Question

8．Scientists today are making greater effort to study ocean currents （洋流）．Most do it using satellites and other high-tech equipment．However，ocean expert Curtis Ebbesmeyer does it in a special way---by studying movements of random floating garbage．A scientist with many years'experience，he started this type of research in the early 1990s when he heard about hundreds of athletic shoes washing up on the shores of the northwest coast of the United States．There were so many shoes that people were setting up swap meets to try and match left and right shoes to sell or wear．
Ebbesmeyer found out in his researches that the shoes-about 60，000 in total-fell into the ocean in a shipping accident．He phoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back．As expected，the company told him that they didn't．Ebbesmeyer realized this could be a great experiment．If he learned when and where the shoes went into the water and tracked where they landed，he could learn a lot about the patterns of ocean currents．
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's best areas for beachcombing（海滩搜寻） because winds and currents join here，and as a result，there is a group of serious beachcombers in the area．Ebbesmeyer got to know a lot of them and asked for their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed．In a year he collected reliable information on 1，600shoes．With this data，he and a colleague were able to test and improve a computer program designed to model ocean currents，and publish the findings of their study．
As the result of his work，Ebbesmeyer has become known as the scientist to call with questions about any unusual objects found floating in the ocean．He has even started an association of beachcombers and ocean experts，with 500subscribers from West Africa to New Zealand．They have recorded all lost objects ranging from potatoes to golf gloves．

41．The underlined phrase swap meets in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning toB．
A．fitting rooms
B．trading fairs
C．business talks
D．group meetings
42．Ebbesmeyer phoned the shoe company to find outC．
A．what caused the shipping accident
B．when and where the shoes went missing
C．whether it was all right to use their shoes
D．how much they lost in the shipping accident
43．How did Ebbesmeyer prove his assumption？A
A．By collecting information from beachcombers
B．By studying the shoes found by beachcomber
C．By searching the web for ocean currents models
D．By researching ocean currents data in the library
44．Ebbesmeyer is most famous forD．
A．traveling widely the coastal cities of the world
B．making records for any lost objects on the sea
C．running a global currents research association
D．phoning about any doubtful objects on the sea
45．What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage？C
A．To call people's attention to ocean pollution
B．To warn people or snipping safety in the ocean
C．To explain a unique way of studing ocean currents
D．To give tips on how to search for lost objects on the beach．

Answer 1

分析 本文是说明文，文中介绍了海洋科学家Curtis Ebbesmeyer的一种独特研究洋流的方法--根据海上的漂浮物来研究洋流．他通过寻问海洋搜寻，请他们帮忙来收集漂浮物的信息，用这些信息资料他做实验和研究，不断完善洋流模型的电脑程序设计，然后出版他的研究结果．

解答 41．B     考查词义猜测．根据画线词所在句中的"tryand match left and right shoes to sell or wear"可推断出"swapmeets"应该是"市集"，选项中的"tradingfairs"有"交易会"之意，故选B．
42．C     考查推理判断．根据文章第二段第二句"Hephoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back"可知他打电话的目的是问公司是否要这些鞋子．结合下文中的"Ebbesmeyerrealized this could be a great experiment．If he learned when and where theshoes went into the water and tracked where they landed，he could learn a lotabout the patterns of ocean currents"可知，Ebbesmeyer是想用这些鞋子，故选C．
43．A    考查细节理解．由文章第三段中的"askedfor their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed"以及"Withthis data，he and his colleague were able to test and improve…"可知选项A正确．
44．D    考查推理判断．文章最后一段第一句中的"Ebbesmeyerhas become known as the scientist to call with questions about any unusualobjects found floating in the ocean"可知，Ebbesmeyer已经成为一位知名科学家，一旦发现海上有不寻常的漂浮物时，人们都会打电话咨询他．故答案为D．
45．C    考查主旨大意．文章开头指出：大多数科学家研究洋流时，大多使用卫星和其他高科技设备，但CurtisEbbesmeyer 则不同．至于如何不同，文章在后面几段有详细说明．故选C．

点评 解答细节理解题时，一个常用的方法就是运用定位法，即根据题干和选项中的关键词从原文中找到相关的句子，与选项进行比较从而确定答案；推理判断题既要求学生透过文章表面文字信息推测文章隐含意思，又要求学生对作者的态度、意图及文章细节的发展作正确的推理判断，力求从作者的角度去考虑，不要固守自己的看法或观点．