职称英语押题(综合C)

阅读理解：
第一篇Telling Tales about People
One of the most common types of nonfiction, and one that many people enjoy reading, is stories about people's lives. These stories fall into three general categories: autobiography, memoir, and biography.
An autobiography is the story of a person's life written by himself or herself. Often it begins with the person's earliest recollections and ends in the present. Autobiography writers may not be entirely objective in the way they present themselves. However, they offer the reader a good look at the way they are and what makes them that way. People as diverse as Benjarmin Franklin and Helen Keller have written autobiographies. 1Other writers, such as James Joyce，have written thinly fictionalized accounts of their lives. These are not autobiographies，but they are very close to it.
Memoirs, strictly speaking, are autobiographical accounts that focus as much on the events of the times as on the life of the author. 2Memoir writers typically use these events as backdrops for their lives. They describe them in detail and discuss their importance. Recently，though，the term memoir seems to be becoming interchangeab1e with autobiography. A memoir nowadays may or may not deal with the outside world.
Biographies are factual accounts of someone else's life. In many senses，these may be the hardest of the three types to write. Autobiography writers know the events they write about because they lived them. But biography writers have to gather information from as many different sources as possible. Then they have to decide which facts to include. Their goal is to present a balanced picture of a person，not one that is overly positive or too critical. A fair well-presented biography may take years to research and write.
词汇：
backdrop /'b k,dr?p/ n. 背景interchangeable /int? 't?end??bl/ adj. 可转换的
注释：
1. People as diverse as Benjamin Franklin and Helen Keller have written autobiographies. 就像本杰明富兰克林和海伦凯勒一样，各种各样的人们已经写了自传。

2. Memoirs，strictly speaking，are autobiographical accounts that focus as much on the events of the times as on the life of the author. 严格意义上来讲，回忆录是既注重作者本身的生活经历，也注重其所处的时代所发生的事件的自传性的描述。

练习：
1. This passage is mostly about _______.
A. the characteristics of autobiographies，memoirs，and biographies
B. famous autobiographies
C. why biography can be difficult to write
D. differences between autobiographies and memoirs
2. Helen Keller wrote________.
A. a memoir
B. an autobiography
C. a work of fiction
D. a biography
3. Autobiography writers are not always objective because they________.
A. feel they have to make up details to make their books sell
B. constantly compete with biography writers
C. want to present themselves in a good light
D. have trouble remembering the good times
4. The writer introduces each category in the passage by________.
A. defining it
B. giving an example
C. explaining why it is hard to write
D. telling when people first began writing it
5. Diverse means________.
A. able to swim in deep water
B. similar or alike
C. varied or different
D. enjoying poetry
答案与题解：
1. A 本题问的是：这篇文章主要是关于？文章第一句说到最普遍的非小说类文学作品类型之一就是一些来描述人们生活的故事，这些故事大致分为三类：自传回忆录和传记。

