英语专业八级（阅读理解）练习试题及答案

As Gilbert White，Darwin ， and others observed long ago， all species appear to have theinnate capacity to increase their numbers from generation to generation. The task forecologistsis to untangle the environmentaand biologicalfactorsthat hold this intrinsiccapacity for population growth in check over the long run. The great variety of dynamicbehaviorsexhibitedby differentpopulationmakes thistaskmore difficult：sompopulations remain roughly constant from year to year; others exhibit regular cycles ofabundance and scarcity; still others vary wildly， with outbreaks and crashes that arein some cases plainly correlated with the weather， and in other cases not.To impose some order on this kaleidoscopeof patterns ， one school of thought proposesdividing populations into two groups. These ecologists posit that the relatively steadypopulations havedensity-dependent growth parameters; that is， rates ofbirth ， death ，and migrationwhich depend strongly on population density. The highly varying populationshave density-independent growth parameters， with vital rates buffeted by environmentalevents ;these rates fluctuate in a way that is wholly independent of population density.This dichotomy has its uses， but it can cause problems if taken too literally. Forone thing ， no population can be driven entirely by density-independent factors all thetime. No matter how severely or unpredictably birth， death ， and migration rates may befluctuatingaround theirlong-termaverages ， ifthere were no density-dependenteffects ，the populationwould ， in the long run ， eitherincrease or decrease without bound (barringa miracle by which gains and losses canceled exactly)。 Put another way， it may be thaton average 99 percent of all deaths in a populationarise from density-independentcauses ，and only one percent from factors varying with density.The factorsmaking up the one percentmay seem unimportant， and their cause may be correspondingly hard to determine. Yet，whether recognized or not， they will usually determine the long-term average populationdensity.In order to understand the nature of theecologist ’s investigation， we may think ofthe density-dependent effectson growth parameters as the signal ecologists are trying toisolateand interpret， one that tends to make the population increase from relativelylowvalues or decrease from relatively high ones， while the density-independent effects actto produce noise in the populationdynamics.For populationsthatremain relativelyconstant ， or that oscillate around repeated cycles， the signal can be fairly easilycharacterized and its effects described， even though the causative biological mechanismmay remain unknown. For irregularly fluctuating populations， we are likely to have toofew observations to have any hope of extracting the signal from the overwhelming noise.But it now seems clear that all populationsare regulatedby a mixture of density-dependentand density-independent effects in varying proportions.

1. The author of the text is primarily concerned with

[A] Discussing two categories of factorsthat controlpopulationgrowth and assessingtheir relative importance.

[B] Describinghow growth ratesin naturalpopulationsfluctuateover time andexplaining why these changes occur.

[C] Proposing a hypothesisconcerning population size and suggesting ways to test it.

[D] Posing a fundamental question about environmentalfactorsin populationgrowth andpresenting some currently accepted answer.

2. It can be inferred from the text that the author considers the dichotomy discussedto be

[A] Applicable only to erratically fluctuating populations.

[B] instrumental， but only if its limitations are recognized.

[C] Dangerously misleading in most circumstances.

[D] A complete and sufficient way to account for observed phenomena.

3.to the text ， allof the followingbehaviors have been exhibitedby differentpopulations EXCEPT

[A] Roughly constant population levels from year to year.

[B] Regular cycles of increases and decreases in numbers.

[C] Erratic increases in numbers correlated with the weather.

[D] Unchecked increases in numbers over many generations.

4. The discussion concerning population in the third paragraph serves primarily to

[A] Demonstrate the difficultiesecologistsface in studying density-dependentfactorslimiting population growth.

[B] Advocate more rigorous study of density-dependent factors in population growth.

[C] Prove that the death rates of any populationare never entirelydensity-independent.

[D] underline the importance of even small density-dependent factors in regulatinglong-term population densities.

5. In the text， the author does all of the following EXCEPT

[A] Cite the views of other biologists.

[B] Define a basic problem that the text addresses.

[C] Present conceptual categories used by other biologists.

[D] Describe the results of a particular study.

