IV. 阅读理解（共15 小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从53—67中每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart. Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday - makers and other tourists.
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon. The next day this news appeared on Page Two of the town’s newspaper, The Beldon Post.
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom. The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire. We say again to all our visitors, "Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed." This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years.
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on Page One:
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel. An angry holiday-maker said, “ An electric lamp probably started the fire. The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels. When I turned the bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp.” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield.
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident. There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel 1st August: that is one fact. Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel.
53.The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _______.
A. this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel
B. hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire
C. hotels in Beldon often catch fire
D. Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe
54.The Canfield newspaper gave a report just opposite to The Beldon Post by saying that ______.
A. the bedroom lamps were very old at some of the Seabreeze’s hotels
B. the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things
C. the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place
D. such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past five years
55. Which of the following are probably facts?
a. The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel.
b. A cigarette started the fire.
c. An old lamp started the fire.
d. The fire broke out at night.
e. There has never been a fire in Canfield.
A. b and c B. a and c C. a and d D. c and e
56. Which of the following BEST gives the main idea of this passage?
A. It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers
B. A fire broke out one night in Seabreeze Hotel
C. Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter
D. Beldon an Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer
Mr. Laurence was not allowed to see Beth, and Meg felt unhappy writing letters to her mother saying nothing about Beth’s illness. Jo nursed Beth night and day, but the time came when Beth did not know her and called for her mother. Jo was frightened, and Meg begged to be allowed to write the truth, but Hannah said there was no danger yet. Then a letter came saying that Mr. March was worse and could not think of coming home for a long time.
How dark the days seemed. How sad and lonely. The sisters worked and waited as the shadow of death lay over the once happy home. It was then that Meg realized how rich she had been in the things which really mattered—love, peace, good health. And Jo, watching her little sister, thought about how unselfish Beth always was—living for others and trying to make home a happy place for all who came there. Amy, sad and lonely at Aunt March’s house, just wanted to come home so that she could do something to help Beth.
On the first day of December, the doctor came in the morning. He looked at Beth, then said quietly, ‘If Mrs. March can leave her husband, I think she should come home now.’
Jo threw on her coat and ran out into the snow to send a telegram. When she arrived back, Laurie came with a letter saying that Mr. March was getting better again. This was good news, but Jo’s face was so unhappy that Laurie asked, ‘What is it? Is Beth worse?’
‘I’ve sent for Mother,’ said Jo, beginning to cry. ‘Beth doesn’t know us any more.’
Laurie held her hand and whispered, ‘I’m here, Jo. Hold on to me. Your mother will be here soon, and then everything will be all right.’Meg had to write to her mother because _________ at the moment.
| A．her mother was away working in another town |
| B．her mother was looking after her father in hospital |
| C．she wanted to tell her about the illness of Beth |
| D．she knew that her mother was getting worse |
Which of the following is NOT true about Beth?
| A．She finally recovered from the illness. |
| B．She liked playing the piano very much. |
| C．She once almost drowned herself in the river. |
| D．She was shy but devoted to others. |
Amy _______.
| A．was at Aunt March’s house to help with the housework |
| B．was somewhat self-centered in the earlier part of the story |
| C．was much older than Beth and liked drawing very much |
| D．studied all by herself at home instead of going to school |
From the story we know that _______.
| A．Laurie helped Jo publish her story in a newspaper |
| B．Laurie had been taking care of Mr. March before Beth got ill |
| C．Laurie and Jo were very good friends to each other |
| D．Laurie and Jo got married in the end |
Cloning is suggested as a means of bringing back a relative, usually a child, killed tragically. Some parents can understand that wish, but it must first be recognized that the copy would be a new baby and not the lost child. Here lies the difficulty, for the sad parents are seeking not a new baby but a return of the dead one. Since the original would be fondly remembered as having particular talents and interests, would not the parents expect the copy to be the same? It is possible, however, that the copy would develop quite differently. Is it fair for the new child to be placed in a family with such unnatural expectations?
Copying is also suggested as a means by which parents can have the child of their dreams. Couples might choose to have a copy of a film star, baseball player or scientist, depending on their interest. But because personality is only partly the result of genetic inheritance (基因遗传), conflicts would be sure to come up if the cloned child failed to develop the same interests as the original. What if the copy of Einstein shows no interest in science? Or the baseball player turns to acting? Success also depends upon fortune. What if the child does not live up to the hopes and dreams of the parents simply because of bad luck?
