(NEW)华东师范大学外语学院244二外英语历年考研真题及详解

目　录
2003年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2004年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2005年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2006年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2007年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2008年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2009年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2010年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2011年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解2012年华东师范大学244二外英语考研真题及详解
2003年华东师范大学244二外英语
考研真题及详解
Ⅰ. Vocabulary (10%)
Directions: Choose the best ONE answer to fill in the blank with or replace the underlined part in each of the sentences.
1. Much to our delight, fruits are so abundant that the prices of them no longer _____ greatly.
A. modify
B. fluctuate
C. convert
D. flourish
【答案】
B
句意：令我们高兴的是，水果是如此的丰富，其价格不会【解析】
再大幅度地波动。

fluctuate波动。

modify修改。

convert改变。

flourish繁荣。

2. Our company _____ after long negotiations to build a double-purpose bridge across the river.
A. contacted
B. consulted
C. contracted
D. constructed
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：经过漫长的谈判，我们公司承包建一座双用桥。

contract承包；订约。

contact联系。

consult请教；商议。

construct建造。

3. When I returned very late at midnight, I found the lift in our building out of _____ again.
A. order
B. function
C. work
D. practice
A
【答案】
【解析】
句意：当我深夜回来的时候，我发现我们楼里的电梯又出了故障。

out of order出故障，为固定搭配。

4. The old man has a serious heart attack and is dying, _____.
A. without breath
B. under breath
C. short of breath
D. below breath
【答案】
C
句意：这位老人心脏病发作，奄奄一息，呼吸困难。

short 【解析】
of breath呼吸困难；呼吸急促。

5. Tom was greatly disturbed by the bad news, so the sentences he was reading made no _____ to him though he was trying hard to compose himself.
A. feeling
B. sense
C. message
D. meaning
【答案】
B
句意：汤姆被听到的坏消息打断了思路，所以他正在读的【解析】
句子对他来说没有任何意义，尽管他努力地使自己镇定下来。

make no sense毫无意义，为固定搭配。

6. You can be _____ that your son will attain his goal through his hard working.
A. ensured
B. assured
C. insured
D. confirmed
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：你放心，你的儿子一定会努力学习，达成目标。

be assured that...放心，为固定搭配。

ensure确保。

insure确保；给……保险。

confirm证实。

7. There was a thick snow in the street, but when the sun came out, the snow began to _____.
A. dissolve
B. melt
C. vanish
D. disappear
B
【答案】
【解析】
句意：街上雪很厚，但太阳出来时，雪就开始融化了。

melt融化。

dissolve溶解。

vanish消失。

disappear消失。

8. Mary tried in vain to _____ her boss into letting her have a holiday.
A. tempt
B. convince
C. impose
D. reason
D
【答案】
【解析】
句意：玛丽努力劝说老板让她去度假，没有成功。

reason sb. into doing sth.说服某人做某事。

tempt诱惑。

convince使信服。

impose
把……强加于。

9. It’s impossible for the two companies to co-operate with each other because there is a basic _____ of interest between them.
A. conflict
B. contradiction
C. contest
D. competition
【答案】
A
【解析】
句意：这两家公司不可能相互合作，因为他们之间有根本的利益冲突。

conflict of interest利益冲突，为固定搭配。

10. The committee learned a lesson from the disturbance that _____ decisions often led to bitter regrets.
A. instant
B. urgent
C. hasty
D. prompt
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：委员会从这次混乱中吸取到了教训：草率的决定会导致痛苦的懊悔。

hasty decision草率的决定，为固定搭配。

hasty草率的。

instant立即的。

urgent紧急的。

prompt迅速的。

11. One of the consequences of advanced cognitive ability has been the emergence of cultural life.
A. pertinent
B. perceptive
C. compiling
D. commendable
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：高级认知能力的一个后果就是文化生活的产生。

cognitive认知的。

perceptive感知的。

pertinent相关的。

compiling编译。

commendable值得赞美的。

12. In that period, the superiority of virginity and sexual abstinence over marriage was generally taken for granted.
A. restriction
B. desire
C. temptation
D. prohibition
【答案】
A
【解析】
句意：在那个时期，贞洁和节制性欲的优越性通常被认为是理所当然的。

