Explore Jordan
Wadi Rum is the name given to a valley cut into the sandstone and hard rock in southwest Jordan. __________ (46) The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic word meaning"high" or "elevated". The area around Wadi Rum is now also one of Jordan's most important tourist destinations, and attracts an increasing number of foreign tourists, particularly trekkers (越野者) ,but also for camel safaris (旅行) or simply day-trippers from Aqaba or Petra. In contrast, there are almost no local or Arab tourists, through Disi attracts young people from Amman at the weekends.
Popular activities in the desert environment include camping under the stars, riding Arab horses, and rock-climbing amongst the massive rock formations. Jebal Rum (Jebal means"mountain") is 1,574 meters above sea level.__________(47)
But Jordan is not simply a desert environment- it also contains the area which is the lowest point to the face of the Earth-- the incredible Dead Sea, popular with tourists for swimming.
__________ (48) Once the waters reach the Dead Sea, they are landlocked and have nowhere to go,so they evaporate, leaving behind a dense, rich cocktail (混合的 ) of salts and minerals that supply industry, agriculture and medicine with some of its finest products. Once again, tourists benefit and can participate in water spa treatments and water therapies.
The Dead Sea is located in the Syro-African Rift, a 4,000-mile fault line in the Earth's crust. The lowest point of dry land on Earth is the shoreline of the Dead Sea at 1,300 feet below sea level Because the lake is at the lowest point, this means that water does not drain from it.__________ (49)
Figures for the Dead Sea's salinity (盐度) today range from 25% to 35%.
But the greatest tourist attraction is the incredible city of Petra.__________(50) It is a vast,unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
Today, visitors can marvel at the architecture and explore life as it was thousands of years ago.
A. It is the second highest peak in Jordan, rising directly above the Rum valley opposite Jebal Umlshrin.
B. This vast stretch of water receives a number of incoming rivers, including the River Jordan.
C. This area has been used as a background setting in a number of films.
D. It is the largest wadi (river bed) in Jordan.
E. Every day seven million tons of water evaporate from the lake, but the minerals remain, causing the salt content to increase.
F o It is without doubt Jordan's most valuable treasure.
2014年真题
Do You Have a Sense of Humor?
Humor and laughter are good for us. There is increasing evidence that they can heal us physically,mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In fact, every system of the body responds to laughter in some positive, healing way. So how can we get more laughter into our lives? __________(46) Psychologist and author, Steve Wilson, has some answers.
Many people believe that we are born with a sense of humor. They think, "Either you've got it,or you don't." Dr. Wilson points out that this is false.__________ (47)
The parts of the brain and central nervous system that control laughing and smiling are mature at birth. __________(48) (After all, when a baby laughs, we don't rush over and say, "That kid has a great sense of humor!") A sense of humor is something that you can develop over a lifetime.
Sometimes people think that they don't have a good sense of humor because they are not good joke tellers. Dr. Wilson reminds us that telling jokes is only one of many ways to express humor.
__________ (49) Then we will make others laugh, too.
A person who has a true sense of humor is willing and able to see the funny side of everyday life.
One of the best definitions of a sense of humor is "the ability to see the nonserious element in a situation." Consider this sign from a store window. "Any faulty merchandise will be cheerfully replaced with merchandise of equal quality." The store manager probably placed the sign in the window to impress customers with the store's excellent service. __________(50) As Dr. Wilson says,"A good sense of humor means that you don't have to be funny, you just have to see what's funny."
A. He advises us to lose our inhibitions (抑制) and try to laugh at ourselves.
B. Is it possible to develop a sense of humor?
C. However, that does not mean that infants have a sense of humor.
D. What is true, however, is that we are born with the capacity to laugh and smile.
E. Everyone experiences this emotion.
F. He had a serious purpose, but if you have a sense of humor, you will probably find the sign funny!
2013年真题
The Tough Grass that Sweetens Our Lives
Sugar cane was once a wild grass that grew in New Guinea and was used by local people for roofing their houses and fencing their gardens. Gradually a different variety evolved which contained sucrose (蔗糖) and was chewed on for its sweet taste. Over time, sugar cane became a highly valuable commercial plant, grown throughout the world. __________ (46)
Sugar became a vital ingredient in all kinds of things, from confectionery ( 糖果点心 ) to medicine, and, as the demand for sugar grew, the industry became larger and more profitable.
__________ (47) Many crops withered (枯萎) and died, despite growers' attempts to save them,and there were fears that the health of the plant would continue to deteriorate.
In the 1960s, scientists working in Barbodos looked for ways to make the commercial species stronger and more able to resist disease. They experimented with breeding programmes, mixing genes from the more delicate, commercial type. __________ (48) This sugar cane is not yet ready to be sold commercially, but when this happens, it is expected to be incredible profitable for the industry.
__________ (49) Brazil, which produces one quarter of the world's sugar, has coordinated an international project under Professor Paulo Arrudo of the Universidade Estaudual de Campinas in Sao Paulo. Teams of experts have worked with him to discover more about which parts of the genetic structure of the plant are important for the production of sugar and its overall health.
Despite all the research, however, we still do not fully understand how the genes function in sugar cane. __________ (50) This gene is particularly exciting because it makes the plant resistant to rust, a disease which probably originated in India, but is now capable of infecting sugar cane across the world. Scientist believes they will eventually be able to grow a plant which cannot be destroyed by rust.
A. Eventually, a commercial plant was developed which was 5 percent sweeter than before,but also much stronger and less likely to die from disease.
