Question

If you and your friends wish to share a secret, you can write it in code, and no one else will be able to read it. Codes are one way of writing in secret. Ciphers (暗碼) are another. In a code each word is written as a secret code word or a code number. In a cipher each letter is changed.

Codes and ciphers have played an important role in the history of the world. Julius Caesar, the Roman ruler who defeated almost all the countries in Europe about 2,000 years ago, used a cipher when he sent secret messages to his troops. During the American Revolution, George Washington's spies used a kind of code to send his information about the enemy before his military action. In World War II, the Americans“broke”or figured out Japan's most important navy codes and got enough information to destroy a powerful Japanese fleet.

Storekeepers use codes to mark their goods. The codes show how much is paid for the goods or when they are added to the stock. Businessmen use codes to hide plans from their business enemies. Sometimes personal letters or diaries are written in code. Many people enjoy figuring out codes and ciphers simply as a hobby.

In the 16th century, codes and ciphers were very popular among scientists. They wrote messages to each other in code so that no one else would learn their secrets. Geronimo Gardano, an Italian astrologer (占星家), mathematician, and doctor, invented the trellis cipher. He took two sheets of paper and cut exactly the same holes in each one. Then he sent one sheet, which he called a trellis, to a friend and kept the other for himself. Whenever he wanted to write a message, he put his trellis over a clean sheet of paper and wrote the secret message through the holes. There he removed the trellis and filled the rest of the paper with words that would make sense. When his friend received it, he put his trellis over the writing and read the secret message.

1.The best title of this passage would be________.

A. Codes and ciphers

B. Differences between codes and ciphers

C. History of codes and ciphers

D. Inventors of codes and ciphers

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Ciphers can be broken or figured out more easily than codes.

B. You could read some words in Geronimo’s letter without his trellis.

C. The first person who ever used a cipher in history was Julius Caesar.

D. Fondness of using codes was the hobby of the scientists in the 1600s.

3.According to Geronimo Gardano, a trellis is ________.

A. a piece of paper with many small holes

B. a secret message with a lot of small holes

C. a letter with unreadable words and sentences

D. a sheet of paper with groups of Arabic figures

4.It is NOT mentioned in the passage that codes and ciphers are used for the purpose of ________.

A. military affairs

B. commercial secrets

C. scientific achievements

D. personal enjoyment

 

Answer 1

1.A

2.B

3.A

4.C

【解析】

試題分析：文章介紹了一些有關(guān)代碼和暗碼的故事。如果你想和朋友分享一個秘密，你可以使用代碼來給信件加密。這樣的話，其他人就無法看懂你要表達(dá)的意思了。代碼是一種加密的方法，暗碼則是另一種。使用代碼寫的內(nèi)容，里面的每個詞都是一個代碼詞或一個代碼編號。在暗碼中，每個字母都做了改動。

1.Codes are one way of writing in secret. Ciphers (暗碼) are another. In a code each word is written as a secret code word or a code number. In a cipher each letter is changed.”和第二段“Codes and ciphers have played an important role in the history of the world.”及最后一段“In the 16th century, codes and ciphers were very popular among scientists.”可知，文章主要講的是代碼和暗碼，故選A。

2.There he removed the trellis and filled the rest of the paper with words that would make sense.”可知，Geronimo會在空白的地方寫上含有具體意思的話語，然而，Geronimo真正想表達(dá)的意思被隱藏起來了。說明人們可以直接看懂信件上的話語，但那并非Geronimo真正想要表達(dá)的意思，故選B。

3.He took two sheets of paper and cut exactly the same holes in each one. Then he sent one sheet, which he called a trellis”可知，a trellis指的是有很多小孔的紙張，故選A。

4.used a cipher when he sent secret messages to his troops...spies used a kind of code to send his information...the Americans“broke”or figured out Japan's most important navy codes”可知，第二段講的是代碼用于軍事上，排除A；根據(jù)第三段“Storekeepers use codes to mark their goods.”可知，代碼被用于商業(yè)中，排除B；根據(jù)最后一段“They wrote messages to each other in code so that no one else would learn their secrets.”可知，科學(xué)家喜歡使用代碼給信件加密，排除D；科學(xué)成就一般都是公開的，故選C。

考點：歷史類短文閱讀