abstinence节制。

restriction限制；约束。

desire欲望。

temptation引诱。

prohibition禁止。

13. The gifted boy has won the big prize, as he has a great faculty for playing the piano.
A. teaching staff
B. natural ability
C. unsatisfiable ambition
D. proficient skill
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：这个有天赋的小男孩赢得了大奖，因为他有弹钢琴的才能。

faculty强调人天生就有的才能。

natural ability天生的能力。

teaching staff教职人员。

unsatisfiable ambition不可满足的野心。

proficient skill熟练的技能。

14. When the bomb exploded in the square, crowds of people fled from there and several women and children were trampled to death.
A. squeezed
B. crashed
C. stamped
D. squashed
【答案】
C
句意：当炸弹在广场爆炸时，人们从那里逃了出来，有几【解析】
个妇女和儿童被踩踏致死。

trample踩；践踏。

stamp用脚踩踏。

squeeze 挤；压榨。

crash撞碎；坠毁。

squash压碎；挤压。

15. I’m quite hesitant about whether to accept the job. I suppose my decision will to a large degree depend on the sentiment I have for my family here.
A. feeling
B. conception
C. idea
D. fascination
【答案】
A
【解析】
句意：我很犹豫是否要接受这份工作，我想我的决定很大程度上取决于我对我家人的感情。

sentiment感情；情绪。

feeling感觉；感情。

conception设想；概念。

idea想法。

fascination魅力。

16. China will launch a manned satellite within three or four years to make a probe of the moon.
A. invasion
B. examination
C. explanation
D. exploration
D
【答案】
【解析】
句意：中国将在三、四年内发射一颗载人卫星，对月球进行探测。

probe探测。

exploration探测。

invasion入侵。

explanation解释。

17. If your ID card expired, you’ll have to get a new one.
A. is overdue
B. comes to an end
C. is valid
D. gets lost
【答案】
A
句意：如果你的身份证过期了，你就必须去办一张新的。

【解析】
expire期满；终止。

be overdue过期的。

come to an end结束。

be valid有效的。

get lost丢失。

18. Most of us don’t think that the elderly president will be inaugurated for his third term.
A. put into office
B. reelected
C. terminated
D. ushered in
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：我们大多数人认为这个年迈的总统不会迎来他的第三个任期。

inaugurate使正式就任。

get reelected获得连任。

terminate终止。

usher in开辟。

19. Dirt accumulates very fast if one doesn’t clean the house every day.
A. evaporates
B. absorbs
C. heaps up
D. concentrates
【答案】
C
句意：如果每天不打扫房子，那么很快就会积尘。

【解析】
accumulate积累。

heap up堆积。

evaporate蒸发。

absorb吸收。

concentrate 集中。

20. In the study of 3,250 depressed patients, only 2.4 percent experienced side effects. Those include restlessness, gastrointestinal irritations and mild allergic reactions.
A. sentimental
B. sensational
C. sensitive
D. sentiment
【答案】
C
句意：在对3250名抑郁症患者的调查中，只有2.4%的患者【解析】
有过副作用，包括坐立不安、肠胃不适以及轻微的过敏反应。

allergic 对……过敏的。

sensitive易受伤害的；易受影响的。

sentimental多愁善感的。

sensational轰动的；耸人听闻的。

sentiment感情。

Ⅱ. Structure (10%)
Directions: Choose the best one answer to each of the sentences.
21. The school authorities _____, there would be an open air party with live music soon.
A. permit
B. permits
C. permitted
D. permitting
【答案】
D
【解析】
句意：学校当局允许的话，那么很快就会举办一次有现场音乐的露天派对。

独立主格结构作条件状语，且表主动，故选D。

22. The population of many western cities has _____ doubled in the past ten years.
A. larger than
B. more than
C. as great as
D. as much as
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：在过去的十年里，西方人口增长了一倍多。

more than表示“多于；超出”，在这里做副词，修饰double。

23. A baby might show fear of an unfamiliar adult, _____ he is likely to
smile and reach out to another infant.
A. if
B. whereas
C. so what
D. whenever
【答案】
B
句意：一个婴儿可能会表现出对一个不熟悉的成年人的恐【解析】
惧，然而他会微笑并与另一个婴儿接触。

whereas然而，表转折。

24. Mr. Smith is quite certain that _____ to do this in person, he would find it difficult to express himself without losing his patience.
A. were he to try
B. would he try
C. was he trying
D. if he tries
【答案】
A
句意：史密斯先生十分确定，如果他努力亲自去做这件【解析】
事，他会发现自己很难在不失去耐心的情况下表达自己。

