单选题 The evolutionary process culminating in man was finally completed about 35,000 years ago with the appearance of Homo Sapiens, or "thinking man." (1) in broadest perspective, this represents the second major turning (2) in the course of (3) on this planet. The first occurred when life (4) out of inorganic matter. After that momentous (5) , all living forms evolved by adapting (6) their environment, as was evident during the climate turmoil of the Pleistocene. But with the (7) of man, the evolutionary process was (8) . No longer did genes adapt to environment. Instead, man adapted by changing the environment to (9) his genes. Today, a third (10) turning point appears (11) , as man's growing knowledge of the structure and function of genes may soon enable him to (12) his genes as well as his environment.
Man, and only man, has been able to create a made-to-order environment, or culture, as it is called. The reason is (13) only man can symbolize, or (14) things and concepts divorced from here-and-now reality. Only he laughs, and only he knows that he will die. Only he has wondered (15) the universe and its origins, about his place in it and in the hereafter.
With these unique and revolutionizing abilities, man has been able to (16) with his environment without alteration. His culture in the new no biological way of having fur in the Arctic, water storage in the desert, and fins in the water. More concretely, culture (17) tools, clothing, ornaments, institutions, language, art forms, and religious beliefs and (18) . All these have served to adapt man to his physical environment and to his fellowman. Indeed, story of man is simply the story of a (19) of cultures that he has created, form his Paleolithic (20) to the present day.

单选题 [A] Reviewed [B] Viewed [C] Probed [D] Prospected

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】动词辨析题。本句话的意思是“从一个最广泛的角度来看，这代表这个星球上事物发展的第二个主要的转折点”。备选的4个选项的意思分别是：review“复习”；view“认为”；probe“查，调查”；prospect“勘探，勘察”。根据句意判断，view符合题意。

单选题 [A] way [B] point [C] mark [D] moment

单选题 [A] accidents [B] incidents [C] actions [D] events

单选题 [A] originated [B] evolved [C] developed [D] grew

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】动词辨析题。本句话的意思是“生命进化的第一个转折点是生命从无机物中开始的”。本题4个选项的意思分别是：originate“发源，开始”；evolve“发展，进化，演化”；develop“开发，发展”；grow“生长，成长”。根据句意判断，生命最初的起源是无机物，只有originate能表达出“起源”的意思，符合题意。故选A。

单选题 [A] step [B] aspect [C] state [D] phase

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】名词辨析题。本题目是比较四个名词的用法，意思分别是：step“步骤”强调一点；aspect“方面”； state“状态”；phase“阶段”，强调一段时间。本句话的意思是“在这个重要的步骤之后，所有的生命形式都适应环境来进化”。生命进化是在一个转折点之后发生的，所以4个选项中，只有step符合句意。

单选题 [A] to [B] towards [C] for [D] at

单选题 [A] appearance [B] disappearance [C] complexion [D] feature

单选题 [A] contradicted [B] reversed [C] contrasted [D] returned

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】动词辨析题。本句话的意思见上题。4个选项的意思分别是contradict“相矛盾的”；reverse“颠倒，倒转”；contrast“对照”；return“归还，返回”。因为本句句首有but一词，句意与上一句是转折，进化的过程变了，不再只是生命运河适应环境。B项符合题意。

单选题 [A] adapt [B] suit [C] fit [D] agree

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】动词辨析及搭配题。本句话的意思是“然而不再是基因适应环境，而是人类通过改变环境调控基因来使自己适应”。4个选项的意思都有“适应”的意思，但由于adapt一般与to连用，可以排除。fit主要是指大小形状合适，并往往与for搭配，表示“适应”的意思；agree要与with连用，才能表达“与……相适应”，这两项也被排除。suit则可以指多方面的一致，符合题意。

单选题 [A] invalid [B] epochal [C] periodical [D] ineffective

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】上下文理解题。第1段中有major“重要的”，和momentous“重大的，重要的”两个词，都是用来描述生命进化过程中的第1和第2个转折点的，其在整个人类的进化史中是很重要的。结合上下文意思，那么第三个转折点，人类能够改变基因，应该是更了不起的。4个选项中，只有epochal“新纪元的，划时代的”符合题意。其他3个选项的意思是invalid“无用的，没有价值的”；periodical“定期的”；ineffective“无效的”。

单选题 [A] eminent [B] imminent [C] prominent [D] dominant

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】形容词辨析题。4个选项的意思分别是：eminent“显赫的，有名的，杰出的”；imminent“即将到来的，逼近的”；prominent“卓越的，显著的，突出的”；dominant“处于支配型地位的”。本句话的意思是“现在，划时代的第3个转折点即将到来，因为人类掌握的基因结构和功能的知识快速增长，很快就能改变自身的环境和基因”。结合上下文，我们选B。

单选题 [A] maintain [B] modify [C] dispose [D] diversify

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】动词辨析题。4个选项的意思分别是：maintain“维持，保持”；modify“更改，修改”；dispose“处置，处理，安排”；diversify“(与into连用)使多样化”。从前文中得知，人类现在不仅只是通过改变环境来适应，随着对基因的了解，也会改变基因。结合上下文，modify符合题意。

单选题 [A] that [B] because [C] for [D] why

单选题 [A] revise [B] reveal [C] envision [D] muse

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】动词辨析及上下文理解题。这四个词的意思分别是：revise“修订，修改”；reveal“揭露，泄露”； envision“预想，想象，设想”；muse“沉思，呆想”。这句话的意思是“原因是只有人类能用符号表示或想象不在眼前的物体和概念”。据此判断，envision符合题意。

单选题 [A] about [B] on [C] at [D] in

单选题 [A] cope [B] agree [C] cohere [D] contend

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】动词辨析及搭配题。前文中曾提到人类通过改变自身的环境来适应环境。本句话的意思是“因为具有独特的和革命性的能力，人类已经能和环境相对抗，而不发生突变”。结合上下文的意思，4个选项，cope“与……相对抗对付”；agree“同意，适合”cohere“(与with连用)一致，团结”；contend(与with连用)“竞争，争取”，只cope符合上下文意思。

单选题 [A] consists of [B] conceives of [C] combines with [D] shut out

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】固定搭配及上下文理解题。上文中提到人类的文化是一种新的非生物的方式。本句话就详细介绍了其具体内容。4个选项的意思分别是：consist of“由……组成”；concede of“想象”；combine with“与……结合”；shut out“把……排除在外”。根据上下文意思，consist of符合题意。

单选题 [A] practices [B] suspicions [C] formalities [D] thoughts

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】上下理解题。本句话的意思是“更具体地说，文化是由工具，服装，饰品，风俗，语言，艺术形式和宗教信仰与宗教行为这些方面组成的”。4个选项中，只有practices可以表达这个意思。其他3个选项的意思分别是suspicions“疑心，猜疑”；formalities“拘泥的礼节”；thoughts“看法，想法”，不符合题意。