III. Reading Comprehension
Section A
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
The first attempt of even the most talented artists, musicians, and writers is seldom a masterpiece, If you consider your drafts as dress rehearsals (彩排), or tryouts, revising will seem a natural part of the writing ___50___.
What is the purpose of the dress rehearsals and the out-of-town previews that many Broadway shows go through? The answer is adding, deleting, replacing, reordering, ___51___ revising. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Phantom of the Opera underwent such a process.
When Lloyd Webber began writing in 1984, he had in mind a funny, exciting production. However, when Phantom opened in London in 1986, the audience saw a moving psychological love story set to music. The musical had. ___52___ several revisions due, in part, to problems with costuming and makeup (戏服和化妆). For instance, Lloyd Webber ___53___ some of the music because the Phantom's makeup prevented the actor from singing certain sounds.
When you revise, you change aspects of your work in ___54___ to your evolving purpose, or to include ___55___ ideas or newly discovered information.
Revision is not just an afterthought that gets only as much time as you have at the end of an assignment. ___56___, it is a major stage of the writing process, and writers revise every step of the way. Even your decision to ___57___. topics while prewriting is a type of revising. However. don't make the mistake of skipping the revision stage that follows ___58___. Always make time to become your own ___59___and view your dress rehearsal, so to speak. Reviewing your work in this way can give you ___60___ new ideas.
Revising involves ___61___ the effectiveness and appropriateness of all aspects of your writing, making your purpose more clearly, and refocusing or developing the facts and ideas you present. When you revise, ask yourself the following questions, keeping in mind the audience for whom you are writing: Is my main idea or purpose ___62___ throughout my draft? Do I ever lose sight of my purpose? Have I given my readers all of the ___63___ that is, facts, opinions, inferences --- that they need in order to understand my main idea? Finally, have I included too many ___64___ details that may confuse readers?
50. A. technique B. style C. process D. career
51. A. in particular B. as a result C. for example D. in other words
52. A. undergone B. skipped C. rejected D. replaced
53. A. rewrote B. released C. recorded D. reserved
54. A. addition B. response C. opposition D. contrast
55. A. fixed B. ambitious C. familiar D. fresh
56. A. However B. Moreover C. Instead D. Therefore
57. A. discuss B. switch C. exhaust D. cover
58. A. drafting B. rearranging C. performing D. training
59. A. director B. master C. audience D. visitor
60. A. personal B. valuable C. basic D. delicate
61. A. mixing B. weakening C. maintaining D. assessing
62. A. amazing B. bright C. unique D. clear
63. A. angles B. evidence C. information D. hints
64. A. unnecessary B. uninteresting C. concrete D. final
Until 1954 it was thought that no man could run one mile in less than four minutes. As years 36,the record came closer and closer to four minutes and Roger Bannister, a young English 37 ,began to believe be might 38 this almost magic barrier.
It was a cold afternoon on May 6th, 1954 , when Bannister knew be had a 39 chance. Bannister had been 40 hard and was very fit, but the weather conditions were a real 41to him. Describing the 42later, Bannister said,“On the way to the track the wind blew strongly. As I 43 for the start I glanced at the flag. It moved 44now. This was the moment when I made my decision. ”
“The gun fired. My legs 45to meet no resistance, as if I was 46 forward by some unknown force. The noise from the faithful 47 gave me greater strength. I felt the 48of a lifetimes had come. ”
“I was driven on by a 49of fear and pride. My body had long since used up all its energy 50 it went on running just the same. This was the critical moment when my legs were strong enough to carry me over the last few yards as they 51 could have done in previous years. When I leapt at（冲向）the 52 tape, I fell, almost 53 .
“I knew I had done it, even before I 54the time. The announcement came. ‘Result of the one mile…Time, three minutes…’the test was 55 in the noise of excitement. ”
36. A. passed along B. passed down C. went by D. went over
37. A. coach B. athlete C. captain D. judge
38. A. defeat B. move C. beat D. break
39. A. real B. lucky C. serious D. false
40. A. competing B. training C. fighting D. attending
41. A. eagerness B. pleasure C. relief D. worry
42. A. accident B. event C. issue D. topic
43. A. did up B. made up C. put up D. lined up
44. A. safely B. heavily C. thinly D. gently
45. A. seemed B. used C. happenedD. had
46. A. dragged B. drawn C. pulled D. pushed
47. A. mass B. residents C. crowd D. team
48. A. moment B. period C. while D. date
49. A. concentration B. collection C. combination D. classification
50. A. so B. but C. or D. as
51. A. never B. ever C. even D. still
52. A. starting B. lasting C. finishing D. running
53. A. unconcerned B. unconscious C. unknown D. unnoticed
54. A. offered B. told C. announced D. beard
55. A. stuck B. involved C. lost D. spread
When I was young, my parents ran a snack bar in our small town.
