第二部分阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列四篇短文,从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A
The Greenbelt, a wide belt of open land around the cities and towns of the San Francisco Bay Area, includes about 3.75 million of the Bay Area’s 4.5 million acres. The Bay Area Greenbelt is one of the largest areas of open land in any U.S. urban area. Open land is land that has few buildings and lots of natural areas. The Greenbelt’s open land includes parks, forests, beaches, and more than 8,500 farms.
What are the advantages of the Greenbelt?
The Greenbelt has many advantages for people in the Bay Area, which include:
walking and biking areas close to the cities and towns;
places for wild plants and animals;
cleaner air and water; and
income from farms.
Is the Greenbelt in danger?
Five hundred seventy thousand acres of the Greenbelt are in danger. There are builders who want to build suburbs on them. If those acres become suburbs, many things will change:
the urban and suburban area will almost double;
many farms will disappear;
traffic will become worse; and
the air will become dirtier.
What is Greenbelt Alliance (联盟)?
Greenbelt Alliance, an organization that saves land in the San Francisco Bay Area, works alone and with other groups to save the Greenbelt in four ways:
Try to persuade people to build new buildings on land that is already urban, not on open land.
Make sure that the city and town governments are all making plans to save the Greenbelt.
Help Bay Area towns and cities to buy pieces of open land to make into natural areas.
Teach people in the Bay Area why the Greenbelt is important and what they can do to help save it.
46. What can we learn about the Greenbelt from the first paragraph?
A. The Greenbelt is the largest open land in the United States.
B. The Greenbelt covers much more than half of the Bay Area.
C. There are few farms on the open land of the Greenbelt.
D. There are more than 8,500 natural areas on the Greenbelt.
47. One of the advantages of the Greenbelt for people in the Bay Area is __________.
A. convenience for exercise B. income from sightseeing
C. cleaner city streets D. more plants and animals
48. The Greenbelt is in danger because __________.
A. traffic is getting worse B. some plan to build suburbs on it
C. the suburban area has doubled D. pollution is becoming serious
49. Which of the following is TRUE about Greenbelt Alliance?
A. It builds new buildings on open land.
B. It buys large open land for the Bay Area.
C. It educates people how to save the Greenbelt.
D. It helps the city governments make plans.
Can you believe your eyes? A recent experiment suggests that the answer to that question may depend on your age.
Martin Doherty, a psychologist at the University of Stirling in Scotland, led the team of scientists. In this experiment, Doherty and his team tested the perception(观察力) of some people, using pictures of some orange circles. The researchers showed the same pictures to two groups of people. The first group included 151 children aged 4 to 10, and the second group included 24 adults aged 18 to 25.
The first group of pictures showed two circles alone on a white background. One of the circles was larger than the other, and these people were asked to identify the larger one. Four-year-olds identified the correct circle 79 percent of the time. Adults identified the correct circle 95 percent of the time.
Next, both groups were shown a picture where the orange circles, again of different sizes, were surrounded by gray circles. Here’s where the trick lies in. In some of the pictures, the smaller orange circle was surrounded by even smaller gray circles — making the orange circle appear larger than the other orange circle, which was the real larger one. And the larger orange circle was surrounded by even bigger gray circles — so it appeared to be smaller than the real smaller orange circle.
When young children aged 4 to 6 looked at these tricky pictures, they weren’t fooled—they were still able to find the bigger circle with roughly the same accuracy as before. Older children and adults, on the other hand, did not do as well. Older children often identified the smaller circle as the larger one, and adults got it wrong most of the time.
As children get older, Doherty said, their brains may develop the ability to identify visual context. In other words, they will begin to process the whole picture at once: the tricky gray circles, as well as the orange circle in the middle. As a result, they’re more likely to fall for this kind of visual trick.Doherty and his team of scientists did an experiment to evaluate .
A.children’s and adults’ eye-sight |
B.people’s ability to see accurately |
C.children’s and adults’ brains |
D.the influence of people’s age |
When asked to find the larger circle,________.
A.children at 6 got it wrong 79 % of the time with no gray ones around |
B.only adults over 18 got it right 95% of the time with gray ones around |
C.children at 4 got it right about 79 % of the time with gray ones around |
D.adults got it right most of the time with gray ones around |
According to the passage, we can know that________.
A.a smaller orange circle appears bigger on a white background |
B.an orange circle appears bigger than a gray one of the same size |
C.a circle surrounded by other circles looks bigger than its real size |
D.a circle surrounded by bigger ones looks smaller than its real size |
Visual context may work when children get older than________.
A.4 | B.6 | C.10 | D.18 |
Why are younger children not fooled?
A.Because they are smarter than older children and adults. |
B.Because older people are influenced by their experience. |
C.Because people’s eyes become weaker as they grow older. |
D.Because their brain can hardly notice related things together. |
Can you imagine traveling to work in a one – man submarine? Some scientists believe that some day one – man submarines will be as many as automobiles are today.A famous French driver says, “One day soon, men will walk on the ocean floor as they do on the street!” Perhaps during your lifetime people will travel, and live in the sea.
If human beings want to live in the ocean, many human problems will need to be studied first.
Some of these problems, similar to those of living in outer space, are pressure, lack of oxygen and weightlessness. Many questions are still unanswered.For example, can our blood make itself fit for underwater surroundings? What will happen to our muscle if we live in the water very long? Scientists are looking for answers.
Perhaps in the future man will live in the sea, away from the crowded and noisy cities on land.Then sea has plenty of space, not only for floating living buildings and parks, but also for storing supplies and for underwater travel.
