2008年Text 2
It used to be so straightforward. A team of researchers working together in the laboratory would submit the results of their research to a journal. A journal editor would then remove the authors’ names and affiliations from the paper and send it to their peers for review. Depending on the comments received, the editor would accept the paper for publication or decline it. Copyright rested with the journal publisher, and researchers seeking knowledge of the results would have to subscribe to the journal.
No longer. The Internet-and pressure from funding agencies, who are questioning why commercial publishers are making money from government-funded research by restricting access to it- is making access to scientific results a reality. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has just issued a report describing the far-reaching consequences of this. The report, by John Houghton of Victoria University in Australia and Graham Vickery of the OECD, makes heavy reading for publishers who have, so far, made handsome profits. But it goes further than that. It signals a change in what has, until now, been a key element of scientific endeavor.
The value of knowledge and the return on the public investment in research depends, in part, upon wide distribution and ready access. It is big business. In America, the core scientific publishing market is estimated at between $7 billion and $11 billion. The International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers says that there are more than 2,000 publishers worldwide specializing in these subjects. They publish more than 1.2 million articles each year in some 16,000 journals.
This is now changing. According to the OECD report, some 75% of scholarly journals are now online. Entirely new business models are emerging; three main institutional subscribers pay for access to a collection of online journal titles through site-licensing agreements. There is open-access publishing, typically supported by asking the author (or his employer) to pay for the paper to be published. Finally, there are open-access archives, where organizations such as universities or international laboratories support institutional repositories. Other models exist that are hybrids of these three, such as delayed open-access, where journals allow only subscribers to read a paper for the first six months, before making it freely available to everyone who wishes to see it. All this could change the traditional form of the peer-review process, at least for the publication of papers.
26. In the first paragraph, the author discusses
[A] the background information of journal editing.
[B] the publication routine of laboratory reports.
[C] the relations of authors with journal publishers.
[D] the traditional process of journal publication.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章第一段。該段指出，"A journal editor would then remove the authors’ names and affiliations from the paper and send it to their peers for review. Depending on the comments received, the editor would accept the paper for publication or decline it"(這家刊物的編輯會抹去文章的作者和所在機構(gòu)，然后把文章寄給這些研究人員的同行們進行審閱。編輯會根據(jù)得到的審閱評論而決定是否發(fā)表這篇文章)。很明顯，此段講述的是實驗室報告的出版程序。選項A刊物編輯的背景信息、選項C作者與出版商的關(guān)系、以及選項D刊物出版的傳統(tǒng)流程等選項都未能準確概括本段的含義，考試大祝大家牛年牛氣沖天。
[題目譯文]
在文章第一段中，作者討論了
[A] 期刊編輯的背景信息
[B] 實驗報告的出版程序
[C] 作者們與期刊出版商的關(guān)系
[D] 期刊出版的傳統(tǒng)流程
27. Which of the following is true of the OECD report?
[A] It criticizes government-funded research.
[B] It introduces an effective means of publication.
[C] It upsets profit-making journal publishers.
[D] It benefits scientific research considerably.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
本題的對應信息在文章的第二段。該段第二句話指出"The Internet-and pressure from funding agencies, who are questioning why commercial publishers are making money from government-funded research by restricting access to it- is making access to scientific results a reality"(網(wǎng)絡--那些提供資金的機構(gòu)也在施壓，他們質(zhì)疑為什么商業(yè)運作的刊物能夠通過限制政府投資的研究得到其資源而賺錢--使得閱讀科學研究的成果變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實)，而下一句話指出OECD的報告正是關(guān)于這個內(nèi)容的，因此A選項不符合原文的意思，因為批評的不是政府資助的研究，而是那些期刊。B也選項與原文不符，可以排除。D選項提高的內(nèi)容與該報告無關(guān)。C選項則對應于該段第四句話"makes heavy reading for publishers who have, so far, made handsome profits"(其內(nèi)容使得那些到目前為止利潤豐厚的出版商們都非常汗顏)，因此可見正確答案為C選項。
[題目譯文]
下面的哪一項正確地描述了OECD的報告?
