英语精读习题带答案.docx
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英语精读习题带答案
英语精读习题带答案(六级适用)
1、TheDvelopmentofCivilization
1Thefirsttwostagesinthedevelopmentofcivilizedmanwereprobablytheinventionofprimitiveweaponsandthediscoveryoffire,althoughnobodyknowsexactlywhenheacquiredtheuseofthelatter
2Theoriginoflanguageisalsoobscure.NodoubtitbeganverygraduallyAnimalshaveafewcriesthatserveassignals,buteventhehighestapeshavenotbeenfoundabletopronouncewords,evenwiththemostintensiveprofessionalinstruction.Thesuperiorbrainofmanisapparentlyanecessityforthemasteringofspeech.Whenmanbecamesuffivientlyintelligent,wemustsupposethathefraduallyincreasedthenumberofcriesfordifferentpurposes.Itwasagreatdaywhenhediscoveredhatspeechcouldbeusedfornarrative.Therearethosewhothinkinthisrespectpicturelanguageprecededorallanguage.Amancoulddrawapictureonthewallofhiscavetoshowinwhichdirectionhehadgone,orwhatpreyhehopedtocatch.Probablypicturelanguageandorallanguagedevelopedsidebyside.Iaminclinedtothinkthatlanguagehasbeenthemostimportantsinglefactorinthedevelopmentofman.
3Twoimportantstagescamenotsolongbeforethedawnofwrittenhistory.Thefirstwasthedomesticationofanimals;thesecondwasagriculture.Agriculturewasastepinhumanprogresstowhichsubsequentlytherewasnothingcomparableuntilourownmachineage.Agriculturemadepossibleanimmenseincreaseinthenumberofthehumanspeciesintheregionswhereitcouldbesuccessfullypracticed.Thesewere,atfirst,onlythoseinwhichnaturefertilizedthesoilaftereachharvest.Agriculturemetwithviolentresistancefromthepastoralnomads,buttheagriculturalwayoflifeprevailedintheendbecauseofthephysicalcomfortsitprovided.
4Anotherfundamentaltechnicaladvancewaswriting,which,likespokenlanguage,developedoutofpictures,butassoonasithadreachedacertainstage,itwaspossibletokeeprecordsandtransmitinformationtopeoplewhowerenotpresentwhentheinformationwasgiven.
5Theseinventionsanddiscoveries—fire,speech,weapons,domesticanimals,agriculture,andwriting—madetheexistenceofcivilizedcommunitiespossible.Fromabout3000B.C.untilthebeginningoftheIndustrialRevolutionlessthantwohundredyearsagotherewasnotechnicaladvancecomparabletothese.Duringthislongperiodmanhadtimetobecomeaccustomedtohistechnique,andtodeveopthebeliefsandpoliticalorganizationsappropriatetoitTherewas,ofcourse,animmenseextensionintheareaofcivilizedlife.AtfirstithadbeenconfinedtotheNile,theEuphrates,theTigrisandtheIndus,butattheendoftheperiodinquestionitcoveredmuchthegreaterpartoftheinhabitableglobe.Idonotmeantosuggestthattherewasnotechnicalprogressduringthislongtime;therewasprogress—therewereeventwoinventionsofverygreatimportance,namelygunpowderandthemariner’scompass—butneitherofthesecanbecomparedintheirpowertosuchthingsasspeechandwritingandagriculture.
Notes
1ape:
anymonkey
2narrative:
astoryordescriptionofactualorfictionalevents;tonarrateistogiveanaccountorcommentary
3prey:
ananimalhuntedorcaughtforfood
4pastoral:
oforpertainingtoshepherds,herdsmen,etc.
5nomad:
oneofagroupofpeoplewhohavenopermanenthomeandmoveaboutfromplacetoplace
6theNile:
thelongestriverintheworldflowingthroughEastAfrica,尼罗河
7theTigris:
riverofSouthwestAsia,joiningtheEuphratesinSouthIraq
8theEuphrates:
riverofSouthwestAsia,幼发拉底河
9theIndus:
riverofSouthCentralAsia,risingfromSouthwestTibet,flowingthroughPakistantotheArabianSea
ReadingComprehension
whichoneofthefollowing,accordingtotheauthor,wasfirstdiscoveredorinventedinhumancivilization?
a.writtenlanguageb.orallanguagec.fired.domestication
2Theauthordoesnotstateclearlybutimpliesthatinthedevelopmentofman___
a.humanspeechdevelopedalongwithotherhumanfaculties
b.picturelanguageandwrittenlanguagedevelopedsidebyside
c.orallanguageprecededtheuseoffire
d.theapemightbetaughttomasterspeech
3Accordingtothepassagepicturelanguagewasfoundmostusefulwhen_____
a.peopledidn’twanttousespeechincommunication
b.orallanguagewasnotfullydeveloped
c.peoplewenthuntingortravelingsomewhere
d.peoplewereinhabitingincaves
4Itistheauthor’sviewthatinhumancivilizationagriculture______.
