托福TPO12阅读原文

Which Hand Did They Use?
We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
Clues to right-handedness can also be found by other methods. Right-handers tend to have longer, stronger, and more muscular bones on the right side, and Marcellin Boule as long ago as 1911 noted the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton had a right upper arm bone that was noticeably stronger than the left. Similar observations have been made on other Neanderthal skeletons such as La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal itself.
Fractures and other cut marks are another source of evidence. Right-handed soldiers tend to be wounded on the left. The skeleton of a 40- or 50-year-old Nabatean warrior, buried 2,000 years ago in the Negev Desert, Israel, had multiple healed fractures to the skull, the left arm, and the ribs.
Tools themselves can be revealing. Long-handed Neolithic spoons of yew wood preserved in Alpine villages dating to 3000 B.C. have survived; the signs of rubbing on their left side indicate that their users were right-handed. The late Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux consists of fibers spiraling to the right, and was therefore tressed by a righthander.
Occasionally one can determine whether stone tools were used in the right hand or the left, and it is even possible to assess how far back this feature can be traced. In stone toolmaking experiments, Nick Toth, a right-hander, held the core (the stone that would become the tool) in his left hand and the hammer stone in his right. As the tool was made, the core was rotated clockwise, and the flakes, removed in sequence, had a little crescent of cortex (the core's outer surface) on the side. Toth's knapping produced 56 percent flakes with the cortex on the right, and 44 percent left-oriented flakes. A left-handed toolmaker would produce the opposite pattern. Toth has applied these criteria to the similarly made pebble tools from a number of early sites (before 1.5 million years) at Koobi Fora, Kenya, probably made by Homo habilis. At seven sites he found that 57 percent of the flakes were right-oriented, and 43 percent left, a pattern almost identical to that produced today.
About 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed: we are the only mammal with a preferential use of one hand. The part of the brain responsible for fine control and movement is located in the left cerebral hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical in its structure and function not long after 2 million years ago. Among Neanderthalers of 70,000–35,000 years ago, Marcellin Boule noted that the La Chapelle-aux-Saints individual had a left hemisphere slightly bigger than the right, and the same was found for brains of specimens from Neanderthal, Gibraltar, and La Quina.
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
1. The phrase “assisted in” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ initiated
○ dominated
○ helped with
○ setup
2. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that even when paint was sprayed by mouth to make a hand stencil
○ there was no way to tell which hand was stenciled
○ the stenciled hand was the weaker hand
○ the stenciled hand was the dominant hand
○ artists stenciled more images of the dominant hand than they did of the weak
Paragraph 2: Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
3. The phrase “depicted” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ identified
○ revealed
○ pictured
○ imagined
4. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○ Right-handed artists could more easily have avoided casting shadows on their work, because engravings in prehistoric caves were lit from the left.
○ The tips of engraving tools and brushes indicate that these instruments were used by right-handed artists whose work was lit from the left.
○ The best lighting for most engravings suggests that they were made by right-handed people trying to avoid the shadow of their hands interfering with their work.
○ Right-handed artists try to avoid having the brush they are using interfere with the light source.
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
Paragraph 2: Cave art furnishes other types of evidence of this phenomenon. Most engravings, for example, are best lit from the left, as befits the work of right-handed artists, who generally prefer to have the light source on the left so that the shadow of their hand does not fall on the tip of the engraving tool or brush. In the few cases where an Ice Age figure is depicted holding something, it is mostly, though not always, in the right hand.
5. All of the following are mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2 as evidence of right-handedness in art and artists EXCEPT
○ the ideal source of lighting for most engravings
○ the fact that a left hand stenciled palm upward might look like a right hand
○ the prevalence of outlines of left hands
○ figures in prehistoric art holding objects with the right hand
Paragraph 3: Clues to right-handedness can also be found by other methods. Right-handers tend to have longer, stronger, and more muscular bones on the right side, and Marcellin Boule as long ago as 1911 noted the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton had a right upper arm bone that was noticeably stronger than the left. Similar observations have been made on other Neanderthal skeletons such as La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal itself.
