大学英语(二)作业

《大学英语（二）》作业Part I. Reading ComprehensionDirections: There are three passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions. For eachof them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice.Passage 1Charlie Chaplin has broken all records in making people laugh. No one has so set a whole world laughing as the little man with the walking stick and the overlarge shoes.Much has been written about Chaplin's art and his career, and opinions have ranged widely. But perhaps those who called him "the most general human being of our time" came closest to the truth. Those who have called him a genius stress the timeless and common qualities in his work. It is an art filled with sad elements and deep human feeling, with which an audience cannot help but become involved. It is for these reasons, I believe, that the figure of Charlie has attracted generation after generation.All the writers who give accounts of Chaplin's life agree that Charlie's unhappy early years in the area in London where houses were dirty and worn had a great influence on his development and on the type of films he made. Chaplin himself emphasizes it in his memoirs (回忆录). The more one reads about his earliest period, the more one tends to agree. Indeed, his suffering youth had a lasting influence on him.Chaplin was never afraid to deal with subjects causing much disagreement in his films. He gave a humorous performance on war only a few weeks before the American soldiers came home from World War I in 1918. This was regarded as madness, but the performance was well received. So perfectly did it hit the nail on the head that even the returning soldiers found it impossible to hate it and deeply appreciated this short and humorous performance on what for them had been unpleasant reality. Chaplin gave numerous performances attacking capital governments, satirizing (讽刺) the cruelty of the machine age and even making fun of Hitler.Years after his death, the funny films of motion picture actor and director Charlie Chaplin continue to be popular. He is particularly well known for his success as a creator of humorous presentations that make fun of people, the establishment, or networks.1. All of the following about Charlie Chaplin are true except __________.A. he was born in the USAB. he was a great film actorC. he had an unhappy early lifeD. he made fun of Hitler in his films2. According to the author, Charlie Chaplin has been popular with generation after generation because _________.A. he set the whole world laughingB. his performances get people involvedC. his works appeal to people in different periodsD. both B and C3. According to Charlie Chaplin's life history writers, _________ had a strong influence on the type of films he made.A. the society in which he livedB. the audience who praised and admired himC. those who called him a geniusD. his unhappy early years in the poor area in London4. According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. There are timeless qualities in Chaplin's work because he didn't involve himself in political affairs.B. Chaplin became popular years after his death.C. Chaplin's performance is funny without any sad elements.D. Chaplin's films are the combinations of funny and sad elements.5. This passage was ____________.A. written by Charlie ChaplinB. written about Charlie ChaplinC. advertising one of Charlie Chaplin's filmsD. written for students to learn film-makingPassage 2Only special plants can survive the terrible climate of a desert, for these are regions where the range of the soil temperature throughout the year can be over 75℃. Furthermore, during the summer there are few clouds in the sky to protect plants from the sun's rays. Another problem is the fact that there are frequently strong winds that drive small, sharp sands into the plants, tearing and damaging them. The most difficult problem for all forms of plant life, however, is the fact that each year the entire amount of rainfall occurs during a few days or weeks in spring.Grasses and flowers in a desert survive from one year to the next by existing through the long, hot, dry season in the form of seeds. These seeds remain inactive unless the right amount of rain falls. If no rain falls, or if there is not enough rainfall, they wait until the next year, or even still the next.Another factor that helps these plants to survive is the fact that their life cycles are short. By the time that the water from the spring rains disappears - just a few weeks after it falls - such plants no longer need any.The perennials (多年生植物) have special elements which enable them to survive as plants for several years. Thus, nearly all desert perennials have extensive rootsystems below ground and a small shoot (枝叶) system above ground. The large root network enables the plant to absorb as much water as possible in a short time. The small shoot system, on the other hand, considerably limits water loss by evaporation (蒸发).Another characteristic of many desert perennials is that after the rainy season they lose their leaves as they prepare for the long, dry season, just as trees in wetter climates lose theirs as they prepare for the winter. This reduces their water loss by evaporation during the dry season. Then, in the