Have you ever wondered what our future is like?Practically all people _1_ a desire to predict their future _2_.Most people seem inclined to _3_ this task using causal reasoning.First we _4_ recognize that future circumstances are _5_ caused or conditioned by present ones.We learn that getting an education will _6_ how much money we earn later and that swimming beyond the reef may bring an unhappy _7_ with a shark.Second,people also learn that such _8_ of cause and effect are probabilistic(可能的) in nature.That is,the effects occur more often when the causes occur than when the causes are _9_, but not always.Thus,students learn that studying hard _10_ good grades in most instances,but not every time.Science makes these concepts of causality and probability more _11_ and provides techniques for dealing _12_ then more accurately than does causal human inquiry.In looking at ordinary human inquiry,we need to _13_ between prediction and understanding.Often,even if we don't understand why,we are willing to act _14_ the basis of a demonstrated predictive ability.Whatever the primitive drives _15_ motivate human beings,satisfying them depends heavily on the ability to_16_future circumstances.The attempt to predict is often played in a _17_ of knowledge and understanding.If you can understand why certain regular patterns _18_,you can predict better than if you simply observe those patterns.Thus,human inquiry aims _19_ answering both "what" and "why" question,and we pursue these _20_ by observing and figuring out.
1. [A]exhibit [B]exaggerate [C]examine [D]exceed
2. [A]contexts [B]circumstances [C]inspections [D]intuitions
3.[A]underestimate [B]undermine [C]undertake [D]undergo
4. [A]specially [B]particularly [C]always [D]generally
5. [A]somehow [B]somebody [C]someone [D]something
6. [A]enact [B]affect [C]reflect [D]inflect
7. [A]meeting [B]occurrence [C]encounter [D]contact
8. [A]patterns [B]designs [C]arrangements[D]pictures
9. [A]disappointde [B]absent [C]inadequate [D]absolute
10.[A]creates [B]produces [C]loses [D]protects
11.[A]obscure [B]indistinct [C]explicit [D]explosive
12.[A]for [B]at [C]in [D]with
13.[A]distinguish [B]distinct [C]distort [D]distract
14.[A]at [B]on [C]to [D]under
15.[A]why [B]how [C]that [D]where
16.[A]predict [B]produce [C]pretend [D]precede
17.[A]content [B]contact [C]contest [D]context
18.[A]happen [B]occur [C]occupy [D]incur
19.[A]at [B]on [C]to [D]beyond
20.[A]purposes [B]ambitions [C]drives [D]goals
参考答案及解析:
1.A 词义辨析 exhibit"展出，表现",exaggerate"夸张",exceed"超越，胜过" 原句意为：实际上，人们会对未来的生活怀有(展示出)一定的愿望。
2.B 词义辨析 context"上下文"，circumstance"环境"，inspection"检查，视察"，intuition"直觉"
3.C 词义辨析 underestimate"低估",undermine"破坏"，undertake"承担，担任",undergo"经历，遭受"。undertake a task为常见搭配，意为"开始进行一项任务"
4.D 词义辨析 选项C、D看似均可，但always显得有些武断。
5.A 篇章逻辑 somehow"不知何故，以某种方式"
6.B 词义辨析 enact"制定法律，颁布"，inflect"弯曲"
7.C 词义辨析 encounter指没有事先计划的、未料到的、短暂的相遇
8.A 词义辨析 pattern模式，式样;design设计，图案;第一段中提到过人们习惯用因果关系去推断，这是一种思考模式。
9.B 词义辨析 absent缺少的，不在的;inadequate不充分的;根据文中意思应选一个与occur意思相反的词。
10.B 词义辨析 create创造 produce产生，得到。原句意为学生知道努力学习在大多数情况下会得到高的分数。
11.C 词义辨析 obscure朦胧的，模糊的;indistinct不清楚的;explicit外在的，清楚地;explosive爆炸的;原句意为：科学使因果性和可能性的观念变的更加清楚
12.D 短语搭配 deal in经营 eg: He deals in a small shop. deal with处理，安排
13.A 词义辨析 distinguish区别，辨别;distinct清楚地，明显的;distort扭曲，歪曲;distract转移。distinguish between为常用搭配，意为"区别...和..."
14.B 短语搭配 on the basis of以...为基础
15.C 语法结构 drive在此为名词，意为“动力”，空格后部分是对drive进行修饰，关系代词that引导定语从句。
16.A 词义辨析 predict预言;pretend假装;precede在...之前
17.D 词义辨析 content内容;contact接触;contest争论，竞赛;context上下in the context of意为"在...情况下"
18.B 词义辨析 occur发生，出现;occupy占用，占领;incur招致
19.A 短语搭配 aim at瞄准，针对
20.D 词义辨析 purpose目的，以图;ambition野心;drive推动力;goal目的，目标。