大学英语阅读25篇.doc

Passage 1
No one prior to World War II more trenchantly analyzed the philosophical differences between utopians and realists than did E.H.Carr in his celebrated work, which, although published in 1939, did not have its impact in America until after World War II. Carr used the term utopians for idealists who placed emphasis on international law and organization and on the influence of morality and public opinion in the affairs of nations. He probably did not intend the more pejorative connotation that attached to the term utopians after World War II as naïve opponents of power politics expounded by realists. Indeed, since the end of the Cold War, the idealist concept of the harmony of national interests in peace has received new attention in a more recent neoliberal-neorealist debate.
The failures of the League of Nations in the 1930s cast doubt on the harmony of interest in peace, which appeared to accord with the interests of satisfied, status-quo powers with democratic governments, but not with the perceived needs of revisionists, totalitarians, authoritarian states seeking boundary changes, enhanced status, greater power, and, especially in the case of Nazi Germany, revenge for the humiliation of the post-World War I settlement imposed by the Versailles treaty. Contrary to the utopian assumption, national self-determination did not always produce representative governments. Instead, the overthrow of the old monarchical order gave rise in many places, including Russia, to a more pervasive and oppressive totalitarian states. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939 between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany set the stage for Adolph Hitler’s invasion of Poland, the outbreak of World War II, the partition of Poland, and the absorption of Baltic states into the Soviet Union, all in flagrant contravention of the standards of international conduct set forth in utopian theory.
1. Who took a strong analysis of the philosophical differences between utopians and realists?
A. Adolph Hitler did
B. E.H.Carr did
C. Neorealist did
D. Molotov did
2. What did utopian mean in Carr’s opinion?
A. Idealists who placed emphasis on international law and organization and on the influence of morality and public opinion in the affairs of nations.
B. Naïve opponents of power politics.
C. Status-quo powers
D. Revisionists.
3. What is the consequence of national self-determination?
A. Producing representative governments.
B. Giving rise to a more pervasive and oppressive totalitarian states.
C. Both A and B
D. Sometimes A, sometimes B.
4. What was the influence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939?
A. to set the stage for Adolph Hitler’s invasion of Poland
B. leading to the outbreak of World War II
C. a cause of the partition of Poland
D. all of A,B and C
5. Which one can serve as the title of this passage?
A. Post-World War II Realism
B. Post-World War II Utopians
C. E.H.Carr and the Crisis of World Politics
D. The Influence of Versailles Treaty

passage 2
Beyond marking the seasons, the chief interests that actuated the Babylonian astronomer in his observations were astrological. After quoting Diodorus to the effect that the Babylonian priests observed the position of certain stars in order to cast horoscopes, Thompson tells us that from a very early day the very name Chaldean became synonymous with magician. He adds that "from Mesopotamia, by way of Greece and Rome, a certain amount of Babylonian astrology made its way among the nations of the west, and it is quite probable that many superstitions which we commonly record as the peculiar product of western civilization took their origin from those of the early dwellers on the alluvial lands of Mesopotamia. One Assurbanipal, king of Assyria B.C. 668-626, added to the royal library at Nineveh his contribution of tablets, which included many series of documents which related exclusively to the astrology of the ancient Babylonians, who in turn had borrowed it with modifications from the Sumerian invaders of the country. Among these must be mentioned the series which was commonly called 'the Day of Bel,' and which was decreed by the learned to have been written in the time of the great Sargon I., king of Agade, 3800 B.C. With such ancient works as these to guide them, the profession of deducing omens from daily events reached such a pitch of importance in the last Assyrian Empire that a system of making periodical reports came into being. By these the king was informed of all the occurrences in the heavens and on earth, and the results of astrological studies in respect to after events. The heads of the astrological profession were men of high rank and position, and their office was hereditary. The variety of information contained in these reports is best gathered from the fact that they were sent from cities as far removed from each other as Assur in the north and Erech in the south, and it can only be assumed that they were despatched by runners, or men mounted on swift horses. As reports also came from Dilbat, Kutba, Nippur, and Bursippa, all cities of ancient foundation, the king was probably well acquainted with the general course of events in his empire."
1. What actuated the Babylonian astronomer?
A. Marking the seasons
B. Astrology
C. Both A and B
D. Neither of A and B
2. Where, according to Thompson , did many superstitions of western civilization originate from?
A. Nineveh
B. Babylonia
C. Assur
D. Erech
3. How was the social status of an astrologer at that time?
A. Of high social status
B. Of middle social status
C. Of low social status
D. It wasn’t mentioned in the passage.
4. How was the king acquainted with the general course of events in his empire?
A. By periodical reports of astrology from the cities of the empire.
B. By scientific reports from specialists.
C. By rumors
D. By making a tour in disguise
5. What does the author mainly talk about in this passage?
A. astronomy
B. physics
C. meteorology
D. astrology

