2012年9月公共英语四级考试真题及答案

2012年9月公共英语四级考试真题及答案Section I Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)听力1-10略
11、听材料，回答下列问题。

Why did the police officer stop the driver?
A．The driver exceeded the speed limit.
B．The driver didn't stop at the zebra crossing.
C．The officer was conducting a routine check.
D．The officer found the car's brake lights were out.
12、Why did the driver mention his wife's cousin's husband?
A．To prove his connection with the officer.
B．To show himself as an influential man.
C．To influence the police officer.
D．To establish a new friendship.
13、What did the police officer threaten to do?
A．Give the driver a ticket.
B．Take the driver to court.
C．Retain the driver's car.
D．Take the driver to the police station.
14、听材料，回答下列问题。

What is the origin of Kwanzaa related to.?
A．Religion.
B．Family life.
C．Agriculture.
D．Community.
15、Which of the following colors is used for decoration in Kwanzaa? A．Yellow.
B．Green.
C．White.
D．Blue.
16、What do the seven candles stand for?
A．Principles.
B．Cultures.
C．Tribes.
D．Colors.
17、听材料，回答下列问题。

When was the Word Bank officially founded?
A．In 1944.
B．In 1946.
C．In 1949.
D．In 2000.
18、The World Bank dreams of a world without
A．inequality
B．poverty
C．oppression
D．conflicts
19、What do we know about the Word Bank member countries?
A．They have equal say.
B．They decide on the bank's work.
C．They are the board members.
D．They are its shareholders.
20、How many leading contributors does the World Bank have?
A．24.
B．19.
C．5.
D．3.
Section II Use of English (15 minutes) 英语常识
根据材料，回答下列21-40问题。

Humans like to regard themselves as exceptional.Many philosophers believe humans are the only 21 which understands that others have their own personal thoughts.That understanding is known in the 22 as having a "theory of mind," and it is considered the 23 to such cherished human 24 as sympathy and deception.
Biologists have learned to treat such 25 with caution.Bernd Heinrich and Thomas Bugn-yar describe an experiment they have carried out 26 ravens.
27 to gaze is reckoned to be a good 28 of the development of theory of mind in human children. 29 about 18 months, most children are able to follow the gaze of another person, and 30 things about the gazer from it.Failure to 31 this trick is an early symptom of autism, a syndrome whose main underlying feature is a(n) 32 to understand that other people have 33 , too.
To 34 whether ravens could follow gaze, Dr Heinrich used six six-month-old hand-reared ravens.The birds were set, one at a time, on a perch on one side of a room divided by a barrier.An experimenter in front of the barrier 35 his head and eyes in a particular 36 and gazed for 30 seconds before looking 37 Dr Heinrich found that all the birds were able to follow the gaze of the experimenters, even
38 the barrier.In the 39 case, the curious birds either jumped down from the perch and walked around the barrier to have a 40 or leapt on top of it and peered over.
21、
A．category
B．group
C．race
D．species
22、
A．perspective
B．trade
C．business
D．skill
23、
A．secret
B．attribution
C．alternative
D．gateway
24、
A．qualifies
B．operations
C．habits
D．values
25、
A．comparisons
B．findings
C．assertions
D．studies
26、
A．on
B．to
C．against
D．for
27、A．Indifference B．Response C．Resistance D．Instinct
28、
A．call B．reason C．hint D．measure
29、
A．With
B．In
C．By
D．At
30、
A．imagine B．infer C．locate D．confer
31、
A．develop B．find C．plan D．conceal
32、
A．resent B．tendency C．attempt D．inability
33、
A．senses B．minds C．beliefs
D．faculties
34、A．argue B．prove C．test D．confirm
35、A．moved B．hid C．revealed D．adjusted
36、A．manner B．direction C．type D．circle
37、A．down B．up C．away D．inside
38、
A．into B．within C．beyond D．from
39、A．former B．latter C．ordinary D．unusual
40、
A．look
B．rest
C．try
D．taste
Section III Reading Comprehension (60 minutes) 阅读理解A
根据材料，回答下列41-60问题。