One evening in early April, my mother told me to fill in at the snack bar 36a worker who had the flu. I told her I would mess it up, 37I had never worked at the bar before. I 38 that instead of making money, I would end up owing it.
“You can do it,” said my mother, “ 39, you won’t get much business until lunch.”
“But I’ll never remember the orders, and I’m no good 40money. Please, Mom, don’t 41me.
“Then I’ll help you,” she said.
I shrugged my shoulders. I thought my mother’s 42was a bad one, but I 43 .
When I got to the bar the next day, I found my mother was 44. Because the weather that day was rainy and cold, people wanted hot snacks and drinks. 45 , I was really slow at taking the orders and making change. The line of people grew, and everybody seemed 46 , I was so nervous that my hands shook, and I 47a cup into pieces. What a mess! Then my mother came to 48me, and she also showed me how to make 49 . If someone gave me $ 5 for something that cost $ 3.25, I handed over 50quarters and a dollar and said, “75 cents makes four dollars, plus one dollar makes five.” Things went more 51after that.
By the end of the day, I could remember orders, 52the bill, and make change quickly with a smile. I was even a little 53when the sun came out and dried up business. My mother said she was proud of me, and when she 54 that I work at the snack bar again next year, I did not even shrug. I was too busy 55the restaurant I would open one day.
36.A. to B. for C. after D. over
37.A. because B. though C. until D. while
38.A. promised B. noticed C. worried D. hoped
39.A. Therefore B. However C. Besides D. Yet
40.A. of B. on C. about D. with
41.A. blame B. fool C. frighten D. make
42.A. idea B. bar C. day D. answer
43.A. guessed B. obeyed C. begged D. admitted
44.A. angry B. sad C. worry D. ashamed
45.A. At least B. At last C. At most D. At first
46.A. surprised B. impolite C. pleased D. impatient
47.A. damaged B. destroyed C. broke D. ruined
48.A. scold B. help C. beat D. save
49.A. money B. lunch C. coffee D. change
50.A. two B. three C. four D. five
51.A. smoothly B. fairly C. simply D. conveniently
52.A. turn in B. count out C. take over D. add up
53.A. discouraged B. disturbed C. disappointed D. distrusted
54.A. thought B. stated C. announced D. suggested
55.A. imagining B. preparing C. examining D. describing
Many years ago, I owned a service station and roadhouse on the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide.
One very cold, wet night at about 3:30 a.m., there was a 41on the front door of our house. A young man, wet from 42to toe , explained that he had43 out of petrol about 30 km up the road. He had left his pregnant(怀孕的) wife and his two children 44 at the car and said that he would hitchhike(搭便车) back.
Once I had45a can with petrol, I took him back to his car where his two-year-old and four-year-old children were both46,saying that they were cold. Once the car had started, I suggested that he47 me back.
Before leaving, I had turned the heater 48in the roadhouse, so that when we went in, it was nice and 49.While the little ones played and ran 50 ,I prepared bread and butter for the children, and hot chocolate for the 51.
It was about 5 a.m. before they52.The young fellow asked me how much he 53me and I told him that the petrol pump(加油泵) had54$15.He offered to pay “call-out fee”, but I wouldn’t accept it.
About a month later, I received a 55from Interstate, a large bus company that we had been trying to 56to stop off at our roadhouse for a long time. It 57 out that the young fellow I had helped was its general manager, the most 58person in the company.
In his letter, he thanked me again and59me that, from then on, all their buses would stop at my service station. In this 60,a little bit of kindness was rewarded with a huge amount of benefits.
41.A.kick B.hit C.beat D.knock
42.A.finger B.shoulder C.head D.hand
43.A.driven B.used C.come D.run
44.A.away B.behind C.over D.out
45.A.supplied B.poured C.equipped D.filled
46.A.sleeping B.crying C.quarrelling D.fighting
47.A.allow B.ring C.lead D.follow
48.A.on B.off C.in D.over
49.A.neat B.hot C.warm D.attractive
50.A.around B.inside C.nearby D.along
51.A.drivers B.guests C.customers D.adults
52.A.left B.arrived C.ate D.disappeared
53.A.gave B.paid C.owed D.offered
54.A.appeared B.exhibited C.calculated D.shown
55.A.call B.letter C.check D.notice
56.A.get B.force C.requite D.hope
57.A.pointed B.turned C.worked D.found
58.A.generous B.successful C.serious D.powerful
59.A.praised B.persuaded C.informed D.convinced
60.A.lesson B.business C.aspect D.case
I grew up in a tiny Baltimore row house in a faraway mountain area. My parents 36the necessities of life 37they couldn’t give much more. If I asked my father 38 a pair of jeans, he would say, “If you want them, make the money and buy them 39.” He wasn’t being mean; he just couldn’t 40them. From age 12 on, I did part-time jobs after school.
