六、阅读理解 (20分)
A
Mark Twain tells a boy’s story in The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. Huck is a poor child, without a mother or home. His father drinks too much alcohol and always beats him.
Huck’s situation has freed him from the restriction of society. He explores in the woods and goes fishing. He stays out all night and does not go to school. He smokes.
Huck runs away from home. He meets Jim, a black man who has escaped from slavery(奴隶制). They travel together on a raft(木筏) made of wood down the Mississippi River.
Mark twain started writing “Huckleberry Finn” as a children’s story. But it soon became serious. The story tells about the social evil of slavery, seen through the eyes of an innocent child. Huck’s ideas about people were formed by the white society in which he lived. So, at first, he does not question slavery.Huck knows that important people believe slavery is natural, the law of God. So, he thinks it is his duty to tell Jim’s owners where to find him.
Later, Huck comes to understand that Jim is a good man. He finds he cannot carry out his plan to inform Jim’s owners of his whereabouts(下落). Instead, he decides to help Jim escape. He decides to do this, even if God punished him.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The outline (概要) of The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn.
B. The childhood of Huckleberry.
C. The reason why Mark Twain wrote the story.
D. The effect of slavery.
The underlined word “restriction” probably means _________.
A. something that you are expected to do.
B. something that you are not allowed to do.
C. something that you are able to do.
D. something that you look forward to.
3. The underlined expression “he does not question slavery” means that ________.
A. he is sure about everything of slavery.
B. he has no question to ask the owner of the slaves.
C. he thinks that slavery is reasonable.
D. he believes that slavery is wrong.
4. What can he inferred from the text?
A. Huck is a white boy.
B. Huck’s childhood is a reflection(反映) of that of Mark Twain’s.
C. It ’s Huck’s situation that makes him decide to travel with Jim.
D. Huck will be punished by God for what he does.
5. Why does Huck change his mind at last?
A. He has made friends with Jim.
B. He finds out the weakness of slavery.
C. God tells him to do so.
D. He finds that Jim is a good man
Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3,000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local，state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
Governments strongly support charter schools as a way to reorganize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study，which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse in math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand more student progress.If a private company wants to operate a charter school，it must ________.
| A．try new methods of teaching |
| B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey all local and state laws |
| D．get the government's permission |
Charter schools are independent because ________.
| A．they make greater progress |
| B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom |
| D．they oppose traditional ways |
What's the governments' attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Supportive. |
| C．Subjective. |
| D．Optimistic. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools. |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools. |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated. |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．charter schools are part of the public education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败)of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power.The Bastille had been a prison ______.
| A．since the time of Charles V |
| B．since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
| C．before the seventeenth century |
| D．since 1370 |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
| B．The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
| C．Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
| D．Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
| A．a large number of prisoners |
| B．a lot of writers who had been against the government |
| C．some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
| D．only a few prisoners |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
| B．Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
| C．All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
| D．At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
This passage mainly ______.
| A．tells how the prisoners were controlled by the King |
| B．tells how little was known about the Bastille |
| C．shows the inner workings of the Bastille |
| D．gives a brief history of the Bastille |
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks throughout the world today. In fact, according to some estimates, over 30% of all adults in the world drink coffee at least once a day on the average. Coffee contains a kind of drug called caffeine. Caffeine is a chemical that stimulates (刺激) the nerves of the body. Drinking coffee tends to make people a little bit more awake―at least for a short time―because of this stimulating effect on the nervous system. A cup of coffee has, on the average, about 3% caffeine in it.
One story of the discovery of the coffee plant relates to this effect of caffeine. According to the story, coffee was discovered in East Africa. The story says that coffee was first found by a goat farmer named Kaldi. This was about the year 850. Kaldi was leading his animals through the mountains and the goats were stopping repeatedly to eat the plants near the path. Suddenly, some of the goats started jumping up and down in a very strange way. Kaldi figured out that the goats were acting this way because of the plants they were eating. Kaldi himself tried eating some of the green beans (豆荚) that the goats had been eating. He, too, felt the stimulating effect of the beans. Kaldi wanted to prove what had happened, so he picked some of the beans and took them back to the village, where he told his story.
The green bean got the name "Kaffa" and later "coffee" because the beans were discovered in a place called Kaffa in Africa. Then for years, people used to eat a few of the green Kaffa beans when they were in the mountains and needed extra energy to do their work. It was later found that the coffee beans could be picked and then dried until they turned brown, and then they could be stored. If the beans were dried and stored, they could be used at any time.What is the purpose of drinking coffee?
| A．To become more awake. | B．To become more healthy. |
| C．To become more happy. | D．To become more clever. |
How did the goats react after eating the plants?
| A．They fell asleep. |
| B．They could not find their way home. |
| C．They started jumping up and down. |
| D．They wanted to eat more. |
Why did the green bean get the name "Kaffa"?
| A．Because Kaldi loved his home village very much. |
| B．Because Kaldi's goats loved the green bean very much. |
| C．Because the beans were discovered in a place by this name. |
| D．Because the beans could be picked and dried. |
When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles' parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom's act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom's house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored(发起) "Tom Thumb" weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.The underlined words "Talk of the town" means________.
| A．it was in the newspaper |
| B．it was the most popular topic |
| C．people spread bad rumors about it |
| D．it was discussed in a city meeting |
What does the author think about Tom's wedding?
| A．Tom and Lavinia were stupid. |
| B．People gave it too much of their attention. |
| C．It was funny and ridiculous. |
| D．It helped people cheer up in a dark time. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine. |
| B．People are always disappointed during war time. |
| C．Entertainment can serve an important purpose. |
| D．People should be married when they are small children. |
Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life as a process of getting. It was not until in my late thirties that I made this important discovery: giving-away makes life so much more exciting. You need not worry if you lack money.
This is how I experimented with giving-away. If an idea for improving the window display of a neighborhood store flashes to me, I step in and make the suggestion to the storekeeper. One discovery I made about giving-away is that it is almost impossible to give away anything in this world without getting something back, though the return often comes in all unexpected form.
One Sunday morning, the local post office delivered an important special delivery letter to my home, though it was addressed to me at my office. I wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation. More than a year later I needed a post-office box for a new business I was starting. I was told at the window that there were no boxes left, and that my name would have to go on a long waiting list. As I was about to leave, the postmaster appeared in the doorway. He had overheard(无意中听到)our conversation. "Wasn’t it you that wrote us that letter a year ago about delivering a special delivery to your home?" I said yes. "Well, you certainly are going to have a box in this post office if we have to make one for you. You don’t know what a letter like that means to us. We usually get nothing but complaints."From the passage, we understand that _____.
| A．the author did not understand the importance of giving until he was in late thirties |
| B．the author was like most people who were mostly receivers rather than givers |
| C．the author received the same education as most people during his childhood |
| D．the author liked most people as they looked upon life as a process of getting |
According to the author, _____.
| A．giving means you will lack money |
| B．the excitement of giving can bring you money |
| C．you don’t have to be rich in order to give |
| D．when you give away money, you will be rich |
The author would make the suggestion to the storekeeper _____.
| A．in writing | B．in person |
| C．in the window display | D．about the neighborhood |
When the author needed a post-office box, _____.
| A．he had put his name on a waiting list |
| B．he wrote the postmaster a note of appreciation |
| C．many people had applied for post-office boxes before him |
| D．he asked the postmaster to make one for him |