Text 1
Conventional wisdom has long held that mammals stayed millions of years on earth.As long as dinosaurs roamed the lands, our distant ancestors never got to be much more than chicken-hearted creatures that sneaked out at night to grab bits of plants when the terrible lizards were asleep.Only when they were wiped out did mammals begin to earn a little evolutionary respect.
But that picture changed dramatically with the announcement in Nature of two impressive fossils.One, of a brand-new species named R.giganticus, broke apart the notion that most dinosaur-age mammals were never larger than squirrels.The animal had the dimensions of a midsize dogby far the biggest dinosaur-age mammal ever found.And the second, a new specimen of a previ-ously discovered species called R.robustus, refuted the notion that it was always the mammals that got eaten.Inside the skeleton where the animal's stomach would have been are the fossilized re-mains of a baby dinosaur."This discovery was the chance of a lifetime," says Jin Meng, scientist and co-author of the paper.
Indeed, Meng didn't expect to find things like this at all.The smaller skeleton was discovered about two years ago by villagers in China's Liaoning province, site of some of the richest fossil beds in the world.They brought it to the attention of scientists, who took it to an institute for examination."We didn't see the stomach contents at first," says Meng.
After they did, however, it didn't take them long to realize they had struck scientific gold.On closer examination, the scientists determined that the remains were those of a juvenile dinosaur.Some of the arm and leg bones were still attached to each other, suggesting that R.robustus didn't chew its food thoroughly but wolfed it down in large chunks.
Taken together, the finds overturn the already eroded idea that early mammals were tiny and timid.Now paleontologists can stop cooking up theories to explain why mammals were so little--that they had to be small to avoid being found, for example, or they couldn't grow larger because dinosaurs already occupied those ecological spaces.
But it's now clear that mammals did fill some of the spaces reserved for larger animals."It's quite possible," says paleontologist Anne Well, "that they competed with dinosaurs for the same
prey." And because they ate dinosaurs, they may even have had an influence on dinosaur evolution.What sort of influence? "We don't know," she says."That's how it is with the best finds.They leave you with more questions than answers."
41、Mammals in the dinosaur age used to be described as
A．fierce and dangerous.
B．shrewd and swift.
C．doglike and sneaky.
D．small and cowardly.
42、The fossil of a baby dinosaur in the skeleton of R.robustus indicates that A．R.robustus must have died in its pregnancy.
B．this mammal could have died while fighting with dinosaurs.
C．R.robustus swallowed the baby dinosaur as its food.
D．mammals would eat their young when starved.
43、By saying " they had struck scientific gold" (Lines 1, Paragraph 4 ), the author means that
A．their discovery earned them great fame.
B．their findings enjoyed enormous market value.
C．they acquired valuable resources for their studies.
D．they had made a significant discovery in their research.
44、The expression "cooking up" (Line 2, Paragraph 5 ) indicates that the author A．doubts the validity of the previous scientific explanations.
B．thinks the new discoveries have practical significance.
C．regards previous ecological studies as simply story-making.
D．considers those new discoveries no longer hold water.
45、What is the possible connection between mammals and dinosaurs? A．Mammals were under dinosaurs' rule most of the time.
B．Mammals might have contributed to the evolution of dinosaurs.
C．Dinosaurs failed in the competition with mammals for food.
D．Baby dinosaurs were the main source of food for mammals.
根据材料，回答下列46-65问题。

