湖南省汝城二中2014届高考英语一轮复习阅读训练 (52)

　　阅读专练

　　Passage One

　　Superconducting Materials

　　The stone age, The Iron Age. Entire epochs have been named for materials. So what to call the decades ahead? The choice will be tough. Welcome to the age of superstuff. Material science -- once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics. But superconductors are just part of the picture: from house and cars to cook pots and artificial teeth, the world will someday be made of different stuff. Exotic plastics, glass and ceramics will shape the future just as surely as have genetic engineering and computer science.

　　The key to the new materials is researchers’ increasing ability to manipulate substances at the molecular level. Ceramics, for example, have long been limited by their brittleness. But by minimizing the microscopic imperfections that cause it, scientists are making far stronger ceramics that still retain such qualities as hardness and heat resistance. Ford Motor Co. now uses ceramic tools to cut steel. A firm called Kyocera has created a line of ceramic scissors and knives that stay sharp for years and never rust or corrode.

　　A similar transformation has overtaken plastics. High-strength polymers now form bridges, ice-skating rinks and helicopter rotors. And one new plastic that generates electricity when vibrated or pushed is used in electric guitars, touch sensors for robot hands and karate jackets that automatically record each punch and chop. Even plastic litter, which once threatened to permanently blot the landscape, has proved amenable to molecular tinkering. Several manufacturers now make biodegradable forms; some plastic six-pack rings for example, gradually decompose when exposed to sunlight. Researchers are developing ways to make plastics as recyclable as metal or glass. Besides, composites – plastic reinforced with fibers of graphite or other compounds – made the round-the-world flight of the voyager possible and have even been proved in combat: a helmet saved an infantryman’s life by deflecting two bullets in the Grenada invasion.

　　Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic cable that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.

　　But new materials have no impact until they are made into products. And that transition could prove difficult, for switching requires lengthy research and investment. It can be said a firmer handle on how to move to commercialization will determine the success or failure of a country in the near future.

　　How many new materials are mentioned in this passage?

　　A. Two

　　B. Three

　　C. Four

　　D. Five

　　Why does the author mention genetic engineering and computer science?

　　A. To compare them with the new materials.

　　B. To show the significance of the new materials on the future world.

　　C. To compare the new materials to them.

　　D. To explain his view point.

　　Why is transition difficult?

　　A. Because transition requires money and time.

　　B. Because many manufacturers are unwilling to change their equipment.

　　C. Because research on new materials is very difficult.

　　D.Because it takes 10 years.

　　Where lies success of a country in the New Age of superstuff?

　　A. It lies in research.

　　B. It lies in investment.

　　C. It lies in innovation.

　　D. It lies in application.

　　Vocabulary

　　superstuff超级材料

　　superconducting ceramic超导陶瓷

　　exotic神奇的

　　shape塑造，成型

　　brittleness脆性

　　polymer聚合体

　　karate jacket空手道外衣

　　touch sensor触及传感器

　　each punch and chop每一个击、打

　　blot玷污，损害风景的东西

　　tinker修补，调整

　　amendable服从于，遵循的

　　biodegradable能生物递减分解的

　　six-pack rings放六个罐子的环状物

　　decompose分解

　　recyclable可循环（使用的）

　　infantryman步兵

　　deflect使偏斜，使转向

　　a new twist一个新的观点，方法

　　难句译注

　　Material science – once the least sexy technology – is bursting with new, practical discoveries led by superconducting ceramics that may revolutionize electronics.

　　【参考译文】材料科学，一度曾是最无吸引力（最不起眼）的技术，正以崭新的 ，以超导陶瓷为首的种种实用性发明绽开新颜。这种超导陶瓷可能会使电子技术彻底改变。

　　Some advanced materials are old standard with a new twist. The newest fiberoptic cables that carry telephone calls cross-country are made of glass so transparent that a piece of 100 miles thick is clearer than a standard window pane.