6. According to paragraph 3, the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neanderthal skeleton can be identified as right-handed because
○ other Neanderthal skeletons found nearby are also right-handed
○ the right arm bone is stronger than the left
○ it is similar to skeletons of La Ferrassie I and Neanderthal
○ the right side of the skeleton shows less evidence of fractures
Paragraph 4: Fractures and other cut marks are another source of evidence. Right-handed soldiers tend to be wounded on the left. The skeleton of a 40- or 50-year-old Nabatean warrior, buried 2,000 years ago in the Negev Desert, Israel, had multiple healed fractures to the skull, the left arm, and the ribs.
7. Which of the following statements about fractures and cut marks can be inferred from paragraph 4?
○ Fractures and cut marks caused by right-handed soldiers tend to occur on the right side of the injured party's body.
○ The right arm sustains more injuries because, as the dominant arm, it is used more actively.
○ In most people, the left side of the body is more vulnerable to injury since it is not defended effectively by the dominant arm.
○ Fractures and cut marks on fossil humans probably occurred after death.
Paragraph 5: Tools themselves can be revealing. Long-handed Neolithic spoons of yew wood preserved in Alpine villages dating to 3000 B.C. have survived; the signs of rubbing on their left side indicate that their users were right-handed. The late Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux consists of fibers spiraling to the right, and was therefore tressed by a righthander.
8. According to paragraph 5, what characteristic of a Neolithic spoon would imply that the spoon's owner was right-handed?
○ The direction of the fibers
○ Its long handle
○ The yew wood it is carved from
○ Wear on its left side
9. In paragraph 5, why does the author mention the Ice Age rope found in the French cave of Lascaux?
○ As an example of an item on which the marks of wear imply that it was used by a right-handed person
○ Because tressing is an activity that is easier for a right-handed person than for a left-handed person
○ Because the cave of Lascaux is the site where researchers have found several prehistoric tools made for right-handed people
○ As an example of an item whose construction shows that it was right handed made by a right-person
Paragraph 6: Occasionally one can determine whether stone tools were used in the right hand or the left, and it is even possible to assess how far back this feature can be traced. In stone toolmaking experiments, Nick Toth, a right-hander, held the core (the stone that would become the tool) in his left hand and the hammer stone in his right. As the tool was made, the core was rotated clockwise, and the flakes, removed in sequence, had a little crescent of cortex (the core's outer surface) on the side. Toth's knapping produced 56 percent flakes with the cortex on the right, and 44 percent left-oriented flakes. A left-handed toolmaker would produce the opposite pattern. Toth has applied these criteria to the similarly made pebble tools from a number of early sites (before 1.5 million years) at Koobi Fora, Kenya, probably made by Homo habilis. At seven sites he found that 57 percent of the flakes were right-oriented, and 43 percent left, a pattern almost identical to that produced today.
10. The word “criteria” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○ standards
○ findings
○ ideas
○ techniques
11. What was the purpose of Toth's toolmaking experiment described in paragraph 6?
○ To shape tools that could be used by either hand
○ To produce replicas of early tools for display in museums
○ To imitate the production of pebble tools from early sites
○ To determine which hand made the early tools
Paragraph 7: About 90 percent of modern humans are right-handed: we are the only mammal with a preferential use of one hand. The part of the brain responsible for fine control and movement is located in the left cerebral hemisphere, and the findings above suggest that the human brain was already asymmetrical in its structure and function not long after 2 million years ago. Among Neanderthalers of 70,000–35,000 years ago, Marcellin Boule noted that the La Chapelle-aux-Saints individual had a left hemisphere slightly bigger than the right, and the same was found for brains of specimens from Neanderthal, Gibraltar, and La Quina.