Text 2
Schools of education have long been objects of criticism.From James Koerner's 1963 book,The Miseducation of America's Teachers, up through two recent reports by national commissions,critics have complained about the intellectual emptiness of the curriculum at ed schools and the lack of connection between what is taught and the realities teachers face in the classroom.A recent sur-vey of teachers about their graduate-school training drew comments like "the shabbiest psychobab-ble imaginable" and "a waste of time."
With an estimated 2 million new teachers needed over the next decade, the shortcomings in ed-ucation schools are a practical concern.In what is a generally bleak landscape, a small number of schools stand out as innovators.Two key qualities distinguish these exemplars.First, they require that students master the subjects they will be teaching and structure theft curricula accordingly.Sec- ond, these programs put a premium on hands-on experience.While traditional ed-school curricula are filled with courses on theory, the new approach places much greater emphasis on learning by doing.
At Ohio State University in Columbus, students in the one-year master's program
spend half their time teaching in one of 55 Franklin County public schools, where they are paired with experi- enced teachers.
"You are immersed from Day 1," says OSU graduate student Kelley Crockett, a
37-year-oldformer businesswoman who does practical training at Gables Elementary School."And that forces you to be intimately involved."
In New York City, the Bank Street College of Education--a two-year program--runs its own junior high."That keeps us honest," says the school's president, Augusta Kappner."We are encouraging students to see how they function in school settings so they can constantly improve.
Comparable programs exist at some other institutions, including the University of Virginia and Trinity University in San Antonio. But Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor at Columbia University's Teachers College who is an expert on teacher training, estimates that only 40 percent of the 1,200 teacher-education programs in the country have met national accreditation standards.Most education schools, she says, "have operated bureaucratically, assuming that teachers didn't need to know many things, 'Just give them a textbook and send them on.'"
46、By saying "intellectual emptiness of the curriculum" ( Lines 3, Paragraph 1 ) the critics mean to argue that
A．there were not sufficient items in the curriculum.
B．the curriculum was poorly designed academically.
C．the training based on the curriculum was hardly imaginable.
D．the curriculum did not sufficiently address learners' needs.
47、According to the author, the concern over the current situation in ed schools is
A．well-grounded.
B．unnecessary.
C．widespread.
D．ill-founded.
48、The word "premium" ( Line 5, Paragraph 2) probably means
A．difficulty.
B．emphasis.
C．limitation.
D．reward.
49、It can be inferred from Linda Darling-Hammond's comment that
A．most ed schools should undergo fundamental reform.
B．it is too difficult for ed schools to overcome bureaucracy.
C．teachers at ed schools emphasize too much the value of a textbook.
D．most ed school teachers are unwilling to participate in the innovations. 50、Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A．A Bird's Eye View on Teacher Training Programs
B．Traditional versus Modem Schools of Education
C．Innovation at Some Schools of Education
D．Comparison between Teacher Training Programs
根据材料，回答下列51-70问题。

Text 3
It's almost an article of faith: your best ally in the fight against cancer is a doggedly optimistic outlook.And it would seem that mounting evidence of the links between emotional and physical well-being would support that view.The only problem is that there is no good evidence to support that belief when it comes to cancer.Moreover, the "tyranny" of positive thinking often becomes just one more burden for the sick.
It was research in the 1970s and '80s that first popularized the idea that attitude might affect cancer outcomes.Such research led doctors to encourage patients to think happy thoughts and visualize their immune system blasting away cancer cells.But most of those studies have been dismissed as either flawed or inconclusive.A review of 37 studies that was published in the British Medical Journal in 2002 found that although a positive outlook does correlate with the perception of less pain by patients--a real benefit--there is "little consistent evidence that coping styles play an important part in survival from or recurrence of cancer."
Still, the optimism theory remains attractive.One reason is that Americans live in a culture that desires control.We want to believe that we can beat cancer by imposing our will on the disease.A better reason is that mental states like depression and chronic anxiety have been shown to have physical consequences that affect the progression of such illnesses as heart disease and diabetes.While a similar connection is biologically plausible for cancer, it is far from proven. Even researchers who believe that studies will ultimately establish links between stress and the progression of cancer, like Stanford's Dr.David Spiegel, know the picture is complex."It isn't a matter of ' Fix it in your mind, and you fix it in your body, ' " he says, "but it would be strange if what goes on in our minds didn't affect how our bodies deal with illness."
So where does that leave cancer patients? Doctors know that individuals will always bring their own disposition--sunny, sour or sarcastic--to bear on their illness and treatment.Pressuring them to be models of positive thinking is useless.Worse, it could cause them to hide their fears and reject support.But clinicians must remain alert for signs of depression, which can affect the outcome of any disease if it interferes with treatment.And many patients will also need--and welcome—help to improve poor coping skills.Spiegel says, "Having worked with people with
life-threatening ill- nesses for 30 years, it's clear that there are better and worse ways to deal with these things." False optimism isn't helpful, but neither is despair.
51、By saying "the ' tyranny' of positive thinking" ( Line 4, Paragraph 1 ), the author probably means
A．people cannot but think optimistically.
B．it is unfair to force people to think positively.
C．people are advised to assume an optimistic outlook in life.
D．it is positive thinking that prevails.
52、What is found to be the real benefit of taking an optimistic attitude toward cancer?
A．Strengthening the immune system.
B．Reducing the pain felt by patients.
C．Improving patients' coping styles.
D．Heightening the effect of medication.
53、The author thinks that the optimism theory is derived from
A．Americans' cultural pride in overcoming everything.
B．the biological plausibility of willful control of cancer.
C．the assumed connection of mood with some illnesses.
D．the scientific researches in the 1970s and '80s.
54、What does the sentence "the picture is complex" (Line 2, Paragraph 4) mean? A．Researchers differ in views on the cure of illnesses.
B．The human body is still beyond our understanding.
C．Doctors are unable to handle cancers effectively.
D．Various factors function in the treatment of cancers.
55、An appropriate title for the text would be
A．Can Sunny Thoughts Halt Cancer?
B．Fix Your Mind, and Your Body Will be Fixed
C．Optimism--Another Burden for Patients?
D．Smiles Surely Smooth Sentiment
根据材料，回答下列56-75问题。

