Vocabulary and Grammar
Vocabulary Selection
1. We can make use of seawater by ______ fresh water from it.
A.purifying
B.refraining
C.distilling
D.performers
正确答案:C
[解析] distilling蒸馏,提炼;purifying使纯净;refraining节制,避免;performers表演者。
2. Only a ______ person would believe such an unlikely story about ghosts in the old house.
A.fabulous
B.credible
C.credulous
D.believable
正确答案:C
[解析] credulous轻信的;fabulous寓言般的,难以置信的;credible可靠的,可信的;believable可相信的。
3. The “Echo House” will demonstrate how we can live with highly efficient insulation, solar heating, energy efficient ______ and organic gardening.
A.applicators
B.applications
C.applicants
D.appliances
正确答案:D
[解析] 本题考查对4个词根相同的词的意义的辨认。原句中有几个并列成分:highly efficient insulation, solar heating, energy efficient ______和organic gardening,根据上下文,这些都是与生存环境有关的词语,因此我们不难排除掉与此无关的选项applicator(涂药器)和applicant(申请人)。另外,原句中的几个并列成分都是具体名词,因此可以推断application(应用,适用)与题意不符,而appliances意为“器具,用具”,如:electric appliances(电器),恰好符合题意。
4. In the case of Finney, where an attendant at a mental hospital caused the death of a patient by releasing a flow of boiling water into a bath, the test was whether he was grossly ______.
A.negative
B.negligent
C.neglected
D.negligible
正确答案:B
[解析] 从4个选项看,这是一组形近词,即拼写上很接近,也是词汇考试常用的出题规律之一。根据句子所给信息,句子谈论的是一个在精神病院工作的护理员导致病人死亡的案例,与法律有关,因此,只有B项negligent符合题意,该词在法律上是“过失犯罪的”的意思。D项negligible是“可以忽略的,微不足道的”意思;C项neglected是“被忽略的”;A项negative是“否定的”,这三项显然均不符合句意。
5. Benjamin Franklin, tactless in his youth, became so diplomatic, so ______ at handling people that he was made American Ambassador to France.
A.adroit
B.shrewd
C.considerate
D.foxy
正确答案:A
[解析] 从整句话看,全句对Benjamin Franklin持褒奖态度,空白处的词应当和前面的diplomatic构成同义词,起到进一步说明的作用,即在处理人际关系方面“富有策略”。这样,我们就不可能选foxy(“像狐狸似的,狡猾的”)和shrewd(“奸诈的,狡猾的”)这两个带有贬义色彩的词。C项considerate为“体贴的,考虑周到的”与题意不符。只有A项adroit可人选答案,意思为“having or showing ability to use the skills of mind”,即“巧妙的,机巧的”。
6. Fitness helps ______ signs of depression, such as indecision and lack of zest for daily activities.
A.alleviate
B.diagnose
C.assess
D.manipulate
正确答案:A
[解析] 由题意看,“健康有助于______消沉的情绪”,所以空白处的词应具有“减轻,缓和”之意,故选alleviate。由习惯用法来看,access后应该跟介词to;而manipulate是“操纵,掌控”的意思;diagnose意为“诊断”,也不合题意。
7. Producing elastin through chemical synthesis is a tedious process consuming ______ three months.
A.the better half of
B.for the better of
C.all the better for
D.the better part of
正确答案:D
[解析] D项the better part of意为“大部分”,与一个时间名词搭配,指“那段时间中的大部分”,放入句子中,意思是,“通过化学合成来生产弹性硬蛋白差不多需要三个月的时间。”A项the better half of在英语中不存在;英语中只用your (my) better half,意为“你的(我的)丈夫或妻子”。C项all the better for意为“就更好了,反而更好”;B项for the better of意为“为了……更好”,两者都与句意不符。
8. Brunner’s ______ to become the second woman ever to hold Cabinet rank was scuttled by the overwhelmingly male parliament, apparently because of sexual politics.
A.bet
B.bit
C.bid
D.bat
正确答案:C
[解析] 这组词在拼写上很接近。在记单词的时候应当有意识地对这类词进行总结、归纳。由原句看,空白处的词在句中作主语,即Brunner的______被破坏了。A项bet意为“打赌,赌注”;B项bit意为“一点”;D项bat意为“球拍”;三者显然都不符合句意。所以,C项bid“希望,愿望”是正确的答案。
9. There is a general ______ that pouring old wine into the same bottles is the wrong way to go.
A.consensus
B.census
C.censorship
D.conscience
正确答案:A
[解析] 本题的4个选项的词在拼写上很接近。由句子结构看,原句中空白处的词应当和后面的that从句呈同位语关系。根据that从句的意思(“把同样的瓶子中都装旧酒是不对的”),这像是一种“观点”,“评论”或者“意见”,那么,与其构成同位语的名词的意义应该与此意义相近。A项consensus意为“一致,全体意见”,与前面的general搭配,构成“普遍同意或接受的观点”,正好符合句意。B项census指“人口调查”;C项censorship是“检查,审查(制度)”;D项conscience意为“良知”。
10. Biological wizardry of a different sort is responsible for the ruggedness of sea-ear shells, which under high-powered microscopes resemble ______ constructed stone walls.
A.reversibly
B.elaborately
C.spontaneously
D.concurrently
正确答案:B
[解析] 本题考查在4个选项中哪一个副词能够与句中充当形容词修饰语的constructed(意为“建造的”)形成搭配,以符合句子的逻辑意义。A项reversibly意为“颠倒地”;C项spontaneously意为“自发地,自然地”;D项concurrently意为“同时地,和谐一致地”;三者任何一个与constructed搭配,都不符合句意。B项elaborately的意思是“精心地”,与constructed搭配;构成“精心建造的”,恰好符合句子的逻辑意义。全句的意思是:“鲍鱼壳的粗糙是由生物的不同的神奇而形成的,在高倍显微镜下就像精心建造的石墙一般。”
11. Beneath its myriad rules, the fundamental purpose of ______ is to make the world a pleasanter place to live in, and you a more pleasant person to live with.
A.elitism
B.eloquence
C.eminence
D.etiquette
正确答案:D
[解析] 本题的4个选项的词在拼写上很接近。从所给信息看,句子的意思是,“______,尽管有许多规则,但其根本目的是使世界成为一个更令人愉快的居住地,使人更乐于与别人相处。”A项elitism意为“精英意识论,精英管意思

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