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A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
How can we get rid of garbage? Do we have enough energy sources to meet our future energy needs?
These are two important questions that many people are asking today. Some people think that men might be able to solve both problems at the same time. They suggest using garbage as an energy source.
For a long time people buried garbage or dumped it on empty land. Now, empty land is scarce. But more and more garbage is produced each year. But garbage can be a good fuel to use. The things in garbage do not look like coal, petroleum, or natural gas; but they are chemically similar to these fossil fuels. As we use up our fossil-fuel supplies, we might be able to use garbage as an energy source.
Burning garbage is not a new idea. Some cities in Europe and the United States have been burning garbage for years. The heat that is produced by burning garbage is used to boil water. The steam that is produced is used to make electricity or to heat nearby buildings. In Paris, France, some power plants burn almost 2 million metric tons of the city's garbage each year. The amount of energy produced is about the same as the world produced by burning almost a half million barrels of oil!
But there are problems in using garbage as a fuel. Garbage that burns easily, such as food scraps and paper, must be separated from metals, glass, and other materials that do not burn easily. This separation process is normally costly. Another problem is that burning garbage can pollute the air.
Our fossil fuel supplies are limited. Burning garbage might be one kind of energy source that we can use to help meet our energy needs. This method could also reduce the amount of garbage piling up on the earth.
56. What two problems can be solved by burning garbage?
A. The shortage of energy; Air pollution.
B. The shortage of energy; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.
C. Air pollution; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.
D. Air pollution; the shortage of fossil fuel.
57.Which of the following is NOT a result of burning garbage?
A. The heat produced is used to boil water.
B. The steam produced is used to make electricity.
C. The garbage burned is turned into fossil fuels.
D. The steam produced is used to heat buildings.
58.According to the passage. Which of the following four groups of garbage is ready for burning?
A. food scraps and metals B. paper and glass
C. metals and glass D. food scraps and paper
59.What is the general tone of the passage?
A. Critical B. Indifferent C. Supportive D. Anxious
The dirty, homeless man sat on the pavement, staring at the stones. He thought back more than twenty years to when he was a boy living in a small red brick house on this very street. He recalled the flower garden, the swing his dad made, and the bike he had saved up for months to buy.
The man shrugged impatiently, for the brightness of those pictures hurt him, and his memory traveled on another ten years. He had a job by then, plenty of friends and started to come home less. He did not really want to remember those years, nor the day when, because of debts, he had gone home planning to ask for money. He felt embarrassed, but he knew exactly where his dad kept the money. When his parents stepped out of the room, he took what he wanted and left.
That was the last time he had seen them. Ashamed, he went abroad, and his parents knew nothing about the years of wandering or time in prison. But locked in his cell he often thought of home. Once free, he would love to see his parents again, if they were still alive, and still wanted to see him.
When his prison time was up, he found a job, but couldn’t settle. Something was drawing him home. He did not want to arrive penniless, so he hitchhiked most of the long journey back. But less than a mile from his destination he started to feel sick with doubt. Could they ever accept this man who had so bitterly disappointed them?
He spent most of that day sitting under a tree. That evening he posted a letter which, although short, had taken him hours to write. It ended with:
I know it is unreasonable of me to suppose you want to see me ... so it’s up to you. I’ll come early Thursday morning. If you want me home, hang a white handkerchief in the window of my old bedroom. If it’s there, I’ll come in; if not, I’ll wave good-bye and go.
And now it was Thursday morning and he was sitting on the pavement at the end of the street. Finally he got up and walked slowly toward the old house. He drew a long breath and looked.
His parents were taking no risks. ________________________________________
The man threw his head back, gave a cry of relief and ran straight through the open front door.Why did the man shrug impatiently (paragraph 2) while he was thinking of his childhood?
| A．The thoughts made him angry. |
| B．He felt he had wasted time. |
| C．He was anxious to go home. |
| D．The sweet memory caused him much pain. |
Why did it take him hours to write the letter?
| A．He doubted if his parents still lived in that house. |
| B．He had much news to tell his parents. |
| C．He felt ashamed to ask for forgiveness. |
| D．He was longing to return home and felt excited. |
Which of the following best fits into paragraph 8?
| A．Every inch of the house was covered in white. Sheets, pillowcases and table clothes had been placed on every window and door, making it look like a snow house. |
| B．The house before him was just as he remembered: the red bricks, the brown door and nothing else. |
| C．A colorful blanket was over the front door. On it, in large letters, was written, “Welcome home, son”. |
| D．A police car was parked in the drive way, and two officers stood at the front door. |
The best title of the passage is _______.
| A．Sweet Memory | B．White Handkerchief |
| C．Abandoned(被放弃的) Son | D．Leaving Home |
Opening week specials at Munchies Food Hall
At the corner of Green and Brown Streets in the city
Monday 7th of January until Sunday, 13th of January, 2014
Feast until you’re full!
Come down to Munchies this week to enjoy the special dishes on offer at all of our food outlets. Order from the following:
·Succulent chicken rice ·Spicy satay beef
·Delicious noodle dishes ·Plump park chops
·Seafood specialties ·Crunchy vegetables
·Sweet tropical fruit
Halal food is available at the stall Malay Food Heaven
Win Prizes and Gifts!
·Spend $ 20.00 or more and win instant prizes from our lucky draw box.
·Collect a free party balloon and whistle for each young diner.
·Enjoy a free meal if you are the first customer of the day at any of our stalls.
·Win a holiday to Western Australia. A free raffle ticket is given with every receipt. Just fill in your information and place your entry in the box provided.
