第二部分阅读理解(共两节,满分50分)
第一节 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。(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a giant grandfather clock.Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one.The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient.And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives.
As a child, the old clock fascinated me.I watched and listened to it during meals.Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's routine.He wound (上发条) that clock with a special key carefully each day.That key was magic to me.It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming.I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock.He inserted the key and wound — not too much, nor too little.He never let that clock wind down and stop.He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key.I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family routine.
After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock!
"Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down."
The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room.The clock stood there quiet.It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch.
Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key.The old house was quiet.No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock — all was still.I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door.All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes.He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power.
I stood, lost in the moment for a long time.Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock.It came back to life.Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart.In the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather lived again.
1.Why does the writer say the table was always spreading with food containing love as the main ingredient?
A.The food was delicious and tasty.
B.The meal was made by his dear grandparents
C.The whole family talked about the love of each other over meals.
D.Four generations lived joyfully and harmoniously to become one.
2.By describing Grandfather’s routine in detail in the 2nd paragraph, the writer expresses___________.
A.It’s troublesome to make the clock work.
B.It’s a fantastic thing to play with the clock.
C.He greatly misses his late grandfather
D.His grandfather had a preference for the clock.
3.What kinds of mood are shown in the essay?
A.Sad and hopeful B.desperate and hopeful
C.Heart-broken and hopeless D.cheerful and hopeful
A man named Smith was sitting on his roof during a flood, and the water was up to his feet. Before long a fellow in a canoe passed and shouted, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"
"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith (信任)in God and he will save me."
Soon the water rose to Smith’s waist.(腰,腰部) At this point a motor boat pulled up and someone called out, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"
"No, thanks, I have faith in God and he will save me."
Later a helicopter flew by, and Smith was now standing on the roof with water up to his neck. "Grab the rope, "shouted the pilot. "I’ll pull you up."
"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me. "But after hours of struggling with water, poor exhausted Smith drowned and went to his reward. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, Smith met God and complained about this. "Tell me, God, "he said, "I had such faith in you to save me and you let me drown. What happened?"
To which God replied, "What do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter.".When the pilot asked Smith to grab the rope, ______.
A.Smith pulled the pilot up | B.Smith did so |
C.Smith didn’t do so | D.Smith didn’t hear him |
At last, poor exhausted Smith drowned and ______.
A.went to his reward | B.passed away |
C.went to heaven | D.all of the above |
.What do we know about Smith? __ ____.
A.He was a lazy man | B.He was a lucky man who believed in God |
C.He was a poor man | D.He was a silly man who believed in God |
What do you think of this passage? This passage is very ______.
A.moving | B.humorous | C.depressing | D.surprising |
The best title of this passage is" ______" .
A.What Do You Want from Me? | B.How Do You Believe in God? |
C.How God Loved Smith! | D.Smith Obeyed God’s Order |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.
A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
B.he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
C.he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time |
D.he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.
A.they make him feel at ease when working |
B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
C.he looks handsome in casual clothes |
D.he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?
A.Many workers don’t like a conservative dress code. |
B.Comfortable clothes make workers more productive. |
C.A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers. |
D.All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
B.Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
C.“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
D.Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.
A.saving worker’s money |
B.making workers more attractive |
C.improving worker’s feeling |
D.making workers happier |
Everyone has got two personalities — the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real.You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control your behavior,but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you.In a normal night,of course,people frequently change their position.The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back,you’re a very open person.You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas.You don’t like to upset people,so you never express your real feelings.You’re quite shy and you aren’t very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach,you are a rather secretive(不坦率的)person.You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset.You’re very stubborn(顽固的),but you aren’t very ambitious.You usually live for today not for tomorrow.This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up(卷曲),you are probably a very nervous person.You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive.You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people.You prefer to be on your own.You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side,you have usually got a well-balanced personality.You know your strengths and weaknesses.You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality.You sometimes feel anxious,but you don’t often get depressed.You always say what you think even if it annoys people. According to the writer,you naturally show your secret and real personality __________.
A.only in a normal night |
B.only when you go to sleep |
C.only when you refuse to show yourself to the world |
D.only when you change sleeping position |
Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person’s personality?
A.He or she is always open with others. |
B.He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others. |
C.He or she is always easily upset. |
D.He or she tends to believe in others. |
Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping
on his or her stomach?
A.He or she is careful not to offend others. |
B.He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion. |
C.He or she can’t be successful in any business. |
D.He or she likes to bring others happiness. |
Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up.Why?
A.He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you. |
B.He or she is rarely ready to help you. |
C.He or she prefers staying at home to going out. |
D.He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you. |
It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ________________.
A.he or she always shows sympathy for people |
B.he or she is confident,but not stubborn |
C.he or she has more strengths than weaknesses |
D.he or she often considers annoying people |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true,but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example,someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner,right? Maybe,maybe not.We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets,and only one was a winner.He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false,but he left out important information on purpose.That’s called a half-truth.Half truths are not technically lies,but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick.Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term,her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs.Then she seeks an other term.One of her opponents(对手)says,“During Governor Smith’s term,the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true.However,an honest statement would have been,“During Governor Smith’s term,the state had a net gain of two million jobs.’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half—truths.It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth.An advertisement might say,“Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.”It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often.It’s a sad fact of life:Lies are lies,and sometimes the truth can 1ie as well.How much did the lottery winner lose?
A.one hundred dollars. | B.Two hundred dollars. |
C.Three hundred dollars. | D.Four hundred dollars. |
We may infer that the author believes people should ________.
A.buy lottery tickets if possible | B.make use of half—truths |
C.be careful about what they are told | D.not trust the Yucky Company |
How many examples does the writer give to show how the truth is used to deceive?
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Using half truths is against the law. |
B.Technically,half truths are in fact lies. |
C.Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache. |
D.Governor Smith did a good job during her last term. |
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A.He’s really a big loser! |
B.Sometimes the truth can lie as well. |
C.Advertisers will sometimes use half truths. |
D.It’s against the law to make false statements. |
You can not see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be seen by their own light. Such things are luminous. Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in our direction. So moon light is only second hand sunlight.
When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open.
Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380 000 kilometers away, in only a little more than a second.You can see the book because_______.
A.your eyes are close to it | B.it reflects some of the sunlight |
C.it has light of its own | D.your eyesight can get to it |
The underlined word “luminous” means_______.
A.visible | B.all colors | C.giving off light | D.sunlight |
________ have light of their own.
A.The sun and the moon | B.The stars and the earth |
C.The sun and the stars | D.The moon and the earth |
Which of the following is true?
A.All the things you can see give off light. |
B.Light from the book is much shorter than that from the moon. |
C.The moment you open your eyes the light from the book travels to your eyes. |
D.Light travels so fast that there is no time for you to read. |