passage 3
Mr Malthus very correctly defines, "the rent of land to be that portion of the value of the whole produce which remains to the owner, after all the outgoings belonging to its cultivation, of
whatever kind, have been paid, including the profits of the capital employed, estimated according to the usual and ordinary rate of the profits of agricultural stock at the time being."
Whenever, then, the usual and ordinary rate of the profits of agricultural stock, and all the outgoings belonging to the cultivation of land, are together equal to the value of the whole produce, there can be no rent.
And when the whole produce is only equal in value to the outgoings necessary to cultivation, there can neither be rent nor profit.
In the first settling of a country rich in fertile land, and which may be had by any one who chooses to take it, the whole produce, after deducting the outgoings belonging to cultivation, will be the profits of capital, and will belong to the owner of such capital, without any deduction whatever for rent.
Thus, if the capital employed by an individual on such land were of the value of two hundred quarters of wheat, of which half consisted of fixed capital, such as buildings, implements, &c. and the other half of circulating capital, -- if, after replacing the fixed and circulating capital, the value of the remaining produce were one hundred quarters of wheat, or of equal value with one hundred quarters of wheat, the neat profit to the owner of capital would be fifty per cent or one hundred profit on two hundred capital.
For a period of some duration, the profits of agricultural stock might continue at the same rate, because land equally fertile, and equally well situated, might be abundant, and therefore, might be cultivated on the same advantageous terms, in proportion as the capital of the first, and subsequent settlers augmented.
1. In Mr Malthus’ opinion, the rent of land and profits of the capital employed in cultivation __________________?
A. have not been paid.
B. have been paid.
C. have been partially paid
D. ought to be paid.
2. What, according to Mr Malthus, is the correlation between the four parties: rent of land, outgoings necessary to cultivation, profit of capital and value of the whole produce
A. outgoings necessary to cultivation = rent of land + profit of capital +value of the whole produce
B. profit of capital = value of the whole produce – rent of land – outgoings necessary to cultivation
C. value of the whole produce = land of the rent + outgoings necessary to cultivation – profit of capital
D. profit of capital = value of the whole produce + rent of land – outgoings necessary to cultivation
3. When does a cultivator have no profit under the following circumstances?
A. The usual and ordinary rate of the profits of agricultural stock is together equal to the value of the whole produce.
B. The whole produce is only equal in value to the outgoings necessary to cultivation.
C. A cultivator takes first settling of a country rich in fertile land
D. The land is not free.
4. In the fifth paragraph, if, after replacing the fixed and circulating capital, the value of the remaining produce were fifty quarters of wheat, the neat profit to the owner of capital would be___?
A. 50%
B. 100%
C. 75%
D. 25%
5. The author believes the profits of agricultural stock are ____?
A. unsustainable
B. sustainable
C. sometimes sustainable
D. depending on the weather

passage 4
While the laborer is confined to the culture of the soil on his own -account, because it is in that manner alone that he can obtain access to the wages on which he is to subsist, the form and amount of the Rents he pays are determined by a direct contract between himself and the proprietor. The provisions of these contracts are influenced sometimes by the laws, and almost always by the long established usages, of the countries in which they are made. The main object in all is, to secure a revenue to the proprietors with the least practicable amount of trouble or risk on their part.
Though governed in common by some important principles, the variety in the minuter details of this class of Rents is of course almost infinite. But men will be driven in similar situations to very similar expedients, and the general mass of peasant rents may be separated into four great divisions, comprising 1st, Labor Rents, 2dly, Metayer Rents, 3dly, Ryot Rents (borrowing the last term from the country in which we are most familiar with them, India).
These three will be found occupying in contiguous masses the breadth of the old world, from the Canary Islands to the shores of China and the Pacific, and deciding, each in its own sphere, not merely the economical relations of the landlords and tenants, but the political and social condition of the mass of the people.
To these must be added a fourth division, that of Cottier Rents, or Rents paid by a laborer extracting his own wages from the land, but paying his rent in money, as in Ireland and part of Scotland. This class is small, but peculiarly interesting to Englishmen, from the fact of its prevalence in the sister island, and from the influence it has exercised, and seems likely for some time yet to exercise, over the progress and circumstances of the Irish people.
1. Why is the laborer confined to the culture of the soil?
A. Only by that can he/she obtain access to wages for survival.
B. Only by that can he/she obtain control over the proprietor.
C. Only by that can he/she obtain profits of agricultural stock.
D. Only by that can he/she get freedom.
2. Which factors will influence the form and amount of the Rents a laborer pays?
A. laws, long established usages and personal views
B. laws and long established usages
C. long established usages, personal views and advices from others
D. None of the above is correct.
3. Why, according to the author, may the general mass of peasant rents be separated into four great divisions?
A. Men will be driven in similar situations to very similar expedients.
B. Men will be driven in similar situations to very different expedients.
C. The general mass of peasant rents is not of one mind.
D. The author likes to do so.
4. Which of the four divisions is the smallest?
A. Class of Labor Rents
B. Class of Metayer Rents
C. Class of Ryot Rents
D. Class of Cottier Rents
5. How do laborers pay their rents in class of Cottier Rents?
A. in cereals
B. in money
C. in labor
D. All of the above mentioned.

Passage 5
Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea. People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like, mainly because tea was very expensive. It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity. Some of them were not sure how to use it. They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves. Then they served them mixed with butter　and salt. They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.
　　Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century. During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.
　　At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea. Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it, but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added. She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk. Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did, so they also drank their tea with milk in it. Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few Britons drink tea without milk.
　　At first, tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o’clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it. She invited her friends to have this new meal with her, so tea-time was born.
1. Which of the following introductions of tea into Britain is true?
　　A) The Britons got expensive tea from India.
　　B) Tea reached Britain from Holland.
　　C) The Britons were the first people in Europe who drank tea.
　　D) It was not until the 17th century that the Britons had tea.
2. This passage mainly discusses　　　　　.
　　A)the history of tea drinking in Britain
　　B) how tea became a popular drink in Britain
　　C)how the Britons got the habit of drinking tea
　　D)how tea-time was born
3. Tea became a popular drink