　　【参考译文】有些高级材料是带有新方法的老标准。最新全国电话的光纤电缆由玻璃制成。这种玻璃透明度极高，一片100英里厚的玻璃比一块标准的窗框玻璃还要清晰透明。

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　这是一篇介绍“超导材料”的论说文,采用一般到具体的分类写作手法。先指出未来时代的材料属于超导，然后再提出三种超导材料，再逐一说明。

　　答案详解

　　B 三种超导材料。答案再第一段最后一句“神奇的塑料、玻璃和陶瓷”。下面各段具体讲这三种材料。第二段讲陶瓷：“新材料之关键在于研究工作者不断提高在分子水平上处理物质的能力。举陶瓷为例，由于它的脆性，长期来应用范围有限。但是通过改善导致脆性的微小缺陷，科学家制造出一种保持原有硬度和抗热性，但坚实得多的陶瓷”。第三段讲塑料。“类似的转折发生在塑料上，高强度的塑料建成了桥梁、溜冰场、直升机的叶轮。一种震动或推动就能发电的新型塑料用于电子吉他上，触及传感塑料用于机械手和空手道外衣上，它能自动记录每次击打。”后面谈及塑料垃圾可以处理，或者制造可分解还原的塑料制品。塑料内加入其他化合物加强性能。第四段讲有些高级材料由新的改变，最新的光纤电缆由玻璃制成，透明度极高，100英里厚的一块其清晰度比一块普通窗玻璃还高。

　　B 说明这种新材料对未来世界的意义。答案在第一段：“神奇的塑料、玻璃和陶瓷一定会象生物工程和计算机一样将改变世界。”

　　A. 把它们和新材料相比较，这里不仅仅是比较，而是说明三者都具同样的作用－－改变世界。 C. 把新材料比作它们。也不仅仅是比喻比拟。 与A一样没有说到核心电。D. 说明他的观点。太笼统。

　　A 转折需要钱和时间。见最后一段“可是新材料只有制成产品才有影响，而这个转折可能很困难，因为转折需要长期的研究和投资。可以这么说，在不久的将来，更牢牢地掌握如何把材料转变成商品将决定一个国家之成败。”

　　B. 因为许多制造商不愿改变他们的设备。C. 因为新材料的研究非常困难。 D. 转折要华上十年时间。这三项文内没有涉及。

　　D 在超级材料时代已过之成功在于应用。

　　A. 在于研究。B. 在于投资。C. 在于革新。这三项都是应用的部分前提。其中A和B文内提到，C项文内未涉及。

　　Passage Two

　　We Should All Grow Fat and Be Happy

　　Here’s a familiar version of the boy-meets-girl situation. A young man has at last plucked up courage to invite a dazzling young lady out to dinner. She has accepted his invitation and he is overjoyed. He is determined to take her to the best restaurant in town, even if it means that he will have to live on memories and hopes during the month to come. When they get to the restaurant, he discovers that this ethereal creature is on a diet. She mustn’t eat this and she mustn’t that. Oh, but of course, she doesn’t want to spoil his enjoyment. Let him by all means eat as much fattening food as he wants: it’s the surest way to an early grave. They spend a truly memorable evening together and never see each other again.

　　What a miserable lot dieters are! You can always recognize them from the sour expression on their faces. They spend most of their time turning their noses up at food. They are forever consulting calorie charts; gazing at themselves in mirrors; and leaping on to weighing-machines in the bathroom. They spend a lifetime fighting a losing battle against spreading hips, protruding tummies and double chins. Some wage all-out war on FAT. Mere dieting is not enough. They exhaust themselves doing exercises, sweating in sauna baths, being pummeled and massaged by weird machines. The really wealthy diet-mongers pay vast sums for ‘health cures’. For two weeks they can enter a nature clinic and be starved to death for a hundred guineas a week. Don’t think it’s only the middle-aged who go in for these fads either. Many of these bright young things you see are suffering from chronic malnutrition: they are living on nothing but air, water and the goodwill of God.

　　Dieters undertake to starve themselves of their own free will; so why are they so miserable? Well, for one thing, they’re always hungry. You can’t be hungry and happy at the same time. All the horrible concoctions they eat instead of food leave them permanently dissatisfied. Wonderfood is a complete food, the advertisement says. ‘Just dissolve a teaspoonful in water…’. A complete food it may be, but not quite as complete as a juicy steak. And, of course, they’re always miserable because they feel so guilty. Hunger just proves too much for them and in the end they lash out and devour five huge guilt-inducing cream cakes at a sitting. And who can blame them? At least three times a day they are exposed to temptation. What utter torture it is always watching others tucking into piles of mouth-watering food while you munch a water biscuit and sip unsweetened lemon juice!