此句为虚拟语气，省略if，将were提前，表示和现在相反的事实。

25. _____ she realized it was necessary for her to return home.
A. No sooner it grew dark than
B. Hardly it grew dark when
C. It was not until dark that
D. It was until dark that
C
【答案】
【解析】
句意：一直到天黑，她才意识到她该回家了。

It was...that...为强调句型，与not until的搭配一般为：It was/is+not until+被强调的部分+that从句，意为“直到……才……”。

26. We could see the valley _____ in the sunshine.
A. lying peaceful
B. laying peaceful
C. lying peacefully
D. laying peacefully
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：我们可以看到山谷静静地躺在阳光下。

see sb./sth. doing sth.看见某人某物正在做某事。

lie的现在进行时为lying。

27. Mr. Black isn’t as capable a person as is expected, so _____ will he be able to regain control of the board.
A. with hard work
B. much hard work
C. only if he works hard
D. if only he works hard
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：布莱克先生的能力不如预期，所以只有努力工作，他才能重新获得董事会的控制权。

only if只有，表条件关系，放在句首，从句用倒装。

28. What he usually does and says _____ with each other.
A. don’t agree
B. doesn’t agree
C. didn’t agree
D. isn’t agreeing
【答案】
A
句意：他通常做的和说的不一致。

what引导主语从句，但【解析】
表示“做的”和“说的”两个方面，为复数意义，故谓语动词用复数。

29. Experiments in the photography of moving objects _____ in both the United States and Europe well before 1990.
A. have been conducting
B. were conducting
C. had been conducted
D. was conducted
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：在1990年之前，美国和欧洲都进行了关于移动物体摄影的实验。

实验应该是被做，故用被动语态，且事情发生在1990年之前，是过去的过去，故用过去完成时的被动语态。

30. They left the meeting room, _____ that there would be no good result.
A. convincing
B. convinced
C. believed
D. believed in
B
【答案】
【解析】
句意：他们离开会议室，确信不会有好的结果发生。

convince使确信，因此当人做主语时，应用被动语态convinced，做伴随状语。

31. It’s a bit expensive, but you get _____.
A. your money worth
B. your worth money
C. your money’s worth
D. your worth of money
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：这个是贵了点，但你这钱花的值。

get your money’s
worth钱花得值，为固定搭配。

32. Is this _____ voice that we hear?
A. a boy or a girl’s
B. a boy’s or a girl’s
C. a boy’s or a girl
D. of a boy or a girl
【答案】
A
【解析】
句意：这是我们听到的男孩或者女孩的声音吗？在符合名词或短语中，所有格加在最后一个名词词尾。

33. The girl told me _____ would come to the party, but only a few showed up.
A. many Jane friends
B. many Jane’s friend
C. many of Jane’s friends
D. many friends of Jane
【答案】
C
【句意】句意：那个女孩告诉我，简的许多朋友都会来派对，但只来了几个。

此处为双重所有格，of+名词’s所有格，为固定搭配。

34. The Vanguard is a _____, isn’t it?
A. Sunday paper
B. Sunday’s paper
C. paper of Sunday
D. paper Sunday
【答案】
A
句意：《先锋》是周日刊，不是吗？Sunday paper周日刊，【解析】
为固定搭配。