[A] 該報告批評了政府資助的研究。
[B] 該報告介紹了一種有效的出版方式。
[C] 該報告讓以盈利為目的的刊物出版商們感到擔憂。
[D] 該報告在很大程度上使得科學研究獲益。
29. With the open-access publishing model, the author of a paper is required to
[A] cover the cost of its publication.
[B] subscribe to the journal publishing it.
[C] allow other online journals to use it freely.
[D] complete the peer-review before submission.
[答案] A
[解題思路]
本題對應于最后一段的第三句話"There is open-access publishing, typically supported by asking the author (or his employer) to pay for the paper to be published"(第二種是開放式出版模型，這種方式的典型特點就是要求作者(或其雇主)付錢發(fā)表文章)，很顯然A選項是正確答案。其他三個選項都與對應信息無關(guān)。
[題目譯文]
在開放式出版模型下，論文作者們被要求
[A] 支付出版的成本
[B] 訂購出版該文章的期刊
[C] 允許其他期刊免費使用其論文
[D] 在提交之前完成文章的同事評審 2008年Text 3
In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames.
The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today’s people- especially those born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations- apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren’t likely to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we’ve pretty much gone as far as we can go," says anthropologist William Cameron Chumlea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world.
Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients - notably, protein - to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height- 5′9〞 for men, 5′4〞for women- hasn’t really changed since 1960.
Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs. "There are some real constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism," says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University.
Genetic maximums can change, but don’t expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass., ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, "you could use today’s data and feel fairly confident."
31. Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to
[A] illustrate the change of height of NBA players.
[B] show the popularity of NBA players in the U.S..
[C] compare different generations of NBA players.
[D] assess the achievements of famous NBA players.
[答案] A
[解題思路]
文章第一段主要談論了美國NBA運動員的身高在變高的趨勢，該段最后一句話指出"The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames"(近幾年那些身體狀況起到主要作用的職業(yè)運動都經(jīng)歷了巨大的變化，這些運動的經(jīng)理人們都非常樂意重新裁制隊服以適應球員們更高、更大的身材)，顯然正確答案為A。B和D選項與該段內(nèi)容無關(guān)，而C選項的表述目的正是為了說明A，因此C選項也可以排除。
[題目譯文]
Wilt Chamberlain的例子用來
[A] 說明NBA球員的身高變化
[B] 說明NBA球員在美國很受歡迎
[C] 比較不同年代的NBA球員
[D] 評估NBA球員的成就
32. Which of the following plays a key role in body growth according to the text?
[A] Genetic modification.
[B] Natural environment.
[C] Living standards.
[D] Daily exercise.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章第三段，該段第二、三句話指出"At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height"(在20世紀初的時候，營養(yǎng)不良和兒童疾病影響了人們身體的長高。但是隨著飲食和健康狀況的改進，兒童和青少年比20年前平均長高了約一個半英寸，這就是眾所周知的身高世俗趨勢)，可見最重要的因素還是生活水平，因此正確答案為C。B和D選項在原文中沒有提及，A選項與文章最后一段的第一句話"Genetic maximums can change, but don’t expect this to happen soon"(基因的值可以改變，但是不要期望它們會很快地改變)意思相反，也可以排除。
[題目譯文]
根據(jù)文章，下面哪一項是身體長高的關(guān)鍵因素?
[A] 基因改變
[B] 自然環(huán)境
[C] 生活水平
[D] 日常鍛煉
33. On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree?
[A] Non-Americans add to the average height of the nation.
[B] Human height is conditioned by the upright posture.
[C] Americans are the tallest on average in the world.
