2014公共英语四级阅读理解考试之例题详解(5)

　　After the Anasazi abandoned southwestern Colorado in the late 1200s or early 1300s, history’s pages are blank. The Anasazi were masons and apartment builders who occupied the deserts, river valleys, and mesas of this region for over a thousand years, building structures that have weathered the test of time.

　　The first Europeans to visit southwestern Colorado were the ever restless, ambitious Spanish, who sought gold, pelts, and slaves. I 1765, under orders from the Spanish governor in Santa Fe, Juan Maria Antonio Rivera led a prospecting and trading partly into the region. Near the Dolores River in southwestern Colorado, he found some insignificant silver-bearing rocks, and it is thought that it was he who named the mountains nearby the Sierre De la plata or the Silver Mountains. Rivera found little of commercial value that would interest his superiors in Santa Fa, but he did open up a route that would soon lead to the establishment of the old Spanish Trait. This expedition and others to follow left names on the land which are the only reminder we have today the Spanish once explored this region.

　　In 1776, one of the men who had accompanies Rivera, Andre Muniz, acted as guide for another expedition. That party entered southwestern Colorado in search of a route west to California, traveling near today’s towns of Durango and Dolores. Along the way, they camped at the base of a large green mesa which taday carries the name Mesa Verde. They were the first Europeans to record the discovery of an Anasazi archaeological site in southwestern Colorado.

　　By the early 1800s, American mountain men and trappers were exploring the area in their quest for beaver pelts. Men like peg-leg Smith were outfitted with supplies in the crossroads trapping town of Taos, New Mexicio. These adventurous American trappers were a tough bunch. They possibly more than any other newcomers, penetrated deeply into the mountain fastness of southwestern Colorado, bringing back valuable information about the area and discovering new routes through the mountains. one of the trappers, William Becknell, the father of the Santa Fe Trail, camped in the area Mesa Verde, where he found pottery shards, stone houses, and other Anasazi remains.

　　16.

　　The passage mainly discuss about

　　A. early exploration of Colorado

　　B. The history of the Anazazi in Colorado.

　　C. The Spanish influence in Colorado.

　　D. Economic exploitation of Colorado.

　　17.

　　The masons and apartment buildings built by the Anasaz ____.

　　A. show strong aesthetic value

　　B. Show high standard of culture development.

　　C. Withstand the wear of the centuries.

　　D. Were later destroyed by the Spanish.

　　18.

　　Europeans first visit Southwestern Colorado to____.

　　A. study the archaeology of the region

　　B. Seek commercial profit

　　C. open up a route to California

　　D. Be ruler of the region

　　19.

　　What do we know about the 1776 expedition?

　　A. Andre Muniz was the head of the expedition party.

　　B. The party discovered an Anasazi archaeological site in Mesa Verde.

　　C. Druango and Dolores are two towns named by the party.

　　D. The purpose of the expedition was to look for a way to reach California.

　　20.

　　In paragraph 4, the author suggests that____.

　　A. Mountain men and trappers survived in harsh conditions.

　　B. peg-leg Smith owned a trading post in New Mexico.

　　C. American trappers traded with the Spanish.

　　D. Beaver pelts were becoming scarce in Colorado in the 1800s.

　　答案及解析:

　　16.A

　　作者从第二段开始，每一段分别介绍了每个时期的开发史。The first Europeans to visit southwestern Colorado …;In 1776, one of the men … for another expedition;By the early 1800s, American mountain men and trappers were exploring the area in their quest for beaver pelts.

　　17.C

　　文章中用的短语是weathered the test of time，主要考察我们这个短语的用法。 Weather v. “经过风吹雨打，经历而…存活”.

　　18.B

　　在第二段开头提到The first Europeans to visit southwestern Colorado were the ever-restless, ambitious Spanish, who sought gold, pelts, and slaves.最早的欧洲人来到克罗拉多是为了商业利益而进行的探险。

　　19.D

　　在文章中提到That party entered southwestern Colorado in search of a route west to California. 他们来到可罗拉多是为了寻找通往California的路线。

　　20.A

　　…penetrated deeply into the mountain fastness of southwestern Colorado, bringing back valuable information. Mountain men and trappers虽然经历了很多的困难和艰险，最后取回了珍贵的资料，说明他们最后终于战胜了困难而存活了下来。