1、公共英语五级-阅读理解(二)及答案解析(总分：30.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、练习一(总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)三、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：5.00)As industrialisation came to define Western life in the 19th century, industry employed photography to portray its successes and strengths. For example, in 1857 British photographer Robert Howle
2、tt took pictures of the British steamship Great Eastern, the largest vessel of its day, and of its designer and engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. He depicted both ship and man as heroic exemplars of the age.In addition to recording the construction of railroads, ships, buildings, and bridges, photo
3、graphy proved useful to medicine and the fledgling social sciences, such as ethnology, psychology, and sociology. Doctors wanted before-and-after pictures of wounded Civil War soldiers to study the effects of surgery. Psychologists studied photographs of mental patients in an attempt to visually dis
4、cern their disorders. Fields as dissimilar as biology and astronomy demanded whole catalogues of new photographs to record and classify a rapidly expanding body of knowledge. American photographer Edward S. Curtis produced a 20-volume ethnographic survey of the native peoples of North America. Like
5、much early scientific photography, Curtiss work suffered from his own cultural biases in this case, an overly romantic view of how Native Americans should look. He supplied his subjects with props and costumes that were not always authentic, and his photographs are no longer considered accurate as d
6、ocumentation.The development of faster cameras n the 1870s spurred scientists and others to use photography in the systematic study of human and animal movement. In 1878 Muybridge used a series of photographs of a galloping horse to demonstrate to an amazed world that the animal lifts all four feet
7、off the ground at once. His work inspired Philadelphia painter Thomas Eakins to take up the camera so he could more accurately depict motion in his paintings. French physiologist Etienne-Jules Marey also followed Muybridges example and devised a special camera to record sequential photographs on a s
8、ingle plate. Marey used this method to develop insights into the flight of birds, human movement, and the workings of the human eye. His experiments helped prepare the way for airplane flight, motion pictures, and modern athletic training.In the last quarter of the 19th century the camera helped rec
9、ord the plight of the dispossessed, displaced, and overlooked. One of the earliest attempts to document urban poverty was made by Scottish photographer Thomas Annan, who aimed his camera at the empty, unsanitary alleyways of Glasgow in 1868. City officials commissioned Annans documentation to justif
10、y replacement of Glasgows unsavory slums with new development. John Thomson went a step further with candid photographs of poor people themselves, published in a series called Street Life in London (1877).In the United States, Danish-born journalist Jacob Riis saw the virtue of photographs as well a
11、s words in his campaign to improve the lot of poor city dwellers in New York City. He first hired photographers to accompany him into the slums, and later began taking pictures himself. Riis illuminated dark, airless interiors with bright bursts of light that he produced by igniting magnesium flash
12、powder. He showed the pictures at public lectures and later published them in a book entitled How the Other Half Lives (1890). Riiss tireless advocacy helped bring about better conditions for some slum dwellers, and initiated the use of photography as a powerful tool in the fight against poverty.（分数
13、：5.00）(1).What can be best said about photography as reviewed in this text?（分数：1.00）A.It has been historically extensive and influential.B.It has been more closely related to industry than to social sciences.C.It has been useful as an instrument for historical records.D.It has been visually impressi
14、ve and powerful.(2).Which of the following best reflects the comment of the author on Curtiss photographic work?（分数：1.00）A.Slightly ironical.B.Somewhat critical.C.Totally supportive.D.Culturally biased.(3).According to this text, improvement of camera speed resulted in（分数：1.00）A.the experiment of ai
15、rcraft flight.B.accuracy in movie production.C.detailed depiction of movements.D.delicate recording of images.(4).It can be seen from this text that cities in their early growth（分数：1.00）A.helped improve photographic work.B.created anti-city feelings.C.were not successful as expected.D.were not witho
16、ut their ills.(5).What was the main aim of Jacob Riiss photographic career?（分数：1.00）A.To bring about social changes.B.To disclose urban poverty.C.To show his special photographic technique.D.To practice both as a journalist and a photographer.四、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：5.00)The government of Britain has for
