1、北京学位英考试试题及详解Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)Directions: There are three passages in 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 blacken the corresponding lette
2、r on the Answer Sheet.Passage 1Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage:Archaeology, like many academic words, comes from Greek and means, more or less, “the study of old things”. So, it is really a part of the study of history. However, most historians use paper evidence, such as letters
3、, paintings and photographs，but archaeologists (考古学家) learn from the objects left behind by the humans of long ago. Normally, these are the hard materials that dont break down or disappear very quicklythings like human bones and objects made from stone and metal.It is very unusual to find anything m
4、ore than the hard evidence of history-normally, the bacteria (细菌) in the air eat away at soft materials, like bodies, clothes and things made of wood. Occasionally, things are different.In 1984, two men made an amazing discovery while working in a bog called Lindow Moss, in the north of England. A b
5、og is a very wet area of earth, with a lot of plants growing in it. It can be like a very big and very thick vegetable soupwalk in the wrong place and you can sink and disappear forever. The men were working when one of them saw something sticking outa human foot! Naturally, the men called the polic
6、e，who then found the rest of the body. Was it a case of murder? Possibly-but it was a death nearly two thousand years old. The two men had found a body from the time of the Roman invasion of Britain. Despite being so old, this body had skin, muscles, hair and internal organsthe scientists who examin
7、ed him were able to look inside the mans stomach and find the food that he had eaten for his last meal!Why was this man so well preserved? (76) It was because he was in a very watery environment, safe fi:om the bacteria that need oxygen to live. Also, the water in the bog was very acidic. The acid p
8、reserved the mans skin in the way that animal skin is preserved for leather coats and shoes.How did he die? Understandably, archaeologists and other scientists wanted to know more about the person that they called,“Lindow Man”. (77) His hands and fingernails suggested that he hadnt done heavy manual
9、 work in his lifehe could have been a rich man. They found that he hadnt died by accident. The archaeologists believe that he was sacrificed to three different gods.1. Which language does the word “archaeology”come from?A. French. B. Greek. C. Roman. D. German.2. The word “these” in the first paragr
10、aph refers to_.A. letters B. photographs C. paintings D. objects3. Which of the following helped to preserve“Lindow Man”?A. Ice and Iow temperature. B. Bacteria and oxygen.C. Soil and energy. D. Acid and water.4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A. “Lindow Man”was
11、named after the person who first found him.B. Historians usually use paper evidence, while archaeologists use hard evidence.C. “Lindow Man” was found by two archaeologists in the south of England.D. “Lindow Man”was good at manual work.5. Which is the best title for the passage?A. What Is Archaeology
12、?B. Archaeology and HistoryC. An Amazing Archaeological DiscoveryD. The Death of“Lindow Man”Passage 2Questions 6 to 10 are based on the following passage:The city has always been an engine of intellectual life, from the 18th-century cafes of London, where citizens gathered to discuss chemistry and p
13、olitics, to the Left Bank bars of modern Paris, where Picasso talked about modem art. Without the metropolis, we might not have had the great art of Shakespeare.And yet, city life isnt easy. Now scientists have begun to examine how the city affects the brain, and the results are depressing. Just bei
14、ng in an urban environment, they have found, impairs (损害) our basic mental processes. (78) After spending a few minutes on a crowded city street, the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and suffers from reduced self-control. While its long been recognized that city life is exhausting, this
15、new research suggests that cities actually dull our thinking, sometimes dramatically so.One of the main forces at work is a complete lack of nature, which is surprisingly beneficial for the brain. Studies have demonstrated, for instance, that hospital patients recover more quickly when they can see
16、trees from their windows, and that women living in public housing are better able to focus when their apartments overlook a lawn. Even these glimpses of nature improve brain performance, it seems, because they provide a mental break from the urban life.This research arrives just as humans cross an i