Text 4
Advances in interfaces--the physical way we react with computers--and other techniques of
controlling computers will supplement the role of the traditional keyboard and mouse.Technologies in development include surfaces that allow fingertip control of on-screen objects and devices that sense--and react to--movement.
But we should assess human-computer interaction (HCI) to ensure that we retain control of
key decision-making processes, one report suggests.
Display technologies will soon allow us to fix screens of all sizes in a variety of fabrics.In the near future we will still be reading paper books and magazines; but we'll also be using paper-like digital screens to distribute content. Cheap and easily-accessed digital storage allows consumers to electronically record and store more aspects of our lives--allowing us to share information and interact
with people across the globe.This hyper-connectivity liberates us from fixed telephone lines, desks and offices, while advances in robotics develop the computer's ability to learn and make decisions.
"New computing technology is tremendously exciting," said Tom Rodden, Professor at the
University of Nottingham."But the interaction between humans and computers is evolving into a
complex ecosystem where small changes can have far-reaching consequences.While new interfaces and hyper-connectivity mean we are increasingly mobile, we can see that they are obscuring the line between work and personal space."
"Huge storage capabilities raise fundamental privacy issues around what we should be recording and what we should not.The potential of machine learning might well result in computers increasingly making decisions on our behalf.It is imperative that we combine technological innovations with an understanding of their impact on people."
The report argues that without proper monitoring and assessment it is possible that we may no longer be in control of ourselves or the world around us.This potentially places the computer on a collision course with basic human values and concepts such as personal space, society, identity, in-dependence, perception, intelligence and privacy.
The report gives recommendations for the HCI community to adopt to ensure that human values inform future development.These include educating young people so that they understand HCI and the impact of computer advances early on and engaging with governments, policy-makers and society as a whole to provide counsel and give advance warning of the emerging implications of new computing ecosystems. "Computing has the potential to enhance the lives of billions of people around the world.We believe that if technology is to truly bring benefit to humanity, then human values and the impact of technology must be considered at the earliest possible opportunity in the technology design process," said Abigail Sellen, one of the editors of the report.
56、New technologies will make a computer
A．less complex in structure.
B．less varied in appearance.
C．more automatic in operation.
D．more user friendly in future.
57、Tom Rodden is worried that new interfaces and hyper-connectivity will A．result in greater interest in machine learning.
B．impose more interference on our privacy.
C．disturb our existing ecological system.
D．lead to the need of huge storage.
58、The word "imperative" (Line 3, Paragraph 6) is closest in meaning to A．urgent.
B．difficult.
C．appropriate.
D．extraordinary.
59、When left unmonitored, technological innovations may bring about A．collision in human society.
B．decrease in working efficiency.
C．threat to human values.
D．poorer governmental administration.
60、The text focuses on
A．the complex ecosystem of humans and computers.
B．the potentials of new computer technology.
C．the improvement of technology on computers.
D．the individualized function of computer technology.
阅读理解B
根据材料，回答下列61-65问题。