[D] Larger babies tend to become taller in adulthood.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題可以采取排除法。A選項的內(nèi)容在原文中沒有涉及，文章第二段只是談到移民家庭的身高達到了極限，因此A選項可以首先排除。C選項也是明顯錯誤的，因為文章只是關(guān)注美國人的身高問題，沒有將其與全世界作比較。D選項關(guān)于"large babies"在文章第四段中有所涉及，但是文章只是談到個子大的孩子通過產(chǎn)道順利出生的困難更大，至于成人以后的情況文章并沒有提到。而B選項對應于文章第四段的第三句話"Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs"(此外，盡管人類直立行走已達百萬年之久，我們的腳和背總是很費勁地保持兩足姿勢、而且很難抵擋過大的身材帶來的巨大壓力)。因此B為正確選項。
[題目譯文]
作者會同意下面哪一項說法的觀點?
[A] 非美國人的加入使得該國人口的平均身高變高
[B] 人類身高受到直立姿勢的影響
[C] 美國人的平均身高在世界上是的
[D] 個子大的嬰兒往往成人后也比其他人更高 2008年Text 4
In 1784, five years before he became president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw- having extracted them from the months of his slaves.
That’s far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation’s early leaders and the fragile nature of the country’s infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong and yet most did little to fight it.
More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create.
For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was "like having a large bank account," says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the "peculiar institution," including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.
And the statesmen’s political lives depended on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.
Still, Jefferson freed Hemings’s children- though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier, such an act would have required legislative approval in Virginia.
36. George Washington’s dental surgery is mentioned to
[A] show the primitive medical practice in the past.
[B] demonstrate the cruelty of slavery in his days.
[C] stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history.
[D] reveal some unknown aspect of his life.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
文章第一段是關(guān)于華盛頓換牙的例子，文章第二段隨即指出"That’s far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation"(相比人們在歷史書本中學到的那個坎櫻桃樹的喬治，這是一個截然不同的形象。但是近來很多歷史學家都開始關(guān)注奴隸制在美國開國的那一代人中所扮演的角色)，因此顯然只有C選項符合原文。A、B選項可以比較容易地排除，而D選項具有一定的干擾性。這句話是對第二段第一句話的表面理解，但是不如C選項更加具體和有針對性。
[題目譯文]
喬治·華盛頓的牙科手術(shù)用來
[A] 說明過去的落后醫(yī)術(shù)
[B] 說明在他的時候奴隸制的殘酷
[C] 強調(diào)奴隸在美國歷史中所扮演的角色
[D] 揭示他不為人知的一面
40. Washington’s decision to free slaves originated from his
[A] moral considerations.
[B] military experience.
[C] financial conditions.
[D] political stand.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章最后一段第二句話指出"Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will"(華盛頓在目睹了黑人們在革命戰(zhàn)爭中的勇敢之后，開始相信所有人生來都是平等的，于是他不顧親戚的反對，堅持給予他的所有奴隸自由)，很顯然正確答案是B。
[題目譯文]
華盛頓解放其奴隸的決定源自他的
[A] 道德考慮
[B] 軍事經(jīng)歷
[C] 財政狀況
[D] 政治立場
It used to be so straightforward. A team of researchers working together in the laboratory would submit the results of their research to a journal. A journal editor would then remove the authors’ names and affiliations from the paper and send it to their peers for review. Depending on the comments received, the editor would accept the paper for publication or decline it. Copyright rested with the journal publisher, and researchers seeking knowledge of the results would have to subscribe to the journal.
No longer. The Internet-and pressure from funding agencies, who are questioning why commercial publishers are making money from government-funded research by restricting access to it- is making access to scientific results a reality. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has just issued a report describing the far-reaching consequences of this. The report, by John Houghton of Victoria University in Australia and Graham Vickery of the OECD, makes heavy reading for publishers who have, so far, made handsome profits. But it goes further than that. It signals a change in what has, until now, been a key element of scientific endeavor.
The value of knowledge and the return on the public investment in research depends, in part, upon wide distribution and ready access. It is big business. In America, the core scientific publishing market is estimated at between $7 billion and $11 billion. The International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers says that there are more than 2,000 publishers worldwide specializing in these subjects. They publish more than 1.2 million articles each year in some 16,000 journals.
