第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下面短文, 从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
There was room for all of us, and the sleeping bags kept the night coldness away. We would listen to the sound of the river, and hear the coyotes (土狼) howling along the hills not far away.
Those were the cool summer nights of the mid-nineties in Southern Alberta, Canada, when the four children were young and we would lie on the trampoline (蹦床) in the backyard late at night, for the sun would not set till late in July and August. We would look at the stars up above and never grow tired of it.
These were the times when I would tell the stories of my own childhood and teach the kids life’s lessons that have been remembered to this day. I chuckle (轻声地笑), as I recall the time when we heard a coyote not far away, and then I started a story about a bear approaching the trampoline. The bear came close (in the story), and the kids snuggled up to mom and me, until suddenly I’d let out a howl and grab all the kids and they would be frightened and jump up and then all laugh, “Daddy, you scared us!”
Now the children are in their mid and late teens, but they fondly remember the starry nights on that trampoline. Recently my oldest daughter on her wedding day sang a song for her parents, entitled “I’ll always be your little girl”. She wrote the music and words and yes indeed: it included a memory of those starry nights.
I have learned as a parent that one of the greatest gifts we can give our children as they are growing up is the time to tell them stories, or if telling stories is not that simple, perhaps read them a story. They can read their own books, but telling or reading them a story will create a close relationship with pleasant memories such as those late summer nights under the starry sky.
56. The passage is mainly about _____.
A. coyotes’ effects on children B. the relationship between children
C. the author’s unforgettable experiences D. the author’s memories of starry nights
57. The underlined part “snuggled up” probably means _____.
A. lay down B. got close C. gave in D. struggled forward
58. How do the children feel about their childhood?
A. Very enjoyable. B. A bit regretful. C. Rather busy. D. Sort of dull.
59. In the last paragraph, the writer mainly wants to express _____.
A. it is easy to tell stories to children
B. kids should read stories themselves
C. it is important to tell or read stories to kids
D. it’s necessary to spend summer nights with kids
阅读下列短文,从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。
A
The new species of monkey was officially unveiled in a scientific journal last week.
The animal kingdom has a new member. On September 12, researchers unveiled(揭开)to the world a newly discovered species of monkey. The primate(灵长类动物) is called the lesula, short for its Latin name, Cercopithecus lomamiensis. The lesula is only the second monkey species discovered in 28 years.
Meet the Lesula
Scientists first saw the lesula in June 2007 in the town of Opala in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo, often called the DRC, is located in Central Africa. The lesula lives in the lowland rainforests of central DRC. The monkey found in Opala was the pet of a local family. Researchers say the species was already well known to hunters. The found additional lesulas in the wild.
The lesula has been compared to another species of monkey calledCercopithecus hamlyni, better known as the owl-faced monkey. This animal earns its name for having a long, flat nose and a face that that looks like that of an owl. The lesula and the owl-faced monkey are similar in size and both have a stripe on their nose. These new findings on the lesula prove that the two monkeys are close relatives, but different species. Scientists say the lesula usually weighs about 12 pounds and measures about 20 inches. It has a mane of long blond hair and a cream-colored stripe running down its nose. The lesula eats a vegetarian diet. Its habitat extends nearly 11,000 square miles across the DRC’s eastern central basin.
Robert Kityo is a zoology professor at Uganda’s Makerere University. He says that the lesula discovery is proof that the eastern central basin is filled with species yet to be discovered. This new find also creates awareness about the importance of preserving, or protecting, African rainforests. Many forests are threatened by illegal logging and hunting. Preserving these rainforests allows new species like the lesula to continue to grow and change.The monkey found in Opala __________.
A.was the only living lesula |
B.got lost from its group |
C.was raised by a local family |
D.was unknown to the hunters |
Why was the Cercopithecus hamlyni called the owl-faced monkey?
A.It has the same color as owl. |
B.Its face looks like that of an owl. |
C.It eats the same diet as owls. |
D.It has the same strip on its nose as owls. |
What has been found about the lesula and the owl-faced monkey?
A.They were found in the same area. |
B.They belong to the same species. |
C.They are close relatives. |
D.Both of them eat a vegetarian diet. |
The lesula discovery indicates that _______.