Bernard Bailyn has recentlyreinterpretedthe early historyof the United States by applyingnew socialresearchfindingson theexperiencesofEuropean migrants.Inhisreinterpretation,migrationbecomes the organizingprinciplefor rewritingthe historyofpreindustrial North America. His approach rests on four separate propositions.The firstof these asserts that residentsof early modern England moved regularlyabouttheir countryside; migrating to the New World was simply a natural spillover. Although atfirstthe colonies held littlepositiveattractionfor the English D they would rather havestayed home D by the eighteenth century people increasingly migrated to America becausethey regarded it as the land of opportunity. Secondly, Bailyn holds that, contrary to thenotion that used to flourish in America history textbooks, there was never a typical NewWorld community.For example, the economic and demographiccharacterof early New Englandtowns varied considerably.Bailyn's third proposition suggest two general patterns prevailing among the manythousands of migrants:one group came as indenturedservants,another came to acquire land.Surprisingly,Bailyn suggests that those who recruitedindentured servants were the drivingforces of transatlanticmigration.These colonialentrepreneurshelped determine the socialcharacterof people who came to preindustrialNorth America.At first,thousands ofunskilled laborers were recruited; by the 1730's, however, American employers demandedskilled artisans.Finally, Bailyn argues that the colonies were a half-civilized hinterland of theEuropean culture system. He is undoubtedly correct to insist that the colonies were partof an Anglo-American empire. But to divide the empire into English core and colonialperiphery, as Bailyn does, devalues the achievements of colonial culture. It is true, asBailyn claims, that high culture in the colonies never matched that in England. But whatof seventeenth-century New England, where the settlers created effective laws, built adistinguished university, and published books Bailyn might respond that New England wasexceptional. However, the ideas and institutions developed by New England Puritans hadpowerful effects on North American culture.Although Bailyn goes on to apply his approach to some thousands of indenturedservantswho migrated just prior to the revolution, he fails to link their experience with thepolitical development of the United States. Evidence presented in his work suggests howwe might make such a connection. These indentured servants were treated as slaves for theperiod during which they had sold their time to American employers. It is not surprisingthat as soon as they served their time they passed up good wages in the cities and headedwest to ensure theirpersonal independence by acquiringland. Thus, it is in the west thata peculiarly American political culture began, among colonists who were suspicious ofauthority and intensely anti-aristocratic.

1.Which of the followingstatements about migrants to colonialNorth America is supportedby information in the text

[A] A larger percentage of migrants to colonial North America came as indenturedservants than as free agents interested in acquiring land.

[B] Migrants who came to the colonies as indentured servants were more successful atmaking a livelihood than were farmers and artisans.

[C] Migrants to colonialNorth America were more successfulat acquiringtheir own landduring the eighteenth century than during the seventeenth century.

[D] By the 1730's,migrants already skilled in a trade were in more demand by Americanemployers than were unskilled laborers.

2.The author of the text states that Bailyn failed to

[A] Give sufficient emphasis to the cultural and political interdependence of thecolonies and England.

[B] Describe carefully how migrants of different ethnic backgrounds preserved theirculture in the United States.

[C] Take advantage of social research on the experiences of colonists who migrated tocolonial North America specifically to acquire land.

[D] Relate the experience of the migrants to the politicalvalues that eventuallyshapedthe character of the United States.

3.Which of the following best summarizes the author's evaluation of Bailyn's fourthproposition

[A] It is totally implausible.

[B] It is partially acceptable.

[C] It is highly admirable.

[D] It is controversial though persuasive.

4.According to the text,Bailyn and the author agree on which of the followingstatementsabout the culture of colonial New England

[A] High culture in New England never equaled the high culture of England.

[B] The culturalachievements of colonialNew England have generallybeen unrecognizedby historians.

[C] The colonistsimitatedthe high cultureof England ， and did not develop a culturethat was uniquely their own.

[D] The southern colonies were greatly influenced by the high culture of New England.

5.The author of the text would be most likely to agree with which of the followingstatements about Bailyn's work

[A] Bailyn underestimates the effects of Puritan thought on North American culture.

