Passage One
In recent years, teachers of introductory courses in Asian American studies have been facing a dilemma nonexistent a few decades ago, when hardly any texts in that field were available. Today, excellent anthologies(文选)and other introductory texts exist, and books on individual Asian Americans are published almost weekly. Even professors who are experts in the field find it difficult to decide which of these to assign to students; non-experts who teach in related areas and are looking for writings for and by Asian American to include in survey courses are in an even worse position.
A complicating factor has been the continuing lack of specialized one-volume reference works on Asian Americans, such as biographical dictionaries or desktop encyclopedias. Such works would enable students taking Asian American studies courses (and professors in related fields) to look up basic information on Asian American individuals, institutions, history, and culture without having to wade through(费力的阅读冗长或艰深的材料)mountains of primary source material. In addition, given such works. Asian American studies professors might feel more free to include more challenging Asian American material in their introductory reading lists, since good reference works allow students to acquire on their own the background information necessary to interpret difficult or unfamiliar material.
1. The author is primarily concerned with ______.
A. responding to a criticismB. describing a course of study
C. discussing a problem D. evaluating a past course of action
2. The “dilemma”(Line 2, Para.1) can best be characterized as being caused by the necessity to make a choice when faced with a ______.
A. lack of acceptable alternatives
B. lack of strict standards for evaluating alternatives
C. preponderance of bad alternatives as compared to good
D. multitude of different alternatives
3. Biographical dictionaries and desktop encyclopedias are _____
A. primary source materials B. introductory texts
C. excellent anthologies D. reference materials
4. Which of the following is implied about the introductory courses in Asian American studies a few decades ago?
A. The range of different textbooks that could be assigned for such courses was extremely limited
B. The texts assigned as readings in such courses were often not very challenging for students
C. Students often complained about the texts assigned to them in such courses
D. Such courses were offered only at schools whose libraries were rich in primary sources
5. According to the passage, the existence of good one-volume reference works about Asian Americans could result in ______.
A. increased agreement among professors of Asian American studies regarding the quality of the sources available in their field
B. an increase in the number of students sighing up for introductory courses in Asian American studies
C. increased accuracy in writings that concern Asian American history and culture
D. the inclusion of a wider range of Asian American material in introductory reading lists in Asian American studies
[答案]：CDDAD
Passage Two
A controversy erupted in the scientific community in early 1998 over the use of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid ) fingerprinting in criminal investigations. DNA fingerprinting was introduced in 1987 as a method to identify individuals based on a pattern seen in their DNA, the molecule of which genes are made. DNA is present in every cell of the body except red blood cells. DNA fingerprinting has been used successfully in various ways, such as to determine paternity where it is not clear who the father of a particular child is. However, it is in the area of criminal investigations that DNA fingerprinting has potentially powerful and controversial uses.
DNA fingerprinting and other DNA analysis techniques have revolutionized criminal investigations by giving investigators powerful new tools in the attempt to trove guilt, not just establish innocence. When used in criminal investigations, a DNA fingerprint pattern from a suspect is compared with a DNA fingerprint pattern obtained from such material as hairs or blood found at the scene of a crime. A match between the two DNA samples can be used as evidence to convict a suspect.
The controversy in 1998 stemmed form a report published in December 1991 by population geneticists Richard C. Lewontin of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and Daniel L. Hartl called into question the methods to calculate how likely it is that a match between two DNA fingerprints might occur by chance alone. In particular, they argued that the current method cannot properly determine the likelihood that two DNA samples will match because they came from the same individual rather than simply from two different individuals who are members of the same ethnic group. Lewontin and Hartl called for better surveys of DNA patterns methods are adequate.