A.many species remain to be discovered in eastern central basin |
B.illegal logging and hunting are the main threats to African rainforests |
C.effective measures should be taken to control the exploration of the African rainforests |
D.African rainforests are disappearing gradually because of lack of protection |
D
Amazon is taking a leap into movie production, planning to fund a dozen original feature films each year, and to compress the time it takes to move them from theatres to viewers’ homes.
The first film projects are expected to begin production at Amazon Studios later this year, and to make their first public appearance in U.S. theatres. But Amazon plans to push them to its Prime Instant Video subscription service as little as 30 to 60 days later.
The long-standing timeline for movie releases is already under pressure, and Amazon’s latest move is another step toward collapsing it to satisfy increasingly impatient audiences. But where competitor Netflix Inc. has sought to do away with wait times entirely.
When Netflix promised last October to commission a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and to release it on its streaming site the same day when it would open in theatres in the fall of 2015, cinema owners refused. “We believe the theatrical window is an important part of the overall movie sales cycle,” a spokesperson for theatre chain said.
Paul, a senior media analyst, expects many of Amazon’s original movies will have the feel of independent films with their more challenging subject matter, often made for $10-million or less. The goal isn’t to go toe to toe with “the big blockbuster machine,” with their $100-million-plus production budgets.“I don’t see this as laying down the gauntlet,” Mr. Dergarabedian said. “It’s a strategy of co-existence.”
Prime Instant Video offers online access to a wide array of films and television shows for $99 (U.S.) a year. But it is not currently available in Canada, unless viewers use a virtual private network to disguise their location.
The new company, Amazon Original Movies, will be led by Ted Hope, an American independent filmmaker.
“Audiences already recognize Amazon has raised the bar with productions in the episodic realm, coping with bold material in unique ways and teaming with top talent, both established and emerging,” Mr. Hope said.Why does Amazon begin to make original feature films?
A.To attract more Prime Instant Video customers |
B.To win the Golden Globe Award |
C.To cooperate with Netflix Inc. |
D.To contribute to the film industry. |
The original films that Amazon release _______.
A.may not use new actors |
B.will first be shown in Canadian theatres |
C.may be seen at home two months after they are released |
D.may not be welcome in the US |
From the passage we can infer the theatre _______.
A.doesn’t want to show Amazon’s new films |
B.prefers to co-operate with Netflix Inc. |
C.will make more profits because Amazon’ films cost less. |
D.doesn’t like the time being shortened from theatres to homes |
What does the underlined word “compress” mean?
A.Lengthen. | B.Shorten. |
C.Increase. | D.Quit. |
What can be the best title?
A.Amazon comes into world market. |
B.Amazon has a bright future. |
C.Amazon jumps into movies |
D.The competition in film industry becomes serious. |
C
The spread of Western eating habits around the world is bad for human health and the environment. Those findings come from a new report in the journal Nature.
There are ways to solve this diet-health-environment problem. But they will require a change in eating habits. And what we eat can be a product of culture, personal taste, price and ease.
David Tilman , a professor of ecology, examined information from 100 countries to identify what people ate and how diet affected health and found as nations industrialized, population increased and earnings rose, more people began to adopt what has been called the Western diet.
The Western diet is high in refined or processed sugar, fat, oil and meat. By eating these foods, people began to get fatter -- and sicker.
David Tillman says overweight people are at greater risk for non-infectious diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Unfortunately when people become industrialized, if they adopt this Western diet, they are going to have these same health impacts, and in some cases if you are Asian, you have them more seriously than what happens in the West."
China, he says, is an example where the number of diabetes cases has jumped. And that’s happening all across the world, in Mexico, Nigeria and so on.
A diet bad for human beings is also bad for the environment. As the world's population grows, experts say more forests will become farmland for crops or grasslands for grazing cattle.
"We are likely to have more greenhouse gas released in the future from agriculture because of this dietary shift than all the greenhouse gas that comes out of cars, airplanes, boats and ships. So our change in diet is likely to be worse for the world for climate warming than all the transportation sources we use right now."
