Passage One
Nuclear power’s danger to health，safety，and even life itself can be summed up in one word：radiation.
Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it，partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard，or touched or tasted，even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example，radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them，sense them，without a radio receiver. Similarly，we can’t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves，nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels，radiation can kill an animal or human being outright by killing masses of cell in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no level of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important，the damage may not be significant. This is the case when only a few cells are hit，and if they are killed outright. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged，and if they reproduce themselves，you may be in trouble. They reproduce themselves in a deformed way. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated and feel fine，then die of cancer five，ten，or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak or liable to serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.
1. According to the passage，the danger of nuclear power lies in .
A. nuclear mystery B. radiation detection
C. radiation level D. nuclear radiation
2. Radiation can cause serious consequences even at the lowest level .
A. when it kills few cells
B. if it damages few cells
C. though the damaged cells can repair themselves
D. unless the damaged cells can reproduce themselves
3. The word“significant”in paragraph 3 most probably means .
A. responsible B. meaningful C. fatal D. harmful
4. Radiation can hurt us in the way that it can .
A. kill large numbers of cells in main organs so as to cause death immediately
B. damage cells which may grow into cancer years later
C. affect the healthy growth of our offspring
D. All of the above
5. Which of the following can be best inferred from the passage？
A. The importance of protection from radiation cannot be over-emphasized.
B. The mystery about radiation remains unsolved.
C. Cancer is mainly caused by radiation.
D. Radiation can hurt those who are not aware of its danger.
Passage Two
In some ways，the United States has made spectacular progress. Fires no longer destroy 18000 buildings as they did in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871，or kill half a town of 2400 people，as they did the same night in Peshtigo，Wisconsin. Other than the Beverly Hill Supper Club fire in Kentucky，in 1977，it has been four decades since more than 100 Americans died in a fire.
But even with such successes，the United States still has one of the worst fire death rates in the world. Safety experts say the problem is neither money nor technology，but the indifference of a country that just will not take fires seriously enough.
American fire departments are some of the world’s fastest and best equipped. They have to be. The United States has twice Japan’s population，and 40 times as many as fires. It spends far less on preventing fires than on fighting them. And American fire-safety lessons are aimed almost entirely at children，who die in disproportionately large numbers in fires but who，contrary to popular myth，start very few of them.
Experts say the fatal error is an attitude that fires are not really anyone’s fault. That is not so in other countries，where both public education and the law treat fires as either a personal failing or a crime. Japan has many wood houses；of the estimated 48 fires in world history that burned more than 10000 buildings，Japan has had 27. Penalties for by negligence can be as high as life imprisonment.
In the United States，most education dollars are spent in elementary schools. But the lessons are aimed at too limited an audience；just 9 percent of all fire deaths are caused by children playing with matches.
The
1. The reason why so many Americans die in fires is that .
A. they took no interest in new technology
B. they did not attach great importance to preventing fires
C. they showed indifference to fighting fires
D. they did not spend enough money on fire facilities
2. Although the fire death rate has declined，the United States .
A. still has the worst fire death rate in the world
B. is still alert to the fire problem
C. is still training a large number of safety experts
D. is still confronted with the serious fire problem
3. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. fire safety lessons should be aimed at American adults
B. American children have not received enough education of fire safety lesson
C. Japan is better equipped with fire facilities than the Untied States
D.
