英语阅读模拟试题(1)

A

With the development of society and economy, animals and their habitats are getting pushed aside as households decrease in size and increase in number.

Small numbers of people per household on average use more energy and goods per person. Greater numbers of households require more natural resources for construction. The possible result of this problem may be insufficient natural resources to meet consumer demand without endangering habitats important to biodiversity.

Personal freedom and social choice may come at huge environmental cost. Direct costs include visible damage to animal habitats and plant life. Indirect costs include the release of more greenhouse gases.

The effects of such “personal freedom and social choice” have already surfaced in south-west China’s Wolong Nature Reserve. In Wolong, they found that a reduced average household size was directly tied to an increase in homes, and thus an increase in the amount of firewood consumed for cooking and heating. The rise in wood fuel use has contributed to disappearance of forests and to the loss of habitats for giant pandas.

Curious about whether other parts of the world were experiencing similar phenomena, they got the support of a team of researchers including Stanford’s Paul Ehrlich, well-known for his population studies, to find out the household dynamics in 141 countries between 1985 and 2000. Their study proved that the difficult choice of Wolong is part of a global trend.

In the 76 countries considered biodiversity “hotspots”, such as the United States, Brazil, Australia, and Kenya, the number of households grew by 3.1% every year, while the population increased just 1.8%. Meanwhile, the number of people per home dropped from 4.7 to 4.0. The decline in household size has resulted in 155 million additional households in hotspot countries, almost always limiting biodiversity.

In the 10 non-hotspot countries — those without high-density areas of animal and plant species — similar results were found, though on a lesser scale. Even in countries experiencing population decline, such as New Zealand, the number of households still increased because of a reduction in household size.

1. What does the underlined word “insufficient” mean?

A. Plenty of. B. Not enough. C. Abundant. D. Little.

2. It can be learned from the passage that China’s Wolong Nature Reserve__________. A. is facing the same threat as many other parts of the world B. sets a good example in protecting animals

C. is a place where giant pandas and their habitats are not affected D. is a place where animals and their habitats are seriously damaged 3. Which of the following is best supported by the last two paragraphs? A. Biodiversity is better kept in countries with smaller populations. B. Biodiversity is better kept in hotspot countries.

C. The threat to nature from reduction in household size is a worldwide problem.

D. Both hotspot countries and non-hotspot countries face the threat of the same scale.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. Reduced household size leads to an increase in household number. B. Modern homes consume more natural resources.

C. How to meet consumer demand without endangering animals and their habitats. D. Reduction in household size as well as increase in household number threatens nature.

B

The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is very positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your stupid friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable.”

Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts.

The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking. 5. What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

A. It has produced positive results. B. It is a highly profitable industry.

C. It is based on the concept of positive thinking. D. It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

6. What does the word “underline” mean (Line 4, Para. 3)?

A. point out B. lay emphasis on C. pay no attention to D. take for granted

7. Which of the following is TRUE about the Canadian researchers’ study? A. Encouraging positive thinking many do more good than harm.

B. Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood. C. There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

D. Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem. 8. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy. B. People can avoid making mistakes through meditation. C. Different people tend to have different ways of thinking. D. The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person.

C

Most schools forbid chewing gum, but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores. This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath. Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can. That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and more. Scientists might even create antimicrobial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath. Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake. Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes. The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use. For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert. 9. The passage mainly talks about _____.

A. the rule of forbidding chewing gum in school B. new research on chewing gum C. different kinds of chewing gum

D. the relationship between chewing gum and medicine

10. What does the underlined word “hits” in Paragraph 6 probably mean? A. Touches. B. Attacks. C. Takes effect. D. Affects badly. 11.According to the passage, Stay Alert is a gum which can help people _____. A. stay awake B. fight colds C. cure headaches D. overcome nervousness 12. It can be inferred from the passage that _____. A. stay Alert is not easy to store B. stay Alert needs water to swallow

C. stay Alert is available to the public now D. we can’t buy gums that cure bad breath now

答案：BACD CBDA BCAD