[B] Bailyn overemphasizes the economic dependence of the colonies on Great Britain.

[C] Bailyn'sdescriptionof thecoloniesas part of an Anglo-American empireis misleading and incorrect.

[D] Bailyn failedto test his propositionson a specificgroup of migrants to colonialNorth America.

Roger Rosenblatt ’s book Black Fiction,in attemptingto apply literaryratherthansociopolitical criteria to its subject, successfully alters the approach taken by mostprevious studies. As Rosenblatt notes, criticism of Black writing has often served as apretextfor expounding on Black history.Addison Gayle’s recent work, for example, judgesthe value of Black fiction by overtly political standards, rating each work according tothe notions of Black identity which it propounds.Although fictionassuredly springs from politicalcircumstances ，its authors react tothose circumstances in ways other than ideological, and talking about novels and storiesprimarilyas instrumentsof ideologycircumvents much of the fictional enterprise.Rosenblatt ’s literaryanalysisdisclosesaffinitiesand connections among works of Blackfiction which solely political studies have overlooked or ignored. Writing acceptable criticism ofBlack fiction, however, presupposes giving satisfactory answers to a number of questions.First of all, is there a sufficient reason, other than the facial identity of the authors, to group together works by Black authorsSecond, how does Black fiction make itself distinct from other modern fiction with which it islargely contemporaneous Rosenblatt shows that Black fiction constitutes a distinct bodyof writingthat has an identifiable， coherent literarytradition.Looking at novels writtenby Black over the last eighty years, he discovers recurringconcerns and designs independentof chronology. These structures are thematic, and they spring, not surprisingly, from thecentralfact that the Black charactersin these novels exist in a predominantlywhite culture,whether they try to conform to that culture or rebel against it.Black Fictiondoes leave some aestheticquestions open. Rosenblatt ’s thematic analysispermits considerable objectivity; he even explicitly states that it is not his intentionto judge the merit of the various works D yet his reluctance seems misplaced, especiallysince an attempt to appraise might have led to interesting results. For instance, some ofthe novels appear to be structurallydiffuse.Is this a defect,or are the authors workingout of, or trying to forge, a different kind of aesthetic In addition, the style of someBlack novels, like JeanToomey’s Cane, verges on expressionism or surrealism; does thistechnique provide a counterpointto the prevalenttheme that portrays the fate against whichBlack heroes are pitted,a theme usuallyconveyed by more naturalisticmodes of expressionIn spite of such omissions, what Rosenblatt does include in his discussion makes foran astute and worthwhile study. Black Fiction surveys a wide variety of novels, bringingto our attention in the process some fascinating and little-known works like James WeldonJohnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. Its argument is tightly constructed, andits forthright, lucid style exemplifies levelheaded and penetrating criticism.

1. The author of the text is primarily concerned with __________.

[A] Evaluating the soundness of a work of criticism.[B] Comparing various critical approaches to a subject.

[C] Discussing the limitations of a particular kind of criticism.

[D] Summarizing the major points made in a work of criticism.

2. The author of the text believes that Black Fiction would have been improved hadRosenblatt __________.

[A] Evaluated more carefully the ideological andhistoricalaspects of Black fiction.

[B] Attempted to be more objective in his approach to novels and stories by Blackauthors.

[C] Explorein greaterdetailthe recurrentthematicconcerns of Black fictionthroughout its history.

[D] Assessed the relative literary merit of the novels he analyzes thematically.

3.author ’s discussion of Black Fiction can be best described as __________.

[A] Pedantic and contentious.

[B] Critical but admiring.

[C] Ironic and deprecating.

[D] Argumentative but unfocused.author of the text employs all of the following in the discussion ofRosenblatt ’s

4.book EXCEPT： __________.

[A] Rhetorical questions.

[B] Specific examples.

[C] Comparison and contrast.

[D] Definition of terms.

5. The author of the text refers to James WeldonJohnson’s Autobiography of anEx-Colored Man most probably in order to __________.

[A] point out affinitiesbetween Rosenblatt ’s method of thematic analysis and earliercriticism.

[B] Clarify the point about expressionistic style made earlier in the passage.