He says one possible solution is leaving the Western diet behind.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The advantage of the Western diet |
B.The disadvantage of the Western diet. |
C.The diseases caused by the Western diet. |
D.The popularity of the Western diet. |
Why do more and more people eat Western diet?
A.Because Western diet is good for health. |
B.Because people have more money. |
C.Because Western diet is cheaper. |
D.Because Western diet can make people thin. |
According to the passage, what is good for our environment?
A.Giving up the Western diet. |
B.Returning to Chinese diet. |
C.Growing more crops |
D.Raising more cattle. |
In which section of a newspaper can you find this passage?
A.Science and Technology. |
B.Education and Culture. |
C.Environment and Health. |
D.Agriculture and Climate. |
Which statement is true?
A.The Western diet has little effect on Asians . |
B.The China diet is rich in fat and oil. |
C.Leaving the Western diet behind is easy for people. |
D.More forests will become farmland as the world's population grows . |
B
Ceaseless technology. A punishing workweek. That to –do list that keeps multiplying. It is no wonder many of us find it difficult to have a sufficient amount of sleep. But will sleeping more on the weekend make up for hours of lost snoozing (小睡)? One sleep expert, W. Christopher Winter raised the question.
Sleeping binge
Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night is generally recommended, but many people don’t. As the week rolls from Monday to Friday, they accumulate a sleep debt. Spending a few extra hours in bed on a Saturday morning, people assume, will help them “ catch up” on lost sleep. They’re likely right, “ Nobody knows how long the horizon is, probably a few nights, but studies show that recovery sleep in the short term does work,” says Dr. Winter, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep banking
Recent data suggests that banking sleep in advance of a long night can actually offset (补偿) upcoming sleep deprivation. If you knew you were going to have to stay up all night on a particular day, for example, you could sleep for 10 hours a day for multiple days before the event, and be fine, Dr. Winter says. Just plan ahead.
Routine naps
A scheduled nap is healthier than catching up on or banking sleep. “ Because sleep extension can make you feel groggy (昏昏沉沉), I always recommend a short nap (if a person feels they need it ), at the same time, every day,” says Dr. Winter. He adds that 25 minutes is ideal. “ When you schedule a short nap, your body anticipates it and slows down, without falling into a deep dream sleep,” he says. That refreshing, scheduled break is better than an occasional weekend lie-in. “ The body likes routine,” he says, “ When it’s prepared, it works more efficiently.”What is the topic of this passage?
A.The bad effect of lacking sleep. |
B.Advantages of enough sleep. |
C.Some knowledge about sleep. |
D.The ways to get sound sleep. |
Why do people accumulate a sleep debt during the week?
A.Because they have a tight weekday. |
B.Because they watch TV late into night. |
C.Because they have to look after children. |
D.Because they want to catch up on lost sleep on weekend. |
Which is the recommended way to keep healthy ?
A.Banking sleeping. |
B.Catching up on lost sleep. |
C.An occasional weekend lie-in. |
D.Scheduled naps. |
what is the meaning of the underlined word “deprivation”.
A.Increase. | B.Loss. | C.Time. | D.Problem. |
Which is right according to the passage?
A.Most people always get 8-hour-sleep each night. |
B.Recovery sleep can make a difference. |
C.Everyone should have a short nap. |
D.A nap won’t work as expected. |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes.
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Everything in the newspaper is doubtful. |
B.People are encouraged to suspect everything. |
C.Not everything you read is believable. |
D.Sometimes scientists may make mistakes. |
What does the underlined word “ hoaxes” mean?
A.Truths. | B.Tricks. |
C.Researches. | D.Result. |
From the second paragraph we can know______.
A.Johann Beringer was envied by his colleagues. |
B.Johann Beringer lived in the seventeenth century. |
C.Johann Beringer found the Piltdown man. |
D.Johann Beringer found he was fooled by others in time. |
According to the passage ,the discovery of Piltdown man______.
A.was significant to the theory of evolution. |
B.proved orangutan developed from man. |
C.didn’t prove false until 50 years later. |
D.proved that scientists were very careless. |
From the last paragraph we can infer the author thinks_____.
A.scientists are unreliable. |
B.everyone can make a mistake. |
C.we should ignore scientific research. |
D.we should treat scientific research reasonably. |