出自:西北师范大学英语
Passage Two Until modern times, no one knew what comets were. They were feared as signs warning some sad events.The very word“comet" comes from the Greek“kometes", which means“the long-haired one." The Greeks and Romans believed that comets were evil spirits with flowing beards. In the Middle Ages, the Church declared that comets were sent by God to punish man. An astronomer of the Middle Ages said the comet of 1531“was the color of blood. An ugly spirit with long hair rode at its head. It looked so terrible and produced such fear in the common people that some were frightened to death and others fell sick." These views prevailed until late into the seventeenth century, when the English astronomer Edmund Halley noticed similarity in the paths of the comets of 1456, 1531, 1607 and 1683. Halley became certain that these comets were one and the same comet turning round and round the sun like a planet. He predicted that this comet would return about the end of 1758 or early in 1759, since it had been seen regularly every seventy-five or six years. Halley himself did not live long enough to see his comet return. But his prediction proved to be correct, for on march 12, 1759 a comet was seen blazing across the sky. This was the first time in history that a comet had been definitely expected. Since 1759, it will return in 1985 or 1986. The comet is named Halley.s Comet, after the man who accurately predicted its appearance. 29. The best title for this passage isA. Understanding Comets B. Halley.s Findings C. Halley.s Predictions D. The Composition of Comets 30. Comets are like planets in that they, A. have moons of their own B. can be seen at regular intervals C. blaze across the sky D. orbit the sun 31. The Romans believed that comets were A. stars shining brightly in the sky B. planets turning round and round the sun C. evil spirits with long beards D. signs predicting some cheerful events 32. In the Middle Ages an astronomer described the comet of 1531 as A. something of red color B. something sent by God to punish man C. an evil spirit that would bring illness to people D. something riding the back of a bloody colored horse 33. According to the passage, the comets of 1456, 1531, 1607 and 1682 were A. different comets B. the same comet C. first seen by Edmund Halley D. named by Halley
Passage One It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward the Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandre Ⅲ, the cab slowed down, for the traffic light was red against, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red light in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver,I asked him why he had driven through two red lights. “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a veteran like you, breaking the law and endangering your life that way," I protested. He looked at me astonished.“Ashamed of myself? I am a law-abiding citizen and have no desire to get killed either." He cut me off before I could protest. “No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is, what it means?" "Certainly," I replied.“It.s a stop signal and means that traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”“Half-right," said the driver,“but incomplete. It is only an automatic stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed own at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the streets at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a dumb animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, monsieur," he thundered, hitting the door with a huge first. “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. It would be a sin against nature to surrender them to the dictates of a machine. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night, monsieur." Is this bad, is this good? Frankly I no longer am sure. I never doubted that it was wrong to drive through a relight, but now I find my old Anglo-Saxon standards somewhat shaken. 24.At the Alma Bridge, A. the writer stopped the cab an paid the driver B. the cab went through a red light again C. there was a performance the writer had already watched D. the writer began to criticize the driver 25. To the cab driver, a red light A. was not a stop signal B. should not work at midnight C. sometimes made mistakes in judgment D. didn.t always mean that there was cross traffic 26. The chief reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that A. he found there was no cross traffic there and then B. he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine C. he knew no other driver would see him at this hour D. he didn.t trust any brainless machine 27. According to the passage, the driver thought of what he had done as A. law-abidingB. law-breaking C. something to be proud of D. something to be ashamed of 28. The last sentence shows that the writer is probably A. an old man B. a Frenchman C. an Englishman D. an American