英语阅读(二)2010年1月真题试题及答案解析（00596）

Paragraph Ten

Interest in dreams is as old as mankind himself. Mankind’s oldest book the Bible is full of them, with the first recorded dream occurring around 1900 B.C. The Greeks, Romans and Babylonians all put great hope in dreams, especially on the eve of battle. Today the interest in dreams and their interpretation is no less profound.

Human beings have long been a______ by dreams.

Excellencies, you are the United Nations. The staff who were killed and injured in the attack on our Baghdad headquarters were your staff. You had given them a mandate to assist the suffering Iraqi people, and to help Iraq recover its national sovereignty.

 (46. In future, not only in Iraq but also wherever the United Nations is engaged, we must take more effective measures to protect the security of our staff.) I count on your full support - legal, political and financial.

Subject to security considerations, the United Nations system is prepared to play its full part in working for a satisfactory outcome in Iraq, and to do so as part of an effort by the whole international community, pulling together on the basis of a sound and viable policy. (47. If it takes extra time and patience to make a policy that is collective, coherent and workable, then I for one would regard that time as well spent. )Indeed, this is how we must approach all the many pressing crises that confront us today.

Three years ago, when you came here for the Millennium Summit, we had a shared vision of global solidarity and collective security, expressed in the Millennium Declaration. But recent events have called that consensus in question.

(48. All of us know“ there are new threats that must be faced—or, perhaps, old threats in new and dangerous combinations: new forms of terrorism, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.) But, while some consider these threats as self-evidently the main challenge to world peace and security, others feel more immediately threatened by small arms employed in civil conflict, or by so-called “soft threats” such as the persistence of extreme poverty, the disparity of income between and within societies, the spread of infectious diseases, or climate change and environmental degradation.

In truth, we do not have to choose. The United Nations must confront all these threats and challenges—new and old, “hard” and “soft”. It must be fully engaged in the struggle for development and poverty eradication, starting with the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals; in the struggle to protect our common environment and in the struggle for human rights; democracy and good governance. In fact, all these struggles are linked. We now see, with chilling clarity, that a world where many millions of people endure brutal oppression and extreme misery will never be fully secure, even for its most privileged inhabitants.

(49. Yet the “hard” threats, such as terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, are real, and cannot be ignored. Terrorism is not a problem only to rich countries.) Weapons of mass destruction do not threaten only the western or northern world. Where we disagree, it seems, is on how we respond to these threats.

(50. Since this Organization was founded, States have generally sought to deal with threats to the peace through containment and deterrence, by a system based on collective security and the United Nations Charter.)

Paragraph Nine

Genetic Engineering is quite a new science which is a rapidly expanding and developing technology. It has the potential for many useful developments in the fields of medicine, agriculture, industry and conservation. However, balanced with this, it has the potential to produce catastrophic problems.

Genetic Engineering can bring problems as well as b______ to people.

Paragraph Seven

There is too much monkey business in Hong Kong, and the government is determined to do something about it. Packs of wild monkeys are invading parks and neighborhoods in greater numbers, aggressively begging for food and sometimes snatching bags from frightened passersby.

Hong Kong c______ are harassed by monkeys.

Paragraph Eight

Consumed by sorrow after their son Peter died in the second plane to hit the World Trade Center, Sally and Donald Goodrich of Bennington, Vermont, fell into lives of silent despair. Sally began to drink; then, diagnosed with cancer, she considered taking her own life.

Sally considered s______ because of cancer and loss of her son.

Paragraph Six

Nowadays sophisticated solar-energy systems called photovoltaics produce electricity from the sun. Photovoltaics run $14,000 to $20,000, but these systems can substantially cut homeowners’ electric bills, depending on sun exposure and electric rates. Excess energy can even be sold back to the electric company for more savings.

Expensive photovoltaics can help save a lot in the long r______.

Paragraph Four

Health care workers in Senegal, Namibia, and other African nations usually walk miles over dusty roads to deliver food, medicine, and companionship to people with HIV/AIDS. But with the donation of 1,500 single-speed bicycles by Bike Town Africa, caregivers now visit as many as six times more people in need.