35. It suddenly dawned _____ me that I had been made fun of.
A. upon
B. to
C. for
D. at
【答案】
A
【解析】
句意：我突然意识到我被取笑了。

It dawns upon sb. that...某人开始明白，为固定搭配。

36. There was silence for a few moments, then Li Hua, my colleague, came out _____ a most valuable proposal.
A. for
B. with
C. of
D. on
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：沉默了一会，然后我的同事李华提出了一条最有价值的建议。

come out with表示“说出；提出”，为固定搭配。

37. As I am her adviser, I think I _____ tell her the news.
A. need
B. will
C. may
D. ought to
【答案】
D
【解析】
句意：因为我是她的顾问，我想我应该告诉她这个消息。

ought to意为“应该”，一般出于法令规则、行为准则和道德责任等客观情况。

38. They _____, but they failed in the end.
A. hoped to succeed
B. hoped to have success
C. hoped to be succeeded
D. hoped to have succeeded
【答案】
D
句意：他们希望能成功，但最终还是失败了。

hoped to have 【解析】
done=had hoped to do sth.表示过去未曾实现的希望，为固定用法。

39. _____ the pit on the road, the bus was halted.
A. Having spotted
B. The driver spotting
C. After spotting
D. The driver spotted
【答案】
B
【解析】
句意：司机发现了路上的一个坑，停下了公共汽车。

此处为独立主格结构，因为是司机发现情况，是主动语态，故选B。

40. Since there is something wrong with his lungs, he decides to limit himself _____ 5 cigars a day.
A. to smoke
B. on smoke
C. to smoking
D. on smoking
【答案】
C
【解析】
句意：因为他的肺出了问题，所以他决定限制自己每天只抽5根雪茄。

limit oneself to doing sth.表示“限制自己在做某事的范围内”，为固定搭配。

Ⅲ. Cloze (10%)
Directions: There are 20 blanks in the following passage. For each blank there are FOUR choices marked A, B, C and D on the right side of the paper. You should choose the ONE that best fits into the passage. Then mark the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center.
A dictionary says that a greenhouse is a “temperate conservatory for growing plants” and that a conservatory is a “glasshouse”. A greenhouse is a building made almost entirely of glass. Which (41) _____ heat and is used for growing plants. The leaves of the plants give the building a generally (42)
_____ appearance inside, and this, presumably, gives rise to its name. I can only assume that we do not call it a “glasshouse” these days as this is the (43) _____ given to an army prison. The name “conservatory” is now given to a glass building (44) _____ to the outside wall of a house, and for growing indoor plants or as a warm, relaxing (45) _____ room to the home. It is warm because glass allows the rays of the sun to pass through, but (46) _____ the heat trying to escape.
Perhaps you have noticed how hot it becomes in a (47) _____ car on a sunny day, even when the temperature outside is low. The sun’s rays pass through the windscreen and are (48) _____ by the seats of the car. These rays warm the seats, which (49) _____ radiate the heat back into the car. The heat reaches the windscreen and the windows (50) _____ cannot escape through the glass. Thus the inside of the (51) _____ warms up. This is the way that greenhouses heat up.
The short-wave radiation of the sun passes through the (52) _____ walls
and roof of the greenhouse and (53) _____ the floor, shelves, plant pots and (54) _____ else inside. These warmed objects pass back (55) _____ long-wave radiation the heat they have gained, and as this tries to (56) _____ most of it is blocked by the glass. So the heat inside (57) _____. At night, with no extra sun entering, the heat (58) _____ escapes, through the glass, or through the various (59) _____ around the door and windows, or by being absorbed into the (60) _____ of the building.
41. A. conserves
B. confuses
C. controls
D. converts
42. A. glorious
B. gloomy
C. green
D. golden
43. A. order
B. title
C. right
D. name
44. A. attached
B. responded
C. devoted
D. contributed
45. A. inner
B. extra
C. mutual
D. magic
46. A. violates
B. blocks
C. upsets
D. reflects
47. A. parking
B. parked
C. coating
D. coated
48. A. absorbed
B. attracted
C. abandoned
D. aroused
49. A. above all
B. of course
C. in turn
D. at once
50. A. but
B. even
C. and
D. so
51. A. greenhouse
B. vehicle
C. glasshouse
D. conservatory
52. A. rubber
B. fabric
C. glass
D. metal
53. A. heat
B. heated
C. heating
D. heats
54. A. somewhere
B. something
C. everywhere
D. everything
55. A. as
B. like
C. for
D. such
56. A. evolve
B. emerge
C. escape
D. exhaust
57. A. shuts off
B. builds up
C. goes out
D. moves on
58. A. finally
B. eventually
C. particularly
D. invisibly
59. A. mats
B. sprays
C. gaps
D. spots
60. A. foundation
B. property
C. establishment
D. operation
【答案与解析】
41. A 温室由玻璃制成的主要目的是储存热量，用于植物生长。