a.isthemostimportantstepmanhasevermade
b.isonlylessimportantthanthedomesticationofanimals
c.hadlongbeenpracticedasstatedinwrittenhistory
d.canberankedinimportancewiththeinventionofmachines
5Inthe3rdparagraph,”…intheregionswhereitcouldbepracticed…”,here,“it”refersto________
a.increaseb.numberc.agricultured.species
6Thepastoralnomadswouldnothaveyieldedtotheagriculturalwayoflife____
a.ifithadnotbeenforthebenefitsbroughtaboutbyagriculture
b.unlessagriculturecouldprovidethemwithsufficientdomesticatedanimals
c.ifagriculturehadtakenuptoolargeanumberoftheirpastures
d.iftheyhadnotfoundsetbacksintheirpastoralwayoflife
7Writtenlanguageinitsinitialstagewasfoundmoreadvantageousinthat__
a.itcouldcommunicatemoreaccuratelythantheorallanguage
b.ithaddevelopedfrompicturelanguage
c.informationcouldberecordedandtransmitted
d.itwaseasiertolearnthanpicturelanguage
8Thefollowingconditionsexceptonemadeitpossibleforcivilizedcommunitiestoexist.Theexceptionis_________
a.writingb.agriculturec.fired.caves
9Theword”it”in“…todevelopthebeliefsandpoliticalorganizationsappropriatetoit.”(paragraph5)standsfor______
a.techniqueb.timec.longperiodd.IndustrialRevolution
10Theauthormeanstosaythathumancivilizedlifeoriginatedfrom____
a.SouthEuropeb.NorthAfricac.EastAsiad.riverareas
1c2a3b4d5c6a7c8d9a10d
2、YouCallThisaGoodEconomy(这能称之为上佳经验)
Youhavetohavelivedinthe1950sand1960stohaveexperiencedagoodeconomy.Intheperiodbetween1950and1970itwastherule—ratherthantheexception—thatanordinaryfamily,withouthighereducation,couldsustainitselfdecentlyontheincomeofasinglebreadwinner(养家糊口的人).In1955,whenIwas19andlivinginBrooklyn,N.Y.,myfather,whohadasixth-gradeeducation,maintainedourfamilyoffiveonawageof$82aweekasabookbinder.Mymothertaughtusfairnessandcompassion;myfather,disciplineandenterprise.
TheU.S.economyinthoseyearswasgood.Thenwheredidthisgoodeconomygo?
Itwasinflatedaway.Thepriceofgold,whichItakeasproxyforthepricesofallgoods,was$35anounceinthoseyears.Itisatroughlytentimesthatpricetoday.
Thereisanotheranswer,though:
inflationcausedtheentireworkforcetobemovedintohighertaxgroups,thusreducingafter-taxpurchasingpower.Thatis,myfather’sbinderyjobin1954paid$82aweek,with$80afterdeductions;today,at$820perweekthenetwouldbe$662.
Toordinarypeople,theeconomydoesn’tlookverygoodatall.After-taxincomescontinuetodecreaseinpurchasingpower.Thejobsofferedintheemploymentadspayonlyalittlemorethantheminimumwage,maybe$5anhour,which,afterpayrolldeductions,yields$4anhour.Comparethatwithminimum-wagejobsoftheearly1950s,when75centswasworthtoday’s$beforeandaftertaxes.
Notes
1Brooklyn:
adistrictofNewYorkcity
2inflate:
通货膨胀
3proxy:
theauthoritytoactforanother
4payroll:
alistofemployeesandthewagesduetoeach
ReadingComprehension
Intheauthor’sopinion,agoodeconomy,toordinarypeoplecanbeexpressedintermsof______
theamountofwage
after-taxincome
theactualpurchasingpower
theminimumwageperhour
Intheperiodbetween1950and1970,_______
therewasnotmuchdifferenceinthelivingstandardsbetweenpeopleofhigherandlowereducation
anordinaryfamilyoffivewithoutexceptioncouldliveononepersonincome
theincomeofanordinaryfamilywasmorethanenoughforbuyingfood
foranaveragefamilytheincomewassufficienttosupportallthemembers
Todayabookbinder’swageistentimesthatofthe1950’sbutitsincometaxratehasincreased______
timesc.70timesd.80times
4Theworseningofabookbinder’slivelihoodresultsfrom_____
a.hisloweducationandtheamountofwage
b.thehigh-taxationandtheincomedeductions
c.thehightaxationandcostofliving
d.thelowwageandhigherprices
5Thepassageimpliesthatwhilethecostoflivingisgettinghigher______
a.thevalueoflaboractuallyisshrinking
b.theminimumwagelevelisincreasinglikewise
c.theincometaxrateisrisingalong
d.theemploymentadsnaturallyofferahigherminimumwage
6Theauthor’stoneinwritingthearticleis_____
a.ironicalb.subjectivec.high-soundingd.convincing
7thearticleaimsto_________.
a.helpcontroltherapidlyincreasingprices
b.givesomeadvicetothepolicy-makers
theyoungergenerationwithsomebasicfacts
uponthesocietysattentionagainstinflation
1c2b3d4c5a6d7c
3、AreExpertsAlwaysRight(专家总是对的吗)
Theworldhasbecomesocomplicatedthatwe’velostconfidenceinourabilitytounderstandanddealwithit.Butcommonsenseisusefulnowasiteverwas.Noamountofexpertisesubstitutesforanintimateknowledgeofapersonorasituation.Attimesyoujusthavetotrustyourownjudgement.
Italmostcostmemylifetolearnthat.Iwasreadingabookoneday,idlyscratchingthebackofmyhead,whenInoticedthat,inoneparticularspot,thescratc