第二部分 阅读理解(共两节,满分45分)
第一节 (共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
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。
Matt Scott, who was born with spina bifida (脊柱裂),grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he participated in a variety of sports alongside his healthy friends. Now as a member of University of Wisconsin -Whitewater wheelchair basketball team, Scott has won four national championships, and has recently been selected to the Paralympic team for the second time. The 23- year--old college senior owes his achievements to his hard work and the support of his friends and family, who never allowed him to use his disability as an excuse. "My mother was always great. Whenever I felt giving up, she had no sympathy. She really helped me build my independence by not babying me the way other mothers would have." Scott says.
It was Scott' s independent nature and strong will, along with his on - the - court skills, that attracted the attention of America's most influential sports apparel (衣服)company, Nike. Nike was searching for an athlete with a disability to represent its "Just Do It " trademark. A handful of superstar athletes with disabilities came to audition for the role, but the company picked Scott to star in the 30--second commercial.
"I think that they were looking for the prettiest face in America, and found me," Scott jokes about the selection process.
After being picked, Scott flew to California to film the commercial with Oscar - winning documentary director Errol Morris. The ad gave Scott celebrity (名人)status in the community of disabled athletes. He's been asked to speak at a number of disability - related events, and feels it's his duty to use the media to draw attention to those with disabilities. "I've been given a voice, and I want to do whatever I can to break down the social barriers that are still faced by disabled athletes, and make people realize that they have a very high athletic level," Scott says.
1.When Scott was young,
A.he only played basketball with other disabled children
B.he became disabled during a basketball match
C.his friends looked down upon him during basketball matches
D.his mother didn't give him special treatment
2.Nike chose Scott to star in its commercial for his .
a. pretty appearance b. independent nature
c. strong will d. excellent basketball skills
e. status in the community of disabled athletes
A. b c e B. a d e C. a b d D. b c d
3.The underlined phrase "audition for " in the second paragraph means " ".
A. try out for B. look out for C. take on D. pick out
4.Which of the following about Scott is TRUE?
A.He has graduated from the University of Wisconsin ― Whitewater.
B.He thinks it's unwise for the disabled to use disability as an excuse.
C.He starred in a commercial together with Errol Morris.
D.He thinks it's important to have many goals.
To the untrained eye it might seem like just a bit of a monkey trick. But when Milly the mandrill (山魈, 西非洲产的大狒狒) covers her face with her hand she is actually sending a serious message to her fellows: “Leave me alone!”
Experts believe the 15-year-old mandrill invented the gesture to warn other monkeys at Colchester Zoo to give her some space. And, surprisingly, the signal has been picked by other members of the group, who use it when they too require solitude.
Biologist Mark Laidre believes the behavior is evidence of social culture among the mandrills. Importantly, the sign language is unlikely to have been influenced by human activities because mandrills do not copy humans. Mr. Laidre expects further research will uncover other monkeys using cultural gestures — the ability to communicate with the hands in a meaningful way. “By covering their eyes with their hands, possibly conveyed to others that they wanted to be left alone and this message may have been respected as a ‘do not disturb’ sign,” said Mr. Laidre.
While the hand is in place, other monkeys are not likely to approach or touch the monkey. Those who rank lower in the social order also use the technique to avoid attacks from more powerful group members. As the discovery appears to be unique to Colchester Zoo, it suggests it is a local phenomenon that arose naturally in the community of 25 mandrills.
Curator (园长) Sarah Forsyth said: “We believe Milly made up the signal and over the past five years some of the younger mandrills have picked it up. We’re not sure why she started doing it but it could be as simple as ‘I can’t see them, so they can’t see me’. It really does show you how intelligent mandrills are.” What’s the text mainly about?
A.How humans influenced monkeys. |
B.A monkey invented a gesture. |
C.A new social culture was discovered. |
D.How experts made the new discovery. |
What does the underlined word “solitude” in the second paragraph mean?
A.Aloneness. | B.Comfort. |
C.Protection. | D.Respect. |
According to Mark Laidre, _____.
A.human activities affect mandrills’ sign language |
B.animals are slow in picking up information |
C.mandrills’ social culture has nothing to do with humans |
D.mandrills are the largest species of monkey in the world |
The monkeys can also use the “do not disturb” sign to _____.
A. protect themselves from being harmed
B. struggle against more powerful group members
C. show humans how intelligent they areWhat can be known from the text?
A.Milly invented the gesture when she was 15. |
B.Mandrills are best known for their social ability. |
C.Why Milly first used the sign language is known to experts. |
D.Only the mandrills in Colchester Zoo use the gesture. |
It’s high time someone spoke up for today’s college students. They’re probably the most hardworking, ambitious people in America and their problems are not properly appreciated.
People like the Secretary of Education simply don’t know what they’re talking about when they knock students. Nor do those who complain about falling academic standards.
The vast majority of the nation’s 12 million students are struggling to pay for their educations. They are part of the invisible workforce. Many hold down full-time jobs. They’re frying hamburgers, photographing weddings, working in construction, and waiting on tables. The fact that they even show up for classes is a wonderful event.
The financial situation of most students explains a lot about what is happening in schools. Why are the traditional courses so unpopular? Why are students flocking to accounting and computer science and any professional programs that seem to lead to careers?
Answer: Today’s working student has been forced into a kind of premature matter-of-fact way of viewing things. Romance is gone. The notion of transforming one’s self through study alone has disappeared. Today’s students seek freedom from manual labor, and the status conferred by a good job.
