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Part 1
Read the text below and answer questions 1-13.
Attitudes to language
It is not easy to be systematic and objective about language study. Popular linguistic debate regularly deteriorates into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education.
Language, moreover, is a very public behaviour, so it is easy for different usages to be noted and criticised. No part of society or social behaviour is exempt: linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival. As a result, it is easy to hurt, and to be hurt, when language use is unfeelingly attacked.
In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others, and that this ought to be imposed on the whole of the speech community. The view is propounded especially in relation to grammar and vocabulary, and frequently with reference to pronunciation. The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of the `standard' written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language which most closely reflects this style. Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write 'correctly`; deviations from it are said to be 'incorrect!
All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the writing of grammars and dictionaries. The aims of these early grammarians were threefold: (a) they wanted to codify the principles of their languages, to show that there was a system beneath the apparent chaos of usage, (b) they wanted a means of settling disputes over usage, and (c) they wanted to point out what they felt to be common errors, in order to' improve * the language. The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterised by its reliance on `rules, of grammar. Some usages are 'prescribed: to be learnt and followed accurately; others are 'proscribed! to be avoided. In this early period, there were no half-measures: usage was either right or wrong, and it was the task of the grammarian not simply to record alternatives, but to pronounce judgement upon them.
These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained. Nevertheless, there is an alternative point of view that is concerned less with standards than with the facts of linguistic usage. This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe-to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that 'the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language! Linguistic issues, it is argued, cannot be solved by logic and legislation. And this view has become the tenet of the modern linguistic approach to grammatical analysis.
In our own time, the opposition between 'descriptivists' and 'prescriptivists' has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. Descriptive grammarians have been presented as people who do not care about standards, because of the way they see all forms of usage as equally valid. Prescriptive grammarians have been presented as blind adherents to a historical tradition. The opposition has even been presented in quasi-political terms - of radical liberalism vs elitist conservatism.Questions 1-8
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?In boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet, writeYESif the statement agrees with the claims of the writer.NOif the statement contradicts the claims of the writer.NOT GIVENif it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this.1 There are understandable reasons why arguments occur about language.
2 People feel more strongly about language education than about small differences in language usage.
3 Our assessment of a person's intelligence is affected by the way he or she uses language.
4 Prescriptive grammar books cost a lot of money to buy in the 18th century.
5 Prescriptivism still exists today.
6 According to descriptivists it is pointless to try to stop language change.
7 Descriptivism only appeared after the 18th century.
8 Both descriptivists and prescriptivists have been misrepresented.
我的答案：
正确答案： 1.YES 2.NO 3.YES 4.NOT GIVEN 5.YES 6.YES 7.NO 8.YES
查看解析
1 解析
参考译文：对于语言的争论，其原因是可以理解的。
定位词：reasons, arguments occur
解题关键词：understandable reasons
文中对应第一段第一行：Popular linguistic debate regularly deteriorated into invective and polemic. Language belongs to everyone, so most people feel they have a right to hold an opinion about it. 语言学上的普通争论通常会升级为谩骂和论战。语言属于所有人，所以大多数人认为他们有权保留自己对语言的看法。本题解题关键是：题干要判断对于语言的争论，原因是否可以理解。原文陈述，语言属于所有人，大多数人有权保留对语言的看法，所以人们的观点会产生分歧是可以理解的。题干与原文完全一致。
答案：YES2 解析
参考译文：人们对待语言教育的态度要比对待语言用法中微小差异的态度更加强烈。
定位词：language education, language usage
解题关键词：more strongly…than...
