单选题
下面的短文有15处空白,请根据短文内容为每处空白白确定1个最佳选项。
It sounds all wrong-drilling holes in a piece of wood to make it more resistant to knock. But it works because the energy from the blow gets distributed throughout the wood rather than focusing on one weak spot. The discovery should lead to more effective and lighter packaging materials.
Carpenters have known {{U}}(51) {{/U}} centuries that some woods are tougher than others. Hickory(山核桃木), for example, was turned into axe handles and cartwheel spokes (车轮辐条) because it can absorb shocks without breaking. White oak (橡木), for example, is much more easily damaged, {{U}}(52) {{/U}} it is almost as dense. Julian Vincent at Bathe University and his team were convinced the wood's internal structure could explain the differences.
Many trees have tubular(管状的) vessels that run {{U}}(53) {{/U}}the trunk and carry water to the leaves. In oak they are large, and arranged in narrow bands, but in hickory they are smaller, and more evenly distributed. The researchers {{U}}(54) {{/U}} this layout might distribute a blow's energy throughout the wood, soaking up a bigger hit. To test the idea, they drilled holes 0.65 millimeters across into a block of spruce(云杉), a wood with {{U}}(55) {{/U}} vessels, and found that {{U}}(56) {{/U}}withstood a harder knock. {{U}}(57) {{/U}} when there were more than about 30 holes per square centimeter did the wood's performance drop off.
A uniform substance doesn't cope well with knocks because only a small proportion of the material is actually {{U}}(58) {{/U}}. All the energy from the blow goes towards breaking the material in one or two places, but often the pieces left {{U}}(59) {{/U}} are pristine(未经破坏的).
"But instead of the energy being concentrated in one place, the holes provide many weak spots that all absorb energy as they break", says Vincent, "You are controlling the places{{U}} (60) {{/U}} the wood breaks, and it can then absorb more {{U}}(61) {{/U}}, more safely".
The researchers believe the principle could be applied to any material-{{U}} (62) {{/U}} example, to manufacture lighter and more protective packaging. That could {{U}}(63) {{/U}}be used in car bumpers (保险杠), crash barriers and armor for military vehicles, says Ulrike Wegst, {{U}}(64) {{/U}}the Max Plank Institute for Mental Research in Stuttgart. But she emphasizes that you'd{{U}} (65) {{/U}} to design the substance with the direction of force in mind. "The direction of loading is crucial", she says.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是引导时间状语的连接词的用法和区别。since引导的时间状语与for引导的时间状语,均可修饰现在完成时语句,其中,用since必须跟点时间或能表示点时间的短语。如:I've known him since 1949.而for跟段时间状语,故选A。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是连接词的使用及对文章上下文逻辑关系的掌握。从上下文关系来看。空格后面的句子与前面的分句成让步关系,所以我们须在选项B和D中选择。但是despite引导名词短语或者动名词短语,故选B。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是介词的使用及对文章上下文逻辑关系的掌握。空格所在的句子意思是:许多树都有导管,这些导管通向树干上方,把水输到叶子上。常识告诉我们,水分在树体内的流通方向是从下到上,从根到叶子。所以只有填入up才能表达这个意思。故选C。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是动词的使用和辨析及对上下文逻辑关系的掌握。紧跟其后的句子是这样说的:To test the idea(为了验证这一想法)……这个提示告诉我们空格所在句子的动词后面的命题是研究人员的想法而不是事实,因此须用thought。discovered和found是事实性动词,与后一句话矛盾。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是不定代词的用法与辨析。在空格所在句子中,vessels是复数,no既可跟单数名词也可跟复数名词,而其他词都只能跟单数名词。故选A。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是人称代词的用法与辨析及语篇中词语之间的关系。It照应的是上句的a block of spruce(一大块云杉)。故选B。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是连接词的使用。空格所在的句子是一个倒装句,所以应该选only。Only when引起主句中主语和助动词倒置。整个句子的意思是:只有当每平方厘米超过30个孔时,木头抵御敲打的表现才变差。故选C。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是动词的使用及对上下文逻辑关系的掌握。整个句子是说:均匀的物质不太好抵御敲打,因为受到影响的只有一小部分物质。What is actually affected“实际受到影响”。故选D。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是对文章上下文的理解与副词的辨析。整个句子是说:来自打击的所有能量在折断材料时都集中在一两个地方,留下的散片常常没有受到破坏。再举一个left behind的例子:Many of the women had left their husbands behind.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是定语从句中关联词的辨析与使用。“the places”是地点名词短语,应该用where或in which,其他都不可以。又因为仅有一个空,故选B。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是名词搭配与辨析以及对文章上下文的理解。Absorb可以跟所有的选项搭配,但从上下文来看,选择energy是合适的,因为上句刚出现了absorb energy,absorb safety是“安全性下降”的意思。……and it can then absorb more energy,more safely.“于是,它可以更安全地吸收更多的能量。”故选C。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是固定搭配的用法。本题较简单,“举例来说,例如”的英语说法是for example,也可用for instance。故选D。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是对文章上下文的理解与副词的辨析。also属于连接副词,表添补,它的功能是指上面提到的原则也适用于其他地方。空格所在句子的上文说:研究人员相信,这个原则可用于任何一种材料,例如可用于制造更轻、保护功更强的包装物。本句说的是这一原则还可用在汽车的减震器等。故选A。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是介词的使用。“the Max P1ank Institute for Mental Research”是一个机构,具体地说,它是一个研究所。“在某个机构”可用at或in,at表示“机构”,in表示“方位”,是“三维”的。故选B。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查的是动词的用法。“you'd中的'd=would,后面应跟原形动词:must是情态动词,只有need符合题意,可以跟不定式短语(need也可以作情态动词,但此处不是)。故选C。