第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分;满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出最佳选项。
A
Mr.Brozina is a single father and an elementary school librarian who reads aloud for a living.When his daughter, Kristen, hit fourth grade, he proposed The Streak: to see if they could read together for 100 straight bedtimes without missing once.
When The Streak reached 100, they celebrated with a pancake breakfast, and Kristen whispered, "I think we should try for 1,000 nights."
Mr.Brozina was delighted, but what he was thinking was, a thousand nights?! "I thought, we'll never do it," he recalled."And then we got to 1,000, and we said, 'How can we stop?' "
For 3,218 nights (and some mornings, if Mr.Brozina was coming home too late to read).The Streak went on.It progressed from picture books to middle-school classics to Harry Potter, Agatha Christie, Dickens and Shakespeare, continuing on, until Kristen's first day of college.
In those nine-plus years, they survived many close calls.When Kristen was still in elementary school, her father went to Washington."The phone rang at 10:45 at the hotel and it was Kristen," Mr.Brozina recalled."She said, 'Dad, we forgot The Streak!' Fortunately, I always traveled with several books and we read right then and there."
This spring, Kristen graduated from Rowan' University.She has performed as you'd expect for a product of The Streak, an English major with a 3.94 average.She also won two national writing contests, was an editor of the humor arid literary publications and won the annual English department award.
56.According to the passage, Mr.Brozina and his daughter read together for __________.
A.100 bedtimes B.1000 nights
C.over nine years D.nearly 3000 nights and some mornings
57.In the passage, the underlined phrase in Paragraph I probably means _____.
A.the period of time for reading together B.the children's book
C.the special night C.the school work
58.How has Kristen benefited from reading with her father?
A.She has grown closer to her father.
B.She has become a school librarian herself.
C.She has performed well at university.
D.She has won many reading awards.
59.This passage is about a father who _____.
A.is very strict in his work B.enjoys reading when travelling
C.makes his daughter love reading D.has a hard time bringing up his daughter
The world is not only hungry, but it is also thirsty for water.This may seem strange to you,since nearly 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water.But about 97 percent of this huge amount is sea water, or salt water.Man can only drink and use the other 3 percent-the fresh water from rivers,lakes,underground,and other sources.And we cannot even use all of that,because some of it is in the form of icebergs and glacier.Even worse,some of it has been polluted.
However,as things stand today, this small amount of fresh water is still enough for us.But our need for water is increasing rapidly-almost day by day.Only if we take steps to deal with this problem now can we avoid a severe worldwide water shortage later on.
We all have to learn how to stop wasting our valuable water.One of the first steps is to develop ways of reusing it.
Today in most large cities,water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system.From there it returns to the sea or runs into underground storage tanks.But it is possible to pipe used water to a purifying plant.There it can be treated with chemicals so that it can be used again,just as if it were fresh from a spring.
But even if every large city purified and reused its water,we still would not have enough.All we'd have to do make use of the vast reserves of sea water in the world is to remove the salt.
If we take these steps we'll be in no danger of drying up.
56.The world is thirsty for water because we can only usepercent of the water covering the surface of the earth.
A.3 B.more than 3 C.less than 3 D.97
57.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A.As things remain unchanging,this small amount of fresh water is still enough for us.
B.Our need for water is becoming larger and larger.
C.There will be no water shortage in the future.
D.We should take steps to deal with the water shortage problem.
58.To reuse water, we should .
A.treat it with chemicals B.use it only once
C.send it out into a sewer system D.make it flow into underground tanks
59.In order to have enough water.we should also make use of.
A.icebergs and glaciers B.sea water
C.rivers and lakes D.underground water
.
Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson?Perhaps yes.Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour.
The gene comes in two versions,one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans.The other
is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans,researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the
latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebrafish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment(色素)gene into a young fish.As with humans,zebrafish skin colour is determined by pigment cells,which contain melanosomes (黑色素).The number,size and
darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.
It appears that,like the golden zebrafish,light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation(变异)in the gene for melanosome production.This results in less pigmented skin.
However,Keith Cheng,leader of the research team,points out that the mutation is different in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-
violet rays of the sun(太阳光紫外线),which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes,they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D.So the related gene changes,according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans,so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colour,said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer.It also could lead to
research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.
72.The passage mainly tells us that_________.
A.people can not change their skin colour without any pain
B.the new discovery could lead to search into ways to change skin colour safely
C.pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin colour as he liked
D.scientists have found out that people’s skin colour is determined by the gene
73.It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
A.nowadays people who want to change their skin colour have to suffer a lot from the damage caused by the chemical treatment
B.Europeans and Africans have the same gene
C.the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer
D.there are two kinds of genes
74.Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra fish in order to_________.
A.find the different genes of humans’
B.prove the humans’ skin colour is determined by the pigment gene
C.find out the reason why the Africans’skin colour is dark
D.find out the ways of changing people’s skin colour
75.The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that_________.
A.they are born light-skinned people
B.light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gene for melanosome production
C.they have fewer activities outside
D.they pay much attention to protecting their skin
.
Our spiritual intelligence quotient,or SQ,helps us understand ourselves,and live fuller,
happier lives.
