SAT阅读练习题:Reading Comprehension Test 13.

SAT阅读练习题:Reading Comprehension Test 13

8 question 12 minutes

Could Washington, Madison, and the other framers of the Federal Constitution revisit the earth in this year 1922, it is likely that nothing would bewilder them more than the recent Prohibition Amendment. Railways, steamships, 5 the telephone, automobiles, flying machines, submarines – all these developments, unknown in their day, would fill them with amazement and admiration. They would marvel at the story of the rise and downfall of the German Empire; at the growth and present greatness of 10 the Republic they themselves had founded. None of these things, however, would seem to them to involve any essential change in the belis and purposes of men as they had known them. The Prohibition Amendment, on the contrary, would evidence to their minds the breaking 15 down of a principle of government which they had deemed axiomatic, the abandonment of a purpose which they had supposed immutable.

1. It can be inferred that the paragraph is intended as

A. an introduction to a discussion of a constitutional amendment B. a summary of social and political change since the writing of the Federal Constitution C. an introduction to a history of the Constitution D. a clarification of the author’s view of a controversy E. a summation of a discussion on political history

2. The author apparently believes that the “principle of government” mentioned in the last sentence is

A. not implicit in the original Constitution B. to be taken as true for all time C. apparently violated by the Prohibition Amendment D. an essential change in the belis of the American people E. something that would bewilder Washington and Madison

I have previously dined a sanctuary as a place where man is passive and the rest of Nature active. But this general dinition is too absolute for any special case. The merewww.aoji.cn fact that man has to protect a sanctuary does away with his 5 purely passive attitude. Then, he can be benicially active by destroying pests and parasites, like bot-flies or mosquitoes, and by finding antidotes for diseases like the epidemic which periodically kills off the rabbits and thus starves many of the carnivora to death. But, except in cases 10 where experiment has proved his intervention to be benicial, the less he upsets the balance of Nature the better, even when he tries to be an earthly Providence.

3. The author implies that his first dinition of a sanctuary is

A. totally wrong B. somewhat idealistic C. unhelpful D. indensible E. immutable

4. The author’s argument that destroying bot-flies and mosquitoes would be a benicial action is most weakened by all of the following except

A. parasites have an important role to play in the regulation of populations www.aoji.cn B. the elimination of any species can have unpredictable fects on the balance of nature C. the pests themselves are part of the food chain D. these insects have been introduced to the area by human activities E. elimination of these insects would require the use of insecticides that kill a wide range of insects

Paragraph one

That Priestley&aposs contributions to the knowledge of chemical fact were of the greatest importance is unquestionable; but it must be admitted that he had no comprehension of the deeper significance of his work; and, so far from 5 contributing anything to the theory of the facts which he discovered, or assisting in their rational explanation, his influence to the end of his life was warmly exerted in favor of error. From first to last, he was a stiff adherent of the phlogiston doctrine which was prevalent when his 10 studies commenced; and, by a curious irony of fate, the man who by the discovery of what he called "dephlogisticated air" furnished the essential datum for the true theory of combustion, of respiration, and of the composition of water, to the end of his days fought against the inevitable 15 corollaries from his own labors.

Paragraph two

It is a trying ordeal for any man to be compared with Black and Cavendish, and Priestley cannot be said to stand on their level. Nevertheless his achievements are truly wonderful if we consider the disadvantages under which he 20 labored. Without the carul scientific training of Black, without the leisure and appliances secured by the wealth of Cavendish, he scaled the walls of science; and trusting to mother wit to supply the place of training, and to ingenuity to create apparatus out of washing tubs, he discovered more 25 new gases (including oxygen, which he termed “dephlogisticated air”) than all his predecessors put together had done.

5. Which pairing best rlects the main emphasis of the two passages? The first focuses mainly on Priestley’s

A. discoveries of chemical fact; the second on his ingenuity www.aoji.cn B. discovery of “dephlogisticated air”; the second on his discoveries of gases C. lack of theoretical understanding; the second on his lack of training D. importance to future science; the second on his status in relation to his contemporaries E. theoretical misconceptions; the second on his success in the face of disadvantage

6. It can be inferred that “dephlogisticated air” is

I a misnomer, but relating to something important II a gaseous substance discovered by Priestley II something not fully understood by Preistley

A. I only B. II only C. I and III D. II and III E. I, II and III

7. The metaphor “scaled the walls of science” conveys the idea that Priestley

A. climbed to the pinnacle of science B. fought his way to the top C. escaped the confines of traditional ideas D. achieved success in a difficult endeavor E. clawed his way up against opposition

8. The attitude of both the passages to Priestley’s scientific work could be described as

A. firm disapproval B. wholehearted praise C. qualified approval D. determined neutrality E. ambivalence

1.Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

The passage tells us that the framers of the Constitution would not have been so surprised at the changes in technology and other areas as they would have been by the Prohibition Amendment. It goes on to indicate that there is some fundamental change in principle involved in this amendment, but does not elaborate. We can conclude that the author is about to go into details of this amendment and why it is apparently so different. This is why we can say the passage is an introduction to a discussion of the amendment.

