专业英语四级-75
READING COMPREHENSION
TEXT A
Early humans were very interested in birds and attributed magic and religious powers to them. The connection between birds and death that humans have imagined since prehistoric times still persists strongly in some modern folklore. There are also early hints of humans forming an association between birds and human reproduction. Somewhat later birds were regarded as weather changers and forecasters. Birds symbolized the mysterious powers that pervaded the wilderness in which humans hungered, hunted, and dreamed. Thus it is not surprising that many mythological creatures, such as thunderbird, phoenix, and roc, take the form of birds.
In the legends of native North Americans, the thunderbird is a powerful spirit in the form of a
bird. Through the work of this bird, it is said, the Earth is watered and vegetation grows. Lightning is believed to flash from its beak, and the beating of its wings is thought to result in the rolling of thunder. It is often portrayed with an extra head on its abdomen. The majestic thunderbird is often accompanied by lesser bird spirits, frequently in the form of eagles or falcons. Evidence of similar figures has been found throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.
In ancient Egypt and in classical antiquity, the phoenix was a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any one time, and it was very long-lived; an ancient writer gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its death approached, the phoenix fashioned a nest of aromatic boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the burning firewood miraculously sprang a new phoenix, which, after preserving its predecessor"s ashes in an egg of myrrh, flew with the ashes to the City of the Sun, in Egypt, where it deposited them in the altar in the temple of the Egyptian god of the sun. The phoenix was understandably thus associated
with immortality and the allegory of resurrection and life after death. The phoenix **pared to undying Rome, and it appears on the coinage of the late Roman Empire as a symbol of the Eternal City.
In Arabic legends, the roc, or rukh, was a gigantic bird with two horns on its head and fur humps on its back and was said to be able to carry off elephants and other large beasts for food.
1. Prehistoric people related birds to their ______.
A. longevity B. daily life
C. working conditions D. living environment
2. Thunderbirds are among the mythological birds that are believed to master ______.
A. all the other animals
B. the climatic changes
英语专业四级考试时间C. humans" life and death
D. the quality of our living
3. What makes the phoenix associated with immortality and resurrection?
A. That a phoenix is born in its predecessor"s ashes.
B. That a phoenix flies with its predecessor"s ashes to Egypt.
C. That a phoenix knows when it dies and how to come back to life.
D. That a phoenix buries its predecessor"s ashes in the temple of the sun god.
4. In the ancient inscriptions of the Roman Empire, the form of a phoenix refers to ______.
A. the Empire itself
B. the city of Rome
C. the power of the Roman Emperor
D. the afterlife of the Roman Emperor
5. The Arabic legends tend to describe the roc as ______.
A. formidable B. ill-looking
C. legendary D. admirable
Climbing to the top of my nearest hill in San Francisco, my purpose is not to enjoy the view but to experience a bit of fresh air and nature. Some birds dwell in these urban islands of trees, bushes and soil. So few people are there, but they are happy, relaxed and friendly (unless insane and out to rob). I find the view of San Francisco Bay and the metropolis most disturbing, seeing in all directions the industrial activity and oil-fueled trade of questionable imported products. Massive port facilities dwarf the human scale of sustainable import/export. A very small number of sailboats for pleasure can"t quite offer a Vision of renewable-energy travel and exchange. Passenger planes take off, military jets
show off their ear-splitting capabilities, all against the backdrop of polluted air that is warming in general thanks to commercial activity and the mindless consumption by the individual. The hills are full of roads and energy-wasting houses. It"s not like this everywhere; the hills around Kyoto are pitch black at night, for they consist of forest, trails and small, outdoor temples.
Seven million people surround me in this metropolitan area. Those among them who really care whether Barry Bonds used steroids to hit baseballs, or what pregnant celebrity has checked into a drug rehabilitation facility, are not likely to be trying to live lightly on the planet. Normal citizens under the spell of mass media want to consume, and be given answers and easy fixes. They may get what they want tonight, and again, and again, but it **e to an abrupt end, and will people pick up a shovel to plant food or pick up the gun to take others" food? That depends on the area affected, the culture (urban U.S. or otherwise), and population size.
Why should I be disturbed by what I see now, when all is basically calm? Or feel uneasy a
s I stroll about in the safety of my comfortable home? Is not San Francisco and the surrounding area a great city, with many wonderful people and activities to appreciate? What about the noble struggles of valiant, compromised hard-working people, or the dysfunctional and disabled folk who are really kind? The social injustice that is still pervasive, in our boastful age of scientific and technological power, is outrageous and occupies many of the best hearts and minds in the world who live in our very midst. Much of what ails people, it is thought, is that they do not have enough cheap, affordable energy or material things that are supposed to both satisfy and uplift. More public funds for health care, through an end to costly, imperialist wars, would be the ticket to a healthy society, in the eyes of more and more.
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