SAT og 5阅读真题解析

1、SAT test 51.For a long time, most doctors maintained that taking massive doses of vitamins was relatively harmless; now, however, some are warning that excessive dosages can be _.(A) healthy adj. 健康的(B) expensive adj. 昂贵的(C) wasteful adj. 浪费的(D) toxic adj. 有毒的(E) inane adj. 愚蠢的解析：D，在很长的一段时间里，大多数医生认为

2、用大量的维他命是无害的;不过现在有些人警告过量食用会-。这里however表示转折与前面的harmless是相反的意思。2. In Jamaica Kincaid's novel Lucy, the west Indian heroine _ her employers' world, critically examining its assumptions and values.(A) idealizes v. 理想化(B) avoids v. 避开(C) beautifies v. 美化(D) scrutinizes v. 仔细检查(E) excludes v. 排除，解析

3、：E，在牙买加金彩的小说露西，这个西印度群岛英雄-她的雇主的世界，精细的审视他的猜测和价值。这个句子中前后两句意思是一致的，没有转折词，所以空格所需的东西与examining是同义词，所以D。3.The frequent name changes that the country has undergone _ the political turbulence that has attended its recent history.(A) argue against v. 真钞，辩论(B) contrast with v. 对比，差异(C) testify to v. 证明(D) jeopa

4、rdize v. 危及(E) sustain v. 支撑解析：C，这个国家经历了频繁的国名变更-这个国家的近点史上的政治动乱。从句意可以看后句和前句是因果关系，前面证明了后面。4.Brachiopods, clamlike bivalves of prehistoric times, were one of the most _ forms of life on the Earth: more than 30,000 species have been _ from fossil records.(A) plentiful adj. 丰富的.subtracted v. 减去(B) ornate

5、 adj. 华丽的.retrieved v. 重新取回(C) multifarious adj. 多方面的.catalogued v. 登记分类(D) scarce adj. 缺乏的，罕见的.extracted v. 萃取的(E) anachronistic adj. 时代错误的.extrapolated v. 推算，推断解析：C，腕足类就像远古时代的双壳蚌一样，是地球上生物形式的一种：30000多种已经从化石记录上-。从后面的species 可以看出与前面的空格是同义词，多样性的种类。后面可以看出从化石记录中登记了。5 Some interactive computer games are

6、so elaborately contrived and require such _ strategies that only the most _ player can master them.(A) byzantine adj. 错综复杂的.adroit adj. 熟练的，机敏的(B) nefarious adj. 极坏的，恶毒的.conscientious adj. 认真的，勤奋的(C) devious adj. 迂回的，狡猾的.lackadaisical adj. 无精打采的(D) onerous adj. 困难的，繁重.slipshod adj. 穿着不整齐的，潦草的(E) pre

7、dictable adj. 可预言的pulsive adj. 强制的，强迫的解析：A，一些电脑互动的游戏设计的如此精致巧妙需要-策略只有那些最玩家能够驾驭他们。这里前面空格与elaborately 是同义词，所以A。Questions 6-7 are based on the following passage.The critic Edmund Wilson was not a self-consciousletter writer or one who tried to sustain studied mannerisms.Nor did he resort to artifice or

8、entangle himself incircumlocutions. The young, middle-aged, and old Wilson5 speaks directly through his letters, which are informal forthe most part and which undisguisedly reflect his changingmoods. On occasion-in response, perhaps, to the miseryof a friend or a public outrage or a personal challen

9、ge-hecan become eloquent, even passionate, but that is not his10 prevailing tone.文章大意：文章主要讲评论家埃德蒙威尔逊在写信的风格上不拘一格，直言不讳，他的一生都是这样的风格不扭捏拘谨，应对各种挑战时候也能从容不会能言善辩。长难词：mannerisms特殊习惯，矫揉造作，artifice 欺骗entangle 是纠缠，混乱circumlocution委婉的说法 eloquent雄辩的，有口才的， outrage 愤怒 undisguisedly公开的，不伪装的。6. Based on the informatio

10、n in the passage,Wilson's letters can best be described as(A) cynical冷嘲的(B) spontaneous自发的无意识的(C) critical批判的(D) preachy爱唠叨的(E) witty诙谐的，机智的解析：B，这是主旨题，考察对文章全文的把控，文章开篇就提到埃德蒙的写信风格是不矫揉造作的，直言的。7. The reference 10 the "young, middle-aged, andold Wilson" (line 4) serves to suggest the(A) mul