12. What is the author's primary purpose in paragraph 7?
○ To illustrate the importance of studying the brain
○ To demonstrate that human beings are the only mammal to desire fine control of movement
○ To contrast the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain
○ To demonstrate that right-hand preference has existed for a long time
Paragraph 1: We all know that many more people today are right-handed than left-handed. Can one trace this same pattern far back in prehistory? ■Much of the evidence about right-hand versus left-hand dominance comes from stencils and prints found in rock shelters in Australia and elsewhere, and in many Ice Age caves in France, Spain, and Tasmania. ■When a left hand has been stenciled, this implies that the artist was right-handed, and vice versa. ■Even though the paint was often sprayed on by mouth, one can assume that the dominant hand assisted in the operation. One also has to make the assumption that hands were stenciled palm downward—a left hand stenciled palm upward might of course look as if it were a right hand. ■Of 158 stencils in the French cave of Gargas, 136 have been identified as left, and only 22 as right; right-handedness was therefore heavily predominant.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
The stencils of hands found in these shelters and caves allow us to draw conclusions about which hand was dominant.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
Several categories of evidence indicate that people have always been predominantly right-handed
●
●
●
Answer Choices
○Stencils of right-handed figures are characteristic of cave art in France, Spain, and Tasmania.
○Signs on the skeletal remains of prehistoric figures, including arm-bone size and injury marks, imply that these are the remains of right-handed people.
○Instruments such as spoons, ropes, and pebble tools show signs that indicate they were used or constructed by right-handed people.
○The amount of prehistoric art created by right-handed artists indicates that left-handed people were in the minority.
○Neanderthal skeletons often have longer finger bones in the right hand, which is evidence that the right hand was stronger.
○Nick Toth, a modem right-handed toolmaker. has shown that prehistoric tools were knapped to fit the right hand.
参考答案：
1. ○3
2. ○2
3. ○3
4. ○3
5. ○2
6. ○2
7. ○3
8.○4
9. ○4
10. ○1
11. ○4
12. ○4
13. ○2
14. Signs on the
Instruments such as
The amount of
Transition to Sound in Film
The shift from silent to sound film at the end of the 1920s marks, so far, the most important transformation in motion picture history. Despite all the highly visible technological developments in theatrical and home delivery of the moving image that have occurred over the decades since then, no single innovation has come close to being regarded as a similar kind of watershed. In nearly every language, however the words are phrased, the most basic division in cinema history lies between films that are mute and films that speak.
Yet this most fundamental standard of historical periodization conceals a host of paradoxes. Nearly every movie theater, however modest, had a piano or organ to provide musical accompaniment to silent pictures. In many instances, spectators in the era before recorded sound experienced elaborate aural presentations alongside movies' visual images, from the Japanese benshi (narrators) crafting multivoiced dialogue narratives to original musical compositions performed by symphony-size orchestras in Europe and the United States. In Berlin, for the premiere performance outside the Soviet Union of The Battleship Potemkin, film director Sergei Eisenstein worked with Austrian composer Edmund Meisel (1874-1930) on a musical score matching sound to image; the Berlin screenings with live music helped to bring the film its wide international fame.
Beyond that, the triumph of recorded sound has overshadowed the rich diversity of technological and aesthetic experiments with the visual image that were going forward simultaneously in the 1920s. New color processes, larger or differently shaped screen sizes, multiple-screen projections, even television, were among the developments invented or tried out during the period, sometimes with startling success. The high costs of converting to sound and the early limitations of sound technology were among the factors that suppressed innovations or retarded advancement in these other areas. The introduction of new screen formats was put off for a quarter century, and color, though utilized over the next two decades for special productions, also did not become a norm until the 1950s.
Though it may be difficult to imagine from a later perspective, a strain of critical opinion in the 1920s predicted that sound film would be a technical novelty that would soon fade from sight, just as had many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link images with recorded sound. These critics were making a common assumption—that the technological inadequacies of earlier efforts (poor synchronization, weak sound amplification, fragile sound recordings) would invariably occur again. To be sure, their evaluation of the technical flaws in 1920s sound experiments was not so far off the mark, yet they neglected to take into account important new forces in the motion picture field that, in a sense, would not take no for an answer.
These forces were the rapidly expanding electronics and telecommunications companies that were developing and linking telephone and wireless technologies in the 1920s. In the United States, they included such firms as American Telephone and Telegraph, General Electric, and Westinghouse. They were interested in all forms of sound technology and all potential avenues for commercial exploitation. Their competition and collaboration were creating the broadcasting industry in the United States, beginning with the introduction of commercial radio programming in the early 1920s. With financial assets considerably greater than those in the motion picture industry, and perhaps a wider vision of the relationships among entertainment and communications media, they revitalized research into recording sound for motion pictures.