文中对应第一段第三行：And when opinions differ, emotions can run high. Arguments can start as easily over minor points of usage as over major policies of linguistic education. 而当看法出现分歧时，人们可能变得情绪激动。语言用法方面的一点小事，就能像语言学教育政策中的重大问题一样很容易引起争论。本题解题关键是：题干要判断人们对待语言教育的态度是否比对待语言用法的态度更加强烈。原文陈述，语言用法方面的一点小事都能像语言学教育政策中的大事一样引起争论，这说明对待语言用法与语言学教育政策的态度同样强烈。题干与原文所述观点不一致。
答案：NO3 解析
参考译文：使用语言的方式会影响人们对一一个人智力的评估。
定位词：intelligence, affect
解题关键词：person's intelligence…is affected...by language
文中对应第二段第二行：No part of society or social behaviour is exempt. Linguistic factors influence how we judge personality, intelligence, social status, educational standards, job aptitude, and many other areas of identity and social survival. 所有社会组成部分或者社会行为无一例外。语言因素影响我们如何判断一个人的个性、智力、社会地位、教育程度、工作能力以及许多身份与社会生存的其他方面。本题解题关键是：题干要判断使用语言的方式是否会影响人们对一个人智力的评估。原文陈述，语言因素影响我们如何判断一个人的个性、智力……题干与原文完全一致。
答案：YES4 解析
参考译文：在18世纪，规定性的语法书价格很高。
定位词：prescriptive, 18th century
解题关键词：cost a lot of money
文中对应第四段第一行：All the main languages have been studied prescriptively, especially in the 18th century approach to the wring of grammars and dictionaries. 对所有主要语言的研究都是约定俗成的，尤其在18世纪对语法与词典的编写过程中。用定位词定位到的这句话中没有提到书的价格高低与否。
答案：NOT GIVEN5 解析
参考译文：现在规定主义仍然存在。
定位词：prescriptivism, today
解题关键词：still exists
文中对应第五段第一行：These attitudes are still with us, and they motivate a widespread concern that linguistic standards should be maintained. 这些态度现在仍然伴随着我们，并且引起人们对保留语言标准的广泛关注。本题解题关键是：题干要判断现在规定主义是否仍然存在。原文陈述，这些态度现在仍然伴随着我们，题干与原文完全一致。
答案：YES6 解析
参考译文：描述派认为，阻止语言变化毫无意义。
定位词：descriptivists, language change
解题关键词：pointless, stop
文中对应第五段第三行：This approach is summarized in the statement .... , and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or haling language change. 该观点可以总结为：语法家的任务是描述而不是规定，是记录语言多样性的实例而不是试图完成评价语言的差异或阻止语言的改变这种不可能完成的任务。本题解题关键是：题干要判断对于描述派来说，阻止语言变化是否毫无意义。原文陈述，语法家的任务……不是阻止语言的改变这种不可能完成的任务。题干中阻止语言变化毫无意义=语法家的任务并非阻止语言改变这种不可能完成的任务。题干与原文完全一致。
答案：YES7 解析
参考译文：描述主义只有在18世纪后才出现。
定位词：after the 18th century
解题关键词：only
文中对应第五段倒数第六行：In the second half of the 18th century, .... , whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language'. 在18世纪后半期，我们已经发现了该观点的支持者，比如Joseph Priestley，他在1761年编写的《英语语法入门》中坚持认为，“说话的习惯是最原始的、也是所有语言的唯一标准”。本题解题关键是：题干中出现ONLY，所以主要判断描述主义是否只有到18世纪后才出现。原文陈述，18世纪后半期，我们已经发现了该观点的支持者，那就意味着在这个时间以前，已经有了描述主义的观点。题干与原文陈述的时间有出人，不一致。ONLY至今仍然在考场上活跃，考查答案为NO/FALSE的概率依然很高。
答案：NO8 解析
参考译文：对于规定派和描述派的描述都有失真实。
定位词：descriptivists, prescriptivists
解题关键词：both…have been misrepresented
文中对应第六段第一行：In our own time, the opposition between ’escriptivists' and prescriptivists' has often become extreme, with both sides painting unreal pictures of the other. 在我们这个时代，“描述派”与“规定派”之间的对立经常变得很极端，双方经常互相误解。本题解题关键是：题干要判断针对这两派的描述是否有失真实。原文陈述，“描述派”与“规定派”之间的对立经常变得很极端，双方经常互相误解。题干与原文完全一致。
答案：YESQuestions 9-12
Complete the summary using the list of words,A-lbelow.Write the correct letter,A-l, in boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet.-
A. descriptivists
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B. language experts
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C. popular speech
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D. formal language
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E. evaluation
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F. rules
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G. modern linguists
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H. prescriptivists
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I. change
According to 9 , there is only one correct form of language. Linguists who take this approach to language place great importance on grammatical 10 .Conversely, the view of 11 such as Joseph Priestley, is that grammar should be based on 12 .
我的答案： 9. 10. 11. 12.
正确答案： 9.H 10.F 11.A 12.C
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9 解析
定位词：correct form of language
答案位置在第三段第一行和倒数第二行：In its most general sense, prescriptivism is the view that one variety of language has an inherently higher value than others… Adherents to this variety are said to speak or write ‘correctly’; deviations from it are said to be ‘incorrect'. 就其最普通的意义而言，规定主义认为某种语言向来就比其他语言具有更高的价值……该语言的支持者其说话或者写作的方法被称为“正确的”方法，而任何偏差都被认为是“错误的”。
原文中陈述，规定主义认为某种语言的说话或写作方法只有一种“正确的”方法，那么持这种看法的人就是规定派、规定主义者，把prescriptivists带入空格中，解释为：根据规定主义者，语言只有一种正确的形式。因此选H。10 解析
定位词：approach, grammatical
答案位置在第四段第六行：The authoritarian nature of the approach is best characterized by its reliance on ‘rules’ of grammar. 该方法对语法“规则”的依赖最能体现出其独裁的本质。
解释为：推崇规定主义的语言学家非常强调语法规则。因此选F。11 解析
定位词：Joseph Priestley
答案位置在第五段倒数第五行：In the second half of the 18th century, we already find advocates of this view, such as Joseph Priestley... 在18世纪后半期，我们已经发现了该观点的支持者，比如Joseph Priestley。由此往前找，找到这句This approach is summarised in the statement that it is the task of the grammarian to describe, not prescribe—to record the facts of linguistic diversity, and not to attempt the impossible tasks of evaluating language variation or halting language change. 该观点可以总结为：语法家的任务是描述而不是规定，是记录语言多样性的实例而不是试图完成评价语言的差异或阻止语言的改变这样不可能完成的任务。说明Joseph Priestley是描述主义者的代表。因此选A。12 解析
定位词：Joseph Priestley, grammer
答案位置同上，后半句：…such as Joseph Priestley, whose Rudiments of English Grammar (1761) insists that ‘the custom of speaking is the original and only just standard of any language'.……比如Joseph Priestley，他在1761年编写的《英语语法人门》中坚持认为，“说话的习惯是最原始的、也是所有语言的唯一标准”。the custom of speaking = C popular speech，即认为语法应该建立在通俗语言的基础上。因此选C。Questions 13
Choose the correct letterA, B, CorD.Write your answers in boxes 13 on your answer sheet.13 What is the writer's purpose in Reading Passage 1?
