Question

Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.

“Storm at Sea”, a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind’s earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.

When the wind is from the west

All the waves that cannot rest

To the east must thunder on

Where the bright tree of the sun

Is rooted in the ocean’s breast.

As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise—it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.

It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath—perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics(模仿) nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with symbiotic (共生的) existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking.

1.Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is______.

A. always energetic                                        B. lacking in liveliness

C. shaped like a square                                  D. favored by ancient poets

2. What is the purpose of using the poem “Storm at Sea” in the passage?

A. To describe the movement of the waves.

B. To show the strength of the storm.

C. To represent the vitality of the ocean.

D. To prove the vastness of the sea.

3.In the last paragraph, the Atlantic is compared to______.

A. a beautiful and poetic place               B. a flesh and blood person

C. a wonderful world                      D. a lovely animal

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

【解析】

试题分析：大西洋是一个S形的水域，面积33000000平方公里。不像平静的内海，它是充满活力的海洋。这也许并不奇怪，它的生命力古代诗人早就描绘过。 “在海上风暴”被看作是人类最早的艺术再现大西洋的一首小诗。它充满了共生的存在，有无法想象的大量的生物，或大或小的一样，在它的深处，混合着一种海洋和谐，给人以水的心动的感觉，一种亚海洋活力。它有心理活动。它有个性：有时和平和愉快，偶尔也会，粗野；但它总是强大的，引人注目的。                                               

1.细节理解题。根据第一段的the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness可知：大西洋有海洋的活泼，故选 A。（大西洋总是充满活力。）

2.推理判断题。题干问第二段引用了700多年前的一首小诗Storm at Sea，其目的是什么？根据第一段的最后一句可知：它的重要性被古代的诗人多次描写，这不足为奇。故选C。（代表大西洋的重要性。）

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段描述大西洋trying to draw breath, it has a psychology. It has personalities ...可知，海洋想要呼吸，有了心理。有了人的个性特征：时而平静怡人、时而又狂野粗俗。这些都表明作者把大西洋比作一个有血有肉的人。所以选B。

考点：科普类短文阅读。