　　What’s all this self-inflicted torture for? Saintly people deprive themselves of food to attain a state of grace. Unsaintly people do so to attain a state of misery. It will be a great day when all the dieters in the world abandon their slimming courses; when they hold out their plates and demand second helpings!

　　The best title for this passage is

　　A. On Fat.

　　B. We Should All Grow Fat and Be Happy.

　　C. Many Diseases Are Connected with Fat.

　　D. Diet Deprives People of Normal Life.

　　Why do they never see each other again?

　　A. Because it is a memorable evening.

　　B. Because she lets him eat as much fattening food as he wants.

　　C. Because she does not eat this and drink that.

　　D. Because eating fattening food is the surest way to an early grave.

　　Which of the following ways is NOT mentioned for diet?

　　A. Doing exercises.

　　B. Not eating sugar.

　　C. Not eating fat.

　　D. Taking sauna baths.

　　What is the author’s attitude toward diet?

　　A. Persuasive.

　　B. Critical.

　　C. Indifferent.

　　D. Adversative.

　　Vocabulary

　　ethereal优雅的，飘渺的

　　sour愁眉不展的

　　tummy肚子

　　protrude突出的，突起的

　　wage作（战），实行

　　all-out全面的

　　sauna bath桑拿浴

　　pummel = pommel用拳头连打

　　massage按摩

　　weird不可思议的，离奇的

　　monger商人，贩子

　　fad一时流行的风尚

　　concoction调制品，荤素混合菜，调和物

　　wonderfood奇妙的食物

　　lash out痛斥，鞭打

　　at a/one sitting一口气

　　munch用力嚼

　　inflict予以打击，使遭受

　　slim苗条的，不足取的，无价值的

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　文章论及“减肥及痛苦”。以先声夺人的男女约会入手，引入减肥的痛苦过程：首先是各种减肥的方法（全面战斗）；其次是痛苦的难熬；最后点出减肥的目的。号召人放弃减肥。三段式文章：引言，正文和结论。以讽刺的笔调，步步深入的手法劝人放弃减肥，过愉快的生活。

　　答案详解

　　B 我们都该长得胖乎乎，心情愉快。这是文章的目的，也是文章最佳标题。答案见最后一段：“这一切自我折磨为了什么？圣洁的人们不吃饭菜是为了身材优美，不圣洁的人们不吃饭菜得到的是痛苦。当世界上所有的节食者都抛弃这减轻体重显得苗条的课程时当他们伸出盘子，要求再来一份（第二份食物）时，这将是一个伟大的日子。”

　　A. 论脂肪。似乎有点儿接近文章的内容。但文章涉及到的各个方面并不是单讲脂肪食品或饮食问题。C. 许多疾病和脂肪有关。文内第一段提到这方面的问题。D. 节食剥夺了人们正常生活。文内提到，但不是文章的总目的和内容。

　　D吃脂肪食品早死。答案就在第一段“当他们来到饭店，他发现这位优雅的少女（飘逸的少女）是个忌口节食者。决不能吃这个，一定不能喝那个。喔，当然，她不想扫他的兴，让他想吃多少脂肪的食品就尽量吃。这是早早接近死亡的最有把握的途径。”这里传递两点信息。一个吃，一个不吃已经是格格不入，再加上“多吃脂肪东西早死亡”姑娘怎能嫁他，他一个人吃而那位姑娘瞧着，确实是难以忘怀的夜晚，他受得了？所以D是最接近不再见面的原因。

　　A. 因为这是一个值得纪念的夜晚。B. 她让他爱吃多少脂肪食物就吃多少。C.因为她不吃这个也不吃那个。这三项都是单独的事实或情况。

　　B不吃糖。答案再第二段第二句开始“他们大部分时间对食品都不屑一顾。他们永远向热量表讨教咨询，照镜子，跳到浴室的磅秤上称重量。他们一声都在向臀部大，肚子突出，双下巴绽开一个准输无疑的战斗。有的对脂肪开展了全面战斗。光节食是不够的，他们运动以消耗体重，洗桑拿浴出汗，用奇异的机器按摩和击打。”