In response to their criticisms, population geneticists Ranajit Chakraborty of the University of Texas in Dallas and Kenneth of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., argued that enough data are already available to show that the methods currently being used are adequate. In January 1998, however, the federal Bureau of Investigation and laboratories that conduct DNA tests announced that they would collect additional DNA samples form various ethnic groups in an attempt to resolve some of these questions. And, in April, a National Academy of Sciences called for strict standards and system of accreditation for DNA testing laboratories.
re DNA fingerprinting is used, suspects____.
d have to leave their fingerprints for further investigations
d have to submit evidence for their innocence
d easily escape conviction of guilt
be convicted of guilt as well
fingerprinting can be unreliable when ____.
methods used for blood- cell calculation are not accurate
different individuals of the same ethnic group may have the same DNA fingerprinting pattern
C.a match is by chance left with fingerprints that happen to belong to two different individuals
different individuals leave two DNA samples.
geneticists like Lewontin and Hartl, the current method ____.
not so convincing as to exclude the likelihood that two DNA samples can never come from two individuals
arguable because two individuals of the same ethnic group are likely to have the same DNA pattern.
not based on adequate scientific theory of genetics
theoretically contradictory to what they have been studying
attitude of the Federal Bereau of Investigation shows that ____.
gh data are yet to be collected form various ethnic groups to confirm the unlikelihood of two DNA samples coming from two individual members
gh data of DNA samples should be collected to confirm that only DNA samples form the same person can match
gh data are yet to be collected from various ethnic groups to determine the likelihood of two different DNA samples coming form the same person
tional samples from various ethnic groups should be collected to determine that two DNA samples are unlikely to come from the same person
onal Academy of Sciences holds the stance that ____.
testing should be systematized
authorized laboratories can conduct DNA testing
academy only is authorized to work out standards for testing
academy has the right to accredit laboratories for DNA testing
答案：CBABB
Passage Three
Racket, din clamor, noise, whatever you want to call it, unwanted sound is America’s most widespread nuisance. But noise is more than just a nuisance. It constitutes a real and present danger to people’s health. Day and night, at home, at work, and at play, noise can produce serious physical and psychological stress. No one is immune to this stress. Though we seem to adjust to noise by ignoring it, the ear, in fact, never closes and the body still responds—sometimes with extreme tension, as to a strange sound in the night.
The annoyance we feel when faced with noise is the most common outward symptom of the stress building up inside us. Indeed, because irritability is so apparent, legislators have made public annoyance the basis of many noise abatement programs. The more subtle and more serious health hazards associated with stress caused by noise traditionally have been given much less attention. Nevertheless, when we are annoyed or made irritable by noise, we should consider these symptoms fair warning that other thing may be happening to us, some of which may be damaging to our health.
Of many health hazards to noise, hearing loss is the most clearly observable and measurable by health professionals. The other hazards are harder to pin down. For many of us, there may be a risk that exposure to the stress of noise increases susceptibility to disease and infection. The more susceptible among us may experience noise as a complicating factor in heart problems and other diseases. Noise that causes annoyance and irritability in health persons may have serious consequences for these already ill in mind or body.
Noise affects us throughout our lives. For example, there are indications of effects on the unborn child when mothers are exposed to industrial and environmental noise. During infancy and childhood, youngsters exposed to high noise levels may have trouble falling asleep and obtaining necessary amounts of rest.
Why, then, is there not greater alarm about these dangers? Perhaps it is because the link between noise and many disabilities or diseases has not yet been conclusively demonstrated. Perhaps it is because we tend to dismiss annoyance as a price to pay for living in the modern world. It may also be because we still think of hearing loss as only an occupational hazard.
Paragraph 1, the phrase “immune to” are used to mean ___.
fected by
by
kely to be seen by
own by
author’s attitude toward noise would best be described as ___.
alistic
itional
erned
erical
h of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
e is a major problem; most people recognize its importance.
ough noise can be annoying, it is not a major problem.
e is a major problem and has not yet been recognized as such.
e is a major problem about which nothing can be done.
author condemns noise essentially because it ___.
against the law
make some people irritable
a nuisance
a ganger to people’s health
author would probably consider research about the effects noise has on people to be ___.
portant
ssible.
C.a waste of money
ntial
答案：ACCDD