42. C “greenhouse”名字的由来，就是因为植物的叶子使温室里呈现一片绿色。

43. D 温室不再被成为“玻璃房”的原因是：军队中的监狱被称为玻璃房，即这是监狱的名字。

44. A 温室是指一种贴着房子外部的由玻璃制成的建筑。

attach to 贴；连接；依附。

45. B 温室还可以作为一个温暖的、令人放松的额外空间。

46. B 温室玻璃会阻挡住想要跑出去的热量。

47. B 这里指停着的车在太阳下内部温度会很高，这样才能够长时间的吸收太阳光，使温度升高。

48. A 车的座位会吸收太阳光的射线，使温度升高。

49. C in turn反过来。

指车座吸收的热量会反过来释放到车内部。

50. A 热量会触及车窗及挡风玻璃，但是不能扩散出去。

51. B 这里指车内部变得温暖起来。

vehicle车辆；交通工具。

52. C 温室的原理和车内部温度升高一样，太阳射线穿过玻璃墙和温室顶部。

53. D 穿进去的太阳射线使地面、架子和花盆等变热。

heat和前面的passes为并列关系，故时态应该一致。

54. D 穿进去的太阳射线也使其他别的东西温度升高。

55. A 这些温度升高了的物体会以长波辐射的形式释放出它们获得的热量。

as作为……。

56. C 这些释放出的热量会想要扩散出去，但是会受到玻璃墙的阻挡。

escape逃跑。

57. B 这些扩散不出去的热量就开始积聚起来，使温度升高。

build up增进；加强。

58. D 到了晚上，这些热量会悄悄地跑出去，而这是不可见的。

invisibly看不见地；看不出地。

59. C 到了晚上，这些热量会从门窗的缝隙扩散出去。

60. C 这些热量除了扩散出去，还会被建筑当中的各种设施吸收。

establishment设施；建立的东西。

Ⅳ. Reading comprehension (30%)
Directions: There are 6 reading passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.
Passage One
Among the most spectacular visions in the sky is the glowing trail of a ball of frozen gases commonly known as comet. Comets are comprised of water, ammonia, methane, and carbon dioxide and are held together by small fragments of rock and metallic materials. They are created in outer space, beyond the reaches of our solar system. They are seen fairly infrequently but are nonetheless plentiful - in what time period.
Comets appear small but are in fact enormous. Some are larger than the sun, but most are approximately the size of Jupiter. Many comets follow elongated orbits and are visible only when they are within Saturn’s orbit. As comets travel through the solar system toward the sun, solar energy vaporizes their gases, producing a blazing head, called the coma. Some comets also develop a tail, which can extend millions of miles. Despite their large scale, comets are believed to weigh relatively little probably less than one-billionth the earth’s mass.
Early astronomers found that as comets orbited the sun, a tail was created as solar energy forced the coma’s particles out. Today’s scientists have confirmed these beliefs, and have further identified two solar forces at work in the creation of a comet s tail, radiation pressure is responsible for pushing the dust particles away from the coma, and solar wind moves the coma’s ionized gases.
As the comet travels away from the sun, the tail begins to disappear due to condensation of the gases. Once these gases arc separated from the cornet, they are lost forever. As a result, most comets survive only 100 times close orbits of the sun. When all the comet’s gases have been released, all that is
left of the comet is a bundle of stone and metal particles, which continues to orbit without a coma or tail.
Perhaps the most famous comet is Halley’s comet, which appears once every 76 years. The Chinese have recorded all of Halley’s appearances since 240 B.C. the comets 1910 sighting was remarkable for its clear visibility; it could be seen in daylight, and was observed to have developed a tail nearly one million miles long. The 1986 appearance of Halley s comet was disappointing because it was extremely difficult to see from the Northern hemisphere. However, Halley’s next sighting is expected to be spectacular in the year 2062.
61. The author will probably agree to which of the following statements?
A. Comets are not often seen because there are only a few in the space.
B. The components of a comet come from the particles of the solar system.
C. Not all of the comets can be observed near Saturn’s orbit.
D. Most of the comets are seen once every 76 years.
62. The comet’s coma is developed when _____.
A. the comet is between Jupiter and Saturn
B. the comet’s orbit travels through the solar system
C. the comet’s gases are steamed into vapor
D. the comet is in the Saturn’s orbit
63. Which of the following is NOT true about the creation of the tail of
the comet?
A. The tail is created out of the coma’s particles.
B. One condition of the creation of the tail is the comet orbits the sun.
C. The comet must travel towards the sun.
D. The functioning solar force in creating the tail is gravitation.
64. When the comet has finished its travel through the solar system,
_____.
A. it will never come back again
B. it will not be called a comet
C. its coma and tail will be lost
D. all that is left will become a meteor
65. It can be suggested that _____.
A. the appearance of Halley’s comet can only be observed in one place
B. people must observe comets only at night
C. observing Halley’s comet had long interested the Chinese astronomers
D. the appearance of a comet is always satisfactory
【答案与解析】
61. C 文章第二段第三句提到“Many comets follow elongated orbits and are visible only when they are within Saturn’s orbit.”可知，许多彗星只有在土星轨道内运转时，才会被看到，但并不是指所有的彗星都能被看到，而且在土星轨道附近并没有明确表示在轨道内，因此可能不会被看
到。