然后通篇对这三种类型进行了介绍，因此A是正确答案。

2. B 本题问的是：海伦凯勒谢了什么？第二段第5句话写到：就像本明杰富兰克林和海伦凯勒一样，各种各样的人们已经写了自传。

因此B是正确答案。

3. C本题问的是：自传作者通常不太客观，因为他们？第二段提到：他们给读者提供了一个途径来了解自己比较好的行事风格……，因此答案是C，他们想展示自己好的一面。

4. A本题问的是：本文的作者通过何种方式介绍每种类型的非小说文学作品？答案是A，通过给每个类型进行定义。

5. C本题问的是：diverse 的意思是？其汉语意思为“多种多样的”，因此C正确。

第三篇Shark Attack!
Craig Rogers was sitting on his surfboard, scanning the distance for his next wave，when his board suddenly stopped moving. He looked down and was terrified to see a great white shark biting the front of his board. “I could have touched its eye with my elbow,” says Craig. The shark had surfaced so quietly that he hadn't heard a thing.
In his horror and confusion，he waved his arms and accidentally cut two of his fingers on the shark's teeth. He then slid off the opposite side of his surfboard into the water. Then, with Craig in the water and blood flowing from his fingers，the five-meter-long shark simply swam away, disappearing into the water below.
Although sharks are often categorized as killers that hunt and eat as many humans as they can, this is factually inaccurate. Sharks very rarely kill humans. A person has a greater chance of being struck by lightning or drowning in a bath than of being killed by a shark. Only 74 people have been reported killed by great whites in the last century. But great white sharks can reach six meters in length and weigh 2,200 kilograms or more. With frightening jaws that can hold up to 3,000 teeth arranged in several rows，they could very easily kill and eat a helpless human in the water. Why is it, then, that most people survive attacks by great whites? Shark researchers are trying to comprehend the reasons that allow people to escape without being eaten.
The most common explanation is that great whites don't see well. It has been thought that they mistake people for the seals or sea lions which make up a large part of their diet. There is reason to doubt this，however. Recent information shows that great whites can actually see very well. Also，when attacking seals, great whites shoot up to the surface and bite with great force. When approaching humans, however, they most often move in slowly and bite less hard. They soon discover that humans are not a high — fat meal. “They spit us out because we're too bony,” says Aidan Martin，director of Reef Quest Center for Shark Research.
Shark researchers like Martin hypothesize that great whites are actually curious animals that like to investigate things. It's possible that they use their bite not only to kill and eat, but also to gather information. Although such an experience is unlucky for people like Craig Rogers, when sharks bite surfboards or other objects or people，they are likely just trying to learn what they are. 词汇：
scan vt审视，细看,浏览
elbow n.肘，肘部
surface n, 表面，外表；vi.浮出水面，浮现
drown vi.淹死，溺死
注释：
1. ... cut two of his fingers on the shark's teeth.被鲨鱼咬掉了两个指头。

2. A person has a greater chance of being struck by lightning or drowning in a bath than of being killed by a shark.比起被鲨鱼杀死,人类更有可能被闪电击中或是淹死在浴缸中。

练习：
1. After Craig Rogers fell into the water, the shark_________.
A) bit his surfboard
B) bit his fingers
C) swam away
D) attacked him
2. It is difficult for the author to understand why great whites_________.
A) often let humans escape
B) kill humans
C) have so many teeth
D) grow to six meters or more
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to make up in line 2 of paragraph 4?
A) create.
B) are.
C) increase.
D) depend upon.
4. The word their in line 2 of paragraph 4 means_________.
A) people's
B) great whites'
C) sea lions'
D) seals'
5. What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
A) Great whites eat low-fat, bony meals more slowly.
B) Great whites see well enough to include seals, sea lions, and humans in their diet.
C) We now know great whites don't mistake humans for other animals.
D) There is reason to doubt that great whites see well enough to attack humans.
答案与题解：
1. C选项A(鲨鱼咬冲浪板)和B(鲨鱼咬他的手指)两个选项发生在Craig落水之前，故排除这两项。

从第二段第三行可以得到如下信息：当Craig落入水中，手指上的鲜血在水中散开之时，这条五米长的鲨鱼却自己游走了。

此信息排除了选项D(鲨鱼攻击他），因此答案为C (鲨鱼自己游走了）。

2. A从第二段第一行我们可以看出：鲨鱼被人类视为杀手，这是一条常识，很容易理解，因此选项B(杀人)被排除。

而选项C(有很多牙）和D(长到六米长或是更长）只是对鲨鱼的简单描述，也属于常识;而且文中并未出现对它们的质疑，说明作者也默认了这两条常识。

因此选项C和D也被排除。

所以答案是A(常常让人类逃脱），这在文中第三段得到了验证，第三段整段就是在说虽然鲨鱼可以轻松杀死人类，但是它们却很少杀人。

第三段最后两行甚至提到就连鲨鱼研究者们都在尽力寻找人类屡屡能鲨口逃生的原因，这就更能证明选项A是正确答案。

3. B本题要求读者根据上下文的语境猜测第四段第二行斜体标出的词组make up的意思。

结合make up词组前出现的单词seal和sea lion以及它后面出现的词组a large part of their diet,通过常识我们可以猜出：海豹和海狮应该是鲨鱼的主要食物来源。

