专业英语八级(阅读)模拟试卷162(题后含答案及解析)

专业英语八级（阅读）模拟试卷162 (题后含答案及解析)

题型有： 2. READING COMPREHENSION

PART II READING COMPREHENSION

SECTION A MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONSIn this section there are several passages followed by fourteen multiple-choice questions. For each multiple-choice question, there are four suggested answers marked [A] , [B], [C] and [D]. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.

(1) There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame; it comes to the soldier, war-mad on a stricken field and refusing quarter; and it came to Buck, leading the pack, sounding the old wolf-cry, straining after the food that was alive and that fled swiftly before him through the moonlight. He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars and over the face of dead matter that did not move. (2) But Spitz, cold and calculating even in his supreme moods, left the pack and cut across a narrow neck of land where the creek made a long bend around. Buck did not know of this, and as he rounded the bend, the frost wraith of a rabbit still flitting before him, he saw another and larger frost wraith leap from the overhanging bank into the immediate path of the rabbit. It was Spitz. The rabbit could not turn, and as the white teeth broke its back in mid air it shrieked as loudly as a stricken man may shriek. At sound of this, the cry of Life plunging down from Life’s apex in the grip of Death, the fall pack at Buck’s heels raised a hell’s chorus of delight. (3) Buck did not cry out. He did not check himself, but drove in upon Spitz, shoulder to shoulder, so hard that he missed the throat. They rolled over and over in the powdery snow. Spitz gained his feet almost as though he had not been overthrown, slashing Buck down the shoulder and leaping clear. Twice his teeth clipped together, like the steel jaws of a trap, as he backed away for better footing, with lean and lifting lips that writhed and snarled. (4) In a flash Buck knew it. The time had come. It was to the death. As they circled about, snarling, ears laid back, keenly watchful for the advantage, the scene came to Buck with a sense of familiarity. He seemed to remember it all—the white woods, and earth, and moonlight, and the thrill of battle. Over the whiteness and silence brooded a ghostly calm. There was not the faintest whisper of air—nothing moved, not a leaf quivered, the visible breaths of the dogs rising slowly and lingering in the frosty air. They had made short work of the snow

shoe rabbit, these dogs that were ill-tamed wolves; and they were now drawn up in an expectant circle. They, too, were silent, their eyes only gleaming and their breaths drifting slowly upward. To Buck it was nothing new or strange, this scene of old time. It was as though it had always been, the wonted way of things. (5) Spitz was a practised fighter. From Spitzbergen through the Arctic, and across Canada and the Barrens, he had held his own with all manner of dogs and achieved to mastery over them. Bitter rage was his, but never blind rage. In passion to rend and destroy, he never forgot that his enemy was in like passion to rend and destroy. He never rushed till he was prepared to receive a rush; never attacked till he had first defended that attack. (6) In vain Buck strove to sink his teeth in the neck of the big white dog. Wherever his fangs struck for the softer flesh, they were countered by the fangs of Spitz. Fang clashed fang, and lips were cut and bleeding, but Buck could not penetrate his enemy’s guard. Then he warmed up and enveloped Spitz in a whirlwind of rushes. Time and time again he tried for the snow-white throat, where life bubbled near to the surface, and each time and every time Spitz slashed him and got away. Then Buck took to rushing, as though for the throat, when, suddenly drawing back his head and curving in from the side, he would drive his shoulder at the shoulder of Spitz, as a ram by which to overthrow him. But instead, Buck’s shoulder was slashed down each time as Spitz leaped lightly away. (7) Spitz was untouched, while Buck was streaming with blood and panting hard. The fight was growing desperate. And all the while the silent and wolfish circle waited to finish off whichever dog went down. (8) As Buck grew winded, Spitz took to rushing, and he kept him staggering for footing. Once Buck went over, and the whole circle of sixty dogs started up; but he recovered himself, almost in mid air, and the circle sank down again and waited. (9) But Buck possessed a quality that made for greatness—imagination. He fought by instinct, but he could fight by head as well. He rushed, as though attempting the old shoulder trick, but at the last instant swept low to the snow and in. His teeth closed on Spitz’s left fore leg. There was a crunch of breaking bone, and the white dog faced him on three legs. Thrice he tried to knock him over, then repeated the trick and broke the right fore leg. Despite the pain and helplessness, Spitz struggled madly to keep up. He saw the silent circle, with gleaming eyes, lolling tongues, and silvery breams drifting upward, closing in upon him as he had seen similar circles close in upon beaten antagonists in me past. Only this time he was me one who was beaten. (10) There was no hope for him. Buck was inexorable. Mercy was a thing reserved for gender climes. He manoeuvred for the final rush. The circle had tightened till he could feel the breaths of the huskies on his flanks. He could see mem, beyond Spitz and to either side, half crouching for the spring, their eyes fixed upon him. A pause seemed to fall. Every animal was motionless as though turned to stone. Only Spitz quivered and bristled as he staggered back and forth, snarling with horrible menace, as though to frighten off impending death. Then Buck sprang in and out; but while he was in, shoulder had at last squarely met shoulder. The dark circle became a dot on me moon-flooded snow as Spitz disappeared from view. Buck stood and looked on, the successful champion, the dominant primordial beast who had made his kill and found it good.