next rainy season, they come fully alive once more, and grow new branches, leaves and flowers, just as the grasses and flowers in a desert do.1. According to the passage, ordinary plants cannot survive the desert weather asa result of the following factors except _____.A. the strong windB. too much sunC. too much rainfallD. the special temperature2. Why can grasses and flowers in desert survive according to the passage?A. They need little water.B. They like dry weather.C. They stay in the form of seeds during the difficult seasons.D. With long roots, they do not depend on the rain to get enough water.3. What is talked about the shoot system of the perennials (多年生植物) in the passage?A. The shoot system can help the perennials survive in a desert.B. The shoot system decides the appearance of the perennials in a desert.C. The shoot system limits the function of the perennials' branches.D. The shoot system may lose the amount of water the roots can absorb.4. According to the passage, spring is the best time for plants in desert _________.A. to find a shady placeB. to get water for the yearC. to reduce water lossD. to enjoy the sun's rays5. What is the main point of the last paragraph?A. A comparison between the plants in different areas.B. The growth of new leaves in the rainy season.C. Water loss by evaporation in the dry season.D. The survival of the perennials in deserts.Passage 3Although Beethoven could sit down and compose easily, his really great compositions did not come easily at all. They cost him a great deal of hard work and he always found it hard to satisfy himself.When he was 28, he began to notice a strange noise in his ears. As it grew worse, he went to see doctors, and was told that he was going deaf. This was too much forany composer to bear. Beethoven was without hope; he was sure that he was going to die. He went to the countryside where he wrote a long good-bye letter to his brothers, describing how sad and lonely his deafness made him. He longed to die, and said to death, "Come when you will; I shall meet you bravely."In fact, Beethoven did something braver than dying. He gathered his courage and went on writing music, though he could hear what he wrote more and more faintly. He wrote the music for which we remember him best after he became deaf. This music was very different from any that had been composed before. Instead of the artistic and grand music that earlier composers had written for their rich listeners, Beethoven wrote stormy, exciting music which reminds us of his troubled and courageous life. His Heroic Symphony (交响乐) and Fifth Symphony both show his courage in struggling with his fate.In time he went completely deaf, but he wrote more creatively than ever, for he could "hear" his music in his mind. He was lonely and often unhappy but in spite of this, he often wrote joyful music, such as his last symphony, the Ninth. Because of his courage and strong will to triumph, his music has given joy and encouragement to millions of people.1. How did Beethoven's deafness affect him?A. It killed him.B. It stopped his writing music.C. It drove him mad.D. It helped him create good music.2. Which of the following music works written by Beethoven was joyful?A) No 3 Symphony. B) No 5 Symphony. C) No 7 Symphony. D) No 9 Symphony.3. Beethoven longed to die because ____________.A. he had told death he would meet it bravelyB. he felt his deafness was too much for him to bear as a composerC. he wouldn't be able to write music for rich listeners after becoming deafD. he wouldn't be able to support his family4. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?A. Music and MusiciansB. The Music of FateC. Hard to SatisfyD. Deafness in Music5. According to the passage, which of the following is true?A. When he was partly deaf, Beethoven's music became more and more gentle and faint.B. His music became more and more artistic although he was deaf.C. He wrote fainter and fainter music after he went deaf.D. He composed exciting and encouraging music that reflected his struggle with his fate.Passage 4Earthquake (地震)! People all around the world fear earthquakes because they cause so much damage and death. Consider the following facts: One earthquake struck San Fernando Valley region of Southern California on January 17, 1994. The earthquake caused 57 deaths, over 5,000 injuries, and extensive building damage. In fact some people estimate that the earthquake caused millions of dollars in property damage. That earthquake qualifies as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.On January 17, 1995, the Kobe earthquake struck south-central Japan. This earthquake resulted in over 5,400 deaths and many thousands of injuries. The damage costs were estimated at 150 million dollars. Although this earthquake was only rated as a medium earthquake, it caused so much damage because it produced a fault break straight through the business area of the city.These statistics are very frightening. Many people wonder if the number of earthquakes is increasing. In reality, the number of earthquakes has actually decreased in recent years. However, because of improved world communication, people receive more news and information than ever before. For example, in the last 20 years, we