[C] Qualify the assessment ofRosenblatt ’s book made in the first paragraph of thepassage.

[D] give a specific example of one of the accomplishments ofRosenblatt ’s work.

The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihoods of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical maneuvers, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed intuition to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise ; and to integrate action into the process of thinking. Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse for capriciousness. Isenberg's recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals that managers' intuition is neither of these. Rather, senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First, they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behavior patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and hands-on experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to synthesize isolated bitsm of data and practice into an integrated picture, often in an Aha! experience. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally leery of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to engender a plausible solution. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns.One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that thinking is inseparable from acting. Since managers often know what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later.Analysis is inextricably tiedto actionin thinking/actingcycles,in which managers develop thoughtsabout theircompanies and organizations not by analyzing aproblematic situation and then acting, butby acting and analyzing in close concert.Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, seniormanagers often instigatea course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They thenuse the results of the action to develop a more complete understanding of the issue. Oneimplicationof thinking/actingcycles is that action is often part of definingthe problem,not just of implementing the solution.

1. According to the text, senior managers use intuition in all of the following ways EXCEPT to

[A] Speed up of the creation of a solution to a problem.

[B] Identify a problem.

[C] Bring together disparate facts.

[D] Stipulate clear goals.

2. The text suggests which of the following about the writers on management mentionedin line 1, paragraph 2

[A] They have criticized managers for not following the classical rational model ofdecision analysis.

[B] They have not based their analyses on a sufficientlylarge sample of actual managers.

[C] They have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than onwhat managers do.

[D] They have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions.

3. It can be inferred from the text that which of the following would most probablybe one major differencein behavior between Manager X, who uses intuitionto reach decisions,and Manager Y, who uses only formal decision analysis

[A] Manager X analyzes first and then acts; Manager Y does not.

[B] Manager X checks possiblesolutions toa problem by systematicanalysis ; ManagerY does not.

[C] Manager X takes action in order to arrive at the solution to a problem; ManagerY does not.

[D] Manager Y draws on years of hands-on experience in creatinga solutionto a problem ;Manager X does not.

4. The text provides support for which of the following statements

[A] Managers who rely on intuition are more successful than those who rely on formaldecision analysis.

[B] Managers cannot justify their intuitive decisions.

[C] Managers'' intuition works contrary to their rational and analytical skills.

[D] Intuitionenables managers to employ theirpracticalexperience more efficiently.

5. Which of the following best describes the organization of the first paragraph of the text

[A] An assertion is made and a specific supporting example is given.

[B] A conventional model is dismissed and an alternative introduced.

[C] The results of recent research are introduced and summarized.

[D] Two opposing points of view are presented and evaluated.

California is a land of variety and contrast. Almost every type of physical land feature ， sort of arctic ice fields and tropical jungles can be found within its borders. Sharply contrasting types of land often lie very close to one another. People living in Bakersfield ， for instance，can visit the Pacific Ocean and the coastal plain ， the fertile San Joaquin Valley ， the arid Mojave Desert ， and the high Sierra Nevada， all within a radius of about 100 miles. In other areas it is possible to go snow skiing in the morning and surfing in the evening of the same day ， without having to travel long distance. Contrast abounds in California. The highest point in the United States (outside Alaska ) is in California ， and so is the lowest point (including Alaska )。 Mount Whitney ， 14，494 feet above sea level，is separated from Death Valley ， 282 feet below sea level，by a distance of only 100 miles. The two areas have a difference in altitude of almost three miles. California has deep ， clear mountain lakes like Lake Tahoe ， the deepest in the country， but it also has shallow， salty desert lakes. It has Lake Tulainyo ， 12，020 feet above sea level， and the lowest lake in the country ， the Salton Sea， 236 feet below sea level. Some of its lakes ， like Owens Lake in Death Valley ， are not lakes at all： they are dried up lake beds. In addition to mountains ，lakes， valleys，deserts， and plateaus，California has its Pacific coastline， stretching longer than the coastlines of Oregon and Washington combined.