1． It can be inferred from Para. 1 that Buck______. A．enjoyed the feel of being a leader B．was experiencing a paradox of living C．had overcome me horror of death D．woke up its own nature as a wolf

正确答案：A

解析：推断题。文章第一段前两句提到，有一种狂喜标志着生命的顶峰，会让人产生忘我的感觉。第三句指出，巴克是在引导着狗群追击猎物，这时候的它也经历着这种生命的狂喜，令它浑身上下都充满了极大的快乐。综合以上可知，巴克享受作为领导者的感觉，故[A]为答案。[B]“正在经历生活的矛盾”是对第一句的曲解，原文的意思是生命无法逾越这种狂喜的顶峰，越是在最有生命活力的时候，越容易忘却生命的存在，这是一种矛盾，故排除[B]；原文的意思是经历生命巅峰的时候会忘记自己是有生命的，并不代表不恐惧死亡，故排除[C]；从下文可以看出，巴克虽然有狼吼一样的叫声，但它仍是狗，因此[D]错误，应排除。 知识模块：阅读

2． Why did Buck turn to attack Spitz after it killed the rabbit? A．Because Spitz seized Buck’s pray without its permission. B．Because it’s time to decide who would gain the mastery. C．Because Spitz had become me biggest threat against Buck. D．Because Buck enjoyed challenging the power.

正确答案：B

解析：细节题。文章第三段提到，在丝毛犬抢在巴克之前杀死雪兔，捕猎成功之后，巴克向丝毛犬发起攻击。从此前的段落中可知，巴克引导狗群捕猎，而丝毛犬捷足先登后，狗群转而为它欢呼，这无疑是对巴克领袖地位的挑战；再从第四段前两句和第五段第二句可知，丝毛犬过去是狗群的领袖，现在是新旧领袖决定权力归属的时候了，故[B]为答案。从原文看出丝毛犬是旧的领袖，因此它一直都是巴克成为新领袖的威胁，故排除[A]；[C]和[D]在原文中找不到依据，故也排除。 知识模块：阅读

3． According to the passage, what may have helped Buck win the fight? A．Its ruthlessness. B．Its resourcefulness. C．Its instinct. D．Its enthusiasm.

正确答案：B

解析：推断题。从第九段之前的内容可知，巴克在与丝毛犬的决斗初期处于劣势，第九段首词But提示事情发生了转折。首句指出巴克具有想象的能力，第二句更加明确地说它不仅仅依靠本能作战，也会运用自己的头脑。随后它改变了

作战策略，令丝毛犬上当，可见，它获胜是依靠自己的智谋，故[B]符合文意，为答案，同时排除[C]。文章虽然在开头部分提到过狂热，但是这明显不是巴克制胜的原因，故排除[D]；文章最后一段第二句虽然说巴克是无情的，但这是在它获胜之后，[A]不符合题意，故排除。 知识模块：阅读

4． What was the role of the pack towards the fight between Buck and Spitz? A．Lookers-on. B．Beneficiaries. C．Agitators. D．Flip-floppers.