In 1929 the United States motion picture industry released more than 300 sound films—a rough figure, since a number were silent films with music tracks, or films prepared in dual versions, to take account of the many cinemas not yet wired for sound. At the production level, in the United States the conversion was virtually complete by 1930. In Europe it took a little longer, mainly because there were more small producers for whom the costs of sound were prohibitive, and in other parts of the world problems with rights or access to equipment delayed the shift to sound production for a few more years (though cinemas in major cities may have been wired in order to play foreign sound films). The triumph of sound cinema was swift, complete, and enormously popular.
Paragraph 1: The shift from silent to sound film at the end of the 1920s marks, so far, the most important transformation in motion picture history. Despite all the highly visible technological developments in theatrical and home delivery of the moving image that have occurred over the decades since then, no single innovation has come close to being regarded as a similar kind of watershed. In nearly every language, however the words are phrased, the most basic division in cinema history lies between films that are mute and films that speak.
1. The word “regarded” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○analyzed
○considered
○altered
○criticized
2. According to paragraph 1, which of the following is the most significant development in the history of film?
○The technological innovation of sound film during the 1920s
○The development of a technology for translating films into other languages
○The invention of a method for delivering movies to people's homes
○The technological improvements allowing clearer images in films
Paragraph 2: Yet this most fundamental standard of historical periodization conceals a host of paradoxes. Nearly every movie theater, however modest, had a piano or organ to provide musical accompaniment to silent pictures. In many instances, spectators in the era before recorded sound experienced elaborate aural presentations alongside movies' visual images, from the Japanese benshi (narrators) crafting multivoiced dialogue narratives to original musical compositions performed by symphony-size orchestras in Europe and the United States. In Berlin, for the premiere performance outside the Soviet Union of The Battleship Potemkin, film director Sergei Eisenstein worked with Austrian composer Edmund Meisel (1874-1930) on a musical score matching sound to image; the Berlin screenings with live music helped to bring the film its wide international fame.
3. The word “paradoxes” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○difficulties
○accomplishments
○parallels
○contradictions
4. Why does the author mention “Japanese benshi” and “original musical compositions”?
○To suggest that audiences preferred other forms of entertainment to film before the transition to sound inthe1920's
○To provide examples of some of the first sounds that were recorded for film
○To indicate some ways in which sound accompanied film before the innovation of sound films in the late 1920s
○To show how the use of sound in films changed during different historical periods
5. Paragraph 2 suggests which of the following about Eisenstein’s film The Battleship Potemkirf?
○The film was not accompanied by sound before its Berlin screening.
○The film was unpopular in the Soviet Union before it was screened in Berlin.
○Eisenstein’s film was the first instance of collaboration between a director and a composer.
○Eisenstein believed that the musical score in a film was as important as dialogue.
Paragraph 3: Beyond that, the triumph of recorded sound has overshadowed the rich diversity of technological and aesthetic experiments with the visual image that were going forward simultaneously in the 1920s. New color processes, larger or differently shaped screen sizes, multiple-screen projections, even television, were among the developments invented or tried out during the period, sometimes with startling success. The high costs of converting to sound and the early limitations of sound technology were among the factors that suppressed innovations or retarded advancement in these other areas. The introduction of new screen formats was put off for a quarter century, and color, though utilized over the next two decades for special productions, also did not become a norm until the 1950s.
6. The word “overshadowed” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○distracted from
○explained
○conducted
○coordinated with
7. According to paragraph 3, which of the following is NOT true of the technological and aesthetic experiments of the 1920's?
○Because the costs of introducing recorded sound were low, it was the only innovation that was put to use in the 1920's.
○The introduction of recorded sound prevented the development of other technological innovations in the 1920's.
○The new technological and aesthetic developments of the 1920s included the use of color, new screen formats, and television.
○Many of the innovations developed in the 1920s were not widely introduced until as late as the 1950's.