4. In what aspects should the United States learn from Japan？
A. Architecture and building material.
B. Education and technology.
C. Laws and attitude.
D. All of the above.
5. To narrow the gap between the fire death rate in the United States and that in other countries，the author suggests .
A. developing new technology
B. counting more on laws and social pressure
C. placing a fire extinguisher in every family
D. reinforcing the safeness of household appliances
原文+答案解析
Passage One
核能对健康、安全甚至生命本身构成的危害可以概括为一个词：辐射。
核辐射有着某种神秘的地方，部分原因是它无法被人类的感官所感知。即使它可能就在我们周围，人们也不能看到或听到、触摸到或者品尝到它。还有一些其他东西也像这样。比如：无线电波就在我们周围，如果没有接收器，我们也无法探测到它们。同样，如果没有辐射探测器，我们也无法感觉到辐射。但是，不像一般的无线电波，核辐射对人类和其他生物是有害的。
当核辐射强度非常高时，辐射可以通过杀死重要器官的大量细胞，导致动物或人立刻死亡。但是，即使是辐射强度最低的时候也能导致严重的伤害。没有哪一种强度的辐射是绝对安全的。如果辐射没有伤害到任何重要的器官，这种伤害可能就不严重。这种情况是只有少数细胞受到辐射并且被杀死了，你身体内的死亡细胞就会被健康的细胞代替。但是，如果少数的细胞仅仅是受到伤害，并且如果它们自己可以再生，你可能就陷入麻烦了。它们是以一种畸形的方式进行再生的。它们能够演变成癌。有时，这种症状很多年后才会显现出来。
下面是有关核辐射某种神秘性的另一个原因。在辐射造成损害时，受害者可能不知道自己已经受到严重伤害。一个人被辐射后可能感觉正常，然后在五年、十年或二十年后死于癌症。或者，由于其祖父母受到辐射，一名小孩可能生下来就体弱，或易患病。
辐射会伤害我们。我们必须了解这个事实。
1. 【正确答案】D
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】根据文章表达，核能的危险在于 。
A. 核的神秘 B. 放射检查
C. 放射的程度 D. 核放射
线索：文章的第1段提到“Nuclear power’s danger to health，safety，and even life itself can be summed up in one word：radiation.”表明选项D是正确答案。
2. 【正确答案】B
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】辐射即使在最底的程度也会造成严重的后果， 。
A. 当它杀死很少的细胞时
B. 如果它危害很少的细胞
C. 尽管受危害的细胞能自己修复
D. 如果受危害的细胞能自我复制
线索：文章的第3段提到“But if the few cells are only damaged，and if they reproduce themselves，you may be in trouble.”表明选项D是正确答案。选项A和原文的内容相反，原文说“only a few cells are hit，and if they are killed outright. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones.”这样不会造成严重的后果。C和B选项的内容和原文第3段的内容不符合。
3. 【正确答案】C
【考点类型】词汇推断
【解析过程】这个单词“重要的”在文章第3段最有可能的含义是 。
A. 负有责任心的 B. 有意义的
C. 致命的 D. 有害的
线索：根据文章的第3段提到的内容，如果辐射没有攻击到任何重要的东西，那么危害也许就不是非常的严重。所以选项C是正确答案。
【考点提示】词汇题的解决办法是代入法：即当不能确定答案时把选项分别代入原文，看看哪一个通，那么就是哪个。
①返回原文，找出该词汇出现的地方。
②注意结合上下文理解该单词的含义。
③如果该词汇是简单词汇，则其字面意思必然不是正确答案。
4. 【正确答案】D
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】辐射能伤害我们通过的方式是 。
A. 杀死身体主要器官中的大量细胞而使人立即死亡
B. 损害的细胞几年后会变成癌症
C. 影响我们后代的健康成长
D. 以上各项
线索1：文章的第3段提到“At very high levels，radiation can kill an animal or human being outright by killing masses of cell in vital organs.”提到选项A；
线索2：文章的第3段提到“...They reproduce themselves in a deformed way. They can grow into cancer...”提到选项B；
线索3：文章的第4段提到“Or a child can be born weak or liable to serious illness as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.”提到选项C。
根据线索1、2、3，我们可以判断正确答案应该是D。
5. 【正确答案】A
【考点类型】主旨推断
【解析过程】我们可以从文章中推出下面哪句？
A. 保护人们远离辐射，这一重要性再如何强调也不过分
B. 辐射的神秘仍然没有被解决
C. 癌症主要是由辐射造成的
D. 辐射能伤害那些没有意识到其危险的人
从文章的整体我们可以看到辐射的问题非常严重，我们应该远离辐射。文章第1段、第5段都明确地提到了这一点。
Passage Two