　　A. 运动做操。C.不吃脂肪。D.洗桑拿浴。

　　B批评的态度。这在第二、三段都有明显的表示。第二段开始：“这些节食者是多么可怜的一群人啊！你总是可以从他们愁眉不展的表情上认出他们。”第二段倒数第四句开始：“这些真正有钱的节食大款为健康治疗支付大笔的款项。他们进到“自然门诊”。两个星期饿得要死，每星期付一百畿尼。别以为仅仅是中年人参与这种时尚活动。你可以见到许多青年正由于长期营养不良而遭罪。他们就靠空气、水和上帝的善意而活着。”第三段，“节食者甘愿忍饥挨饿，那么他们为什么那样难受悲惨呢？得，首先，他们总是感到饥饿。你不可能饿着肚子高兴。他们吃的不是食物，全是搭配好的东西，这永远不能使他们满意……”第三段倒数第三句“饥饿确实令他们感到太受不了了。最终，他们破釜沉舟，一口气就吞下了五大块使人内疚的奶油蛋糕。谁能责怪他们！他们一天至少三次面对引诱，老是看着别人大口吃着馋涎欲滴的食品，而你自己用力嚼一口水饼干和喝一口没有甜味的柠檬汁。这是一种什么样的折磨啊！”

　　A.劝导的。 C.漠不关心。这两项不对。D. 敌意的。不合适。

　　Passage Three

　　The Neutrality of American in the Early World War II

　　The establishment of the Third Reich influenced events in American history by starting a chain of events which culminated in war between Germany and the United States. The compete destruction of democracy, the persecution of Jews, the war on religion, the cruelty and barbarism of the Nazis, and especially the plans of Germany and her allies, Italy and Japan, for world conquest caused great indignation in this country and brought on fear of another world war. While speaking out against Hitler’s atrocities, the American people generally favored isolationist policies and neutrality. The Neutrality Acts of 1935 and 1936 prohibited trade with any belligerents or loans to them. In 1937 the President was empowered to declare an arms embargo in wars between nations at his discretion.

　　American opinion began to change somewhat after President Roosevelt’s “quarantine the aggressor” speech at Chicago (1937) in which he severely criticized Hitler’s policies. Germany’s seizure of Austria and the Munich Pact for the partition of Czechoslovakia (1938) also aroused the American people. The conquest of Czechoslovakia in March, 1939 was another rude awakening to the menace of the Third Reich. In August,1939 came the shock of the Nazi-soviet Pact and in September the attack on Poland and the outbreak of European war. The United States attempted to maintain neutrality in spite of sympathy for the democracies arrayed against the Third Reich. The Neutrality Act of 1939 repealed the arms embargo and permitted “cash and carry” exports of arms to belligerent nations. A strong national defense program was begun. A draft act was passed (1940) to strengthen the military services. A Lend Act (1941) authorized the President to sell, exchange, or lend materials to any country deemed necessary by him for the defense of the United States. Help was given to Britain by exchanging certain overage destroyers for the right to establish American bases in British territory in the Western Hemisphere. In August, 1940 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met and issued the Atlantic Charter which proclaimed the kind of a world which should be established after the war. In December, 1941, Japan launched the unprovoked attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. Immediately thereafter, Germany declared war on the United States.

　　One item occurring before 1937 that the author does not mention in his list of actions that alienated the American public was

