单选题   Starting with the ______ that there is life on the planet Mars, the scientist went on to develop his argument.
 
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】名词形异义异辨析。premise意为“(作为先决条件的)假定,假设,前提”,如:The research project is based on the premise stated earlier.这项研究计划基于早先提出的假设。请各位考生注意,当premise以复数形式premises出现时,表示“(企业、机构等的)建筑及地皮,生产场所,经营场地,厂区,校区”,如:Food bought in this shop may not be eaten on the premises. 在本店购买之食物不可在店堂内食用。再如:The security guards escorted the protesters off the premises. 保镖护送抗议者离开场地。 pretext表示“借口,托词”,后一般接介词for,如:He considered inventing some pretext for calling her. 他想编个借口给她打电话;prejudice是“偏见,歧视”的意思,一般和介词against搭配,如:prejudice against Blacks对黑人的偏见;prelude表示“前奏,序幕”,一般构成词组a/the prelude to sth.,如:The incident was the prelude to the war. 该事件成为战争的前奏。