2018年学位英语考试词汇语法基础练习及答案(8)_第2页

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　　It was not much fun to travel on one of the old sailing ships. Life was hard for both passengers and crew. 17th century sailing ships were small and rolled heavily in rough seas, so most of the passengers were seasick.

　　There were no toilets, and the spaces below deck where passengers had to stay during gales were often not more than 5 foot high. Water was scarce and the little water they got was brown and smelt terrible.

　　Food was a problem, too there was only salted meat, ship' s biscuits and cheese, but the cheese was so hard that sailors often made buttons out of it for their jackets and trousers. There were no vegetables or fruit, so the people on board often fell ill.

　　The sailors, however, were a bit better off than the passengers. They each had a bottle of beer a day, and they needed. The work they had to do was hard and dangerous. Courage was needed, for the heavy sails had to be set and taken down in all kinds of weather, and quite often sailors were swept overboard in a gale. Almost the worst thing about the voyages was the time they took up to 70 days for the journey across the Atlantic. Not surprisingly, everybody was overjoyed when they at last approached land and stepped ashore. But some ships never arrived.

　　11.In the 17th century__________.

　　A.life on old sailing ships was enjoyable

　　B.people enjoyed sailing old ships in rough seas

　　C.most of the passengers felt comfortable when the ship was rolling

　　D.it was very painful for both passengers and crew during the voyage

　　答案：D

　　12.The passengers __________ when the ship was heavily rolling.

　　A.slept well

　　B.could drink a lot of water

　　C.had to stay below deck

　　D.had a big room of more than 5 foot high

　　答案：C

　　13. hich of the following statements is true about food?

　　A.Passengers had a lot of vegetables, but no fruit.

　　B.The sailors had four tins of beer a day.

　　C.The people on the ship often fell ill because of the lack of food.

　　D.The food for the passengers was more and better than that for the crew.

　　答案：C

　　14.The working condition of the sailors was very hard.__________.

　　A.They often had to set the sails in bad weather

　　B.So they had less courage

　　C.They were happy to be swept overboard in a strong wind

　　D.A 70-day-journey across the Atlantic was their happiest thing

　　答案：A

　　15.When the people saw the land,__________.

　　A.only passengers were glad

　　B.the sailors had to swim ashore

　　C.they were surprised at the news that some ships never arrived

　　D.all of them were excited

　　答案：D

　　No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA. There are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 155 in Japan, 164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain. The quality of some American papers is extremely high and their views are quoted all over the world. Distinguished dailies like the Washington Post or the New Fork Times have a powerful influence all over the country.

　　However, the Post and the Times are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain or LeMonde is in France, since each American city has its own daily newspaper. The best of these present detailed accounts of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or cite news.

　　Like the press in most other countries, American newspapers range from the "sensational", which feature crime, sex and rumor, to the serious, which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. But with few exceptions American newspapers try to entertain as well as give in-formation, for they have to compete with television.

　　Just as American newspapers give way to all tastes, so do they also try and apply to readers for all political persuasions. A few newspapers support extremist groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers attempt to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are essentially moderate. Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture.

　　As in other democratic countries American newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once bravely uncovered political scandals (丑闻) or crimes, for instance, the Watergate Affair. The newspapers drew the attention of the public to the fears of the Vietnam War.

　　16.There are fewer national newspapers in__________.

　　A.Britain than in the USA

　　B.France than in Britain

　　C.the USA than in Britain or France

　　D.France than in the USA or Britain

　　答案：C

　　17.Most American newspapers try to entertain their readers because__________.

　　A.they have to keep up a good relation with them

　　B.they have to compete with television

　　C.they have to write about crime, sex and rumor

　　D.they have to give factual news in an interesting way

　　答案：B

　　18.Many American newspapers attract readers of different political tendency by__________.

　　A.supporting extremist groups from time to time

　　B.inviting middle-of-the-road Americans to write articles for them

　　C.avoiding carrying articles about extremists

　　D.printing articles representing different political viewpoints

　　答案：D

　　19.In this passage, the word "press" (Para. 2) means__________.

　　A.a machine for printing

　　B.the business of printing

　　C.great force

　　D.newspapers

　　答案：D

　　20.The passage is mainly about__________.

　　A.the characteristics of American newspapers

　　B.the development of American newspapers

　　C.the functions of American newspapers

　　D.the merits and shortcomings of American newspapers

　　答案：A

　　The top of the world is a wonderland. In winter, the temperature often falls to -30~F and the sun never rises. The ocean is surrounded by frozen ground. There are few people or trees, but to polar bears, the Arctic(北极) is home.

　　Polar bears have thick fur, big paws and other features that make them well prepared for life in their tough environment. In fact, they need the Arctic sea ice for survival. But climate change is causing larger and larger areas of summer sea ice to melt( 融化). Experts say that if warming pat-terns continue, the Arctic could be free of summer sea ice by 2050, That may cause two-thirds of the word' s 20,000 polar bears to be gone by then too.

　　Polar bears can' t survive for long on land. Seals are their main source of food. The only place where polar bears can hunt seals is on the ice. Although these bears are strong swimmers, they are no match for lightning swift seals in the water. A polar bear has brilliantly clever strategies to overcome this disadvantage. In winter the bear waits motionless beside a seal' s breathing hole, which is a narrow tunnel through the ice. Often many hours pass before the seal comes up for air and the bear kills it with a powerful blow of its paw. In summer, the polar bears that live on land eat very little and wait for the sea ice to return.

　　With the sea ice forming later in the year and melting earlier, polar bears do not have enough opportunity to hunt and eat. Less sea ice makes it harder for the bears to catch the seals. The bears must swim longer distances between ice packs( 大片浮冰), and they can' t always make it. The ice is also getting thinner. These conditions can cause polar-bear cubs to become separated from their mothers, who provide them with food.

　　Steven Amstrup is the chief scientist of Polar Bear International. The group aims to save the bears and their home. "The more people who see polar bears and understand their difficult situations, the better the chance we' 11 alter our warming path in time to save them," he says.

　　21.Which is the best title for the passage?

　　A.Climate Change in the Arctic

　　B.How to Protect the Environment

　　C.The Arctic Is Home to Polar Bears

　　D.Polar Bears in Danger

　　答案：D

　　22.Where do polar bears usually hunt seals?

　　A.On land.

　　B.In open water.

　　C.In. openings in the sea ice.

　　D.At the bottom of the sea.

　　答案：C

　　23.The word "cubs" in the fourth paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.

　　A.adults

　　B.babies

　　C.hunters

　　D.enemies

　　答案：B

　　24.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

　　A.Starving polar bears are increasingly coming into villages, where they may be killed either for food or safety.

　　B.Polar bears can spend their entire lives on land if the sea ice melts completely.

　　C.Two-thirds of the world' s polar bears may disappear by 2050 as global warming continues.

　　D.The growing distance between ice packs is not a problem for polar bears, because they are excellent swimmers.

　　答案：C

　　25.What' s the mission of Polar Bears International?

　　A.Saving energy.

　　B.Conducting scientific research.

　　C.Seeking international cooperation.

　　D.Saving polar bears and their home.

　　答案：D