在某些方面，美国取得了令人瞩目的成就。大火不再像1871年发生在芝加哥的火灾那样烧毁18000幢房屋，或是像同一个夜晚发生在威斯康星州帕西蒂戈市的大火那样，烧死一个城镇中的1200人。除了1977年肯塔基州贝弗利山晚餐俱乐部的火灾外，40年来，100多美国人死于一场火灾的事情再也没有发生过。
但是，即使取得了如此的成就，美国仍然是世界上火灾死亡率最高的国家之一。安全专家说，问题的出现既不是因为资金也不是因为技术，而是因为这个国家的漠不关心，这个国家对火灾还没有足够的重视。
美国的消防部门是世界上行动最快的、装备最好的部门。他们不得不这样。美国的人口是日本人口数量的两倍，火灾的发生次数却是日本的40倍。美国用于防火的费用远远低于用于灭火的费用。美国的防火安全教育针对的几乎都是儿童，他们在火灾中的死亡人数不成比例地高，但是，与流行的说法相反，很少火灾是由于儿童引起的。
专家说，致命的错误是认为火灾其实不是任何人的错误的态度。在其他国家却不是这样，在这些国家，公共教育和法律把火灾看成是个人的失误，或者是犯罪行为。日本有许多木制房屋；在世界历史上，据估计，烧毁了一万多所建筑物的48场火灾中，发生在日本的有27场。对因为疏忽引起严重火灾的人的惩罚最高可达终生监禁。
在美国，大部分的教育经费都用在了小学。但是，火灾教育课的对象太有限；在所有烧死人的火灾中，只有9％是因为小孩玩火柴引起的。
美国还在更多地依赖技术而不是法律或社会压力。美国有85％的房屋装有烟雾探测器。一些地方建筑法规要求房屋必须装有自动喷水装置。如果新的取暖器和电熨斗被弄翻了就会自动断电。
1. 【正确答案】B
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】如此多的美国人在大火中丧生的原因是 。
A. 他们对新技术不感兴趣
B. 他们对防火不重视
C. 他们对灭火漠不关心
D. 他们对灭火的设施没有投入足够的钱
线索：文章的第2段提到“Safety experts say the problem is neither money nor technology，but the indifference of a country that just will not take fires seriously enough.”表明选项B是正确答案。选项A和原文第6段的内容“The United States continues to rely more on technology than laws or social pressure.”相反。选项C原文根本没有提到。选项D和原文第3段的内容“American fire departments are some of the world’s fastest and best equipped.”相反。
2. 【正确答案】A
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】尽管火灾的死亡率已经下降，美国 。
A. 仍然是世界上火灾死亡率最高的国家
B. 仍然对于火灾的问题很警觉
C. 仍然在培训一大批的安全专家
D. 仍然面临着很严重的火灾问题
线索：文章的第2段提到“But even with such successes，the United States still has one of the worst fire death rates in the world.”表明A是正确答案。
3. 【正确答案】A
【考点类型】细节推断
【解析过程】从本文可以推论出 。
A. 防火安全措施应该针对美国成年人
B. 美国孩子并没有获得足够的防火安全课程教育
C. 和美国相比，日本配备了更好的防火设施
D. 美国巨大的人口数量导致了火灾的发生率高
线索：文章的第5段提到“most education dollars are spent in elementary schools. But the lessons are aimed at too limited an audience；just 9 percent of all fire deaths are caused by children playing with matches.”表明选项A是正确答案。选项B和原文第5段“most education dollars are spent in elementary schools”不符合。选项C和原文第3段“American fire departments are some of the world’s fastest and best equipped”不符合。选项D和原文第3段“The United States has twice Japan’s population，and 40 times as man fires.”不符合。
4. 【正确答案】C
【考点类型】细节判断
【解析过程】美国应该从日本那里学习什么？
A. 建筑业和建筑材料 B. 教育和技术
C. 法律和态度 D. 以上所有选项
线索1：文章的第6段提到“The United States continues to rely more on technology than laws or social pressure.”
线索2：文章的第4段提到“Experts say the fatal error is an attitude that fires are not really anyone’s fault.”
结合线索1和线索2，我们可以知道是美国人对火灾的态度出了问题。所以选项C是正确答案。
5. 【正确答案】B
【考点类型】细节推断
【解析过程】为了缩短美国火灾死亡率和其他国家之间的差距，作者建议 。
A. 发展新的技术
B. 更多地依靠法律和社会压力
C. 在每一个家庭放置一个灭火器
D. 重新加强家庭设备的安全
线索：文章的第6段提到“The United States continues to rely more on technology than laws or social pressure.”表达了作者对于美国依靠消防技术降低火灾的死亡率的不满。暗示了要依靠法律和社会舆论的压力来降低火灾的死亡率。
【考点提示】选项C和选项D一般不太可能是正确答案。原因：①该选项都太具体了；②和文章的主题没有直接的关联。考研的文章一般是比较有深度的文章，所以选项的设计也就要求一定要有深刻的意义。这样判断B的正确几率就很大。