正确答案：D

解析：推断题。本题需综合全文进行判断。文章首段中，巴克率领狗群追击猎物，显然是得到狗群的拥护的，而随后，经验老道的丝毛犬抢先捕猎成功，狗群转而向它欢呼，而在两只犬争权打斗时，巴克曾被打得晕过去，狗群便准备跳起去攻击它，而在巴克最终获胜后，狗群则消灭了丝毛犬，可见，它们在这场争权斗争中扮演的角色就是“墙头草”，因此[D]与文意最贴切，故为答案。从原文可知，狗群并没有鼓动两只头犬打斗，也不会从中获取什么利益，故排除[B]和[C]；而它们也绝不是简单地旁观，而是随时准备去支持获胜的一方，故排除[A]。 知识模块：阅读

5． The underlined sentence in Para. 10 contains a______. A．metonymy B．personification C．contrast D．metaphor

正确答案：A

解析：修辞题。该句中的“The dark circle”和“a dot”用形状指代狗群，用事物的某一特征代替事物整体，属于借代，故[A]为答案。该句中明显没有使用拟人、对比或暗喻，故排除[B]、[C]和[D]。 知识模块：阅读

(1) The American Dream, defined as the ability of every U. S. citizen to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination, has always involved the pursuit of homeownership. Owning your own home has often been viewed as a sign of financial success, and quite a few families use the equity built in a primary residence over time to help fund retirement. (2) But the American Dream isn’t the same for millennials as it was for their parents. The pursuit of homeownership in America is waning: Since the first quarter of 2009, homeownership rates for those younger than 35 have fallen from 39. 8 percent to 34. 2 percent in the first quarter of 2016, according to U. S. Census Bureau data via USA Today. And data released a week ago by real estate database company Zillow points to an even more frightening picture that could doom homeownership rates in America. (3) According to Zillow’s latest report, 86 percent of current renters don’t have the

income to purchase a home, or a high enough credit score to obtain financing. Almost half of all survey-takers noted that they were already spending at least 30 percent of the pre-tax income on rent, making it nearly impossible to qualify for financing on a home. (4) This survey comes at a time when homeownership in the United States is down to 63. 4 percent, a 48-year low, and a steady decline from the 69 percent homeownership rate hit 12 years ago. At the same time, we’re also witnessing a near-40-year low in vacancy rates for rentals. Since 1995, monthly median asking rent for vacant units has doubled from about $ 425 to $ 850. (5) What’s caused this precipitous decline in homeownership among millennials and Americans as a whole? (6) Part of the blame rests with weaker-than-expected wage growth. Nominal wages in the U. S. rose by 727 percent from 19 to 2014 based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics via the Pew Research Center. However, inflation-adjusted real-wage growth in constant 2014 dollars grew only 7 percent over the same time span. In the meantime, numerous other costs have outpaced wage growth, such as medical costs, college tuition costs, and even, in some markets, home prices and rental inflation. Without real income growth, individuals and families are struggling to gather the income needed to afford homes. (7) Secondly, as Zillow’s report points out, there are still quite a few people with subpar credit scores, which could keep them from getting loans, or even credit cards. Data from ValuePenguin, a website devoted to aiding consumers in making smart consumer spending decisions, shows that the average credit score in the U. S. in 2015 was 695, up modestly from 687 in 2009 and 2010. The credit score scale ranges from a low of 300 to a high of 850, with prime candidates being 680 and above, near-prime candidates hovering in the 620 - 680 range, and subprime candidates having a score under 620. As of 2014, just 48. 9 percent of all Americans had prime credit scores, leaving the remainder of adults questionable when it comes to being able to secure home loans. It’s also worth pointing out that people aged 39 and younger had nearly a 40 percent chance of a subprime credit score, compared to just 16 percent and 8 percent for those ages 60 to 69 and 70 + , respectively. (8) Lastly, Americans are poor savers, and that’s a problem when lenders typically require a sizable down payment in order to purchase a home. The June 2016 personal savings rate was just 5.3 percent, a far cry from what the citizens of other developed countries are socking away in savings. Furthermore, a GOBankingRates survey from March 2016 showed that 56 percent of Americans have less than $ 10,000 saved for retirement, including 33 percent with $ 0. For millennials, 42.2 percent had nothing in retirement savings, and another 29. 8 percent had less than $10,000. (9) The biggest problems for millennials are a lack of wage growth, poor credit scores, and insufficient savings. Thus, the easiest way to homeownership is to tackle these problems head-on. (10) Millennials should strongly consider working in job fields that have strong long-term demand, as well as go to college to obtain at least a bachelor’s degree. Millennials between the ages of 25 to 32 with a high school diploma earned a median of $28,000 in 2012 dollars according to Pew. By comparison, same-age millennials with at least a four-year bachelor’s degree or higher earned a median of $ 45,500 per year in 2012. That can be a huge difference over one’s lifetime. Also, the individual with a degree would presumably have a better

