PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage. (15%)
A
The Olympic flame:
The Olympic flame is a symbol carried over from the ancient Olympics, where a sacred (神圣的) flame burned at the altar（神坛）of Zeus throughout competition. It was finally reintroduced at the 1924 Amsterdam Games, and again burned in 1932.
Carl Diem, chairman of the organising committee for the 1936 Berlin Games, proposed that the flame be lit in Greece and transported to Berlin via a torch relay. The idea was adopted, and continued at every Olympic Games since 1952.
The flame is lit at the ancient site of Olympia by the natural rays of the sun reflected off a curved mirror. It is lit at a ceremony by women dressed in robes resembling those worn in ancient times, who then pass it to the first relay runner.
Olympic motto:
“Citius, altius, fortius” is a Latin phrase meaning “swifter, higher, stronger”, which Baron de Coubertin borrowed from Father Henri Martin Dideon of Paris. Dideon was headmaster of Arcueil College, and used the phrase to describe the athletic achievements of students at the school. He had previously been at the Albert Le Grand school, where the Latin words were carved in stone above the main entrance.
Olympic oath(宣誓)
“In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams.”
Written by Baron de Coubertin, the oath is taken by an athlete from the host nation while holding a corner of the Olympic flag. The athletes’ oath was first taken by Belgian fencer Victor Boin at the 1920 Antwerp Games. A judge from the host country also speaks the oath, with slightly different wording.
66. The Olympic flame was first burned at _______ in modern times.
A. the 1920 Games B. the 1924 Games
C. the 1932 Games D. the 1936 Games
67. From the passage we can learn ________.
A. before 1936, no flames burned at the Olympic Games
B. the first torch relay was held at the 1936 Berlin Games
C. Carl Diem proposed that flames should burn at the Olympic Games
D. The Olympic torch has burned since 1924
68. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. There was no athlete’s oath in the 1896 Olympic Games.
B. The 1920 Olympic games was held in Amsterdam.
C. The judge from the host country takes the same oath as the athletes does.
D. Dideon wrote Citius, Altius, Fortius for the Olympic Games.
Jimmy was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught physics in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to and owner of a hotel and began to work there.
One day the young man fell to ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(病房) for me, please.”
“Can’t anybody help you?”
“No, madam,” answered Jimmy. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”
“Well, then,” Jimmy said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”
1. Jimmy’s parents died .
A. in an accident B. in a war C. in an earthquake D. from a disease
2. Jimmy and his sister escaped from the earthquake because .
A. they played outside B. they were in a safe place
C. their parents saved them D. the aunt saved them
3. The sister and brother lived a hard life because .
A. they lost all B. they were too young
C. they were hurt in the earthquake D. they had to look after themselves
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Jimmy.
B. Jimmy’s sister became a nun because of her illness.
C. The nurse would post Jimmy’s bill to God.
D. Jimmy had a rich brother-in-law.
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
Sydney is Australia’s most exciting city. The history of Australia begins here. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived is Sydney with 11 ships and 1,024 passengers (including 770 prisoners) from Britain. Today there are 2.5 million people in Sydney. It is the biggest city in Australia, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
There are over 20 fine beaches close to Sydney. Its warm summer climate and cool winter have made it a favorite city for immigrants(移民) from overseas. There are three things that made Sydney famous –its beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House.
But there are many more interesting things in Sydney: beautiful shops and restaurants, for example, rows of interesting old houses built everywhere in the 19th century. Summer or winter, day or night, Sydney is an outdoor city.
Some Americans think it is very British. Some British visitors think it is like America. There is some truth in both these opinions, because Sydney takes from both the Old World-Europe, and the New World – America, and makes it into something that is neither British nor America but truly Australian.
1. The climate in Sydney is_____
A. hot in summer and cold in winter B. warm all the year round
C. neither too hot nor too cold D. cool all through the year
2 In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived in Sydney .
A. with some ships and more than 1,000 passengers
B. with 11 ships and only 700 prisoners
C. with 1,024 passengers besides 700 prisoners
D. with only more than ten ships and some helpers
3. What made Sydney famous?
A. Three things---the beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
B. Immigrants from Britain, the beautiful Harbor and ships.
C. Beautiful shops, modern restaurants and interesting old houses and seas.
D. The Sydney Opera House, interesting old houses and interesting restaurants.
4. The writer thinks Sydney .
A. is like America B. is very British
C. is neither British nor American but truly Australian
D. takes from Europe
Below is a housing guide for students going to London.
University accommodation（住所） office
Many university accommodation offices have their own list of registered landlords (房东). Others also provide information on accommodation agencies and other housing organizations. The advantage of using your university accommodation office is that you can get some support if you have 'a problem. The disadvantage is that they are unlikely to have enough registered landlords to house all their students.
