阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

（一）

The physicians in a hospital form the center of medical staff. But they could not provide effective medical care to their patients without the help of numerous other medical employees. From the viewpoint of the patients， the nursing staff is particularly important. Nurses are usually in close contact with patients as long as they are in the hospital.

A nurse does not study for as many years as a doctor. However， each must be equally dedicated. Caring for sick persons requires a great deal of patience and concern. Most nurses work long days， and they often must work at odd hours or during the night.

Under the supervision[監管] of the head nurse， the nursing staff must provide nursing services on a 24-hour basis and attend to patients needs. This responsibility continues around the clock， and so nurses must work in shifts. A shift is a period of duty， usually eight in length. The nurses on the ward rotate their shifts. Some take turns working night duty; others work odd shifts.

A nurse must always be alert. She can never afford to be careless. This is true in all nursing situation， but it is especially true in the intensive care unit. Patients under intensive care are critically ill， and they must be monitored at all times. The nurses who do intensive care duty have one of the most demanding jobs in the hospital.

Serving as a nurse can be a very rewarding job. But it is not an easy one. Not every person is suited to become a nurse. Only very dedicated people have chosen nursing as a profession.

1. The nursing staff ________.

A. are central to the medical staff

B. play an important role in caring for patients

C. can work effectively without physicians

D. are always in close contact with the patients

2. Why dont nurses study for as many years as doctors？

A. They dont treat patients for illness and injury.

B. Most nurses work long days.

C. Caring for sick patients requires patience and concern.

D. They are not dedicated.

3. Nurses work in shifts because ________.

A. they are careless.

B. nursing services must be provided continuously.

C. they work at night from time to time.

D. a shift is usually eight hours long.

4. What kind of person is suited to become a nurse？

A. A very careful person.                            B. An able person.

C. A very dedicated person.                         D. A specially trained person.

（二）

A “lost tribe” that reached America from Australia may have been the first Native Americans， according to a new theory.

If proved by DNA evidence， the theory will break long established beliefs about the southerly migration of people who entered America across the Bering Strait， found it empty and occupied it.

On this theory rests the belief of Native Americans to have been the first true Americans. They would be classified to the ranks of escapee， beaten to the New World by Aboriginals[土著人] in boats.

To a European， this may seem like an academic argument， but to Americans it is a philosophical question about identity， Silvia Gonzales， of Liverpool University said .

Her claims are based on skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico that have skulls quite unlike the broad Mongolian features of Native Americans. These narrow-skulled people have more in common with southern Asians， Aboriginal Australians and people of the South Pacific Region.

The bones， stored at the National Museum of Anthropology[人類学] in Mexico City， have been carbon-dated and one is 12，700 years old， which places it several thousand years before the arrival of people from the North. “We think there were several migration waves into the Americas at different times by different human groups，” Dr. Gonzales said. “The timing， route and point of origin of the first colonization of the Americas remains a most contentious topic in human evolution.”

But comparisons based on skull shape are not considered conclusive by anthropologists， so a team of Mexican and British scientists， backed by the Natural Environment Research Council， has also attempted to take out DNA from the bones. Dr. Gonzales declined yesterday to say exactly what the results were， as they need to be checked， but indicated that they were consistent[一致] with an Australian origin.

1. It is generally considered that the first Native Americans came from ________.

A. North Asia                                   B. Australia

C. South Pacific                               D. South Asia

2. The skeletons found in the California Peninsula of Mexico have ________.

A. the broad skull shape

B. the narrow skull shape

C. different features of Aboriginal Australians

D. the same features of Native Americans

3. The underlined “contentious” is similar in meaning to “________”.

A. likely to cause great interest              B. difficult to solve

C. well-known to all                           D. likely to cause argument

4. Which of the following statements is true according to the text？

A. Research on skulls can draw an exact conclusion.

B. DNA tests have proved the fact that the first Native Americans came from Australian.

C. Scientists are still not sure about the origin of the Native Americans.

D. People began to enter America across the Bering Strait about 12，700 years ago.

（三）

Wild animals seem to have escaped the Indian Ocean tsunami[海啸]， adding weight to ideas they possess a “sixth sense” for disasters， experts said on Thursday.

Sri Lanka wildlife officials have said the giant waves that killed over 24，000 people along the Indian Ocean islands coast seemingly missed wild beasts， with no dead animals found.

“No elephants are dead， not even a dead hare or rabbit. I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening，” H.D. Ratnayake， deputy director of Sri Lankas Wildlife Department， said on Wednesday.

The waves washed floodwaters up to 3 km （2 miles） inland at Yala National Park in the southeast， Sri Lankas biggest wildlife reserve and home to hundreds of wild elephants. “There has been a lot of evidence about dogs barking or birds migrating before volcanic eruptions or earthquakes. But it has not been proven，” said Matthew van Lierop， an animal behaviour specialist at Johannesburg Zoo.

