单选题 People who question or even look down on the study of the past and its works usually assume that the past is entirely different from the present, and that hence we can learn nothing worthwhile from the past. But it is not true that the past is entirely different from the present. We can learn much of value from its similarity and its difference. A tremendous change in the conditions of human life and in our knowledge and control of the natural world has taken place since ancient times. The ancients could not, however, see in advance our contemporary technical and social environment, and hence have no advice to offer us about the particular problems facing us. But, although social and economic arrangements vary with time and place, man still remains man. We and the ancients share a common human nature and hence certain common human experiences and problems. The poets bear witness that ancient man, too, saw the sun rise and set, felt the wind on his cheek, was possessed by love and desire, experienced joy and excitement as well as frustration and disappointment, and knew good and evil. The ancient poets speak across the centuries to us, sometimes more directly and vividly than our contemporary writers. And the ancient prophets and philosophers, in dealing with the basic problems of men living together in society, still have something to say to us. We also learn from the past by considering the respects in which it differs from the present. We can discover where we are today and what we have become by knowing what the people of the past did and thought. And part of the past—our personal past and that of the race—always lives in us.

单选题 According to the writer, our past can teach us quite a lot because______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】解析：细节题。从文中第一段可知，那些质疑甚至轻视对过去及先人的作品研究的人们通常主观地认为，过去与现在是完全不同的，因而臆断出人们无法从过去获取任何有价值的东西。但是事实并非如此，过去与现在并非完全不同。从两者的相似及差异之处我们可以借鉴许多有价值的地方。据此可知，我们的过去能教给我们不少东西，因为我们可以从过去汲取许多经验教训，所以正确答案是C。

单选题 In the second paragraph, the writer places great emphasis on the fact that______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：细节题。文中第二段讲到，自古以来，人类的生存条件、掌握的知识和对自然界的控制能力都发生了巨大的变化。然而，古人不可能预见我们当代的技术和社会环境，因而对于我们的各种特殊问题也无法提供建议。尽管社会和经济安排会随着时间和地点的不同而发生变化，但人类始终是人类。我们与古人有着共同的本性，因而也会分享某些人类共有的体验和问题。据此可知，尽管人类的其他方面都在发生着变化，但人类本性却不会轻易改变，这是作者重点强调的地方，所以正确答案是A。

单选题 Judging from the context, the reason for the writer to talk about the poets is that______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：推理题。文中第二段讲到，人类始终是人类。我们与古人有着共同的本性，因而也会分享某些人类共有的体验和问题。第三段又说，诗人可以作证，古人也曾看过日出和日落，感觉过吹过脸颊上的风，被爱和欲望所支配，经历过喜悦和激动，挫折和失望，懂得了善与恶。从中可以推知，古人的诗中描述了古人的生活，以此来说明不论过去还是现在，人类分享着某些共有的体验和问题。所以正确答案是D。

单选题 In the first line of the last paragraph, the sentence "We can discover where we are today..." means______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：句子理解题。文中最后一段讲到，通过思考过去与现在各个方面的不同之处，我们也可以从过去获益良多。通过了解过往人们的所做所想，我们可以认识到今天我们所处的位置和过去所经历的一切。过去的一部分__个人的过去和种族的过去——永远与我们在一起。从中可知，对比从前与现在人们的所做所想，我们可以知道自己的发展程度。所以正确答案是A。

单选题 Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：主旨题。文中第一段讲到，过去与现在并非完全不同。从两者的相似及差异之处我们可以借鉴许多有价值的地方。第二段又说，我们与古人有着共同的本性，因而也会分享某些人类共有的体验和问题。最后一段又讲到，通过思考过去与现在各个方面的不同之处，我们也可以从过去获益良多。通过了解过往人们的所做所想，我们可以认识到今天我们所处的位置和过去所经历的一切。据此可知，本文的主旨是人类过去的经历可为现在所借鉴。所以正确答案是B。