2016年大学英语六级试题强化模拟测试卷(五)

　　Part Ⅱ

　　Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)

　　Directions: There are 4 passages it this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage:

　　Chemistry did not emerge as a science until after the scientific revolution in the seventeenth century and then only rather slowly and laboriously. But chemical knowledge is as old as history, being almost entirely concerned with the practical arts of living. Cooking is essentially a chemical process; so is the melting of metals and the administration of drugs and potions. This basic chemical knowledge, which was applied in most cases as a rule of thumb, was nevertheless dependent on previous experiment. It also served to stimulate a fundamental curiosity about the processes themselves. New information was always being gained as artisans improved techniques to gain better results.

　　The development of a scientific approach to chemistry was, however, hampered by several factors. The most serious problem was the vast range of material available and the consequent difficulty of organizing it into some system. In addition, there were social and intellectual difficulties, chemistry is nothing if not practical; those who practice it must use their hands, they must have a certain practical flair. Yet in many ancient civilizations, practical tasks were primarily the province of a slave population. The thinker or philosopher stood apart from this mundane world, where the practical arts appeared to lack any intellectual content or interest.

　　The final problem for early chemical science was the element of secrecy. Experts in specific trades had developed their own techniques and guarded their knowledge to prevent others from stealing their livelihood. Another factor that contributed to secrecy was the esoteric nature of the knowledge of alchemists, who were trying to transform base metals into gold or were concerned with the hunt for the elixir that would bestow the blessing of eternal life. In one sense, the second of these was the more serious impediment because the records of the chemical processes that early alchemists had discovered were often written down in symbolic language intelligible to very few or in symbols that were purposely obscure.

　　21. What is the passage mainly about?

　　A) The scientific revolution in the seventeenth century.

　　B) Reasons that chemistry developed slowly as a science.

　　C) The practical aspects of chemistry.

　　D) Difficulties of organizing knowledge systematically.

　　22. According to the passage, how did knowledge about chemical processes increase before the seventeenth century?

　　A) Philosophers devised theories about chemical properties.

　　B) A special symbolic language was developed.

　　C) Experience led workers to revise their techniques.

　　D) Experts shared their discoveries with the public.

　　23. The bold word "hampered" in Line 1 Para 2 is closest in meaning to____.

　　A) recognized B) determined

　　C) solved D) hindered

　　24. The bold word "it" refers to which of the following?

　　A) Problem. B) Material.

　　C) Difficulty. D) System.

　　25. Which of the following statements best explains why "the second of these was the more serious impediment"(Underlined)?

　　A) Chemical knowledge was limited to a small number of people.

　　B) The symbolic language used was very imprecise.

　　C) Very few new discoveries were made by alchemists.

　　D) The records of the chemical processes were not based on experiments.

　　Passage Two

　　Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

　　An important new industry, oil refining, grew after the Civil War. Crude oil, or petroleum a dark, thick ooze from the earth had been known for hundreds of years, but little use had ever　been made of it. In the 1850's Samuel M. Kier, a manufacturer in western Pennsylvania, began　collecting the oil from local scapages and refining it into kerosene. Refining, like smelting, is a　process of removing impurities from a raw material.

　　Kerosene was used to light lamps. It was a cheap substitute for whale oil, which was becoming harder to get. Soon there was a large demand for kerosene. People began to search for　new supplies of petroleum.

　　The first oil well was drilled by E. L. Drake, are tired railroad conductor. In 1859 he began　drilling in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The whole venture seemed so impractical and foolish that　onlookers called it "Drake's Folly". But when he had drilled down about 70 feet(21 meters),　Drake struck oil. His well began to yield 20 barrels of crude oil a day.

　　News of Drake's success brought oil prospectors to the scene. By the early 1860's these　wildcatters were drilling for "black gold" all over western Pennsylvania. The boom rivaled the　California gold rush of 1848 in its excitement and Wild West atmosphere. And it brought far　more wealth to the prospectors than any gold rush.

　　Crude oil could be refined into many products. For some years kerosene continued to be the　principal one. It was sold in grocery stores and door-to-door. In the 1880's and 1890's refiners　learned how to make other petroleum products such as waxes and lubricating oils. Petroleum　was not then used to make gasoline or heatingoil.

　　26.What is the best title for the passage?

　　A) Oil Refining: A Historical Perspective

　　B) The California Gold Rush: Get Rich Quickly

　　C) Private Property: Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted

　　D) Kerosene Lamps: A Light in the Tunnel

　　27.It can be inferred form the passage that kerosene was preferable to whale oil because whale　oil was too____.

　　A) expensive B) thick

　　C) hot D) polluted

　　28.According to the passage, many people initially thought that E. L. Drake had made a mistake　by____.

　　A) going on a whaling expedition

　　B) moving to Pennsylvania

　　C) searching for oil

　　D) retiring from his job

　　29.Why does the author mention the California gold rush?

　　A) To explain the need for an increased supply of gold

　　B) To indicate the extent of United States mineral wealth

　　C) To describe the mood when oil was first discovered

　　D) To argue that gold was more valuable than oil

　　30. Which of the following words could best replace the word "one" (Underlined)?A) Oil. B) Door.

　　C) Store. D) Product.

　　Passage Three

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage:

　　"Welcome to the U.S.A.! Major credit cards are accepted!"

