三节.阅读理解(40%)
阅读理解下面的短文,然后按要求答题。
I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American.
San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school.
Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life — but I work hard for them.
1 The writer ___ .
A. was born in San Francisco B. likes living in London
C. is living in New York now D. doesn't like America
2. The writer didn't go to school in America because ___ .
A. his mother wanted him to go to school in English
B. his parents didn't think formal education was right for him
C. his mother wanted him to play outdoors in the parks
D. he couldn't get on well with the other children
3. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The writer was taught by his mother and other teachers.
B. The writer had no education at all.
C. The writer didn't have lessons every day.
D. The writer walked to the park to learn languages once a week.
4. The writer got the little toy train at last because ___ .
A. his mother gave him the money
B. he tried his best to read music
C. he wanted it very much
D. his mother was pleased with his progress
Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours—one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there's a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab,many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they'll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They'll pay three times the normal rate。
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行车)during rush hours. The city can't make its streets wider, and it can't build new highways, because it doesn't want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古学家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are _______
A.special lanes on highways | B.many commuters |
C.four rush hours | D.many cars on the street |
Most of the commuters in Tokyo _______
A.take subway trains to work | B.are packers |
C.take taxis to work | D.carry briefcases to work |
To “hail a cab” means to _______
A.pay double the normal fare | B.try to get a cab |
C.prefer to take taxis | D.to stand at crossroads |
Commuters in carpools probably_______
A.live in the city | B.take the subway to work |
C.save money on gas and parking fees | D.have special license plates(牌照) |
Five people are at our table, including myself. I’ve already learnt a great deal about them in the short time we’ve been at sea, although we rarely meet except at mealtimes.
First of all, there is Dr. Stone. He is a man of about sixty-five, with gray hair and a friendly face. He gave up his work a short while ago and is now traveling round the world before he retires to some quite country village. As a young man, he served for many years as a doctor in the army and visited many countries. He’s told us a great deal about the city to which they are going.
Then there is “Grandmother”. I call her that because her name escapes me. In spite of being a grandmother, she looks remarkable young, no more than fifty. She is on her way to visit a daughter who went to Australia some years ago. Naturally she is very excited at the thought of seeing her again, and her three grandchildren, whom she has never seen.
Then there is a man I don’t care for very much, the engineer by the name of Barlow. He has been on leave in England and is now returning to his work in Singapore.
The other person who sits at our table is Mrs. Hunt. I’ve found out hardly anything about her. She’s extremely quiet and rarely talks, except to consult the doctor about children’s various illnesses. She is on her way to join her husband in India.What can we know about Mr. Stone?
A.He is a doctor in the army now. |
B.He is going to give up his work. |
C.He has been retired for many years. |
D.He knows a lot about the city the author is going to visit. |
Who live in India?
A.Mrs. Hunt | B.Grandmother | C.Mr. Hunt | D.The doctor |
The writer calls the second person “Grandmother” because _____.
A.She looks old. | B.he respects her | C.She has three daughters | D.he can’t think of her name |
The underlined phrase “on leave” in Paragraph 4 probably means _____.
A.on vacation | B.at home | C.about to leave | D.leaving |
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond(保释金)of $1,000.The publisher said.“There’s a story here.This is a man who loves books.He just can’t let go of them.He hasn’t stolen a single book.So what’s the crime ? We think that Mr.Banish has story to tell.We plan to publish his story.”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr.Banish said,”Well,how could I? They became family to me.I was afraid to return them,because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up,throw them around,tear the pages,spill soda on them,get jelly﹙糊状物﹚ on them,and drown them in the toilet.
He continued,“Books are people,too! They talk to you,they take care of you,and they enrich you with wisdom,humor and love.A book is a guest in my home.How could I kick it out? I repaired tor n﹙撕破的﹚ pages.I dusted them with a soft clean cloth.I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air.”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends,My books were HAPPY books.You could tell just by looking at them.Now they’re all back in the libraries,on the lower shelves,on the floors,at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids I can hear them calling me.I need to rescue them.Excuse me.I have to go now.”Why was the man put into prison?
A.Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so. |
B.Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries. |
C.Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed. |
D.Because he wanted to publish his story. |
From the passage we can learn that the man is
A.a thief | B.a writer | C.crazy about books | D.unfortunate |
What might happen after the man was set free?
A.He might stop borrowing books. |
B.He might start a library of his own. |
C.He might go on borrowing books from libraries. |
D.He might return all his books. |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
A.A funny thief who loves stealing books. |
B.A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them. |
C.A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library. |
D.A person who may have some mental problems |
Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places
★Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making hand-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts.
★Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.
★Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.
★Try hands-on﹙动手﹚ science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums. If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit
A.a Youtheater | B.an art museum |
C.a natural history museum | D.a hands-on science museum |
What can kids do at a Youtheater?
A.Look at rock collections. | B.See dinosaur models. |
C.Watch puppet(木偶) making. | D.Give performances. |
Where does this text probably come from?
A.A science textbook. | B.A tourist map. |
C.A museum guide. | D.A news report. |
One very cold day,a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood,I quickly set out with my best friend,Bruce,to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along with. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of danger.
When I chose a big tree about 23 meters tall and prepared to cut it down,my best friend suddenly warned me,“Don’t cut down that tree!It’s too close to the power line!﹙电线﹚”I wasn’t sure about it. So I decided to disregard his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell,there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right.
The tree caught the power line,bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all,electricity can’t travel through wood,so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree,pain ran up my arm and through my head. I was shocked!
After I returned home and told my mother what had happened,she quickly called the power company. The workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree,and when I told him I had,his face turned pale.
“You should have been killed,” he said.
So why am I still alive?It was my boots that saved my life.
Within two hours,the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother.
Even though she was glad I wasn’t hurt,my mother was still serious. After all,I shouldn’t have brushed off my friend’s warning.
Through this experience,I learn it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective. Taking time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the “shock” of my life.The underlined word “disregard” in the second paragraph means “________”.
A.pay no attention to | B.take notice of | C.consider | D.follow |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.But for his boots,the author would have died. |
B.The author regretted having brushed off his friend’s warning. |
C.The author knew nothing about electricity. |
D.When the tree was cut down,the author realized his friend was right. |
The underlined part “the snowstorm calmed down—but not my mother” means “________”.
A.my mother was still angry with me for not listening to my friend’s warning |
B.my mother was still in fear of the terrible accident |
C.my mother was still comforting me |
D.my mother was still worried about my safety |
The author wrote the passage mainly to________.
A.give an account of one of his terrible experiences |
B.make us know it’s important to listen to people who offer a different perspective through his experience |
C.tell us not to cut trees down any more |
D.remind us to be careful while we are working |