我的答案：
正确答案： 13. B
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13 解析
题目：文章作者的写作意图是什么？
A 争论以赞成编写词典和语法书的一种具体方式
B 通过历史实例展示关于语言的不同观点
C 描述口语和书面语的区别
D 展现对于语言的某种看法是饱受怀疑的
首先剔除A、C两个选项。选项A：争论的是编写词典和语法书具体的方式，原文中根本没有论述，只有第四段第二行提到了grammars and dictionaries，但不是作者的意图；选项C：描述口语和书面语的区别，这与原文也没有直接关系。不过有的学生会在第三段看到选项中的spoken language，陈述如下：The variety which is favoured, in this account, is usually a version of the ‘standard’ written language, especially as encountered in literature, or in the formal spoken language which most closely reflects this style. 这里提到的具有更高价值的语言通常指的是“标准"书面语言，尤其是在文学作品或最能体现这一特点的正式口语中。这里提到的是细节，并不是作者的意图。因此只剩下在选项B、D中推敲。选项D：展现对于语言的某种看法是饱受怀疑的，这不是通篇陈述的内容，构不成作者的写作意图。所以按排除法选出选项B：通过历史实例展示关于语言的不同观点。其实作者写作的主要目的，从最概括文章内容的标题Attitudes to language就能看出来，是关于对语言的各种看法和态度，与选项B十分吻合。故答案是B。 -
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Part 2
Read the text below and answer questions 14-26.
Tidal Power
Undersea turbines which produce electricity from the tides are set to become an important source of renewable energy for Britain. It is still too early to predict the extent of the impact they may have, but all the signs are that they will play a significant role in the future
AOperating on the same principle as wind turbines, the power in sea turbines comes from tidal currents which turn blades similar to ships' propellers, but, unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power input is constant. The technology raises the prospect of Britain becoming self-sufficient in renewable energy and drastically reducing its carbon dioxide emissions. If tide, wind and wave power are all developed, Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants and export renewable power to other parts of Europe. Unlike wind power, which Britain originally developed and then abandoned for 20 years allowing the Dutch to make it a major industry, undersea turbines could become a big export earner to island nations such as Japan and New Zealand.
BTidal sites have already been identified that will produce one sixth or more of the UK's power 一 and at prices competitive with modern gas turbines and undercutting those of the already ailing nuclear industry. One site alone, the Pentland Firth, between Orkney and mainland Scotland, could produce 10% of the country's electricity with banks of turbines under the sea, and another at Alderney in the Channel Islands three times the 1,200 megawatts of Britain's largest and newest nuclear plant, Sizewell B, in Suffolk. Other sites identified include the Bristol Channel and the west coast of Scotland, particularly the channel between Campbeltown and Northern Ireland.
CWork on designs for the new turbine blades and sites are well advanced at the University of Southampton's sustainable energy research group. The first station is expected to be installed off Lynmouth in Devon shortly to test the technology in a venture jointly funded by the department of Trade and Industry and the European Union. AbuBakr Bahaj, in charge of the Southampton research, said: The prospects for energy from tidal currents are far better than from wind because the flows of water are predictable and constant. The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under the sea has been developed in the North Sea oil industry and much is already known about turbine blade design, because of wind power and ship propellers. There are a few technical difficulties, but I believe in the next five to ten years we will be installing commercial marine turbine farms.' Southampton has been awarded £215,000 over three years to develop the turbines and is working with Marine Current Turbines, a subsidiary of IT power, on the Lynmouth project. EU research has now identified 106 potential sites for tidal power, 80% round the coasts of Britain. The best sites are between islands or around heavily indented coasts where there are strong tidal currents.
