I entered high school having read hundreds of books. But I was not a good reader.Merely bookish, I lacked a point of view when I read. Rather, I read in order to get a point of view. I searched books for good expressions and sayings, pieces of information, ideas, themes-anything to enrich my thought and make me feel educated. When one of my teachers suggested to his sleepy tenth-grade English class that a person could not have a "complicated idea" until he had read at least two thousand books, I heard the words without recognizing either its irony (嘲讽) or its very complicated truth. I merely determined to make a list of all the books I had ever
read. Strict with myself, I included only once a title I might have read several times.(How, after all, could one read a book more than once?) And I included only those books over a hundred pages in length. (Could anything shorter be a book?)
There was yet another high school list I made. One day I came across a newspaper article about an English professor at a nearby state college. The article had
a list of the "hundred most important books of Western Civilization." "More than
anything else in my life," the professor told the reporter with finality, "these books have made me all that I am." That was the kind of words I couldn't ignore. I kept the list for the several months it took me to read all of the titles. Most books, of course, I hardly understood. While reading Plato's The Republic, for example, I needed to keep looking at the introduction of the book to remind myself what the text was about.However, with the special patience and superstition (迷信) of a schoolboy, I looked at every word of the text. And by the time I reached the last word, pleased, I persuaded myself that I had read The Republic,and seriously crossed Plato off my list.
51.On heating the teacher's suggestion of reading, the writer thought______.
A. one must read as many books as possible.
B. a student should not have a complicated idea.
C. it was impossible for one to read two thousand books.
D. students ought to make a list of the books they had read
52. While at high school, the writer_________.
A. had plans for reading B. learned to educate himself
C. only read books over 100 pages D. read only one book several times
53. The underlined phrase "with finality" in the second paragraph probably means_________.
A. firmly B. clearly C. proudly D. pleasantly
54. The writer's purpose in mentioning "The Republic" is to________.
A. explain why it was included in the list.
B. describe why he seriously crossed it offthe list.
C. show that he read the books blindly though they were hard to understand
D. prove that he understood most of it because he had looked at every word
55. The writer provides two book lists to________.
A. show how he developed his point of view.
B. tell his reading experience at high school.
C. introduce the two persons' reading methods.
D. explain that he read many books at high school.
阅读理解(共20小题:每小题2分,满分40分)
On New Year’s Eve, people in Italy throw out all the old things. So there are chairs, beds, clothes and plates in the trees. In Spain, the New Year comes in more quietly. In the evening people come together to the streets. Each holds a bag of grapes. When twelve o’clock comes, people start eating the grapes. In Japan, people eat noodles on New Year’s Eve. This food is said to bring long life. Early the next morning, some families climb Mount Fuji(富士山). There they watch the first sunrise(日出) of the New Year.This story is about New Year’s Eve in_______.
A.Italy | B.Spain |
C.Japan | D.All of the above |
People in Spain welcome New Year by _______after twelve.
A.eating grapes | B.eating noodles |
C.throwing the old things | D.watching the sunrise. |
People in both Spain and Japan _______ to bring in the New Year.
A.throw things away | B.get together |
C.eat some food | D.climb a mountain |
Japanese climb Mount Fuji to _______.
A.look at the stars |
B.look for New Year’s wishes |
C.see the sun coming up |
D.have a rest |
The people in _______ hope to get long life from their New Year’s food.
A.Japan | B.China | C.Spain | D.Italy |
(This selection was originally published in 1992. Pluto (冥王星) is no longer classified as a planet.)
Pluto is in many ways the strangest of the planets. It is small and has a large moon(called Charon). Its orbit(轨道) is unusual, which may cause it to have seasons in the sense that when it is close to the sun, the liquid (液体)methane(甲烷)on its surface boils to form a kind of atmospheric haze(烟雾). When the planet moves farther away from the sun, it starts to snow solid(固体) methane.
Pluto is not dark. Despite its great distance from the sun, the surface of Pluto is probably as bright as a moonlit night on Earth. The reason is all that methane, which is as white as newly fallen snow.
The discovery of Pluto was more accident than design. The American astronomer Percival Lowell had predicted the existence of a ninth planet(he called it Planet X)based on what he took to be irregularities in the orbit of Neptune. Today astronomers argue that these "irregularities" weren't real, but the result of instrumental error. Nevertheless, Lowell produced predictions about where Planet X ought to be(although, to be honest, the predictions changed occasionally when he redid the calculations).In any case, in 1930 Clyde Tombaugh, doing a systemic sky survey that would have found the planet no matter where it was, discovered the planet we now call Pluto. By coincidence, its position was pretty close to where Lowell's last prediction said it should be. Was it just luck? We'll never know.On Pluto's surface, liquid methane boils to form an atmospheric haze, which would be most similar to ____.
A.light | B. darkness |
C.liquid | D.steam(水蒸气) |
What effect is produced by including the question "Was it just luck?" at the end of the text?
