2023年SSAT模拟真题-阅读

Reading: In the sixteenth century, an age of great marine and terrestrial exploration, Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world. As a young Portuguese noble, he served the king of Portugal, but he became involved in the quagmire of political intrigue at court and lost the king's favor. After he was dismissed from service to the king of Portugal, he offered to serve the future Emperor Charles V of Spain. A papal decree of 1493 had assigned all land in the New World west of 50 degrees W longitude to Spain and all the land east of that line to Portugal. Magellan offered to prove that the East Indies fell under Spanish authority. On September 20, 1519, Magellan set sail from Spain with five ships. More than a year later, one of these ships was exploring the topography of South America in search of a water route across the continent. This ship sank, but the remaining four ships searched along the southern peninsula of South America. Finally they found the passage they sought near a latitude of 50 degrees S. Magellan named this passage the Strait of All Saints, but today we know it as the Strait of Magellan. One ship deserted while in this passage and returned to Spain, so fewer sailors were privileged to gaze at that first panorama of the Pacific Ocean. Those who remained crossed the meridian we now call the International Date Line in the early spring of 1521 after ninety-eight days on the Pacific Ocean. During those long days at sea, many of Magellan's men died of starvation and disease.Later Magellan became involved in an insular conflict in the Philippines and was killed in a tribal battle. Only one ship and seventeen sailors under the command of the Basque navigator Elcano survived to complete the westward journey to Spain and thus prove once and for all that the world is round, with no precipice at the edge.1.The sixteenth century was an age of great _exploration.A. cosmicB. land C. mental D. common man E. none of the above2. Magellan lost the favor of the king of Portugal when he became involved in a political _.A. entanglement B. discussion C. negotiation D. problems E. none of the above3. The Pope divided New World lands between Spain and Portugal according to their location on one side or the other of an imaginary geographical line 50 degrees west of Greenwich that extends in a _ direction.A. north and south B. crosswise C. easterly D. south east E. north and west4. One of Magellan's ships explored the _ of South America for a passage across the continent.A. coastline B. mountain range C. physical features D. islands E. none of the above5. Four of the ships sought a passage along a southern _.A. coast B. inland C. body of land with water on three sides D. border E. answer not available6. The passage was found near 50 degrees S of _.A. Greenwich B. The equator C. Spain D. Portugal E. Madrid7. In the spring of 1521, the ships crossed the _ now called the International Date Line.A. imaginary circle passing through the poles B. Imaginary line parallel to the equator C. area D. land mass E. answer not found in article Key:1. B 2. A 3. A 4. C 5.C,6 B 7A Charlies A. Lindbergh is remembered as the first person to make a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic, in 1927. This feat, when Lindbergh was only twenty-five years old, assured him a lifetime of fame and public attention. Charles Augustus Lindbergh was more interested in flying airplanes than he was in studying. He dropped out of the University of Wisconsin after two years to earn a living performing daredevil airplane stunts at country fairs. Two years later, he joined the United States Army so that he could go to the Army Air Service flight-training school. After completing his training, he was hired to fly mail between St. Louis and Chicago. Then came the historic flight across the Atlantic. In 1919, a New York City hotel owner offered a prize of $25,000 to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. Nine St. Louis business leaders helped pay for the plane Lindbergh designed especially for the flight. Lindbergh tested the plane by flying it from San Diego to New York, with an overnight stop in St. Louis. The flight took only 20 hours and 21 minutes, a transcontinental record. Nine days later, on May 20,1927, Lindbergh took off from Long Island, New York, at 7:52 A. M. He landed at Paris on May 21 at 10:21 P. M. He had flown more than 3,600 miles in less than thirty four hours. His flight made news around the world. He was given awards and parades everywhere he went. He was presented with the U. S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the first Distinguished Flying Cross. For a long time, Lindbergh toured the world as a U. S. goodwill ambassador. He met his future wife, Anne Morrow, in Mexico, where her father was the United States ambassador. During the 1930s, Charles and Anne Lindbergh worked for various airline companies, charting new commercial air routes. In 1931, for a major airline, they charted a new route from the east coast of the United States to the Orient. The shortest, most efficient route was a great curve across Canada, over Alaska, and down to China and Japan. Most pilots familiar with the Arctic did not believe that such a route was possible. The Lindberghs took on the task of proving that it was. They arranged for fuel and supplies to be set out along the route. On July 29, they took off from Long Island in a specially equipped small seaplane. They flew by day and each night landed on a lake or a river and camped. Near Nome, Alaska, they had their first serious emergency. Out of daylight and nearly out of fuel, they were forced down in a small ocean inlet. In the next morning´s light, they discovered they had landed on barely three feet of water. On September 19, after two more emergency landings and numerous close calls, they landed in