1、公共英语五级真题(8)及答案解析(总分：80.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、Section Listening (总题数：0，分数：0.00)二、Section Use of Eng(总题数：1，分数：20.00)Americathe great “melting pot“has always been a rich blend of cultural traditions from all over the world. Many American families can trace their histories 1 immigrant ancestors who traveled g
2、reat 2 , enduring risk and hardship, to make a home 3 they would be guaranteed basic freedoms. And for many American families, these freedoms came 4 a struggle. Their parents and grandparents were deprived of the basic rights we value. American society was founded 5 freedom from religious persecutio
3、n and on tolerance of 6 in beliefs and cultural heritage. The differences (or diversity) that come 7 people from all over the world enrich our culture, bringing new ideas and energy. Today, more than 8 , children have opportunities to interact with 9 of differing ethnicities, religions, and cultures
4、. Classrooms are increasingly 10 , reflecting the communities where families live and work. Some parents welcome the fact that we live in an increasingly diverse 11 Others may feel more hesitant, especially if they have not had much exposure 12 people different from 13 . Many children are way ahead
5、of their 14 in terms of exposure to cultural differences. Their circle of friends, their schoolmates, and their athletic teams are much more varied than 15 of even a generation ago. Why is it important for parents to 16 their children prepare to live, learn and work in communities that will become e
6、ven more diverse? Teaching tolerance is important 17 just because it is part of our American heritage but 18 the person who learns to be open to differences will have more opportunity in education, in business, and in so many 19 ways. In 20 , your child“s success depends on it. Success in today“s wo
7、rldand tomorrow“sdepends on being able to understand, appreciate, and work with others.（分数：20.00）三、Section Reading Co(总题数：0，分数：0.00)四、Part A(总题数：0，分数：0.00)五、Text 1(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Paolo Fril, chairman and scientific officer of GeneDupe, based in San Melito, California, is a man with a dream. The dream
8、 is a dragon in every home. GeneDupe“s business is biotech pets. Not for Dr. Fril, though, the cloning of dead cats and dogs. He plans a range of entirely new animalsor, rather, of really quite old animals, with the twist that when they did exist, it was only in the imagination. Making a mythical cr
9、eature real is not easy. But GeneDupe“s team of biologists and computer scientists reckon they are equal to the task. Their secret is a new field, which they call “virtual cell biology“. Biology and computing have a lot in common, since both are about processing informationin one case electronic; in
10、 the other, biochemical. Virtual cell biology aspires to make a software model of a cell that is accurate in every biochemical detail. That is possible because all animal cells use the same parts listmitochondria for energy processing, the endoplasmic reticulum for making proteins, Golgi body for pr
11、otein assembly, and so on. Armed with their virtual cell, GeneDupe“s scientists can customize the result so that it belongs to a particular species, by loading it with a virtual copy of that animal“s genome. Then, if the cell is also loaded with the right virtual molecules, it will behave like a fer
12、tilized egg, and start dividing and developingfirst into embryo, and ultimately into an adult. Because this “growth“ is going on in a computer, it happens fast. Passing from egg to adult in one of GeneDupe“s enormous Mythmaker computers takes less than a minute. And it is here that Charles Darwin ge
13、ts a look in. With such a short generation time, GeneDupe“s scientists can add a little evolution to their products. Each computer starts with a search image (dragon, unicorn, griffin, etc), and the genome of the real animal most closely resembling it (a lizard for the dragon, a horse for the unicor
14、n and most taxingly, the spliced genomes of a lion and an eagle for the griffin). The virtual genomes of these real animals are then tweaked by random electronic mutations. When they have matured, the virtual adults most closely resembling the targets are picked and cross-bred, while the others are
15、culled. Using this rapid evolutionary process, GeneDupe“s scientists have arrived at genomes for a range of mythological creaturesin a computer, at least. The next stage, on which they are just embarking, is to do it for real. This involves synthesizing, with actual DNA, the genetic material that th
16、e computer models predict will produce the mythical creatures. The synthetic DNA is then inserted into a cell that has had its natural nucleus removed. The result, Dr. Fril and his commercial backers hope, will be a real live dragon, unicorn or what you have. Dr. Fril is confident about his new idea
17、. Indeed, if he can get the dragon“s respiration correct, he thinks they will set the world on fire.（分数：5.00）(1).Dr, Fril“s new ambition is to clone（分数：1.00）A.pets in general.B.rare animals.C.prehistoric animals.D.imaginary animals.(2).Mow GeneDupe“s scientists are trying to find out（分数：1.00）A.the e
18、xistence of mythical animals.B.the causes for the extinction of some animals.C.the similarities between biology and computing.D.the possibilities of creating mythical creatures.(3).The research is based on（分数：1.00）A.general genetic engineering theory.B.the development of computing technology.C.the t
19、heory of cross-breeding of different species.D.animals“ biochemical information processing.(4).The team has chosen a lizard for the dragon as they think these creatures（分数：1.00）A.have the same genome.B.have similar appearances.C.belong to the same species.D.possess the same genetic structure.(5).Dr.