比对四个选项，我们可以发现选项A(创造）、选项C(增加）和选项D(依靠）在意思上都说不通，代入原文无法构成有意义的一句话。

因此只有选项B(是）在意思上和make up最为接近，代入原文也说得通。

在本文中，词组make up的意思为：组成，构成。

4. B本题要求读者根据上下文的语境猜测第四段第二行斜体标出的单词their的意思。

结合第四段前两行的内容，我们可以很容易推测出，在这里their指代的是the great whites(大白鲨），因此答案为B。

5. C本题要求读者总结出第四段的主要内容。

第四段主要介绍的是：人们起初以大白鲨视力不好为由来解释人类为何屡屡鲨口脱险，但是最近的信息表明大白鲨的视力并不差，不会把人类误认为是海豹或海獅。

大白鲨不吃人是由于它们觉得人类太瘦，没有海獅和海豹的肉那么肥。

对比四个选项：选项A略显片面，不是本段的主要内容，故排除。

选项B中提到大白鲨也把人类当作食物来源，这点是错误的，故排除B。

选项D中说的是人们开始怀疑这一
论断的正确性，但是选项D的表述和文中的信息正好相反;人们现在开始怀疑的是“大白鲨由于视力不好才去攻击人类”这一论断，而不是“大白鲨由于视力很好才去攻击人类”，故排除D。