Care workers now help more people with d______ bicycles.

Paragraph Five

Harsh garden chemicals kill beneficial organisms as well, including butterflies, ladybugs, and bees, all of which help our gardens grow and stay healthy. More troubling is that garden chemicals can leach into the groundwater, where they can leave a toxic residue that poisons fish, small plants, and waterfowl.

Garden chemicals can be quite h______.

Paragraph One

Surveys show that the average office worker sends and receives 108 e-mails a day. Even when we manage to clear out the in-box and escape our desks, most of us are still reachable by cell phone or some other handheld device. These gadgets add convenience and fun to our lives, but there’s a price to be paid.

With new technologies work t______ up more of people’s private time.

Paragraph Two

esearchers tested obese men before and after they joined a one-year modest walking plan. The result: Their blood pressure improved and the amount of body fat around their abdomen - the dangerous kind of fat that leads to higher rates of heart disease and diabetes - significantly decreased. 

The surprising e______ modest walking has on health.

Paragraph Three

There are 15 million of us who fly across multiple time zones every year, with 500,000 of us in the air at any given moment. And for those of us who fly more than a couple of time zones from home jet lag can be a serious challenge.

Millions of people s______ from jet lag every year.

What keeps Kaufman going?

Research in industrialized countries has shown the subtle method used to encourage girls to smoke. The impact of such method is likely to be even greater in developing countries, where young people are generally less knowledgeable about smoking hazards and may be more attracted by glamorous, affluent, desirable images of the female smoker. This is why WHO, together with other national and international health agencies, has repeatedly called for national legislation banning all forms of tobacco promotion, and for an appropriate “high price” policy which would slow down the “enthusiasm” of young women for tobacco consumption.Young girls and women have a right to be informed about the damage that smoking can do to their health. They also need to acquire skills to resist pressure to start smoking or to give it up. Several countries have developed integrated school and preschool health education programs which have successfully reduced girls’ smoking rates; but this education should not be restricted to what happens in school. There are many other examples of effective cessation programs in the workplace and primary health centers. Unfortunately, many women do not have the opportunity to be involved in such programs, and programs have generally been less successful with women than men.In order for women to become, and remain, non-smokers they need support. Support over these difficult days when the addiction cycle is broken. Support to help them deal in other less damaging ways with the reasons that caused them to smoke. Environments need to be created which enable them to break free of this health damaging behavior, to make the healthy choices the best choices. Smoking amongst women has already reached epidemic proportions and will continue to escalate unless action is taken now. Delays can only cause further suffering and deaths of women; this is why WHO’s new program on tobacco or health is giving high priority to action to protect women and children.26. delicate, hardly noticeable (Para. 1)27. organizations or departments that do a specific job (Para. 1)28. ordering with authority that something must not be done (Para. 1)29. told about something formally or officially (Para.2)30. to learn or develop (Para.2)3 I. combining different groups, ideas or parts (Para.2)32. the need to have something regularly, especially something harmful (Para.3)33. spreading in great number (Para.3)34. to become much worse (Para.3)35. the most attention needed (Para.3)

As he first started his business, Kaufman got the money he needed when ______.

Which of the following best responds to Kaufman’s point “Together we can make better decisions”?

Kaufman manages to stay ahead in business by ______.

What’s the result of the charge against eBay by luxury goods maker LVMH Moёt Hennessy Louis Vuitton?

The effect that French and German courts’ ruling may have on eBay is ______.

Passage Five

“Everyone has an idea,” says 21-year-old serial entrepreneur Ben Kaufman. “Every day, people walk around going ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if...’. I want to harness those ideas and let people have a forum.”

Kaufman did that as the founder of Mophie, a start-up that makes innovative iPod accessories. But he needed to outdo himself. Instead of setting up a traditional display booth at last year’s Macworld convention, Kaufman handed out pads and pencils and invited attendees to sketch the products they wanted. Hundreds of people participated. Within 72 hours, Kaufman and his team had created three finished products, including one by 17-year-old Jared Fiovorich. The Bevy – a protective case for the iPod Shuffle that multitasks as a key ring, earbud wrap, and bottle opener - has outsold Mophie’s other products four to one. That kind of response proves Kaufman’s point: “Together we can all make better decisions.”

