第三部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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。
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the horizon was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world's 14 highest mountains.
His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia's snowcapped Himalayas. At 26,545 feet, its peak is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing.
"It tends to be the trickiest, the most dangerous," said Viesturs. "There's no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches (雪崩) and ice falls that protect the mountain."
In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog's tale of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog's story was of frostbite (冻伤) and difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was hooked right away.
Viesturs got his start on Washington's Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world's highest peaks. Finally, he's done.
The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. "You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it," said Viesturs. "If we have the patience and the respect, and if we're here at the right time, under the right circumstances, they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down."
What's next for a man who can't stop climbing? "I'm going to hug my wife and kids and kind of kick back and enjoy the summer," says Viesturs. But for a man who's climbed the world's 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon set off on yet another adventure.
56．What record has Ed Viesturs set?
A．He has succeeded in climbing to the world’s 14th highest mountain.
B．He has been to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
C．He has become the first to climb to the height of 26,545 feet.
D．He has become the first man to climb to the top of 14 highest mountains in the world.
57．The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “______”.
A．frightened B．discouraged C．interested D．upset
58．The author used Viestures’ words in Paragraph 6 to support a view that ______.
A．mountain climbing is a dangerous sport
B．mountains should be regarded as living creatures
C．mountain climbing needs more skills than physical energy
D．those who like mountain climbing won’t stop climbing
59．What’s the next probable plan of Viestures?
A．Stopping climbing and staying with his family.
B．Climbing to the top of the world’s 14 tallest mountains again.
C．Climbing another one of the highest mountains.
D．Writing down the experiences about his adventure.
Recently, a professor of philosophy in the United States has written a book called Money and the Meaning of Life．He has discovered that how we deal with money in our day-to-day life has more meaning than we usually think．One of the exercises he asked his students to do is to keep a record of every penny they spend for a week．From the way they spend their money, they can see what they really value in life．
He says our relation with ot
hers often become clearly defined when money enters the picture．You might have wonderful friendship with somebody and you think that you are very good friends．But you’ll know him only when you ask to lend you some money．If he does, it brings something to the relationship that seems stranger than ever before．Or it can suddenly weaken the relationship if he doesn’t．This person may say that he has a certain feeling, but if it is not carried out in the money world, there is something less real about it．
Since money is important to us, we consider those who possess a lot of it to be very important．The author interviewed some millionaires in researching his book．
Answer: The most surprising thing is why people give me so much respect．I’m nothing．I don’t know much．All I am is rich．
People just have an idea of making more and more money, but what is it for? How much do I need for any given purposes in my life? In this book, the professor uncovered an important need in modern society; to bring back the idea that money is an instrument rather than the end．Money plays an important role in the modern world, but expecting money to give happiness may be missing the meaning of life．According to the first paragraph, people haven’t realized __________．
| A．how important money is in their day-to-day life |
| B．how one spends money shows what is important to him |
| C．that money is more important than their philosophy of life |
| D．that their understanding of life is more important than money |
What can we learn about the millionaire from his answer in the interview is that.
| A．he does not feel that he is well -educated |
| B．he does not consider himself to be very successful |
| C．he does not think that he is a very important person |
| D．he does not think being rich deserves so much attention |
What does the American professor of philosophy want to explain in his book?
| A．Money is a means． | B．Money is everything． |
| C．Money is an end． | D．Money is unimportant． |
Which of the following might the author disagree?
| A．Money is important in modern society． |
| B．Wealth will surely bring the owner happiness． |
| C．The meaning of life doesn’t completely lie in money． |
| D．Happiness is not necessarily the result of wealth． |
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame．Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores．Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion．When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that the has nothing to wear．
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste．Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn．Women who can not afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering（改变） the dresses they have．Skirls are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on．
No one can claim that the fashion industry contribulea anything really important to society．
Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability．They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right．There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high —heeled shoes．
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious．Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes, one wonder, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers．Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide．Designers and big stores always make money _____．
| A．by constantly changing the fashions in women's clothing |
B．by mercilessly exploiting wom en workers in the clothing industry |
| C．because they are able to predict new fashions for the coming season |
| D．because they attach great importance to quality of women’s clothing |
To the writer, the fact that woman alter their old fashioned dresses is seen as.