17、many centuries been shared by the supreme authorities: the Monarch (i.e. the King or Queen), the Lords (i.e. the hereditary nobility) and the Commons (i.e. the ordinary people). The story of its development has been the story of a gradual shifting of supremacy from the first of these authorities to
18、the third in other words a gradual progress towards democracy. Thus the Monarchy today is left without any power at all.This statement may seem surprising in view of the great affection which the British have for Queen Elizabeth, the great ceremonies connected with her, the great state functions ove
19、r which she presides, the oath of loyalty made to her by Parliament, and the many great decisions made in her name and requiring her authority. It is the Queen who approves the appointment of Ministers and the formation of a Cabinet; it is the Queen who summons Parliament and who introduces the new
20、session with a speech from the Throne in which she summarizes the governments programme; it is the Queen who gives her assent to Bill before they become law, who concludes treaties and declares war, who makes appointments to all offices of State and Church, who dismisses Parliament when the governme
21、nt has been defeated or has reached the end of its term, and who chooses a new Prime Minister. Indeed, she is informed and consulted on every aspect of national life. And yet it remains true that she has no power. For in practice, she acts only on the advice of her Ministers, and must be completely
22、impartial.This is of course not very easy to understand, and you may want to know what would happen if the Queen refused to give her assent to something she disagreed with. But the case would never arise. The Queen never refuses her assent, because she knows this would be unconstitutional. In any ca
23、se she had no means of enforcing her will.What is then the use of having a queen? Some British people would answer: no use at all. Some think the Monarchy is a useless relic of bygone age, and a tremendous waste of public money too. But these arguments are comparatively weak. Most British people reg
24、ard the monarchy as a long-established tradition, which, with all its colour and pageantry and with all the feelings of personal respect which it inspires, they would be most unwilling to lose. More than this, the monarch is the only unchangeable symbol of British itself. Politicians come and go acc
25、ording to the elections won or lost, and at any given moment every politician always has many determined opponents among those who do not belong to his own party. But the Monarch is always there, above party quarrels, representing the nation as a whole, and lending dignity and significance to all th
26、ings done in her name.（分数：5.00）(1).What is mainly discussed in this text?（分数：1.00）A.The role of the Monarch in Britain.B.The outdated royal system in Britain.C.Who actually rules Britain.D.The Queen as the most powerful person.(2).A new Prime Minister is chosen by（分数：1.00）A.Parliament.B.the Cabinet.
27、C.the Monarchy.D.all Ministers.(3).We can infer from the text that（分数：1.00）A.the Queen is not satisfied with her situation.B.the Queens rule is only in name, not in practice.C.the Queen still has her say in the government.D.the Queen is ill-informed of the national life.(4).If the Queen disagreed wi
28、th a certain policy, she would（分数：1.00）A.refuse to give her assent to it.B.consult with the Ministers about it.C.enforce her will.D.approve it nevertheless.(5).The system of the Monarchy is considered（分数：1.00）A.useful by a few British.B.a useful relic by politicians.C.a long-established tradition by
29、 most British.D.an insane waste of money by the author.五、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：5.00)As a medium of exchange, money permits the separation of exchange into the two distinct acts of buying and selling, without requiring the seller to purchase goods from the person who buys his products, or vice versa. Hence
30、 producers, who know they will be paid in money, can concentrate on finding the most suitable outlet for their goods, while buyers, who will pay in money, can concentrate on finding the cheapest market for the things they wish to purchase. Specialization, which is vital to an advanced economy, is en
31、couraged, because people whose output is not a complete product but only part of one in which many others are involved can be paid an amount equivalent to their share of the product.Another advantage of money is that it is a measure of value, that is, it serves as a unit in terms of which the relati
32、ve values of different products can be expressed. In a barter economy it would be necessary to determine how many plates were worth on hundred weight of cotton, to how many pens should be exchanged for a ton of coal, which would be a difficult and time-consuming task. The process of establishing rel
33、ative values would have to be undertaken for every act of exchange, according to what products were being offered against one another, and according to the two parties desires and preferences. If I am trying to barter fish for bananas, for example, a lot would depend on whether the person willing to