Kaufman started Mophie when he was a high school senior with an idea to produce the Song Sling, a case for the iPod Shuffle that you wear around your neck. Plenty of 18-year-olds have ideas; Kaufman made his happen. “I convinced my mom and dad to remortgage the house,” he says, “and they gave me the $185,000 in equity and let me give it a shot.” Says his mother, Mindy, “When you see someone who has a dream and a great idea, you don’t want to stifle it.”

The $39.95 Song Sling turned out to be a success, and Kaufman ultimately designed and manufactured 22 other products. In order to keep the buzz going, he says, “I needed to hit the shelf with a new product within four weeks after each new iPod model dropped.” This meant a lot of trips to the factory in China. To ensure that his exacting standards were met, he’d sit in front of the machines as the parts were coming out, saying “no,” “yeah,” “maybe,” “closer.” He pushed supervisors to speed up production times and stuck to his guns when they wanted to cut corners and raise prices.

What often motivates him, Kaufman admits, is danger. “Our accountant once called me in and said, ‘Ben, we’ll be out of money in two weeks,’ and I was like, Yes! That’s what gets me going.” Adds product engineer Peter Wadsworth, “There are two things that inspire Ben: lots of money and no money.”

Questions 21-25 are based on Passage Five.

What can we learn from court’s ruling over the lawsuit against eBay brought by Tiffany & Company?

Passage Four

eBay scored an important victory in an American court on Monday on how much checking it is required to do of its auction listings, but the decision was in contrast to recent European court rulings.

In a long-awaited decision in a four-year-old trademark lawsuit against eBay brought by the jeweler Tiffany & Company, Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that the online retailer does not have a legal responsibility to prevent its users from selling fake items on its online marketplace. The verdict reaffirms that Internet companies do not have to actively filter their sites for trademarked material. Rather, they can rely on intellectual property holders to monitor their sites, as long as they promptly remove material when rights holders complain.

“The court ruled that eBay does in fact meet its responsibilities regarding fakes,” said Rob Chesnut, senior vice president and legal counsel at eBay. “We aggressively fight fakes not only to meet our limited responsibilities, but also because fakes hurt the eBay community.” James B. Swire, counsel for Tiffany and a partner at the law firm of Arnold & Porter, said he was “shocked and disappointed” in the ruling. “The principal purpose of trademark law is first to protect consumers and then to protect brand owners,” he added. “You don’t get a real sense of that in this decision.” Mr. Swire said that Tiffany was likely to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

The ruling is a shift in eBay’s recent courtroom fortunes. A week ago, a French judge ordered eBay to pay 40 million euros ($63.2 million) to the French luxury goods maker LVMH Moёt Hennessy Louis Vuitton over faking charges. In April, a German appeals court ruled that eBay must take preventive measures against the sale of fake Rolex watches.

If those judgments are upheld in appellate court, eBay could have a potential problem on its hands. Though it operates a single global marketplace - buyers in Europe see the same items that buyers in the United States do - eBay would be legally required to do more abroad to fight faking than it is required to do at home. American shoppers on eBay will see no change in the company’s listings, but how the various rulings will affect the listings in Europe remains to be seen.

Questions 16-20 are based on Passage Four.

Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?

According to Rob Chesnut, eBay fights fakes because ______.

We know from the passage that average happiness levels in America ______.

From the last paragraph we can tell that the difference between winning the lottery and hard work is ______.

What can be learnt about the “good old days”?

By saying “Teenagers may not vote, courts can order surgery or force-feeding”, the author means ______.

Passage Three

The phrase “marching to the beat of my own drummer” is closest in meaning to ______.

The author’s attitude towards the committee’s action is ______.

Which of the following opinions would the members of the Great Ape Project agree?

Passage Two

Questions arise after the vote of the environment committee of the Spanish Parliament last month to grant limited rights to our closest biological relatives, the great apes - chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans. The committee would bind Spain to the principles of the Great Ape Project, which points to apes’ human qualities, including the ability to feel fear and happiness, create tools, use languages, remember the past and plan the future. The project’s directors, Peter Singer, the Princeton ethicist, and Paola Cavalieri, an Italian philosopher, regard apes as part of a “community of equals” with humans.