Winner to be announced in The Straits Times on the 15th of January.
Join in the Fun!
Between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm each evening until the 10th of January, your favorite Channel 3 television actors and singers will entertain you:
·May Lee ·Jackie Chen
·Kim Yap ·Kamal
Autograph sessions will follow each performance! And who will be our extra special mystery star? Come down on Saturday at noon to find out.The prices at Munchies are__________.
| A．lower than usual |
| B．bargain prices for the opening |
| C．lower for two people |
| D．lower if you spend $ 21.00 |
Every receipt comes with a _________.
| A．free raffle ticket | B．lucky draw coupon |
| C．free meal | D．balloon and whistle |
I will find out who has won the trip to Western Australia when I _________.
| A．watch Channel 3 television |
| B．come down to Munchies at noon |
| C．read The Straits Times on the 15th of January |
| D．attend the lucky draw at Munchies Food Hall |
It seems that great artists and scientists often suffer from mental problems. Both Einstein and Dickens had mental illness. Now scientists have started to look at whether mental illness and genius are linked(联系).
Dr. Adele Juda studied 5,000 creative people in Germany. She found there were more people with mental illness in this group than in the general population. Poets had the highest rate(比例) of mental illness, followed by musicians, with lower numbers for painters and architects.
Other scientists did research which also showed a strong link between mental problems and creativity. But, it did nothing to explain it.
Dr. Ruth Richards of Harvard University made a breakthrough. Instead of studying creative people, she took a group of psychiatric(精神病的) patients and tested them for creativity. The patients got much higher scores than a normal group.
Also, the patients’ close relatives were much more creative than the patients and a normal group. This suggests that the key to the link between creativity and mental illness is in our genes(基因).
But this is a problem. According to Darwinism, harmful genes should be removed. Some scientists believe that evolution(进化) has created a balance, where the madness of a few people leads to the development of the whole human race.
Geniuses may be mad, bad or just difficult to understand, but their discoveries have improved the world we live in. It seems that a little creative madness is good for us all.According to Dr. Adele Juda, which of the following group has the lowest rate of mental illness?
| A．Painters. | B．Musicians. |
| C．Poets. | D．Bus drivers. |
The underlined phrase “made a breakthrough” in the fourth paragraph means ________.
| A．discover or find something new and important |
| B．make a way through using force |
| C．(of the sun or moon) appear from behind (clouds) |
| D．suddenly change (from a slower to a faster pace) |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Among the 5,000 creative people in Germany, more people suffer from mental diseases than the general population. |
| B．There is a strong link between mental problems and creativity. |
| C．Psychiatric patients make greater contributions than common people. |
| D．The key to the link between creativity and mental illness is in our genes. |
What is the writer’s attitude toward madness?
| A．Madness is harmful to the whole society. |
| B．A little creative madness is good for us all. |
| C．All the talented people are mad. |
| D．Only the people with mental illness have more creativity. |
What is the nature of the scientific attitude, the attitude of the man or woman who studies and applies physics, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, medicine or any other science?
We all know that science plays an important role in the societies in which we live. Many people believe, however, that our progress depends on two different aspects of science. The first of these is the application of the machines, products and systems of applied knowledge that scientists and technologists develop. Through technology, science improves the structure of society and helps man to gain increasing control over his environment.
The second aspect is the application by all members of society of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in their work.
What are these special methods of thinking and acting? First of all, it seems that a successful scientist is full of curiosity-----he wants to find out how and why the universe works. He usually directs his attention towards problems which he notices have no satisfactory explanation, and his curiosity makes him look for underlying relationships even if the data available seem to be unconnected. Moreover, he thinks he can improve the existing conditions and enjoys trying to solve the problems which this involves.
He is a good observer, accurate, patient and objective and applies logical thought to the observations he makes. He utilizes the facts he observes to the fullest extent. For example, trained observers obtain a very large amount of information about a star mainly from the accurate analysis of the simple lines that appear in a spectrum(光谱).
He is skeptical ------ he does not accept statements which are not based on the most complete evidence available------and therefore rejects authority as the sole basis for truth. Scientists always check statements and make experiments carefully and objectively to verify them.
Furthermore, he is not only critical of the work of others, but also of his own, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb objective investigation.
Lastly, he is highly imaginative since he often has to look for relationships in data which are not only complex but also frequently incomplete. Furthermore, he needs imagination if he wants to make hypotheses of how processes work and how events take place.
These seem to be some of the ways in which a successful scientist or technologist thinks and acts.Many people believe that science helps society to progress through__________.
| A．applied knowledge. |
| B．more than one aspect. |
| C．technology only. |
| D．the use of machines. |
According to this passage, a successful scientist would not _______.
| A．easily believe in unchecked statements. |
| B．easily criticize others’ research work. |
| C．always use his imagination in work. |
| D．always use evidence from observation. |
What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．Application of technology. |
| B．Progress in modern society. |
| C．Scientists’ ways of thinking and acting. |
| D．How to become a successful scientist. |
One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation(砍伐森林) is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Take rubber（橡胶） for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial（商业的）rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect—or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realize the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means a kind of __________.
| A．natural rubber | B．tropical grass |
| C．man-made material | D．tropical tree |
In the last paragraph the author tries to _________.
| A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation |
| B．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests |
| C．persuade people to buy something synthetic |
| D．let people realize the good effect of tropical deforestation |
The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is __________.
| A．puzzling | B．cold |
| C．supporting | D．opposed |