34、 exchange bananas is or is not keen on fish.Thirdly, money acts as a store of wealth. It is difficult to imagine saving under a barter system. No one engaged on only one stage in the manufacturing of a product could save part of his output, since he would be producing nothing complete. Even when a p
35、erson actually produced a complete product the difficulties would be overwhelming. Most products deteriorate fairly rapidly, either physically or in value, as a result of long storage, even if storage were possible, the practice of storing products for years on end would involve obvious disadvantage
36、s, imaging a coal-miner attempting to save enough coal, which of course is his product, to keep him for life. If wealth could not be saved, or only with great difficulty, future needs could not be provided for, or capital accumulated to raise productivity.It is clear that many essential characterist
37、ics of an advanced economic system -widespread exchange, division of labor and accumulation of capital -are closely linked with the use of money. Without money to facilitate exchange, production and saving, it would be impossible for an economy to develop beyond the primitive level which survives in
38、 communities still conducting their economic affairs on a barter basis.（分数：5.00）(1).Using money as a medium of exchange means that（分数：1.00）A.you have to sell something in order to buy something.B.you have to buy something in order to sell something.C.you dont have to buy something in order to sell s
39、omething.D.the seller and the purchaser are the same person.(2).Specialization is encouraged because（分数：1.00）A.people can use their money to buy whatever they want.B.people do not need to make a complete product for exchange.C.people make an intangible contribution to the manufacture of a product.D.
40、people cannot use their money to buy whatever they want.(3).Any exchange under a barter economy would（分数：1.00）A.be neither simple nor quick.B.have no value.C.be both simple and quick.D.be determined by simplicity and speed.(4).One difficulty in saving under a barter economy would be that（分数：1.00）A.i
41、t would be difficult to imagine money.B.some people do not make complete products, so they could not save them.C.some products would be too small to save.D.people are only engaged in one stage of manufacturing.(5).An advanced economy（分数：1.00）A.still exists in some places.B.cannot possibly exist.C.de
42、pends on widespread exchange, division of labor and accumulation of capital.D.does not depend on the use of money.六、Part B(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Too many people are haunted by five dismal words: “But its too late now.“ An unfaithful husband would like to salvage his marriage. “But its too late now.“ An offi
43、ce worker, fired because of her drinking problem, wishes she could conquer her alcoholism and begin again. “But its too late now.“Few families are without some broken personal relationships. At first those involved may be unwilling to hold out an olive branch. Then, when some time has passed, they m
44、ay feel its too late to offer an apology or try to make amends.16. _Not long ago I came upon an article about the distinguished musician Robert Shaw, who was retiring as music director and conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestr a. Years earlier, when I was the new pastor of Marble Church in New
45、York City, Shaw came to me and suggested we have a group of young people sing at our church services. He led such a chorale and was willing to make it available.17. _Unfortunately, some of the members of the congregation, including two of the elders who were strong traditionalists, thought the singi
46、ng was too much of a departure from the accepted way of doing things at Marble Church. They made their displeasure known to me in unmistakable terms.18. _Almost half a century passed. In all that time I never saw or spoke to Shaw. But then, as I read the article, my conscience reminded me I had made
47、 a mistake that still was unrectified.When I got home, I wrote a letter to Robert Shaw telling him that I had been wrong and was sorry.19. _What a lift I got from that! What happy evidence it was that even after many years a word of apology is never too late.20. _Because it never is.A. This struck m
48、e as an idea that would appeal to the younger members of our congregation. So I told him to go ahead.The people who sang were spirited and enthusiastic, and I thought they added a new and welcome dimension to our worship services.B. Why not search your mind and see if there is some past episode that
49、 calls for a word of reconciliation, some personal problem unsolved, some good deed !eft undone? Even if a long time has elapsed, dont assume its too late.C. I sayto such people:“Nonsense! Its nevertoo late to make a fresh start.“D. Finally, against my better judgement, I told Shaw that I was sorry, but we would have to terminate the arrangement. He was disappointed, but said he understood. This incident would always bother me. I had failed to have the courage of my convictions.E. As we had to make the church hall available for other purposes, one da