　　By the millions they are coming no longer the tired, the poor, the wretched masses longing for a better living. These are the wealthy. "We don't have a budget," says a biologist from Brazil, as she walks with two companions through New York City's South Street." We just use our credit cards."

　　The US has long been one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, but this year has been exceptional. First, there was the World Cup, which drew thousands from every corner of the globe; then came the weakening of the US dollar against major currencies. Now the US, still the world's superpower, can also claim to be the world's bargain basement(廉价商品部). Nobody undersells America these days on just about everything, from consumer electronics to fashion clothes to tennis rackets. Bottom retail prices anywhere from 30 % to 70% lower than those in Europe and Asia have attracted some 47 million visitors, who are expected to leave behind $ 79 billion in 1994. That's up from $74 billion the year before.

　　True, not everyone comes just for bargains. There remains an undeniable fascination in the rest of the world with all things American, nourished by Hollywood films and US television series. But shopping the USA is proving irresistible. Every week thousands arrive with empty suitcases ready to be filled; some even rent an additional hotel room to hold their purchases. The buying binge(无节制)has become as important as watching Old Faithful Fountains erupt in Yellowstone Park or sunbathing on a beach in Florida.

　　The US has come at last to appreciate what other countries learned long ago: the pouring in of foreign tourists may not always be convenient, but it does put money in the bank. And with a trade deficit at about $130 billion and growing for the past 12 months, the US needs all the deposits it can get. Compared with American tourists abroad, visitors to the US stay longer and spend more money at each stop; an average of 12.2 night and $ 1624 a traveler versus the Americans' four nights and $298.

　　31. From what the Brazilian biologist says, we know that tourists like her ____.

　　A) are reluctant to carry cash with them

　　B) simply don' t care how much they spend

　　C) are not good at planning their expenditure

　　D) often spend more money than they can afford

　　32.The reason why 1994 was exceptional is that ____.

　　A) it saw an unusually large number of tourists to the US

　　B) it witnessed a drop in the number of tourists to the US

　　C) tourism was hardly affected by the weakening of the US dollar that year

　　D) Tourists came to the US for sightseeing rather than for bargains that year

　　33.By saying " nobody undersells America" (Underlined), the author means that ____.A) no other country underestimates the competitiveness of American productsB) nobody expects the Americans to cut the prices of their commodities

　　C) nobody restrains the selling of American goods

　　D) no other country sells at a lower price than America

　　34.Why does the author assert that all things American are fascinating to foreigners?A) Because they have gained much publicity through the American media

　　B) Because they represent the world' s latest fashions

　　C) Because they embody the most sophisticated technology

　　D)Because they are available at all tourist destinations

　　35.From the passage we can conclude that the US has come to realize____.

　　A) the weakening of the US dollar can result in trade deficits

　　B) the lower the retail prices, the greater in profits

　　C) tourism can make great contributions to its economy

　　D) visitors to the US are wealthier than US tourists abroad

　　Passage Four

　　Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage:

　　The most interesting architectural phenomenon of the 1970's was the enthusiasm for refurbishing old buildings. Obviously, this was not an entirely new phenomenon. What is new is the wholesale interest in reusing the past, in recycling, in adaptive rehabilitation. A few trial efforts, such as Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, proved their financial viability in 1960s, but it was in the 1970's, with strong government support through tax incentives and rapid depreciation. As well as growing interest in ecology issues, that recycling became a major factor on the urban scene. One of the most comprehensive ventures was the restoration and transformation of Boston's eighteenth century Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market, designed in 1824. This section had fallen on hard times, but beginning with the construction of a new city hall immediately adjacent, it has returned to life with the intelligent reuse of these fine old buildings under the design leadership of Benjamin Thomson. He has provided a marvelous setting for dining, shopping, professional offices, and simply walking.

　　Butler Square, in Minneapois, examplifies major changes in its complex of offices, commercial space, and public amenities carved out of a massive pile designed in 1906 as a hardware warehouse. The exciting interior timber structure of the building was highlighted by cutting light courts through the interior and adding large skylights. San Antonio, Texas, offers an object lesson for numerous other cities combating urban decay. Rather than bringing in the bulldozers, San Antonio's leaders rehabilitated existing structures, while simultaneously cleaning up the San Antonio River, which menders through the business district.

　　36. What is the main idea of the passage?

　　A) During the 1970's, old buildings in many cities were recycled for modern use.B) Recent interest in ecology issues has led to the cleaning up of many rivers. C) The San Antonio example shows that bulldozers are not the way to fight urban decay.

　　D) Strong government support has made adaptive rehabilitation a reality in Boston.

　　37. What is the space at Quincy Market now used for?

　　A) Boston' s new city hall.

　　B) Sports and recreational facilities.

　　C) Commercial and industrial warehouses.

　　D) Restaurant, offices, and stores.

　　38. According to the passage, Benjamin Thompson was the designer for a project in____.A) San Francisco B) Boston

　　C) Minneapolis D) San Antonio

　　39. When was the Butler Square building originally built?

　　A) In the eighteenth century.

　　B) In the early nineteenth century.

　　C) In the late nineteenth century.

　　D) In the early twentieth century.

　　40. What is the author's opinion of the San Antonio project?

　　A) It is clearly the best of the projects discussed.

　　B) It is a good project that could be copied in other cities.

　　C) The extensive use of bulldozers made the project unnecessarily costly.

　　D) The work done on the river was more important than the work done on the buildings.