在职艺术硕士（MFA）全国联考英文阅读理解模拟试卷28 (题后含答
案及解析)
全部题型 3. 英文阅读理解题
英文阅读理解题
Why does cream go bad faster than butter? Some researchers think they have the answer, and it comes down to the structure of the food, not its chemical composition—a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives. Cream and butter contain pretty much the same substances, so why cream should sour much faster has been a mystery. Both are emulsions—tiny globules (小球体) of one liquid evenly distributed throughout another. The difference lies in what’s in the globules and what’s in the surrounding liquid, says Brocklehurst, who led the investigation. In cream, fatty globules drift about in a sea of water. In butter, globules of a watery solution are locked away in a sea of fat. The bacteria which make the food go bad prefer to live in the watery regions of the mixture. “This means that in cream, the bacteria are free to grow throughout the mixture,” he says. When the situation is reversed, the bacteria are locked away in compartments (隔仓 室) buried deep in the sea of fat. Trapped in this way, individual colonies cannot spread and rapidly run out of nutrients (养料). They also slowly poison themselves with their waste products. “In butter, you get a self-limiting system which stops the bacteria growing,” says Brocklehurst. The researchers are already working with food companies keen to see if their products can be made resistant to bacterial attack through alterations to the food’s structure. Brocklehurst believes it will be possible to make the emulsions used in salad cream, for instance, more like that in butter. The key will be to do this while keeping the salad cream liquid and not turning it into a solid lump. (292 words)
1． The significance of Brocklehurst’s research is that______.
A．it suggested a way to keep some foods fresh without preservatives B．it discovered tiny globules in both cream and butter
C．it revealed the secret of how bacteria multiply in cream and butter D．it found that cream and butter share the same chemical composition
正确答案：A
解析：本题属于细节题。根据第一段的第二句的后半部分：“a finding that could help rid some processed foods of chemical preservatives”(这一发现可能使一些加工食品不再需要化学防腐剂)，可知答案为A。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
2． According to the researchers, cream sours faster than butter because bacteria A．are more evenly distributed in cream
B．multiply more easily in cream than in butter C．live on less fat in cream than in butter D．produce less waste in cream than in butter
正确答案：B
解析：本题属于推理题。根据第二、三段的内容(参见短文大意)，可知奶油之所以比黄油容易变坏，是因为细菌更易在奶油中繁殖。即B。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
3． According to Brocklehurst, we can keep cream fresh by______. A．removing its fat B．killing the bacteria
C．reducing its water content D．altering its structure
正确答案：D
解析：本题属于细节题。根据最后一段的第一句“The researchers．．．”(参见短文大意)可知答案为D“改变结构”。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
4． The word “colonies” (Line 2, Para. 4) refers to______. A．tiny globules B．watery regions
C．bacteria communities D．little compartments
正确答案：C
解析：本题属于词义辨别题。colony的基本含义是“殖民者”，其所在的句子意为：“……细菌被油脂隔离，个别的细菌群不能繁殖，且迅速用光其自身的养料……”，由此可知，C“细菌群”是正确答案。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
5． Commercial application of the research finding will be possible if salad cream can be made resistant to bacterial attack______.
A．by varying its chemical composition B．by turning it into a solid lump
C．while keeping its structure unchanged D．while retaining its liquid form
正确答案：D
解析：本题属于推理题。依据是最后两段的最后两句：“Brocklehurst”认为可以使沙拉酱的乳状液像黄油一样。关键是怎样让沙拉酱将保持液态而不是变成块状的固体。故答案为D。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists. Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth. Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we’ll have a way to change its course. Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn’t be cheap. Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences are if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500, 000 years. Sounds pretty rare—but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we don’t take care of these big asteroids, they’ll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It’s that simple. “ The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭 性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them,” said a New York Times article. (272 words)
6． What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids? A．They are heavenly bodies different in composition. B．They are heavenly bodies similar in nature. C．There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D．Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
正确答案：B
解析：本题属于推理题。根据文章第二段的第一句的内容：小行星是指那些划过夜空的比较大的流星，我们可作出选择，即B“小行星和流星是本质相似的天体”。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
7． What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth? A．It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B．Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C．Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected. D．It’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.