| A．a waste of money | B．an expression of taste |
| C．a waste of time | D．an expression of creativity |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society |
| B．The constant changes in women’s clothing reflect their strength of characters |
| C．Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women |
| D．New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women |
By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”, the writer means that.
| A．women are better able to put up with discomfort |
| B．men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
| C．men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers |
| D．women’s inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
“NOW I just don’t believe that.” Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It’s simply badly researched, or, the makers must think we’re idiots (白痴). Recently, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on unconvincing tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.
Telegraph writer Tom Chiver’s first example is from the end-of-the-world movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus capable of destroying Windows, the computer system the alien spacecraft uses. “It’s a good thing they didn’t have Norton Antivirus (诺顿防火墙)”, jokes Chivers.
It’s just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from Star Wars, where glowing beams of light traveling through space look very impressive. The problem is that in space there are no air particles for the light to reflect off. In re
ality, they’d be invisible, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Chiver’s second piece of Star Wars nonsense is the sound the fighters make in the movies: “the bellow (咆哮) of an elephant mixed with a car driving on a wet road”. But sound needs a medium to travel through, like air. In space, there wouldn’t actually be any sound at all.
Few people would deny that the mind-bending Matrix films make for great viewing, but for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little silly. He comments “…the film is based on the idea that humans are kept alive as electricity generator. This is not just unlikely – it’s fundamentally impossible. They would need more energy to stay alive than they would produce. It’s like saying you’ll power your car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running a dynamo (发电机) from the wheels.”
And finally, as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day by. In the film the bad guy has “gene therapy” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible.What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．The virus created by the character is capable of destroying spacecrafts. |
| B．Aliens’ using Windows system is totally unconvincing plot. |
| C．The spacecraft should have Norton Antivirus. |
| D．Norton Antivirus can stop a virus. |
We can learn from the example of the Star Wars that .
| A．in space, you can not hear anything |
| B．light beams travel via air particle in space |
| C．Chiver thinks the sound of the fighters is vivid |
| D．the invisible light beams are impressive in the movies |
Chiver uses the example of car batteries in Matrix to imply that .
| A．the basic idea of the film is rather ridiculous |
| B．the science in the movies is very convincing |
| C．the idea that humans can be kept alive as electricity generator is right |
| D．humans would stay alive as long as they would produce enough energy |
We can learn from the movie Die Another Day that .
| A．the idea of gene therapy is creative |
| B．the element of DNA should not be used |
| C．the makers of the 2002 Bond use the genetic technology |
| D．DNA can be replaced but in the real world it is impossible |
Why did Chiver write this passage?
A．To prove all these films are makin g mistakes. |
| B．To show his great concern for the movie industry. |
| C．To joke about some movies in the movie industry. |
| D．To call for the audience to find out mistakes from the movies. |
I have a painfully vivid memory of my first homecoming from college, in December 1983. After three whole months away, I was back home with my brand new opinions, attitudes and tastes. How could theywatch such terrible television programs? I, the English Literature major with Shakespeare and Milton and James Joyce, could hardly bear to sleep under the roof of a house whose few bookshelves held thrillers and bound editions of the Reader’s Digest. I’m sure my family was glad to see the back of me when, at the end of the holiday, I packed up my books and headed back up to university in the north of England.
But the next year must have been even more painful to my parents: I didn’t show up at all. Now, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with young people spending a little time away from their families and with their friends. It’s part of growing up, something you need to do if you are to become properly independent. However, if you’re not going to be home for the festival, you should at least have the decency to telephone and say you’re not coming.
In English we have an expression, “wet behind the ears.” A person who is wet behind the ears is so immature, that they don’t know how to dry the back of their head after a bath. Just before the following year’s holiday I fell ill, quite seriously so. I’m sure my own behavior contributed to my getting sick: staying out too late, not eating properly—perhaps you know someone like the person I was then. I lay in bed with a fever, feeling very sorry for myself.