Property papers: Loot and Renting
Loot is an important source (来源) of information about private housing for co-renters. The offers are from private landlords, agencies and individuals looking for other co-renters. They also have a website: www. loot. com. The advantage of using Loot is that there are some excellent bargains. The disadvantage is that there is no quality control over the offers.
Renting is another useful paper. The offers in this paper are mainly from accommodation agencies. Their website is at www. Renting.co. uk.
Accommodation agencies
The majority of rented accommodation in London is probably advertised through accommodation agencies. The advantage of using accommodation agencies is that you will have access to a large number of accommodations. A good agent will listen to your requirements and can save you time in looking for the right accommodation. The disadvantage is that they will make a range of charges to potential renters.
Noticeboards
Around the universities you will find a number of noticeboards where offers of accommodation will be posted. These will either be from landlords or from students. Some universities will also have online noticeboards where students can advertise to other students. Advertisements from students can be an excellent way to find accommodation. However, advertisements from landlords can be problematic.
Word of mouth
Some of the best housing in London is never advertised but is passed on from one group of students to another by word of mouth. It might be that you can find out about good offers from final year students. However, don't suppose that just because you have found out about housing from a friend it is necessarily, going to be better than that found through any other source.
Family
Faced with the very high rents charged in London, some students and their parents will consider buying as an alternative. In some cases this might be a good choice.
1. What is the advantage of using Loot?
A. It has more offers from accommodation agencies than Renting.
B. It gives you personal information about other co-renters.
C. Their website is designed mainly for students.
D. There are some good bargains.
2. A good agent can help you .
A. know more people
B. find cheap accommodation
C. get the right accommodation quickly
D. get free information about mos
t accommodations
3. 
The information passed on by word of mouth is important because .
A. it is better than that found through any other source
B. it helps you find some of the best housing never advertised
C. the final year students always offer better information
D. the landlords have little valuable information
4. For students going to London for the first time, which of the following provides the most reliable information?
A. University accommodation offices.
B. Loot and Renting.
C. Noticeboards.
D. Family.
My family and I lived across the street from Southway Park since I was four years old. Then just last year the city put a chain link fence around the park and started bulldozing (用推土机推平) the trees and grass to make way for a new apartment complex. When I saw the fence and bulldozers, I as
ked myself, "Why don't they just leave it alone?"
Looking back, I think what sentenced the park to oblivion (被遗忘) was the drought (旱灾) we had about four years ago. Up until then, Southway Park was a nice green park with plenty of trees and a public swimming pool. My friends and I rollerskated on the sidewalks, climbed the trees, and swam in the pool all the years I was growing up. The park was almost like my own yard. Then the summer I was fifteen the drought came and things changed.
There had been almost no rain at all that year. The city stopped watering the park grass. Within a few weeks I found myself living across the street from a huge brown desert. Leaves fell off the park trees
, and pretty soon the trees started dying, too. Next, the park swimming pool was closed. The city cut down on the work force that kept the park, and pretty soon it just got too ugly and dirty to enjoy anymore.
As the drought lasted into the fall, the park got worse every month. The rubbish piled up or blew across the brown grass. Soon the only people in the park were beggars and other people down on their luck. People said drugs were being sold or traded there now. The park had gotten scary, and my mother told us kids not to go there anymore.
The drought finally ended and things seemed to get back to normal, that is, everything but the park. It had gotten into such bad shape that the city just let it stay that way. Then about six months ago I heard that the city was going to "redevelop" certain worn-out areas of the city. It turned out that the city had planned to get rid of the park, sell the land and let someone build rows of apartment buildings on it.
The chain-link fencing and the bulldozers did their work. Now we live across the street from six rows of apartment buildings. Each of them is three units high and stretches a block in each direction. The neighborhood has changed without the park. The streets I used to play in are jammed with cars now. Things will never be the same again. Sometimes I wonder, though, what changes another drought would make in the way things are today.
| 1． |
How did the writer feel when he saw the fence and bulldozers.'?
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| 2． |
Why was the writer told not to go to the park by his mother?
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| 3． |
According to the writer, what eventually brought about the disappearance of the park?
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| 4． |
The last sentence of the passage implies that if another drought came,.
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The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer's ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.
In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you've ever dialed (拨电话) a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you called when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to another thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.
Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don' t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.
We often don't remember things as well when we're trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people's names—even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them.
1. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?
A. To make them more productive.
B. To reduce their stress and anxiety.
C. To develop their communication Skills.
D. To help them perform daily tasks more easily.
2. According to Paragraph 2, why
may a person suddenly forget who he has called?
A. He may have his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged.
B. He is probably interrupted by another task.
C. He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called.
D. He may need a rest between dialing and speaking.
3. People tend to make mistakes when .
A. they perform several challenging tasks at a time
B. new messages are processed one after another
C. their relationships with others are affected
D. the tasks require little thought
4. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Multitasking has become a way of life.
B. Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline.
C. Multitasking exercises need to be improved.
D. Multitasking enables people to remember things better.