DA marine turbine blade needs to be only one third of the size of a wind generator to produce three times as much power. The blades will be about 20 metres in diameter, so around 30 metres of water is required. Unlike wind power, there are unlikely to be environmental objections. Fish and other creatures are thought unlikely to be at risk from the relatively slow-turning blades. Each turbine will be mounted on a tower which will connect to the national power supply grid via underwater cables. The towers will stick out of the water and be lit, to warn shipping, and also be designed to be lifted out of the water for maintenance and to clean seaweed from the blades.
EDr Bahaj has done most work on the Alderney site, where there are powerful currents. The single undersea turbine farm would produce fan more power than needed for the Channel Islands and most would be fed into the French Grid and be re-imported into Britain via the cable under the Channel.
FOne technical difficulty is cavitation, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles. These can cause vibration and damage the blades of the turbines. Dr Bahaj said: 'We have to test a number of blade types to avoid this happening or at least make sure it does not damage the turbines or reduce performance. Another slight concern is submerged debris floating into the blades. So far we do not know how much of a problem it might be. We will have to make the turbines robust because the sea is a hostile environment, but all the signs that we can do it are good.'Questions 14-17
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs,A-F.Which paragraph contains the following information?Write the correct letterA-Fin boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.NBYou may use any letter more than once.A B C D E F 14.the location of the first test site 15.a way of bringing the power produced on one site back into Britain 16.a reference to a previous attempt by Britain to find an alternative source of energy 17.mention of the possibility of applying technology from another industry 我的答案： 14. 15. 16. 17.
正确答案： 14.C 15.E 16.A 17.C
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14 解析
参考译文：第一个测试站的位置
定位词：first test site
文中对应C段：The first station is expected to be installed off Lynmouth in Devon shortly to test the technology in a venture jointly funded by the department of Trade and Industry and the European Union. 第一个潮汐发电站预计很快将在德文郡的林茅斯海岸建立，用来检测贸易与工业部和欧盟的一个合资项目研发的技术。
题干中的first test两个词都直接对应这句话中的first...test；而题干中的site对应原文的Lynmouth in Devon，表示测试站的地点。15 解析
参考译文：将一个发电站发的电重新传输回英国的方式
定位词：back into Britain
文中对应E段：The single undersea turbine farm would produce far more power than needed for the Channel islands and most would be fed into the French Grid and be reimported into Britain via the cable under the Channel. 仅仅这一个水下涡轮机群的发电量就远比海峡群岛所需要的电量还要多，其中大部分电量将运输到法国电网，然后通过水下电缆重新进入英国。题干中的back into Britain对应原文中的…be re-imported into Britain via the...。16 解析
参考译文：提到之前英国寻找替代能源的一次尝试
定位词：previous, alternative source of energy
文中对应A段：Unlike wind power which Britain originally developed and then abandoned for 20 years allowing the Dutch to make it a major industry, undersea turbines could become a big export earner to island nations such as Japan and New Zealand…与之前开发风能有所不同一风能由英国首先开发，而后却搁置了20年，最后由荷兰将其发展成一个主要产业，这次通过向日本与新西兰这样的岛国出口水下涡轮机，英国将赚取巨额外汇。
题干中的previous对应这句话中的Unlike…originally，为了突出这次潮汐发电的前景，这句话提到了之前英国对风能进行尝试开发，但却半途而废，被荷兰发展壮大。17 解析
参考译文：提及应用其他行业技术的可能性
定位词：technology, another industry
文中对应C段：The technology for dealing with the hostile saline environment under the sea has been developed in the North Sea oil industry and much is already known about turbine blade design…应对海底恶劣盐渍环境的技术已经在北海油田工业中得以研发，而且……人们对涡轮机叶片的设计已经有了很多了解。
题目中的another industry对应这句话中的the North Sea oil industry。Questions 18-22
ChooseFIVEletters,A-J.Write correct letters in boxes 18-22 on your answer sheet.18-22 Which FIVE of the following claims about tidal power are made by the writer?
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A.
It is a more reliable source of energy than wind power.
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B.
It would replace all other forms of energy in Britain.
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C.
Its introduction has come as a result of public pressure.
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D.
It would cut down on air pollution.
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E.
It could contribute to the closure of many existing power stations in Britain.
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F.
It could be a means of increasing national income.
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G.
It could face a lot of resistance from other fuel industries.
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H.
It could be sold more cheaply than any other type of fuel.
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I.
It could compensate for the shortage of inland sites for energy production.
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J.
It is best produced in the vicinity of coastlines with particular features.
