答案及解析:
1.文章标题分析:
The Greatest Mystery of Whales (鲸鱼)
2.直接解题:
The whale is a mammal(哺乳 动物 ) - warm-blooded, air-breathing, giving birth to its young alive, sucking them - and, like all mammals, originated on land. There are many signs of this.
补充:
give birth to v.产生
比较:give ear to v.倾听
1. A) Its B) His C) Theirs D) Their
1 front flippers(鳍状肢), used for steering and stability, are traces of feet.
分析:备选项是代词时注意其指代内容以及在上下文中指代该内容的代词的用法。
Immense strength is built into the great body of the big whales, and in fact most of a whales body is one gigantic(强有力的) muscle.
比较:build in 安装, 固定
2. A) width B) strength C) height D) length
The blue whales pulling 2 has been estimated at 400 horsepower.
分析:该题考察上下文用词。第一句中已提到鲸的力量,该句中的horse power一词也提示了要测试的是蓝鲸的力量。
补充:
Estimate vt. 估计,判断 (常与that连用)估价 ,(常与at连用)估计
e.g. I estimate her age at 35.
我估计她有35岁。
Synonyms: evaluate, value, assess
3. A) eaten B) crashed C) lifted D) towed
4. A) distance B) voyage C) rate D) sail
One specimen was reported to have 3 a whaling vessel for seven hours at the 4 of eight knots(节= 1海里/小时).
分析: 前面一句讲的是estimating the blue whales pulling strength,这一句给了实例,tow 和pull是同义词。该题也可借助常识判断。
分析: 空格后的搭配内容暗示空格处要表达的是“以…速度…”。 at the rate of是固定用法,相当于at the speed of。
5. A) picture B) example C) film D) book
6. A) away the coast of B) of the coast of
C) off the coast of D) in the coast of
An enraged (激怒的)whale will attack a ship. A famous 5 of this was the fate of whaler (捕鲸船)Essex, which was sunk 6 South America early in the last century.
分析:该题又是在考察上下文和文章逻辑的发展(主题句+例子)。
分析:该题考察习惯搭配:与coast搭配的常见介词是along和off。该句的含义是“在离南美海岸不远处。”
More recently, steel ships have had their plates(金属板) buckled (扣住)in the same way.
7. A) seize B) hit C) damage D) overturn
Sperm whales (抹香鲸)were known to 7 the old-time whaleboats in their jaws and crush them.
分析:根据搭配结构in their jaws((咬)在口里)的提示,只有seize可与之搭配。而hit/damage/overturn the whaleboats可以与 with their jaws搭配。
8. A) sink to B) dive to C) rest on D) hide on
9. A) In spite of that B) Because of this
C) In that search D) In support of this
The greatest mystery of whales is their diving ability. The sperm whale 8 the bottom for his favorite food, the octopus(章鱼). 9 he is known to go as far down as 3,200 feet, where the pressure is 1,400 pounds per the square inch.
分析:根据上下文。前句中潜水能力 (diving ability) ,暗示B的选择。
分析:备选项中出现代词,注意上下句在句意上的关系。
10.A) the same B) such C) above D) so
Doing 10 he will remain submerged (在水中)as long as one hour.
分析:备选项中出现代词,注意上下句在句意上的关系。so可以用来指上句中的内容,即,go as far down as 3,200 feet。
11. A) oxygen B) air C) energy D) heat
Two feats(技艺) are involved in this: storing up enough 11 (all whales are air-breathed) and withstanding the great change in pressure.
分析:借助上下文的内容。前面说到鲸鱼可以在水底呆上一小时而不用浮出水面呼吸,再根据常识 store up oxygen合适。
补充:Withstand vt.抵挡, 经受住
store up v. 储藏
12.A) what B) where C) how D) when
Just 12 he does it scientists have not determined.
分析:备选项是连词时注意根据句意的内容和句子结构进行答案的选择。
It is believed that some of the oxygen is stored in a special system of blood vessels, rather than just(be) held in the lungs.
补充:
Rather: adv. (常与than连用)宁可,宁愿; (常与than连用)更
e.g. Id rather play tennis than swim.
我宁愿打网球,不愿游泳。
e.g. These shoes are comfortable rather than pretty.
这双鞋不好看,但是舒服。
e.g. American young people would rather get advice from strangers.
美国的年轻人宁可从陌生人那里获取咨询。
13. A) it is believed B) it believes
C) we believe D) he believes
And 13 that a special kind of oil in his head is some sort of compensating mechanism that automatically adjusts the internal pressure of his body.
分析:该题考察句子结构。
14. A) because of B) due to
C) owing to D) since
15. A) communicates B) hears
C) knows D) develops
But 14 you cant bring a live whale into the laboratory for study, no one just 15 how these things work.
分析:4个备选项都有“因为”的含义,利用排除法把A/B/C彼此排除掉,这样只剩下D这个选项。
15.C 根据根据前半句的句意选择答案。