Paragraph 4: Though it may be difficult to imagine from a later perspective, a strain of critical opinion in the 1920s predicted that sound film would be a technical novelty that would soon fade from sight, just as had many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link images with recorded sound. These critics were making a common assumption—that the technological inadequacies of earlier efforts (poor synchronization, weak sound amplification, fragile sound recordings) would invariably occur again. To be sure, their evaluation of the technical flaws in 1920s sound experiments was not so far off the mark, yet they neglected to take into account important new forces in the motion picture field that, in a sense, would not take no for an answer.
8. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
○It was difficult for some critics in the 1920s to imagine why the idea of sound film had faded from sight well before the First World War.
○As surprising as it seems today, some critics in the 1920s believed that the new attempts at sound films would fade just as quickly as the attempts made before the First World War.
○Though some early critics thought that sound film would fade, its popularity during the First World War proved that it was not simply a technical novelty.
○Although some critics predicted well before the First World War that sound film would be an important technical innovation, it was not attempted until the 1920s.
9. The word “neglected” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○failed
○needed
○started
○expected
10. According to paragraph 4, which of the following is true about the technical problems of early sound films?
○Linking images with recorded sound was a larger obstacle than weak sound amplification or fragile sound recordings.
○Sound films in the 1920s were unable to solve the technical flaws found in sound films before the First World War.
○Technical inadequacies occurred less frequently in early sound films than critics suggested.
○Critics assumed that it would be impossible to overcome the technical difficulties experienced with earlier sound films.
Paragraph 5: These forces were the rapidly expanding electronics and telecommunications companies that were developing and linking telephone and wireless technologies in the 1920s. In the United States, they included such firms as American Telephone and Telegraph, General Electric, and Westinghouse. They were interested in all forms of sound technology and all potential avenues for commercial exploitation. Their competition and collaboration were creating the broadcasting industry in the United States, beginning with the introduction of commercial radio programming in the early 1920s. With financial assets considerably greater than those in the motion picture industry, and perhaps a wider vision of the relationships among entertainment and communications media, they revitalized research into recording sound for motion pictures.
11. In paragraph 5, commercial radio programming is best described as the result of
○a financially successful development that enabled large telecommunications firms to weaken their competition.
○the desire of electronics and telecommunications companies to make sound technology profitable
○a major development in the broadcasting industry that occurred before the 1920s
○the cooperation between telecommunications companies and the motion picture industry
Paragraph 6: In 1929 the United States motion picture industry released more than 300 sound films—a rough figure, since a number were silent films with music tracks, or films prepared in dual versions, to take account of the many cinemas not yet wired for sound. At the production level, in the United States the conversion was virtually complete by 1930. In Europe it took a little longer, mainly because there were more small producers for whom the costs of sound were prohibitive, and in other parts of the world problems with rights or access to equipment delayed the shift to sound production for a few more years (though cinemas in major cities may have been wired in order to play foreign sound films). The triumph of sound cinema was swift, complete, and enormously popular.
12. According to paragraph 6, which of the following accounts for the delay in the conversion to sound films in Europe?
○European producers often lacked knowledge about the necessary equipment for the transition to sound films.
○Smaller European producers were often unable to afford to add sound to their films.
○It was often difficult to wire older cinemas in the major cities to play sound films.
○Smaller European producers believed that silent films with music accompaniment were aesthetically superior to sound films.
Paragraph 5: These forces were the rapidly expanding electronics and telecommunications companies that were developing and linking telephone and wireless technologies in the 1920s. In the United States, they included such firms as American Telephone and Telegraph, General Electric, and Westinghouse. They were interested in all forms of sound technology and all potential avenues for commercial exploitation. Their competition and collaboration were creating the broadcasting industry in the United States, beginning with the introduction of commercial radio programming in the early 1920s. ■With financial assets considerably greater than those in the motion picture industry, and perhaps a wider vision of the relationships among entertainment and communications media, they revitalized research into recording sound for motion pictures.
