III．阅读(共两节，满分40分)
第一节：阅读理解(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。
Qian Xuesen is one of the pioneers of China's space science. As a world-famous expert on aerospace rockets and aerodynamics, he obtained great achievements in the areas of applied mechanics, engineering cybernetics and system engineering and made distinguished contributions to the foundation and development of Chinese aerospace undertaking(事业).
Graduated from Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1934, Qian Xuesen went to the United States to study in MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one year later. After receiving master's degree in MIT, he went to study in California Institute of Technology and received PhD degrees in both aerospace and mathematics.
In 1955, six years after the founding of People's Republic of China, Qian Xuesen returned to his motherland. His return brought China the hope of developing space science and its own missiles.
In 1956, Qian Xuesen put forward “Proposal on the Development of China's Aviation Industry for National Defense”. With the support from Zhou Enlai, the premier, and marshal Nie Rongzheng, Qian Xuesen began to prepare for the establishment of China's first missile and rocket research and development structure, the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defense. Henceforth（从此以后）, he has long been in charge of the chief technological research and development of China's missile, rocket and spacecraft.
Due to research and development led by Qian Xuesen, China successfully exploded its first atom bomb in 1964. Later, China launched its first man-made satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, to the earth orbit on April 24, 1970, becoming the fifth country in the world to independently launch satellite following the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USA, France and Japan. The satellite floated around the earth, blaring（高声播放） the song Dong Fang Hong, which has the same name as the satellite.
As a forerunner leading the development of China's aerospace science and technology, Qian Xuesen also provided chances for young scientists. Wang Yongzhi, former chief designer of China's manned-space project, has benefited a lot from Qian Xuesen. “He suggested that rocket of the second generation should be developed by our second generation scientists. This suggestion gave us chances to be general designers.” Recalling the experience working with Qian Xuesen, Sun Jiadong, general designer of China's lunar orbiter project, is very grateful. “He put great expectation on us and trusted us a lot. Whenever we made mistakes, he seldom blamed us, but helped us to find out the reason so we could avoid it in the future.”
Honored as Father of China's Missile and King of Rockets, Qian Xuesen never stopped his work on scientific research after he retired. He said he had no time to review the past, but looked forward to the future.
41. When did Qian xuesen begin to study in Massachusetts Institute of Technology?________
A. In 1955. B. In 1935. C. In 1936. D. In 1934.
42. Which of the following is about the five countries that launched man-made satellite independently before 1970?
A. The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the UK, France, China and Japan.
B. The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USA, Japan, Canada and China.
C. America, France, Japan, China and Australia.
D. The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, America, France, Japan and China.
43. What does the underlined word “forerunner”(Paragraph 6) probably mean?
A. A leader. B. A pioneer. C. A competitor. D. A successful scientist.
44. According to the passage, which of the following about Qian Xuesen is NOT true?
A. In 1956, he made good preparations for the Fifth Research Institute of State Ministry of Defense.
B. He made outstanding contributions to the establishment and development of Chinese aerospace undertaking.
C. He returned to China, bringing China the hope of developing space science and its own missiles.
D. He devoted all his life to China’s space science.
45. It can be inferred from Paragraph 6 that ______.
A. Qian Xuesen is very concerned about the development of young scientists.
B. The help of Qian Xuesen is beneficial to young scientists.
C. Qian Xuesen gives many opportunities to general designers.
D. When the chief designers do something wrong, Qian Xuesen helps them find out the cause.
Television has changed the lifestyle of people in every industrialized country in the world. In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made.
Television, although not essential, has become an important part of most people’s lives. It alters people’s ways of seeing the world; in many ways, it supports and sustains (维持) modern life.
Television has become a baby-sitter, an introducer of conversations, the major transmitter of culture, and a keeper of tradition. Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that television is not a teacher but a sustainer; the poor quality of programming does not elevate (提高) people into greater understanding, but rather maintains and encourages the life as it exists.
The primary reason for the lack of quality in American television is related to both the history of TV programming development and the economics of TV. Television in America began with the radio. Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with television. Therefore, the close relationship which the advertisers had with radio programs became the system for American TV. Sponsors not only paid money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs. Thus, in American society, television is primarily concerned with reflecting and attracting society rather than experimenting with new ideas. Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible. To do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than educational, attractive rather than challenging.
Television in America today remains, to a large extent, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago. The hope for further development and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the entire system.