chance at business advancement over an individual without a degree, providing more opportunity for socioeconomic advancement. The key is in finding a college that gives you the best return on investment. College tuition price isn’t necessarily indicative of return, so make sure you do your homework on colleges that fit your major of choice. (11) Secondly, millennials (and really all Americans for that matter) need to understand that their credit scores are important, so they should strive to improve them as much as possible. Remember, credit scores don’t just affect whether you can obtain a loan or help set your lending rate. They can also affect the ability to rent, as well as get a job, since landlords and employers can check your credit score. The most obvious way to positively impact a credit score is to pay bills on time. Payment history counts as approximately 35 percent of a credit score. It’s also necessary to pay close attention to how credit is used, with credit utilization comprising about 30 percent of a FICO score. Maxing out credit cards, or getting anywhere near credit limits, makes you look like a risk to lenders. (12) Lastly, it’s pretty clear that millennials need to be working with a household budget more often based on their low savings rates. Without a budget, millennials will likely struggle to understand their incoming and outgoing cash flows; and without this understanding it’s impossible to optimally save money for a home, or retirement for that matter. The good news is that budgeting tools can be found in abundance online. In a matter of 30 minutes anyone can have a working budget and plan in place to get financial goals on track.

6． What can we infer about the American Dream? A．The pursuit of homeownership is its marrow. B．It has involved pursuits in various aspects. C．Its significance is waning among the citizens. D．It has been given up by younger people.

正确答案：B 解析：推断题。文章第一段首句明确了美国梦的定义是美国公民通过辛勤劳动和坚定意志获得成功和幸福的能力，其中包括对于房屋所有权的追求，可见，美国梦是对不同方面成功和幸福的追求，故[B]为正确答案。作者并没有对多方面的追求孰轻孰重进行评价，故[A]不符合原文，应排除；[C]是对原文第二段前两句的曲解，原文的意思只是千禧一代对于房屋所有权的追求正在减退，并不是美国梦不再重要了，故排除；年轻人中房屋所有权比率较低，并不能说明年轻人放弃了美国梦，故[D]也排除。 知识模块：阅读

7． It can be inferred from Para. 3 and Para. 4 that______.

A．financial burden and loaning terms are major obstacles for homeownership B．reduced home-purchasing is mainly caused by insufficient paying ability C．surveys reveal a dismal outlook of homeownership and purchasing potency D．doubled monthly median asking rent for vacant units has increased the difficulty of purchasing houses

正确答案：C

解析：推断题。文章第三段引用了Zillow的最新报告，显示目前大多数租房者没有足够的经济能力购房，而第四段第一句就明确指出美国的房产所有率已经降至48年来的最低点，可见，房产占有和购买能力情况都很惨淡，故[C]为答案。调查中虽然提到了经济压力，但是并没有说贷款条件是购房的主要障碍，故排除[A]；对于购房交易减少的原因，文中并没有进行分析，因此[B]缺乏原文依据，也排除；第四段只是提到租房的中介费增加，但没有分析它与购房之间的关系，因此排除[D]。 知识模块：阅读

8． We can infer from the data cited in Para. 7 that______. A．the overall credit score has slightly increased in latest years B．the disparity of individual credit scores has been widening C．only the prime candidates can be qualified for loaning D．the older people get, the lower their credit scores are

