Ⅲ。阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一届: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A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Thirteen vehicles lined up last March to race across the Mojave Desert,seeking a million in prize money.To win,they had to finish the 142-mile race in less than 10 hours.Teams and watchers knew there might be no winner at a11,because these vehicles were missing a key Part—drivers.
DARPA,the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,organized the race as part of a push to deve10p robotic vehicles for future battlefields. But the Grand Challenge, as it was called,just proved how difficult it is to get a car to speed across an unfamiliar desert without human guidance One had its brake 10ck up in the starting area.Another began by throwing itself onto a wall.Another got tied up by bushes near the road after 1.9 miles.
One turned upside down. One took off in entirely the wrong direction and had to be disabled by remote control. One went a little more than a mile and rushed into a fence;another managed to go for six miles but stuck on a rock.The "winner",if there was any,reached 7.8 miles before it ran into a long,narrow hole,and the front wheals caught on fire.
"You get a lot of respect for natural abilities of the living things,"says Reinhold Behringer,
who helped design two of the car—size vehicles for a company called Sci—Autonics."Even ants
(蚂蚁) can do a1l these tasks effortlessly.It's very hard for US to put these abilities into our machine".
The robotic vehicles,though with necessary modern equipment such as advanced computers
and GPS guidance, had trouble figuring out fast enough the blocks ahead that a two-year-old human recognizes immediately. Sure, that very young child, who has just only learned to walk, may not think to wipe apple juice off her face, but she already knows that when there's a cookie in the kitchen she has to climb up the table, and that when she gets to the cookie it will taste good. She is more advanced, even months old, than any machine humans have designed.
41. Watchers doubted if any of the vehicles could finish the race because ______.
A. they did not have any human guidance
B. the road was not familiar to the drivers
C. the distance was too long for the vehicles
D. the prize money was unattractive to the drivers
42. DARPA organized the race in order to ______.
A. raise money for producing more robotic vehicles
B. push the development of vehicle industry
C. train more people to drive in the desert
D. improve the vehicles for future wars
43. From the passage we know "robotic vehicles" are a kind of machines that ______.
A. can do effortlessly whatever tasks living things can
B. can take part in a race across 142 miles with a time limit
C. can show off their ability to turn themselves upside down
D. can move from place to place without being driven by human beings
44. In the race, the greatest distance one robotic vehicle covered was ______.
A. about eight miles B. six miles C. almost two miles D. about one mile
45. In the last paragraph, the writer implies that there is a long way to go ______.
A. for a robotic vehicle to finish a 142-mile race without any difficulties
B. for a little child who has just learned to walk to reach the cookie on the table
C. for a robotic vehicle to deal with a simple problem that a little child can solve
D. for a little child to understand the importance of wiping apple juice off its face
C
Sometimes we cry because we are sad and sometimes because we are extremely happy.An irritant(刺激物),such as onion(洋葱) smell or grains of sand in the eye,can also make cry.In this case tears perform an obvious role in getting rid of substances that might harm the surface of the eye.
Dr.William Frey of the Dry Eye and Tear Research Center at St.Paul in Minnesota,USA,believes that tears from emotional causes may perform a similar role.He thinks that crying could get rid of emotional stress by washing away a chemical in the blood caused by strong emotions. To prove his theory, he hopes first to identify this chemical and then see if it is found in tears of sadness or happiness.
So far, Dr.Frey has failed to find out the difference between emotional tears and tears caused by an irritant in the eye.This may be because these substances themselves cause a degree of stress and emotion.What he has identified in all tears is a variety of biochemicals(生化物)which are one of the causes of stress.A more detailed study may help us understand why sufferers from stress-related disorders cry less often than healthy people.Dr.Frey is also very interested to see if there are any physiological(生理学的)explanations for why women,in general,cry five times more often than men,on average.
64. The main purpose of Dr.Frey’s study of tears is to
A. show that there are two types of tears,caused by irritants and by emotions
B. find out the cause of stress-related problems and emotional disorders
C. explain why women cry more often than men
D. prove that tears can remove a chemical in the blood caused by strong emotions
65. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Tears fail to help get rid of emotional stress.
B. Irritants in the eye result in tears without causing stress and emotion.
C. Healthy people cry more often than those with stress-related problems.
D. The biochemical identified by Dr.Frey has nothing to do with stress.
66. We can learn from the passage that __________.
A. crying does us more harm than good
B. inner feelings don’t affect our bodies
C. sorrow may cause some chemicals in our blood
D. emotional tears are different from tears caused by irritants in the eye
67. Dr.Frey believes that tears from emotional causes may play a role in getting rid of ______.
A. emotional stress by washing away a chemical in the blood
B. onion smell or grains of sand
C. sufferings from irritants
D. substances that might not harm the surface of the eye
B
“I sat-in at a restaurant for six months, and when they finally agreed to serve me, they didn’t have what I wanted”---so went a famous line. In reality, the sit-in movement was not a joke. It began in Greensboro, North Carolina, at 4:30 P.M., on the afternoon of February 1, 1960. On that day, Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil, David Richmond, and Franklin McClain entered an F.W. Woolworth store. They sat down at a segregated(隔离的)lunch counter, ordered coffee, and then refused to leave when told, ‘We don’t serve Negroes.”
The four young men had expected not to be served. What no one had expected, however, was that they would sit there and politely, but firmly, refuse to leave. This was 1960, and throughout the South black people were not allowed to sit at the same lunch counters with whites, swim at the same beaches, use the same water fountains, or worship at the same churches. Segregation was the law, and it meant separation of the races in every way.