Some scientists believe that ocean living will benefit man in more than physical ways. In the freedom and beauty of the deep sea, man may find new sources of joy.What can we do if we live in the ocean? ()
A.We can have plenty of oxygen. |
B.We can be fit to live in the water very well. |
C.We needn’t worry about things like weightlessness. |
D.We can travel and work in the sea. |
Why do some people hope to leave cities to live in the sea? Because_____. ()
A.people think they can live crowdedly in the sea |
B.people wish to go the quiet seafloor to travel for several days |
C.people want to break away from the crowded and noisy cities where they live now |
D.only in this way can people get rid of noise pollution |
In what ways could ocean living be helpful for man? ( )
A.People can swim freely as much as possible. |
B.People can be interested in the new pleasure there isn’t anywhere else. |
C.The sea can supply people with enough foods and other things, so people needn’t work. |
D.People can go boating and go to the park as often as possible. |
Which of the following is the similar problem as that of living in outer space? ( )
A.We are short of oxygen. |
B.We are not familiar with the underwater surrounding. |
C.We may die of weightlessness. |
D.We can finds new joys. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? ( )
A.The scientists have not solved the problem of weightlessness underwater. |
B.The scientists have solved the problem of weightlessness when man live in space. |
C.Some scientists believe that ocean living will benefit man in no more than physical ways. |
D.Sea has plenty of space only for floating living buildings and parks. |
English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary—perhaps as many as two million words.
However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no eggs in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes ( 探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural(复数形式) of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be teeth? One goose, two geese—so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a flat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects( 反映) the creativity of human beings. That’ why, when stars are invisible. And why , when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.According to the passage ______.
A.sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things |
B.there should be an egg in an eggplant |
C.pineapples are the apples on the pine tree |
D.boxing rings should be round |
Which of the following is the correct plural?
A.Beeth | B.Greese | C.Meese | D.Tooth |
Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?
A.A wise man and a wise guy | B.Overlook and oversee |
C.Quite a lot and quite a few. | D.Hot as hell and cold as hell. |
The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “___”.
A.blow | B.roll up | C.get hurt | D.finish |
Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are _______.
A.clever | B.crazy | C.lazy | D.dull |
There is no doubt that music plays a powerful role in our lives. It can calm our tired nerves after a busy day of work. Music even has the power to move us to tears when it stirs(激起) an emotional reaction. How then, does music play a role in special education?
If music has the ability to touch those hidden places we all carry inside, it proves an important tool for the special education teacher. For students with emotional problems, music can help soothe(抚慰) sadness. Consider the child that arrives in class depressed and upset. If music can indeed relax and calm him, he is more likely to focus and participate in class.
Dr. R. Joseph, author of Behavioral Neurology, writes, “It is well recorded that patients with left hemisphere(大脑半球) damage, who may be unable to speak or recognize words, can sing a melody(曲调).”
For this reason, some special education teachers have found it helpful to set their lessons to music. When students cannot understand or remember certain things, singing them helps make it easier.
Nature magazine reported “Music training helps underachievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became ‘text-arts’groups, receiving ongoing music training. After seven months, the students were given a test. The tested group had caught up with their fellow students in reading and surpassed(超过) their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second year of the project, the tested students widened this even further. Students were also tested on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers also noted improvement in these areas.”
It seems music does, indeed, play an important role in education. For the special education teacher, this is especially encouraging.The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
A.the role of music in education |
B.the importance of music in life |
C.the relationship between music and work results |
D.the relationship between music and behavior |
For students with emotional problems, music might be _______.
A.a toy | B.a punishment | C.a medicine | D.a puzzle |
According to Dr. R. Joseph, people with left hemisphere damage _______.
A.are unable to recognize people |
B.can produce some musical sounds |
C.can become special education teachers |
D.might suffer right hemisphere damage too |
The tested students mentioned in the fifth paragraph _______.
A.behaved badly after the study |
B.Didn’t show any difference after the study |
C.had done well in their reading and math before |
D.received certain music education during the study |
What is the text mainly about?
A.The meaning of special education. |
B.The history of music education. |
C.The problem in music education. |
D.The role of music in special education |
I was packed and ready to leave for my two days’ trip. My mind had been filled with work and with so many small things to deal with. As I got into the car to leave, my thoughts turned to my children. I’d been preparing for the trip for the last few days, and now I’d be away for a few days.
How to keep in touch with your kids during busy time is often a father’s problem. Men tend to focus on one thing extremely well for long periods, but this can lead to trouble. Shifting(移开) from work to your family life isn't always the easiest thing to do. And if you don’t show your kids that you’re thinking about them, they may think that you are not.
As I started down the road, I suddenly stopped the car and turned around. I drove back to my house, found a couple of cards, and wrote a short message to each of my children. I put each in a “secret” place where I knew they’d find it.
When I called the next night, it was clear that they’d received the cards. “Daddy, I got your card,” they both said excitedly. “When did you do that?”
My heart was warmed when I heard this. It was such a small thing. But it had a big impact(影响) on my kids. It was their “proof” that I was thinking about them. And it was encouragement for me to continue to do the small things that have a big impact. From the passage we can infer that the author thinks a father should _____
_.
A.care for his kids, no matter how busy he is |
B.have a big impact on his kids |
C.spend some time playing with his kids |
D.stay at home as long as possible |
Before leaving for the trip the author considered ________.
A.preparing some food for the trip |
B.buying some nice gifts for his children |
C.doing something to show his concern for his kids |
D.telling his children to be careful at home |
The author’s kids were excited when they answered the phone because _______.
A.their father had thought highly of them |
B.they had found the cards from their father |
C.they had done ![]() |
D.their father told them he would be back soon |
What does the underlined word “that” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A.Packing luggage. |
B.Reaching the hotel. |
C.Writing short messages. |
D.Going back home. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.All for the children |
B.Play with your children |
C.A father and his kids |
D.Show love to your kids |