2013年职称英语(综合类A级)考前预测试卷

　　第4部分：阅读理解(第31～45题，每题3分，共45分)

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇　Narrow Escape

　　We had left the hut too late that morning. When we stepped outside, the sky beyond the mountains to our east was already livid with colour. It meant the day would be a hot one, and the warmth would loosen rocks that were gripped by ice.

　　As soon as we stepped out on to the face, it became obvious this was going to be an awkward route. The main problem was talus, the debris that collects on mountainsides. Talus is despised by mountaineers for two reasons. First, because it can easily be pushed off on to you by people climbing above. And second, because it makes every step you take insecure.

　　For about 30 minutes we moved steadily up the face. The rock was in poor condition, shattered horizontally and mazed with cracks. When I tried to haul myself up on a block of it, it would pull out towards me, like a drawer opening. My hands became progressively wetter and colder. Then came a shout. "Cailloux! Cailloux!" I heard yelled from above, in a female voice. The words echoed down towards us. I looked up to see where they had come from.

　　There were just two rocks at first, leaping and bounding down the face towards us, once cannoning off each other in mid-air. And then the air above suddenly seemed alive with falling rocks, humming through the air and filling it with noise. Crack, went each one as it leapt off the rock face, then hum-hum-hum as it moved through the air, then crack again. The pause between the cracks lengthened each time, as the rocks gained momentum and jumped further and further. I continued to gaze up at the rocks as they fell and skipped towards me. A boy who had been a few years above me at school had taught me never to look up during a rock fall. "Why'? Because a rock in your face is far less pleasant than a rock on your helmet," he told us. "Face in, always face in. "

　　I heard Toby, my partner on the mountain that day, shouting at me. I looked across, the was safe beneath an overhanging canopy of rock. I could not understand him. Then 1 felt a thump, and was tugged backwards and round, as though somebody had clamped a heavy hand on my shoulder and turned me to face them. A rock had hit the lid of my rucksack.

　　I looked up again. A rock was heading down straight towards me. Instinctively, I leant backwards and arched my back out from the rock to try to protect my chest. What about my fingers, though, I thought ：they'll be crushed flat if it hits them, and I'll never get down. Then I heard a crack directly in front of me, and a tug at my trousers, and a yell from Toby. "Are you all right? That went straight through you. "The rock had pitched in front of me, and passed through the hoop of my body, between my legs, missing me but snatching at my clothing as it went.

　　Toby and I had spent the evening talking through the events of the morning. what if the big final stone hadn't leapt sideways, what if I'd been knocked off, would you have held me, would I have pulled you off? A more experienced mountaineer would probably have thought nothing of it. I knew I would not forget it.

　　31. Why was it "too late" by the time they left the hut in the morning?

　　A. It would be uncomfortable climbing in hot weather.

　　B. The livid color of the sky would hurt their eyes.

　　C. Rocks loosened by melting ice could be dangerous.

　　D. They wouldn't be able to walk on the melting ice.

　　32. The first reason given to explain why mountaineers hate talus is__________

　　A. that climbers above you might cause it to fall on you

　　B. that it allows people climbing above you to push off

　　C. that it makes people climbing above you feel insecure

　　D. that it can cause other people to push you off the mountain

　　33. What is likely to be the meaning of "Cailloux"'?

　　A. Rocks arc flying through the air.

　　B. Rocks are falling.

　　C. There are loose rocks on the ground ahead.

　　D. There are rocks everywhere.

　　34. What is sarcastic in the words of the boy in paragraph four?

　　A. He didn't keep his "face in".

　　B. Not every climber wears a helmet.

　　C. It is very difficult not to look up during a rockfall.

　　D. Being hit by a rock isn't "pleasant" at all.

　　35. In what sense was Toby "safe"?

　　A. The overhanging rock would protect him from falling rocks.

　　B. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

　　C. His rucksack was protected.

　　D. He had hidden under a canopy.

　　第二篇　Going Her Own Way

　　When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education, Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria ——or her mother. By this time,she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark.

　　Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" scbools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies,with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools.

　　Maria,however,wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modem than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people including Maria's father believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore,they did not think it was proper for girls to study them.

　　Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did,with her moher's help,though for many years after,there was tension in the family. Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her.

　　In 1883 ,at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects,the teaching methods were very traditional, Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding,discipline in the classroom was strict ,and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.

　　36. Maria wanted to attend__________

　　A. private "finishing" school

　　B. school with Latin and Greek

　　C. technical high school

　　D. school for art and music

　　37. In those days, most Italian girls__________

　　A. went to classical schools

　　B. went to "finishing" schools

　　C. did not go to high school

　　D. went to technical schools

　　38. You can infer from this passage that__________

　　A. girls usually attended private primary schools

　　B. only boys usually attended technical schools

　　C. girls did not like going to school

　　D. only girls attended classical schools

　　39. Maria's father probably__________

　　A. had very modern views about women

　　B. had very traditional views about women

　　C. had no opinion about women

　　D. thought women could not learn Latin

　　40. High school teachers in Italy in those days were__________

　　A. very modern

　　B. very intelligent

　　C. quite scientific

　　D. quite strict

　　第三篇　Smuggling

　　It is not unusual for a pet to be sent by air cargo from Colombia to New York, but last December's shipment of a 4-year-old sheep dog caught a New York Kennedy Airport Customs inspector's eye. The dog looked to be on its last legs, and there was an unusual lump on the side of its body. An X-ray and emergency surgery revealed the presence of 10 condoms tightly packed with five pounds of cocaine that had been surgically implanted in the dog's abdomen-yet another first for Customs in the war on drugs.

　　When it comes to transporting drugs, the methods used are only as limited as a smuggler's imagination. Kilo bricks of cocaine are routinely concealed beneath false bottoms of containers that hold poisonous snakes. "You've got snakes that are 12 feet long," says a United States Fish and Wildlife Service agent--and sometimes the drug is in the snake. "Who's going to pull it out and feel it?"

　　In 1994, United States Customs seized 204,391 pounds of cocaine, 559,286 pounds of marijuana and 2, 577 pounds of heroin. Just how much actually flows into the country is anyone's guess. Some customs officials estimate that only 10 percent of the drugs coming into the country are ever seized. In Miami, the District Attorney won't even prosecute small fry. "It's got to be over five kilos of cocaine, above a kilo of heroin and more than 5,000 pounds of marijuana or it's not something that we're going to stop the presses on," says Tom Cash, a retired agent.

　　Given this deluge, one can only wonder if agents are ever confounded by some of the smuggling methods. "There are things we haven't seen before," says .John McGhee, a Miami Customs special agent, "but nothing really surprises us. "

　　41. The dog was different from others in that__________

　　A. it could stand only on its hind legs.

　　B. it had only two legs

　　C. it was very attractive

　　D. it had a very big abdomen

　　42. How many methods are used to transport drugs?

　　A. As many as a smuggler can think of.

　　B. Beyond the smuggler's imagination.

　　C. Only a limited number.

　　D. Only a few.

　　43. How many pounds of heroin were estimated to be smuggled into the United States in 1994？

　　A. 204,391

　　B. 2,577

　　C. 25,77O

　　D. 559,286

　　44. Which of the following could best replace the expression "small fry" in the third paragraph?

　　A. Small dogs.

　　B. Small sheep dogs.

　　C. Small smugglers

　　D. Small ringleaders.

　　45. What is this article about?

　　A. Drug transportation from Columbia to New York.

　　B. A new method for drug smuggling.

　　C. Varied drug transportation methods

　　D. Types of drug.