Modern weapons were used in the Civil War.()
Modern weapons were used in the Civil War.()
Modern weapons were used in the Civil War.()
Historian John Keegan writes: “Nuclear weapons have, since August 9, 1945, killed no one. The 50,000,000 who have died in war since that date have for the most part, been killed by cheap, mass-produced weapons and small ammunition, costing little more than the transistor radios which have flooded the world in the same period. Because small weapons have disrupted life very little in the advanced world, outside the restricted localities where drug-dealing and political terrorism flourish, the populations of the rich states have been slow to recognize the horror that this pollution has brought in its train.
Why have small arms become the weapons of choice in recent wars? Part of the reason lies in the relationship between conflict and poverty. Most of the wars fought during the 1990s took place in countries that are poor----too poor to buy sophisticated weapon systems. Small arms and light weapons are a bargain. For example, 50 million dollars, which is approximately the cost of a single modern jet fighter, can equip an army with 200,000 assault rifles.
Another reason why small weapons are so popular is that they are lethal. A single rapid-fire assault rifle can fire hundreds of rounds a minute. They are also easy to use and maintain. A child of ten can be taught to strip and reassemble a typical assault rifle. A child can also quickly learn to aim and fire that rifle into a crowd of people.
The global traffic in guns is complex. The illegal trade of small arms is big. In some African wars, paramilitary groups have bought billions of dollars’ worth of small arms and light weapons, not with money, but with diamonds seized from diamond-mining areas.
Weapons are also linked to the illegal trade in drugs. It is not unusual for criminal organizations to use the same routes to smuggle drugs in one direction and to smuggle guns in the other.
11. It is implied in the passage that _____.
A、the nuclear arms-control talks can never reach an agreement
B、small arms-control is more important than nuclear arms-control
C、the power of nuclear weapons to kill people has been diminished
D、unclear weapons were the topic of arms-control talks 50 years ago
12. The advanced world neglect the problems of small arms because ____.
A、They have to deal with drug-dealing and political terrorism.
B、They have no such problems as are caused by small weapons.
C、They face other more important problems such as pollution.
D、They have not recognized the seriousness of the problems in time.
13. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as the reason for the prevalence of small arms?
A、Small arms are cheap.
B、Small arms are powerful.
C、Small arms are easier to use.
D、Small arms are easier to get.
14. We can conclude from the passage that _____.
A、small arms are not expensive in the black-market
B、it is unfair to exchange small arms for diamond
C、criminals use the same passage to smuggle drugs and small arms
D、where there are drugs, there are small arms
15. The best title for this passage is _____.
A、Small Arms Talks, Not Nuclear Arms Talks.
B、Neglect of Small Arms Control.
C、Global Traffic in Small Arms.
D、Small Arms, Big Problems.
What kind of weapons did people have when the battles were fought in 1775?
A.Primitive but fatal.
B.Advanced.
C.Ineffective.
D.With short range.
A.cell phones
B.weapons
C.alcohol
D.drugs
A.Y
B.N
C.NG
"The finding” in the second paragraph refers to______.
A.Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that could be deployed within 45 minutes
B.British intelligence officers were wrong
C.Iraq had no deployable chemical or biological weapons
D.nothing will ever be found in Iraq
A.an early human civilization once existed along the old river banks
B.ancient people didn't know how to make weapons
C.most species of animals in Sahara have disappeared
D.early humans were good at fighting with sharp weapons
Which of the following is not true?
A.Nuclear weapons were invented in the 20th century.
B.The Soviet Union created a biological weapon resistant to drugs.
C.DNA and the genetic code will be used to create weapons.
D.Scientists have found a type of indestructible bacterium.
The Roman roads at first were built for ______.
A.connecting the cities within the country
B.moving soldiers and weapons around
C.transporting goods within the country
D.amusing travelers and traders
A.latter
B.latest
C.later
D.last
What does Dr. Kay believe?
A.The Bush administration is justified to launch military operations in Iraq.
B.Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have not been found yet.
C.Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were destroyed during the Gulf War.
D.Iraq destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction in the 1990's.