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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
As many as 20% of all children in the United States suffer from some form of the learning disorder called dyslexia（读写困难症）.
Experts on dyslexia say that the problem is not a disease． They say that persons with dyslexia use information in a different way. One of the world's great thinkers and scientists Albert Einstein was dyslexic． Einstein said that he never thought in words the way that most people do. He said that he thought in pictures instead. The American inventor Thomas Edison was also dyslexia. Dyslexia first was recognized in Europe and the United States more than 80 years ago. Many years passed before doctors discovered that persons with the disorder were not mentally slow or disabled. The doctors found that the brains of persons with dyslexia are different, In most people, the left side of the brain — the part that controls language — is larger than the right side. In persons with dyslexia, the right side of the brain is bigger. Doctors are not sure what causes this difference. However, a research has shown that dyslexia is more common in males than in females, and it is found more often in persons who are left-handed.
No one knows the cause of dyslexia, but some scientists believe that it may result from chemical changes in a baby's body long before it is born. They are trying to find ways to teach persons with dyslexia． Dyslexia persons think differently and need special kinds of teaching help. After they have solved their problems with language, they often show themselves to be especially intelligent or creative.
1．Einstein and Edison are spoken of in the passage to prove that ________.
A．they suffered from dyslexia
B．they succeeded because of dyslexia
C．they are neither slow in thinking nor disabled
D．dyslexia is not a disease
2．Who is the most unlikely to suffer from dyslexia?
A．Left-handed persons . B．Inventors.
C．Females. D．Males.
3．Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A．Once persons with dyslexia have their language problems solved, they will be intelligent
and creative.
B．The left brain of the person with dyslexia is larger than the right side of brain .
C．People have no idea of the cause of dyslexia .
D．Experts think the cause of dyslexia may be related to chemical changes in baby's body long before its birth.
4．The passage mainly talk about ______.
A．some form of the learning disorder B．a serious disease
C．the intelligence of the great people . D．the teaching help to persons with dyslexia.
5．The persons with dyslexia ________.
A．are some kinds of sick persons B．are mentally slow
C．think differently from common people D．are all males
The power of humor and laugher is numerous. They entertain us and make us feel good. But, above all, we have discovered that humor and laughter are the best medicine. They relieve pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and are anti-aging and longevity facilitators.
They are extremely necessary for helping us to find and maintain a balance between life and work. However, they are slipping away from us. We have become far too serious. The only ones who still enjoy humor, laughter, fun and play to the fullest are young children. Children tend to laugh an average of 200 times a day. For adults, however, it is a totally different story.
In the 1950s people laughed on average 18 times a day. Today, we are lucky if we average between 4-6 times a day.
As a matter of fact, a recent study found that people laugh 6 more times in the presence of one person but 30 more times in a group of people. You can get a chuckle(咯咯笑) from jokes you get on the Internet, but it is not the same as belly jiggling laughter (a deep laugh) you get when you interact with others.
Socializing with friends and relatives was much looked forward to. However, this is no longer the case. In fact, the majority of people can hardly find time, nor do they have the inclination towards socializing outside home. They turn to electronic media such as television, computers, the Internet, videos, CDs, and audio equipment, which can provide them with instant self-entertainment at the push of a button.
The workplace does not fare(进展) much better. Due to the pressures to produce more in the same or fewer hours available and to compete, for example, in a manufacturing field with cheaper labor elsewhere in the world, humor and laughter in the workplace have gradually eroded（逐渐毁坏） away.
I have developed a real appreciation, perhaps closer to a strong desire for the power of humor and laughter. This encouraged me to write my first book titled “The Power of Humor” and subsequently my second book titled “Kids Say the Goggonest Things” based on the natural humor, laughter, play and fun that kids experience and they freely share with parents, grandparents and teachers.