我的答案： 18-22
正确答案： 18-22 A D E F J
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18 解析
选项：A
题目翻译：它是一种比风能更可靠的能源。
A段：Operating on the same principle as wind turbines, the power in sea turbines comes from tidal currents which turn blades similar to ships' propellers, but, unlike wind, the tides are predictable and the power input is constant. 和风力涡轮机的运行原理一样，水力涡轮机的动力来自潮流，在潮流的作用下轮机叶片像船只的螺旋桨一样工作。但是与风不同的是，潮汐是可预测的，而且其输入功率是恒定的。题干中more reliable source of energy（更可靠的能源）对应这句话中的…are predictable and the power input is constant，表明潮汐能源具备风能所没有的两个优点：可预测的，恒定的。
选项：B
题目翻译：它将替代英国其他所有形式的能源。
题干中有all，过于绝对，一般不选。
选项：C
题目翻译：它的出现来源于公众的压力。
文中完全未提及。
选项：D
题目翻译：它将减少空气污染。
选项：E
题目翻译：它将会导致英国关闭很多现有的发电站。
A段：If tide, wind and wave power are all developed, Britain would be able to close gas, coal and nuclear power plants and export renewable power to other parts of Europe. 如果潮汐、风力和海浪发电都能得到开发，那么英国就能关闭天然气、煤炭和核能发电站，并向欧洲其他地区出口可再生能源。题干中的contribute to the closure of many existing power stations对应文中的…close gas, coal and nuclear power plants...。
选项：F
题目翻译：它将会成为增加国家收入的一种方式。
A段：…undersea turbines could become a big export earner to island nations such as Japan and New Zealand. 而这次通过向日本与新西兰这样的岛国出口水下涡轮机，英国将赚取巨额外汇。
题干中的national income对应原文中的earner（意为a business or activity which makes a profit）。考生要注意金钱的各种文字表达形式。
选项：G
题目翻译：它将会受到来自其他燃料行业的强烈抵制。
文中完全未提及。
选项：H
题目翻译：它和其他燃料相比价格低得多。
文中完全未提及。
选项：I
题目翻译：它能够弥补内陆电厂的供电不足。
文中完全未提及。
选项：J
题目翻译：在海岸线附近具有特殊地形的地方建厂发电效果最好。
C段：EU research has now identified 106 potential sites for tidal power, 80% round the coasts of Britain. The best sites are between islands or around heavily indented coasts where there are strong tidal currents. 欧盟的研究已经确定了106处潜在潮汐发电站选址，其中80%位于英国海岸线附近。发电站最好的位置是在岛屿之间或者犬牙交错的海岸线附近，这些地方拥有强大的潮流。题干中best produced in the vicinity of coastlines对应这句话中的The best sites are between…。
故正确答案依次为A，D，E，F，J。Questions 23-26
Label the diagram below.ChooseNO MORE THAN TWO WORDSfrom the passage for each answer.Write your answers in boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet.
23
24
25
26
我的答案： 23. 24. 25. 26.
正确答案： 23.maintenance 24.slow turning|slow 25.low pressure 26.cavitation
查看解析
23 解析
定位词：表并列关系的词and；seaweed
答案位置定位在D段倒数第二行：...and also be designed to be lifted out of the water for maintenance and to clean seaweed from the blades.
空格中的词应该和定位词seaweed构成并列关系，且最好出现在and之前，同时可预测词性为名词。此外，因为题干中的raised可同义替换成原文的lifted，故符合要求的只有maintenance，意思为：整个机塔可以露出水面，以便维护叶片以及清理其中的海藻。24 解析
定位词：表因果关系的的词due to；sea life not in danger, blades
答案位置定位在D段第四行：...Fish and other creatures are thought unlikely to beat risk from the relatively slow-turning blades.
空格前有due to，可预测需要填表示原因的词。再进一步分析，空格前是副词，因而空格要填的是形容词。题干中sea life not in danger对应原文creatures unlikely to be at risk（海洋生物不会面临危险），原因是叶片转速相对较低，所以slow-turning为备选。同时，题干中comparatively可同义替换原文中的relatively，所以备选答案被验证，此空应该填slow turning。25 解析
定位词：表因果关系的词result from；behind blades
答案位置定位在F段第一行：One technical difficulty is cavitation, where low pressure behind a turning blade causes air bubbles.
空格里应该填名词，表原因，并且最好是出现在定位词behind blades之前，包含定位词的这句话中可能是答案的有两个名词：cavitation, low pressure。题干中的result from对应原文中的cause，而能够形成紧密因果关系的是low pressure，之前的cavitation是这种技术难题的名称。整个题干的意思为：叶片后方由于气压低而产生气泡。这种技术难题被称做空化。所以25题答案为low pressure，26题答案为cavitation。 -
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Part 3
Read the text below and answer questions 27-40.
Information Theory- the big idea
Information theory lies at the heart of everything - from DVD players and the genetic code of DNA to the physics of the universe at its most fundamental It has been central to the development of the science of communication, which enables data to be sent electronically and has therefore had a major impact on our lives
AIn April 2002 an event took place which demonstrated one of the many applications of information theory. The space probe, Voyager I,launched in 1977,had sent back spectacular images of Jupiter and Saturn and then soared out of the Solar System on a one-way mission to the stars. After 25 years of exposure to the freezing temperatures of deep space, the probe was beginning to show its age. Sensors and circuits were on the brink of failing and NASA experts realised that they had to do something or lose contact with their probe forever. The solution was to get a message to Voyager I to instruct it to use spares to change the failing parts. With the probe 12 billion kilometres from Earth, this was not an easy task. By means of a radio dish belonging to NASA`s Deep Space Network, the message was sent out into the depths of space. Even travelling at the speed of light, it took over 11 hours to reach its target, far beyond the orbit of Pluto. Yet, incredibly, the little probe managed to hear the faint call from its home planet, and successfully made the switchover.