According to the author, American television is poor in quality because _________.
| A．it is controlled by radio companies |
| B．the programs have to be developed partly for economic reasons |
| C．advertisers are interested in experimenting with new ideas |
| D．it is still at an early stage of development, compared with the radio |
In the author’s view, American TV should _________.
| A．be entertaining and attractive |
| B．reflect society and attract society |
| C．attract as many viewers as possible |
| D．change with the development of society |
Based on the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．TV has become a must in the American’s life. |
| B．One can expect to improve his understanding significantly from watching TV. |
| C．American TV is important to most people as it affects their life in many ways. |
| D．American TV nowadays has some different standards from the past. |
The author’s attitude towards American television is _________.
| A．negative | B．positive |
| C．indifferent | D．sympathetic |
Merchant and passenger ships are generally required to have a life preserver for every person aboard and in many cases, a certain percentage of smaller sizes for children. According to United States requirements, life preservers must be simple in design, reversible( 可翻转的), capable of being quickly adjusted to fit the uninitiated individual, and must be so designed as to support the wearer in the water in an upright or slightly backward position.
Sufficient buoyancy(浮力) to support the wearer should be retained by the life preserver after 48 hours in the water, and it should be reliable even after long period of storage. Thus it should be made of materials resistant to sunlight, gasoline, and oils, and it should be not easily set on fire. The position in which the life preserver will support a person who jumps or falls into the water is the most important thing, as is its tendency to turn the wearer in the water from a face-down position to an upright or slightly backward position, with his face clear of the water, even when the wearer is exhausted or unconscious.
The method of adjustment to the body should be simple, and self-evident to uninitiated individuals even in the dark under the confused conditions, which follow a disaster. Thus, the life preserver should be reversible so that it is nearly impossible to set it on wrong. Catches, straps, and ties should be kept to a minimum. In addition, the life preserver must be adjustable to the wide variety of shapes and sizes of wearers, since this greatly affects the position of floating and the self-righting qualities. A suitable life preserver should also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim.
The passage is mainly about_____________.
| A．the uses of life preservers |
| B．the design of life preservers |
| C．the materials for life preservers |
| D．the buoyancy of life preservers |
According to the passage, a life preserver should be first of all, _________.
| A．adjustable | B．comfortable |
| C．self-evident | D．self-righting |
United States Coast Guard does NOT require the life preserver to be made ______.
| A．with as few strings as possible |
| B．capable of being worn on both sides |
| C．according to each wearer's size |
| D．comfortable and light to wear |
By “the uninitiated individual” (Para. 1, Line. 4) the author refers to the person ______.
| A．who has not been instructed how to use a life preserver |
| B．who has a little experience in using a life preserver |
| C．who uses a life preserver without permission |
| D．who becomes nervous before a disaster |
On a clear night, the sky is a wonderful thing. Is there life out there somewhere? Is there another place like Earth where life might exist? If so, where is it? And how far away is it?
Recently, the Kepler spacecraft found “22b”, a planet about six hundred light years away. It is the first planet in a “habitable zone” outside the solar system. That means the planet orbits(环绕) a star like our sun, but it is not too close to it, nor too far away. Because of this position, Kepler-22b might have water, one of the main things needed for life. The newly-discovered planet is about two and a half times larger than the Earth. It is closer to its star than we are to the Sun, but 22b’s sun is smaller than ours, and doesnt produce as much heat. Scientific instruments show the new planet could be made of gases, rocks or some kinds of liquids.
The Kepler spacecraft was named in honor of Johannes Kepler, the seventeenth century German astronomer. It was designed to examine a small part of the Milky Way galaxy(星系)and search for places like the Earth. It was made to inspect over 150,000 stars and measure how bright they are. It looks to see if a star’s brightness gets less over a short time.
If a planet passes between Kepler and the star, it blocks out part of the light. That is what suggested to scientists that there is at least one planet orbiting the star. The instruments on Kepler show the new planet as a small, black dot moving across its sun. An important part of the Kepler experiment is on the Earth. After the spacecraft gathers information, scientists use the telescopes on the ground.
Scientists have found over 2,300 new planets since Kepler was launched. Most are much larger, but it is the new planet’s distance from its star that is important. For life to possibly exist there, the planet’s temperature must not be too hot or too cold. What can we learn about Kepler-22b?
| A．Water must have existed on it. |
| B．It takes humans about 600 years to get there. |
| C．It is made of gases, rocks and plenty of liquids. |
| D．It is the first planet in outer space where life may survive |
The Kepler spacecraft was sent into space to
| A．show honor to Johannes Kepler |
| B．observe the changes of a star’s brightness |
| C．look for Earth-like planets in the Milky Way galaxy |
| D．measure the brightest star among 150.000 stars |
In Paragraph 4 the author mainly tells us
| A．how the Kepler system works |
| B．if the Kepler system sees a new planet |
| C．how the Kepler system shows a new planet |
| D．why an important part of the Kepler system remains on the Earth |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Life may exist on the new planet in another form. |
| B．It is colder on the new planet because its sun is smaller. |
| C．Life can’t exist on planets which are much larger than the Earth. |
| D．The new planet’s distance from its star decides on the possibility of life existence. |
Every year seals would crowd ashore in Farne Island and give birth to their pups. Between early October and early December, 1,500 seal pups will be born. Almost half of them will not make it past the first three weeks of life.
