40 Questions
Read each passage carefully and then answer the questions about it. For each question, decide on the basis of the passage which one of the choices best answers the question.
When I was a boy, there was one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River. That was, to be a steamboat-man. We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient. When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first minstrel show that came to our section left us all
5suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we loved and were good., God would permit us to be pirates. These ambitions faded out, each in its turn; but the ambition to be a steamboat-man always remained.
| From Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain |
A explain how he chose his adult profession
B describe the life of a steamboat-man
C convey some of his childhood aspirations
D compare the merits of several different occupations
E present a social history of the Mississippi
2.According to the passage, the author considered all of the following as possible careers EXCETP
A steamboat-man
B clown
C minstrel
D writer
E pirate
3.As it is used in line 3,the word “transient” means
A appealing
B relative
C short-lived
D disastrous
E equal
4.The author most likely uses the phrase “ all burning to become clowns” in order to
A provide an example of the boys’ fleeting ambitions
B illustrate the lack of cultural life in Mississippi.
C encourage his readers to follow similar career paths
D clarify why the boys all wanted to be steamboat-men
E show the kind of people that traveled on steamboats
5.Which of the following best describes the effect of the phrase “if we loved and were good, God would permit us to be pirates”?
A Pathos
B Humor
C Exaggeration
D Mockery
E Rhyme
6.The attitude of the author toward the subject is
A nostalgic
B regretful
C optimistic
D cynical
E somber
7.The reader can infer from the passage that
A the author and his friends looked forward to leaving the village.
B no girls hoped to navigate the river by steamboat.
C the author became a steamboat-man
D the author regrets not becoming a pirate.
E the author disliked growing up on the Mississippi River.
Alchemy is the name given to the attempt to change lead, copper, and other metals into silver or gold. Today, alchemy is regarded as a pseudoscience. Its associations with astrology and the occult suggest primitive superstition to the modern mind, and the alchemist is generally portrayed by historians as a charlatan obsessed with dreams of impossible wealth.
| 5 for many centuries, however, alchemy was a highly respected art. In the search for the elusive secret to making gold, alchemists helped develop many of the apparatuses and procedures that are used in laboratories today. Moreover, the results of their experiments laid the basic conceptual framework of the modern science of chemistry. |
A early history of a scientific field.
B manufacture of gold from other metals.
C mystery surrounding the origins of chemistry.
D links among chemistry, astrology and sociology.
E specific results of alchemists’ experiments.
9.According to the passage, alchemists are generally portrayed in history books as
A wealthy businessmen
B rogues motivated by greed
C talented but misunderstood individuals.
D the ancestors of today’s chemists.
E brilliant scientists.
10.It can be inferred from the passage that a “charlatan” (line 4)
A existed only in the Middle Ages.
B is not respected by historians
C practiced an early form of chemistry.
D uses his research for criminal purpose
E understood the secret to making gold.
11.The style of the passage is most like that found in a
A scientist’s diary.
B novel about alchemists.
C history textbook.
D newspaper article.
E personal letter.
12.With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
A Few alchemists ever became wealthy form their work.
B Alchemy was a primitive, superstitious field of science.
C Alchemy is becoming increasingly respectable among today’s chemists.
D Astrology and the occult also deserve consideration as legitimate sciences.
E Alchemists helped pave the way for scientists today.
13.The following questions are all answered by the passage EXCEPT:
A What did a alchemists hope to achieve?
B What have alchemists contributed to science?
C How do historians view alchemy?
D How did alchemist6s turn metals into gold?
E Has the general consensus always been that alchemists were charlatans?
14.Which of these titles is the most appropriate for the passage?
A Alchemy as Art
B Turning Copper to Gold
C In Pursuit of Wealth
D Alchemists: Charlatans or Scientists?
E Alchemy’s Contributions to Science
On May 18, 1980, in Washington State, the volcano Mount Saint Helens erupted, sending a cloud of dust 15 miles into the air. The explosion was not unexpected; the earth’s crust had shaken for weeks beforehand, providing people in the surrounding area with plenty of advance warning. In spite of these danger signals, no one was prepared for the extent of the
5 blast; over the course of several weeks, the volcano’s eruption ripped the top 1300 feet off the mountain, resulting in a landslide that was the largest in recorded history. 540 million tons of ash from the volcano were spread over three states, altering the earth’s weather patterns for several years afterward. One thing missing from the initial eruption was fluid lava usually identified with volcanic activity. Later eruptions emitted a thick and oozing lava. Thick lava
| 10 is easily outrun because it moves extremely slowly. In addition, thick lava creates taller volcanoes because it often cools and hardens instead of flowing down the volcano’s sides. |
A the geological history of Washington State.