B. One major gene has been identified by Dr Angelique D'Hont and her team in Montpelier, France.
C. Sugar cane is now much more vigorous and the supply of sugar is therefore more guaranteed.
D. Since the 1960s, scientists have been analyzing the mysteries of the sugar cane's genetic code.
E. The majority of the world's sugar now comes from this particular commercial species.
F. Unfortunately, however, the plant started to become weaker and more prone to disease.
答案与解析
2015年真题
46．D。从原文来看，空白处前面一句说的Wadi Rum是一条横穿约旦西南部的峡谷的名字，空白处后一句讲的是Wadi Rum的名字中Rum一词可能来自于Aramaic语，因此空白处谈论的应该还是有关Wadi Rum名字的信息，可以看出答案是选项D(它是约旦的河床)，指出了wadi的意思。
47．A。从原文来看，空白处前面一句Jebal Rum山海拔1574米，所以空白处要填的句子应该是继续谈论这座山，所以只有选项A(它是约旦的第二高峰，矗立在Rum峡谷之上，对着Jebal Umlshrin)符合，其中A项中的Jebal与空白处之前句子的Jebal为词语复现。
48．B。从原文来看，空白处之前谈论的是，约旦不仅仅是沙漠，还有死海；空白处后一处谈论的是，一旦水到达死海，就会被陆地包围而无处可去。可知空白处应该谈论的是有关死海的一些信息，所以正确答案是选项B(这一大片水域汇集了多条河流，包括约旦河)，其中B项中的water和rivers与空白处之后句子中的waters为词语复现。
49．E。从原文来看，空白处之前的句子谈到该湖位于最低点，因为湖水无法流走，空白之后的句子谈论的是死海的盐度为25％到35％，由此推知空白处应该谈论的是湖水或者盐度的问题，所以正确答案是选项E(每天湖可以蒸发七百万吨的水，但是矿物质是保留的，由此导致盐度上升)，其中E选项中的lake与空白处之前句子的lake为词语复现，E选项中的salt与空白处之后句子中的salinity(盐度)为语义复现。
50．C。从原文来看，空白处之前的句子谈到欢迎的旅游景点是Petra城，空白之后的句子谈到它是座广阔的和独特的城市，由此推知空白处应该谈论的还是Petra城，所以选项C(该片区域是很多电影中出现过的背景)符合语境，说明了Petra受欢迎的程度。
2014年真题
46．B。从原文来看，空白处前面一句问到“我们能否从生活中获得更多的笑声呢”，空白处后一句说的是心理学家兼作家Steve Wilson有一些答案，从some answers可知空白处应该还是提问题，所以B(培养幽默感可能吗?)比较合适，符合内容一致的原则。
47．D。从原文来看，空白处前一句讲到有人认为我们天生就有幽默感，但是Dr．Wilson认为这是错误的，所以空白处应该继续谈论幽默感是否是天生的问题，所以D(但是事实是我们天生就有大笑和微笑的能力)符合原文，符合内容与段落主题一致的原则，“What is true，however…”与上文的false在逻辑上保持一致和连贯，we are born with反复出现保持了内容上的衔接。
48．C。从原文来看，空白处之前讲到大脑和神经系统当中控制大笑和微笑的部分在出生时就很成熟了，空白处之后的句子说的是婴儿大笑时并不会被人认为是具有幽默感，所以空白谈论的应该是大笑和幽默感的关系，所以C(但是，这并不意味着婴儿具有幽默感)是正确答案，符合内容一致的原则。
49．A。从原文来看，空白处前面一句讲到有些人认为自己没有幽默感是因为不会讲笑话，但是Dr．Wilson认为讲笑话仅仅是表达幽默的方式之一，空白处后一句讲的是我们也能使其他人笑，所以A(他建议我们不要抑制自己，要对自己大笑)比较符合原文语义，he与Dr．Wilson保持人称上的一致，而laugh at ourselves与后文的make others laugh保持了内容上的连贯。
50．F。空白处之前讲到商店的经理把这个标志摆在窗户里是为了使顾客对其优质的服务留下深刻影响，而空白处后面讲的是Dr．Whilson认为好的幽默感意味着你不必很好笑而是去看见一些好笑的东西，as(正如，好像)说明空白处谈论的是如何发现好笑的东西，因而选项F(他有个严肃的目的，但是如果已有幽默感，你就可能发现这个标志是好玩的)符合此处的语境，选项中的he has a serious purpose与前文中的信息保持内容上的一致。
2013年真题
46．E。空白处前一句讲的是甘蔗成了一种极具价值的商业作物，在全世界种植。空白处应继续谈论其价值，故E选项(现在世界上大部分糖都是产自这个特殊的商业作物)符合文意。
47．F。空白处前提到对糖的需求增加，这个行业开始获利，而空白处后提到植物枯萎并死掉。前后具有转折关系，所有选项中只有F含有转折词however，故F(然而不幸的是这种植物开始变弱，容易得病)是正确答案。
48．A。空白处前提到了科学家进行不同植物基因混合的实验来培育新品种，空白处后提到现在这种甘蔗植物还不准备用作商业用途。由此可知，空白处讲的应该是关于新的甘蔗品种，故A(最终，一种新的商业甘蔗被培养出来，比之前的甜度增加5％，而且比之前的作物要更强壮，发病的可能性更小)是正确答案。
49．D。空白处后列举了巴西的例子，指出科学家试图发现更多的影响含糖量和产量的基因结构，故D项(自20世纪60年代起，科学家一直在研究甘蔗基因代码的秘密)是正确答案。
50．B。空白处前提到研究者们仍然无法完全了解甘蔗的基因，空白处后提到这个基因尤其令人兴奋，其中的this gene应该指代空白处提到的某个基因，故B选项(一个主要的基因已经由Angellique D’Hont博士及其团队鉴别出来了)符合文意。
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