“The pups have to stay out of the water for the first three weeks, when they have their white coat, which is not very waterproof,” explains the warden (监察员)，who spends nine months on the Island.
“But when you’re born in November on a rock in the North Sea, it’s a tough start to life,” he said. Storms often wash young pups into the water. And occasionally, young, inexperienced mothers abandon their pups and head out to sea.
“We lost 41% last year,” said David Steel, the National Trust’s head warden on the Farne Islands. “Mother Nature certainly keeps them in check.”
Despite the early challenges for every newborn seal, the population is healthily and slowly and steadily growing. There are almost 4,000 seals on a set of islands, which is named a Special Area of Conservation(SAC), meaning it is protected under EU regulations. This successful human safeguarding of the seals’ habitat is huge turnaround(转机).
Just a few decades ago, the seal population was deliberately decimated. The animals used to be thought of as a threat to local fish stocks. During the late 1960s and 1970s, thousands of seals were shot in a cull(剔除)that aimed to protect the local fishing industry. According to the National Trust, between 1962 and 1983 approximately 2,000 adult females and 3,000 pups were shot.
But, as the fishing industry collapsed, it was gradually replaced by tourism. Today, several companies use fishing boats to take groups of people to visit the islands and admire the scenery, seabirds and, of course, the seals that make their homes in this bleakly beautiful place. In the first three weeks after they were born, almost half of the seal pups _______.
| A．would be abandoned by their mothers |
| B．would be protected by the wardens |
| C．couldn’t live independently |
| D．would die mostly in the sea water. |
According to David Steel, death of so many pups________.
| A．is a normal and natural phenomenon |
| B．is mainly caused by farmers’ killing |
| C．can be prevented efficiently by man |
| D．will be controlled by Mother Nature |
The underlined word “decimate” in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ____.
| A．increase | B．kill | C．reduce | D．control |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．The Beautiful Farne Island |
| B．A Tough Beginning |
| C．How to Protect Grey Seals |
| D．Tourism or Fishing Industry |
Our world is full of tourist traps and crowds of people. What if you could get out ahead of the crowded people and visit a place before it started swarming with crowds of people?
José lgnacio, Uruguay
Only about 300 people actually live here, but in winter, Latin famous stars like Shakira gather here. A new luxury hotel named Bahia Vik is in the process of opening, and JoséIgnacio is preparing to host an international art festival. You can enjoy art atmosphere here and eat steaks at La Huella restaurant.
Koh Rong, Cambodia
Visiting this Cambodian island is like stepping into a screen saver. With only a few houses and some fishing villages, many people say it’s like Thailand 20 years ago when tourists landed the untouched beaches. Ferries started regularly shuttling tourists to Koh Rong only a few years ago, but things are still pretty quiet until someone plans to build an airport.
Riga, Latvia
Latvia is Europe’s best kept secret, but all has changed now since Riga was named the European Capital of Culture in 2014. The city also ranked as Europe’s cheapest destination for backpackers this year, with an average cost of just $33 per day for food, lodging, transportation and entertainment. Hurry up and peruse (研读) Old Riga and St. Peter’s tower, and get fancy at the Latvian National Opera.
Puglia, Italy
With food travel on the rise, Puglia is becoming a household name. Under the Italian cultural influences, the Mediterranean diet takes one of its purest and most delicious forms: food is locally purchased and restaurants are quaint (精致的) and are of high quality, which have good reputations.The first paragraph is used to.
| A．complain about tourist traps |
| B．introduce the topic of the text |
| C．warn readers to avoid crowded people |
| D．show how tired travelers feel after holidays |
When visiting Koh Rong, you can.
| A．take a boat to get there |
| B．eat steaks at La Huella restaurant |
| C．find there is a large beautiful airport |
| D．find it’s as developed as Thailand |
Which of the following will cost travelers least in Europe?
| A．José Ignacio, Uruguay. |
| B．Koh Rong, Cambodia. |
| C．Riga, Latvia. |
| D．Puglia, Italy. |
What can we know about Puglia?
| A．Its diet enjoys wide popularity. |
| B．Its food price is rising rapidly. |
| C．It has the most delicious food in Italy. |
| D．It has a luxury hotel named Bahia Vik. |