This is now changing. According to the OECD report, some 75% of scholarly journals are now online. Entirely new business models are emerging; three main institutional subscribers pay for access to a collection of online journal titles through site-licensing agreements. There is open-access publishing, typically supported by asking the author (or his employer) to pay for the paper to be published. Finally, there are open-access archives, where organizations such as universities or international laboratories support institutional repositories. Other models exist that are hybrids of these three, such as delayed open-access, where journals allow only subscribers to read a paper for the first six months, before making it freely available to everyone who wishes to see it. All this could change the traditional form of the peer-review process, at least for the publication of papers.
26. In the first paragraph, the author discusses
[A] the background information of journal editing.
[B] the publication routine of laboratory reports.
[C] the relations of authors with journal publishers.
[D] the traditional process of journal publication.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章第一段。該段指出，"A journal editor would then remove the authors’ names and affiliations from the paper and send it to their peers for review. Depending on the comments received, the editor would accept the paper for publication or decline it"(這家刊物的編輯會抹去文章的作者和所在機構(gòu)，然后把文章寄給這些研究人員的同行們進行審閱。編輯會根據(jù)得到的審閱評論而決定是否發(fā)表這篇文章)。很明顯，此段講述的是實驗室報告的出版程序。選項A刊物編輯的背景信息、選項C作者與出版商的關(guān)系、以及選項D刊物出版的傳統(tǒng)流程等選項都未能準確概括本段的含義，考試大祝大家牛年牛氣沖天。
[題目譯文]
在文章第一段中，作者討論了
[A] 期刊編輯的背景信息
[B] 實驗報告的出版程序
[C] 作者們與期刊出版商的關(guān)系
[D] 期刊出版的傳統(tǒng)流程
27. Which of the following is true of the OECD report?
[A] It criticizes government-funded research.
[B] It introduces an effective means of publication.
[C] It upsets profit-making journal publishers.
[D] It benefits scientific research considerably.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
本題的對應信息在文章的第二段。該段第二句話指出"The Internet-and pressure from funding agencies, who are questioning why commercial publishers are making money from government-funded research by restricting access to it- is making access to scientific results a reality"(網(wǎng)絡--那些提供資金的機構(gòu)也在施壓，他們質(zhì)疑為什么商業(yè)運作的刊物能夠通過限制政府投資的研究得到其資源而賺錢--使得閱讀科學研究的成果變?yōu)楝F(xiàn)實)，而下一句話指出OECD的報告正是關(guān)于這個內(nèi)容的，因此A選項不符合原文的意思，因為批評的不是政府資助的研究，而是那些期刊。B也選項與原文不符，可以排除。D選項提高的內(nèi)容與該報告無關(guān)。C選項則對應于該段第四句話"makes heavy reading for publishers who have, so far, made handsome profits"(其內(nèi)容使得那些到目前為止利潤豐厚的出版商們都非常汗顏)，因此可見正確答案為C選項。
[題目譯文]
下面的哪一項正確地描述了OECD的報告?
[A] 該報告批評了政府資助的研究。
[B] 該報告介紹了一種有效的出版方式。
[C] 該報告讓以盈利為目的的刊物出版商們感到擔憂。
[D] 該報告在很大程度上使得科學研究獲益。
29. With the open-access publishing model, the author of a paper is required to
[A] cover the cost of its publication.
[B] subscribe to the journal publishing it.
[C] allow other online journals to use it freely.
[D] complete the peer-review before submission.
[答案] A
[解題思路]
本題對應于最后一段的第三句話"There is open-access publishing, typically supported by asking the author (or his employer) to pay for the paper to be published"(第二種是開放式出版模型，這種方式的典型特點就是要求作者(或其雇主)付錢發(fā)表文章)，很顯然A選項是正確答案。其他三個選項都與對應信息無關(guān)。
[題目譯文]
在開放式出版模型下，論文作者們被要求
[A] 支付出版的成本
[B] 訂購出版該文章的期刊
[C] 允許其他期刊免費使用其論文
[D] 在提交之前完成文章的同事評審 2008年Text 3
In the early 1960s Wilt Chamberlain was one of only three players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) listed at over seven feet. If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42. The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames.