11、tifaceted nature of Wilson's literarypersona(B) maturity Wilson displayed even as a youth(C) effect aging had on Wilson's temperament(D) longevity of Wilson's literary career(E) consistency of Wilson's letter-writing style解析：E，这里说从青年，中年，到老年他的写作风格都是informal和undisguisedly,一直都没有变过。Quest

12、ions 8-9 are based on the following passage.The belief that it is harmful to the Black communityfor authors to explore the humanity of our leaders canhave troubling effects. At the least, it promotes the beliefthat our heroes have to be perfect to be useful. At worst.5 it censors our full investigat

13、ion of Black life. If our paintingsof that life are stock and cramped, their colors draband predictable, the representations of our culture are likelyto be untrue. They will not capture the breadth andcomplexity of Black identity.文章大意：文中描述对于黑人区的探索，对黑人生活的描述过于晦涩难懂的话很可能我们展现的形式会失真，所以整篇文段是对黑人生活展现形式的讨论。长难

14、词：censor监察官 cramp难懂的狭隘的 drab无生气的，褐色的 breadth宽度幅度8. The passage implies that Black leaders have sometimes been portrayed as being(A) overly sentimental(B) deeply complex(C) above reproach(D) without regret(E) beyond understanding解析：C，文中提到“At the least, it promotes the belief that our heroes have to b

15、e perfect to be useful.”暗示有时候将领导人展现为不可挑剔的英雄。 9. In context, the "paintings" (lines 5-6) are bestunderstood as a reference to(A) realistic sculptures(B) historical biographies(C) whimsical novels(D) political cartoons(E) colorful theorems解析：B，paiting这里是对黑人领导生活的描述，那么一般就是我们所说的历史传记。Questions 1

16、0-18 a re based on the following passage.The following passage was written by a physicist in 1986.When astronomers point their telescopes to the nearestgalaxy, Andromeda, they see it as it was two million yearsago. That's about the lime Auslralopithecus was baskingin the African sun. This little

17、 bit of lime travel is possible5 because tight takes two mill ion years to make the trip fromthere to here. Too bad we couldnt turn things around andobserve Earth from some cozy planet in Andromeda.But looking at light from distant objects isn't real timetravel, the in-the-flesh participation in

18、 past and future found10 in literature. Ever since I've been old enough 10 read sciencefiction. I've dreamed of time traveling. The possibilitiesare staggering. You could take medicine back to fourteenth centuryEurope and stop the spread of plague, or you couldtravel to the twenty-third cent

19、ury, where people take their15 annual holidays in space stations.Being a scientist myself. I know that time travel isquite unlikely according to the laws of physics. For onething, there would be a causality violation. If you couldtravel backward in time, you could alter a chain of events20 with the

20、knowledge of how they would have turned out.Cause would no longer always precede effect. For example,you could prevent your parents from ever meeting.Contemplating the consequences of that will give you aheadache. and science fiction writers for decades have25 delighted in the paradoxes that can ari

21、se from travelingthrough time.Physicists are, of course. horrified at the thought ofcausality violation. Differential equations for the waythings should behave under a given set of forces and30 initial conditions would no longer be valid. since whathappens in one instant would not necessarily determ

22、inewhat happens in the next. Physicists do rely on a deterministicuniverse in which to operate. and time travel wouldalmost certainly put them and most other scientists35 permanently out of work.Still. I dream of time travel. There is something verypersonal about lime. When the first mechanical cloc

23、kswere invented. marking off time in crisp. regular intervals,it must have surprised people 10 discover that time40 flowed outside their own mental and physiological processes.Body time flows at its own variable rate, obliviousto the most precise clocks in the laboratory. In fact, thehuman body cont

24、ains its own exquisite timepieces, all withtheir separate rhythms. There are the alpha waves in the45 brain; another clock is the heart. And all the while tick themysterious, ruthless clocks that regulate aging.Recently, I found my great-grandfather's favorite pipe.Papa Joe, as he was called, di

25、ed more than seventy yearsago, long before I was born. There are few surviving photo-50 graphs or other memorabilia of Papa Joe. Butl do have hispipe, which had been tucked away in a drawer somewherefor years and was in good condition when I found il. I rana pipe cleaner through it, filled it with s

26、ome tobacco I hadon hand. and settled down to read and smoke. After a cou-55 pic of minutes. the most wonderful and foreign blend ofsmells began wafting from the pipe. All the different occasionswhen Papa Joe had lit his pipe, all the different placeshe had been that I will never know-all had been l

27、ockedup in that pipe and now poured out into the room. I was60 vaguely aware that something had got delightfully twistedin time for a moment, skipped upward on the page. Thereis a kind of time travel 10 be had, if you don't insist on howit happens.文章大意：文中主要通过描写现下最流行的穿越小说，穿越时空，很多科幻小说都选取穿越题材，过度到作者