There are other consequences. Today’s students don’t have much time or energy to be devoted, and carry out independent research or even do serious homework. That’s the secret behind falling academic standards. Students have become consumers. They want grades and certifications. Their professors can’t be expected to give a grade of failure to students who are clearly tired from the effort to pay their bills.
There’s a lot wrong with this situation. It’s twisting the definition of education out of shape. Worse, it’s creating a generation that is totally unpleasant. The brightest students turn out to be yuppies (雅皮士). The vast majority are, at least, good-natured semi-literates.
The time has run out for philosophical debates about fixed courses of study. What this country needs is someone to stand up and say that being a full-time student during one’s formative years is an honorable calling worthy of support. If families can’t or won’t give it to their children, then the government should. The author’s purpose in writing this article is to __________.
A.awaken the whole society to the problems today’s college students face |
B.warn Americans that academic standards are falling |
C.advise college students to study hard |
D.provide a suggestion that only full-time students be enrolled |
The most suitable word to describe the author’s feelings about today’s college students
is _________.
A.criticize | B.sympathize |
C.complain | D.urge |
Which of the following CANNOT be learned from the passage?
A.Many students are often absent from classes. |
B.Traditional courses are not popular. |
C.Students commit crimes with computers. |
D.Students don’t devote much time and energy to their homework. |
By saying “Romance is gone” in paragraph 5, the author means ____________.
A.today’s students do not believe in love stories any more |
B.today’s students become more practical in dealing with things |
C.students think there is no affection any more and break up with their lovers |
D.today’s students hold matter-of-fact opinions on love |
Which of the following suggestions will the author not agree with?
A.We should encourage students to give up full-time jobs. |
B.Families should offer their children more help financially. |
C.We should stand up and say something for today’s college students. |
D.We should make more strict regulations to force students to study hard. |
Although the United States covers so much land and the land produces far more food than the present population needs, its people are by now almost entirely an urban society. Less than a tenth of the people are engaged in agriculture and forestry(林业), and most of the rest live in or around towns, small and large. Here the traditional picture is changing: every small town may still be very like other small towns, and the typical small town may represent a widely accepted view of the country, but most Americans do not live in small towns any more. Half the population now lives in some thirty metropolitan areas(large cities with their suburbs ) of more than a million people each – a large proportion than in Germany or English, let alone France. The statistics(统计) of urban and rural population should be treated with caution because so many people who live in areas classified as rural travel by car to work in a nearby town each day. As the rush to live out of town continues, rural areas within reach of towns are gradually filled with houses, so that it is hard to say at what moment a piece of country becomes a suburb. But more and more the typical American lives in a metropolitan rather than a small town environment.If now America has 250 million people.how many of them are engaged in agriculture and forestry?
A.About 25 million. | B.More than 25 million. |
C.Less than 25 million. | D.Less than 225 million. |
Which of the following four countries has the smallest proportion of people living in metropolitan areas?
A.United States | B.Germany | C.France | D.England |
What’s the meaning of the word “metropolitan” in the middle of the passage?
A.Of a large city with its suburbs. |
B.Of small and large towns. |
C.Of urban areas. |
D.Of rural areas. |
According to the passage,what can we learn about small towns in the United States?
A.Most small towns become gradually crowded. |
B.Small towns are still similar to each other. |
C.As the traditional picture is changing,towns are different. |
D.Small towns are turning into large cities. |
Why is it hard to say when a piece of country becomes a suburb?
A.Because they are the same. |
B.Because the rush takes place too quickly. |
C.Because the process is gradual. |
D.Because more and more Americans live in metropolitan areas. |
Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life.This time, which took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened.
On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress and picked out a beautiful skirt."Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago.She never wore it.She was saving it for a special occasion." he said.I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral (葬礼) of my sister, after her unexpected death.
He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral.Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion.Every day you're alive is a special occasion."
I'm thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life.I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings.Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer."Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their importance on my vocabulary.If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,I want to see and hear and do it now.
Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold hack or save anything that would add laughter and color to our lives.Every morning when I open my eyes.I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift.So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life.Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?
A.She waited for a special occasion to wear it on. |
B.She wanted to keep it for someone else. |
C.She saved it till she grew up. |
D.She would give it to herself as a gift some day. |
What does the underlined word "cherish" mean?
A.Treasure. | B.Waste. | C.Own. | D.Save. |
From his experience, the author learns that _______.
A.everybody can have a happy life through efforts |
B.every day in our lives is worth cherishing |
C.enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives |
D.everybody will have some things left to do after his death |
What does the author write this passage for?
A.To show how to make good use of every day in life. |
B.To explain the true meaning of his brother-in-law's words. |
C.To tell people to cherish every day and find the meaning of life. |
D.To encourage people to waste time and enjoy themselves in life. |
What's the best title for this passage?
A.Every Day Is a Gift |
B.My Sister Jan |
C.What Is the Meaningful Life Like |
D.The Most Important Time in Your Life |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs.
A second study, looking at nearly 1000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year-olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters(年轻人)may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages5 and 15. These with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedroomsAccording to the California study, the low-scoring group might_____
A.have watched a lot of TV |
B.not be interested in math |
C.be unable to go to college |
D.have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
A.Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
B.Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest |
C.TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
D.The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
A.More time should be spent on computers. |
B.Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
C.'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms, |
D.Further studies on high-achieving students should be done |
What would be the best title for this text?
A. Computers or Television
B Effects of Television on Children
C. Studies on TV and College Education
D. Television and Children's Learning Habits