years or older

Passage Five

Last year. Curt Dunnam bought a Chevrolet Blazer with one of the most popular new features in high-end cars: the OnStar personal security system.

The heavily advertised communications and tracking feature is used nationwide by more than two million drivers, who simply push a button to connect, via a built-in cellphone, to a member of the