正确答案：A
解析：本题属于推理题。文章的第五段的后三句说道：专家们认为虽然小行星与地球相撞的可能性很小一一每50万年一次，但一旦发生了便是世界末日。有一位科学家说：“如果我们不注意它们(小行星)，它们就会注意(袭击)我们，事情就是那么简单。”由此可知，A是正确的。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
8． What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the courses of asteroids?
A．It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem. B．It may create more problems than it might solve.
C．It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D．Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
正确答案：B
解析：本题属于推理题。依据是文中的最后一段的内容：“The cure，though，might be worse than the disease．”(治疗方法可能比疾病本身还糟糕。)“the cure”暗指用核武器来改变小行星轨道的办法，“the disease”则指的是小行星可能会与地球相撞的危机。后文进一步指出全世界更害怕的是大量的核武器舰队，而不是毁灭性的星体。所以B是对的。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
9． We can conclude from the passage that______.
A．while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world B．asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future C．the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
D．workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth
正确答案：D 解析：本题属于推理题。既然用核武器来改变小行星的轨道这一方法行不通，我们当然要去寻找更合理的解决办法，即D。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
10． Which of the following best describes the author’s tone in this passage? A．Optimistic. B．Critical. C．Objective. D．Arbitrary.
正确答案：C
解析：本题属于主旨题。从整体来看，作者很客观地说明了存在的问题和大家对其的态度，故作者的语气是客观的，即C。其他选项，A“乐观的”、B“批评的”、D“武断的”均不符合题意。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
Amtrak (美国铁路客运公司) was experiencing a downswing in ridership (客运量) along the lines comprising its rail system. Of major concern to Amtrak and its advertising agency DDB Needham, were the long-distance western routes where ridership had been declining significantly.At one time, trains were the only practical way to cross the vast areas of the west. Trains were fast, very luxurious, and quite convenient compared to other forms of transportation existing at the time. However,
times change and the automobile became America’s standard of convenience. Also, air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances. Therefore, the task for DDB Needham was to encourage consumers to consider other aspects of train travel in order to change their attitudes and increase the likelihood that trains would be considered for travel in the west. Two portions of the total market were targeted; 1) anxious fliers—those concerned with safety, relaxation, and cleanliness and 2) travel-lovers—those viewing themselves as relaxed, casual, and interested in the travel experience as part of their vacatioa The agency then developed a campaign that focused on travel experiences such as freedom, escape, relaxation, and enjoyment of the great western outdoors. It stressed experiences gained by using the trains and portrayed western train trips as wonderful adventures. Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains (Empire Builder, etc.). These ads were strategically placed among family-oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences. Results were impressive. The Empire Builder, which was focused on in one ad, enjoyed a 15 percent increase in profits on its Chicago to Seattle route. (307 words)
11． What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A．To show the inability of trains to compete with planes with respect to speed and convenience.
B．To stress the influence of the automobile on America’s standard of convenience.
C．To emphasize the function of travel agencies in market promotion.
D．To illustrate the important role of persuasive communication in changing consumer attitudes.
正确答案：D
解析：本题属于主旨题。文章第一、二段提出并分析美国铁路客运存在的问题及铁路广告公司必须要做的工作，第三、四段：介绍了广告公司的一些具体做法及成效。A、B所示内容在文中略有提及，都是为表示铁路客运的窘境服务的，文中未论及选项C的内容。为此，考生通过思考可猜测这部分文章可能选自有关广告方面的文章，讲述的是一个利用广告成功地提高经济效益的事例。因此应选D。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
12． It can be inferred from the passage that the drop in Amtrak ridership was due to the fact that______.
A．trains were not suitable for short distance passenger transportation B．trains were not the fastest and most convenient form of transportation C．trains were not as fast and convenient as they used to be
D．trains could not compete with planes in terms of luxury and convenience
正确答案：B
解析：本题属于细节推理题。文中根本未谈及长、短距离客运的事，也就推断不出A来。C是混淆视听的一个选项。火车确实不像以前有竞争力了，但并非因为它速度比过去慢了或不如原来便利了，而是因为其他交通工具的竞争力增强了，所以C也不是正确推论。飞机是以速度占优势的，因此D是与事实相悖的推理。在阅读中，考生曾读到：“However，times change and the automobile became America’s standard of convenience．Also，air travel had easily established itself as the fastest method of traveling great distances．”根据这两句话我们可得出B项的推论，所以B为正确答案。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
13． To encourage consumers to travel by train, DDB Needham emphasized______.