所以正确答案为C(我们现在知道大白鲨不会把人类误以为是其他动物）。

参考译文
第三篇小心鲨鱼！
克雷格•罗杰斯正坐在他的冲浪板上估算着下一波浪离他还有多远，就在这时冲浪板不动了。

他低头向水下看，惊悚的一幕出现了：一条大白鲨正在撕咬冲浪板的前端。

“我的肘部可能都已经碰到了它的眼睛”，克雷格谈道。

原来，这条鲨鱼悄悄地浮上了水面，完全没让克雷格听到。

克雷格惊慌害怕，手足无措，但是偶然之间他被鲨鱼咬掉了两支手指，然后随着滑板翻了个个儿，他也掉进水里。

就在那时，处于水中的克雷格两支手指鲜血直流，但这条五米长的鲨鱼却径直游开，消失在深海之中。

虽然鲨鱼常被认为是疯狂杀人的猎手，但事实上这是不准确的。

鲨鱼很少猎杀人类。

比起被鲨鱼杀死，人类更有可能被闪电击中或是淹死在浴缸中。

在上个世纪，有报道的只有74人命丧鲨鱼之口。

然而大白鲨可以长封6米长、2200公斤重或是更重。

3000颗牙齿排成数排长在鲨鱼那可怕的血盆大口中，它们可以轻易杀死并吃掉无助的落水者。

但为什么大多数人受到大白鲨攻击之后都能鲨口逃生呢？鲨鱼研究者们正在努力寻找使得人类鲨口脱险的原因。

最常用的解释是说大白鲨的视力不好。

人们认为大白鲨会把人类错当成是海豹或是海狮，后两者是鲨鱼的主要食物来源。

但是人类又找到了理由来质疑这一论断。

最近的研究信息表明大白鲨视力不错。

并且当大白鲨在攻击海豹时，它们会迅速窜上海面，用力撕咬。

但当大白鲨在攻击人类时，它们在大多数情况下会慢慢浮上海面，撕咬的力度也轻得多。

它们很快就会发现人类的肉不够肥。

“它们把我们吐出来是因为我们太瘦了”，艾丹•马丁说道，他是鲨鱼研究暗礁搜索中心的领头人。

诸如马丁这样的鲨鱼研究者们提出了这样一种假设：大白鲨实际上是一种好奇心很重的动物，它们喜欢探索新鲜事物。

有可能它们撕咬物体不仅仅是为了猎杀和吃掉，也是为了搜集信息。

虽然这种经历对于像克雷格·罗杰斯这些人来说很不幸，但是当鲨鱼在撕咬冲浪板，或是别的物体，甚至是人类时，很可能它们只是在尽量了解那到底是个什么东西。

第五篇The Travels of Ibn Battuta
“I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June 1325 with the intention of making the pilgrimage [ to Mecca]... to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests. ” So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris—the travel journal of Ibn Battuta.
Almost two centuries before Columbus, this young Moroccan set off for Mecca, returning home three decades later as one of history's great travelers. Driven by curiosity, he journeyed to remote comers of the Islamic world, traveling through 44 modem countries, three times as far as Marco Polo. Little celebrated in the West2, his name is well known among Arabs. In his hometown of Tangier, a square, a hotel, a cafe, a ferry boat, and even a hamburger are named after him.
Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years, but the urge to travel soon took
over. In one adventure, he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the Sultan of Delhi.3 On the way, he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot, and two horsemen：“we fought ... killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers ….I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in his grace preserved me .... We carried the heads of the slain to the castle of Abu Bak, har ... and suspended them from the wall. ” In Delhi, the sultan gave him the position of judge, based on his prior study at Mecca. But the sultan had an unpredictable character, and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave. When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China, he agreed. Ibn Battuta set off in three ships, but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore. A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships, scattering treasure and drowning many people and horses. As he watched, the third ship, with all his belongings and slaves一one carrying his child—was carried out to sea and never heard from again.
After a lifetime of incredible adventures, Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the Sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world. Fortunately, he consented and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages, allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys.
词汇：
pilgrimage n.朝圣，远游
ferry n.渡船
sultan n,苏丹（伊斯兰教国王，某些伊斯兰国家统治者的称号）
slain：slay的过去分词slay v.杀死，杀戮
unparalleled adj.无比的，空前的
finance v.给……提供资金
scatter vt. 撒播，驱散; vi.消散
consent vi.同意，赞成
注释：
1. ... with the intention of making the pilgrimage………打算去朝圣……
2. Little celebrated in the West,... 虽然在西方社会不怎么知名，……
3. ... seeking profitable employment with the Su ltan of Delhi. ……在德里的苏丹王那里谋到了一份收入颇丰的工作。

练习：
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A) Visitors to Mecca.
B) The adventures of Ibn Battuta.
C) Ibn Battuta's character.
D) Asian countries of the 14th century.
2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to set off for in line 5?
A) left to go to.
B) discussed.
C) arrived at.
D) decided upon.
3. The Sultan of Delhi gave Ibn Battuta a position of judge because • .
A) the sultan needed a translator.
B) Ibn Battuta had been a judge before.
C) Ibn Battuta had studied in Mecca.
D) Ibn Battuta had traveled to many countries.
4. Which of the following would the writer of this passage most likely agree with?
A) Ibn Battuta's journeys were very common for people of that time.
B) Ibn Battuta's stories are probably not true.
C) Ibn Battuta's journey was less important than Marco Polo's.
D) Ibn Battuta should be better known in the West today.
5. Why did Ibn Battuta finally return to his home?
A) He was tired of traveling.
B) He didn't have any more money.
C) He feared the Sultan of Delhi.
D) The Sultan of Morocco asked him to return.
答案与题解：
1. B根据i文的内容以及标题(The Travels of Ibn Battuta)，我们可以很快排除选项A、C和D。