If the bill passes - the news agency Reuters predicts it will - it would become illegal in Spain to kill apes except in self-defense. Torture, including in medical experiments, and arbitrary imprisonment, including for circuses or films, would be forbidden. The 300 apes in Spanish zoos would not be freed, but better conditions would be mandated.

What’s intriguing about the committee’s action is that it puts two sliding scales together that are normally not allowed to slide against each other: how much kinship humans feel for which animals, and just which “human rights” each human deserves.

We like to think of these as absolutes: that there are distinct lines between humans and animals, and that certain “human” rights are unalienable. But we’re kidding ourselves.

In an interview, Mr. Singer described just such calculations behind the Great Ape Project: he left out lesser apes like gibbons because scientific evidence of human qualities is weaker, and he demanded only rights that he felt all humans were usually offered, such as freedom from torture - rather than, say, rights to education or medical care. Depending on how it is counted, the DNA of chimpanzees is 95 percent to 98.7 percent the same as that of humans.

Nonetheless, the law treats all animals as lower orders. Human Rights Watch has no position on apes in Spain and has never had an internal debate about who is human, said Joseph Saunders, deputy program director. Meanwhile, even in democracies, the law accords diminished rights to many humans: children, prisoners, the insane, the senile. Teenagers may not vote, courts can order surgery or force-feeding. Spain does not envision endowing apes with all rights: to drive, to bear arms and so on. Rather, their status would be akin to that of children.

Questions 6-10 are based on Passage Two.

The environment committee of the Spanish Parliament voted to give limited rights to apes, because ______.

If the bill passes, in which circumstance can an ape by killed?

What does Trelease think of reading?

The audience is surprised by Trelease’s talk in that ______.

Trelease’s speech focuses on______.

According to Trelease, what is missing in the practice of teaching reading in today’s elementary schools?

Passage One

Jim Trelease has devoted the past 16 years to promoting what he considers the best-kept secret in education today. “Most people don’t believe me when they first hear it,” he says. “They dismiss it for three reasons: One, it’s simple. Two, it’s free. Three, the child enjoys it. So how good can it be?”

His audience tonight, mostly young parents and teachers gathered in the St. Helena, Calif., elementary-school auditorium, giggles nervously. “I know what you’re thinking,” Trelease says. “There are only 24 hours in a day. It’s true. But who ever told you that parenting was going to be a time-saving activity?”Trelease continues to persuade them that no matter how busy they are, the foremost nurturing they can give a child, next to hugging him, is reading aloud to him.

He backs up his pitch with facts. Numerous studies, including recent reports by the Center for the Study of Reading and the National Council of Teachers of English, confirm that reading to children builds vocabulary, stimulates imagination, stretches the attention span, nourishes emotional development, and introduces the textures and nuances of the English language. Reading aloud is, in essence, an advertisement for learning to read.

Trelease laments that elementary-school students are too often conditioned to associate reading with work. “We have concentrated so hard on teaching children how to read that we have forgotten to teach them to want to read,” he says.

His audience is surprised to hear that only 22 percent of eighth-graders read for fun daily, while 65 percent watch three hours or more of television each day. Research also indicates that average reading proficiency drops when TV viewing reaches about three hours a day. Their parents’ habits are no better: a recent survey shows a decline in newspaper readership among U.S. adults.

Lest there be any doubt about the stakes involved, Trelease makes a bold claim. Reading, he says, is the single most important social factor in American life today. “The more you read, the smarter you grow. The longer you stay in school, the more money you earn. The more you earn, the better your children will do in school. So if you hook a child with reading, you influence not only his future but also that of the next generation.”

When his two children, Elizabeth and Jamie, were young, Trelease and his wife, Susan, fed them as many books as meals. “I read to my kids because my father had read to me,” he says. “I just wanted them to have the good feelings I had had.”

Questions 1-5 are based on Passage One.

What does the word “dismiss” (paragraph 1) mean?