Section B
Passage One
Heredity is not the only thing that influences our color. Where and how we live after we are born is important too. For instance, our skin color greatly depends on how much sunshine we get.
Centuries ago, most people in Europe were peasants and had to work in the fields all day. On the other hand, noblemen did not have to work. They stayed indoors and remained pale. You could always tell a nobleman from a peasant because the peasant had a tan. As a result, noblewomen did their best to keep their skins as light as possible. A skin so pale was considered a mark of great beauty and nobleness.
During the Industrial Revolution, farmers left their fields and went to work in factories, mines and mills. Working for long hours in those dark places make their skins pale. Wealthy people, however, could afford to travel to sunny countries. They lay around on the beaches and got a tan, which became a sign of wealth. In Western Europe and North America pale skin is no longer desirable. The desire for a quick tan has led to the invention of pills that darken the skin without exposure to sunlight.
So there are three answers to the question “Where does our color come from?” — It comes from the genes we inherit. It comes from the conditions in which we live. And it can come from a bottle that we buy at the drugstore on the corner. Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard.
26. Why did noblewomen in Europe do their best to keep their color as light as possible?
【解析】選[C]。文中提到,貴族婦人盡可能保持膚色潔白是因為白皙的膚色被認為是美麗和高貴的象征。a mark of...nobleness表明貴族們極力想使自己和農民區(qū)分開來。選項[C]與此相符,為答案。
27. Who were the people having a tan according to the passage?
【解析】選[D]。本題問哪些人會被曬黑。文中提到,工業(yè)革命時期,有錢人去陽光充足的國家旅行,他們在沙灘上躺著,皮膚被曬黑了,成為富有的象征,[D]項與原文相符。tan指日曬后的顏色,選項[A]與此矛盾。幾個世紀前,歐洲貴族因為足不出戶而皮膚潔白,[B]項錯誤。工業(yè)革命時期,工人長時間在光線昏暗的地方工作,皮膚變得很蒼白,[C]項也不正確。
28. What does the passage mainly tell us?
【解析】選[B]。短文第一句就點明了文章的主題:遺傳不是影響我們膚色的唯一因素,接下來的內容都圍繞這個主題展開,結尾也進一步與此呼應,因此選項[B]正確。貴族的情況不是文章討論的中心,而只是舉例論證主題的需要,并且文中也沒提到幾個世紀前的貴族喜不喜歡旅行,因此排除[A]項。影響膚色的因素有遺傳、陽光和 化妝品,[C]項過于片面!捌つw曬得黝黑被視為是富有的象征”是工業(yè)革命時期的情況,[D]中的nowadays與此不符。
Passage Two
Our topic today is about fleas that plague all of us who have cats and dogs in our homes. You may be surprised to find out that there are about 1,500 species of fleas, and that each species has its own preferred host. Fleas are, in fact, quite adept at finding their hosts. In an experiment, 270 fleas from rabbits were marked and then let loose in a large meadow. After a few days, a full half of the fleas had found rabbits to live on. Fleas also have a very interesting flexible diet. They can go for many months without eating if they have to, and they will change hosts in order to get more food, even if they don’t like the taste of their new host as much as the old! Their jumping ability is incredible, too. You may know this from your own experience. Some fleas can jump as high as 13 inches, which is quite a lot for such a small creature. This jumping ability comes from their relatively large muscular legs that are equipped with resilin, a kind of natural rubber. The elastic properties of this resilin have not yet been equaled in any artificial substance. Though the fleas on your cat or dog are not dangerous to you, some fleas carry diseases. It is the rat flea that is responsible for carrying some fatal plagues. These fleas have been in part responsible for the Great Plague of Europe in 500 A D that spread from Ethiopia to Byzantium to Europe. They are also part of the cause of Black Death in China and Europe.
Questions 29 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29. According to the passage, in what way are fleas flexible in their diets?
【解析】選[D]。題干句對應文中的Fleas also have a very interesting flexible diet,其后的They can go for many months without eating...對flexible diet進行了解釋說明,選項[D]是對原文的同義轉述,為答案。
30. According to the talk, what is resilin?
【解析】選[C]。resilin為超綱詞,但結合其所在句This jumping ability comes from their relatively large muscular legs that are equipped with resilin, a kind of natural rubber推斷,resilin應為跳蚤腿部中的一種物質,選項[C]正確。
31. According to the speaker, which flea has been responsible for deaths?
【解析】選[A]。fatal意為“致命的”,文中提到的It is the rat flea that is responsible for carrying some fatal plagues表明rat flea可以導致死亡,選項[A]正確。
32. According to the speaker, where did the Great Plague spread in the sixth century?
【解析】選[B]。根據(jù)文中提到的the Great Plague of Europe in 500 A D that spread from Ethiopia to Byzantium to Europe很容易得知本題答案:選項[B]正確。
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