四、阅读理解(10小题,每题2分,共20分)
The largest earthquake (magnitude 里氏9.5) of the 20th century happened on May 22, 1960 off the coast of South Central Chile.
It generated(生成) one of the most destructive Pacific—wide tsunamis(海啸). Near the generating area, both the earthquake and the tsunami were very much destructive, particularly in the coastal area from Concepcion to the south end of Isla Chiloe. The largest tsunami damage occurred at Isla Chiloe--- the coastal area closest to the epicenter(震中). Huge tsunami waves measuring as high as 25 meters arrived within 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake, killing at least two hundred people, sinking all the boats, and flooding half a kilometer inland.
There was large damage and loss of life at Concepcion, Chile’s top industrial city. Near the city of Valdivia, the earthquake and following aftershocks generated landslides which killed 18 people. At the port city of Valparaiso, a city of 200,000, many buildings collapsed. A total of 130,000 houses were destroyed---one in every three in the earthquake zone and nearly 2,000,000 people were left homeless.
Total damage losses, including to agriculture and to industry, were estimated(估计) to be over a half billion dollars. The total number of deaths related with both the tsunami and the earthquake was never found accurately for the region. Estimates of deaths reached between 490 to 5,7002 with no distinction(差别) as to how many deaths were caused by the earthquake and how many were caused by the tsunami. However, it is believed that most of the deaths in Chile were caused by the tsunami.
61. What is generally thought the main cause of deaths in Chile?
A. landslides B. the tsunami
C. aftershocks D. the magnitude 9.5 earthquake
62. What is the total number of deaths in the earthquake?
A. 2,000,000 B. between 490 to 5,7002 C. 200,000 D. it was hard to know
63. What does the underlined word “collapsed” probably mean?
A. was destroyed B. caught fire C. was flooded D. sank
Neighbors rescued a woman from her burning home early Monday morning,and three firefighters were hurt putting out the flames in Green Bay.
The fire was discovered around 4 o'clock at a three-story home in the South Quincy Street on the city's east side. Investigators(调查者) say 68-year-old Mary Taylor lives there with her two dogs.
“I got out of bed and went to the front window and could hear somebody was yelling(叫喊),‘Fire!’” Curt Dworak said.When he realized what was happening, he threw on some clothes and ran to help. “I was just hoping Mary wasn't in there,but her car was in the driveway,so I just reacted,” he said, “I just broke the glass and then went in through the window.”
Dworak yelled for Mary but got no response. As he searched,the fire grew and debris(碎片) started falling around him. I didn't know what to do. I yelled for her a couple more times,and then I heard her. Disoriented(分不清方向的)and unable to move, Mary was sprawling(趴) on the floor in the back of her house,so Dworak picked her up and carried her to safety.
Dworak, who has been hailed as a hero by Green Bay Fire Department but shrugged of the praise,said,“They would have done the same thing. Mary is a nice lady,and how could you live with yourself if you didn't do something like that?”
Mary was up and talking before she was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Dworak escaped without a thin cut.
As soon as Dworak realized there was a big fire,he.
| A.went to his front window and stood watching |
| B.put on his clothes quickly and rushed there |
| C.searched for Mary's crying in her room |
| D.put away his clothes and jumped off his house |
The sentence “ but her car was in the driveway” in Paragraph 3 implies(暗指) that
.
| A.Mary was just in the house. | B.Mary's car was in Dworak's way. |
| C.Mary's car was broken. | D.Mary's car was in good condition. |
The underlined Word “ hailed” in Paragraph 5 can be replaced by “”.
| A.named | B.checked | C.praised | D.trained |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A.It was Dworak who found the fire first. |
| B.Dworak was badly injured by the fire. |
| C.Mary lost consciousness in the flames. |
D. Mary is friendly to her neighborhood. |
Do you know this girl?
I was in the park with my elder sister, Cathy, on Friday. My sister left her jacket on a chair while we talked to some friends. When we went back to the chair, a girl in a red T-shirt was sitting there. She had some money in her hand. When she saw us, she got up and walked away.
I asked my sister, "Did you have any money in your jacket?"
She said, "Yes, Anna, I did."
I said, "Look in your jacket quickly."
Cathy looked in her jacket, but her money was not there.