28、物理学上的时间，人类心理对于时间的概念，人的生物钟。长难词：basking晒太阳staggering蹒跚的 paradox 悖论equation 方程式crisp脆的新鲜的 timepiece 钟等计时器alpha 希腊第一个字母，开端ruthless无情的残忍的 memorabilia大事记 waft含糊的 vaguely 飘荡吹拂10. The author mentions Australopithecus in line 3in order to(A) note an evolutionary progression in the physicalworld(B) dramatize

29、how different Earth was two millionyears ago(C) commend the superior work of astronomers inisolating a moment early in time(D) establish a link between the length of time thatAfrica has been inhabited and the discovery ofthe Andromeda galaxy(E) emphasize the relatively long period of humanlife compa

30、red to the age of the universe解析：B，文中提到“they see it as it was two million years ago. That's about the lime Auslralopithecus was basking in the African sun.”好像两百万年前南方古猿在非洲享受日光浴的时代，这里戏剧化的想掉了地球两百万年前与现在的不同。11. The statement in lines 6·7 ("Too bad . Andromeda")suggests that(A) scientis

31、ts would like to observe events thatoccurred on Earth in the distant past(B) there may be planets in Andromeda that arereachable through space travel(C) the study of Andromeda would offer interestingcomparisons to planet Earth(D) a planet in Andromeda will be a likelyobservation point for Earth in t

32、he future(E) Andromeda is much older than Earth解析：E，这里指的是想从一些想仙女座这样比较舒适的星球来观察地球，这里说的是仙女座要比地球12. The author mentions "plague" (line 13) and "space stations" (line 15) primarily to(A) give an example of the themes of novels aboutlime travel(B) suggest contrasting views of the futur

33、e(C) scoff at the scientific consequences of time travel(D) give examples of the subjects that scientists areinterested in(E) suggest why time travel is such a fascinating topic解析：A，这里句“瘟疫”和“太空站”的意思就是针对穿越小说给大家举例。13. The author introduces the third paragraph with thewords "Being a scientist"

34、; in order toA) explain an in tense personal interest in the topic(B) lend an air of authority to the discussion of timetravel(C) suggest why certain forms of literature are soappealing(D) provoke those who defend science fiction(E) help illustrate the term "causality violation"解析：B，在这里作者前

35、面提到的是穿越时间接着作者说这与物理学是不符合的，表明自己是科学家这里更有权威性。14. In discussing causality violations (lines 16·35), theauthor addresses concerns about all of the following EXCEPTCA) anticipatory knowledge of events(B) the belief in a deterministic universe(C) the mechanics of space travel(D) cause-and-effect relati

36、onships(E) differential equations based on known forces解析：C，作者在这里提到因果关系时ABED这四个选项文中都有提到，但是C时空穿越的机械性是没有提到的。15. Which of the following, if true, would undermine the validity of the author's assumption about the impact of mechanical clocks ("When the first . the laboratory")in lines 37-42

37、 ?(A) People were oblivious to time on a physical levelbefore clocks were in vented.(B) People have always perceived time as composedof discrete. uniform intervals.(C) Concern about time was unnecessary until clockswere invented.(D) Mental and physiological processes are verypredictable.(E) Body lim

38、e does not move at a constant rate.解析：B，下面哪一个成立会削弱机械钟的影响力这一假设，那么如果人们总是能够非常准确一致的感知时间机械钟也就不那么重要了，所以直接排除法选择B。16. The author mentions the brain and the heart(lines 44-45) in order to(A) demonstrate the rhythmical qualities of timepieces(B) explain the historical significance of mechanicalclocks(C) empha

39、size how the two organs interact to regulateinternal rhythms(D) illustrate the body's different internal clocks(E) demystify the precision of organic processes解析：D，这里就是解释人体不同器官所反射的一种生物钟。17. The author uses the word '"ruthless" (line 46) tosuggest that(A) people are bewildered by th

40、e prospect of aging(B) the human body has mysterious capacities(C) some people age more rapidly than others do(D) people's sense of time changes as they age(E) the process of aging is relentless解析：E，这里我们可以找到文中的位置，大脑是一个生物钟，心脏是另一个，他们每天都在滴滴答答的无情的推着我们变老，所以选择E。18. The author mentions that "somet

41、hing . skippedupward on the page" (lines 60-61) to suggest that(A) he reread a portion of the page(B) his vision was affected by the smoke(C) he traveled back in time in his imagination(D) his reading reminded him of Papa Joe(E) he believes that reading is the best way to recreatethe past解析：C，这