The next day, the four returned to Woolworth’s---this time accompanied by sixteen other students. Again they sat at the lunch counter and requested service. Again they were refused. And again, they declined to leave. On Wednesday, February 3, seventy students filled the Woolworth’s store. This time, the group included white students as well as black. Many brought school books and studied while they waited. By this time, their protest had become known nationwide as a “sit-in”.
On Thursday, there was trouble. An angry group of white teenagers began shoving(推搡) and cursing them but were quickly removed by the police. By February 10, the sit-in movement had spread to five other states.
By September 1961, more than 70,000 people, both black and white, had participated in sit-ins at segregated restaurants and lunch counters, kneel-ins at segregated churches, read-ins at segregated libraries, and swim-ins at segregated pools and beaches. Over 3,600 people had been arrested, and more than 100 students had been driven away. But they were getting results. On June 10, 1964, the U.S Senate passed a major civil rights bill outlawing(宣布为非法)racial discrimination in all public places. President Lyndon Johnson signed it on July 2, and it became law. But the highest credit still goes to the four brave students from North Carolina who first sat-in and waited it out.
60. In this passage, “ sit-in” refers to _________.
A. an activity where people sit together and drink coffee freely
B. a bill which outlaws racial discrimination in all public places
C. a form in which people peacefully sit and decline to leave
D. a polite behavior that everyone enjoys
61. Which statement can be concluded from the fifth paragraph in the passage?
A. The sit-in movement was not successful.
B. The sit-in movement had a positive result.
C. Only black people participated in sit-ins.
D. A lot of protesters were arrested, with some students driven away from school
62. What was the purpose of the civil rights bill passed in 1964?
A. The highest credit went to the four brave students.
B. It declared that segregation was a law.
C. The students were allowed to participate in sit-ins.
D. It made racial segregation against the law in all public places.
63. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Segregation was the law in the South.
B. The first sit-in was in 1960.
C. The sit-ins helped to end segregation.
D. The civil rights bill was passed in 1964 by the U.S. Senate.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. You listen to their conversation:
“I can't believe it--a Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lot cheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome.”
They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've never heard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You never realize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go from store to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes.
Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting to use it.
Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditional advertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation----consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It is a golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.
So advertising agencies hire young actors to “perform” in bars and other places where young adults go. Some people might call this practice deceptive(骗人的), but marketing executive Jonathan Ressler calls it creative. “Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing.”
However, one might ask what exactly is “real” about of young women pretending to be enthusiastic about a sweater? Advertising executives would say it's no less real than an ad. The difference is that you know an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. You don' t know when a conversation you overhear is just a performance.
56. The two attractive young women were talking so that they could ________.
A. get the sweater at a lower priceB. be heard by people around
C. be admired by other shoppers D. decide on buying the sweater
57. Lorenzo Bertolla is __________.
A. a very popular male singer B. an advertising agency
C. a clothing company in Rome D. the brand name of a sweater
58. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. The two girls are in fact employed by the Lorenzo Bertolla Company.
B. The MTV generation tend to be more easily influenced by ads.
C. Traditional advertising is becoming less effective because it's too direct.
D. Undercover marketing will surely be banned soon by the government.
59. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Two Attractive Shoppers B. Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters
C. Ways of Advertising D. Undercover Marketing
E
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a chlassroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary(薪水) and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, dults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的), complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为). But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目标) for your disagreement.
Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates(蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
57. According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is ________.
A. to let them see the world around B. to share the children’s curiosity
C. to explain difficult phrases about science D. to supply the children with lab equipment
58. In the last sentece of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by “________”.
A. any questions B. any problems
C. questions from textbooks D. any number of questions
59. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults ________.
A. ask them to answer quickly B. wait for one or two seconds after a question
C. tell them to answer the next dayD. wait at least for three seconds after a question
60. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should ________.
A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts
B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C. be patient enough when their children answer questions
D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own
D
Zach drove over to Mary’s place. She would be his wife soon. She was in China, visiting her parents. Her son Bradley hadn’t gone with her. Bradley was a junior in high school. He neither liked nor disliked Zach, even though he had known Zach for three years. Zach was still trying to get along well with Bradley.
When Zach arrived, he asked if Bradley wanted to drive his car. Bradley had a driver’s license. Bradley said all right. Zach told him not to drive fast, but that he could drive anywhere he wanted. Bradley got on the road. Zach gave Bradley a few driving tips: Don’t drive next to big trucks, because you never know when they might crush(碾压) you. Don’t drive behind trucks filled with things, because you never know when something in the truck will fly out and hit your car.
On their way back, Zach suggested that they stop at the golf course. He wanted to show Bradley how to play golf. Bradley wasn’t interested. He preferred his video games. But Bradley soon discovered that golf was fun! He hit a lot of balls. Zach told him that he was doing well. The next day Bradley, for the first time ever, called Zach. He had a few blisters(水疱) on his hands. Zach said that usually happened. Then Bradley asked if Zach would come next Saturday so they could take a drive and hit golf balls again. Zach said, of course, and felt happy.
53. The best title(题目) for the text might be “________”.
A. You are not my dad, but I begin to love you! B. I begin to love you, my son!
C. You can do better, boy! D. Do you love me, dad?
54. Zach let Bradley drive his car because ________.
A. he wanted to teach Bradley how to drive B. he wanted to take Bradley to the golf course
C. he wanted to go to see MaryD. he wanted to get on well with Bradley
55. At first, Bradley liked ________ better than golf.
A. driving B. video games C. his lessonsD. a driver’s license
56. The next day, Bradley telephoned mainly to ________.
A. ask Zach to teach him to drive B. ask Zach to see his mother Mary
C. show Zach his friendliness D. invite Zach to the golf course