20、 Fril and his team think they will succeed（分数：1.00）A.with the advancement of computer sciences.B.as they have worked out genomes by computer.C.when they find the actual DNA.D.if they get enough commercial backers.六、Text 2(总题数：1，分数：5.00)Cultural globalization, for many, means Westernization or Americ
21、anization. An important distinction concerning today“s cultural globalization is that it is largely driven by corporations, rather than countries. As such, one of the central concerns is the spread of consumer culture. For many critics, non-Western culture and practices are at risk of being overwhel
22、med by homogenizing “McDonaldization“. Skeptics contend that the erosion of culture has been overstated. They point to evidence that local culture remains strong. Cultural interactions have taken place for centuries so to argue non-Western cultural are somehow pure is naive. In a sense, the cultural
23、 degradation argument dismisses the ability of non-Western people to control their destiny and incorporate those attributes they may find useful. What is more, some argue that national identities are founded on real differences that have continued salience. Other skeptics point to the growth of ethn
24、ic and nationalist movements in the post-Cold War world as evidence that these sources of identity remain strong. Intense interaction may make people more cognizant of difference and lead to conflict. Information technology may, in fact, intensify traditional identities. Cultural globalization invol
25、ves processes of unequal power, which brings traditions and identities into question. Where ethnic and religious groups feel threatened by globalization, there is the potential for conflict. Migration is a significant aspect of globalization that has not only economic but also social and cultural ef
26、fects. While migration is not unique to the present age, communication and transportation technologies allow migrants a greater opportunity to maintain links with their homelands. More porous borders raise questions about notions of citizenship and identity. While challenges to national identity may
27、 come from supranational entities such as the European Union, globalization at the same time may facilitate the triggering of more local, particularistic identities. There is some disagreement on where this is all going and whether globalization could coma to an end. Clearly the openness and interco
28、nnectedness that emerged in the late 1800s was not permanent. The 1930s saw the major powers carving out spheres of influence and blocking out others. From a broader historical perspective, however, that may have been a hiccup. Whereas before the end of the American Civil War it took months to go by
29、 ship from one coast of the US to the other. The transcontinental railroad cut the trip to a week by 1870 and today it is a matter of a few hours by plane. There was some discussion after 9.11 whether the need for security would bring an end to tile era of globalization. In some areas, such as educa
30、tional exchanges, there has been an impact. Overall, however, the flow of goods, people, and messages of peace and war continue unabated some five years later. In many respects, therefore, globalization is not going away. The challenge for humanity, then, is to direct these forces in peaceful and be
31、neficial ways.（分数：5.00）(1).Critics of cultural globalization believe that（分数：1.00）A.traditional identities are being threatened by Western culture.B.national identities are based on differences.C.identities are broken down due to communication and migration.D.ethnic conflicts are caused by Westerniz
32、ation or Americanization.(2).Skeptics defend their opinion by stating（分数：1.00）A.current cultural globalization is not driven by countries.B.the power of non-Western cultures is underestimated.C.non-Western cultures are pure.D.cultural globalization is not a new tendency.(3).What do ethnic and nation
33、alist movements prove?（分数：1.00）A.Globalization may trigger conflicts between religious groups.B.Traditional identities are having a tough time.C.Cultural identities are resistant to change.D.National identities are in the process of degrading.(4).The word “cognizant“ (line 3, para. 3) possibly means
34、（分数：1.00）A.aware.B.defensive.C.ignorant.D.confident.(5).The author of this article（分数：1.00）A.tries to sound neutral by giving equal weight on both sides.B.believes that cultural globalization can be beneficial to humans.C.argues that information technology plays a role in breaking national identitie