From writing about humor and laughter, people start to ask me to speak up for them. To date, I have developed a number of humor-laughter topics that I use in my keynote presentations. You are invited to subscribe to my free monthly e-magazine “The Humormeister’s Forum” by clicking on the Free Humor E-zine navigation button on the website.According to the author, laughter is leaving us partly because ________.
| A．we fail to maintain balance between life and work |
| B．the pace of change in our lives is becoming faster |
| C．we adults treat everything in a serious way |
| D．we have more pain, stress and anxiety now |
The fourth paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
| A．people laugh more heartily when spending time with others |
| B．getting a deep laugh nowadays is difficult |
| C．we can entertain ourselves with the help of the Internet |
| D．researchers have made a new discovery about the effect of laughter |
The underlined word “inclination” in Paragraph 5 most probably means “________”.
| A．destination | B．approach | C．attitude | D．tendency |
Which of the following articles can we most probably find in “The Humormeister’s Forum”?
| A．The power of honesty. |
| B．Don’t be your own worst enemy. |
| C．Live life purposefully: The relationship within. |
| D．Funny Christmas stories to share with your loved ones. |
Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think. It may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and snap photos wherever you are... but it also turns you into a workaholic, it seems.
A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the all-singing, all-dancing mobilephone adds as much as two hours to your working day. Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles.
The study by technology retailer Pixmania reveals the average UK working day is between 9 and 10 hours, but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls. More than 90 percent of office workers have email-enabled phones, with a third accessing them more than 20 times a day. Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day, with nine out of ten saying they make work emails and calls outside their normal working hours. The average time for first checking emails is between 6 am and 7 am, with more than a third checking their first emails in this period, and a quarter checking them between 11 pm and midnight.
Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said, “The ability to access literally millions of apps, keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smartphones invaluable for many people. However, there are drawbacks. Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smartphones mean that people literally cannot get away from work. The more constantly in contact we become, the more is expected of us in a work capacity. “Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The average UK working time is between nine and twelve hours. |
| B．Nine-tenths spend over three hours checking work emails. |
| C．One-fourth check their first mail between 11 pm and midnight. |
| D．The average time for first checking emails is between 6 am and 8 am. |
The underlined word “accessing” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ““.
| A．calling | B．using | C．reaching | D．getting |
What can we conclude from the text?
| A．Every coin has two sides |
| B．It never rains but pours. |
| C．All that glitters is not gold.. |
| D．It’s no good crying over spilt milk. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Workaholics like smartphones. |
| B．Employers don’t like smartphones. |
| C．Smartphones make our life easier. |
| D．Smartphones bring about extra work. |
On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley saved me.
The previous afternoon, I played with my six-year-old peers in Heather Peters’ backyard. I was enjoying my cake, when Heather asked me where my sleeping bag was. Only then did I know this party was a sleepover. The word “sleep-over” to a six-year-old bed-wetter is like what “cancer” means to an adult. But what if I told them I was a bed-wetter? At least with cancer, people gather at your bedside instead of running from it.
I thought of a way to escape. I would explain that I needed my mother's permission to spend the nights. But as I called my Mom, Heather stood beside me to listen. She granted permission! Then I would be sleeping in the same living room as the other girls. I didn't bring my own pajamas (睡衣)，so Mrs. Peters offered me Heather's pajamas.
As the other girls drifted into their sweet dreams, I tried to stay awake. “Do I need to go again? I'll stay up to go one more time...”.Of course, I finally fell asleep.
The next morning, I was the first to wake up. I was warm! I lay in panic for what seemed like hours before the other girls started to wake up. I did the only thing I could do — I pretended that the bed-wetting didn't happen. I got up, took off Heather's pajamas and changed into my clothes like the other girls.
Mrs. Peters walked into the room, and before she could say anything, she stepped right onto the pile of my wet pajamas. My heart stopped as I watched her face burn red. “WHO DID THIS?” She screamed, with a look so frightening. Should I answer? And that was when it happened — Mr. Peters came in and grabbed his wife , ‘‘Elvis Presley died!”
