成人学位英语考试阅读理解试题辅导附答案

1、成人学位英语考试阅读理解试题辅导附答案A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement(新拓居地)spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most seri

2、ous ones were the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation.By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain rang

3、es and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental,system. In 1862 Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and f

4、rom California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land.Actural work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from

5、 California, used Chinese labor,while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish labourers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869 they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah.Many visitors came there for th

6、e great occasion.There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.The railroad was very important in encouraging Westward Movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing

7、 products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.1.The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in _.A. lack of financial support for developmentB. poor quality rails and unreliable stopping system

8、sC. limited railroad linesD. lack of a transcontinental railroad答案B.从第二句话开始写道：早期的火车是不实用的新奇玩意儿，很长一段时间铁路公司都遇到了麻烦的机械问题。最严重的是建造能承重的铁轨和开发安全有效的刹车系统。一旦这些解决了，铁路就成为陆上运输的最佳方式。由此可知，正确答案为B.2.The building of the first transcontinental system _.A. brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west.B

9、. attracted many visitors to the construction sitesC. attracted labourers from EuropeD. encouraged people to travel all over the country答案A.第二段的大致内容是：随着第一个横跨大陆铁路线的修建，铁路建设达到了高峰。西起California，东至Nebraska修建了一条横跨大陆的铁路线。1869年这条铁路线在Utah会合。第三段写道：这条铁路线在西进运动中起了很重要的作用。通过运送原材料和快速发送物品到遥远的市场，它促进了西部工农业的发展。所以正确答案是A.

10、3.The best title for this passage would be _.A. Settlements Spread WestwardB. The Importance of Railroads in the American EconomyC. American Railroad HistoryD. The Coast-to-Coast Railroad: A Vital Link答案D.第一段写道：当新拓居地向西进发的时候，一种快速的长途交通工具对美国来说成为必要。以下讲述了早期火车和铁路存在的问题。一旦这些问题解决之后，铁路就成为最好的陆上运输工具。到1860年美国已拥有

11、几千里的铁路。第二段主要讲述第一个跨大陆铁路系统的修建。最后一段讲述这条铁路线对促进美国政治和经济所起的重要作用。综上所述，可知本篇第一段是引言段;第二段是发展段;第三段是结论段。根据第三段里的结论，不难选出本题的正确答案D.4.The construction of the transcontinental railroad took _.A. 3 yearsB. 7 yearsC. 4 yearsD. 9 years答案A.从第二段得知，1862年国会授权二个铁路公司修建跨大陆铁路。这个工程实际上是在四年之后才真正动工的，也就是在1866年才动工。1869年这条铁路会合。由此可知，正确答案

12、是A项。5.What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?A. The possibility of government support for such a task.B. The need to explore Utah.C. The need to develop the railroad industry in the west.D. The need to connect the east coast with the west.答案D.从第二段得知，国会授权二个铁路公司修一条跨大陆铁路线，

13、东起Nebraska向西修筑，西起California向东修筑，最后到达一个会合点，以此可以穿越大陆，把大西洋海岸和太平洋海岸连接起来。由此可知，修筑这条铁路是为了把东海岸和西海岸连接起来。所以，正确答案是D项。Human needs seem endless. When a hungry man gets a meal, he begins to think about an overcoat; when a manager gets a new sports car, a big house and pleasure boats dance into view.The many needs

14、 of mankind might be regarded as making up several levels. When there is money enough to satisfy one level of needs, another level appears.The first and most basic level of needs involves food. Once this level is satisfied, the second level of needs, clothing and some sort of shelter, appears. By th

15、e end of World War II, these needs were satisfied for a great majority of Americans. Then a third level appeared. It included such items as automobiles and new houses.By 1957 or 1958 this third level of needs was fairly well satisfied. Then, in the late 1950s, a fourth level of needs appeared: the &

16、quot;life enriching" level. While the other levels involve physical satisfaction, that is, the feeding, comfort, safety, and transportation, this level stresses mental needs for recognition, achievement, and happiness. It includes a variety of goods and services, many of which could be called &

17、quot;luxury" items. Among them are vacation trips, the best medical and dental care, and recreation. Also included here are fancy goods and the latest styles in clothing.On the fourth level, a lot of money is spent on services, while on the first three levels more is spent on goods. Will consum

