Oceanography has been defined as "The application of all sciences to the study of the sea."

　　Before the nineteenth century scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far between. Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work.

　　For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travellers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface.

　　The first time that the question "What is at the bottom of the oceans?" had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile of the route to estimate the length of the cable that had to be manufactured.

　　It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned in 1853 for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his The Physical Geography of the Sea.

　　The cable was laid ,but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs, it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.

　　Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition, which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.

　　1.The passage implies that the telegraph cable was built mainly ________.

　　A. for oceanography studies

　　B. for business considerations

　　C. for military purposes

　　D. for investigating the depths of the oceans

　　Best Answer:B

　　详解：答案B。依据文章第三段的第二句：人们第一次从商业角度来回答“海底有什么”这个问题是因为有人提议铺设从欧洲到美洲的电报电缆。工程师们需要知道电缆经过的海洋深处的地形，以便估算出需要生产多长的电缆。故答案为B。

　　2. It was ________ that asked Maury for help in oceanography studies.

　　A. the American Navy

　　B. some early intercontinental travellers

　　C. those who earned a living from the sea

　　D. the company which proposed to lay an undersea cable

　　Best Answer:D

　　详解：答案D。依据文章第四段的第一句：大西洋电报公司在1853年正式就在海底铺设电缆一事咨询了美国海军部的莫雷。故答案为D。

　　3.The aim of voyages Maury encouraged in the 1840s was _______.

　　A. to make some sound experiments in the oceans

　　B. to collect samples of sea plants and animals

　　C. to estimate the length of the cable that was to be made

　　D. to measure the depths of the two oceans

　　Best Answer:D

　　详解：答案D。依据文章第四段的第二句：在19世纪40年代，莫雷鼓励航海，其间他要测量北大西洋和太平洋的海水深度。故答案为D。

　　4. Defied in the 5th paragraph probably means ________.

　　A. doubled

　　B. gave proof

　　C. challenged

　　D. agreed to

　　Best Answer:C

　　详解：答案C。依据第五段的第二句，根据语境，可知答案为C。

　　5.This passage is mainly about ________.

　　A. the beginnings of oceanography

　　B. the laying of the first undersea cable

　　C. the investigation of ocean depths

　　D. the early intercontinental communications

　　Best Answer:A

　　详解：答案A。依据全文：第一段介绍了海洋学的概念;第二段讲了十九世纪前没多少人对海洋学感兴趣;第三段讲了人们开始提议在两大洲间铺设海底电报电缆;第四段讲了莫雷为了了解要用多长的电缆，开始测量海洋的深度;第五段讲了当海底电缆出现故障时，人们在把电缆打捞上来修理的时候发现海底有海洋生物，而在这之前这一点人们是从没有认识到的;最后一段讲了一个科学探险队从海底带回了大量的海洋生物标本，并著书立传，把这一发现公诸于世。故答案为A。