最新全国大学生英语竞赛阅读理解专项训练习题.docx

最新全国大学生英语竞赛阅读理解专项训练习题.docx

《最新全国大学生英语竞赛阅读理解专项训练习题.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《最新全国大学生英语竞赛阅读理解专项训练习题.docx（12页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

最新全国大学生英语竞赛阅读理解专项训练习题

专项训练

（一）

Readthefollowingpassages.Eachpassageisfollowedbyseveralquestions.Respondtothequestionsusinginformationfromthepassage.Remembertowritetheanswersontheanswersheet.

SectionA

Throughouthistory,therehavebeeninstancesinwhichpeoplehavebeenunwillingtoacceptnewtheories,despitestartlingevidence.ThiswascertainlythecasewhenCopernicuspublishedhistheory—thattheearthwasnotthecentreoftheuniverse.

（1）       Histheory,whichwasformulatedbygatheringandorganizingthethoughtsoftheearlierthinkers,proposedthattheuniversewasaclosedspaceboundedbyasphericalenvelopebeyondwhichtherewasnothing.Theearth,accordingtoPtolemy,wasafixedandimmobilemass,locatedatthecentreoftheuniverse.Thesunandthestars,revolvedaroundit.Ptolemy’stheory,wasofcourse,incorrect,butatthetimenobodycontestedit.Europeanastronomersweremoreinclinedtosaveface.Insteadofproposingnewideas,theyattemptedtopatchupandrefinePtolemy’sflawedmodel.StudentsweretaughtusingabookcalledThe Spherewhichhadbeenwrittentwohundredyearspreviously. 

（2）       （3）       Heproposedthattheearthturnedonitsaxisonceperday,andtravelledaroundthesunonceperyear.Evenwhenhemadehisdiscovery,hewasreluctanttomakeitpublic,knowinghowmuchhisshockingrevelationswoulddisturbthechurch.However,GeorgeRheticus,aGermanmathematicsprofessorwhohadbecomeCopernicus’sstudent,convincedCopernicustopublishhisideas,eventhoughCopernicus,aperfectionist,wasneversatisfiedthathisobservationswerecomplete.Copernicus’sideaswentagainstallthepoliticalandreligiousbeliefsofthetime.Humans,itwasbelieved,weremadeinGod’simage,andweresuperiortoallcreatures. （4）        Copernicus’stheoriescontradictedtheideasofallthepowerfulchurchmenofthetime.EventhefamousplaywrightWilliamShakespearefearedthenewtheory,pronouncingthatitwoulddestroysocialorderandbringchaostotheworld.However,Copernicusneverhadtosufferatthehandsofthosewhodisagreedwithhistheories.Hediedjustaftertheworkwaspublishedin1543.（5）        TwootherItalianscientistsofthetime,GalileoandBruno,agreedwholeheartedlywiththeCopernicantheory.Brunoevendaredtosaythatspacewasendlessandcontainedmanyothersuns,eachwithitsownplanets.Forthis,Brunowassentencedtodeathbyburningin1600.Galileo,famousforhisconstructionofthetelescope,wasforcedtodenyhisbeliefintheCopernicantheories.Heescapedcapitalpunishment,butwasimprisonedfortherestofhislife.

Completethearticlewiththefollowingsentences.Therearetwoextrastatementsthatyoudonotneedtouse.

A.In1530,however,Copernicusmadeanassertionwhichshooktheworld.B.Thetheoryappealedtohumannature.C.Untiltheearly16thcentury,westernthinkersbelievedthetheoryputforwardbyPtolemy,anEgyptianlivinginAlexandriainabout150A.D.D.However,thescientistswhofollowedinCopernicus’sfootstepsborethebruntofthechurch’sanger.E.Thenaturalworldhadbeencreatedforhumanstoexploit.F.ThemostimportantaspectofBruno’sworkisthatitforeverchangedtheplaceofmaninthecosmos.G.Inshort,astronomyfailedtoadvance.

SectionB

AnAsianengineerisassignedtoaUSlaboratoryandalmostsuffersanervousbreakdown.AUSexecutivetellshisstaffhe’sgoingtotreatthemfairly—andcreatesdissension.AJapanesemanagerispromotedbyhisBritishpresident,butwithinsixmonthsasksforatransfer.Eachofthesereal-lifecasesinvolvedpeoplewhowereregardedassuperioremployees,butwereill-equippedtocopewiththecomplexitiesanddangersofinterculturalmanagement.“Multinationalcompanieshavestudiedeverythingelse,nowtheyarefinallylookingatculture”,saysCliffordClarke,founderandpresidentoftheCalifornia—basedIRIInternationalInc.Oneofasmallbutgrowingnumberofconsultingfirmsthatspecializeinteachingbusinesspeoplefromdifferingcultureshowtocommunicateandworkwitheachother.“NevershowtheshoetoanArab,neverarriveontimeforapartyinBrazil,andinJapan,don’tthink‘yes’means‘yes’”,adviseUSconsultantsLennieCoplandandLewisBrownGriggs,whohaveproducedaseriesoffilmsandabooktohelpmanagersimprovetheirinternationalbusinessskills.Butsimplylearningthesocial“dos”and“don’ts”isnottheanswer,accordingtothenewculturespecialists.Thepenaltiesforignoringdifferentthinkingpatterns,theypointout,canbedisastrous.Forexample,theAmericanmanagerwhopromisedtobefairthoughthewastellinghisJapanesestaffthattheirhardworkwouldberewarded,butwhensomeworkersreceivedhighersalaryincreasesthanothers,therewerecomplaints.“Youtoldusyou’dbefair,andyouliedtous,”accusedonesalesman.“Ittookmeayearandahalf,”sighedtheAmerican,“torealizethat‘fair’,tomystaff,meantbeingtreatedequally.”TheAsianengineerwhosufferedinAmericawasthevictimofanothermistakenexpectation.“HewasaccustomedtothewarmgroupenvironmentsotypicalinJapan,”saidhisUSmanager.“Butinourcompany,we’reallexpectedtobeself-starters,whothriveonworkingalone.Forhim,itwasemotionalstarvation.He’smadetheadjustmentnow,buthe’dbehumiliatedifItoldyouhisname,that’sanotherculturaldifference.”TheJapanesemanagerwhofailedtorespondtohispromotioncouldnotbringhimselftousethemoredirectlanguageneededtocommunicatewithhisLondon-basedsuperiors.“Iusedtothinkallthistalkaboutculturalcommunicationwasalotofbaloney,”saysEugeneJ.Flath,presidentofIntelJapanLtd.,asubsidiaryoftheAmericansemiconductormaker.“Now,Icanseeitisarealproblem.Miscommunicationhasslowedourabilitytocoordinateactionwithourhomeoffice.”That’swhyIntel,withthehelpofconsultantClarke,begananinterculturaltrainingprogramthisspringwhichFlathexpectswilldramaticallyreducedecision-makingtimenowlostinmakingsuretheAmericansandtheJapaneseunderstandeachother.