62. B 文章第二段提到“As comets travel through the solar system toward the sun, solar energy vaporizes their gases, producing a blazing head, called the coma.”可知，只有当彗星在太阳系内运动时，才会产生彗发。

63. D 文章第三段提到“Today’s scientists have confirmed these beliefs, and have further identified two solar forces at work in the creation of a comet s tail, radiation pressure is responsible for pushing the dust particles away from the coma, and solar wind moves the coma’s ionized gases.”可知，太阳能的力量主要是两个：一个是辐射压力，一个是太阳风，并不是万有引力。

64. C 文章第四段提到“As the comet travels away from the sun, the tail begins to disappear due to condensation of the gases.”可知，当彗星开始远离太阳时，彗星尾会开始消失。

65. C 文章最后一段提到“The Chinese have recorded all of Halley’s appearances since 240 B.C.”可知，中国天文学家对于观察彗星一直以来都有极大的兴趣。

Passage Two
What do cats’ eyes and highway reflector signs have in common? They both acts as retro-reflectors.
Almost everyone has noticed the eerie, frightening appearance of animals at night, as their eyes seem to glow in reflected light. One may speculate that just as reflective highway signs alert the motorist to many road hazards, so early man was often warned of danger by light from his campfire
reflected in the eyes of lurking predators. In both cases, the light is retro-reflected, giving it a particularly bright appearance.
The principles of retro-reflection have been understood for centuries. However, it has only been within the last sixty or seventy years, with the widespread use of the automobile, that this area of optics has received important commercial application. Today, there are many uses for retro-reflective materials. They are purchased in very large quantities by government agencies for use on highways. They are applied to bicycles and motor vehicles to make them more visible at night. And they assist pilots by improving the visibility of runway markers.
Some users for retro-reflective materials are not related to safety. For example, these materials play a key role in helping railroads locate and make maximum use of their rolling stock. Color-coded retro-reflective numerals, strips, or dots applied to the side of railways cars identify the cars by their individual inventory numbers and by the particular type of car. Optical scanners “read” and record this information as the train passes by, thus making it possible for railroad management to locate an individual car or to determine the distribution of boxcars throughout the rail net-work.
Large sums are spent on retro-reflective materials, but purchasers have often had trouble deciding which specific materials will give the optimal performance. Performance is of concern not only from the standpoint of the brightness of reflected light, but also from the standpoint of its color. It is important, for example, that the yellow hues used in warning signals be of consistent color quality on all road signs so the driver can rely on color, as well as shape, to discern the sign’s meanings.
Seven colors—silver, blue, yellow, red, green, brown, and orange—are currently used for marking the interstate highway system. Since 1971, the National Bureau of Standards has been working to develop instrumental test methods that could be used to evaluate the performance of retro-reflective materials and aid in the preparation of specifications for their purchase.
66. This article is mainly about _____.
A. technology in photoelectric cells
B. retro-reflection and tropism in animals and insects
C. natural and man-made retro-reflection
D. how to manufacture retro-reflective materials
67. Which can NOT be proved by the author according to the description of the retro-reflection?
A. Retro-reflective materials are used mainly to avoid traffic accidents.
B. Retro-reflective materials are abundantly used in traffic and transportation.
C. The important value of retro-reflection owes to the invention of motor vehicles.
D. The more advanced science and technology is, the more can be learned from nature.
68. The article suggests that _____.
A. the government agencies are developing inexpensive retro-reflectors
B. the government manufactures retro-reflective devices
C. the government buys retro-reflective materials in large numbers
D. the government agencies export large quantities of retro-reflective materials
69. We can conclude from this article that _____.
A. retro-reflective materials can be purchased at most hardware stores
B. retro-reflective materials give off light in the dark
C. retro-reflective materials will be used up soon
D. the use of retro-reflective materials is becoming wider and wider
70. According to the passage, a difficult task facing the National Bureau of Standards probably is _____.
A. how to examine the properties of the retro-reflective materials
B. how to budget for the purchase of the following year
C. how to integrate the warning signals into one consistent color
D. how to differentiate the signals’ meanings
【答案与解析】
66. C 文章主要讲的是利用猫和其他一些动物的眼睛能反射光而发明了一种应用于交通中的后反射材料。

