四、.阅读理解
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers(梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Masachusctts, a hundred policemen scarched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three—quarters of a mile to the lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims(声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty—five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers(应征者).”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes looks quite fantastic(奇特的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
1. Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who __________.
A. climb on roofs B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleep D. walk in a half—awake state
2. It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
3. There was a college student who got into the habit of ___________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three—quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
4. Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
This is the SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, I’m Barbara Klein.
Animal experts say one of the world’s most beautiful and rare kinds of big cat is close to disappearing from the wild. A study earlier this year found that about thirty Amur leopards(豹) still live free. The cats are also called Far Eastern leopards.
Recently, their numbers have been reduced by one. Some person shot a female Amur, then beat her to death. The animal’s body was discovered last month in the Barsovy National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Russia.
An official of the World Wildlife Fund, Darron, said this was the third such killing in the area in the past fives years. Mr. Collins said the death of even one adult female is a huge loss for the endangered cat. He noted that the killing reduces the possibility for cubs(幼兽) or young.
It is not clear how many Amur leopards still live free. One population count was performed in February and March. Wildlife expert Dmitry Pikuuov led this study. It found evidence of seven to nine males. The study identified(确定) three to seven females without cubs. Four leopards were identified as females with cubs. In all, five or six cubs were recorded. Six to eight animals could not be identified.
Most of the land where the Amur leopard once lived was in China. New roads and climate change there threatened(威胁) the animals. So did hunters who kill big cats for their body parts.
Mr. Pikuuov says adult Amurs need about five hundred square kilometers with good forests to survive. He said they also need a large and continuing supply of animals like deer for food. He believes the answer to saving the Amur leopard is for governments to provide protected spaces for wildlife. This passage is probably from____________.
A.a magazine | B.a newspaper report | C.a TV report | D.a film |
Why is the killing of an adult female a huge loss?
A.It could lead to the death of an adult male. |
B.It means it can not give birth to the young any more. |
C.It is worth more money than a male. |
D.There is only one adult female in the world. |
The number of the Amur leopards in China is becoming smaller because of all the following EXCEPT
A.new roads | B.climate change | C.human hunting | D.rare diseases |
According to the experts the Amur leopards ____________.
A.are living on plants | B.are living in the zoo |
C.are well protected by people | D.are endangered |
Mistakes are a part of life. To err is human. Failure is also a part of life, not the end of life. Be happy facing life’s challenges. When you make the effort to be happy and to improve your life, you are actually rewarded along the way.
Life is like a game and maybe you can award points for every effort that has been a success for you. Try it. Add ten points for every achievement. And when you have reached 50 points, just yell, “Hey, I’ve won!” and give yourself a reward. If you happen to have missed your points for whatever reason, tell yourself, “Well, I tried!” which is better than not trying at all. Don’t let it be said you didn’t try.
What is it that you want to make yourself happy? Actually happiness means different things to different people. For example, an athlete will be happy winning his first race. For a new mother happiness would be seeing her baby’s first steps. Happiness for a poor person would mean having a meal just for today. So happiness for you is really something simple that you want for yourself.
It really doesn’t have to be big. As a matter of fact, you should be always realistic(现实的). Make the best out of every given situation. If you expect a certain result from a situation and it does not happen, don’t get despondent. This just means trying harder next time. We all have in us the power to succeed. Don’t let “give up” be a part of your vocabulary.By saying “To err is human”, the author means that____________.
A.human beings should try to avoid making mistakes |
B.no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes |
C.mistakes and failures make up our life |
D.human beings make mistakes easily |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A.Try to reach 50 points. | B.Try to get as many points as you can. |
C.Award yourself for your success | D.Don’t be afraid of missing your points. |
The author proves his idea in Paragraph 3 through____________.
A.examples | B.numbers | C.experiments | D.stories |
The underlined word “despondent” in the last paragraph means____________.