B the difficulty of predicting volcanic activity.
C a contrast between different forms of lava
D a story of an unusual geological event.
E the factors that cause landslides.
16.As used in line 4, the word “advance” means
A ahead of time
B moving forward
C in the past
D undetected
E extremely urgent.
17.According to the passage, all of the following were caused by the Mount Saint Helens eruption EXCEPT:
A tidal waves
B streams of lava
C a massive landslide
D changes in the earth’s climate
E the emission of clouds of ash
18.It can be inferred from the passage that fluid lava (line 8)
A is very thick
B creates tall volcanoes
C is only found in the United States.
D is not easily outrun
E destroyed many forests in Washington.
19.The author’s style is best described as
A surprised
B dramatic
C skeptical
D informative
E mysterious
20.The author most likely mentions “providing people in the surrounding area with plenty of advance warning” in order to
A show that experts thought they knew what was coming
B indicate that no one was hurt in the blast.
C criticize people who did not evacuate on time.
D describe how experts were not seeing fluid lava
E convey the importance of volcano warning systems.
The cowboy of the American West is an enduring icon in popular culture, but Hawaiian cowboys predated their American counterparts by several decades. In 1792, King Kamehameha the Great of Hawaii received gifts of beef cattle, goats, sheep, and horses from Captain George Vancouver. The introduction of these unfamiliar animals caused unrest
| 5 among the native islanders, because the unruly animals often tramped the crops in their fields. Initially, the king protected his imports from wrathful Hawaiians under kapu laws. But in 1830, Kamehameha Ⅲ decided to hire a few Spanish vaqueros from California to keep the animals under control. Soon the Hawaiians were riding, roping, and lassoing alongside the Spanish cowboys. |
A taught the Hawaiians how to ride and lasso
B accompanied the shipment of horses and cattle to Hawaii
C did not understand the Hawaiians’ opposition to horses.
D emerged in the West later than his counterpart in Hawaii.
E was not able to lasso as well as the Hawaiian cowboy.
22.According to the passage, all of the following are true about horses and cattle EXCEPT
A they were unfamiliar to Hawaiians before 1792.
B they were introduced to Hawaii in the 18th century.
C they were protected by Hawaiian law.
D they were found to be too expensive to import.
E they were destructive to Hawaiian property.
23.According to the passage, the Hawaiian cowboys
Ⅰ were taught to ride by the Spanish vaqueros.
Ⅱ existed earlier than the American cowboys
Ⅲ proved better at roping and lassoing than their American counterpart.
A Ⅰ only
B Ⅱ only
C Ⅰ and Ⅱ only
D Ⅱ and Ⅲ only
E Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ
24.This passage in primarily about
A the roping of cattle
B the history of King Kamehhameha
C the Spanish relationship with Hawaii
D the history of horses in Hawaii
E the introduction of cowboys to Hawaii.
25.The attitude of the writer toward the subject is
A biased
B condescending
C neutral
D elated
E confused
26.As it is used in line 6, “wrathful” most nearly means
A tolerant.
B enraged
C accommodating
D confused
E vengeful
27.Which of the following questions is NOT answered by the passage?
A How did Hawaiians view Capt. George Vancouver’s gifts?
B What effect did the vaqueros have on the animals?
C What can be implied about the author’s attitude toward the cowboys?
D For how many years did the animals cause unrest in Hawaii?
E How did the king use kapu laws in Hawaii to protect animals?
In recent years, scientific research has done much to alter long-held beliefs about history. This is particularly true of scholarship surrounding the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a trans-Asian trading roué that extended across two continents, linking China with the center of European trade in the Mediterranean. Most famous for the transport of silk, this ancient
5 highway was also the conduit for such items as roses, peaches, gunpowder, and paper. Systems of belief were also passed along the road: the spread of Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam was accelerated by the connection between East and West.