正确答案：A

解析：推断题。文章第七段引用了几组关于个人信用评分的数据，由第二句可知，美国信用评分的均值由2009年和20lO年的687增加至2015年的695，整体信用近年是有小幅增长的，故[A]为答案。对于个人信用的差距在这几年是如何变化的，本段数据没有涉及，故排除[B]；而数据也不能说明什么样的信用资格可以进行贷款，故排除[C]；本段最后一句提到在老年群体中次贷款信用资格比率低于39岁以下的年轻人群，但不能据此推断年纪越长，信用值越低，故排除[D]。 知识模块：阅读

9． Which of the following describes the author’s development of argument? A．Citing an example—introducing the issue—analyzing the reasons—emphasizing the urgency.

B．Introducing the issue—describing the actual status—raising possible solutions—emphasizing the urgency.

C．Citing an example—introducing the issue—emphasizing the urgency—raising possible solutions.

D．Introducing the issue—describing the actual status—analyzing the reasons—raising possible solutions.

正确答案：D

解析：篇章题。解答本题应通览全文，并辨清文章结构。作者在文章首段提到了美国梦的定义，并由此引出本文的主题——房屋所有权；在随后的第二段至第四段中，作者运用多种调查数据，描绘出美国当前房产占有率等有关置业的主要情况，而从第五段开始，作者分析了出现目前房产占有率下降、购房潜力不足的三个主要原因；最后四段顺理成章地就这三方面主要问题提出解决方案。通篇观察，[D]“介绍主题一描述实际情况一分析原因一提出可能的解决方法”符合全文结构，故为正确答案。文章开头并没有提出任何例证，因此先排除[A]和[C]；文章结尾处没有强调紧迫性的相关段落，故[B]也不符合文章结构，应排除。 知

识模块：阅读

(1) Don’t always believe what scientists and other authorities tell you! Be skeptical! Think critically! That’s what I tell my students, ad nauseam. And some learn the lesson too well. (2)I want to give my students the benefit of my hard-won knowledge of science’s fallibility. Early in my career, I was a conventional science writer, easily impressed by scientists’ claims. Fields such as physics, neuroscience, genetics and artificial intelligence seemed to be bearing us toward a future in which bionic superhumans would zoom around the cosmos in warp-drive spaceships. Science was an “ endless frontier,” as physicist Vannevar Bush, a founder of the National Science Foundation, put it in 1945. (3) Doubt gradually undermined my faith. Scientists and journalists, I realized, often presented the public with an overly optimistic picture of science. By relentlessly touting scientific “advances”—from theories of cosmic creation and the origin of life to the latest treatments for depression and cancer—and by overlooking all the areas in which scientists were spinning their wheels, we made science seem more potent and fast-moving than it really is. (4) Now, I urge my students to doubt the claims of physicists that they are on the verge of explaining the origin and structure of the cosmos. Some of these optimists favor string and multiverse theories, which cannot be confirmed by any conceivable experiment. This isn’t physics any more, I declare in class, it’s science fiction with equations! (5)I give the same treatment to theories of consciousness, which attempt to explain how a three-pound lump of tissue—the brain—generates perceptions, thoughts, memories, emotions and self-awareness. Some enthusiasts assert that scientists will soon reverse-engineer the brain so thoroughly that they will be able to build artificial brains much more powerful than our own. Balderdash! I tell my classes (or words to that effect). Scientists have proposed countless theories about how the brain absorbs, stores and processes information, but researchers really have no idea how the brain works. And artificial-intelligence advocates have been promising for decades that robots will soon be as smart as HAL or R2-D2. Why should we believe them now? (6) Maybe, just maybe, I suggest, fields such as particle physics, cosmology and neuroscience are bumping up against insurmountable limits. The big discoveries that can be made have been made. Who says science has to solve every problem? (7) Lest my students conclude that I’m some solitary crank, I assign them articles by other skeptics, including a dissection of epidemiology and clinical trials by journalist Gary Taubes in The New York Times. He advises readers to doubt dramatic claims about the benefits of some new drug or diet, especially if the claim is new. “Assume that the first report of an association is incorrect or meaningless,” Taubes writes, because it probably is. “So be skeptical. “ (8) To drive this point home, I assign articles by John Ioannidis, an epidemiologist who has exposed the flimsiness of most peer-reviewed research. In a 2005 study, he concluded that “ most published research findings are false. “ He and his colleagues contend that “ the more extreme, spectacular results (the largest treatment effects, the strongest associations, or the most unusually novel and exciting biological stories) may be preferentially published. “ These sorts of dramatic claims are also more likely to be wrong. (9) The cherry

