第二部分 阅读理解 (满分35分)
第一节 语篇阅读 (每小题2分)
阅读理解下面的短文，然后根据短文内容，指出能完成所给句子或回答所提问题的最佳答案。
Astronomy (天文学) is the oldest science known to man. Thousands of years ago man looked at the stars and wondered about heavens (天堂). But the six planets that he could see with his eyes alone limited man.
The Greeks studied astronomy over 2,000 years ago. They could see the size, color, and brightness of a star. They could see its place in the sky. They watched the stars move as the seasons changed. But the Greeks had no tools to help themselves study the heavens.
Each new tool added to the field of astronomy helped man reach out into space. Until there were telescopes (望远镜), man did not know much about the moon. He did not know that the planet called Saturn (土星) had rings around it. His sight was so limited that he could not see all the planets. In the early 1700s, people thought there were only six planets. Pluto (冥王星), the last of the nine planets to be discovered was seen until 1930.
Before the spectroscopes (分光镜), man didn’t know what kind of gas was in the sun or other stars, without radio telescopes (射电望远镜), we did not know that radio noise came from far in space.
Today, astronomy is a growing science. We have learned more in the past fifty years than in the whole history of astronomy.
1Thousands of years ago, man watched ____ with his eyes.
A. the moon B. the stars C. the universe D. all the planets
2 When the Greeks watched the stars, they could ____ .
A. know what the stars were made of B. not see their places in the sky
C. help themselves study the heavens D. watch the stars move as the seasons changed
3Until there were ____ , man knew very little about the moon.
A. telescopes B. spectroscopes C. radio telescopes D. spaceships
3People didn’t know about Pluto until ____ .
A. the 1700s B. 2,000 years ago C. 1930 D. thousands of years ago
5____ people began to do research on astronomy.
A. 50 years ago B. 90 years ago C. In the early 1700s D. Over 2,000 years ago
For about a decade, I knew that I needed to improve my handwriting, but I always put it off. “My typing skills are good, my communication skills are good, and all my other abilities are adequate for the job I do and the life I live. Why would I need to improve my handwriting in such a modern world?” I thought.
I was sort of hit by the fact that my handwriting needed improving quite suddenly in the form of a note from my boss. Obviously one of the notes I had posted on the office message board had been misunderstood because of my handwriting. My boss demanded that I learn to write in a neat way, something I couldn’t ignore any longer.
I tried a lot of different methods to improve my handwriting. Nowadays, there are more resources than before. You don’t even have to go to the store and can buy handwriting training materials online. I tried out a lot of these, and my handwriting did improve somewhat. Now I make sure I form every letter correctly. This is inconvenient and time-consuming, but it is better than having my comments misread.
People come up to me and tell me how nice my handwriting is. I have never thought of that, but this is exactly what has happened. It really is a pleasure, but it isn’t enough. In the long run, I actually have to go to a handwriting coach to improve my handwriting. It seems like I have years and years of bad habits that I have to break, and this isn’t something I could handle on my own. I need someone to teach me how to write clearly from the ground up.The underlined word “adequate” in the first paragraph probably means “”.
Aclear enough B. common enough C. good enough D. special enoughThe writer made the decision to improve his handwriting because .
| A．he had planned for that for a long time |
| B．he was shocked by his boss’ good handwriting |
| C．he was often misunderstood because of his handwriting |
| D．his boss asked him to work on his handwriting |
How did the writer try to improve his handwriting?
| A．He practiced writing mainly on his own. |
| B．He practiced writing and typing at the same time. |
| C．He joined a handwriting training class. |
| D．He employed a coach to teach him online. |
What does the writer think of his handwriting at present?
| A．Unacceptable. | B．Perfect. | C．Worse. | D．Better. |
ARIZONA
Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly
A one-night stay at the historic lodge starts at $59 for a single room and the lodge offers half-day tours of Canyon de Chelly ( $41 for adults and $32 for children aged 12 and under).
Time: May 31, 2009 ~ Nov. 1, 2009
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 17.1 percent
Contact: 800/679-2473, tbirdlodge.com
CALIFORNIA
Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe
A three-night stay in a lakeside cabin(小木屋) for two people, an Emerald Bay sightseeing for two, free breakfast and lunch. Rates are $299 per couple – saving of up to $400.