Ecological economics recognizes that humans and their economies are parts of larger natural ecosystems and co-evolve with those natural systems.61 ) There is a material and energy basis for the relations between human economies and their ecosystems, defining not only economic, but social, structures and processes.Economies possess general ecosystem properties, such as dynamism, evolution, integrity, stability and sustenance.Economies are embedded in larger natural ecosystems, and exchange flows of materials and energy with natural systems.
62) What makes humans and their economies unique as a sub-ecosystem is their ability,through willful effort, ignorance and human designed tools, to dramatically restructure and reform processes in ecosystems of which they are a part.The ability is to such a magnitude that human welfare can be diminished or enhanced by those original actions.Some types of economic activities, and the welfare that originates from them, would not be sustainable if they substantially adversely impact natural systems.
63)The willful effort to extract useful things from natural systems is motivated by the satisfaction of basic biological needs and the seemingly limitless search for pleasure through consumption of goods and through social associations.The magnitude of potential impact on their own welfare through effects on natural systems requires that human decisions be guided by some notion of the value of their actions and the value of their impacts on ecosystems, either in terms of benefits of use or costs of abuse.Some concept of value is required for rational activities of human economies within their natural systems.
Both the structures and processes of natural systems have identifiable instrumental
value to the human economy.These narrow use values may be reflected by the summation of individual values, to the extent they are private.However, natural systems also have aesthetic, moral and cultural values.These values are more intrinsic and unmeasurable using traditional human preferences.
64) Valuation is made more complicated by the fact that our natural environment is highly likely to shape values through establishing social and economic relations, aesthetic standards and culture.If so, our decisions now about the natural environment will shape future value systems,
making values endogenous and, therefore, a poor guide to behavior.65) A way out of this dilemma is to make valuations of natural systems based on "What we would like to see society become," rather than to ask what current valuations are.The value of natural systems is then based on their ability to assist us in becoming what we wish to be.
61、________
62、________
63、________
64、________
65、________
写作
66、Study the following two pictures carefully and write an essay on them.In your essay, you should
(1) describe the pictures briefly,
(2) analyze this situation, and
(3) give your comments.
You should write 160 ~ 200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2.
Nobody can live happily without dreams,
and nobody can live happily only with dreams.
参考答案及精析
1. 1952
2. summer
3. seven
4. breakfast
5. hospitals
6. so powerful
7. 336 B.C.
8. Egypt
9. soldiers, merchants, scholars 10. 33 11. A 12. A
13. C 14. C 15. B 16. A 17. B 18. B 19. D
20. C
第二部分英语知识运用
参考译文
人类喜欢把自己当作例外。

许多哲学家认为人类是一一个了解他人有个人想法的物种。

从这一角度来看，这种理解被认为是一种“心理理论”，它还被认为是解释人类为何拥有同情和欺骗等特有品质的原因。

生物学家们已经学会了谨慎对待这样的断言。

贝恩德·海因里希和托马斯·布格尼亚尔描述了他们对渡鸦进行的一项实验。

对他人凝视的反应被认为是衡量儿童心理发展理论的一项很好的标准。

在大概18个月大的时候，大多数儿童都能够追随另一个人凝视的目光，并且从中推测出关于他的一些情况。

未能掌握这一能力是自闭症的一个早期症状。

自闭症这种综合征的主要基本特征就是无法理解他人也有想法。

为测试渡鸦是否能够追随人的目光，海因里希博士用六只六个月大的人工饲养渡鸦进行了实验。

每次他都把一只渡鸦放置在有障碍物分隔的房间的一端。

一位实验者站在障碍物前，把他的头和眼睛朝向某一方向，在凝视30秒钟之后转移视线。

海因里希博士发现，所有的渡鸦都能够追随实验者的目光，有些好奇的渡鸦甚至能越过障碍物，它们会跳下栖息的木杆，走到障碍物周围去观察，或者跳上障碍物，并从上面俯视。

答案及解析
21．D【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

category种类；group群体；race种族；species 物种。

根据句意及下文对鸟类的实验可知，此处表达的意思是人类自认为是一个了解他人有自己想法的特殊物种，故选D。

22．A【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

perspective观点，视角；trade贸易；business 商业；skill技能。

联系上文的“that understanding”和下文的“theory of mind”可知，此处进一步说明哲学家的观点，故选A。

23．B【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

secret秘密； attribution归因；alternative 选择；gateway门；途径。

根据句意可知，此处表达的意思是“心理理论”是人类同情与欺骗等情感产生的原因，故选B。

24．A【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

qualities特质；operations手术，运营；habits 习惯；values价值观。

根据后文提到的“sympathy and deception”可知，此处表达的意思是类似同情与欺骗等人类特有的品质，故选A。

25．C【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

comparisons比较；findings发现；assertions 断言，论断；studies研究。

根据前文可知，段主要列举了哲学家的观点来进一步论证“人类喜欢把自己当作例外”这一论点，然而文中并未明确说明哲学家的观点是得到实证证明的，言外之意是，这只是他们的主观看法，由此可推知，此处表达的意思是生物学家对哲学家的“断言”提出的质疑，故选C。