所以答案为B(The adventures of Ibn Battuta)。

2. A从第一行我们知道伊本白图泰的家乡是丹吉尔，所以第五行中set off词组后提到的麦加必然是伊本白图泰要去的城市，想必他是离开家乡前往麦加。

因此，对比四个选项之后,我们不难发现正确答案为A( left to go to)。

3. C在第三段第七行中,我们可以发现本题的答案：因为有在麦加的学习经历，德里的苏丹王给伊本白图泰安排了法官的工作。

因此，对比四个选项之后，我们不难发现正确答案为C (Ibn Battuta had studied in Mecca) 。

4. D选项A的意思是：在他那个时代的人看来，伊本白图泰的经历很普通。

结合本文内容我们知道该选项必然是错误的，故排除A。

选项B的意思是：伊本白图泰的游历故事可能是虚构的。

根据本文的内容我们可以知道伊本白图泰在历史上确有其人，他的游历经历也是真实的，甚至他的游历故事还被写成了书流传后世,所以该选项不对，故排除B。

选项C的意思是：伊本白图泰的游历没有马可波罗的游历重要。

根据本文,我们知道伊本白图泰的经历虽然在西方社会不如马可波罗那么有名，但他的故事在阿拉伯世界是家喻户晓。

文中并没有出现对比他们俩的信息,所以我们不能武断地说谁的游历就一定比另一位的重要，故排除选项C。

因此，本题正确答案为D(在现今的西方世界，伊本白图泰应该会比以前更有名）。

5. D在第四段前两行中，我们会发现：最后摩洛哥的苏丹王要求游历一生的伊本白图泰回家和世人分享他的智慧。

定位这条信息之后，我们再来对比四个选项就不难发现本题的正确答案为D(摩洛哥的苏丹王要求他回家）。

参考译文
第五篇伊本白图泰游记
“1325年6月13日，我离开了家乡丹吉尔，打算前往麦加朝圣。

我告别了所有的朋友，如
鸟儿离巢般，告别故土。

”这便是伊本白图泰游记的序言。

这份旧的手稿存放在巴黎一家图书馆里。

这Y年轻的摩洛哥人所处的年代比哥伦布的年代要早了几乎两个世纪，从他出发去麦加算起，30年之后伊本白图泰才回到故乡，那时的他已经晋升到历史上伟大旅行家的行列。

出于好奇，他游历了伊斯兰世界的各个角落，足迹遍布了44座现代城市，总行程是马可波罗的3倍。

虽然在西方社会不怎么有名，伊本白图泰在阿拉伯国家却家喻户晓。

在伊本白图泰的故乡丹吉尔，有以他命名的广场、旅店、咖啡馆、渡船，甚至汉堡。

伊本白图泰以学生的身份在麦加待了几年，但对于游历的渴望很快又让他重新出发。

有一次他来到印度，在德里的苏丹王那里谋到了一份收入颇丰的工作。

他写到，在去德里的路上，他的队伍在野外被80名步兵和2位马夫攻击：“我们进行了殊死搏斗……杀死他们的一位马夫和差不多12名步兵……我和马都中了箭，但是多谢真主的恩赐，最后我活了下来……我们背着亡者的头颅前往阿布巴卡尔的城堡……并把这些头颅挂在城墙上。

” 因为有在麦加的学习经历，德里的苏丹王给伊本白图泰安排了法官的工作。

但是这位苏丹王脾气古怪，性情多变，所以伊本白图泰想借机逃走：当苏丹王提出要资助伊本白图泰去中国旅行时，他同意了。

伊本白图泰将要乘着三艘船起航，但他还未离岸，不幸便降临了。

一场突如其来的暴风雨摧毁了两艘船，吹走了财宝，许多船员和马匹都溺水而亡。

他眼睁睁看着载着他的财物和奴隶的第三艘船被吹到了海上，从此便再无音讯。

更糟的是，他的孩子也在这艘船上。

最后摩洛哥的苏丹王要求一生游历的伊本白图泰回家和世人分享他的智慧。

幸运的是，他同意了此事并写了本书。

这本书已被翻译成了很多种语言，可以让世人了解他那无与伦比的旅行经历。

第十篇A Letter from Alan
I have learnt of a plan to build three hundred houses on the land called Parson's Place by the football ground. Few people know about this new plan to increase the size of our town. For me，Parson's Place is special because it is a beautiful natural area where local people can relax - the small wood has many unusual trees and the stream is popular with fishermen and bird-watchers. It's very quiet because there are few houses or roads nearby. I think that losing this area will be terrible because we have no other similar facilities in the neighbourhood.
I am also against this plan because it will cause traffic problems. How will the people from the new houses travel to work? The motorway and the railway station are on the other side of town.
Therefore，these people will have to drive through the town centre every time they go anywhere.
The roads will always be full of traffic，there will be nowhere to park and the tourists who come to see our lovely old buildings will leave. Shops and hotels will lose business. If the town really needs more homes，the empty ground beside the railway station is a more suitable place.
No doubt the builders will make a lot of money by selling these houses. But，in my opinion，the average person will quickly be made poorer by this plan. As well as this，we will lose a very special place and our town will be much less pleasant.
I am going to the local government offices on Monday morning to protest about this plan and I hope that your readers will join me there. We must make them stop this plan before it is too late.
词汇:
facility /f?’sil?ti/ n. 场所，设施protest /pr?u’test/ v. 抗议
motorway / ‘m?ut?wei / n. 高速公路
注释:
1. For me，Parson's Place is special because it is a beautiful natural area where local people can relax—the small wood has many unusual trees and the stream is popular with fishermen and bird-watchers. 对我来说，帕森场是非常特别的，因为它是一个美丽的天然场地并且当地人可以在此放松休息。

这片小树林里有许多独特的树木并且这里的小溪受到了渔夫和野鸟观察者的欢迎。

2. The roads will always be full of traffic，there will be nowhere to park and the tourists who come to see our lovely old buildings will leave. 公路上将总是有很多车辆，却没有地方停车，并且来参观我们这儿可爱的老式建筑物的观光者将会离开这里。

