IV．阅读理解（每题2分，满分40分）
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有…罪) shoplifting for the second time in six months .
Aha Luz , recently studying for PhD has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.
Luz , who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road , Cambridge , admitted stealing clothes worth 9.95 pounds from John Lewis in Oxford Street , London , on March 9.
Phillip Lomoyne , prosecuting (起诉), said Luz selected some clothes from display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store , when she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected , having taken off the anti-theft security alarm .
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying , Mr. Lomoyne said .
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions .
Luz , 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October , but Morag Duff , defending said she had never been in trouble with the police before this .
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said .” She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store . She is at a loss to explain it . She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady . She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is something in particular that caused her to do this .”
Judge David Azan fined Luz 50 pounds , and warned : “You have got a criminal record . If you carry on like this , you will end up behind bars , which will ruin your bright future you may have .”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain , went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University , UK .
1．What is Ana Luz’s nationality ?
A．American . B．British . C．Spanish . D．German .
2．What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean ?
A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things .
B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops .
C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops .
D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions .
3．From the passage we can learn that .
A．Ana Luz has already got her PhD at Cambridge University , UK
B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so
C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more
D．Phillip Lomoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer
4．What would be the best title for the passage ?
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A．Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student .
B．Apologizing for the Actions in Shops .The 12—year—old CEO（首席执行官）of a Web site design company will be one of 300 business and political leaders accompanying Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien on a trade visit to China in March.
Keith Peiris, who founded Cyberteks Design in June 1999 and now has 25 clients （客户）in North America ,insisted in an interview that he is “just like any other kid.”
He and his father will spend nine days on the Team Canada trip to Beijing ,Shanghai and Hong Kong ,where Chretien aims to showcase the best of Canadian business in the most populous country in the world .
A glance at the complex ,elegant animations （动画）on his www.cybertecks.com site shows the extent of Peiris’ talent . “He doesn’t want to be No.2,”his father Deepal said proudly .
His father ,who is now vice president of operations at Cyberteks ,said , “I am teaching my son what I know .We make decisions together .I haven’t done anything my son disagreed with .He makes the final decision .”
The company has seven offices in the United States and five part—time employees who ,like the Peiris family ,work from their London homes .
Keith Peiris admitted some potential clients change their minds when they learn his age ,but the well—informed not—yet—teenager tries to ignore them .
“Suddenly ,I’ve been called a whiz kid or geek ,which I am not too happy about .A few people have asked if they should call me ‘mister’, but I stay casual , I am still a kid .That Keith Peiris insisted that he is “just like any other kid” shows he is .
| A．proud | B．modest | C．honest | D．excited |
Who makes the final decision on operations at Cyberteks Design?
A．Keith Peiris B．Deepal Peiris C．Jean Chretien D．Both A and B.According to the information in the passage ,which is the best and fastest way to know more about the Web giant ?
| A．We can go to Canada to pay him a visit . |
| B．We can make an international telephone call to him. |
| C．We’d better visit his web site—www.cyberteks.com. |
| D．We can write to his father for the kid’s information. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A．Keith Peiris is a Canadian boy . |
| B．All the employees of the child’s company work at home . |
| C．The Canadian Prime Minister means to show off Keith’s success during his stay in China . |
| D．Keith always tries his best to be the best in the field of web site designing . |
New York’s streets were covered by people dressed in elephant costumes (服装) and others waving antiwar posters with pictures of US President George W. Bush on them last week. But this was no carnival (狂欢节) – it was the Republican Party’s National Convention (共和党全国大会), which attracted thousands of protestors (抗议者). It was the largest protest ever at a US political convention, with at least 120,000 people marching through Manhattan on August 29. They demanded that the US leave Iraq and a new president be chosen.
The Republicans say the opposition – Democrat Party (民主党) encouraged the people on to the streets. They believe it is a democratic move to help win presidential election, to be held on November 2. The election is described as “the decisive battle between donkey and elephant”. The two animals are the symbols of the two major political parties in the US. The elephant represents (象征) the Republicans, whose candidate (侯选人), President George W. Bush, is trying to defeat the donkey to win his second them. The donkey represents the democrats, whose candidate, John Kerry, is trying to kick the elephant out of the White House.
Republicans think the elephant is powerful and clever, but the Democrats argue it is stupid and conservative (守旧的). In return, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn (倔强的) and silly but the Democrats say it is humble, plain, smart and courageous.
The Republicans have been sending emails to Bush supporters and journalists with the heading, “An Elephant Never Forgets”, said party spokeswoman Heather Layman. Elephants are known for their long memories. The emails suggest that Bush will keep his promises, while Kerry will not stick to his words.