26．A【精析】该题考查介词的用法。

on在…上，关于；to向…方向；against相反；for为了。

根据句意可知，此处意为对渡鸦进行的一项实验，其中“ravens”是实验对象，前面需要一个表示“关于”的介词，on符合文意，故选A。

27．B【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

indifference冷漠；response反应；resistance 抵触，抗拒；instinct直觉，本能。

根据后文进一步的解释，即大多数儿童在l8个月大时能够追随他人的目光，可知此处表达的意思是对于目光的反应，故选B。

28．D【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

call呼唤，召唤；reason原因；hint暗示，示意；measure措施，衡量标准。

根据下文“大多数儿童在18个月大时能够追随他人的目光”可知，此处表达的意思是对于他人目光的追随是衡量儿童心理发展理论的一个好的标
准，故选D。

29．D【精析】该题考查介词用法。

with表示伴随；iIl表示在…中；by表示手段；at 表示在某一点。

根据文意可知，此处表示的意思是对于儿童年龄段的描述，at意为“在…期间；在…岁时”，符合文意，故选D。

30．B 【精析】该题考查动词词义辨析。

imagine想象；infer推断；locate定位；confer商谈，给与。

根据空格所在的句子前半部分“追踪他人的目光”，以及后半部分“关于他人的一些信息”可知，此处表达的意思是儿童能够从他人的凝视中获得信息。

infer sth．from sm．意为“从…中推断出…”，故选B。

31．A【精析】该题考查动词词义辨析。

develop发育，形成；find发现；plan计划；conceal隐藏。

由本句“自闭症的早期症状”可知，此处表达的意思是缺失追踪他人目光的能力，develop表示在成长过程中形成、掌握某项能力，故选A。

32．D【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

resent怨恨；tendency倾向；attempt尝试；inability无能力。

根据前文“自闭症的基本特征”以及后文“对于其他人…的理解”可以推断，此处表达的意思与自闭症的症状有关，inability to understand…表示理解能力的缺失，符合文意，故选D。

33．B【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

senses感觉；minds想法；beliefs信仰；faculties 能力。

根据前文“在大概l8个月大的时候，大多数儿童都能够追随另一个人凝视的目光，并且从中推测出关于他的一些情况”可知，此处表达的意思是自闭症儿童在相关能力上的缺失，即自闭症儿童不能理解他人也有想法，故选B。

34．C【精析】该题考查动词词义辨析。

argue争论；prove证明；test测试；confirm 确定。

根据前文对儿童追踪目光的描述以及后文对渡鸦进行的实验可知，此处表达的意思是海因里希博士进行实验的目的是测试渡鸦是否能够追踪目光，由于实验尚未得到定论，故选C。

35．D【精析】该题考查动词词义辨析。

moved移动；hid隐藏；revealed揭示；adjusted 调整。

根据本句主语“实验者”以及后文的宾语“他的头和眼睛”可知，此处表达的意思是实验者将头和眼睛对准某一方向，并且凝视30秒，adjust表示在原来的位置调节某事物的方向或者状态，而move意为将某物进行位置的改变或者移动，adjust符合文意，故选D。

36．B 【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

manlier方式；direction方向；type类型；circle圆圈。

根据前文的“实验者调整头和眼睛”以及后文的“凝视30秒”可知，此处表达的意思是实验者为了做出凝视的动作，要将头和眼睛对准某一方向，故选B。

37．C【精析】该题考查副词词义辨析。

down表示向下；up表示向上；away表示离开；inside表示内部。

由前文的“实验者把他的头和眼睛朝向某一方向，在凝视30秒钟之后”可知，此处表达的意思是实验者在做出凝视的动作之后所做的动作，away泛指其他的方向，符合文意，故选C。

38．C【精析】该题考查介词用法。

into表示向内；within表示内部；beyond表示越过，另一边；from表示从…。

根据前文“实验者发现全部渡鸦都能追随实验者的目光，甚至能够…”以及后文的“障碍物”可知，此处表达的意思是渡鸦甚至能够越过障碍物而追踪实验者的目光。

beyond the barrier表示越过障碍物，符合文意，故选C。

39．B【精析】该题考查形容词词义辨析。

former表示前者的；latter表示后者的；ordinary普通的；unusual非凡的。

根据前文“所有的渡鸦都能够追随实验者的目光，有些好奇的渡鸦甚至能越过障碍物”以及后文好奇的渡鸦通过各种方式追随实验者的目光可知，此句进一步说明越过障碍物的情况，即前文所提到的后一种情况，故选B。