Based on historical texts, historians have traditionally believed that the Silk Road was established in 115 B.C.E., yet the recent discovery of a much older piece of silk in Egypt
10 suggests that the road was established at least a thousand years earlier. Through carbon dating, scientists dated the fabric of the newly discovered piece of silk to around 1000 B.C.E. In that period, only the Chinese held the secret to silk manufacturing; Mediterranean countries would not develop the technology to manufacture silk until the sixth century C.E. As a result, historians how believe that Asia and Europe may have traded silk via the Silk Road as long
| 15 ago as the second century B.C.E. – though exactly how traders navigated the plateaus, mountains, and deserts that lie along the route remains a mystery. |
A the impact of a new discovery on a historical theory
B ancient trading routes between East and West.
C the introduction of silk manufacturing to Europe.
D conflict between Chinese and Mediterranean traders.
E the spread of Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.
29.As used in line 6, the phrase “systems of belief” most likely means
A travel routes
B organizations
C languages
D religions
E military secrets
30.According to the passage, all of the following were traded along the Silk Road EXCEPT
A fabrics
B explosives
C fruit
D flowers
E jewels
31.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that historians believe that
A the silk fragment discovered in Egypt was a fake
B most ancient Egyptian garments
C the ancient Egyptians were unable to cross plateaus, mountains, or deserts.
D carbon dating is not the most accurate method of dating artifacts.
E the ancient silk fragment found in Egypt must have been imported from China.
32.The author’s style is best described as
A surprised
B dramatic
C poetic
D mysterious
E informative
33.According to the passage, it is reasonable to assume that
A civilizations used the Silk Road for more than just trade.
B the Silk Road had not been established yet in 200 B.C.E.
C historians can say for sure whether the recent silk discovery was from Asia.
D the author believes the Silk Road never existed.
E if it weren’t for the Silk Road, Mediterranean countries never would have developed silk-producing technology.
During the 15th century, the Belgian city Bruges was the most important commercial city in the north of Europe. Like Florence in Italy, Bruges derived its wealth form wool and banking. Ships brought raw wool there from England and Spain and carried away finished wool cloth, which was celebrated throughout Europe. Bankers came to Bruges on the heels of the wool merchants – among them, representatives of the House of Medici. Soon Bruges became the
| 5 financial center for all of northern Europe. Merchants from Italy, the Near East, Russia, and Spain all congregated in Bruges. Even though nearby cities such as Ghent and Louvain also flourished, Bruges so outshone them in prosperity that the Duke of Burgundy made that city his capital and moved his court there in the early 15th century. |
A created
B exchanged
C invested
D obtained
E traveled
35.It can be inferred from the text that the arrival of representatives of the House of Medici in Bruges
A improved the quality of life for al residents of Bruges.
B increased the amount of raw wool brought to Bruges.
C required the city to provide official translators
D secured the status of Bruges as an important financial center.
E lowered the level of market a activity in Bruges.
36.It can be inferred from the text that the wool brought to Bruges
A was of the best quality available in northern Europe
B was not instrumental in Bruges’s growth as a financial center.
C was woven into cloth and shipped throughout Europe
D was also sent to rival towns Ghent and Louvain
E was as valuable as gold and other precious metals.
37.The author most likely mentions “merchants from Italy, the Near East, Russia, and Spain” in order to
A illustrate the variety of merchants involved in the wood trade.
B convey the excitement of Europe in the 15th century
C portray the peaceful cooperation of European countries
D indicate the poverty of trade in those countries.
E demonstrate how successful Bruges became
38.According to the text, why did the Duke of Burgundy choose Bruges over Ghent and Louvain as the site of his court?
A Ghent was on the verge of a financial crisis.
B Ghent and Louvain were too far away from Burgundy
C Bruges was unquestionably the most wealthy city
D Bruges produced a higher quality of wool fabric.
E More painters and musicians lived in Bruges than in other cities.
39.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
A The growth of the wool trade transformed commerce in the Renaissance.
B Tired of his court in France, the Duke of Burgundy moved to Bruges.
C Wool and banking made Bruges the commercial center of northern Europe.
D Bruges outshone Florence in prosperity and cultural diversity.
E Most 15th –century cities centered around banking and wool manufacture.
40.All of the following are reasons why Bruges was an important city EXCEPT
A its prosperity brought prosperity to other cities.
B it was a central meeting place for foreign merchants
C it provided a venue for wool traders to exchange merchandise
D it became the heart of banking in the region
E its status as the Belgian capital made it a commercial center.
Copyright © 2019-2025 51dongshi.net 版权所有
违法及侵权请联系：TEL:177 7030 7066 E-MAIL:11247931@qq.com 本站由北京市万商天勤律师事务所王兴未律师提供法律服务