67. D 文章主要讲的是后反射材料如今被广泛应用于交通当中，并不能推断出科技越发达，从自然当中学到的越多。

68. C 文章第三段提到“They are purchased in very large quantities by government agencies for use on highways.”可知，政府大量购买了这种后反射材料。

69. D 文章第三段提到“However, it has only been within the last sixty or seventy years, with the widespread use of the automobile, that this area of optics has received important commercial application. Today, there are many uses for retro-reflective materials.”可知，由于车辆的增多，这种后反射材料应用越来越广。

70. A 文章第五段提到“Large sums are spent on retro-reflective materials, but purchasers have often had trouble deciding which specific materials will give the optimal performance. Performance is of concern not only from the standpoint of the brightness of reflected light, but also from the standpoint of its color.”可知，美国国家标准局面临的难题是如何检验这种材料的性能，从而达到最佳效果。

Passage Three
Historians have only recently begun to note the increase in demand for luxury goods and services that took place in eighteenth-century England. McKendrick has explored the Wedgwood firm’s remarkable success in marketing luxury pottery; Plumb has written about the proliferation of provincial theater, musical festivals, and children’s toys and books. While the fact of this consumer revolution is hardly in doubt, three key questions remain: Who were the consumers? What were their motives? And what were the effects of the new demand for luxuries?
An answer to the first of these has been difficult to obtain. Although it has been possible to infer from the goods and services actually produced what manufacturers and servicing trades thought their customers wanted, only a study of relevant personal documents written by actual consumers will
provide a precise picture of who wanted what. We still need to know how large this consumer market was and how far down the social scale the consumer demand for luxury goods penetrated. With regard to this last question, we might note in passing that Thompson, while rightly restoring laboring people to the stage of eighteenth-century English history, has probably exaggerated the opposition of these people to the inroads of capitalist consumerism in general; for example, laboring people in eighteenth-century England readily shifted from home-brewed beer to standardized beer produced by huge, heavily capitalized urban breweries.
To answer the question of why consumers became so eager to buy, some historians have pointed to the ability of manufacturers to advertise in a relatively uncensored press. This, however, hardly seems a sufficient answer. Mckendrick favors a Veblem model of conspicuous consumption stimulated by competition for status. The “middling sort” bought goods and services because they wanted to follow fashions set by the rich. Again, we may wonder whether this explanation is sufficient. Do not people enjoy buying things as a form of self-gratification? If so, consumerism could be seen as a product of the rise of new concepts of individualism and materialism, but not necessarily of the frenzy for conspicuous competition.
Finally, what were the consequences of this consumer demand for luxuries? McKendrick claims that it goes a long way toward explaining the coming of the Industrial Revolution. But does it? What, for example, does the production of high-quality pottery and toys have to do with the development of iron manufacture or textile mills? It is perfectly possible to have the psychology and reality of a consumer society without a heavy industrial sector. That future exploration of these key questions is undoubtedly。