While we’re all born with SQ,most of us don’t even realize that we have it.Fortunately,you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ.Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly.The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude(独处)and
silence.To tune in to your spirit,you have to turn down the volume in your busy,noisy,complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all.Start small by creating islands for silence in
your day.In the car,instead of reading or doing something else,use the time to think.At work,
shut the door to our office between meetings,take a few breaths and let them out very,very slowly.Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside.For many people,nature sets their spirit free.Go outside to watch a beautiful
sunset.If you are walking with your dog,take the time to admire flowers in bloom;follow the flight of birds;watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself.Ask open-ended questions,such as “What am I feeling?” “What are my choices?”or “Where am I heading?” But don’t expect an answer to arrive through some
supernatural form or e-mail.“Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question,”says Reverend Joan Carter,a Presbyterian(长老会的)minister in Sausalito,California.“But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(视角)I never considered before.”
Trust Your Spirit.While most of us rely on gut feeling(本能的反应)to realize danger,spiritual intelligence pushes us,not away from,but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.
68.The passage is mainly about_________.
A.what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit your life
B.what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved
C.the relationship between your SQ and your life
D.advantages and disadvantages of SQ
69.The underlined phrase “tune in to your spirit” in the third paragraph probably means______.
A.get your spirit relaxed B.keep up your spirit
C.keep seated quietly D.change your spirit
70.The author mentions the example of Reverend Joan Carter to show that_________.
A.there are no immediate answers to your questions
B.e-mails can’t keep working out a problem
C.the more questions you ask,the better answers you’ll get
D.changing your way of thinking might help you solve a problem
71.From the passage,we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is________.
A.a peaceful mind B.deep thought
C.spare time and hobbies D.good spirits
.
Cities of Tomorrow
Middle school students combine science and imagination as they celebrate National Engineers
Week in a Future City Competition.
In the African city of Mwinda,floating farms are quite common.The city’s residents zip around in hydrogen-powered hover(盘旋的)vehicles,and renewable energy resources provide the city’s power.That’s how Jake Bowers,12,Emily Ponti,14,and Krisha Sherburne,12,imagined their future city.
The students,who attend St.Thomas More School in Baton Rouge,Louisiana,took first place
for their design last week in the 2007 National Engineer Week Future City Competition held in
Washington,D.C.The students won a trip to the U.S Space Camp in Huntsville,Alabam.
Kids from 35 middle schools across the country made it to Washington.They had teamed up
with teachers and volunteer engineer mentors(顾问,导师)to develop cities.Each team began by
creating a fictional city on SimCity 3000,a computer game that allows players to construct towns.
The students then built a tabletop model of the city,wrote an essay and presented their creation to a
panel(专门小组) of judges.This year’s theme asked students to design fuel cell powered
communities.Fuel cell technology works by using hydrogen and oxygen to produce power.The
process is environmentally friendly.
Organizers hope the competition provides a fun and educational way to spark young people’s
interest in engineering.“As the number of graduates in engineering(decreases),it’s ever more
important to encourage students to build these skills at an early age,”says John Hofmeister,
President of Shell Oill Company.Shell is a sponsor of the annual Future City contest.Judging by
this year’s competition,plenty of kids are getting the message.Some 30,000 students from more
than 1,000 schools participated in the 2006 -2007 Future City Competition.
64.What is not imagined in the three teenagers’ mind for their future city?
A.Hydrogen-powered hover vehicles.
B.The city’s power provided by renewable energy resources.
C.Floating farms.
D.Oxygen-powered floating factories.
65.Which statement is True according to the passage?
A.St.Thomas More School in Baton Rouge is in Alabama.
B.The 2007 National Engineer Week Future City Competition was held in Lounisiana.
C.The students who took first place for their design won a trip to U.S.Space Camp in
Huntsville.
D.The U.S Space Camp lies in Washington,D,C..
66.Kids from 35 middle schools_________.
A.could use computers to help them construct their future cities
B.created a real city on Simcity 3000
C.teamed up on their own to develop cities
D.built a tabletop model of the city and presented it to their teachers for judgment
67.It can be inferred that the 2006 -07 Future City Competition_________.
A.will spark young people’s interest in living in Space Camp
B.will decrease the number of graduates in engineering
C.will encourage college students to build engineering skills after their graduation
D.was participated in by 30 students on average in each school
.
Dear Customers,
I love slipping into a comfortable chair for a long read —as I relax into the chair,I also relax
into the author’s words,stories,and ideas.The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into
the background,and what remains is the author’s world.
Today,we at Amazon are excited to announce Mindle,a wireless,portable reading device with instant access to more than 90,000 books,magazines,and newspapers.
We’ve been working on Mindle for more than three years.Our top design objective was for
Mindle to disappear in your hands —to get out of the way —so you can enjoy your reading.We
also wanted to go beyond the physical book.Mindle is wireless,so whether you’re lying in bed or riding a train,you can think of a book,and have it in less than 60 seconds.No computer is needed—you do your reading directly from the device.
We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones.But unlike mobile
phones,there are no monthly wireless bills,no service or data plans,and no yearly contracts.There
is no software to install.We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology.
Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper.Sharp and natural with no strong
light,reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen.Mindle weighs only 10.3
ounces —less than a paperback —but can carry two hundred books.
Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks!
60.This passage most probably is a(n)_________.
A.advertisement B.news story C.lab report D.letter of thanks
61.From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device(设备)which.
A.has neither wires nor weight B.is operated by a computer
C.disappears while you read D.can find a book within one minute
62.With the device,the reader is able to.
A.enjoy reading when driving a car B.improve reading skills
C.gain access to free software D.get rid of heavy books made of paper
63.Different from mobile phones,Mindle_________.
A.has a much more friendly screen B.can work in the absence of electricity
C.doesn’t involve regular fees D.is wireless and can be used anywhere