2.Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

The author rers to the breaking down of a principle that the founders would have thought “axiomatic”. Axiomatic means assumed to be true. It is the Prohibition Amendment that apparently breaks down or “violates” this principle, making C the correct answer. This principle would not have bewildered the founders; the amendment would (eliminating E). Similarly the amendment represents a change in beli (eliminating D). B is too strong because of the word “all”, and A can be ruled out because of “not”.

3.Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

The author says in sentence two that his previous dinition was “too absolute”. Yet he admits that the less man “upsets the balance of Nature” the better. Hence his dinition is not entirely right (because it is too idealistic) but it is not entirely wrong either. It is now easy to eliminate answers A, C, D, and E because they are strongly negative.www.aoji.cn

4.Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

In “except” questions find the true statements first. In this case find four statements that weaken the idea that destroying pests is benicial. That means finding statements that show that it is not a good idea to destroy the pests. Answers A, B, C, and E give reasons why destroying these insects might be a mistake. D, however, is the right answer because it suggests that eliminating these insects might not be wrong, since they are not even natural inhabitants of the area.

5.Correct Answer: E

Explanation:

The main point of paragraph one is that, though Priestley made important contributions to factual knowledge, “he had no comprehension of the deeper significance of his work”, and. in fact, spent his life dending wrong ideas. This suggests that the first part of answer C and E could be right. The main point of paragraph two is that, though Priestley was not as great as some other scientists, he managed to make important discoveries that were “truly wonderful if we consider the disadvantages under which he labored”. This idea is most accurately conveyed in answer E.

6.Correct Answer: E

Explanation:

The words “dephlogisticated air” are placed in inverted commas because the name used by Priestley is misleading; its true nature and important role in combustion etc. had to be elucidated by others. Hence we can say that the substance was important but the name was a misnomer. (A misnomer is a wrong name.) Paragraph two clearly tells us that it was one of the gases discovered by Priestley. It is obvious from paragraph one that Preistley’s ideas about his discovery were in error, and that he had no real idea of the theoretical implications of this work. Thus all three statements are correct.

7.Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

We can eliminate answer A because “the pinnacle” implies the topmost point. Priestley made important discoveries but it is obvious that the author thinks there are other scientists who are more important, making “pinnacle” too strong. There is no suggestion of “fighting”, eliminating answer B. Similarly “opposition” is wrong in E. There is no mention that he escaped “traditional ideas”; in fact paragraph one suggests that he has hampered by his adherence to old ideas. This leaves us with the idea that scaling the walls of science means succeeding in doing something difficult.www.aoji.cn

8.Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

Both passages say both positive and negative things about Priestley. So we can eliminate the entirely positive (B), and the entirely negative (A). The authors cannot be described as neutral because they take a position (eliminate D). Both are rather firm in their attitudes so ambivalence is inappropriate (eliminate E). By saying “qualified approval” we mean that the authors approve up to a point. The word “qualified” is a favorite with examiners because students often misunderstand; used in this way it actually means “modified, moderated, or limited”.

SAT阅读练习题:Reading Comprehension Test 13

8 question 12 minutes

Could Washington, Madison, and the other framers of the Federal Constitution revisit the earth in this year 1922, it is likely that nothing would bewilder them more than the recent Prohibition Amendment. Railways, steamships, 5 the telephone, automobiles, flying machines, submarines – all these developments, unknown in their day, would fill them with amazement and admiration. They would marvel at the story of the rise and downfall of the German Empire; at the growth and present greatness of 10 the Republic they themselves had founded. None of these things, however, would seem to them to involve any essential change in the belis and purposes of men as they had known them. The Prohibition Amendment, on the contrary, would evidence to their minds the breaking 15 down of a principle of government which they had deemed axiomatic, the abandonment of a purpose which they had supposed immutable.

1. It can be inferred that the paragraph is intended as

A. an introduction to a discussion of a constitutional amendment B. a summary of social and political change since the writing of the Federal Constitution C. an introduction to a history of the Constitution D. a clarification of the author’s view of a controversy E. a summation of a discussion on political history

2. The author apparently believes that the “principle of government” mentioned in the last sentence is

A. not implicit in the original Constitution B. to be taken as true for all time C. apparently violated by the Prohibition Amendment D. an essential change in the belis of the American people E. something that would bewilder Washington and Madison 上1234下

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