"That girl stole it!" I said, and we both ran after her. We caught her quickly.
My sister was very angry and she said, "Give me the money." The girl gave the money to Cathy and ran away. We both ran after her, but we lost her.
Then we went home. But before we could tell our parents, my mother said to Cathy, "You left your money at home. It's on the table in the sitting room. You must be more careful with money."
So the girl in the red T-shirt was not a thief! She probably thought we were thieves! We felt terrible.
Please telephone us if you know this girl! We are very sorry for our mistake. We would like to say sorry to her and give the money back to her.
Our number is 512667. My name is Anna.
Cathy thought the money in the girl's hand was .
| A.from her jacket | B.the girl's own money |
| C.from their home | D.from the chair |
The girl ga
ve the money to Cathy because .
| A.she was afraid | B.Cathy asked her nicely |
| C.it was Cathy's money | D.she wanted to help them |
Hearing their mother's words, they knew that .
| A.they did a good deed | B.the girl was a thief |
| C.the money was Anna's | D.they had the girl's money |
The writer writes the passage to .
| A.telephone the girl | B.say thanks to the girl |
| C.say good-bye to the girl | D.return the money to the girl |
Miss Gorgers taught physics in a New York school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how successful she had been in her explanation. She said to them, “Now I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone and at the same time you were 75 feet away, listening to me from the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?”
Tom at once answered, “Your brother. Because electricity travels faster than sound waves.” “That’s very good.” Miss Gorgers answered, but then one of the girls raised her hand, and Miss Gorgers said, “Yes? Kate.”
“I disagree. Your brother would hear you earlier because when it’s 11 o’clock he
re and it’s only 8 o’clock in Los Angeles.” Kate said.
Miss Gorgers was teaching her class .
| A.how to telephone | B.about electricity | C.about time zone | D.about sound |
Miss Gorgers raised this question because she wanted to know whether .
| A.it was easy to phone to Los Angeles |
| B.her student could hear her from 75 feet away |
| C.her students had understood her lesson |
| D.sound waves were slower than electricity |
Kate thought Tom was wrong because .
| A.clocks in Los Angeles showed a different time from those in New York |
| B.electricity was slower than sound waves |
| C.Tom was not good at physics at all |
| D.Tom’s answer had nothing to do with sound waves |
Whose answer do you think is correct according to the laws of physics?
A. Tom’s. B. Kate’s. C. Both A and B. D. Neither A nor B.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel(纪录片) as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before they had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…”
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said.Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?
| A.College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| B.Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C.Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| D.His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
Jack’s mother told him on the phone about Mr. Belser EXCEPT that ______.
| A.Mr. Belser often asked how Jack was doing |
| B.Mr. Belser’s funeral would take place on Wednesday |
| C.Mr. Belser had asked for Jack’s mailing address |
| D.Mr. Belser had pleasant memories of their time together |
Why did Jack say he needed some time to spend with his son?
| A.He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| B.He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son. |
| C.He had missed his son and his family for days. |
| D.He came to realize the importance of the time with his family. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A.The Good Old Times | B.What He Valued Most |
| C.My lost friend | D.The Lost Childhood Days |
Drunken driving –sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic (流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers,adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts,but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies,especially concerning young children,that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21,reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18,the number of people killed by 18-20 years old drivers more than doubled,so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers,however,fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop ‘responsible attitudes’ about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already,to a marked drop in accidents,some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was ‘obviously drunk’ and later drove off the road,killing a 9-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state,some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919,which President Hoover called the ‘noble experiment’. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking,but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally,there is no easy solution. Statistics issued in New Jersey suggested that ____________.
| A.many drivers were not of legal age. | B.young drivers were often bad drivers. |
| C.the level of drinking increased in the 1960s. | D.the legal drinking age should be raised. |
The underlined word ‘lenient’ in the first paragraph means ‘_________’.
| A.serious | B.cruel | C.merciful | D.determined |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.
| A. judges are no longer tolerant |
| B. new laws are introduced in some states |
| C. the increasing number of traffic accidents has got the attention of the public |
| D. drivers do not appreciate their manly image any more |
Which of the following best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A.It may lead to organized crime. | B.It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| C.The new laws can stop heavy drinking. | D.There should be no bars to serve drinks. |