A.frightened | B.disappointed | C.surprised | D.excited |
Few of us haven’t read Cinderella(灰姑娘), the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone’s heart—we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity(默默无闻). Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured(特点) in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school.
Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears. Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not—kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey’s paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked(邪恶的) stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn’t get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her.
The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies.
“The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point,” writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson, “The focus is firmly on following your dream.”The first paragraph is mainly to ____________.
A.build interest and lead us to Mary’s secret dream |
B.remind us why Cinderella is popular all the years |
C.tell us what is the Cinderella Story |
D.tell us how interesting the fairy tale Cinderella is |
What can we infer from the passage?
A.Joey is just like other boys in Mary’s class. |
B.Mary’s mother influences her a lot in singing. |
C.Not many people have a dream to be realized. |
D.The MP3 player helps Joey in finding Mary. |
The passage is mainly about ____________.
A.an introduction to a novel | B.a review about a film |
C.a passage about dreams | D.an advertisement of Cinderella |
Ten years ago I used to be very fit. I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed doing.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like that any more.
There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something as I used to. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think?Compared with ten years ago, what is worse for the author now?
A.His job. | B.His pay. |
C.His means of transport. | D.His health. |
According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
A.He got higher pay. | B.His working hours weren’t long. |
C.He found it very stressful. | D.He had little free time at weekends. |
After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him ____________.
A.not to work any longer |
B.to take a long vacation abroad |
C.to stop smoking and take exercise |
D.not to eat out any more |
What can we learn about the author?
A.The author is not sure what he should do now. |
B.The author has taken the doctor’s advice already. |
C.The author has got another new job. |
D.The author feels much better now. |
You know Australia is a big country, but you may not know how easy it is to get around. The untouched beaches that go for miles and deserts that touch the horizon are just there, waiting to be reached and explored. The following are the different ways you can explore our vast country.
Getting around Australia
Air
Flying is the best way to cover large distances in a short time. You can spend more time on the Australia’s can’t-miss landscapes and relaxing lifestyle. Moreover, competition among airlines makes great flying fees available for you.
Drive
Australia has a vast network of well-maintained roads and some of the most beautiful touring routes in the world. You have no difficulty finding car rental companies at major airports, central city locations, suburbs and attractions.
Bus
Bus travel in Australia is comfortable, easy and economical. Buses generally have air conditioning, reading lights, adjustable seats and videos. Services are frequent, affordable and efficient.
Rail
Train travel is the cheapest and gives you an insight into Australia’s size and variety, all from the comfort of your carriage. Scheduled services are a great way to get quickly between our cities and regional centers.
Ferry
The Spirit of Tasmania runs a passenger and vehicle ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania nightly. Extra services are running during summer rush hours. Sealink ferries connect South Australia and Kangaroo Island several times a day. Ferries connect suburbs in our capital cities.
Walk
With easy on the feet pedestrian streets, walking is a great way to get around our cities.
Besides all the above, you can also experience some of the longest tracks and trails in the world in central Australia—impressive journeys of a thousand kilometers or more that can take several weeks to complete.The underlined word “untouched” in the 1st paragraph means _____.
A.secure | B.special | C.natural | D.artificial |
Which of the following is TRUE about travelling in Australia?
A.More travelers make the flying fees among airlines higher than before. |
B.You can easily rent a car to explore its most beautiful touring routes. |
C.Taking a bus tour is the most comfortable, economical and efficient way. |
D.Train services can offer you more comfort than any other means of transport. |
Ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania usually runs ____.
A.only at night hours | B.only during rush hours |
C.several times a day | D.Between different cities |
From the passage, we know that ____.
A.pedestrian walking is a great way to travel between cities |
B.walking in central Australia takes a long time |
C.central Australia has the world’s longest railway line |
D.you have to walk over a thousand kilometers in Australia |
If you have only 5 days and want to visit Australia’s famous attractions that are far away from each other, which way of travelling best suits you?
A.By air. | B.By car. | C.By bus. | D.On foot. |