1996年硕士入学考试英语阅读真题附答案详解:TEXT5
日期:2014-07-14 15:24

(单词翻译:单击)

真题训练

Rumor has it that more than 20 books on creationism/evolution are in the publisher's pipelines. A few have already appeared. The goal of all will be to try to explain to a confused and often unenlightened citizenry that there are not two equally valid scientific theories for the origin and evolution of universe and life. Cosmology, geology, and biology have provided a consistent, unified, and constantly improving account of what happened. "Scientific" creationism, which is being pushed by some for "equal time" in the classrooms whenever the scientific accounts of evolution are given, is based on religion, not science. Virtually all scientists and the majority of non-fundamentalist religious leaders have come to regard "scientific" creationism as bad science and bad religion.
The first four chapters of Kitcher's book give a very brief introduction to evolution. At appropriate places, he introduces the criticisms of the creationists and provides answers. In the last three chapters, he takes off his gloves and gives the creationists a good beating. He describes their programmes and tactics, and, for those unfamiliar with the ways of creationists, the extent of their deception and distortion may come as an unpleasant surprise. When their basic motivation is religious, one might have expected more Christian behavior.
Kitcher is philosopher, and this may account, in part, for the clarity and effectiveness of his arguments. The non-specialist will be able to obtain at least a notion of the sorts of data and argument that support evolutionary theory. The final chapter on the creationists will be extremely clear to all. On the dust jacket of this fine book, Stephen Jay Gould says: "This book stands for reason itself." And so it does — and all would be well were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.

67. "Creationism" in the passage refers to ________.
[A] evolution in its true sense as to the origin of the universe
[B] a notion of the creation of religion
[C] the scientific explanation of the earth formation
[D] the deceptive theory about the origin of the universe

68. Kitcher's book is intended to ________.
[A] recommend the views of the evolutionists
[B] expose the true features of creationists
[C] curse bitterly at this opponents
[D] launch a surprise attack on creationists

69. From the passage we can infer that ________.
[A] reasoning has played a decisive role in the debate
[B] creationists do not base their argument on reasoning
[C] evolutionary theory is too difficult for non-specialists
[D] creationism is supported by scientific findings

70. This passage appears to be a digest of ________.
[A] a book review
[B] a scientific paper
[C] a magazine feature
[D] a newspaper editorial
难句解析

难句解析:
①The goal of all will be to try to explain to a confused and often unenlightened citizenry that there are not two equally valid scientific theories for the origin and evolution of universe and life.
▲句子的主干结构是The goal... will be to try to explain...,其中explain后面接的是双宾语:explain to sb. sth.,这里sth.是that引导的宾语从句:there are not...。
△all指代上文提到的书籍,要注意origin和evolution是并列的,而universe和life是并列的。而confused和unenlightened也是并列的。
②"Scientific" creationism, which is being pushed by some for "equal time" in the classrooms whenever the scientific accounts of evolution are given, is based on religion, not science.
▲句子的主体结构是... creationism is based... on religion, not science。其中which引导了一个非限定性定语从句which is being pushed by some for "equal time" in the classroom...修饰creationism,在这一定语从句中,whenever引导了一个时间状语从句:whenever the scientific accounts of evolution are given。
△首先要理解非限定性定语从句的用法,另外,在阅读中可以先跳过非限定性定语从句,只看句子的主干。
③In the last three chapters, he takes off his gloves and gives the creationists a good beating. He describes their programs and tactics, and, for those unfamiliar with the ways of creationists, the extent of their deception and distortion may come as an unpleasant surprise.
▲第一句话的主体结构是... he takes off... and gives...,第二句是and连接的两个并列句。在第二个分句中,前面插入了一个介词词组:for those unfamiliar with the ways of creationists。其中unfamiliar相当于省略了who are的定语从句,修饰those。
△第一句话中,作者把写书比喻成拳击,因而要抨击神造说/特创论的时候,用了takes off his gloves and gives the creationists a good beating这样的句子。第二句中,关键要弄清楚,their programs and tactics,their deception and distortion中的两个their指代的都是creationists,而不是指那些对神造论者的处事方式不熟悉的人。
④On the dust jacket of this fine book, Stephen Jay Gould says: "This book stands for reason itself." And so it does — and all would be well were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.
▲第一句话中是主语+谓语动词+直接引语。第二句表示对第一句中的观点的赞同,破折号后作进一步解释;其中隐含一个if引导的状语从句表示虚拟语气。在正式的文体中,倒装可以用来代替if引导的表示假设的状语从句。were reason the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate相当于if reason were the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate。
△注意so it does的用法:so+主语+助动词,表示对前面表述的观点的赞同,注意这一结构与so+助动词+主语结构的区别。后者表示“也”的意思,只用在肯定句当中。另外应注意破折号后解释部分中的条件句里时态的运用:if条件状语从句中使用过去时were,主句中用过去将来时would do,是作出与现在事实相反的假设。