3. As well as this，we will lose a very special place and our town will be much less pleasant.不但如此，我们将失去一个非常特别的地方并且我们的城镇将会失去很多快乐。

练习:
1. Why has Alan written this letter?
A) To persuade the government to build new houses.
B) To protest about a new motorway near the town.
C) To encourage more people in the town to use Parson's Place.
D) To inform other people about the builders' plans.
2. Why is Parson's Place particularly important，in Alan's opinion?
A) Because it is near the football ground.
B) Because lots of people live near it.
C) Because it is a place near the town where people can enjoy nature.
D) Because local people can get there easily by car from the town.
3. What will cause traffic jams?
A) A building on Parson's Place.
B) Building near the railway station.
C) Tourists in the narrow streets.
D) People going to the shops and hotels.
4. Alan says that ordinary people who live in the town will probably soon _____.
A) open new shops and hotels
B) choose to live near the station
C) be able to buy new homes
D) have less money
5. Which of these posters has Alan made?
A) save our sports ground
B) say no to houses on parson' s place
C) we need homes not hotels
D) use the train not the road
答案与题解:
1. D 本题问的是:为什么Alan写这封信? A、B、C选项在文中没有提到，D选项的意思是让其他人了解建筑商的计划，因此D是正确答案。

2. C 本题问的是:在Alan看来，为什么帕森场非常重要?第一段中提到“因为它是一个美丽的天然场地并且当地人可以在此放松休息”。

因此C 是正确答案。

3. A 本题问的是:什么将会引起交通堵塞?第二段提到了，如果按照建筑商的计划，那么“公路上将总是有很多车辆，却没有地方来停车”。

因此选择A。

4. D 本题问的是:Alan说住在城镇的人们将来可能会，本文第三段提到“每个人将会因这个计划的实施而快速地变穷"。

因此选择D。

5. B 本题问的是:以下哪个是Alan制作的海报? Alan在本文中一直在说抵制建筑商在帕森场上建造房屋的计划，因此选择B，对帕森场上的房屋说不。

第十五篇Orbital Space Plane
While scientists are searching the cause of the Columbia disaster，NASA is moving ahead with plans to develop a new craft that would replace shuttles on space station missions by 2012 and respond quickly to space station emergencies.
The space agency released the first set of mission needs and requirements several days ago for the orbital space plane，which would be designed to transport a crew of four to and from the International Space Station.
Although it includes few specifics，the plan stipulates the orbiter will be safer，cheaper and require less preparation time than the shuttle. It would be able to transport four crew members by 2012 – though it would be available for rescue missions by 2010. NASA says the craft should be able to transport injured or il l space station crew members to “definitive medical care” within 24 hours.
The release of the requirements showed NASA remains focused on the long-term priorities of space exploration，even as questions linger concerning the loss of Columbia and its seven-member crew on February 1，2003.
Experts at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville，Alabama，have been working for years on a successor to the shuttle. The project，known as the Space Launch Initiative，was divided last year into two parts – one focusing on a future launch vehicle，the other on a space station orbiter. The orbiter is expected to be ready sooner.
The program’s managers say NASA officials have told them not to alter Space Launch Initiative in light of the Columbia disaster.
U.S. President George W. Bush asked Congress for about US$1 billion for Space Launch Initiative in 2004，funds that would be almost equally split between the Orbital Space Plane and Next Generation Launch Technology.
练习：
1. The orbital space craft has been designed for
A. controlling the International Space Station.
B. carrying astronauts to the International Space Station.
C. transporting equipment to the International Space Station.
D. training astronauts in space flights.
2. From the passage we know that the design of the orbiter indicates
A. NASA’s determination to continue its space exploration projects.
B. the U.S. space technology superiorities.
C. a victory in space exploration.
D. the birth of an absolutely safe space craft.
3. When did the scientists start working on a successor to the shuttle?
A. Immediately after the Columbia disaster.
B. One year after the Columbia disaster.
C. Years before the explosion of Columbia.
D. Not mentioned in the passage.
4. Besides the main mission stipulated by NASA，the orbiter would also be used as
A. a space hospital.
B. a medical research center.
C. a medicine-transporting vehicle.
D. a space ambulance.
5. According to the passage，the funds，if granted，would
A. be used for developing the orbiter only.
B. be equally shared by the two projects under Space Launch Initiative.
C. be given to Marshall Space Flight Center.
D. be mainly used to improve space launch technology
答案与题解：
1.B 答案的依据是第二段的"...which would be designed to transport a crew of four to and from the Intern ational Space Station. ”
2. A答案的依据在第四段。