The trend in sports, though, may be obscuring an unrecognized reality: Americans have generally stopped growing. Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today’s people- especially those born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations- apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s. And they aren’t likely to get any taller. "In the general population today, at this genetic, environmental level, we’ve pretty much gone as far as we can go," says anthropologist William Cameron Chumlea of Wright State University. In the case of NBA players, their increase in height appears to result from the increasingly common practice of recruiting players from all over the world.
Growth, which rarely continues beyond the age of 20, demands calories and nutrients - notably, protein - to feed expanding tissues. At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height. Yet according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, average height- 5′9〞 for men, 5′4〞for women- hasn’t really changed since 1960.
Genetically speaking, there are advantages to avoiding substantial height. During childbirth, larger babies have more difficulty passing through the birth canal. Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs. "There are some real constraints that are set by the genetic architecture of the individual organism," says anthropologist William Leonard of Northwestern University.
Genetic maximums can change, but don’t expect this to happen soon. Claire C. Gordon, senior anthropologist at the Army Research Center in Natick, Mass., ensures that 90 percent of the uniforms and workstations fit recruits without alteration. She says that, unlike those for basketball, the length of military uniforms has not changed for some time. And if you need to predict human height in the near future to design a piece of equipment, Gordon says that by and large, "you could use today’s data and feel fairly confident."
31. Wilt Chamberlain is cited as an example to
[A] illustrate the change of height of NBA players.
[B] show the popularity of NBA players in the U.S..
[C] compare different generations of NBA players.
[D] assess the achievements of famous NBA players.
[答案] A
[解題思路]
文章第一段主要談論了美國NBA運動員的身高在變高的趨勢，該段最后一句話指出"The bodies playing major professional sports have changed dramatically over the years, and managers have been more than willing to adjust team uniforms to fit the growing numbers of bigger, longer frames"(近幾年那些身體狀況起到主要作用的職業(yè)運動都經(jīng)歷了巨大的變化，這些運動的經(jīng)理人們都非常樂意重新裁制隊服以適應球員們更高、更大的身材)，顯然正確答案為A。B和D選項與該段內(nèi)容無關(guān)，而C選項的表述目的正是為了說明A，因此C選項也可以排除。
[題目譯文]
Wilt Chamberlain的例子用來
[A] 說明NBA球員的身高變化
[B] 說明NBA球員在美國很受歡迎
[C] 比較不同年代的NBA球員
[D] 評估NBA球員的成就
32. Which of the following plays a key role in body growth according to the text?
[A] Genetic modification.
[B] Natural environment.
[C] Living standards.
[D] Daily exercise.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章第三段，該段第二、三句話指出"At the start of the 20th century, under-nutrition and childhood infections got in the way. But as diet and health improved, children and adolescents have, on average, increased in height by about an inch and a half every 20 years, a pattern known as the secular trend in height"(在20世紀初的時候，營養(yǎng)不良和兒童疾病影響了人們身體的長高。但是隨著飲食和健康狀況的改進，兒童和青少年比20年前平均長高了約一個半英寸，這就是眾所周知的身高世俗趨勢)，可見最重要的因素還是生活水平，因此正確答案為C。B和D選項在原文中沒有提及，A選項與文章最后一段的第一句話"Genetic maximums can change, but don’t expect this to happen soon"(基因的值可以改變，但是不要期望它們會很快地改變)意思相反，也可以排除。
[題目譯文]
根據(jù)文章，下面哪一項是身體長高的關(guān)鍵因素?
[A] 基因改變
[B] 自然環(huán)境
[C] 生活水平
[D] 日常鍛煉
33. On which of the following statements would the author most probably agree?
[A] Non-Americans add to the average height of the nation.
[B] Human height is conditioned by the upright posture.
[C] Americans are the tallest on average in the world.