on this ice-cream sundae of doubt is a critique by psychologist Philip Tetlock of expertise in soft sciences, such as politics, history, and economics. In his 2005 book Expert Political Judgment, Tetlock presents the results of his 20-year study of the ability of 284 “ experts” in politics and economics to make predictions about current affairs. The experts did worse than random guessing, or “dart-throwing monkeys,” as Tetlock puts it. Like Ioannidis, Tetlock found a correlation between the prominence of experts and their fallibility. The more wrong the experts were, the more visible they were in the media. The reason, he conjectures, is that experts who make dramatic claims are more likely to get air time on CNN or column inches in The Washington Post, even though they are likelier to be wrong. (10) For comic relief, I tell my students about a maze study, cited by Tetlock, that pitted rats against Yale undergraduates. Sixty percent of the time, researchers placed food on the left side of a fork in the maze; otherwise the food was placed randomly. After figuring out that the food was more often on the left side of the fork, the rats turned left every time and so were right 60 percent of the time. Yale students, discerning illusory patterns of left-right placement, guessed right only 52 percent of the time. Yes, the rats beat the Yalies! The smarter you are, the more likely you may be to “discover” patterns in the world that aren’t actually there. (11) So how do my students respond to my skeptical teaching? Some react with healthy pushback, especially to my suggestion that the era of really big scientific discoveries might be over. “ On a scale from toddler knowledge to ultimate enlightenment, man’s understanding of the universe could be anywhere,” wrote a student named Matt. “ How can a person say with certainty that everything is known or close to being known if it is incomparable to anything?” (12) Other students embrace skepticism to a degree that dismays me. Cecelia, a biomedical-engineering major, wrote: “I am skeptical of the methods used to collect data on climate change, the analysis of this data, and the predictions made based on this data.” Pondering the lesson that correlation does not equal causation, Steve questioned the foundations of scientific reasoning. “How do we know there is a cause for anything?” he asked. (13) In a similar vein, some students echoed the claim of radical postmodernists that we can never really know anything for certain, and hence that almost all our current theories will probably be overturned. Just as Aristotle’s physics gave way to Newton’s, which in turn yielded to Einstein’s, so our current theories of physics will surely be replaced by radically different ones. (14) After one especially doubt-riddled crop of papers, I responded, “Whoa!” (or words to that effect). Science, I lectured sternly, has established many facts about reality beyond a reasonable doubt, embodied by quantum mechanics, general relativity, the theory of evolution, the genetic code. This knowledge has yielded applications—from vaccines to computer chips—that have transformed our world in countless ways. It is precisely because science is such a powerful mode of knowledge, I said, that you must treat new pronouncements skeptically, carefully distinguishing the genuine from the spurious. But you shouldn’t be so skeptical that you deny the possibility of achieving any knowledge at all. (15) My students listened politely, but I could see the doubt in their eyes. We professors have a duty to teach our students to be skeptical. But we also have to accept that, if we do our jobs well, their skepticism may turn on us.

10． About the prospect of science, the author may agree with all of the following EXCEPT that______.

A．humans are on the way to an ultimate understanding of the universe B．science has never been developing in a pattern of straight climb C．scientific discoveries may be going through a bottleneck period D．many basic scientific theories may be overthrown in the future

正确答案：D

解析：推断题。本题需依据全文整体内容进行解答。[D]“未来许多基本的科学理论可能被”，这是在第十三段作者认为过于激进的看法，作者在第十四段中也表示出他对既往科学发现的肯定态度，故[D]说法不符合文意，为正确答案。作者在第三段第二、三句指出，科学家和记者展示的科学图景可能过于乐观，忽视了科学盘桓往复的领域，可见，科学发展不是直线上升的，[B]符合文意，故排除；作者在第六段第一、二句中提出可能在许多重要领域，所能做出的重大发现均已做出，可以说科学发现可能正经历着一个瓶颈期，[C]符合文意，故排除；第十一段第三句提到，人类对于宇宙的了解可能处于懵懂无知和大彻大悟之间，可见，对于大彻大悟这个认识程度，人类还只是在路上，[A]符合文意，故排除。 知识模块：阅读

11． What is the role of Para. 10 in the development of the topic? A．To add some comic satire to the argument of the passage. B．To provide a contrast to the preceding paragraphs. C．To introduce a new branch thesis to the passage.