42、里文中说“I was vaguely aware that something had got delightfully twisted in time for a moment, skipped upward on the page. Thereis a kind of time travel to be had,”这里作者接着烟雾想象自己穿越旅行。Questions 19-24 are based on the following passage.The following passage is an excerpt from a book abouttwentieth-century d

43、evelopment in art. The author refershere to the modern art that emerged shortly after the filmof the century. Many people found this art shocking.If the new art is not accessible to everyone, whichcertainly seems 10 be the case, this implies that its impulsesare not of a generically human kind. It i

44、s an art not forpeople in general but for a special class who may not be5 better but who are evidently different.Before we go further, one point must be clarified. Whatis it that the majority of people call 3esthetic pleasure?What happens in their minds when they "like" a work ofart: for e

45、xample, a play? The answer is easy. They like a10 play when they become interested in the human destiniesthat are represented. when the love and hatred. the joys andsorrows of the dramatic personages so move them that theyparticipate in it all as though it were happening in real life.And they call a

46、 work "good" if it succeeds in creating the15 illusion necessary to make the imaginary personages appearlike living persons. In poetry the majority of people seekthe passion and pain of the human being behind the poet.Paintings attract them if they find in them figures of men orwomen it wo

47、uld be interesting to meet.20 It thus appears that to the majority of people aestheticpleasure means a state of mind that is essentiallyindistinguishable from their ordinary behavior. II differsmerely in accidental qualities. being perhaps less utilitarian.more intense. and free from painful consequ

48、ences. But the25 object toward which their attention and. consequently, alltheir other mental activities are directed is the same as indaily life: people and passions. When forced to considerartistic forms proper-for example. in some surrealistic orabstract an-most people will only tolerate them if

49、they do30 not interfere with their perception of human forms andfates. As soon as purely aesthetic elements predominateand the story of John and Susie grows elusive. most peoplefeel out of their depth and are at a loss as to what to makeof the scene. the book. or the painting. A work of art35 vanish

50、es from sight for a beholder who seeks in that workof an nothing but the moving fate of John and Susie orTristan and Isolde.· Unaccustomed to behaving in anymode except the practical one in which feelings are arousedand emotional involvement ensues. most people are unsure40 how to respond to a

51、work that does not invite sentimentalintervention.Now this is a point that has to be made perfectly clear.Neither grieving nor rejoicing at such human destinies asthose presented by a work of an begins to define true45 artistic pleasure: indeed. preoccupation with the humancontent of the work is in

52、principle incompatible withaesthetic enjoyment proper .文章大意：本文一直围绕的主题是大多数人称之为审美乐趣的东西到底是什么，大部分人对于艺术上的审美情趣是在于作品中的人文因素这是不对的，而单单是艺术元素。人类对于艺术的审视角度也是不一样。长难词：hatred 憎恨personage 角色，名人surrealistic elusive rejoice19. The passage is primarily concerned with the(A) Jives artists lead as opposed to the ones they

53、 imagine(B) emotional impact of a painting's subject matter(C) nature of the pleasure that most people find in awork of an(D) wide variety of responses that audiences have to different works of an(E) contrast between the formal elements of the new an and those of the old20. As used in· line

54、 18. "figures" most nearly means(A) crude images(B) abstractions(C) representations(D) numbers(E) famous persons解析：C，这里“In poetry the majority of people seekthe passion and pain of the human being behind the poet.Paintings attract them if they find in them figures of men or women it would

55、be interesting to meet.”figures 这里指的是一些代表，后面说道这里一些男女是他们想要见到的人。21. It is most likely that "the story of John and Susie"(line 32) refers to(A) a fictional work that the author will proceed to critique(B) a typical narrative of interpersonal relationships(C) an account of an affair in the for

56、m of a mystery(D) a legendary couple that has fascinated artiststhrough the ages(E) a cryptic chronicle of renowned historicalpersonages解析：B，这里提到当约翰和苏西的故事变的难懂，大部分人理解不了他的深度的时候很多人就会茫然了，所以作者批评的是这中典型的叙述关系。22. The author suggests that the majority of people resist modem art because they(A) consider modem

57、 artists to be elitist(B) are too influenced by critics to view the an on itsown merits(C) are annoyed by its social message(D) find in it little of human interest to engage them(E) find it too difficult to guess at the artists sourceof inspiration解析：D，这里作者说道“is not for people in general.”后面说道大部分的人不知道怎么艺术的元素来源和组成，所以对于现代艺术是抵触的。23. The author's attitude toward the majority of people can best be described as(A) genuinely puzzled(B) aggressively hostile(C) solemnly respectful(D) generally indifferent(E) condescendin