Every baby should be wanted for itself, as an individual. In making a copy of oneself or some famous person, a parent is carefully specifying (详细说明) the way he or she wishes that child to develop. In recent years, particularly in the United States, much importance has been placed on the right of individuals to reproduce in ways that they wish. So I suggest there is a greater need to consider the interest of the child and to refuse these suggested uses of cloning.According to the author, in cloning a lost child parents ___________.
| A．lose the talents of the lost child |
| B．expect too much from the copy |
| C．are sure to have an identical copy |
| D．are sure to have a baby of their dreams |
What, in the author’s opinion, affects the success of parents’ dreams?
| A．The efforts of the parents. |
| B．The cloned child’s personality. |
| C．The cloned child’s interest in Einstein. |
| D．The cloned child’s natural talent. |
In the last paragraph, the author implies that ________.
| A．the cloned child is viewed as independent |
| B．parents carefully protect the rights of the cloned child |
| C．parents are eager to wish the cloned child to be somebody. |
| D．the right of growing in his own way is taken away from the cloned child |
As a boy growing up in India, I had wanted to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s, with great interest.
My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe, where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium, Netherlands and West Germany.
I have lively memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand, during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and very enjoyable, even for someone like me, who is otherwise scared of flying.
After spending almost two weeks in Europe, we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport, for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河), it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation, but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again, with the quality of their service.
Being the first airline to take me overseas, Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today, I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying, in general, for me, has always been a terrible and painful experience. Flying on Lufthansa, however, is something I always have and always will look forward to.What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?
| A．Growing up in India. |
| B．Once traveling to Canada with his father. |
| C．Once staying in Canada. |
| D．His father’s stories about his traveling experiences. |
The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．happy | B．excited |
| C．angry | D．sad |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author’s trip to Europe in 1998?
| A．Both their going and return were by air. |
| B．They traveled in the spring that year. |
| C．The author traveled with one of his parents. |
| D．They stayed in Europe for nearly two months. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.
| A．an airline company | B．a city in India |
| C．a city in Europe | D．a travel agency |
Have you ever wanted to travel back through time and see what life was like at the beginning of man? Well, museums can make history come alive. And one museum in particular can take you on an exciting journey from the beginning of human culture to the present day.
It is the British Museum. Being one of the largest museums in the world, it is home to over 7 million objects from all the world’s continents. While most of us may not have the chance to visit London, we can catch a glance of the treasures it holds in Beijing. From December 10 to Februry 10, more than 100 cultural relics will be on show in the Palace Museum.
Named “Britain and the World”, a range of pencil sketches, watercolor paintings, sculptures and many other objects have traveled to China.
There are several Chinese objects on show. But “the British Museum got them before 1830 mainly by trade,” said Ma Jige, deputy director of the Exhibition Department of the Palace Museum.
In fact, there are more than 23,000 Chinese relics in the British Museum, including national treasures like gems, artwork and ancient bronze ware objects.
The museum is famous for its exquisite Chinese paintings. Picture of Lady Officials by Gu Kaizhi, a top painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (AD 317-420), is there. The British Museum also holds 13,700 Buddhist records from the Dunhuang Grottoes in Gansu Province.Go to visit the British Museum, and you will ________.
| A．travel back to the ancient times |
| B．make history come alive |
| C．learn more about human culture |
| D．have a visit to London |
We can learn from the article that _________.
| A．the British Museum is the largest museum in the world |
| B．the Palace Museum houses over 7 million objects from all over the world |
| C．part of the British Museum’s collection is available in the Palace Museum |
| D．the two museums will be combined into one |
According to the article, _________ are shown in the exhibition.
| A．its exquisite Chinese paintings |
| B．13,700 Buddhist records from Dunhuang Grottoes |
| C．works of Gu Kaizhi, a top painter of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, |
| D．a range of pencil sketches, water color paintings, sculptures and many other objects |
How many Chinese relics are there in the British Museum?
| A．Over 100. | B．13,700. |
| C．Over 23,000. | D．Over 7 million. |
The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday party. The time printed on the invitation was 7.30pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9.45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11.00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6.30-8.30pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards; 8.00pm or 8.30pm means possible dinner, but 9.30pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late.
But this is not always the case. If asked to a students' party at 6.30pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive-looking eager-is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6.30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group（late thirties） falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we're young, we're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing(混乱的), sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every party that precious element(成分) of surprise.The underlined words "off their heads" probably mean______.
| A．tired | B．crazy |
| C．curious | D．hopeless |
Jane and David' s story is used to show that______ .
| A．petty-goer8 usually get hungry at parties |
| B．party invitations can be confusing |
| C．people should ask for food at parties |
| D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull |
For some young people, arriving on time for a students' party will probably be considered_______.
| A．very difficult |
| B．particularly thoughtful |
| C．friendly and polite |
| D．socially unacceptable |
According to the writer, people in their late thirties_______.
| A．are likely to arrive late for a party |
| B．care little about the party time |
| C．haven' t really grown up yet |
| D．like surprises at parties |
What is the general idea of the text?
| A．It' s safe to arrive late just when food is served. |
| B．It' s wise to eat something before going to a party. |
| C．It' s important to follow social rules of party-going. |
| D．It' s necessary to read invitations carefully. |