　　A. the burning of the Reichstag.

　　B. German plans for conquest.

　　C. Nazi barbarism.

　　D. the persecution of religious groups.

　　The Lend-Lease Act was designed to

　　A. help the British.

　　B. strengthen the national defense of the United States.

　　C. promote the Atlantic Charter.

　　D. avenge Pearl Harbor.

　　American Policy during the years 1935-1936 may be described as being

　　A. watchful.

　　B. isolationist.

　　C. peaceful.

　　D. indifferent.

　　The Neutrality Act of 1939

　　A. permitted the selling of arms to belligerent nations.

　　B. antagonized Japan.

　　C. permitted the British to trade only with the Allies.

　　D. led to Lend-Lease Act.

　　We entered the war against Germany

　　A. because Germany declared war.

　　B. because Japan was an ally of Germany.

　　C. after Germany had signed the Nazi-soviet Pact.

　　D. after peaceful efforts had failed.

　　Vocabulary

　　Reich 帝国，尤指第二次世界大战前及大战期间的德国

　　atrocity凶残，残暴

　　belligerent好战的，交战国的

　　discretion判断力，自行裁决，谨慎

　　empower赋予……权力

　　embargo禁运，封港

　　quarantine停船检疫，隔离，封锁，使孤立

　　partition分割，瓜分

　　menace威胁，危险

　　repeal废除，取消

　　overage destroyer旧式驱逐舰

　　unprovoked无缘无故的，非因触犯而发生的

　　Neutrality Acts中立法令

　　Munich Pact慕尼黑公约

　　draft act征兵法

　　Lend Lease Act租借法

　　Atlantic Charter大西洋公约

　　Pearl Harbor珍珠港

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　文章讲述了第三帝国成立，美国由中立到宣战的一段历史。采用按年代先后进行叙述的写作手法。文章一开始就点明主题：“第三帝国的成立影响了美国历史，从一系列事情开始，最终导致德国和美国交战。”

　　答案详解

　　A帝国大厦焚毁，众所周知，这是纳粹希特勒精心策划的一次政治阴谋，旨在迫害德国共产党。

　　B. 德国征服计划。C. 纳粹之残暴。D. 迫害宗教团体。在文中都提到。见第一段第二句“民主的全面摧毁、对犹太人的迫害、摧残宗教、纳粹的残忍和野蛮，特别是德国及其盟国意、日、征服世界的计划激起美国极大愤怒，也带来了对又一次世界大战的恐惧。”

　　B 加强美国国防。见第二段导数第五句“1941年的租借法规定：总统对他认为保卫美国所需要的国家有权卖给、交换或借给他们物资。”

　　A. 帮助英国，不对。C. 促进大西洋公约。大西洋公约是1941年8月，罗斯福和邱吉尔会面后的联合公告。D. 报复珍珠港。是1941年日本发起袭击的报复。

　　B 与世隔绝。这在第一段第三句“美国人民虽然反对希特勒的凶残等事，他们一般还是喜欢孤立（与世隔绝的）政策和保持中立。1933年和1936年的中立条约规定：禁止和交战国双方贸易和借贷。”

　　A. 观察的。C. 和平的。D. 不正确的。

　　A 允许把武器卖给交战国。答案在第二段第六句“1939年的中立条约取消了武器禁运，允许进行现钞交易出口武器给交战国。”

　　B. 和日本敌对。C. 允许英国只能和其盟国贸易。D. 导致租借条约。

　　A 因为德国宣战。这在第一段已有说明。尽管希特勒坏事做尽，美国还是倾向于中立政策。第二段罗斯福在芝加哥的演讲，态度稍有改变。严厉批评希特勒的政策，但仍然以中立为主。1941年日本袭击珍珠港，不久德国宣战，美国才不得不参战。

　　Passage Four

　　Antarctica and Environment

　　Antarctica has actually become a kind of space station – a unique observation post for detecting important changes in the world’s environment. Remote from major sources of pollution and the complex geological and ecological systems that prevail elsewhere, Antarctica makes possible scientific measurements that are often sharper and easier to interpret than those made in other parts of the world.

　　Growing numbers of scientists therefore see Antarctica as a distant-early-warning sensor, where potentially dangerous global trends may be spotted before they show up to the north. One promising field of investigation is glaciology. Scholars from the United States, Switzerland, and France are pursuing seven separate but related projects that reflect their concern for the health of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet – a concern they believe the world at large should share.

　　The Transantarctic Mountain, some of them more than 14,000 feet high, divide the continent into two very different regions. The part of the continent to the “east” of the mountains is a high plateau covered by an ice sheet nearly two miles thick. “West” of the mountain, the half of the continent south of the Americas is also covered by an ice sheet, but there the ice rests on rock that is mostly well below sea level. If the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared, the western part of the continent would be reduced to a sparse cluster of island.