Details: Hotel taxes are included
Time: Through Dec. 15, 2009
Contact: 800/234-8946, zephyrcove.com
NEVADA
Montelago Village at Lake Las Vegas
A one-night stay at the mediterranean-style Montelago Village, 17 miles from Las Vegas. Rates start at $65 per person including ice-skating fees and skate rentals.
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 12 percent
Time: Nov. 17, 2009~Jan. 15, 2010
Contact: 866/399-2753, montelagovillage.com
YELLOWSTONE
Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel
A two-night stay, breakfast daily, full day ski rental, unlimited ice-skating and skates and a book of Yellowstone photos. Rates start at $119 per person. A one-night stay at the hotel starts at $65.
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 8 percent
Time: Jan .1, 2010~May 2, 2010
Contact: 866/439-2473, travelyellowstone.comIf a couple and their 14-year-old son want to have a half-day tour of Canyon de Chelly on Oct. 13, 2009, they should pay __________.
| A．$114 | B．$123 | C．$177 | D．$189 |
If you are interested in ice-skating, you may find more information in __________.
| A．tbirdlodge.com and zephyrcove.com |
| B．montelagovillage.com and tbirdlodge.com |
| C．zephyrcove.com and travelyellowstone.com |
| D．travelyellowstone.com and montelagovillage.com |
If you have a holiday in December, and intend to stay in a European-style hotel, you may go to __________.
| A．Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel |
| B．Zephyr Cove Resort at Lake Tahoe |
| C．Montelago Village at Lake Las Vegas |
| D．Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly |
Sony and Toyota are struggling. But one brand name is booming (繁荣) in Japan during the economic slowdown—Mickey Mouse.
According to the company that runs Tokyo Disneyland, Japan’s busiest theme park will be more packed than ever over Christmas and New Year’s Day. Despite the bad economy, it’s already been a record year for an escape which is cheaper than the average night out in pricey Tokyo.
“Here, economic depression (萧条) seems a world away,” visitor Namie Katsunuma said. “This is the only place where I can totally forget the economic worries and hardships of my life.”
The single mother’s salary at an auto factory was cut in November but, with her $500 yearly pass in hand, she makes the 95-km journey from her home to Tokyo Disneyland every couple of months.
The park’s operator, Oriental Land Co, estimates (估算) a record 26.5 million people will visit Tokyo Disneyland and its nearby sister park, Disneysea, during the financial year ending in March. The company is forecasting sales of a record $4.2 billion, up almost 10 percent.
“In a way, the economy works well for Tokyo Disneyland,” said Hiroshi Watanabe, an economist at the Tokyo-based Daiwa Research Institute. “Because of the economic depression, people have stopped buying cars and houses or going to Hawaii, and Tokyo Disneyland offers an affordable and pleasant alternative.”
Around the world, Disney’s theme parks have been a bright spot for the brand this year as people seem to look for an escape from bad times. According to the passage, what happens to Tokyo Disneyland this year?
| A．Fewer people visit it. | B．Less money is made. |
| C．It attracts more visitors. | D．Its sales have reached $4.2 billion. |
What can be the possible reason for Tokyo Disneyland’s boom?
| A．It costs less money to play here than in any other theme park. |
| B．People have a new understanding of amusement. |
| C．The economic depression has changed people’s plans to spend money. |
| D．Visitors seek an escape from economic depression. |
What does the underlined word “alternative” mean in the sixth paragraph?
| A．choice. | B．park. | C．time. | D．trip. |
According to the last paragraph, what is the writer probably going to write?
| A．The theme parks that attract most visitors. |
| B．More examples of success of Disney theme parks. |
| C．Tokyo Disneyland’s plan for the next year. |
| D．The economic depression in other companies. |
Flight Distance
Any observant people have noticed that a wild animal will allow a man or other potential enemy to approach only up to a given distance before it escapes. “Flight distance” is the terms used for this interspecies spacing. As a general rule, there is a positive relationship between the size of an animal and its flight distance --- the larger the animal, the greater the distance it must keep between itself and the enemy. An antelope will escape when the enemy is as much as five hundred yards away. The wall lizard’s flight distance, on the other hand, is about six feet. Flight is the basic means of survival for mobile creatures.
Critical Distance
Critical distance apparently is present wherever and whenever there is a flight reaction. “Critical distance” includes the narrow zone separating flight distance from attack distance. A lion in a zoo will flee from an approaching man until it meets a barrier that it cannot overcome. If the man continues the approach, he soon penetrates（穿过，透过）the lion’s critical distance, at which point the cornered lion turns back and begins slowly stalk（逼近）the man.