have been able to locate more earthquakes a year because there are more earthquake measuring stations in the world. These additional stations help us to locate many small earthquakes, which were not noticed years ago.Many scientists are trying to predict earthquakes, but these predictions are very uncertain. Scientists cannot figure out the exact location, time, or force of an earthquake. Furthermore, the predicted earthquake may not take place. As a result, scientists do not think it is a useful idea to announce that an earthquake will take place on a certain day. Instead, most people are trying to design structures such as buildings, dams, and bridges that can survive earthquakes. People can reduce loss of life, injuries, and property damage by properly preparing themselves, their homes, work places, and communities for a major earthquake. After all, it is possible to survive an earthquake.1. Why was the earthquake that struck the region of Southern California on January 17, 1994 considered to be one of the worst natural disasters in U. S. history? A. It caused 157 deaths. B. It caused 5,000 more injuries.C. It caused 57 deaths, over 5,000 injuries, and extensive building damage.D. It caused damages not known.2. Why did the earthquake on January 17, 1995 result in such huge damage in Japan?A. It caught the people there unprepared.B. It was a very serious earthquake.C. It struck Japan at midnight.D. It struck the business area of the city.3. How many people died in the earthquake that struck south-central Japan in 1995?A. More than 5,400.B. About 150.C. Many thousands of deaths.D. About 5,000.4. What is the reason why people have heard more about earthquakes in recent years?A. The number of earthquakes is increasing.B. We have been able to locate more earthquakes than before.C. We have built many earthquake-measuring stations.D. World communication has been improved so that people receive more news than before.5. How can people reduce loss from earthquakes according to the passage?A. Make earthquake predictions more precise.B. Design structures that can survive earthquakes.C. Get ourselves prepared for earthquakes.D. Rely more on communities.Passage 5Tonga is made up of about 150 islands located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. There are three main groups of islands — Vava'u in the north; Ha'apai in the middle; and Tongatapu in the south. Most of the eastern islands are low-lying coral atolls. The higher islands in the west are volcanic. Large areas on these islands are too steep and mountainous to be used for crops. Some of the volcanoes are still active. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited. There are only two large towns —Nukualofa, the capital, and Neiafu. These towns are Tonga's chief ports.Tonga has few natural resources. The most important resources are a pleasant tropical climate and scenic beauty, which attract growing numbers of tourists. Because of its location, Tonga is sometimes hit by tropical storms. One such storm, in 1982, caused high winds and huge waves that destroyed many homes, including almost all of the buildings in Nuku'alofa.Tonga was a British protected state from 1900 until 1970, when it became fully independent again. Britain was responsible for Tonga's foreign affairs, but the Tongan nobles still controlled local matters. For most of this period, Tonga was ruled by Queen Salote Tupou III. During her long reign, education and health care were expanded, and women were given the right to vote. The Tongan government is a mixture of Polynesian tradition and Western democracy. The legislature is made up of seven-member cabinet appointed by the king, seven nobles elected by all the hereditary nobles, and seven persons elected by all adult citizens.Tonga's small size, lack of resources, and growing population have created problems. But the country is well governed, and sound plans for the future are being made. 1. According to the passage, Tonga is ______.A. a small country to the North of the United StatesB. a country with very rich natural resourcesC. is a country made up of hundreds of small islandsD. is a country dependent on Britain2. Which one of the following statements about Tonga is not true?A. Tonga attracts large numbers of tourists every year.B. Tonga is subject to natural disasters because of it location.C. The islands in Tonga are quite fit for growing crops.D. Tonga doesn't have many large cities.3. What is true about Tonga's political status?A. Tonga's foreign affairs is still controlled by the British.B. Tonga won its independence thirty years ago.C. Tonga is a republic.D. Tongan women have very high social status.4. Which one of the following is the problem that Tonga is facing now?A. The lack of natural resources and its small size.B. Hunger.C. Severe environmental pollution.D. Social instability.5. This passage is most probably taken from ______.A. a geographical textbookB. a book on human civilizationC. a book on world economy and politicsD. a book on environmental protectionPassage 6If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise , and as a result, we are aging unnecessarily soon.Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy fanners in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of aging could be slowed down.With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations.Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect and emotion, and determine the human character. (The rear section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties.)Contraction of front and side parts --- as cells die off-was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty-and-seventy-year-olds.Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age --- using the head.The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant.Matsuzawa's findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. "The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain." He says, "Think hard and engage in conversation. Don't rely on pocket calculators."1. The team of doctors wanted to find out _____.A. why certain people age sooner than othersB. how to make people live longerC. the size of certain people's brainsD. which people are most intelligent2. Which of the following is true?A. Generally, people work in the government doesn't age as soon as people in the town.B. The back of the brain is in charge with people's eating.C. The easy way to prevent brain from aging is to supply fresh oxygen the brain cells need.D. We look young because we have enough physical exercises.3. The doctor's tests show that ______.A. our brains shrink as we grow olderB. the front section of the brain does not shrinkC. sixty-year-olds have better brains than thirty-year-oldsD. some people's brains have contracted more than other people's4. According to the passage, which group of people seem to age more sooner than the others?A. Lawyers.B.Professors.C. Doctors.D. White collars.5. The article is possibly written for _____.A. the junior studentsB. the ordinary readersC. the doctors and nurses in hospitalsD. the university professorsPassage 7Have you ever felt your mind getting confused after a sleepless night? You couldn't come up with an original thought no matter how hard you tried.You were probably right if you thought that was caused by a lack of sleep. Dr. Home, a sleep researcher in England, studied 24 college students. One group got their normal eight hours of sleep. The other group didn't get the smallest amount of sleep-they stayed awake all night. The next day, Dr. Home tested the students. He asked them questions that required creative and original thinking. One of the questions was "How many uses can a cardboard box be put to?"The results? The wide-awake students did well on the tests. The tired students did poorly.Research has already shown that tired people can do okay on tests of routine thinking, like simple addition. But Dr. Home tested creative thinking only.As part of his study, he offered an amount of money as a reward to the sleepy students if they did well. But even this encouragement wasn't enough to help the students overcome their tiredness. They still did poorly. Dr. Home believes that the cerebral cortex-the part of the brain where thinking takes place - may get worn out during waking hours. Sleep may help to repair the brain overnight. Without any sleep, he emphasizes, "even if you concentrate harder, you cannot do better." This study gives people something to think about, especially people like hospital workers and airline pilots, who must stay awake all night and then make emergency decisions.1. According to the passage, the confusion of your mind is possibly due to _____.A. the lack of sleepB. the difficult questionC. the requirement of your creative thinkingD. the requirement of your original thinking2. Tired people can do everything EXCEPT_____.A. doing simple additionB. doing okay on tests of routine thinkingC. answering the creative question wellD. telling other people their names3. The purpose for Dr. Home to offer a lot of money to the sleepy students is to _____.A. help them repair their brainsB. stimulate their interests of the questionC. buy some medicine which can make them excitingD. encourage them to do better4. Who might be better instructed in their work after reading this passage?A. Nurses.B. Children.C. Students.D. Businessmen.5. We can learn from the passage that _____.A. a foolish man with good sleep may answer creative question wellB. a pilot should fly the aircraft after having good sleepC. enough sleep is good for your emergency decisionsD. both B and CPassage 8Sylvester and I are watching television advertisements because we need information for a class research project. We have to discuss realism and fantasy in television advertising, and so we are looking for examples of distortions and falsehoods in television commercials. The question we are asking is, "Is the commercial true to life, or does it offer an unreal picture of the product?"Sylvester is keeping track of the distortions, and he already has quite a long list. He says that all housewives seem to live in lovely homes, dress beautifully, and love their household chores, they smile and boast about floor waxes and proudly display their dirty laundry, dusty tabletops and filthy ovens. In addition, he has never seen men doing housework. Sylvester thinks that this view of family life is filled with distortions.I am keeping track of the people who appear in the advertisements. I