A.The question encourages the reader to think about why Pluto is a strange planet. |
B.The question encourages the reader to think about how planets are discovered. |
C.The question suggests that all discoveries are luck, not just design. |
D.The question suggests that other planets were found in different ways. |
What contributes to the brightness of Pluto?
A.Methane on its surface. | B.Its great distance from the sun. |
C.Light from its moon, Charon. | D.Its closeness to the sun. |
The text mainly wants to ____.
A.give a brief introduction of Pluto |
B.talk about the discovery of Pluto |
C.prove the exact position of Pluto |
D.describe the strangeness of Pluto |
Well-known as gourmets(美食家),the French spend more time sleeping and eating than anyone else among the world's rich nations,according to a study published on Monday.
The average French person sleeps almost 9 hours every night,more than an hour longer than Japanese and Korean,who sleep the least in a survey of 18 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Despite their siesta(午睡)habit,Spanish rank only third after Americans, who sleep more than 8.5 hours. And while more and more French people prefer fast-food chains these days or wolf down a sandwich at their desk, they still spend more than two hour’s a day eating.
That means their meals are twice as long as those of the average Mexican, who spends just an hour a day on food,the OECD’s “Society at a Glance” report on work, health and leisure(休闲) in Asia, Europe and North and South America found. The Japanese manage to spend close to 2 hours a day eating and drinking, placing them third behind New Zealanders.
Despite the limited time, Americans spend eating each day---about an hour and a quarter---U.S.obesity(肥胖) rates are the highest in the 30 members of OECD. The Japanese like to spend their rare free time watching TV or listening to the radio. This takes up 47 percent of leisure time in Japan. Norwegians spend the most time at leisure,just over a quarter of their day,while at the low end,Mexicans spend just 16 percent of their time having fun.
The OECD has 30 members. The survey covers only the countries for which proper figures were available.As to eating time,the CORRECT order is______.
A.The French > New Zealanders> Japanese> Mexicans |
B.Mexicans> The Japanese > New Zealanders > The French |
C.The French > The Japanese > New Zealanders > Mexicans |
D.New Zealanders > The Japanese >Mexicans> The French |
In the 30 members of OECD,U.S ranks first at______
A.sleeping time | B.leisure |
C.eating time | D.obesity-rates |
The main purpose of the text is______.
A.to show which country spends the least time on sleeping |
B.to tell us the French is leisure-loving gourmets |
C.to show a survey about the time of leisure,sleeping,eating in some countries |
D.to make a comparison to find out the best living styles of OECD countries |
How does the author develop the whole text ?
A.By analysing cause and effect. |
B.By making comparisons. |
C.By making predictions. |
D.By following the time order. |
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Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies.
Check-in Time:7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities:Parking,Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room.Which hotel gives a price promise?
A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
B.Beach Plaza Hotel. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. |
D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. |
B.Beach Plaza Hotel. |
C.Baymont Inn Hotel. |
D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
A.enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room |
B.are fond of swimming in heated water |
C.want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel |
D.are a cigarette smoker |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the ads?
A.All of the three hotels provide television with cable. |
B.You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
C.In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available. |
D.While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet. |
Sharks have been swimming in the ocean for millions of years. They were on Earth even before dinosaurs! At the top of the world’s ocean’s food chain, sharks help keep the population of other ocean animals in balance. A large drop in the number of sharks can cause serious problems for all ocean animals. Saving sharks makes sense!
Many people are afraid of sharks. But most sharks are harmless. Only a small percentage of sharks are known to attack humans. It adapt(适应) well to new habitats and eat whatever is available. However, today, sharks are in trouble. Nearly one-third of the 400 shark species are in danger of extinction, largely due to over-fishing. Each year, tens of millions of sharks are caught and killed just for their fins(鳍). The fins are used to make shark fin soup.
Humane Society International (HSI) joined with the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots and Shoots program and Beijing Zoo to protect sharks. An exhibit at the zoo, “the Price Behind the Taste-----Protect Sharks. Don’t Eat Shark Fins”, was designed to tell people that shark finning is cruel and unnecessary. It’s hoped that the activity will help put an end to the practice.
Shark fin soup is also eaten in the United States. In fact, the numbers of some shark species in US waters have dropped 90 percent in the last 30 years. To slow the fall, laws against the sale of shark fins have been passed in several states, including Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, and California.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?
A.Ocean animals are at the top of the food chain. |
B.Sharks play an important role in the ocean |
C.Sharks are an old species in the ocean. |
D.Sharks are being caught and killed. |
According to paragraph 2, sharks are in trouble because ______.
A.they often attack humans. |
B.their food is being polluted. |
C.they are being caught for food. |
D.their habitat is being destroyed. |
The underlined part “the practice” in Paragraph 3 refers to _______.
A.shark finning | B.shark protection |
C.the program of HIS | D.the exhibit at Beijing Zoo |
What do we know from the text?
A.There are 400 shark species in the United States. |
B.It’s illegal to eat shark fin soup in the United States. |
C.Most sharks are not interested in a human for dinner. |
D.Sharks are very particular about their habitats and food |