It is interesting that both symbols were created by a single person, Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist of the late 19th century. During the election in 1874, Nast drew a cartoon, in which a donkey in a lion’s skin frightened an elephant marked “Republican”.What does “kick the elephant out of the White House” mean?
| A．Drive the animal out of the White House. | B．Drive President Bush out of power. |
| C．Keep the elephant out of the White House. | D．Insist on Bush’s being elected. |
In the eyes of the Republicans, the donkey is considered as .
| A．clever | B．foolish | C．polite | D．brave |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The same artist created the two symbols. |
| B．The emails suggest Kerry will not carry out his promises. |
| C．“An Elephant Never Forgets” means that an elephant has a good memory. |
| D．John Kerry is a Democrat. |
Indonesia’s coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are in trouble. Coral mining, Industrial pollution and poisonous agricultural runoff all play a role in their destruction, but the fishermen have been the worst offenders. They not only bomb fish but also poison them with cyanide, an equally destructive practice. The fishermen are also among the biggest potential victims(受害者). Two thirds of Indonesia’s 7, 000 coastal villages are close to coral reefs and thus depend for their livelihood on the harvest of reef fish. The disappearing reefs are already leading to a dramatic decline in the productivity of coastal fisheries and to increasing fights among fishermen.
Indonesia’s reefs are vast – they cover 51, 000 square kilometers, surround 17, 500 islands and stretch 3,500 kilometers – but they are not infinite. Many foreign experts and Indonesians fear that the region’s entire marine environment could be seriously damaged if the reefs keep dying at their present rate. “The overall picture is depressing,” says Ian Dutton, Indonesian director of an environmental group.
Depressing, but not hopeless. Despite the destruction, environmentalists have in recent years made significant progress in changing the hearts and minds of the fishermen. Working closely with local Indonesian authorities in North Sulawesi and less populated eastern Indonesia, where most of the country’s reefs are located, they have succeeded in preventing destructive fishing practices and coral mining from overwhelming the reefs.
Increasing numbers of fishermen are waking up to the threat and protecting the life-sustaining coral before it’s too late. Nuhung, a 56-year-old fisherman, says, “I always knew blast fishing was harmful. Then I suddenly realized that by bombing the reefs I was destroying not only my own but my children’s future.”The fishermen are named “worst offenders” because .
| A．they defend their rights of mining the coral reefs too eagerly |
| B．they wake up too late to realize the terrible situation |
| C．they use the fishing ways, which destroy the coral reefs |
| D．they pretend to follow the government’s rules |
In the text the author .
| A．presents us some facts and people’s opinions as well |
| B．shows that he’s worried about the situation, but still feels a little hopeful |
| C．says he’s delighted and meanwhile, depressed |
| D．disagrees with what’s being done and gives suggestions |
The underlined word “infinite” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means .
| A．incomplete | B．short | C．unfit | D．limitless |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the text?
| A．But for the fishermen’s protection, the reefs would disappear soon. |
| B．More and more fishermen have realized their mistakes. |
| C．Without the coral reefs, the fishermen would have nothing for their livelihood. |
| D．Some practical measures have been taken to stop the situation worsening. |
This passage may be taken from______.
| A．a magazine | B．a novel | C．a newspaper | D．a storybook |
Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on
May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.
Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.
Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes(笔画) in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.
Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons, especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.
Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students. Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.
| A．she wanted to learn another style of paintings |
| B．she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania |
| C．her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well |
| D．her father didin’t want her to learn painting again |
Which year was the most critical to her career and life?
| A．1860 | B．1864 | C．1877 | D．1914 |
Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?
| A．Her father had a decisive effect on her painting |
| B．Her painting featured scenes of everyday living |
| C．She used various colors and long lines in her works |
| D．She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A |
Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.
| A．her poor eyesight | B．her old age | C．lack of interest | D．her family |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
| A．during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing. |
| B．the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism |
| C．her works were controversial though highly recognized |
| D．her students showed great respect for her |
A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That’s the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed at least an ounce of salt water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000 deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish. At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish.
During the next two decades, 78 of the men died from heart disease. The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese or Eskimos. This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol（胆固醇）levels.The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．the high incidence of heart disease in some countries |
| B．the changes in people’s diet |
| C．the effect of fish eating on people’s health |
| D．the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures |
We can infer from the passage that there are fewer heart disease deaths ________.
| A．in countries of the yellow-skin race |
| B．in highly-developed countries |
| C．in the countries with high consumption of fish |
| D．in the countries with good production of fish |
The phrase “this relationship” in paragraph 6 refers to the connection between _________ and the level of heart disease.
| A．the amount of fish eaten | B．regular fish-eating |
| C．the kind of fish eaten | D．people of different areas |
From the passage we know the author is most probably ______.
| A．a heart doctor | B．a science researcher |
| C．a supporter of healthy eating | D．a university student |