18、ers raise their sights to a fifth level of needs as their income increases, or will they continue to demand luxuries and personal services on the fourth level?A fifth level would probably involve needs that can be achieved best by community action. Consumers may be spending more on taxes to pay for

19、government action against disease, ignorance, crim, and prejudice. After filling our stomachs, our clothes closets, our garages, our teeth, and our minds, we now may seek to ensure the health, safety, and leisure to enjoy more fully the good things on the first four levels.6. According to the passag

20、e, man will begin to think about such needs as housing and clothing only when _.A. he has saved up enough moneyB. he has grown dissatisfied with his simple shelterC. he has satisfied his hungerD. he has learned to build houses答案C【精析】本题答案对应于第一、三段。文章的第一段提到一个人有了吃的就会想到再要件衣服，第三段又说最基本的需求是食物，这个层次的需求得到满足后人就

21、会考虑服装和住的地方。综合判断，所以选C，即他不再饥饿后就会产生对住处和衣服的需求。7. It can be inferred from the passage that by the end of World War , most Americans _.A. were very richB. lived in povertyC. had the good things on the first three levelsD. did not own automobiles答案D【精析】文章第三段中说第二次世界大战结束时，对于大多数美国人来说，食品、服装以及住所的需求都满足了，然后第三个层次的

22、需求，包括汽车和新房子便出现了。这说明第二次世界大战结束时大多数美国人还没有汽车。A“很富有”，意思不明。B“生活在贫困中”，不符合文意。C“满足了前三个层次的需求”，也不正确，因为这时第三个层次的需求才刚刚出现。8. Which of the following is NOT related to "physical satisfaction"?A. A successful career.B. A comfortable home.C. A good meal.D. A family car.答案A【精析】本题答案对应于文章的第四段，第四段第三行说physical sa

23、tisfaction包括食物、生活舒适、有安全感、有交通工具，在B、C、D中都有体现。故选A.9. What is the main concern of man on the fourth level?A. The more goods the better.B. The more mental satisfaction the better.C. The more "luxury" items the better.D. The more earnings the better.答案B【精析】本题答案对应文章第四段，其中第四行this level，也就是第四个层次的需求

24、强调的是精神需求，所以选B.10. The author tends to think that the fifth level _.A. would be little better than the fourth levelB. may be a lot more desirable than the first fourC. can be the last and most satisfying levelD. will become attainable before the government takes actions答案B【精析】本题考查考生对作者意思的'整体把握。先看

25、A“比第四个层次要好一些”，意思含糊。C“是最终的、最令人满意的需求层次”，太绝对。D“在政府采取行动之前就能实现”，不合文意。文章说第五个层次的需求要通过集体行动实现，即人们付钱给政府，让其对抗疾病、愚昧、犯罪与不公。可见这要在政府采取行动后实现。而B的意思是“比前四个层次的需求更值得拥有”，这是正确的。A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to i

26、nternational politics, from sports to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features(特写)as well, from editorial page to feature article and interviews to criticism of books, art, theater, and music. A newspaper is even more remarkable for the way one reads it: never co

27、mpletely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out, glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far more than any one

28、 reader is interested in. What bring this variety together in one place is its topicality(时事性), its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it mean also that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more

29、than transient(短暂的)value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together out of the pages of that days paper, his own selection and sequence, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what

30、you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you modify and apply the techniques of reading.11. A modern paper is remarkable for all the following expect its _.A. wide coverageB. uniform styleC. speed in reporting newsD. popularity答

31、案B【精析】文中第一段第二句话“It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sports to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features(特写)as well, from editorial page to feature article and interviews to criticism of bo

32、oks, art, theater, and music.提到的是A项的内容，即wide coverage;第四句话A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers吻合了popularity的特点;第五句its topicality揭示了其speed in(C项)的特点，只有B项文中未体现。”故选择B.12. According to the passage, the reasons why no two people really read the "same" newsp

33、aper is that _.A. people scan for the news they are interested inB. different people prefer different newspaperC. people are rarely interested in the same thing of newsD. people have different views about what a good newspaper is答案A【精析】根据文中倒数第二句"For all these reasons, no two people really read the sam paper"13. It can be concluded from the passage that newspape