2015重庆巴蜀中学三诊英语试题及答案(4)

But Sholes had a problem. On his first model, his “ABC” key arrangement caused the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly. Sholes didn’t know how to keep the keys from sticking, so his solution was to keep the typist from typing too fast. Sholes asked his brother-in-law to rearrange the keyboard so that the commonest letters were not so close together and the type bars would come from opposite directions. Thus they would not clash together and jam the machine. The new arrangement was the QWERTY arrangement typists use today. Of course, Sholes claimed that the new arrangement was scientific and would add speed and efficiency. The only efficiency it added was to slow the typist down, since almost any word in the English language required the typist’s fingers to cover more distance on the keyboard.
44. The author thinks the machine invented by Henry Mill could not be sold probably because ________.
A. the name of the machine was too long
B. it was difficult for people to accept new things
   C. there were great disadvantages of the key board
   D. the machine could not be distinguished from print


45. Sholes decided the QWERTY arrangement of the keyboard in order to ________.
   A. arrange the letters in alphabetical order
   B. solve the problem of the keys jamming
   C. compete with “ABC” key arrangement
D. cause the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly
46. How are the second and third paragraphs developed?
   A. by following space order.                  B. by analyzing the causes.
   C. by following time order.               D. by describing a process.
47. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
   A. How to Invent the Typewriter
   B. The First Practical Typewriter
   C. The Story of Christopher Latham Sholes
   D. The Arrangement of the Letters on Keyboard
D
There are desert plants which survive the dry season in the form of inactive seeds. There are also desert insects which survive as inactive larvae (幼虫). In addition, difficult as it is to believe, there are desert fish which can survive through years of drought (干旱) in the form of inactive eggs. These are the shrimps (虾) that live in the Mojave Desert, an extremely dry place in the southwest of the United States where shade temperatures of over 50℃ are often recorded.
The eggs of the Mojave shrimps look like grains of sand both in size and appearance. When enough spring rain falls to form a lake, once every two to five years, these eggs hatch. Then the water is soon filled with millions of tiny shrimps about a millimetre long which feed on tiny plant and animal organisms which also grow in the temporary desert lake. Within a week, the shrimps grow from their original 1 millimetre to a length of about 1.5 centimetres.
Throughout the time that the shrimps are rapidly maturing, the water in the lake equally rapidly evaporates (蒸发). Therefore, for the shrimps it is a race against time. By the 12th day, however, when they are about 3 centimetres long, hundreds of tiny eggs form on the underbodies of the females. Usually by this time, all that remains of the lake is a large, muddy patch of wet soil. On the 13th day, the shrimps lay their eggs in the mud. Then, having ensured that their species will survive, the shrimps die as the last of the water evaporates.
If enough rain falls the next year to form another lake, the eggs hatch, and once again the shrimps pass rapidly through their cycle of growth, adulthood, egg-laying, and death. Some years there is not enough rain to form a lake: in this case, the eggs will remain dormant for another years, or even longer if necessary.
48. Which of the following is the MOST unique feature of Mojave shrimps?
    A. They feed on plant and animal organisms.              B. Their lives are brief.  
    C. Their eggs can survive years of drought.          D. They lay their eggs in the mud.          
49. What doe the underlined word “dormant” in the last paragraph most probably mean?
    A. Dead.                B. Sleepy.                  C. Inactive.             D. Safe.  
50. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Shrimps are the only species with a life cycle of 13 days.
B. A species must be able to grow up quickly in order to survive.
C. Appearance and size are the most important for life to survive in the desert.
D. Some species develop a unique life pattern to survive in extremely hard condition.
51.  What is the passage mainly about?
A. The life span of Mojave shrimps.                
B. The survival of desert shrimps.
C. The creatures living in the Mojave desert.        
D. The importance of water to life in the desert.
E
The Enigma (谜) of Beauty
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup. In 18th-century France, wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) to make themselves attractive. Today, people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power. Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money, get called on more often in class, and are regarded as friendlier.