2009年研究生入學(xué)資格考試（GCT）英語備考方略

4. Which of the following statements is not true of hydroponics?
   A. Hydroponics is still too complicated and expensive for practical use.
   B. Hydroponics is considered a revolutionary method of agriculture.
   C. Hydroponics has created wonders in agriculture.
   D. Hydroponics has already been employed in food production.

5. Judging from the passage, the most important advantage of hydroponics should be
    A. higher yield                 B. lower labor costs
C. more automation             D. less hard manual work

Passage Ten
   In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are horn in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about a half dozen generate the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that give them hurricane status, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
   The great storms that hit the coast start as innocent circling disturbances hundreds--even thousands--of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the trade winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist air flows in at the bottom of such a disturbance, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process, the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat that is converted to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to swirl in a counter-clockwise motion.
   The average life of s hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane's rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12-inch downpours resulting in sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea -- the mountains of water moving toward the low-pressure hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.

1. When is an ordinary tropical storm called a hurricane?
   A. When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean seas.
   B. When it hits the coastline.
   C. When it is more than 75 miles wide.
   D. When its winds reach 75 miles per hour.

2. What is the worst thing about hurricanes?
    A. The destructive effects of water.
    B. The heat they release.
    C. That they last about nine days on the average.
    D. Their strong winds.

 3. The counter-clockwise swirling of the hurricane is brought about by    .
    A. the low-pressure area in the center of the storm
    B. the force of waves of water
    C. the trade winds
    D. the increasing heat
 
 4. Apparently the word “downpour” in the last paragraph means    .
   A. heavy rainfall
   B. dangerous waves
   C. the progress of water to the hurricane center
   D. the energy produced by the hurricane

 5. Which of the following is not true?
   A. Millions of dollars of damage is caused by powerful storms.
   B. In the second half of each year, there are powerful storms in tropical Atlantic and Caribbean
     seas.
   C. A hurricane contains more power than we can imagine.
   D. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane's rainfall in a single hour would meet the
   entire needs of the United States for more than six months.

Passage Eleven
     A rapid means of long-distance transportation became a necessity for the United States as settlement (新拓居地) spread ever farther westward. The early trains were impractical curiosities, and for a long time the railroad companies met with troublesome mechanical problems. The most serious one was the construction of rails able to bear the load, and the development of a safe, effective stopping system. Once these were solved, the railroad was established as the best means of land transportation. By 1860 there were thousands of miles of railroads crossing the eastern mountain ranges and reaching westward to the Mississippi. There were also regional southern and western lines.
     The high point in railroad building came with the construction of the first transcontinental system. In 1862, Congress authorized two western railroad companies to build lines from Nebraska westward and from California eastward to a meeting point, so as to complete a transcontinental crossing linking to Atlantic seaboard with the Pacific. The Government helped the railroads generously with money and land. Actual work on this project began four years later. The Central Pacific Company, starting from California, used Chinese labor, while the Union Pacific employed crews of Irish laborers. The two groups worked at remarkable speed, each trying to cover a greater distance than the other. In 1869, they met at a place called Promontory in what is now the state of Utah. Many visitors came there for the great occasion. There were joyous celebrations all over the country, with parades and the ringing of church bells to honor the great achievement.
     The railroad was very important in encouraging westward movement. It also helped build up industry and farming by moving raw materials and by distributing products rapidly to distant markets. In linking towns and people to one another it helped unify the United States.

1. The major problems with America's railroad system in the mid 19th century lay in   .
    A. poor quality rails and unreliable stopping systems
    B. lack of financial support for development
    C. limited railroad lines
    D. lack of transcontinental railroad

2. The building of the first transcontinental system   .
   A. brought about a rapid growth of industry and farming in the west
    B. attracted many visitors to the construction sites
   C. attracted laborers from Europe
    D. encouraged people to travel all over the country

3. The best title for this passage would be   .
    A. Settlements Spread Westward
    B. The Coast-to-Coast Railroad A Vital Link
    C. American Railroad History
    D. The Importance of Railroads in the American Economy

4. The construction of the transcontinental railroad took   .
    A. 9 years                       B. 7 years
    C. 4 years                       D. 3 years

5. What most likely made people think about a transcontinental railroad?
    A. The possibility of government support for such a task.
    B. The need to explore Utah.
    C. The need to connect the east coast with the west.
D. The need to develop the railroad industry in the west.

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