A．the freedom and convenience provided on trains B．the practical aspects of train travel C．the adventurous aspects of train trips D．the safety and cleanliness of train trips
正确答案：C
解析：本题属于细节判断题。A中“convenience”不是广告中宣传的火车特点。为了鼓励游客多乘火车，广告公司更多的是宣传火车沿途的西部风光，乘火车旅行的感受，而不是旅行的便利。文中曾含蓄地提到了火车具有安全和干净的特点，但只是间接的，不是强调地提出(emphasized)。因此看来，A、B、D均不是正确选项，C为正确选择，且可在第三段最后一句找到依据。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
14． The train ads were placed among family-oriented TV programs involving nature and America because______.
A．they could focus on meaningful travel experiences
B．they could increase the effectiveness of the TV programs C．their profits could be increased by some 15 percent D．most travel-lovers and nervous fliers were believed to be among the audiences
正确答案：D
解析：本题属于细节推断题。从文中第四段可读到：“These ads were strategically placed among family—oriented TV shows and programs involving nature and America in order to most effectively reach target audiences．”为什么火车广告要放在这些电视节目中，因为是想最有效地向目标观众进行宣传。言外之意爱好旅游的人和怕乘飞机者会在这些节目的观众之中。因此D为正确选项。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
15． According to the passage, the Empire Builder enjoyed an increase in ridership and profits because______.
A．the attractiveness of its name and route was effectively advertised B．it provided an exciting travel experience
C．its passengers could enjoy the great western outdoors
D．it was widely advertised in newspapers and magazines in Chicago and Seattle
正确答案：A 解析：本题属于细节判断题。文章第四段第一句写道：Advertisements showed pictures of the beautiful scenery that could be enjoyed along some of the more famous western routes and emphasized the romantic names of some of these trains(Empire Builder，etc．)．由此可看到A为正确答案。别忘了，这是一篇关于广告作用的文章，讲述了一个广告宣传成功的事例。B和C所讲原因都不太确切，而D断章取义地将广告进行宣传的范围篡改了。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church； a drive through a narrow village street lines with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings— these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside. Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles (不列颠群岛). Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too. Thatching is a solitary (独自的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter. In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat. (292 words)
16． Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English countryside?
A．Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. B．Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. C．Cottages with thatched roofs.
D．Churches with cottages around them.
正确答案：C
解析：本题属于细节判断题。由题干“a unique feature of the English countryside”确定答案依据在第一段，由该段第一句的描写及第二句中“the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside”可知答
案为C。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
17． What do we know about thatching as a craft? A．It is a collective activity.
B．It is practised on farms all over England. C．It is quite different from what it used to be.
D．It is in most cases handed down among family members.
正确答案：D
解析：本题属于细节理解题。由题干中的“craft”定位至第三段，理解第一句即可确定答案为D“大多是家庭世代相传的”。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
18． Thatched houses are still preferred because of______. A．their style and comfort B．their durability
C．their easy maintenance
D．their cheap and ready-made materials
正确答案：A
解析：本题属于细节理解题。题干中的“prefer”与第三段最后一句中的“choose”相对应，其中“not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter”与选项A一致。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
19． People in developing countries also live under thatch because______. A．thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction B．thatched roof houses are the cheapest
C．thatch is an effective defense against the heat
D．they like thatched houses better than other buildings
正确答案：B
解析：本题属于细节归纳题。本题问到发展中国家住草屋的情况，涉及第四段前三句的要点：①第三世界半数以上人口住草屋。②他们不愿用传统的茅草做建筑材料，而宁愿住现代化楼房。③但他们没有钱来获得合适建材。概括要点可知他们住草屋与经济条件有关，故B为答案。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
20． We can learn from the passage that______.
A．thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient times B．thatching is a building craft first created by the English people C．the English people have a special liking for thatched houses D．most thatched cottages in England are located on hillsides
正确答案：C
解析：本题属于主题推断题。根据分析，作为发达国家的英国，乡村茅舍的
存在成为迷人一景，人们由于其美丽的风格和冬暖夏凉的性能而对之情有独钟，因此答案是C。注意选项A中的“thatched cottage”是不可能从古代保存下来的，因为根据短文最后部分的内容，茅草屋顶的建筑一般寿命为20～60年。 知识模块：英文阅读理解
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