D．To offer supporting evidence to the preceding paragraphs.

正确答案：D

解析：篇章题。文章第十段中作者举了科学实验的例子，其结论是：人越是聪明，其发现越有可能是不符合实际的。这与第九段最后一句语义相近，因此本段是为上一段提供支持性证据，故答案为[D]。作者在本段说到活跃气氛，是其教学需要，而不是行文需要，故排除[A]；从段落大意可以判断，本段内容不是与上段相反，也并未提出新的分论点，故排除[B]和[C]。 知识模块：阅读

12． Which of the following statements contains a metaphor?

A．Science was an “ endless frontier,” as physicist Vannevar Bush... (Para. 2) B．The cherry on this ice-cream sundae of doubt is a critique... (Para. 9) C．The experts did worse than..., or “dart-throwing monkeys,”... (Para.9) D．On a scale from toddler knowledge to ultimate enlightenment... (Para. 11)

正确答案：B 解析：修辞题。第九段第一句中提到的圣代冰激凌上的樱桃显然不在文章讨论的主题范围之内，正是用来比喻事物的关键和要点，因此[B]包含了本体并未出现喻体的暗喻修辞手法，故为正确答案。[A]中本体“Science”和喻体“endless

frontier”同时出现，属于明喻；[C]认为专家比乱投飞镖的猴子还糟，属于比较；[D]中的“toddler”是词汇的比喻意，并非暗喻修辞。 知识模块：阅读

13． What does the author think of scientific skepticism? A．It mustn’t be encouraged among students. B．It may do great harm to the basis of science. C．It should be limited in an appropriate degree. D．It will lead to a new era of big discoveries.

正确答案：C

解析：态度题。此题涉及作者的主要观点，需结合全文解答。作者在文章开篇之时就说自己一直强调学生要具备科学质疑的精神，随后在第十二段和第十三段援引一些学生的质疑观点，并在第十四段中明确地对过去的科学发现和理论表示了肯定，并指出怀疑要仔细分辨，不能全盘否定，可见，他认为科学质疑应该在合理的程度内，故答案为[C]。从文章开头就能看出作者是在鼓励学生有质疑精神，故排除[A]；作者并没有提到质疑会伤害到科学的根本，[B]缺乏原文依据，故排除；作者在第六段中提到科学发现在某些领域可能已经遇到了瓶颈，所以科学大发现时代即将到来不是作者的看法，故排除[D]。 知识模块：阅读

14． Which of the following may be the appropriate title of the passage? A．The Possible Prospect of Science. B．Treasuring the Students’ Skepticism. C．Backfires of Teaching Critical Thinking. D．Doubting the Endlessness of Science.

正确答案：C

解析：主旨题。本题需综合全文进行解答。文章开篇提到，作为教师，自己一直鼓励学生保持对科学质疑的精神，随后阐述了作者自己对于一些科学观点的质疑，并列举了一些其他人的质疑观点，从第十一段开始，作者介绍了他的教学效果，学生提出的质疑大大超出他的想象。而在文章最后，作者明确指出，教会学生质疑，他们可能也会用这种精神来质疑自己的教授，故[C]“教授批判思维的回火”最恰当，回火意指出乎意料、事与愿违的结果。[A]“科学可能的前景”和[D]“质疑科学的无限性”不是作者探讨的主要话题，故排除；而[B]“珍视学生的质疑精神”以偏概全，故排除。 知识模块：阅读

SECTION B SHORT-ANSWER QUESTIONSIn this section there are eight short-answer questions based on the passages in SECTION A. Answer each question in NO more than 10 words in the space provided.