I’m sure you can guess who came to my rescue. My long-suffering parents got in their car and sped up the motorway to rescue their son from the consequences of his own irresponsibility.
I hope I’m a better son now; if not, it’s getting a little late in the day if I want to change. I’ve worked in China for nearly 10 years and so I don’t get to see them as often as I like, but my parents are online all the time so we talk many times each week. And this Spring Festival I will be flying back to England for a visit.
I’m really looking forward to it.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．The author liked reading thrillers and the Reading Digest. |
| B．The author couldn’t fall asleep in a house with few books. |
| C．The author thought his parents were happy to see him back. |
| D．The author didn’t seem to share the same tastes with his parents. |
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
| A．The next year the author’s parents were very happy to see him. |
| B．The author went to see his parents during the second year in college. |
| C．If you aren’t going to spent an important day with your family, inform them in advance. |
| D．To leave away from family is not a proper way if you want to gain some independency. |
If you are a person who is wet behind the ears, you are .
| A．old and experienced | B．young and inexperienced |
| C．young and experienced | D．mature and experienced |
We can infer from the last two paragraphs that .
| A．the author thinks he has become a good son |
| B．the author will be with his family the next Spring Festival |
| C．the author will not change himself to a better one because it is too late |
| D．the author keeps in touch with his parents through the Internet regularly |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Pleasant memories about Christmas |
| B．Horrible things happened in the past |
| C．Interesting memories about Christmas |
| D．Share with you some of my Ghosts of Christmas Past |
Teaching and research are supported by the University’s extensive collections—the Yale University Art Gallery, the Yale Center for British Art, the Peabody Museum of Natural History, and the Collection of Musical Instruments. All the collections are open to the public.
Yale University Art Gallery
The Yale University Art Gallery, founded in 1832, today houses a collection that has grown to rank with those of the major public art museums in the United States. Its two connected buildings house ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art, Near and Far Eastern art, archaeological material from the University’s excavations (古迹), Pre-Columbian and African art, works of European and American masters from actually every period, and a rich collection of modern art. Across the street, the Yale Center for British Art, which was opened in 1977, holds the largest collection of British art and illustrated books anywhere outside the United Kingdom.
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, founded in 1866, contains one of the great scientific collections in North America. Among its holdings are the University’s comprehensive mineralogical and ornithological collections, the second-largest repository of dinosaur artifacts in the United States, and the largest undamaged Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus 雷龙) in the world. The Peabody is truly a working museum, where public exhibition, research, conservation, teaching, and learning intersect (贯穿).
Yale Center for British Art
Institutions like the Art Gallery, the Center for British Art, and the Peabody Museum hold only a portion of the treasures in the University’s collections. From paintings by Picasso, to pterodactyl (翼龙) remains, to a 1689 tenor viol in the Collection of Musical Instruments, Yale’s possessions are meant to be accessible to the communities they enrich.
Collection of Musical Instruments
Exhibitions are also frequently mounted (裱贴) at the following venues on campus: Art + Architecture Gallery (School of Architecture), Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Green Hall Gallery (School of Art), and Sterling Memorial Library, including the Arts of the Book Collection.Which of the following cannot be found in the Yale University Art Gallery?
| A．Near and Far Eastern art. |
| B．Pre-Columbian and African art |
| C．British art and illustrated books. |
| D．Works of European and American masters. |
Where will you go if you want to enjoy dinosaur artifacts?
| A．Peabody Museum of Natural History. |
| B．Collection of Musical Instruments. |
| C．Yale University Art Gallery. |
| D．Yale Center for British Art. |
Which of the following has the longest history according to the passage?
| A．Yale Center for British Art. |
| B．Yale University Art Gallery. |
| C．Peabody Museum of Natural History. |
| D．A musical instrument named tenor viol. |
We can learn from the passage that in Yale, ______.
| A．collections are partly open to the public |
| B．there are many venues just for exhibitions |
| C．collections are from art museums in the US |
| D．exhibitions are frequently mounted on campus |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Introduction to Yale University. | B．Introduction to collections in Yale. |
| C．Introduction to venues in Yale. | D．Introduction to art works in Yale. |