Paragraph 6: ■In 1929 the United States motion picture industry released more than 300 sound films—a rough figure, since a number were silent films with music tracks, or films prepared in dual versions, to take account of the many cinemas not yet wired for sound. ■At the production level, in the United States the conversion was virtually complete by 1930. ■In Europe it took a little longer, mainly because there were more small producers for whom the costs of sound were prohibitive, and in other parts of the world problems with rights or access to equipment delayed the shift to sound production for a few more years (though cinemas in major cities may have been wired in order to play foreign sound films). The triumph of sound cinema was swift, complete, and enormously popular.
13. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage.
When this research resulted in the development of vastly improved sound techniques, film studios became convinced of the importance of converting to sound.
Where would the sentence best fit?
14.Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.
The transition from silent to sound films was the most important development in film history.
●
●
●
Answer Choices
○Although music and speech had frequently accompanied film presentations before the 1920s, there was a strong desire to add sound to the films themselves.
○Because of intense interest in developing and introducing sound in film, the general use of other technological innovations being developed in the 1920s was delayed.
○The rapid progress in sound technology made possible by the involvement of telecommunications companies transformed the motion picture industry.
○Japanese filmmakers had developed the technology for creating sound films before directors in Europe and the United States began experimenting with sound.
○Before the First World War, film directors showed little interest in linking images with recorded sound.
○The arrival of sound film technology in the United States forced smaller producers in the motion picture industry out of business.
参考答案：
1. ○2
2. ○1
3. ○4
4. ○3
5. ○1
6. ○1
7. ○1
8.○2
9. ○1
10. ○4
11. ○2
12. ○2
13. ○2
14. Although music and…
Because of intense…
The rapid progress…
Water in the Desert
Rainfall is not completely absent in desert areas, but it is highly variable. An annual rainfall of four inches is often used to define the limits of a desert. The impact of rainfall upon the surface water and groundwater resources of the desert is greatly influenced by landforms. Flats and depressions where water can collect are common features, but they make up only a small part of the landscape.
Arid lands, surprisingly, contain some of the world’s largest river systems, such as the Murray-Darling in Australia, the Rio Grande in North America, the Indus in Asia, and the Nile in Africa. These rivers and river systems are known as "exogenous" because their sources lie outside the arid zone. They are vital for sustaining life in some of the driest parts of the world. For centuries, the annual floods of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, for example, have brought fertile silts and water to the inhabitants of their lower valleys. Today, river discharges are increasingly controlled by human intervention, creating a need for international river-basin agreements. The filling of the Ataturk and other dams in Turkey has drastically reduced flows in the Euphrates, with potentially serious consequences for Syria and Iraq.
The flow of exogenous rivers varies with the season. The desert sections of long rivers respond several months after rain has fallen outside the desert, so that peak flows may be in the dry season. This is useful for irrigation, but the high temperatures, low humidities, and different day lengths of the dry season, compared to the normal growing season, can present difficulties with some crops.
Regularly flowing rivers and streams that originate within arid lands are known as "endogenous." These are generally fed by groundwater springs, and many issue from limestone massifs, such as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Basaltic rocks also support springs, notably at the Jabal Al-Arab on the Jordan-Syria border. Endogenous rivers often do not reach the sea but drain into inland basins, where the water evaporates or is lost in the ground. Most desert streambeds are normally dry, but they occasionally receive large flows of water and sediment.
Deserts contain large amounts of groundwater when compared to the amounts they hold in surface stores such as lakes and rivers. But only a small fraction of groundwater enters the hydrological cycle—feeding the flows of streams, maintaining lake levels, and being recharged (or refilled) through surface flows and rainwater. In recent years, groundwater has become an increasingly important source of freshwater for desert dwellers. The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank have funded attempts to survey the groundwater resources of arid lands and to develop appropriate extraction techniques. Such programs are much needed because in many arid lands there is only a vague idea of the extent of groundwater resources. It is known, however, that the distribution of groundwater is uneven, and that much of it lies at great depths.