40．A【精析】该题考查名词词义辨析。

look看；rest休息；try尝试；taste品尝。

根据前文“所有的渡鸦都能够追随实验者的目光，有些好奇的渡鸦甚至能越过障碍物”以
及后文“跳上障碍物，并从上面俯视”可知，渡鸦跳下木杆或走到障碍物周围是为了看到实验者的目光所指向的方向，have a look意为“看一眼”，故选A。

第三部分阅读理解
Part A
Rext1
参考译文
人们普遍认为，哺乳动物已经在地球上生存了数百万年。

在有恐龙生存的年代，我们远古的祖先只会等到可怕的恐龙在夜晚入睡的时候，才胆小如鼠地从藏身之地偷偷出来采集植物充饥。

只是在恐龙灭绝之后，哺乳动物才赢得了一点进化的机会。

然而这种观点被《自然》杂志上发表的有关两块化石的文章彻底改变了。

其一是一种全新的物种，名为R．giganticus，这一化石推翻了大多数恐龙时期的哺乳动物都不比松鼠大的观点。

这种动物有中等大小的犬类那么大——这是迄今为止发现的的恐龙时期的哺乳动物。

其二是一个之前已经被发现的物种R．robustus的新化石，这一化石推翻了哺乳动物总是被捕食这一观点。

在这个化石的胃部发现了一个变成化石的小恐龙的遗骸。

“这一发现是一次千载难逢的机会，”科学家兼这篇论文的作者之一孟瑾这样说。

孟瑾确实没有预料到会发现这样的东西。

其中略小的那个骨骼是约两年前由中国辽宁省的村民发现的。

中国辽宁是世界上含量丰富的化石床之一。

村民们把化石交给了科学家，科学家们对它进行了研究。

“我们初并没有看到胃里的东西，”孟瑾说。

然而，当他们发现了胃里的小化石之后，他们马上就意识到自己挖到了金子。

经过进一步的研究，科学家们断定胃里的遗骸是属于一只幼小的恐龙的。

它的一些前臂和腿部的骨骼还连在一起，这就表明那个R．robustus并没有充分咀嚼它的食物，而是将其狼吞虎咽了下去。

这两个发现共同推翻了早期哺乳动物幼小胆怯的观念。

现在，古生物学家不必再编造理论来解释哺乳动物为什么那么瘦小了，例如，有的理论认为，它们之所以长得瘦小是为了避免被发现，或者，它们没法长大是因为恐龙已经占领了它们的生存空间。

但是，现在我们明白，哺乳动物填补了一些大型动物的空间。

“这很有可能，”古生物学家安妮·维尔说，“它们与恐龙共同争夺猎物。

”而且，因为它们捕食恐龙，所以它们甚至可能对于恐龙的进化产生了影响。

什么样的影响呢?“我们还不知道，”她说。

“的科学发现就是这样的。

与给出的答案相比，却提出更多的问题。

”
答案及解析
41．D【精析】句意：恐龙时代的哺乳动物曾经被描述为什么?根据段第二句“As long as dinosaurs roamed the lands，our distant ancestors never got to be much more than chicken- hearted creatures that sneaked out at night to grab bits of plants when the terrible lizards were asleep．”可知，传统观点认为我们远古的祖先只会等到可怕的恐龙在夜晚入睡的时候，才胆小如鼠地从藏身之地偷偷出来采集植物充饥。

根据第二段第二句“One，of a brand-new species named R．giganticus，broke apart the notion that most dinosaur-age mammals were never larger than squirrels．”可知，全新的物种R．giganticus化石的发现，推翻了大多数恐龙时期的哺乳动物都不比松鼠大这一观点。

由此可知，恐龙时代的哺乳动物曾被描述为瘦小而懦弱，故选D。

42．C【精析】句意：R．robustus骨骼当中的小恐龙化石说明了什么?根据第二段第4—5句“And the second，a new specimen…refuted the notion that it was always the mammals that got eaten．Inside the skeleton where the animal’s stomach would have been。