　　While ice and snow are obviously central to many environmental experiments, others focus on the mysterious “dry valley” of Antarctica, valleys that contain little ice or snow even in the depths of winter. Slashed through the mountains of southern Victoria Land, these valleys once held enormous glaciers that descended 9,000 feet from the polar plateau to the Ross Sea. Now the glaciers are gone, perhaps a casualty of the global warming trend during the 10,000 years since the ice age. Even the snow that falls in the dry valleys is blasted out by vicious winds that roars down from the polar plateau to the sea. Left bare are spectacular gorges, rippled fields of sand dunes, clusters of boulders sculptured into fantastic shapes by 100-mile-an-hour winds, and an aura of extraterrestrial desolation.

　　Despite the unearthly aspect of the dry valleys, some scientists believe they may carry a message of hope of the verdant parts of the earth. Some scientists believe that in some cases the dry valleys may soak up pollutants faster than pollutants enter them.

　　What is the best title for this passage?

　　A. Antarctica and environmental Problems.

　　B. Antarctica: Earth’s Early-Warning station.

　　C. Antarctica: a Unique Observation Post.

　　D. Antarctica: a Mysterious Place.

　　What would the result be if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet disappeared?

　　A. The western part of the continent would be disappeared.

　　B. The western part of the continent would be reduced.

　　C. The western part of the continent would become scattered Islands.

　　D. The western part of the continent would be reduced to a cluster of Islands.

　　Why are the Dry Valleys left bare?

　　A. Vicious wind blasts the snow away.

　　B. It rarely snows.

　　C. Because of the global warming trend and fierce wind.

　　D. Sand dunes.

　　Which of the following is true?

　　A. The “Dry Valleys” have nothing left inside.

　　B. The “Dry Valleys” never held glaciers.

　　C. The “Dry Valleys” may carry a message of hope for the verdant.

　　D. The “Dry Valleys” are useless to scientists.

　　Vocabulary

　　distant-early-warning sensor远距离早期报警传感器

　　plateau高原，高地

　　slash挥砍

　　blast一阵疾风/狂风

　　vicious邪恶的，凶魔般的

　　gorge峡谷

　　ripple起伏，使起微波

　　sand dune沙丘

　　verdant绿色

　　extraterrestrial地球之外的

　　aura气氛

　　难句译注

　　Growing numbers of scientists therefore see Antarctica as a distant-early waning sensor, where potentially dangerous global trends may be spotted before they show up to the north.

　　【结构简析】see … as 把……看作。Where定从修饰Antarctic。

　　【参考译文】因此，越来越多的科学家把南极洲视为一个远距离早期报警敏感器，在那里地球许多潜在的危险动向早在它们出现于北方以前就能发现。

　　The part of the continent to the “east” of the mountain

　　东指的使印度正南的这一部分。或山移动的那部分洲。

　　an aura of extraterrestrial desolation

　　应译为：与地球格格不入的一种荒凉隔绝的气氛。或与世隔绝的一种荒凉气氛。

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　这是一篇有关南极洲科研考察的重要性的科普文章。采用因果，点面结合写法。首先提出：由于南极洲远离污染，又不同于其它任何地方，普遍存在着复杂的地质和生态环境，所以这块地方就可能得到更敏锐又易解释的科学测量结果。它成了监察世界环境变化的观察哨和空间站，后面几段就写了进行考察的方面和结果。

　　答案详解

　　A 南极洲和环境问题。

　　B. 南极洲：地球最早的报警战。C.南极洲：独一无二的观察哨。D. 南极洲：神秘的地方。三项都是总内容众的组成部分。

　　D 大陆西部成为一群岛屿。第三段“横断南极的山脉，有的高达一万四千多英尺，把这大陆分成情况各异的两个地区。山脉以东的大陆部分是由差不多两英里厚的冰层覆盖的高原；山脉以西，即美洲以南的半个大陆也为冰层所覆盖。可是，这里冰层覆盖在大大低于海平面的岩石。如果西南极洲冰层消失，那这大陆西部将成为稀疏的岛群。”