[D] Larger babies tend to become taller in adulthood.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題可以采取排除法。A選項的內(nèi)容在原文中沒有涉及，文章第二段只是談到移民家庭的身高達到了極限，因此A選項可以首先排除。C選項也是明顯錯誤的，因為文章只是關(guān)注美國人的身高問題，沒有將其與全世界作比較。D選項關(guān)于"large babies"在文章第四段中有所涉及，但是文章只是談到個子大的孩子通過產(chǎn)道順利出生的困難更大，至于成人以后的情況文章并沒有提到。而B選項對應于文章第四段的第三句話"Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs"(此外，盡管人類直立行走已達百萬年之久，我們的腳和背總是很費勁地保持兩足姿勢、而且很難抵擋過大的身材帶來的巨大壓力)。因此B為正確選項。
[題目譯文]
作者會同意下面哪一項說法的觀點?
[A] 非美國人的加入使得該國人口的平均身高變高
[B] 人類身高受到直立姿勢的影響
[C] 美國人的平均身高在世界上是的
[D] 個子大的嬰兒往往成人后也比其他人更高 2008年Text 4
In 1784, five years before he became president of the United States, George Washington, 52, was nearly toothless. So he hired a dentist to transplant nine teeth into his jaw- having extracted them from the months of his slaves.
That’s far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation. They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings. And only over the past 30 years have scholars examined history from the bottom up. Works of several historians reveal the moral compromises made by the nation’s early leaders and the fragile nature of the country’s infancy. More significantly, they argue that many of the Founding Fathers knew slavery was wrong and yet most did little to fight it.
More than anything, the historians say, the founders were hampered by the culture of their time. While Washington and Jefferson privately expressed distaste for slavery, they also understood that it was part of the political and economic bedrock of the country they helped to create.
For one thing, the South could not afford to part with its slaves. Owning slaves was "like having a large bank account," says Wiencek, author of An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America. The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the "peculiar institution," including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.
And the statesmen’s political lives depended on slavery. The three-fifths formula handed Jefferson his narrow victory in the presidential election of 1800 by inflating the votes of the southern states in the Electoral College. Once in office, Jefferson extended slavery with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803; the new land was carved into 13 states, including three slave states.
Still, Jefferson freed Hemings’s children- though not Hemings herself or his approximately 150 other slaves. Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will. Only a decade earlier, such an act would have required legislative approval in Virginia.
36. George Washington’s dental surgery is mentioned to
[A] show the primitive medical practice in the past.
[B] demonstrate the cruelty of slavery in his days.
[C] stress the role of slaves in the U.S. history.
[D] reveal some unknown aspect of his life.
[答案] C
[解題思路]
文章第一段是關(guān)于華盛頓換牙的例子，文章第二段隨即指出"That’s far different image from the cherry-tree-chopping George most people remember from their history books. But recently, many historians have begun to focus on the roles slavery played in the lives of the founding generation"(相比人們在歷史書本中學到的那個坎櫻桃樹的喬治，這是一個截然不同的形象。但是近來很多歷史學家都開始關(guān)注奴隸制在美國開國的那一代人中所扮演的角色)，因此顯然只有C選項符合原文。A、B選項可以比較容易地排除，而D選項具有一定的干擾性。這句話是對第二段第一句話的表面理解，但是不如C選項更加具體和有針對性。
[題目譯文]
喬治·華盛頓的牙科手術(shù)用來
[A] 說明過去的落后醫(yī)術(shù)
[B] 說明在他的時候奴隸制的殘酷
[C] 強調(diào)奴隸在美國歷史中所扮演的角色
[D] 揭示他不為人知的一面
40. Washington’s decision to free slaves originated from his
[A] moral considerations.
[B] military experience.
[C] financial conditions.
[D] political stand.
[答案] B
[解題思路]
本題對應于文章最后一段第二句話指出"Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will"(華盛頓在目睹了黑人們在革命戰(zhàn)爭中的勇敢之后，開始相信所有人生來都是平等的，于是他不顧親戚的反對，堅持給予他的所有奴隸自由)，很顯然正確答案是B。
[題目譯文]
華盛頓解放其奴隸的決定源自他的
[A] 道德考慮
[B] 軍事經(jīng)歷
[C] 財政狀況
[D] 政治立場