2010年成人英语三级考试阅读模拟题十

　　Passage　10

　　In　Switzerland,　six　miles　west　of　Geneva,　lies　a　collection　of　 laboratories　and　buildings,　and　most　curious　of　all,　a　circular　mound　of 　earth　more　than　650　feet　in　diameter.　This　cluster　has　unique　 importance.　It　is　Europe’s　one　and　only　atomic　city　dedicated　to　 investigating　the　atom　for　peaceful　purposes.　The　strange　buildings　 belong　to　the　European　Council　for　Nuclear　Research,　more　popularly　 known,　from　its　French　initials,　as　CERN.　The　council　was　born　when　a　 handful　of　statesman　and　scientific　experts　met　in　Paris　in　1950.　Their　 aim　was　to　"establish　an　organization　providing　for　collaboration　among　 European　states　in　nuclear　research　of　a　pure　scientific　and　fundamental 　character".　The　CERN　agreement　was　signed　in　1953,　and　work　on　the　 atomic　city　began　in　1954.　Today　CERN’s　facilities　are　among　the　most　 modern　and　the　most　diversified　ones　in　the　world.　Impressive　as　the　 scientific　aspect　may　be,　the　real　significance　of　CERN　may　lie　with　the 　thousand　people　---　the　scientists,　lab　workers,　and　administrative　 crew　drawn　from　the　fourteen　member　nations　---　who　populate　it.　British 　engineers　work　side　by　side　with　Swiss　electricians,　Yugoslav　nuclear　 physicists,　and　Dutch　mathematicians.　The　official　languages　are　French　 and　English,　with　German　an　unofficial　third.　But　CERN　is　no　tower　of　 Babel　---　the　language　of　science　is　universal　and　all　embracing.

　　The　laboratories　and　buildings　discussed　in　the　passage　belong　to　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)a　private　research　organization

　　B)Switzerland

　　C)the　European　Council　for　Nuclear　Research

　　D)the　United　Nationa

　　The　cluster　has　unique　significance　because　it　is　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)Europe’s　only　atomic　city

　　B)a　city　devoted　to　nuclear　research

　　C)a　city　dedicated　to　investigating　the　atom　for　peaceful　purposes

　　D)a　clearing　house　for　the　world’s　nuclear　research

　　CERN’s　facilities　for　research　are　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)limited　but　effective

　　B)among　the　best　in　the　world

　　C)rapidly　expanding

　　D)both　a　and　c

　　The　passage　says　that　CERN　is　not　a　tower　of　Babel　because　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)work　is　the　common　denominator　of　all　the　staff

　　B)the　language　of　science　is　universal

　　C)CERN　had　adopted　only　two　official　languages

　　D)all　the　workers　are　drawn　from　one　country

　　The　real　significance　of　CERN　may　lie　in　its　staff　because　they　_____.[ANSWER]

　　A)work　in　international　harmony

　　B)come　from　all　over　the　world

　　C)are　investigating　all　phases　of　human　conduct

　　D)are　eliminating　the　problems　of　individual　rationalism