China with the maps for a safe airline passenger route. Even while actively engaged as a pioneering flier, Lindbergh was also working as an engineer. In 1935, he and Dr. Alexis Carrel were given a patent for an artificial heart. During World War I in the 1940s, Lindbergh served as a civilian technical advisor in aviation. Although he was a civilian, he flew over fifty combat missions in the Pacific. In the 1950s, Lindbergh helped design the famous 747 jet airliner. In the late 1960s, he spoke widely on conservation issues. He died August 1974, having lived through aviation history from the time of the first powered flight to the first steps on the moon and having influenced a big part of that history himself.1. What did Lindbergh do before he crossed the Atlantic?A. He charted a route to China.B. He graduated from flight-training school.C. He married Anne Morrow.D. He acted as a technical advisor during World War II.E. He was responsible for the fuel supply for planes.2. What happened immediately after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic?A. He flew the mail between St. Louis and Chicago.B. He left college.C. He attended the Army flight-training school.D. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor. E. He married Anne Morrow.3. When did Charles meet Anne Morrow?A. before he took off from Long IslandB. after he worked for an airlineC. before he was forced down in an ocean inletD. after he received the first Distinguished Flying CrossE. when visiting his parents4. When did the Lindberghs map an air route to China?A. before they worked for an airlineB. before Charles worked with Dr. CarrelC. after World War IID. while designing the 747 E. when he was thirty5. What event happened last?A. Lindbergh patented an artificial heart.B. The Lindberghs mapped a route to the Orient.C. Lindbergh helped design the 747 airline.D. Lindbergh flew fifty combat missions.E. Charles finally was given an honorary degree from college. Key: 1.(B) 2. (D) 3. (D) 4. (B) 5. (C) Many great inventions are greeted with ridicule and disbelief. The invention of the airplane was no exception. Although many people who heard about the first powered flight on December 17,1903, were excited and impressed, others reacted with peals of laughter. The idea of flying an aircraft was repulsive to some people. Such people called Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the first flying machine, impulsive fools. Negative reactions, however, did not stop the Wrights. Impelled by their desire to succeed, they continued their experiments in aviation. Orville and Wilbur Wright had always had a compelling interest in aeronautics and mechanics. As young boys they earned money by making and selling kites and mechanical toys. Later, they designed a newspaper-folding machine, built a printing press, and operated a bicycle-repair shop. In 1896, when they read about the death of Otto Lilienthal, the brother´s interest in flight grew into a compulsion. Lilienthal, a pioneer in hang-gliding, had controlled his gliders by shifting his body in the desired direction. This idea was repellent to the Wright brothers, however, and they searched for more efficient methods to control the balance of airborne vehicles. In 1900 and 1901, the Wrights tested numerous gliders and developed control techniques. The brothers´ inability to obtain enough lift power for the gliders almost led them to abandon their efforts. After further study, the Wright brothers concluded that the published tables of air pressure on curved surfaces must be wrong. They set up a wind tunnel and began a series of experiments with model wings. Because of their efforts, the old tables were repealed in time and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces. This work, in turn, made it possible for them to design a machine that would fly. In 1903 the Wrights built their first airplane, which cost less than one thousand dollars. They even designed and built their own source of propulsion- a lightweight gasoline engine. When they started the engine on December 17, the airplane pulsated wildly before taking off. The plane managed to stay aloft for twelve seconds, however, and it flew one hundred twenty feet. By 1905 the Wrights had perfected the first airplane that could turn, circle, and remain airborne for half an hour at a time. Others had flown in balloons or in hang gliders, but the Wright brothers were the first to build a full-size machine that could fly under its own power. As the contributors of one of the most outstanding engineering achievements in history, the Wright brothers are accurately called the fathers of aviation.1.The idea of flying an aircraft was _to some people.A. boringB. distastefulC. excitingD. needlessE. answer not available2. People thought that the Wright brothers had _.A. acted without thinkingB. been negatively influencedC. been too cautiousD. had not given enough thoughtE. acted in a negative way3. The Wright´s interest in flight grew into a _.A. financial empireB. planC. need to actD. foolish thoughtE. answer not in article4. Lilenthal´s idea about controlling airborne vehicles was _the Wrights.A. proven wrong byB. opposite to the ideas ofC. disliked byD. accepted byE. opposed by5. The old tables were _ and replaced by the first reliable figures for air pressure on curved surfaces.A. destroyedB. canceledC. multipliedD. discardedE. not used6. The Wrights designed and built their own source of _.A. force for moving forwardB. force for turning aroundC. turningD. force to going backwardE. none of the above Key: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (C) 4. (C) 5. (B) 6. (A) Writing:Topic: Great minds think alike.Assignment: Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Supports your answers with specific examples from your life, current events, history, books you read or movies you have seen?