第三部分阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
请认真阅读下列短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
At present, in many American cities especially, many teachers in the public schools say they are underpaid. They point to jobs such as secretary or truck driver, which often pay more to start than that of a teacher. In many other fields, such as law, medicine, computer science, a beginning worker may make more than a teacher who has taught for several years.
Teaching has never been a profession that attracted people interested in high salaries. It is by history a profession that has provided rewards in addition to money—the satisfaction of sharing knowledge, of influencing others, of guiding young people. But in the past several years, there are more difficulties in teaching, for many, than there are rewards.
Unruly(蛮横的)students, especially in big cities, large classes and a lack of support from the public in terms of money and understanding have led many public school teachers to leave the profession.
As a result, many of the best students, who would have chosen teaching as their life career in the past, are going into other fields.
Another reason for this change in teacher candidates is the changing status(地位)of women in the United States. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the most popular choices for women was teaching. But as other professions, such as law and medicine opened up to women, women stopped pouring into teacher training programs. Thus, a major pool of excellent candidates for the teaching profession dwindled (减少;缩小).
Bit by bit government officials and others realized that the status of the teacher had suffered. They talked about change. But the change in a vast society like the United States is not easy. People’s attitudes have formed over many years, and sometimes change takes many years.
1. The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refers to “_____________”.
A. money B. job C. secretary D. truck driver
2. What is the present situation of the teaching?
A. Teachers work harder and get underpaid.
B. Teachers have no opportunities to work in other fields.
C. Teaching can attract best students to work as a teacher.
D. Teaching can provide rewards as well as high salaries.
3. Many public school teachers turn to other professions because _____________.
A. the government doesn’t financially support them
B. they have to work longer hours than a lawyer
C. their students refuse to listen to them
D. they are not fairly treated
I was 16 when my father finally decided he would send me to wilderness camp for several months. He had threatened to do it many times before, but my mother had always managed to prevent him from doing so. This time he insisted on doing it.
The latest incident was the last straw. Impulsively(冲动地), I had pushed Mr. Ford, my math teacher, down a flight of steps at school. He broke his arm in two places. Anyway, he had agreed not to accuse me as a favor to my dad, who was in the middle of a tight race for sheriff(执法官) in our town. But my reckless behavior had my dad’s closest advisor talking.
“John, he’s your son and he’s a kid, but he is dragging you down,” I heard Jake Hutch tell my dad through his closed office door the night after I pushed Mr. Ford. “If you can’t make your son obey the rules, how can you make the law obeyed in this town?”
So, off to Pisgah National Forest I went. I imagined hours of untold abuse at the hands of some strong sergeants(军士). I was determined no to be broken. I was who I was.
Nearly every day for six months, a small group of other troubled teens and I carried our 30-pound backpacks on a difficult journey covering about 10 miles. We hiked in a rough wilderness that seemed untouched by civilization.
Our sergeants were firm but kind, not frightening as I had imagined. We learned how to make a fire without matches and create a shelter with branches and grass. We learned which plants were safe to eat out in the wild. I felt myself change. I was calm and often reflective. My old, impulsive self was gone.
One morning, six months later, my dad came to pick me up. I ran to hug him and saw relief and love in his eyes.
“So what’s it like being sheriff?” I asked on the ride home.
“I lost the race, Danny,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” I knew my behavior probably had a lot to do with the defeat.
Dad squeezed my shoulder and brought me close. “As long as I don’t ever lose you, I’m okay.”The author was finally sent to wilderness because _____.
A.he could learn how to survive in the wild |
B.his teacher insisted on giving him a lesson |
C.he pushed his math teacher down the stairs |
D.his mother feared that he would be accused |
The underlined word “reckless” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
A.selfish | B.careless | C.rude | D.reasonable |
What can we learn about the author from the passage?
A.He changed a lot after the camp. |
B.He was not satisfied with his life in the camp. |
C.He was still what he used to be after the camp. |
D.He made enemies with other troubled teens at the camp. |
How did the author’s father feel at the end of the story?
A.Grateful. | B.Annoyed. |
C.Disappointed | D.Relieved |
Many tourists visiting the USA on vacation enjoy shopping for bargains. You can find many bargains in the US if you know where to shop and how to take advantage of the competitive sales.
Department stores offer good quality and high fashion
Macy’s department stores offer a wide selection of merchandise(商品), including fashion clothing, luggage and jewelry. They normally offer good quality merchandise, well known brands and the latest fashions, but not low quality products at bargain prices. They frequently have seasonal sales with attractive discounts. At such times, you can get high quality or fashion merchandise at bargain prices.
General merchandise stores offer affordable quality
Sears and JCPenny are two large national chains with stores across the US. They are similar to department stores but they do not offer high fashion merchandise or luxury(奢侈的) brands. Instead, they feature good quality merchandise at affordable prices. They are particularly known for their selection of children's clothing and domestic goods. Sears is famous for its selection of tools and garden products.[]
Discount stores sell at low prices
Discount stores sell some good quality merchandise at affordable prices and some lower quality merchandise at very low prices. If you are not looking for the latest fashions, famous brands, or the best quality, you can find some very inexpensive merchandise at a discount store. Some national discount chains with stores across the US are K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Target and Caldor.
Outlet stores are a bargain hunter's wonderland
Outlet stores or factory outlets sell high quality merchandise and well-known brands at discounted prices. They usually offer merchandise with slight flaws(瑕疵) and remainders from the last season or the previous year. They do not have end-of-season sales like the department stores, as their merchandise is always discounted 20% to 40% below department store prices. If you want to buy a new dress that is fashionable, you should go to _______.