have found handsome men courting the All-American Girl, and they are always recommending brand X toothpaste or brand Y cologne (科隆香水). I see teenagers and children surrounded by their friends, having wonderful time at parties and at school, and they are usually enjoying large harmonious family gatherings. I think that these advertisements are also filled with fantasy.Sylvester and I have concluded that much of American life is pictured unrealistically in commercials. Teenagers do not always have fun at parties, and very few people love doing chores. People do have problems but few of these are ever shown in commercials. Instead, we watch Cinderella discover a miracle floor wax, finish the kitchen chores, and waltz off to the ball. Our heads are filled with these fantasies, and they also suggest that, for any problem, brand Z will provide the instant cure. Sylvester and I will have very few facts and a lot of fantasy to write about in our research reports.1. Judging from the context, the relationship between the author and Sylvester is most probably that of _____.A. research workersB. a professor and a studentC. a father and a sonD. classmates2. According to Sylvester, what can be inferred about housewives in advertisements?A. sad and tiredB. enjoy doing their houseworkC. have their husbands help themD. never touch dirty things3. The author thinks that life of teenagers shown in commercials is_____.A. incompleteB. unrealisticC. true to lifeD. boring4. Sylvester and the author have come to the conclusion that commercialsA. truly reflect American lifeB. lack in fantasyC. seldom give expression to people's problemsD. give great fun to children5. The most suitable tide for the passage isA. Class Research Project by TVB. American Life to Be ShownC. Children Like to See AdvertisementsD. Distortions in TV AdvertisingPart II. Vocabulary and StructureDirections: There are 30 incomplete sentences in this part. For each sentence there are four choicesmarked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence.1. I'd like to take __________ of this opportunity to thank all of you for your co-operation.A. profitB. benefitC. occasionD. advantage2. In copying this paper, be careful not to leave __________ any words.A. outB. aloneC. offD. behind3. People who cannot __________ between colors are said to be color-blind.A. compareB. separateC. establishD. contrast4. We finally __________ an agreement after a lot of hard bargaining.A. reachedB. didC. arrivedD. drove5. How could he __________ from believing that she was changing her mind?A. avoidB. stopC. preventD. keep6. It is desirable that the airplane _____________ as light as possible.A. isB. wereC. beD. had been7. We came finally ___________ the conclusion that she has been telling lies all the time.A. ofB. intoC. toD. at8. I am not used to speaking ______________ public.A. inB. atC. onD. to9. He didn't live up to ____________ had been expected of him.A. whatB. whichC. thatD. all10. She did not feel ______________ going out, as she had a slight headache.A. aboutB. likeC. afterD. for11. The price of gold rose again, partly __________ news about war.A. result inB. go withC. becauseD. due to12. Responsibilities _________________ becoming a father.A. charge forB. go withC. save forD. go through13. If you ___________ in your rent again, you may get thrown out.A. fall behindB. account forC. charge forD. come to14. The country has ___________ too many wars in the past few decades; its people are longing for peace so much.A. prevented fromB. resulted inC. gone throughD. gone with15. She wouldn't even take a drink, _____________ stay for dinner.A. much moreB. much fewC. much lesserD. much less16. The first popularly chosen president has ________ the political representatives over the slow pace of economic change.A. prevented fromB. charged forC. accounted forD. clashed with17. Unless we get more money, we'll be ____________ finishing this enquiry program.A. separated fromB. recovered fromC. prevented fromD. charged from18. The painter lived more than a decade in Europe, ______ he could be in close contact with other cubists(立体派艺术家).A. whereB. in whichC. thatD. in that19. _______ Tom is supposed to make an appointment with the dentist, he says he is too busy.A. HoweverB. WhomeverC. WheneverD. Whatever20. Every organism produces waste products no longer useful to itself and which ______ to accumulate would in fact be harmful.A. if they allowedB. if were allowedC. if was allowsD. if allowed21. This boy is able to repeat from memory ______ 200 short poems.A. up toB. up tillC. as toD. as far22. In Shanghai, city planners have made many places for green belts and garden _____.A. placesB. lotsC. spacesD. strips23. Though we have spent two nights in _______ the problem, we still can't find a solution.A. working onB. working outC. working upD. working in24. It was such a wonderful day that they decided to take a day _____ to the mountain.A. awayB. voyageC. boat tripD. excursion25. With the increasing of environmental awareness, many green belts _______ all over the country.A. spring offB. spring upC. spring inD. spring out26. Because of its large number of bamboo trees and comfortable climate, Sichuan is home _____ the panda.A. toB. ofC. forD. by。