“There have been no specific studies because you cant really test it in a lab or field setting，” he said.

Other authorities agreed with this conclusion.

“Wildlife seem to be able to pick up certain phenomenon， especially birds. There are many reports of birds detecting coming disasters，” said Clive Walker， who has written several books on African wildlife.

Animals certainly rely on the known senses such as smell or hearing to avoid danger such as predators[食肉動物].

The idea of an animal “sixth sense” is a lasting one that the evidence on Sri Lankas damaged coast is likely to add to.

1. This passage is mainly about________.

A. the damage that was caused in the Indian Ocean tsunami

B. why animals can save them from natural disasters

C. how to protect the wildlife when disaster happens

D. the different opinions about animals natural power

2. Which of the following is true according to the text？

A. It has been proved that animals have a “sixth sense”.

B. Research has been made on the special movements of animals before disasters.

C. Its generally considered that animals can sense the coming of disasters.

D. Animals have depended on the known senses to escape the Indian Ocean tsunami.

3. What does the term “sixth sense” in the text means？

A. It is the natural ability of animals that can save them from danger.

B. It is the animals imagination in the brain.

C. It is some hidden power to say in advance that something will happen.

D. It is a kind of sense that is the same as smell or hearing.

4. Which section does the text most probably appear in a newspaper？

A. News Report.       B. Discovery.

C. Science Fiction.         D. Culture.

參考答案与解析

（一）

1. B 推断题。根据短文第一段中的“they could not provide effective medical care to their patients…the nursing staff is particularly important.”两句推断可知。

2. A 推断题。根据短文第三段中的“the nursing staff must provide nursing services on a 24-hour basis and attend to patients needs”一句可推断，护士只为病人提供护理服务，不处理伤病。

3. B 细节题。分析第三段中的“This responsibility continues around the clock， and so nurses must work in shifts”一句可知。

4. C 归纳题。根据短文第二段“Caring for sick persons requires a great deal of patience and concern”及最后一句“Only very dedicated people have chosen nursing as a profession”可知。

（二）

1. A 推断题。第二段的意义是“如果DNA检测证实了这个理论的话，这将动摇长期以来人们一直坚信的观点：一群往南迁徙的移民穿过白令海峡进入美洲后，发现无人在此居住，便占领了它。” 据此推断可得。

2. B 细节题。根据第五段表述的意思“这些头骨和美国土著居民那种蒙古人宽头骨的特征极为不同。这些窄头骨的人种和南亚人、澳洲土著和环南太平洋国家的人种有更多共同点。”可知。

3. D 词义猜测题。科学家一直在探讨“谁是美洲最早的土著居民”这一问题，根据上下文可猜测出，在人类进化史上，最早在美国进行殖民活动的时间、路线和人口来源是一个最“有争议的”话题。

4. C 事实确认题。本文提到的“新理论”和“长期以来人们一直坚信的观点”都在探讨研究之中。对于DNA检测，冈萨雷斯博士拒绝透露确切的结果，因为研究结果还需要核对，他只是暗示这些DNA和澳大利亚人的血统是吻合的。由此可确认C是正确的。

（三）

1. B 主旨大意题。短文第一段提出了这样一个事实：野生动物们似乎躲过了印度洋的海啸。作者接下来极力想要揭示其中的奥秘，是不是真的因为动物有神秘的“第六感”呢？由此判断可知。

2. C 事实细节题。短文中列举一些权威人士的讲话，如：斯里兰卡负责野生动物的官员说，野生动物似乎都幸免于难，目前尚未发现一具动物的尸体;斯里兰卡野生动物保护局副局长H·D·拉特纳亚克说，“没有大象丧生，甚至连野兔和兔子都活得好好的。动物们可以感觉到灾难即将来临。它们有第六感，能够知道海啸发生的时间”。南非约翰内斯堡动物园的动物行为专家马太·范伦内普说，“每当火山爆发或地震发生前，动物们的行为就会发生许多异常，比如犬吠或鸟类迁徙”。其他权威人士同意这一看法。综上所述：人们普遍持这种观点。

3. C 词义推测题。字面上的意义为“第六感”，根据短文第三段“I think animals can sense disaster. They have a sixth sense. They know when things are happening”进行推测，其含义为：动物的某种神秘力量能预测将要发生的事。

4. B 逻辑推理题。这次印度洋海啸目前已造成成千上万的人丧生，而动物却能幸免，其中的奥秘有待去探究。由此推测此文可能是在报纸的“发现”版面上。而science fiction是“科幻”的意思，有较大的干扰性。