1. Which of the following is the lowest point in the United States?

A. Lake Tulainyo B. Mojave desert C. Death Valley D. The Salton Sea

2. Where is the highest point in the United States located ?

A. Lake Tahoe.

B. Sierra Nevada. C. Mount Whitney.

D. Alaska.

3. How far away is Death Valley from Mount Whitney?

A. About 3 miles.

D. 14，494 feet.

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as being within a radius ofabout 100 miles of Bakersfield ?

A. The Pacific Ocean.

B. San Joaquin Valley.

C. Mojave Desert.

D. Oregon andWashington.

5. Which statement best demonstrates that California is a land of variety and contrast ?

A. The highest lake in California is Lake Tulainyo.

B. It is possible to go surfing and snow skiing in some parts of California without having totravel long distance.

C. Sierra Nevada， San Joaquin Valley， Mojave Desert and the Pacific Ocean all lie withina radius of about 100 miles.

D. Owens Lake ， in Death Valley ， is not really a lake at all.

The tourist trade is booming. With all this coming and going ， you'd expect greater understanding o develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it ! Superb systems of communication by air， sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other's countries at a moderate cost. What was once the 'grand tour' ， reserved for only the very rich ， is now within everybody's grasp ?

The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which the lords and ladies on grand tours in the old days couldn't have dreamed of. But what's the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other?

Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a cosseted， sheltered life. He lives at international hotels ， where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes at the natives from a distance. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own ; and anyway， language is always a barrier， so he is only too happy to be protected in this way. At its very worst ， this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization.

The summer quarters of the inhabitants of the cite universitaire ： are temporarily reestablished on the island of Corfu. Blackpool is recreated at Torremolinos where the traveler goes not to eat paella， but fish and chips. The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of national stereotypes. We don't see the people of other nations as they really are， but as we have been brought up to believe they are. You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities ， say， French， German， English， American and Italian. Now in your mind， match them with these five adjectives ： musical， amorous， cold， pedantic， native. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned ， these adjectives actually act as barriers. So when you set out on your travels， the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your preconceptions. You come away with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that ， say，'Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites' of that 'Latin peoples shout a lot'. You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you ? Carried to an extreme， stereotypes can be positively dangerous. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact 〞how trite it sounds ! 每 That all people are human. We are all similar to each other and at the same time all unique.

1. The best title for this passage is

[A] Tourism contributes nothing to increasing understanding between nations.

[B] Tourism is tiresome.

[C] Conducted tour is dull.

[D] Tourism really does something to one's country.

2. What is the author's attitude toward tourism ?

[A] apprehensive. [B]negative. [C] critical. [D] appreciative.

3. Which word in the following is the best to summarize Latin people shout a lot?

[A] silent. [B] noisy. [C] lively. [D] active.

4. The purpose of the author's criticism is to point out

[A] conducted tour is disappointing.

[B]the way of touring should be changed.

[C] when traveling ， you notice characteristics which confirm preconception.

[D] national stereotypes should be changed.

5. What is 'grand tour' now ?

[A] moderate cost.

[B]local sight-seeing is investigated by the tourist organization.

[C] people enjoy the first-rate comforts.

[D] everybody can enjoy the 'grand tour'

In some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are countries where the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there are countries where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us. The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and herder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums and ghettos, at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law. Before we can even begin to contemplate peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous barrister who painstakingly explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the barrister replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.

1. What is the best title for this passage?

[A] Advocating Violence.

[B] Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice.

[C] Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

[D] The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

2. Recorded history has taught us

[A] violence never solves anything. [B] nothing. [C] the bloodshed means nothing. [D]everything.

3. It can be inferred that truly reasonable men

[A] can't get a hearing.

[B] are looked down upon.

[C] are persecuted.

[D] Have difficulty in

advocating law enforcement.

4. "He was none the wiser" means

[A] he was not at all wise in listening.

[B] He was not at all wiser than nothing before.

[C] He gains nothing after listening.

[D] He makes no sense of the argument.

5. According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

[A] law enforcement. [B] knowledge. [C] nonviolence. [D] Mopping up the violent mess.