BIt was the longest-distance repair job in history, and a triumph for the NASA engineers. But it also highlighted the astonishing power of the techniques developed by American communications engineer Claude Shannon, who had died just a year earlier. Born in 1916 in Petoskey, Michigan, Shannon showed an early talent for maths and for building gadgets, and made breakthroughs in the foundations of computer technology when still a student. While at Bell Laboratories, Shannon developed information theory, but shunned the resulting acclaim. In the 1940s, he single-handedly created an entire science of communication which has since inveigled its way into a host of applications, from DVDs to satellite communications to bar codes - any area, in short, where data has to be conveyed rapidly yet accurately.
CThis all seems light years away from the down-to-earth uses Shannon originally had for his work, which began when he was a 22-year-old graduate engineering student at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1939. He set out with an apparently simple aim: to pin down the precise meaning of the concept of `information`. The most basic form of information, Shannon argued, is whether something is true or false - which can be captured in the binary unit, or 'bit', of the form 1 or 0. Having identified this fundamental unit, Shannon set about defining otherwise vague ideas about information and how to transmit it from place to place. In the process he discovered something surprising: it is always possible to guarantee information will get through random interference - `noise` - intact.
DNoise usually means unwanted sounds which interfere with genuine information. Information theory generalises this idea via theorems that capture the effects of noise with mathematical precision. In particular, Shannon showed that noise sets a limit on the rate at which information can pass along communication channels while remaining error-free. This rate depends on the relative strengths of the signal and noise travelling down the communication channel, and on its capacity (its `bandwidth`). The resulting limit, given in units of bits per second, is the absolute maximum rate of error-free communication given signal strength and noise level. The trick, Shannon showed, is to find ways of packaging up - *coding` - information to cope with the ravages of noise, while staying within the information-carrying capacity -`bandwidth` - of the communication system being used.
EOver the years scientists have devised many such coding methods, and they have proved crucial in many technological feats. The Voyager spacecraft transmitted data using codes which added one extra bit for every single bit of information; the result was an error rate of just one bit in 10,000 - and stunningly clear pictures of the planets. Other codes have become part of everyday life - such as the Universal Product Code, or bar code, which uses a simple error-detecting system that ensures supermarket check-out lasers can read the price even on, say, a crumpled bag of crisps. As recently as 1993, engineers made a major breakthrough by discovering so-called turbo codes - which come very close to Shannon`s ultimate limit for the maximum rate that data can be transmitted reliably, and now play a key role in the mobile videophone revolution.
FShannon also laid the foundations of more efficient ways of storing information, by stripping out superfluous ('redundant') bits from data which contributed little real information. As mobile phone text messages like 'I CN C U' show, it is often possible to leave out a lot of data without losing much meaning. As with error correction, however, there`s a limit beyond which messages become too ambiguous. Shannon showed how to calculate this limit, opening the way to the design of compression methods that cram maximum information into the minimum space.Questions 27-32
Reading Passage 3 has six paragraphs,A-F.Which paragraph contains the following information?Write the correct letterA-Fin boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.A B C D E F 27.an explanation of the factors affecting the transmission of information 28.an example of how unnecessary information can be omitted 29.a reference to Shannon's attitude to fame 30.details of a machine capable of interpreting incomplete information 31.a detailed account of an incident involving information theory 32.a reference to what Shannon initially intended to achieve in his research 我的答案： 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.