Social Distance
Social animals need to stay in touch with each other. Loss of contact with the group can be fatal （致命的）for a variety of reasons including exposure to enemies. Social distance is not simply the distance at which an animal will lose contact with his group --- that is, the distance at which it can no longer see, hear, or smell the group --- it is rather a psychological distance, one at which the animal apparently begins to feel anxious when it goes beyond its limits. We can think of it as a hidden band that contains the group.
Social distance varies from species to species. It is quite short --- apparently only a few yards --- among some animals, and quite long among others.
Social distance is not always rigidly（刻板的）fixed but is determined in part by the situation. When the young of apes and humans are mobile but not yet under control of the mother’s voice, social distance may be the length of her reach. This is readily observed among baboons（狒狒）in a zoo. When the baby approaches a certain point, the mother reaches out to seize the end of its tail and pull it back to her. When added control is needed because of danger, social distance shortens. To show this in man, one has only to watch a family with a number of small children holding hands as they cross a busy street.Which of the following is the most suitable explanation to “Flight distance”?
| A．Distance between animals of the same species before escaping. |
| B．Distance between large and small animals before escaping. |
| C．Distance between an animal and its enemy before escaping |
| D．Distance between certain animal species before escaping. |
If a lion’s critical distance is penetrated, it will ________
| A．begin to attack | B．try to hide | C．begin to jump | D．run away |
The example of the children holding hands when crossing the street in the last paragraph shows that ________.
| A．social distance is not always needed |
| B．there is no social distance among children |
| C．humans are different from animals in social distance |
| D．social distance is sometimes determined by outside factors |
Which of the following one can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Critical Distance | B．Spacing in Animals |
| C．Relationship Between Animals | D．Psychological Distance |
Uncle Tom gave little Vicki Black a birthday gift one week before her birthday. He told her not to open it until her birthday. She knew her mother wouldn’t tolerate any disrespect to the kind man who helped them out after Vicki’s father passed away; besides, Vicki didn’t want Uncle Tom to get angry. But little Vicky didn’t want to just hold it and guess what was in it. After all, she looked forward to his coming to show her interesting things, like how to turn an old sock into a doll.
All the day, Vicki couldn’t stop thinking about the gift while her teacher was giving a lecture. Vicki sat still in her seat, drawing paper dolls inside the box. When school was done, she raced home. Walking into the room, again, she shook the present, but she heard nothing. Holding her breath, she opened the box and looked inside. Seconds later, she cried. When Mrs. Black saw the box, she said angrily, “Didn’t I tell you to leave it alone?” Vicki sobbed and said, “Mommy, you don’t understand.”
“Don’t cry to me. You have missed everything now, just because you couldn’t wait,” Mrs. Black accused. “What will Uncle Tom think now?”
“Uncle Tom gave me nothing,” Vicki cried and handed the empty box to her mother. “He played a trick on me.”
Mrs. Black said doubtfully, “Uncle Tom is not like that. You must have dropped it.”
Vicki kept crying. Only a rapid knock on the door made the house quiet. It was Uncle Tom. He looked at the empty box. “You have already done it? I told you to wait for your birthday.”
“You didn’t give me a gift.” Fresh tears filled her eyes.
“I try to give you something. I know your birthday is a special day. I tell myself to give you something valuable to last your whole life. I think hard and get the idea to give you an important lesson. If you open it on birthday, I see you learn. Then I will make a big party to celebrate. Maybe next year you listen and then you will understand the gift better.
Vicki’s cheeks flushed（脸红）. We can learn from the text that Vicki___________.
| A．often received gifts from her father | B．expected Uncle Tom to give her a doll |
| C．was sad because of her father’s death | D．liked and respected Uncle Tom |
Vicki’s mother became angry because ___________.
| A．Uncle Tom helped them out after Vicki’s father died |
| B．Vicki opened the box before her birthday |
| C．there was nothing in the gift box |
| D．Vicki dropped the gift because of her carelessness |
What kind of person is Uncle Tom?
| A．Thoughtful | B．Humorous | C．Mysterious | D．Funny |
What did Uncle Tom want to teach Vicki?
| A．How to respect others | B．The meaning of gifts |
| C．How to deal with gifts | D．The value of a promise |