The news of the King's death overtook Mrs. Peters, and I, was spared. I got home without the other girls knowing what had happened.The author had to spend the night at Peters' because ________.
| A．the famous singer Elvis Presley died that night |
| B．her mother allowed her to do so |
| C．she and her friends were having a sleepover party |
| D．she enjoyed her cake there |
Mrs. Peters got angry because ________.
| A．all the girls slept at her house |
| B．Elvis Presley passed away |
| C．her husband was rude to her |
| D．she found the wet pajamas |
From the story, we know Mrs. Peters was ________.
| A．a crazy woman |
| B．a fan of Elvis Presley |
| C．a woman for perfection |
| D．a woman who hated to wash pajamas |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．an adventure experience |
| B．an embarrassing childhood incident |
| C．a friendship between two girls |
| D．an unfriendly hostess |
The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Wilson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington. His lifesize portrait was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.
Charles Wilson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum，which he founded in Philadelphia. The world's first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more real. The museum's most popular display was the skeleton (骷髅) of a huge，extinct elephant，which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.
Three of Peale's seventeen children were also famous artists. Paphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers，fruit，and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many famous people，including one of George Washington. Another brother，Rubens Peale，painted mostly landscapes and portraits.
James Peale，the brother of Charles Wilson Peale，specialized in miniatures (小画像)．His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.What is the main topic of the passage?
| A．The life of Charles Wilson Peale. |
| B．Portraits in the 18th century. |
| C．The Peale Museum |
| D．A family of artists. |
The author mentions in Paragraph 1 that Washington tipped his hat to the figures
in the painting to show that________.
| A．Washington respected Charles Wilson Peale's work |
| B．Charles Wilson Peale's painting was very lifelike |
| C．Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale |
| D．the painting of the two brothers was very large |
The underlined word “unearthed” is closest in meaning to“________”．
| A．showed | B．looked over |
| C．dug up | D．invented |
The author's attitude toward the Peales is in general________.
| A．admiring | B．excited |
| C．puzzled | D．Disappointed |
Why do people travel? Well, many people travel because they want to see other countries and visit places that are famous, interesting or beautiful. People also travel to meet new friends, to try new kind of food, to experience life in other parts of the world or simply to get away from cold weather. Yet there are other reasons why people travel. Many of today’s travelers are looking for an unusual experience and adventure travel is becoming more and more popular. Here is a quick look at two popular activities: hiking and rafting.
HIKING
Hiking is a great way to travel. You will get close to nature and take exercise at the same time. Hiking is easy to do and doesn’t have to be very expensive. You can hike close to home or travel to other places. The basic equipment you need for hiking is simple: good shoes, clothes and a backpack. You can hike in the mountains, in a forest or along a river. You can also go for a hike in the city.
Hiking is fun and exciting, but you shouldn’t forget safety. Here are some basic tips for successful hiking: 1. Don’t hike alone. 2. Tell someone where you are going; 3. Bring water and a good map; 4. Watch out for dangers, such as spiders, snakes, or poisonous plants; 5. Wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun; 6.Bring a mobile phone if you have one.
RAFTING
Another exciting adventure is rafting. A raft is a small boat that you can use to paddle down rivers and streams. Rafting is a good way to experience nature. If you want a normal rafting trip, choose a quiet stream or river that is wide and has few trees and other dangers. The name “whitewater” comes from the fact that the water in these streams and rivers looks white when it moves quickly.
As with hiking, you should always think about your safety and wear good clothes. You also need to learn the basic skills of rafting, such as how to handle the raft, how to paddle and how to get in and out of the raft. You should not go rafting unless you know how to swim, and you should always wear a life jacket.Adventure travelers want to _______.
| A．try new kinds of food |
| B．meet new friends. |
| C．experience fun and excitement |
| D．visit famous sites or beautiful places |
Hiking is a kind of adventure travel because _________.
| A．it is not expensive |
| B．it is not only exciting but inexpensive |
| C．you need a lot of equipment for it |
| D．you will often put yourself in danger. |
While hiking or rafting, it is important to think about________.
| A．cost | B．excitement | C．safety | D．fun |
While you go rafting, you have to _________.
| A．put on a life jacket. | B．know how to swim |
| C．wear leather shoes | D．have rafting skills |