正确答案： 27.D 28.F 29.B 30.E 31.A 32.C
查看解析
27 解析
参考译文：解释影响信息传送的因素
定位词：factors, affecting, transmission of information
文中对应D段：Information theory generalizes this idea via theorems that capture the effects of noise with mathematical precision. In particular, Shannon showed that noise sets a limit on the rate at which information can pass along communication channels while remaining error-free. This rate depends on the relative strengths of the signal and noise travelling down the communication channel, and on its capacity (its ‘bandwidth’). 通过用精确的数学计算得出噪声影响的定理，信息理论概括出了上述这个观点。Shannon特别指出，噪声决定了信息通过信道无误差传送的极限速度。这个速度取决于信号与噪声在信道中传送时的相对强度以及信道传送数据的能力（即带宽）。
题干中的affecting对应原文的depends on，题干中的factors对应原文的noise和communication channel。这道题目相对较难，不太容易理解。从表面上看这个题目要求，似乎文章每段都可能包含一个信息。但其实可以使用排除法，很快地排除其他段落后，在D段中查找起来就更有针对性。28 解析
参考译文：描述不必要的信息可以被如何省略
定位词：unnecessary information, omitted
文中对应F段：Shannon also laid the foundations of more efficient ways of storing information, by stripping out superfluous (‘redundant’) bits from data which contributed little real information. As mobile phone text messages like 'I CN C U show, it is often possible to leave out a lot of data without losing much meaning. 通过去除含有较少真实信息的多余数据，Shannon也为开发更有效率地存储信息的方式奠定了基础。正如手机短信“I CN CU”（I can see you的缩写）一样，往往在省略很多数据之后，意思基本保持不变。
题干中的unnecessary和omitted分别对应原文中的superfluous (‘redundant’ )和stripping out, leave out。29 解析
参考译文：描述Shannon对于名声的态度
定位词：Shannon's attitude
文中对应B段：While at Bell Laboratories, Shannon developed information theory, but shunned the resulting acclaim. 在贝尔实验室时，Shannon发展了信息理论，但他并不看重因此而获得的荣誉。
原文中的这处细节，对应了问题中Shannon对于名声的态度。30 解析
参考译文：描述机器能够解读不完整信息的细节
定位词：machine, capable, incomplete information
文中对应E段：Other codes have become part of everyday life—such as the Universal Product Code, or barcode, which uses a simple error-detecting system that ensures supermarket check-out lasers can read the price even on, say, a crumpled bag of crisps. 其他一些编码已经成为了我们日常生活的一部分，比如通用商品代码或称条形码。这些编码都使用了一个简单的纠错系统，确保超市的扫码器能够读出甚至是在一个弄皱了的薯条袋上的价格。
题目中的machine对应原文中supermarket check-out lasers, 题目中的incomplete information对应原文中the price on a crumpled bag of crisps，薯条包装袋被弄皱了，上面的条形码显示就不会太清晰，因此此处理解为不完整信息。31 解析
参考译文：叙述关于信息理论传送的一个细节事件
定位词：incident, information theory
文中对应A段：In April 2002 an event took place which demonstrated one of the many applications of information theory. …Yet, incredibly, the little probe managed to hear the faint call from its home planet and successfully made the switchover. 2002年4月发生的一件事展现了信息理论的一大应用。……然而令人难以置信的是，这颗小小的探测器成功接收到了来自故乡星球微弱的召唤，并顺利地更换了零件。
题目中incident的英文解释为“an event, especially one that is unusual or important”，对应原文中的event；而题干中的information theory对应原文中的information theory。事实上，A段整个段落都是对这个细节事件的描述。32 解析
参考译文：描述Shannon最初做实验的目的
定位词：initially intended to, achieve
文中对应C段：This all seems light years away from the down-to-earth uses Shannon originally had for his work, which began when he was a 22 year-old graduate engineering student at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1939. He set out with an apparently simple aim: to pin down the precise meaning of the concept of ‘information’ .1939年，22岁的Shannon是著名的麻省理工学院工程系的研究生，那时候通信科学的实际应用似乎遥不可及，与当时他在研究工作中实际使用的技术相差很远。他从一个再简单不过的目标开始着手——确定“信息”的准确概念。
题目中的initially intended to对应原文set out with an apparently simple aim。Questions 33-37
Complete the notes below.ChooseNO MORE THAN TWO WORDSfrom the passage for each answer.Write your answers in boxes 33-37 on your answer sheet.*The probe transmitted pictures of both and then left the .
*The freezing temperatures were found to have a negative effect on parts of the space probe.
*Scientists feared that both the and were about to stop working.
*The only hope was to tell the probe to replace them with - but distance made communication with the probe difficult.
*A was used to transmit the message at the speed of light.
*The message was picked up by the probe and the switchover took place.我的答案： 33. 33. 34. 35. 35. 36. 37.
正确答案： 33.Jupite|Saturn 33.Saturn|Jupite 34.Solar System 35.sensors|circuits 35.circuits|sensors 36.spares 37.radio dish
查看解析
33 解析
定位词：表病了关系的词both… and; probe transmitted
文中定位在A段第二行：…The space probe, Voyager I, launched in 1977, had sent back spectacular images of Jupiter and Saturn…
两个空格之间有表示并列关系的连接词both...and...，可预测要填的两个词为并列关系的名词。通过定位词pictures找到原文中包含images的那句话，pictures和images为同义转述。很明显images后面的一组并列关系的名词Jupiter和Saturn就是正确答案。34 解析
定位词：then left the
文中定位在A段第三行：...and then soared out of the Solar System on a one-way mission to the stars.
空格前为定冠词the，因此预测出空格处应该填名词，并且此词最好在和定位词then left the意思相近的表达后面。因此，我们可以很轻松地定位到原文中and then soared out of…，left和soared out of是同义转述，后面的Solar System即为正确答案。35 解析
定位词：表并列关系的词both…and；前一句题干中的freezing temperatures；本句中的scientists
文中定位在A段第四行：After 25 years of exposure to the freezing temperatures of deep space, the probe was beginning to show its age. Sensors and circuits were on the brink of failing and NASA experts realized that they had to do something or lose contact with their probe forever.
