阅读试题

Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.

"Storm at Sea", a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind's earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.

When the wind is from the west

All the waves that cannot test

To the east must thunder on

Where the bright tree of the sun

Is rooted in the ocean's breast.

As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise - it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.

It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath - perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, butwhere it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.

阅读试题

68. Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is __________.

A. always energetic 　　　
B. lacking in liveliness
C. shaped like a square 　　

D. favored by ancient poets

69. What is the purpose of using the poem "Storm at Sea" in the passage?

A. To describe the movement of the waves.

B. To show the strength of the storm.

C. To represent the power of the ocean.

D. To prove the vastness of the sea.

70. What does the underlined word "symbiotic" mean?

A. Living together. 　　　　
B. Growing fast.
C. Moving harmoniously. 　　

D. Breathing peacefully.

71. In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to __________.

A. a beautiful and poetic place 　　
B. a flesh and blood person
C. a wonderful world 　　　　　　　
D. a lovely animal

参考译文

显然并不是所有的水域都像大西洋这样生机勃勃，充满活力。其S型水域覆盖的面积达到3300万平方米。从某种意义上说，大西洋取代了地中海作为西方文明内海的地位。不像真正的内陆海，但仍令人奇怪的是大西洋的生机与活力。也许它并不令人意外，因为有关它的活力，古代诗人已经写了很多。

“海上风暴”是一首大约700年前写的短诗，通常被视为人类最早的有关大西洋的艺术表达。

“当风从西方吹来，

所有的浪花都不能避开它的检验，

东边雷声轰鸣，

明亮的太阳树深深植根于大洋的内心。”

这首诗表明大西洋永远不会死亡，也不会令人生厌。它是一个令人印象深刻，永不停歇地移动着的海洋。它制造了各种各样的声音，它永远都是雷声阵阵，海水沸腾，海风呼啸的样子。

不难想象大西洋努力维持着大洋的生命呼吸，也许不那么明显，但当它一遇到陆地，其海水就会上上下下地冲洗着沙滩。它近乎完美地模仿着海洋生物的呼吸。它充满了共生共栖息存在方式，难以想象的生物数量，或大或小，所有的生物都在海洋深处和谐相处，海水让人产生一种心跳的感觉，也让人感受到一种源于海底深处的活力。大西洋包含着一种心理学。它有个性，它时而宁静怡人，时而疯狂粗野，却又总是那么的强烈，那么的引人注目。

答案解析

68. A 考查细节理解。由第一段第三句"Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness."可知，大西洋总是精力充沛的。

69. C 考查推理判断。由第一段最后一句"It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets."可知，作者在文中引用这首诗歌正是为了举例说明大西洋的生机与活力。

70. A 考查词义猜测。由画线词所在句中的"unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony"可知，A项正确。

71. B 考查推理判断。由最后一段最后一句"It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant."可知，作者把大西洋比作具有个性的人，所以B正确。