53. It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed　　　　 .

A. to remember the entire trade route　　　 　　　　　　 B. to know the making of products

C. to receive certain special training　　　　 　　　　　　 D. to deal with a lot of difficulties

75．This passage is mainly about ________．

A．traveling in space　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 B．the ways of living in space hotels

C．zero gravity and space hotels　　　　　 　　　　 D．the description of space hotels

答案　 72.A　 73.B　 74.A　 75.D

Passage 27

(08·陕西D篇)

Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.

The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B. C. to about A.D.1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路线).It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.

The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from Central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接)　different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to worldwide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.

The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教).

74．Which of the following is NOT discussed in the passage?

A．When was the space traveling made possible?

B．What are the unique experiences that space hotels will offer?

C．Why were there not many published designs for space hotels?

D．How can the travelers enjoy themselves in space hotels?

73．Which of the following is a unique experience that space hotels will offer?

A．The gravitational pull.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．The special views．

C．The relaxation in a bar． 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．The space walk．

72．When traveling in space, most people would like to stay in orbit for a few days because

_______．

A．It is expensive to travel in space

B．they would find the possible life in other star systems

C．they could enjoy the luxury of space hotels

D．they want to realise the full potential of tourism

59．In the last paragraph, the word “unicorn ” is in quotation marks (引号) because ____　 _．

A．the cup is designed only for a royal family　　　　　

B．the unicorn does not exist in reality

C．the unicorn is the rarest animal in the world

D．the medicinal value of the horn is appreciated

答案　 56.D　 57.C　 58.A　 59.B

Passage 26

(08·江西E篇)

Most people, when they travel to space, would like to stay in orbit for a few days or more．And this stands to reason, if you’re paying $20,000 for your trip to orbit! So in order for tourism to reach its full potential there’s going to be a need for orbital accommodation-or space hotels．What would a space hotel actually be like to visit? Hotels in orbit will offer the services you expect from a hotel-private rooms, meals, bars．But they’ll also offer two unique experiences: impressive views-of Earth and space-and the endless entertainment of living in zero gravity-including sports and other activities that make use of this．

　 The hotels themselves will vary greatly-from being quite simple in the early days to huge luxury structures at a later date．It’s actually surprising that as later as 1997, very few designs for space hotels were published．This is mainly because those who might be expected to design them haven’t expected launch costs to come down far enough to make them possible．

　　 Lots of people who’ve been to space have described vividly what it’s like to live in zero gravity．There are obviously all sorts of possibilities for dancing, gymnastics, and zero-G sports．Luckily, you don’t need to sleep much living in zero gravity, so you’ll have plenty of time for relaxing by hanging out in a bar with a window looking down at the turning Earth below．

　　 Of course all good things have come to an end, unfortunately. And so after a few days you’ll find yourself heading back though you’ll be much more expert at exercising in zero gravity than you were when you arrived．You’ll be thinking how soon you can save up enough to get back up again-or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel!

58．The last paragraph is mainly about __　　 __．

A．the properties of the unicorn horn　　　　

B．the users of the unicorn horn

C．the price of the unicorn horn　　　　 　

D．the comparison between the unicorn horn and the rhino horn

57．To catch a unicorn, the unicorn-trappers had to try all of the following EXCEPT __　 _　 _．

A．tempting the unicorn to attack　　　　　　 B．making use of the tree as a protection

C．hiding quickly behind the unicorn　　　　　 D．having the unicorn horn stuck in the tree

56．Which of the following is TRUE of the unicorn?

A．It was not historically recorded.

B．Its horn was first used in France.

C．It was similar to the Indian Ass and the Oryx.

D．It could be the symbol of a university.

80.Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.” loudly?

A.To encourage them to set an example for others to follow.

B.To advise them to save the money for one more dessert.

C.To remind them to be aware of their social status.

D.To persuade them to speak confidently in public.

答案　 77.C　 78.A　 79.B　 80.A

Passage 25

(08·江西A篇)

Despite the fact that it has never been seen,almost everyone is familiar with the legendary

unicorn(独角兽)．Descriptions of unicorns have been found dating from ancient times．The great philosopher Aristotle theorized that there were two types of unicorn- the so-called Indian Ass and the Oryx, a kind of antelope．Unicorns are often used in the logo of a noble family, town council or university as their special sign．Even Scotland is represented by a unicorn．

According to the legend, anyone attempting to catch a unicorn had to be extremely cautious

as it has a reputation for being very fierce．A clever trick suggested by unicorn-trappers, in order to catch this magnificent beast without being hurt by its horn, was for the hunter to stand in front of a tree and then to move quickly behind it as the unicorn charged．Hopefully, the creature could then be captured when its horn was stuck in the tree．

　When hollowed out and used as a drinking-cup, the unicorn’s horn was said to have the

power to offer protection against poison．It was believed that nobody could be harmed by drinking the contents of a unicorn’s horn．Right up until the French Revolution in 1789, the French court was said to have used cups made of “unicorn” horn in order to protect the king.In addition, the horn was said to have medicinal value, so much so that it could be sold for more than ten times the price of the same weight of gold．What, then, was “unicorn” horn? We know at times the rhino (犀牛) was confused with this legendary creature．A drinking-cup supposedly made of “unicorn” horn was discovered to be made of the horn of a rhino．