两个空格之间有表示并列关系的连接词both...and...，可以预测要填的两个词为并列关系的名词。通过定位词freezing temperatures定位到原文中的原词。按照顺序原则继续往下找，定位词scientists对应原文中的NASA experts。仔细读包含这两个定位词的两句话，很明显存在一组并列关系的名词sensors and circuits。然后进一步推敲答案的确定性。题干中的stop working对应原文中的on the brink of failing，从而可以最终确定sensors和circuits为正确答案。36 解析
定位词：probe, replace, distance, difficult
文中定位到A段第七行：The solution was to get a message to Voyager I to instruct it to use spares to change the failing parts. With the probe 12billion kilometers from Earth, this was not an easy task.
空格前为介词with，可预测空格里应该填名词，并且此词最好在distance之前。题干中的distance定位到原文中12 billion kilometers from Earth，题干中的difficult定位到原文中this was not an easy task，因此需要从前一个句子中找答案。题干中replace对应原文中change，题干中的replace them with对应原文中的use spares to change the failing parts，显然spares为正确答案。37 解析
定位词：Transmit, message, speed of light
文中定位到A段倒数第五行：By means of a radio dish belonging to NASA'S Deep Space Network, the message was sent out into the depths of space. Even travelling at the speed of light…
空格前为冠词a，可以预测空格处应该填辅音开头的名词。用定位词speed of light定位到原文中，transmit与原文中的send out属于同义转换。message是如何以光速传送出去的呢？题干中的...was used to对应于原文中的by means of...，因此radio dish为正确答案。参考译文：
旅行者1号太空探测器
太空探测器发回了土星和木星的壮观照片，然后飞出了太阳系。
事实证明，寒冷的温度对太空探测器的零部件有负面影响。
科学家们担心传感器和电路都将停止工作。
唯一的希望是指挥探测器更换零件——但是遥远的距离使信息传送变得困难。
无线电天线用于以光速传送这个信息。
探测器接收到了信息并更换了零件。Questions 38-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?In boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet, writeTRUEif the statement agrees with the information given in the text.FALSEif the statement contradicts the information.NOT GIVENif there is no information on this.38 The concept of describing something as true or false was the starting point for Shannpn in his attempts to send messages over distances.
39 The amount of information that can be sent in a given time period is determined with reference to the signal strength and noise level.
40 Products have now been developed which can convey more information than Shannon had anticipated as possible.
我的答案：
正确答案： 38.TRUE 39.TRUE 40.FALSE
查看解析
38 解析
参考译文：用正确和错误来描述事物的概念是Shannon尝试远距离传送信息的起点。
定位词：true or false
解题关键词：was the starting point, over distances
文中对应C段第五行：The most basic form of information, Shannon argued, is whether something is true or false— which can be captured in the binary unit, or 'bit', of the form 1 or 0. Shannon认为最基本的信息形式是判断事物正确与否，这可以用二进制单位“比特”以1或者0的形式记录。
本题解题关键是Shannon研究远距离传送信息的起点。原文陈述，Shannon认为最基本的信息形式是判断事物正确与否。starting point = basic form，题干与原文完全一致。
答案：TRUE39 解析
参考译文：在既定时间内，信息的传送量取决于信号的强度和噪音的水平。
定位词：signal strength, noise level
解题关键词：is determined with
文中对应D段第五行：This rate depends on the relative strengths of the signal and noise travelling down the communication channel, and on its capacity (its ‘bandwidth’). 这个速度取决于信号与噪声在信道中传送时的相对强度以及信道传送数据的能力（即带宽）。
本题解题关键是通过signal和noise定位到原文中，判断是否信息的传送量取决于信号的强度和噪音的水平。题干中判断的关键点is determined with，与原文depends on表述一致。
答案：TRUE40 解析
参考译文：现在研发出的产品所能传送的信息量已经超过了Shannon的预期。
定位词：now, Shannon, convey information
解题关键词：more...than Shannon had anticipated
文中对应E段倒数第四行：As recently as 1993, engineers made a major breakthrough by discovering so-called turbo codes—which come very close to Shannon's ultimate limit for the maximum rate that data can be transmitted rapidly, and now play a key role in the mobile videophone revolution. 就在最近的1993年，工程师们取得了一项重大突破，发现了所谓的Turbo码，这与Shannon提出的信息可以安全传送的最大速度极限非常接近。现在，Turbo码在移动可视电话变革中起着关键的作用。
本题解题关键是将题干中的now对应到原文的as recently as 1993以及后面的now，题干中要判断的关键点是more…than Shannon had anticipated...（超过Shannon预期），与原文中的..which come very close to Shannon's ultimate limit（与Shannon提出的最大限度非常接近）。题干与原文所述事实不符合。
答案：FALSE