试题解析

试题解析:
67. [D] 意为:关于宇宙起源的虚假理论。
在本文中,作者将“造物主义理论”(或“创世主义理论”)与进化论对立而论,指出前者的基础是宗教而不是科学,而且,几乎所有的科学家和大部分非原教旨主义宗教领袖都越来越将所谓“科学的”造物主义理论看做既不是好科学也不是好的宗教。Kitcher的书对造物主义理论进行了深刻的批判。参阅第一段。
A意为:有关宇宙起源的真正意义上的进化论。
B意为:宗教创立的思想。
C意为:地球形成的科学解释。
68. [B] 意为:揭露了造物主义理论的真实面目。
第二段指出,他利用合适的机会(at appropriate places)对造物主义理论进行了批判。在最后三章,他摘掉了手套,将造物主义者狠狠地揍了一顿。他描述了他们的纲领及(骗人)手段,对那些不了解他们的把戏的人来说,(Kitcher所揭露出的)他们的欺骗程度和歪曲程度会令人感到吃惊和厌恶。考虑到他们的基本动机是宗教的,人们也许期望在他们身上看到更多的基督徒行为(但他们欺骗人民、歪曲事实)。
A意为:推崇进化论的观点。Kitcher的确推崇进化论,但从书的章节安排来看,本书更着重于对造物主义的批判。
C意为:狠狠地咒骂了他的对手。
D意为:对造物主义者发起了突然袭击。
69. [B] 意为:造物主义的论点不是建立在推理之上的。
参阅第67题题解。文章最后一句指出,它的确代表了理性本身,如果理性是造物主义理论与进化论之争的惟一裁判者,问题就容易解决了。本句是一个虚拟条件句,等于说:all would be well if reason were the only judge in the creationism/evolution debate.
A意为:在这场争论中,推理起了决定性作用。注意:reason(理性)与reasoning(推理)意思不同。
C意为:对专家以外的人来说,进化论太难。第三段第二句指出,不是专家至少也能了解一下支持进化论的数据的性质及其论点。
D意为:科学发现支持了造物主义理论。
70. [A]
本文是一个书评摘要。这从第二、三段就可以一目了然。
B意为:科学论文。
C意为:杂志特写。
D意为:报纸社论。
全文翻译

全文翻译:
有传言说,有20多本关于创世纪论与进化论之争的书即将出版,有几本已经面世了。所有这些书的目的是试图告诉那些迷糊而且常常是还不开通的芸芸众生:就宇宙和生命的起源与发展问题而言,不可能存在两种都成立的科学理论。对于所发生的一切,宇宙学、地质学、生物学已经提供了一贯的、统一的并且是在不断完善的解释。而“科学”创世纪论——当课堂上讲授进化论时,有些人就想争抢“相同的课时”来解释它——是基于宗教,而非科学的。实际上,所有科学家和大多数非原教旨主义宗教领袖们都已将“科学”创世纪论看做是拙劣的科学和拙劣的宗教。
金切尔这本书的前四章简单地介绍了进化论。作者在合适的地方引入了对创世纪论者的批评并提供了后者的回答。在书的后三章,他毫不客气地对创世纪论者进行了猛烈抨击。他揭露了这些人的纲领和手段,对那些不了解创世纪论者惯用手法的人来说,其欺骗和歪曲事实的程度会让他们感到气愤和吃惊。由于他们的基本动机是宗教,人们原本还期待他们会做出更具基督精神的作为。
金切尔是位哲学家,这也许能部分说明他的立论为何明确而有说服力。非专业人士起码可以了解支持进化论的各种数据和观点。关于创世纪论者的最后一章对每个人来说都阐述得极为清楚。这部优秀作品的护封上引用了斯蒂芬•杰•古尔德的一句话,“本书赌注是理性”。的确如此——如果理性是创世纪论和进化论之争的惟一裁判,一切问题就已解决了。

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重点单词
  • unifiedadj. 统一的;一致标准的 v. 统一;使一致(uni
  • exposevt. 揭露,使暴露,使曝光,使面临
  • clarityn. 清楚,透明
  • basen. 基底,基础,底部,基线,基数,(棒球)垒,[化]碱
  • confusedadj. 困惑的;混乱的;糊涂的 v. 困惑(confu
  • unenlightenedadj. 落后的;无知的;未受启迪的
  • recommendvt. 建议,推荐,劝告 vt. 使成为可取,使受欢迎
  • consistentadj. 始终如一的,一致的,坚持的
  • obtainvt. 获得,得到 vi. 通用,流行,存在
  • unpleasantadj. 使人不愉快的,讨厌的