Answerthefollowingquestionsaccordingtothepassage.

6.Whatdoes“Multinationalcompanieshavestudiedeverythingelse,nowtheyarefinallylookingatculture”mean?

7.Fromthecontext,whichwordisinclosemeaningto“nonsense”?

8.WhydidtheJapanesestaffcomplaintotheAmericanmanager?

9.Forwhomaretheculturalcommunicationproblemsbecomingespeciallyurgent?

10.WhydidthepromotedJapanesemanageraskfortransfer?

SectionC

MaizeisMexico’slifeblood—thecountry’shistoryandidentityareentwinedwithit.Butthiscenturies—oldrelationshipisnowthreatenedbyfreetrade.LauraCarlseninvestigatesthethreatandprofilesagrowingactivistmovement.OnamountaintopinsouthernMexico,Indianfamiliesgather.Theychantandsprinklecornmealinconsecration,prayingforthesuccessoftheirnewcrops,theunityoftheircommunitiesandthehealthoftheirfamilies.InthisvillageinOaxacapeopleeatcorntamales,sowmaizeplotsandteachchildrentocarefortheplant.Theculturalrhythmsofthiscommunity,itslabours,ritualsandcelebrationswillbedefined—astheyhavebeenformillennia—bythelifecycleofcorn.Indeed,ifitweren’tforthedomesticationofteocintle （theancestorofmodernmaize）9,000yearsagomesoamerican（中美州的）civilizationcouldneverhavedeveloped.IntheMayansacredbook,the Popol Vuh,thegodscreatepeopleoutofcornmeal.The‘peopleofcorn’flourishedandbuiltoneofthemostremarkableculturesinhumanhistory.ButinMexicoandCentralAmericatodaymaizehascomeunderattack.AsaresultoftheNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreement （NAFTA）MexicohasbeenfloodedwithimportedcornfromnorthoftheborderintheUS.ThecontaminationofnativevarietieswithgeneticallymodifiedimportedmaizecouldhavemajorconsequencesforMexicancampesinos（farmers）,forlocalbiodiversityandfortheworld’sgeneticreserves.AdecadeagoMexicanbureaucratsandbusinesspeoplehaditallfiguredout.NAFTAwoulddrive“uncompetitive”maizefarmersfromthecountrysidetoworkinboomingassemblyfactoriesacrossthecountry.Theirstandardoflivingwouldriseasthecostofprovidingserviceslikeelectricityandwatertoscatteredruralcommunitieswouldfall.Bestofall,cheapimportedmaizefromtheUS—theworld’smostefficientandmostheavilysubsidizedproducer—wouldbeabenefittoMexicanconsumers.Unfortunately,itdidn’tturnoutthatway.Thereweren’tquiteenoughofthosefactoryjobsandtheonesthatdidmaterializecontinuedtobealongtheUSborder,notfurtherinMexico.Anddespiteahugedropinthepricefarmersreceivedfortheircorn,consumersoftenendeduppayingmore.Thepriceoftortillas—thecountry’sstaplefood—rosenearlyfivefoldastheGovernmentstoppeddomesticsubsidiesandgiantagribusinessfirmstookoverthemarket.FreetradedefenderslikeMexico’sformerUnder-SecretaryofAgricultureLuisTellezsuggest:

“It’snotthatNAFTAfailed,it’sjustthatrealitydidn’tturnoutthewayweplannedit.”PartofthatrealitywasthattheGovernmentdidnothingtohelpcampesinosinthesupposedtransition.NordidNAFTArecognizeinequalitiesorcreatecompensationfundstohelpthevictimsoffreetrade—unlikewhatoccurredwitheconomicintegrationintheEuropeanUnion.Basically,Mexicoadoptedasink-or-swimpolicyforsmallfarmers,openingthefloodgatestotonsofimportedUScorn.MaizeimportstripledunderNAFTAandproducerpricesfellbyhalf.Thedropinincomeimmediatelyhitthemostvulnerableandpoorestmembersofruralsociety.Whilemorethanathirdofthecorngrownbysmallfarmersisusedtofee