17、mportant milestone (里程碑). For the first time in history, the majority of people live in cities. Instead of inhabiting wide-open spaces, were crowded into concrete jungles, surrounded by traffic and millions of Strangers. In recent years, its become clear that such unnatural surroundings have importa
18、nt implications for our mental and physical health, and can powerfully alter how we think.This research is also leading some scientists to dabble (涉足) in urban design, as they look for ways to make the city less damaging to the brain. (79) The good news is that even slight alterations, such as plant
19、ing more trees in the inner city or creating urban parks with a greater variety of plants, can significantly reduce the negative side effects of city life. The mind needs nature, and even a little bit can be a big help.6. Which of the following is the main idea of this passage?A. The city inspires t
20、alented people.B. The city hurts your brain.C. The city has many pleasures and benefits.D. The city seriously affects the natural balance.7. The word “metropolis” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to_.A. citizen B. nature C. city D. stress8. People have just come to realize that_.A. human
21、 attention is a scarce resourceB. city life can make people very tiredC. the city is an engine of intellectual lifeD. an urban environment is damaging to the brain9. What is the factor mentioned in the third paragraph that helps the hospital patients recover more quickly?A. Nature. B. Better treatme
22、nt.C. Experienced doctors. D. Good medicine.10. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?A. Different aspects (方面) of an urban environment, such as the crowded streets, can lead to an increase in self-control.B. Small changes in urban design, cannot reduce the negative sid
23、e effects of city life.C. For the first time in history, the earths population is more urban than rural.D. A walk down a busy city street will improve brain performance.Passage 3Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage:Breastfeeding (母乳喂养) for a month or longer appears to reduce a woman
24、s risk of getting diabetes (糖病) later in life, according to a new study. The breastfeeding and diabetes link has been reported in other studies, according to researcher Eleanor Schwarz. Yet, her study makes the link easier to believe. Her study is published in a journal of medicine in America. Schwa
25、rz and her colleagues looked at data about breastfeeding practices. They evaluated data on 2,233 women fom Califomia. Of those, 405 were not mothers, 1,125 were mothers who breastfed for at least a month, and 703 were mothers who had never breastfed. They were 40 to 78 years old.According to Schwarz
26、s study, the risk of getting a diagnosis (诊断) of Type 2 diabetes for women who breastfed all their children for a month or longer was similar to that of women who had not given birth. But mothers who had never breastfed were nearly twice as likely to develop diabetes as women who had never given bir
27、th. Mothers who never breastfed were about 1.4 times as likely to develop diabetes as women who breastfed for one to three months, Schwarz found.While one month of breastfeeding appears to make a difference, Schwarz says, even longer is better. (80) “Previous studies have shown the longer the mom br
28、eastfeeds, the more benefit for her body.” Many experts recommend breastfeeding for six months and continuing for a year, she says.The diabetes-breastfeeding link is probably explained by belly fat. Mothers, who dont breastfeed, as they get older, may have more belly fat, as breastfeeding helps new
29、mothers take off weight. “Belly fat increases the risk of diabetes as you get older,” she says.The finding isnt surprising at all, says Kimberly Gregory. She often gives advice to women who get diabetes (occurring during pregnancy (怀孕) that they are at risk for later getting Type 2 diabetes and sugg
30、ests they breastfeed. The new findings will probably inspire Gregory to add to the-advice she gives moms-to-be about the benefits of breastfeeding. She often focuses on the benefits to the baby.11. According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is TRUE?A. About two thousand and
31、two hundred old women took part in the study.B. Eleanor Schwarzs research program was about men and women who suffered from diabetes.C. Over one fifths of the women never got married.D. Eleanor Schwarzs results seem more reliable.12. According to Schwarzs findings, who are more likely to get diabete
32、s later in life?A. Those mothers who had never breastfed.B. Those mothers who never gave birth.C. Those mothers who breastfed for a month.D. Those mothers who breastfed for six months.13. Which of the following statements would Schwarz agree with?A. Breastfeeding is not advisable because it is not good for a mom to keep a good shape.B. Breastfeeding can greatly re