PASSAGE ONE

15． How did Spitz surpass Buck and prey on the rabbit?

正确答案：By cutting corners and finding a shorter path．

解析：根据题干中的“prey on the rabbit”定位至第一、二段。第一段提到，巴克率领狗群追击一只兔子；第二段中提到，丝毛犬离开了大队狗群，抄近路上了一条隘道，而这可以避免像巴克它们一样绕过山溪边的长弯，可见，它找到了一条更近的路径，从而先巴克一步到达，捕猎成功，故答案为“By cutting corners and finding a shorter path．”。 知识模块：阅读

16． What words can depict the characteristics of Spitz?

正确答案：Cool-headed，experienced and skillful in battle．

解析：在第二段首句，作者明确说到它在极端情绪下也能保持冷静；在第五段第一句中，作者说到它是一个经验老道的斗士；而在第七、八段描写它与巴克打斗的场面时，可以看出它十分善战，一度将巴克击晕过去，巴克如果不使出超常的计谋根本无法取胜，故答案为“Cool-headed，experienced and skillful in battle．”。 知识模块：阅读

PASSAGE TWO

17． What is the main argument in Para. 10?

正确答案：Millennials can raise their income by getting further education． 解析：根据题干提示“Para．10”定位至第十段。文章第九段是衔接转折段落，开始针对千禧一代面临的主要问题提出相应的解决方法。因此本段要解决的是工资增长不足问题，作者在本段中比较了两个数据，指出更高的学历文凭有助于收入增长，故答案为“Millennials can raise their income by getting further education．”。 知识模块：阅读

18． What are the three prime factors that influence the pursuit of homeownership?

正确答案：Wage growth，credit scores，and savings． 解析：根据文章段落结构分析，作者剖析影响置业的原因主要是从第六段开始，各段的主题分别是工资增长不足、信用评分低于标准和不善于存款，这三个因素在第九段中也再次进行强调，故答案为“Wage growth，credit scores，and savings．”。 知识模块：阅读

19． How can the millennials raise the credit scores?

正确答案：By paying bills on time and using credit appropriately．

解析：根据题干关键词“credit scores”和文章结构分析定位至倒数第二段。作者在本段中指出，美国人应认识到信用评分的重要性，并明确指出提高信用评分的直接方法就是按时偿付账单，并在随后补充指出另一个需要注意的要点就是信用使用的方式，信用使用不当会令贷款者增加对借贷者的风险评价，故答案为

“By paying bills on time and using credit appropriately．”。 知识模块：阅读

PASSAGE THREE

20． What does “science fiction with equations” in Para. 4 refer to?

正确答案：Over-optimistic theories unconfirmed by reliable experiments． 解析：根据题干定位至第四段最后一句。该句前一句提到“有些乐观主义者喜欢字符串和多元宇宙理论，而这无法得到任何可信的实验证明”。作者在最后一句中明确指出这样的理论根本就不算是物理学理论，而是科幻小说。可见，带着方程式的科幻小说是指这些无法被可靠实验验证的过于乐观的理论。故答案为“Over-optimistic theories unconfirmed by reliable experiments．”。 知识模块：阅读

21． Why does the author keep skeptical of theories of consciousness?

正确答案：Because they are just hypothesis without factual evidence．

解析：根据题干关键词“theories of consciousness”定位至第五段。作者在该段中指出，科学家们虽然提出了众多关于人类大脑信息处理的理论，但实际上他们对于大脑实际的运转方式并不知晓。可见，作者不相信这些理论是因为这些都是假象和推论，没有事实证据。故答案为“Because they are just hypothesis without factual evidence．”。 知识模块：阅读

22． What does the author mean when quoting Philip Tetlock in Para. 9?

正确答案：Spectacular theories tend to be wrong．

解析：根据题干提示定位至第九段。该段引用了泰洛克著作《专家的政治判断力》中的观点，其中在最后两句中，作者指出专家们错得越厉害，越得到媒体的关注，主要是因为越是惊人的观点，越能抢得镜头，同时也越可能是错误的，可见，惊世骇俗的理论往往是错误的。故答案为“Spectacular theories tend to be wrong．”。 知识模块：阅读