35、s.D.agrees that organizations such as EU are blocking out other countries.七、Text 3(总题数：1，分数：5.00)On November 5th 1605, a band of English Catholic hotheads planned to detonate 36 barrels of gunpowder under the House of Lords. The scheme would have destroyed the nation by wiping out MPs, lords, bishop
36、s and the king. For sheer terrorist ambition, the plot remains unmatched. So why has this plan, and the capture, torture and public execution of the leading conspirators, been celebrated in Britain for the past four centuries? “God“s Secret Agents“ suggests one reason why: anti-Catholic paranoia. Th
37、e plot was the “popish“ outrage that Protestants had expected and warned about for half a century. Such fears had resulted in fines, strict laws and show trials of Jesuit missionaries. It is as though Anglicanisma vague and ambiguous creed, even in its early daysrequired an enemy against which to te
38、st itself. Before 1605, the threat from Catholicism was mostly imaginary. Attempts to re-establish the old religion in England were doomed to failure. Missionaries concentrated on the nobility, reckoning they would in turn convert the rest of the population, but this was to misunderstand English soc
39、iety. Worst, the missionaries received little support from Rome or Spain. The Gunpowder Plot was a desperate last heave by men who had already failed. It was also a gift to the authorities. The plot had been so wide-ranging that every pillar of the statemonarchy, church, nobility and Parliamentcould
40、 interpret its survival as an act of divine providence. All had an interest in keeping the memory of Catholic perfidy alive. As one preacher put it in 1636, the day was “never to be cancelled out of the calendar, but to be written in every man“s heart for ever.“ But then, something rather odd happen
41、ed. What began as a celebration of the status quo became the opposite. By the 18th century, Bonfire Night had become an excuse for violence and barely disguised extortion. Respectable citizens who tried to suppress it were burned in effigy for their pains, alongside the popea tradition that survives
42、 in the Sussex town of Lewes. This peculiar transformation is the subject of Gunpowder Plots, a book of essays. It is a mixed bag, but two stand out: an elegant account of the evolution of Bonfire Night by David Cressy, a historian, and a nerdy and fascinating treatise on gunpowder and fireworks by
43、Brenda Buchanan. The latter contains an intriguing detail. A receipt dated November 1605 from the Board of Ordnance mentions that the gunpowder recovered from Parliament was “decaied“i. e. moist. Perhaps the plot that Britons have celebrated all this time would have been rather a damp firework.（分数：5
44、.00）(1).In 1605, a group of English religious fanatics（分数：1.00）A.wiped out MPs, lords, bishops and the king.B.exploded the House of Lords with gunpowder.C.conspired a plot against the nation unequalled in history.D.were terrified with torture and public execution after their capture.(2).According to
45、 the text, Protestants（分数：1.00）A.were put on public trial by he Catholics.B.faced persecution by the Catholics before 1605.C.failed to establish Anglicanism because of opposition from the Catholics.D.feared that Anglicanism would be threatened by Catholicism.(3).Failure to re-establish Catholicism w
46、as due to the following EXCEPT（分数：1.00）A.opposition of the nobility.B.lack of attention to the general public.C.misunderstanding of English society.D.inadequate support from Rome.(4).The celebration of the Gunpowder Plot actually（分数：1.00）A.prompted the state to suppress the Catholics.B.caused the de
47、aths of respectable citizens.C.was intended to commemorate the victims.D.served as an excuse for violence.(5).It can be inferred from the text that the real cause for the failure of the plot was（分数：1.00）A.divine providence.B.the gunpowder.C.government suppression.D.Anglican precautions.八、Part B(总题数：
48、1，分数：10.00)The British philosopher and logician Bertrand Russell once wrote: “Mathematics, tightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beautya beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture. “ 1 This seems curious, since it is clear that artists have long found inspiration in mathematics.
49、 Greek architects appear to have used a number known as the golden ratio when designing the Parthenon, and Leonardo De Vinci“s Vitruvian Man, which depicts an outstretched figure encompassed by square and a circle, is an attempt to link human beauty with geometry. And in the 20th century, artists have been exposed even more to mathematical ideas, initially because Victorian mathematicians found ways of visualizing formulae and functions in physical form. Now computers have made it possible to visualize even more complex functions such as fractal patterns, and then mathema