　　A. 大陆西部将小时。B. 大陆西部缩小。 D. 大陆西部将成为分散的岛屿。

　　C 因为地球变暖和狂风劲吹。在第四段：“……这些干谷甚至在寒冬季节也很少有冰雪。它们插在南维多利亚陆地的山脉中，一度曾有从极地高原到罗斯海的深度为9000英尺的冰河。现在冰河已不存在，很可能是冰期之后一万年间地球变暖的结果。即使落入干谷的雪也被从极地高原咆哮入海的邪恶狂风吹散了。留下来的是裸露的壮观的峡谷，沙丘起伏的原野，被时速一百英里的大风雕刻成奇形怪状的大砾石，形成与世隔绝的荒凉景象。”

　　A. 邪恶的狂风吹走了雪。B. 它很少下雪。D.沙丘。这三项只是干谷现象的一部分。

　　C 他们可能为地球上绿色地区带来了希望的信息。答案是第五段第一句“尽管干谷具有神秘的一面，科学家却相信他们可能为地球上葱绿的地方带来了希望的信息。”

　　A.干谷内什么都没有留下。B. 干谷内从没有冰河。D. 按照科学家的看法，干谷毫无用处。

　　Passage Five

　　Contribution of Coeducation

　　Imagining being asked to spend twelve or so years of your life in a society which consisted only of members of own sex. How would you react? Unless there was something definitely wrong with you, you wouldn’t be too happy about it, to say the least. It is all the more surprising therefore that so many parents in the world choose to impose such abnormal conditions on their children – conditions which they themselves wouldn’t put up with for one minute!

　　Any discussion of this topic is bound to question the aims of education. Stuffing children’s heads full of knowledge is far from being foremost among them. One of the chief aims of educations is to equip future citizens with all they require to take their place in adult society. Now adult society is made up of men and women, so how can a segregated school possibly offer the right sort of preparation for it? Anyone entering adult society after years of segregation can only be in for a shock.

　　A co-educational school offers children nothing less than a true version of society in miniature. Boys and girls are given the opportunity to get to know each other, to learn to live together from their earliest years. They are put in a position where they can compare themselves with each other in terms of academic ability, athletic achievement and many of the extra-curricular activities which are part of school life. What a practical advantage it is ( to give just a small example ) to be able to put on a school play in which the male parts will be taken by boys and the female parts by girls! What nonsense co-education makes of the argument that boys are cleverer than girl or vice-versa. When segregated, boys and girls are made to feel that they are a race apart. Rivalry between the sexes is fostered. In a coeducational school, everything falls into its proper place.

　　But perhaps the greatest contribution of co-education is the healthy attitude to life it encourages. Boys don’t grow up believing that women are mysterious creatures – airy goddesses, more like book-illustrations to a fairy-tale, than human beings. Girls don’t grow up imagining that men are romantic heroes. Years of living together at school dispel illusions of this kind. There are no goddesses with freckles, pigtails, piercing voices and inky fingers. There are no romantic heroes with knobbly knees, dirty fingernails and unkempt hair. The awkward stage of adolescence brings into sharp focus some of the physical and emotional problems involved in growing up. These can better be overcome in a co-educational environment. Segregated schools sometimes provide the right conditions for sexual deviation. This is hardly possible under a co-educational system. When the time comes for the pupils to leave school, they are fully prepared to enter society as well-adjusted adults. They have already had years of experience in coping with many of the problems that face men and women.

　　What is the best title for this passage?

　　A. only co-education can be in harmony with society.

　　B. people are in great need of co-education.

　　C. any form of education other than co-education is simply unthinkable.

　　D. co-education has many features.

　　what does co-education offer to children?

　　A. A society.

　　B. A true small model of society.

　　C. A real life.

　　D. True version of social condition.

　　According to the passage, what is one of the chief aims of education?

　　A. It is for students to acquire knowledge.

　　B. It is to equip future citizens with scientific technology.

　　C. It is to equip future citizens with what is required in getting a position in society.

　　D. It is for students to get academic achievements.

　　Why do boys and girls in co-education have no illusion about each other?

