单选题 Change—or the ability to adapt oneself to a changing environment—is essential to evolution. The farmer whose land is required for housing or industry must adapt himself: he can move to an-other place and master the problems peculiar to it; he can change his occupation, perhaps after a period of training; or he can starve to death. A nation which cannot adapt its trade or defense requirements to meet world conditions faces economic or military disaster. Nothing is fixed and permanently stable. There must be movement forward, which is progress of a sort, or movement backwards, which is decay and deterioration.
In this context, tradition can be a force for good or for evil. As long as it offers a guide, it helps the ignorant and the uninformed to take a step forward and, thereby, to adapt themselves to changed circumstances. Tradition, or custom, can guide the hunter as effectively as it can influence the nervous hostess. But if we make an idol (偶像) of tradition, it ceases to become a guide and becomes an obstacle lying across the path of change and progress. If we insist on trying to plot the future by the past, we clearly handicap ourselves and invite failure. The better course is to accept the help which tradition can give, but realizing that it necessarily has its roots in the past, to be well aware of its limitations in a changing world.

单选题 According to this passage, which of the following statements is true?

A、 To avoid decay and deterioration, we must keep the world permanently stable.
B、 The world is always changing, so we must adjust ourselves to new conditions.
C、 The important point of evolution is that the world undergoes movement forward and movement backward alternately.
D、 Tradition often become an obstacle lying across the path of change and progress.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题是一道判断是非题。问下面哪个句子是正确的。利用浏览式阅读法，我们可以在文章第一段的首尾句中找到与本题答案相关的信息。这两部分指出，应变是自身适应环境变化的能力，是进化的基本需要。任何事情都不是永恒的、一成不变的，必然会有前进，即某种进步；也会有倒退，即衰退及退化。因此，本题的正确答案应是B“世界总是在不断地变化着，因此我们必须调整自己以适应新情况”。

单选题 The author uses the incident of the farmer in the passage to illustrate that ______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】本题是一道具体细节题。问作者在文章中用农民的例子来证明什么。利用查阅式阅读法，我们发现文章第一段第二句话指出，土地被征用于建造房子或工厂的农民就必须适应情况的变化。他可以迁居他乡，学会解决那里的特殊问题；也可以经过一段时间的培训后改行，不然，他就会饿死。因此，本题的正确答案应是A“证明人们必须使自己适应变化了的环境”。

单选题 In the second paragraph, "this context" refers to ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】本题是一道词汇含义类问题。问第二段中this context指什么。仔细阅读一下第二段内容，根据文章上下文，在这种环境下，传统可能会成为一种有益的力量，也会成为一种有害的力量。只要它能起到一种引导作用，便能帮助那些缺乏知识和信息闭塞的人们前进一步，从而使他们适应变化了的环境。因此，我们可以推断出本题的正确答案应是D“不断变化着的世界”。

单选题 Tradition becomes an obstacle across the path of change and progress when we ______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】本题问什么时候传统就变成了变革和前进道路上的绊脚石。文章第二段指出，传统可能会成为一种有益的力量，也会成为一种有害的力量。但是，如果我们把传统偶像化，它就不再会是向导，而会成为挡在变革和进步道路上的绊脚石。因此，本题的正确答案应是B“过分依赖传统而没有认识到其局限性”。

单选题 The author concludes by offering the advice: ______.

A、 since tradition necessarily has its roots in the past, it would be better to take no notice of it
B、 we must stick firmly to tradition when facing a new problem, and not break with it under any circumstance
C、 we should neither worship nor reject tradition but take from it some help it can offer in certain particular instance
D、 we should realize the limitations of a changing world and not invite failure

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】本题问作者在结论部分提供的建议是什么。文章最后一部分指出，如果我们一味坚持根据过去筹划未来，那显然就是作茧自缚、自寻失败。所以，最好是在接受传统所能提供的帮助的同时，既要认识到它毕竟是产生于过去的东西，也要充分意识到它在不断变化的世界里的局限性。因此，本题的正确答案应是C“我们既不应该崇拜传统也不应该抛弃传统，而是应该在某些具体的情况下从中获取传统所能提供的帮助”。