A.Sears | B.Wal-Mart |
C.JCPenny | D.Macy’s |
What is a feature of general merchandise stores?
A.They normally offer the best quality merchandise. |
B.They offer well-known brands and the latest fashions. |
C.They offer goods at acceptable prices. |
D.They can offer a special discount. |
Which of the following is NOT true about outlet stores?
A.You can purchase goods with excellent quality and reasonable prices. |
B.They can offer goods from last year. |
C.You will get goods with serious quality problems. |
D.Their merchandise is always discounted below department store prices. |
It just may be the world’s most costly vacuum cleaner ( 吸尘器). The price of CleanSpace One is eleven million dollars. But yet, it has a big job to do. Recently, researchers in Switzerland said they planned to build this new cleaning machine.
CleanSpace One will not be for use in homes or businesses. It will be shot into space to help remove thousands of pieces of space junk floating around up there.
Last year, we reported on the problem of space junk. Over time, many unused spacecraft have hit each other far above the Earth. Big pieces break into thousands of small pieces. Sometimes they fall back into the atmosphere (大气层) and burn up. But when they do not, it creates big problems.
Scientists fear that if something is not done to remove these objects, it may soon become too dangerous to send people and machines into space. There is a large chance that they might hit some of this junk. So that is why the Swiss researchers are developing the new machine.
CleanSpace One is not really a vacuum cleaner. It will not be used to take away space junk. But scientists plan to move it close to an old satellite that is no longer being used. Then a claw-like instrument will catch the satellite, and force it back through the atmosphere. There, the satellite will be destroyed by the heat of friction (摩擦) with the air.
Researchers say that all they need to do is slow down the speed of some of these unwanted objects. Once they begin to move more slowly, they will fall back to the Earth. There is little chance that they will fall through the atmosphere and harm the people or things below.Space junk is created when .
A.unused spacecraft hit each other |
B.people in space throw away rubbish |
C.a new spaceship is sent up |
D.an old spaceship creates friction with the air |
What’s the danger of space junk?
A.It will pollute space. |
B.It will hurt people on the Earth. |
C.It will hit a spaceship. |
D.It will burn in the atmosphere. |
Unwanted objects will fall back to the Earth when .
A.they are made to move slowly |
B.they meet other objects in space |
C.they are not used for years |
D.they are near the atmosphere |
The passage is most probably a .
A.science research paper | B.science fiction story |
C.newspaper ad | D.science news report |
You’ve probably heard of the expression “A leopard can’t change its spots.” This, of course, is true of leopards. But isn’t it true of people? Can people change themselves? Are we humans just creatures of habits? Do we not have any control over our actions and habits?
One guy said, “Bad habits are like a comfortable bed. They’re easy to get into, but hard to get out of.” Someone else said, “The chains of habits are too small to feel until they’re too strong to break.” So breaking the mould of our bad habits takes effort.
Habits are like the roads we take through our life every day. The problem is that not every road takes us where we need to go. Actually, our routes through life often become our ruts (惯例) in life. We end up stuck in them and find it hard to dig ourselves out. That’s why we must change our bad habits as soon as possible before they become our second nature. You see, our habits become our character and our character becomes our life. As one wise person said, “First we make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
But we humans don’t like to change. So we come up with excuses, like “I can’t be different; that’s just the way I am.” And the good excuse is “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But that’s just it: we’re not dogs or animals. In fact, we’re the only creatures who have the freedom and power to change and choose the kind of person we want to become.We can learn from Paragraph 2 that .
A.getting rid of bad habits is very hard |
B.people can’t find their bad habits themselves |
C.entering bad habits is hard |
D.people don’t have the courage to change their bad habits |
What’s mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
A.What bad habits are. |
B.How bad habits are formed. |
C.How to change our bad habits. |
D.Why we should change our bad habits. |
The author’s attitude towards changing one’s bad habits is .
A.doubtful | B.optimistic |
C.negative | D.indifferent |
Le Val de Cantobre, Aveyron (France)
It’s in the grounds of a medieval house. There’s a swimming pool, a river and a pizza restaurant. The scenery (景色) around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week’s stay will cost you about €280.
For more information please go to www.eurocamp.co.uk.
Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle (Thailand)
This must be one of the best campsites ( 野营地) in the world. Instead of tents, there are “canvas cabins (帆布船舱)”. And there’s a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 of cabins to rent so you’ll have to book early. The campsite can only be reached by river boat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about €1,500!
For more information please go to www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle.
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower (Wales)
The Three Cliffs Bay is in a beautiful part of the country, and it won’t cost you much either: a family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about €28 a day. There’s a camp shop where you can buy food and drinks, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won’t even have to cook. You can water-ski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way.
For more information please go to www.Threecliffsbay.com.
Longitude 131, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia)
Situated in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, near the massive (巨大的) red rock formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, this is more like a hotel than a campsite. There’s a restaurant, a pool and even a library. The only problem is that it’s a bit expensive — around €1,500 a night.
For more information please go to www.Longitude131.com.au.If a couple want to stay in Le Val de Cantobre for two days, they will have to pay about .
A.€56 | B.€280 | C.€160 | D.€80 |
Visitors can do all the following in Four Seasons Tented Camp EXCEPT .
A.enjoy a spa | B.rent a cabin |
C.ride an elephant | D.visit a pub |
If families like water-skiing, they can find information on .
A.www.eurocamp.co.uk |
B.www.Threecliffsbay.com |
C.www.Longitude131.com.au |
D.www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle |
What do we know about Longitude 131?
A.It is the most expensive. | B.It is made of rocks. |
C.It is located on a bay. | D.It is a real hotel. |