　　A. They live together and know each other too well.

　　B. Years of living together at school dismiss such illusion.

　　C. co-education encourage them to have an healthy attitude toward life.

　　D. They are familiar with each other’s problems.

　　Vocabulary

　　to be in for = receive接受

　　He is in for punishment.

　　他受到惩罚。

　　miniature缩样，雏形，微型画

　　freckle雀斑

　　pigtail鞭子

　　knobbly = knobby多节的

　　unkempt乱七八糟，蓬乱的

　　sharp focus = clear view

　　bring into focus

　　使集中在焦点上，对光

　　bring into sharp focus

　　这里的意义是：一目了然，明显突出

　　deviation越轨，偏离，入歧途

　　难句译注

　　all the more

　　越发，格外。

　　a co-educational school offers children nothing less than a true version of society in miniature.

　　【参考译文】男女合校至少给孩子提供了一个社会真正缩影。

　　The awkward stage of adolescence brings into sharp focus some of the physical and emotional problems involved in growing up.

　　【参考译文】棘手的青春期把成长过程中出现的某些身体上合感情上的问题清晰地摆出来。

　　写作方法与文章大意

　　文章论及“男女合校制的优越性和男女分校制的缺陷。”采用因果、对比写法。首先假设单一性别社会，人所不能容忍，那单一性别的学校培养的人又怎能适应社会。因为社会是男女组成的。然后分别对比合校和分校的优缺点。比较合校的优点，分校的缺点，最后得出结论：之后合校的学生，在离校进入社会，已做好一切准备，而不会感到震惊，因为他们已有好几年的经验，会处理面临男女的许多问题。

　　答案详解

　　C 除了男女合校，其他形式的教育简直难以想象。答案见第一段“设想请你在一个只有你一样性别的人存在的社会生活12年光景，你会如何反应呢？除非你本人确实有毛病，否则，你至少不会太高兴。因此，世界上有那么多的父母愿意把这种不正常的环境（他们自己一分钟都受不了的环境）强加给他们的孩子们，这太令人惊讶！”第二段讲“教育的目的之一就是为未来的公民在成人社会中找一席之地，准备好需要的一切。而社会由男女组成，那分校又怎能准备？”后两段讲合校之优点，分校之缺点，具体对比突出主题。这都说明C 最合适。

　　A. 只有合校才能和社会相协调。D. 合校有许多特点。这两项文章内容涉及到，但作为最佳标题则不确切。B. 人们非常需要合校。文内没有直接谈到。

　　B 一个真实社会的缩影。这在第三段第一句“男女合校确实能给孩子们提供一个社会真实的缩影。”下面的内容都是围绕这个主题而写的具体情况。如：生活在一起，彼此了解，对比等。

　　A. 社会。C. 一种真实的生活。D. 真实的社会情况。都没有B项那样确切。

　　C 为未来公民在社会上拥有一席之地，准备好所需要的一切。这在第二段“这个话题的讨论必然会引出教育目的的问题。把各种知识塞进孩子头脑远不是教育主要的目的，教育的主要目的之一是为未来公民在成人社会求得一席之地，准备好所需一切。”

　　A. 学生学到只是。B. 以科技武装未来公民。C.为学生缺德学术成就。都只是知识学习的一个部分。

　　B 几年学校共同生活打消了幻想。答案在第四段中,“在学校中，几年生活在一起消除这一类的幻想。没有什么脸上有雀斑，梳着鞭子，涂着指甲，尖的噪音的女神，也没有膝部有疙瘩，指甲脏兮兮，头发乱蓬蓬的浪漫英雄。棘手的青春期明显呈现出来的成长过程中身体上和感情上的问题，在男女合校环境中得到很好的解决。”

　　A. 他们生活在一起，彼此太了解。此答案太过，不是太了解而不产生幻想，而是了解情况；真人就在眼前，人就实际了，消除了幻想。C. 合校鼓励他们对生活有一种健康积极的态度。这是合校的大方向，不是消除幻想的根本原因。D. 他们熟悉彼此的问题。不全是消除幻想之因，而是处理问题的前奏。这在最后一段最后两句话有说明“当学生离校的时刻来到时，他们已是很有适应性的成人，为进入社会做好了充分准备。他们已有几年处理面临男女的许多问题的经验”