Groundwater is stored in the pore spaces and joints of rocks and unconsolidated (unsolidified) sediments or in the openings widened through fractures and weathering. The water-saturated rock or sediment is known as an "aquifer". Because they are porous, sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones and conglomerates, are important potential sources of groundwater. Large quantities of water may also be stored in limestones when joints and cracks have been enlarged to form cavities. Most limestone and sandstone aquifers are deep and extensive but may contain groundwaters that are not being recharged. Most shallow aquifers in sand and gravel deposits produce lower yields, but they can be rapidly recharged. Some deep aquifers are known as "fossil waters. The term "fossil" describes water that has been present for several thousand years. These aquifers became saturated more than 10,000 years ago and are no longer being recharged.
Water does not remain immobile in an aquifer but can seep out at springs or leak into other aquifers. The rate of movement may be very slow: in the Indus plain, the movement of saline (salty) groundwaters has still not reached equilibrium after 70 years of being tapped. The mineral content of groundwater normally increases with the depth, but even quite shallow aquifers can be highly saline.
Paragraph 1: Rainfall is not completely absent in desert areas, but it is highly variable. An annual rainfall of four inches is often used to define the limits of a desert. The impact of rainfall upon the surface water and groundwater resources of the desert is greatly influenced by landforms. Flats and depressions where water can collect are common features, but they make up only a small part of the landscape.
1. Which of the following statements about annual rainfall can be inferred from paragraph 1?
○Flat desert areas receive more annual rainfall than desert areas with mountains.
○Areas that receive more than four inches of rain per year are not considered deserts.
○Many areas receive less than four inches of annual rainfall, but only a few are deserts.
○Annual rainfall has no impact on the groundwater resources of desert areas.
Paragraph 2: Arid lands, surprisingly, contain some of the world’s largest river systems, such as the Murray-Darling in Australia, the Rio Grande in North America, the Indus in Asia, and the Nile in Africa. These rivers and river systems are known as "exogenous" because their sources lie outside the arid zone. They are vital for sustaining life in some of the driest parts of the world. For centuries, the annual floods of the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, for example, have brought fertile silts and water to the inhabitants of their lower valleys. Today, river discharges are increasingly controlled by human intervention, creating a need for international river-basin agreements. The filling of the Ataturk and other dams in Turkey has drastically reduced flows in the Euphrates, with potentially serious consequences for Syria and Iraq.
2. The word “drastically” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○obviously
○unfortunately
○rapidly
○severely
3. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention the Ataturk and other dams in Turkey?
○To contrast the Euphrates River with other exogenous rivers
○To illustrate the technological advances in dam building
○To argue that dams should not be built on the Euphrates River
○To support the idea that international river-basin agreements are needed
4. According to paragraph 2, which of the following is true of the Nile River?
○The Nile's flow in its desert sections is at its lowest during the dry season
○The Nile's sources are located in one of the most arid zones of the world
○The Nile's annual floods bring fertile silts and water to its lower valley
○The Nile's periodic flooding hinders the growth of some crops
Paragraph 5: Deserts contain large amounts of groundwater when compared to the amounts they hold in surface stores such as lakes and rivers. But only a small fraction of groundwater enters the hydrological cycle—feeding the flows of streams, maintaining lake levels, and being recharged (or refilled) through surface flows and rainwater. In recent years, groundwater has become an increasingly important source of freshwater for desert dwellers. The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank have funded attempts to survey the groundwater resources of arid lands and to develop appropriate extraction techniques. Such programs are much needed because in many arid lands there is only a vague idea of the extent of groundwater resources. It is known, however, that the distribution of groundwater is uneven, and that much of it lies at great depths.
5. The word “dwellers” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○settlements
○farmers
○tribes
○inhabitants
6. Paragraph 5 supports all of the following statements about the groundwater In deserts EXCEPT:
○The groundwater is consistently found just below the surface
○A small part of the groundwater helps maintain lake levels
○Most of the groundwater is not recharged through surface water
○The groundwater is increasingly used as a source of freshwater
Paragraph 6: Groundwater is stored in the pore spaces and joints of rocks and unconsolidated (unsolidified) sediments or in the openings widened through fractures and weathering. The water-saturated rock or sediment is known as an "aquifer". Because they are porous, sedimentary rocks, such as sandstones and conglomerates, are important potential sources of groundwater. Large quantities of water may also be stored in limestones when joints and cracks have been enlarged to form cavities. Most limestone and sandstone aquifers are deep and extensive but may contain groundwaters that are not being recharged. Most shallow aquifers in sand and gravel deposits produce lower yields, but they can be rapidly recharged. Some deep aquifers are known as "fossil waters. The term "fossil" describes water that has been present for several thousand years. These aquifers became saturated more than 10,000 years ago and are no longer being recharged.
