2015年考研英语阅读模拟练习题（3）

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　　Part A
　　Directions：
　　Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing [A]， [B]， [C] or [D]. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
　　Text1
　　When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungey lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.
　　It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.
　　Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally - admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.
　　21. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is
　　A. not very high. B. high.
　　C. contemptuous. D. critical.
　　22. The main idea of this passage is
　　A. vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law.
　　B. people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence.
　　C. to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports.
　　D. people are bloodthirsty in sports.
　　23. That the author mentions the old Romans is
　　A. To compare the old Romans with today’s people.
　　B. to give an example.
　　C. to show human beings in the past know nothing better.
　　D. to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty.
　　24. How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?
　　A. Three. B. Five.
　　C. Six. D. Seven.
　　25. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is
　　A. that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve our selves.
　　B. that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.
　　C. that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.
　　D. to show law is the main instrument of social change.

kytwo

　　Text 2
　　Scientists have known since 1952 that DNA is the basic stuff of heredity. They've known its chemical structure since 1953. They know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program some 3 billion bits long that spells out the instructions for making proteins， the basic building blocks of life.
　　But everything the genetic engineers have accomplished during the past half-century is just a preamble to the work that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues are doing now. Collins leads the Human Genome Project， a 15-year effort to draw the first detailed map of every nook and cranny and gene in human DNA. Anderson， who pioneered the first successful human gene-therapy operations， is leading the campaign to put information about DNA to use as quickly as possible in the treatment and prevention of human diseases.
　　What they and other researchers are plotting is nothing less than a biomedical revolution. Like Silicon Valley pirates reverse-engineering a computer chip to steal a competitor's secrets， genetic engineers are decoding life's molecular secrets and trying to use that knowledge to reverse the natural course of disease. DNA in their hands has become both a blueprint and a drug， a pharmacological substance of extraordinary potency that can treat not just symptoms or the diseases that cause them but also the imperfections in DNA that make people susceptible to a disease.
　　And that's just the beginning. For all the fevered work being done， however， science is still far away from the Brave New World vision of engineering a perfect human—or even a perfect tomato. Much more research is needed before gene therapy becomes commonplace， and many diseases will take decades to conquer， if they can be conquered at all.
　　In the short run， the most practical way to use the new technology will be in genetic screening. Doctors will be able to detect all sorts of flaws in DNA long before they can be fixed. In some cases the knowledge may lead to treatments that delay the onset of the disease or soften its effects. Someone with a genetic predisposition to heart disease， for example， could follow a low-fat diet. And if scientists determine that a vital protein is missing because the gene that was supposed to make it is defective， they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein. But in other instances， almost nothing can be done to stop the ravages brought on by genetic mutations. (409 words)
　　26. It can be inferred from the text that Collins and Anderson and legions of colleagues _____.
　　[A] know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program
　　[B] have found the basic building blocks of life
　　[C] have accomplished some genetic discovery during the past half-century
　　[D] are making a breakthrough in DNA
　　27. Collins and Anderson are cited in the text to indicate all the following EXCEPT that ______.
　　[A] time-consuming effort is needed to accomplish the detailed map of in human DNA
　　[B] human gene-therapy operations may be applied to the patients
　　[C] gene-therapy now is already generally used to the treatment and prevention of human diseases
　　[D] information about DNA may be used in the treatment and prevention of human diseases
　　28. The word “pirate” (line 2， paragraph 3) means______.
　　[A] one who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea
　　[B] one who makes use of or reproduces the work of another without authorization
　　[C] to take (something) by piracy
　　[D] to make use of or reproduce (another's work) without authorization
　　29. We can draw a conclusion from the text that_____.
　　[A] engineering a perfect human is not feasible for the time being
　　[B] it‘s impossible for scientists to engineer a perfect tomato
　　[C] many diseases will never be conquered by human beings
　　[D] doctors will be able to cure all sorts of flaws in DNA in the long run
　　30. The best title for the text may be ______.
　　[A] DNA and Heredity
　　[B] The Genetic Revolution
　　[C] A Biomedical Revolution
　　[D] How to Apply Genetic Technology
　　考生关注：

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kysix

　　Text 1
　　Vocabulary
　　1.relish 从……获得乐处，享受
　　2.orgy 狂欢，放纵
　　3.arena 竞技场，活动或斗争的场所
　　4.blood-thirsty 残忍的，嗜血的
　　5.bear-baiting 逗熊游戏
　　6.bull-fight 斗牛
　　7.batter 猛击，连续地猛打/捶，乱打
　　8.pulp 成纸浆，成软块
　　9.burst into flames 突然燃烧起来/着火
　　10.grim 令人窒息的，简陋的
　　11.coop up 把……关起来
　　写作方法与文章大意
　　作者采取先对比、后分析的写作手法。先是今人和古罗马人对暴虐体育上对此两者都欣赏。后者坦率成人“欣赏暴力体育”，前者施以各种接口、实际都是嗜血成性者。第二段进一步剖析今人欣赏暴虐体育的种种实例，最后指出改善“暴虐”的根本嗜为改善法律采取积极的步骤，法律才能施以巨大的文明影响，否则人类很难改变。
　　参考答案：AADBA
　　Text2
　　答案：DCBAB
　　词汇注释
　　stuff 物质
　　preamble 开端
　　nook and cranny 排列
　　potency 力量
　　susceptible 易受感染的
　　predisposition 易患病的体质
　　难句讲解
　　1. They know that human DNA acts like a biological computer program some 3 billion bits long that spells out the instructions for making proteins， the basic building blocks of life.
　　[简析] 本句话的主干是“They know that…”。they 指的是前面句子中提到的scientists;第一个引导的是宾语从句，some 3 billion bits long修饰computer program，第二个that也修饰computer program;the basic building blocks of life是在解释proteins.
　　2. Anderson， who pioneered the first successful human gene-therapy operations， is leading the campaign to put information about DNA to use as quickly as possible in the treatment and prevention of human diseases.
　　[简析] 本句话的主干是“Anderson is leading the campaign…”。Who引导的非限定性定语从句，修饰Anderson;to put information…短语修饰campaign，其中的to use…作目的状语。
　　3. DNA in their hands has become both a blueprint and a drug， a pharmacological substance of extraordinary potency that can treat not just symptoms or the diseases that cause them but also the imperfections in DNA that make people susceptible to a disease.
　　[简析] 本句话的主干是“DNA has become both a blueprint and a drug”。in their hands修饰DNA;a pharmacological substance…是在解释前面的drug，其中的第一个that 引导的定语从句修饰pharmacological substance;第二个that引导的定语从句修饰imperfections.
　　4. And if scientists determine that a vital protein is missing because the gene that was supposed to make it is defective， they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein.
　　[简析] 本句话的主干是“…they might be able to give the patient an artificial version of the protein”。If引导的是条件状语从句，其中的第一个that引导的是宾语从句，because引导的时原因状语从句;第二个that引导的定语从句修饰gene.