第四段提及即使发生了哥伦比亚航天飞机失事、7名宇航员丧生的悲剧,国家航空航天局仍旧关注于其在太空探索领域的长期优势所在。

3. C本文应该是在哥伦比亚航天飞机失事之后不久写的，因为第一段中说到哥伦比亚航天飞机失事的原因还在调查之中，第五段又提到the orbiter的研究巳进行了多年。

所以，选项C 是答案。

4. D第三段说到到2010年,the orbiter就能担负起接回在宇宙站工作的病员、伤员的任务，也就是说，the orbiter起一种类似于space ambulance(太空救护车）的作用。

5. B最后一段说，若10亿美元的款项获得国会的批准，这笔款项基本上平分给the Orbital Space Plane 和Next Generation Launch Technology 这两个研究项目。

译文：
轨道航天飞机
当科学家们在寻找哥伦比亚号灾难的起因时，国家航空航天局已开始着手于新型飞行器的开发计划。

这种飞行器将在2012年之前取代现有的穿梭机执行空间站任务，并且能对紧急情况作出迅速反应。

几天前，国家航空航天局公布了轨道航天飞机的第一批任务要求，它的设计必须能够运送四名机组人员往返空间站。

尽管没有透露很多细节，这项计划保证了飞机更为安全，价格更低，准备时间也少于穿梭机。

在2012年前，它将可以运送四名成员，但在2010年前，它就将可以执行救援任务。

国家航空航天局表示，这一飞行器能够在24小时之内将受伤或生病的空间站工作人员运送到最权威的医疗机构。

新计划的公布表明了尽管2003年2月1日哥伦比亚号坠毁及其7名机组人员丧生所带来的问题仍然存在，国家航空航天局仍旧关注于其在太空探索领域的长期优势所在。

位于阿拉巴马州汉茨威尔的马歇尔太空飞行中心的专家们近年来一直致力于飞行器继任者的研究。

“空间发射倡议”在去年被分为两部分：一部分聚焦于未来的发射装置，另一部分则着力于轨道航天飞机。

而轨道航天飞机将会更快实现。

该项目的负责人说，国家航空航天局的官员们告诉他们不要因为哥伦比亚号灾难而改变这一项目。

美国总统布什已经向国会要求10亿美元，用于2004年该项目的研究。

这一资金将平分给轨道航天飞机项目及新一代发射技术项目。

第十六篇The Sahara
The name Sahara derives from the Arabic word for "desert" or "steppe". At 3. 5 million square miles，an area roughly the size of the United States，the Sahara Desert in northern Africa is the largest desert in the world. lt spans the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea. Daytime temperatures can reach as high as 130°F. The humidity sometimes gets into the teens. But it can also be as low as 2. 5 percent，the lowest in the world. Most of the Sahara receives less than five inches of rain per year，while large areas sometimes have no rainfall at all for years.
At the heart of the Sahara is the landlocked north African country of Niger. Here the sand dunes can be 100 feet tall and several miles long. Here sand plains stretch over an area larger than Germany where there is neither water nor towns. Yet sitting in the midst of the surrounding desert is the town of Bilma. Suddenly there are pools of cIear water. Surprisingly，there are groves of date palms. Underground water resources，or oases，sufficient to support irrigated agriculture are found in dry stream beds and depressions. Irrigation ditches run off a creek to water fields. Corn，cassava，tea，peanuts，hot peppers，and orange，lime，and grapefruit trees grow in these fields. Donkeys and goats graze on green grass.
The Sahara of Niger is still a region where you can see a camel caravan of 500 camels tied together in loose lines as long as a mile，traveling toward such oasis towns. There a caravan will collect life-sustaining salt，which is mined from watery basins，and transport it up to 400 miles back to settlements on the edges of the desert. The round trip across the vast sands takes one month.。