7. The word “fractures” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○streams
○cracks
○storms
○earthquakes
8. According to paragraph 6, which of the following statements about aquifers in deserts is true?
○Water from limestone and sandstone aquifers is generally better to drink than water from sand and gravel aquifers
○Sand and gravel aquifers tend to contain less groundwater than limestone or sandstone aquifers
○Groundwater in deep aquifers is more likely to be recharged than groundwater in shallow aquifers
○Sedimentary rocks, because they are porous, are not capable of storing large amounts of groundwater
9. According to paragraph 6, the aquifers called fossil waters
○contain fossils that are thousands of years old
○took more than 10,000 years to become saturated with water
○have not gained or lost any water for thousands of years
○have been collecting water for the past 10,000 years
Paragraph 7: Water does not remain immobile in an aquifer but can seep out at springs or leak into other aquifers. The rate of movement may be very slow: in the Indus plain, the movement of saline (salty) groundwaters has still not reached equilibrium after 70 years of being tapped. The mineral content of groundwater normally increases with the depth, but even quite shallow aquifers can be highly saline.
10. The word “immobile” in the passage is closest in meaning to
○enclosed
○permanent
○motionless
○intact
11. The passage supports which of the following statements about water in the desert?
○The most visible forms of water are not the most widespread forms of water in the desert.
○Groundwater in the desert cannot become a source of drinking water but can be used for irrigation.
○Most of the water in the desert is contained in shallow aquifers that are being rapidly recharged.
○Desert areas that lack endogenous or exogenous rivers and streams cannot support life.
Paragraph 4: Regularly flowing rivers and streams that originate within arid lands are known as "endogenous." These are generally fed by groundwater springs, and many issue from limestone massifs, such as the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Basaltic rocks also support springs, notably at the Jabal Al-Arab on the Jordan-Syria border. ■Endogenous rivers often do not reach the sea but drain into inland basins, where the water evaporates or is lost in the ground. ■Most desert streambeds are normally dry, but they occasionally receive large flows of water and sediment. ■
Paragraph 5: Deserts contain large amounts of groundwater when compared to the amounts they hold in surface stores such as lakes and rivers. ■But only a small fraction of groundwater enters the hydrological cycle—feeding the flows of streams, maintaining lake levels, and being recharged (or refilled) through surface flows and rainwater. In recent years, groundwater has become an increasingly important source of freshwater for desert dwellers. The United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank have funded attempts to survey the groundwater resources of arid lands and to develop appropriate extraction techniques. Such programs are much needed because in many arid lands there is only a vague idea of the extent of groundwater resources. It is known, however, that the distribution of groundwater is uneven, and that much of it lies at great depths.
12. Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
These sudden floods provide important water supplies but can also be highly destructive.
Where would the sentence best fit?
13. Directions: Select from the seven sentences below, the two sentences that correctly characterize endogenous rivers and the three sentences that correctly characterize exogenous rivers. Drag each sentence you select into the appropriate column of the table. Two of the sentences will NOT be used. This question is worth 3 points.
Endogenous Rivers
●
●
Exogenous Rivers
●
●
●
Answer Choices
○Their water generally comes from groundwater springs.
○Their water is saltier than the water of most other rivers.
○They include some of the world's largest rivers.
○They originate outside the desert.
○They often drain into inland basins and do not reach the sea.
○They contain too much silt to be useful for irrigation.
○Their water flow generally varies with the season of the year.
参考答案：
1. ○2
2. ○4
3. ○4
4. ○3
5. ○4
6. ○1
7. ○2
8.○2
9. ○3
10. ○3
11. ○1
12. ○3
13. ○Endogenous Rivers：Their water generally; They often drain
○Exogenous Rivers： They include some; They originate outside; Their water flow