When I 41from high school, I joined the navy. Soon I was in a boot camp(新兵训练营) at Parris Island, S. C., where I learned that life in the navy centered around completing daily
42 . These could be anything from cleaning the camp to conducting mock(模拟的) battles. Completing these tasks successfully 43discipline, team-work and responsibility. It didn’t
44whether you were black, white or Asian; everyone worked together for the 45 of the company.
I went 46to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and later became an officer in the navy. The part of my job I 47most was the counseling(咨询) meeting I 48with the family members of the men and women in my 49 , trying to help them deal with the long periods of 50 . These proved popular and word of them spread. 51I was being asked to give encouraging 52to business groups, educators and kids across the country.
But I consider the boot camp my first real 53, and my life is still guided by the
54lessons I learned there. It taught me discipline, friendship and the pride related to setting a task every day and working hard to 55 it.
36.A.provided B.got C.made D.bought
37.A.while B.but C.so D.or
38.A.about B.with C.for D.of
39.A.themselves B.ourselves C.yourself D.myself
40.A.pay B.find C.produce D.afford
41.A.came B.returned C.escaped D.graduated
42.A.drills B.tasks C.exercises D.reports
43.A.included B.asked C.required D.met
44.A.matter B.mean C.exist D.work
45.A.good B.boss C.rest D.right
46.A.out B.on C.away D.off
47.A.took B.hated C.enjoyed D.did
48.A.ended B.began C.continued D.held
49.A.charge B.situation C.position D.choice
50.A.lessons B.meeting C.training D.separation
51.A.Long before B.Before long C.As usual D.Once again
52.A.performances B.descriptions C.speeches D.gifts
53.A.vacation B.place C.job D.travel
54.A.important B.bitter C.normal D.difficult
55.A.gain B.achieve C.show D.match
The books in David’s schoolbag felt like bricks as he ran down the street. What he wanted to do was to play basketball with Eric, 21his mother told him he would have to return his sister’s books to the library first.
He had 22set foot in a library and he wasn’t about to do so today. He would just 23 the books in the outside return box. But there was a 24 :it was locked.
He went into the building, only a few minutes 25closing time. He put the books into the return box. And after a brief 26 in the toilet, he would be on his way to the playground to 27 Eric.
David stepped out of the toilet and stopped in 28— the library lights were off. The place was 29 . The doors had been shut. They 30 be opened from the inside. He was trapped(被困) — in a library!
He tried to 31a telephone call, but was unable to 32 . What’s worse, the pay phones were on the outside of the building. 33 the sun began to set, he searched for a light and found it.
34 he could see. David wrote on a piece of paper: “ 35 ! I’m TRAPPED inside!” and stuck it to the glass door. 36, someone passing by would see it.
He was surprised to discover that this place was not so unpleasant, 37. Rows and rows of shelves held books, videos and music. He saw a book about Michael Jordan and took it off the shelf. He settled into a chair and started to 38 .
He knew he had to 39, but now, that didn’t seem to be such a 40 thing.
21. A. but B. because C. or D. since
22. A. ever B. nearly C. never D. often
23. A. pass B. drop C. carry D. take
24. A. problem B. mistake C. case D. question
25. A. during B. after C. over D. before
26. A. rest B. break C. walk D. stop
27. A. visit B. meet C. catch D. greet
28.A. delight B. anger C. surprise D. eagerness
29. A. lonely B. empty C. noisy D. crowded
30. A. wouldn’t B. shouldn’t C. couldn’t D. needn’t
31. A. make B. fix C. use D. pick
32. A. get on B. get up C. get through D. get in
33. A. If B. As C. Though D. Until
34. A. On time B. Now and then C. By the way D. At last
35. A. Come B. Help C. Hello D. Sorry
36. A. Surely B. Thankfully C. Truly D. Gradually
37. A. at most B. after all C. in short D. as usual
38. A. watch B. play C. read D. write
39. A. wait B. stand C. sleep D. work
40. A. bad B. cool C. strange D. nice