Question

    Leif Erickson reached North America around the year 1000, but the attempt to explore was started slowly. It would be five centuries _______ other Europeans landed on that continent.

Why were Europeans the ones to _______ to the American? The Chinese and Arabs had the _______ and technology to sail across the seas. _______ of them tool regular voyages in the Indian Ocean and the Asian Pacific for trade. But exploration? By the mid-15th century China had followed the closed-door policy to _______ itself from the rest of the world. The Arabs, with access to the minerals and spices (香料) of Africa and the Far East, saw no _______ to journey into the unknown.

Europe _______ needed gold and silver; its mines could not meet the demand for coinage. Ottoman Turks blocked the routes across the land to Asia. Only the sea held the _______ of new wealth.

With the return of Magellan’s ships in 1522 from its voyage around the world, the belief was _______ that the oceans were interconnected, promising the age of discovery. The English, as well as the Spanish, Portuguese and French, ________ themselves to finding the “river of the west” through North America to the east.

1.A.after B.since C.before D.when

2.A.push B.pull C.draw D.drive

3.A.sources B.resources C.substances D.matters

4.A.Neither B.Both C.Any D.None

5.A.prevent B.protect C.isolate D.differ

6.A.access B.admission C.application D.association

7.A.as a matter of fact B.in other words C.for one thing D.on the other hand

8.A.symbol B.impression C.promise D.reflection

9.A.extended B.estimated C.attracted D.accepted

10.A.contributed B.devoted C.referred D.connected

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.B

5.C

6.A

7.D

8.C

9.D

10.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要分析了欧洲人比中国和阿拉伯人先到达美洲的原因。

1.考查连词辨析。句意：其他欧洲人要登上那片大陆还需要5个世纪。A. after在……之后；B. since自从；C. before在……之前，（多久后）才；D. when当……时候。本句为时间状语从句，上文five centuries为一段时间+before表示“要（多久后）才……”故选C。

2.考查动词词义辨析。句意：为什么是欧洲人向美洲进发的？A. push推；B. pull拉；C. draw画；D. drive驾驶。结合上文other Europeans landed on that continent中other Europeans可知最先探索美洲的是欧洲人，结合后文对中国和阿拉伯的分析可知，此处提出的疑问是指为什么是欧洲人最先向美洲进发的。push to“推向，进发”。故选A。

3.考查名词词义辨析。句意：中国人和阿拉伯人有资源和技术，可以横渡海洋。A. sources来源；B. resources资源；C. substances物质；D. matters事件。结合后文and technology to sail across the seas可知指的是中国人和阿拉伯人有资源和技术，可以横渡海洋。故选B。

4.考查代词辨析。句意：他们都定期在印度洋和亚太地区进行贸易航行。A. Neither两者都不；B. Both两者都；C. Any任何；D. None没有人。此处指中国人和阿拉伯人“两者都……”应用代词both。故选B。

5.考查动词词义辨析。句意：到15世纪中叶，中国实行闭关锁国政策，与世界隔绝。A. prevent阻止；B. protect保护；C. isolate隔离；D. differ不同于。结合上文China had followed the closed-door policy可知中国实行闭关锁国政策，与世界隔绝了。故选C。

6.考查名词词义辨析。句意：阿拉伯人拥有非洲和远东的矿产和香料，却看不到通往未知世界的道路。A. access通道，进入；B. admission承认；C. application申请；D. association联系。由于阿拉伯人拥有了非洲和远东的矿产和香料，因此阿拉伯人满足于现状，便看不到通往未知世界的道路。短语access to“进入，通向……的入口”。故选A。

7.考查介词短语辨析。句意：另一方面，欧洲需要黄金和白银；其矿山无法满足铸币的需求。A. as a matter of fact事实上；B. in other words换句话说；C. for one thing首先；D. on the other hand另一方面。此处表示与上文中国和阿拉伯的情况不同的是，另一方面欧洲需要黄金和白银。导致故选D。

8.考查名词词义辨析。句意：只有大海有望带来新的财富。A. symbol符号；B. impression印象；C. promise承诺；D. reflection反射。根据上文Ottoman Turks blocked the routes across the land to Asia.可知由于陆路被封锁，因此只有海路才有望带来新的财富。短语hold the promise of...“有望……”，故选C。

9.考查动词词义辨析。句意：1522年，麦哲伦的船只完成环球航行返回后，海洋是相互联系的观念更加被人们所接受了，这预示着发现的时代即将到来。A. extended扩展；B. estimated估计；C. attracted吸引；D. accepted接受。结合后文the oceans were interconnected可知麦哲伦环球航行回来后，海洋是相互联系的观念更加被人们所接受了，故选D。

10.考查动词词义辨析。句意：英国人，以及西班牙人、葡萄牙人和法国人，都致力于寻找穿越北美向东的“西方之河”。A. contributed贡献；B. devoted致力于；C. referred参考；D. connected联系。结合后文themselves to finding the “river of the west” through North America to the east可知英国人，以及西班牙人、葡萄牙人和法国人，都致力于寻找穿越北美向东的“西方之河”。短语devote oneself to…“致力于……”。故选B。