题目

A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives(档案馆)by the FBI after being stolen twice."We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing," says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. "It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern(实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes," and the intern put the letter back. "The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it."Decades passed. Finally the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian's property.The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the region that would become Yellowstone National Park.The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. "It was luckily in good shape," says Kapsalis, "and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this. "Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s," says Kapsalis, "and we keep our high value documents in a safe that I don't even have access to."What happened to Darwin's letter in the 1970s?A.It was recovered by the FBI.B.It was stolen more than once.C.It was put in the archives for research purposes.D.It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?A.They proved its authenticity.B.They kept it in a special safe.C.They arrested the suspect immediately.D.They pressed criminal charges in vain.What is Darwin's letter about?A.The evolution of Yellowstone National Park.B.His cooperation with an American geologist.C.Some geological evidence supporting his theory.D.His acknowledgement of help from a professional.What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?A.Reserve it for research purposes only.B.Turn it into an object of high interest.C.Keep it a permanent secret.D.Make it available online.What has the past half century witnessed according to Kapsalis?A.Growing interest in rare art objects.B.Radical changes in archiving practices.C.Recovery of various missing documents.D.Increases in the value of museum exhibits.

A letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives(档案馆)by the FBI after being stolen twice.

"We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing," says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. "It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern(实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes," and the intern put the letter back. "The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it."

Decades passed. Finally the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian's property.

The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist, Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, for sending him copies of his research into the geology of the region that would become Yellowstone National Park.

The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. "It was luckily in good shape," says Kapsalis, "and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”

It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this. "Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s," says Kapsalis, "and we keep our high value documents in a safe that I don't even have access to."

What happened to Darwin's letter in the 1970s?

A.

It was recovered by the FBI.

B.It was stolen more than once.

C.It was put in the archives for research purposes.

D.It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.

What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?

A.They proved its authenticity.

B.They kept it in a special safe.

C.They arrested the suspect immediately.

D.They pressed criminal charges in vain.

What is Darwin's letter about?

A.The evolution of Yellowstone National Park.

B.His cooperation with an American geologist.

C.Some geological evidence supporting his theory.

D.His acknowledgement of help from a professional.

What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?

A.Reserve it for research purposes only.

B.Turn it into an object of high interest.

C.Keep it a permanent secret.

D.Make it available online.

What has the past half century witnessed according to Kapsalis?

A.Growing interest in rare art objects.

B.Radical changes in archiving practices.

C.Recovery of various missing documents.

D.Increases in the value of museum exhibits.

题目解答

答案

  • (1)
    B
  • (2)
    A
  • (3)
    D
  • (4)
    D
  • (5)
    B

解析

考查要点：本题主要考查学生对文章细节的理解、事实推理能力以及对文章主旨的概括能力。
解题思路：

  1. 定位关键信息：根据问题中的时间、人物、事件等关键词，快速定位文章相关段落。
  2. 区分干扰项：注意选项中可能与原文表述不完全一致的陷阱（如时间、动作主体的混淆）。
  3. 归纳主旨：结合文章整体内容，理解事件背后的意义（如存档管理的变化）。

破题关键：

  • 时间线索（如“in the mid-1970s”“decades passed”）帮助锁定事件发展。
  • 人物动作（如“stolen twice”“recovered”“authentic”）是解题的核心依据。

第（1）题

问题：What happened to Darwin's letter in the 1970s?
关键句：

  • “We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing... The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”
    解析：文章明确提到信件在1970年代被偷两次，因此选 B。

第（2）题

问题：What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?
关键句：

  • “The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian's property.”
    解析：FBI与档案馆合作确认信件真实且属于史密森尼，因此选 A。

第（3）题

问题：What is Darwin's letter about?
关键句：

  • “The letter was written by Darwin to thank an American geologist... for sending him copies of his research...”
    解析：信件内容是达尔文对地质学家帮助的感谢，因此选 D。

第（4）题

问题：What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?
关键句：

  • “After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online.”
    解析：档案馆计划将信件数字化并在线提供，因此选 D。

第（5）题

问题：What has the past half century witnessed according to Kapsalis?
关键句：

  • “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s...”
    解析：Kapsalis指出存档管理实践发生了巨大变化，因此选 B。