第三部分阅读理解(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。
The famous directo
r of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why not?” he asked.
“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”
“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Her
e it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.
The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.
1. One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.
A. to film a scene on the se
a B. to find an actor and an actress
C. to watch a beautiful sunset D. to meet the audience
2. Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?
A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.
B. Because he was angry with his crew.
C. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.
D. Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.
3. The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.
A. it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine
B. when they arrived at the beach it was already
in the evening
C. it was more moving than a sunrise
D. the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset
4 After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.
A. because he was moved to tears
B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards
C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined
D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine
5. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.
B. If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.
C. The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.
D. The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.
People in the United States honor their parents with 2 special days: Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May and Father’s Day on the 3rd Sunday in June. These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with childcare.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It’s also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery (grave). On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecue for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are more valued than those bought in stores. It’s not the value of the gift that is important, but “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakers, phone companies and other stores do lots of business during these holidays.Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
| A.Parents bring up children. |
| B.Parents give love and care to children. |
| C.Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D.Parents pass away before children grow up. |
What do you know from the passage?
| A.Both festivals are in May. |
| B.Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C.Not all the children respect their parents. |
| D.Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
Which do you know about “carnation”?
| A.It only has two kinds of color. |
| B.It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day. |
| C.It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D.People can wear them only on the second Sunday in May. |
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day ___________.
| A.people sometimes have family parties |
| B.everyone goes to the cemetery |
| C.children always go to parents’ home |
| D.hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts. |
Every hour spent in watching TV, DVDs and videos as an adult reduces life expectancy by almost 22 minutes, a study suggests. And viewing TV for an average of six hours a day can cut short your life by five years.
The research claims that a sedentary(久坐的) lifestyle is as bad for health as smoking and obesity, because of the dangers caused by inactivity and the greater opportunities it offers for unhealthy eating.
The academics conducting the study set out to calculate the overall risk to life expectancy from watching television. Their research involved more than 11,000 people over the age of 25.
Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they concluded. "TV viewing time may be associated with a loss of life, which is similar to other major chronic disease risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity."
The researchers, from the University of Queensland, used information from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, together with population and death rate data.
But they said: "Although we used Australian data, the effects in other industrialized and developing countries are likely to be similar, considering the large amounts of time spent watching TV and similarities in disease patterns." In the United Kingdom, the average amount of time spent watching TV is four hours a day, compared with five hours in the United States.
Earlier this year, a separate study suggested the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease, or dying early, rises by as much as 20 percent after just two hours a day in front of the box.
England's Chief Medical Officer, Sally Davies, said: "Physical activity offers huge benefits and these studies back what we already know - that a sedentary lifestyle carries additional risks. We hope these studies will help more people realize that there are many ways to get exercise."We can learn from the passage that_______
| A.whether you watch TV or not has nothing to do with how long you will live |
| B.if an adult watches TV for six hours every day, he will die five years earlier |
| C.physical inactivity and obesity won't shorten your life |
| D.a sedentary lifestyle offers huge benefits. |
The word "it" in the second paragraph refers to
| A.a sedentary lifestyle |
| B.eating |
| C.smoking |
| D.obesity |
What do we know from the last three paragraphs?
| A.People in the United Kingdom watch TV longer than those in the United States. |
| B.That a sedentary lifestyle carries additional risks isn't supported by other studies. |
| C.Watching TV for two hours a day will increase the risk of illnesses or dying early by 20%. |
| D.It is through these studies that we know a sedentary lifestyle carries additional risks. |
The passage is intended to _______.
| A.inform the readers of a research on watching TV |
| B.warn the readers of the harm of watching TV and hope they do sports |
| C.tell the readers watching TV is also a good way to relax |
| D.tell the readers large amounts of people often watch TV |
A woman Vicki once knew a young person named Susan at church. Susan always seemed happy, although Vicki knew she had faced struggles in her life. Her long-awaited marriage had quickly ended in divorce, but her whole face seemed to smile.
One day Vicki asked Susan,“How is it that you are always so happy, you have so much energy, and you never seem to get down?”
With her eyes smiling, Susan said,“I know the secret!”
“What secret is that? What are you talking about?”Vicki asked.
Susan replied,“The secret is this: I have learned there is little I can do in my life that will make me truly happy. I must depend on God to make me happy and meet my needs. When a need arises in my life, I have to trust God to supply according to HIS riches. I have learned most of the time I don’t need half of what I think I do. He has never let me down. Since I learned that secret, I am happy.”
Vicki thought first, “That’s too simple!” But upon reflecting over her own life, she remembered how she thought a bigger house would make her happy, but it didn’t! She thought a better-paying job would make her happy, but it didn’t. When did she realize her greatest happiness? Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren, playing games, eating pizza or reading a story, this is a simple gift from God.What do we know about Susan?
| A.She lived a very happy life with her family. |
| B.She always wore a pretended smile on her face. |
| C.She had her own share of trouble in life. |
| D.She could overcome every difficulty in life. |
What is Susan’s secret of happiness?
| A.Carrying out your promise |
| B.Never wanting much in life |
| C.Depending on God |
| D.Brushing away your worries |
Vicki used to _____.
| A.get happiness from better –paying work |
| B.live a happy life in a big house |
| C.be at a loss as to what the real happiness was |
| D.enjoy the simple things in life |
After hearing Susan’s words , Vicki ________.
| A.sold her big house and quit job |
| B.changed her idea about happiness |
| C.still doubted about her life |
| D.found a simple gift from God . |
As the pace(步速) of life continues to increase , we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through lift, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is completely necessary for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is an natural part of everyday lift and there is no way to avoid it. In fact , it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand(忍受) depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises(危机)we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established(确定的)links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
| A.We can find some ways to avoid stress |
| B.Stress is always harmful to people’s health. |
| C.It is easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work. |
| D.Different people can withstand different amounts of stress |
In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to .
| A.“expose ourselves to stress” |
| B.“find ways to deal with stress” |
| C.“remove stress from our lives” |
| D.“establish links between diseases and stress” |
According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is .
| A.to avoid it |
| B.to try to deal with it |
| C.to regard it as a vital motivation |
| D.to find some relaxation |
The Sahara Festival is a three-day African celebration of the very recent past, which takes place every year either in November or December. It is part military display and part competition. The military display comes first. It is very popular with tourists and local people and especially with government leaders.
During the opening ceremonies, the government leaders first make speeches. They welcome everybody to the display and hope that everyone will enjoy themselves. Then there is a display of soldiers who march very smartly in front of the place where the government leaders sit. Then horsemen from several different countries show off their beautiful clothes and their good riding skills. One after another they come and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turns to show off their wonderful traditional clothes and dances. They are accompanied by men playing drums and beating strong rhythms for the dancers.
The highlight of the opening ceremony are the races which take place in the evening. It is the grand finale of the day. Men ride their horses very fast. Some ride with their legs in the air, others ride in pairs on different horses. It is so fast and so wonderful!The Sahara Festival is a festival which .
| A.has a very long history in North Africa |
| B.is not celebrated on the same dates each year |
| C.is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara |
| D.is celebrated only by travelers from different countries |
Before the races begin, take part in the activities during the opening ceremonies.
| A.horsemen, dancers, horses and soldiers |
| B.horsemen, horses, government leaders and dancers |
| C.government leaders, horsemen, dancers and soldiers |
| D.musicians, soldiers, government leaders and soldiers |
The underlined word “finale” in the third paragraph most probably means the of the opening day.
| A.first part | B.middle |
| C.last part | D.whole |
This passage mainly tells readers .
| A.what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival |
| B.how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival |
| C.what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival |
| D.how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival |