IV. 阅读理解
Bill Jenkins worked in a big office in the city, and he used to go to the barber’s during working hours to have his hair cut, although this was against the rule: clerks (职员) had to have their hair cut in their own time.
While Bill was at the barber’s one day, the manager of the office came in by chance to have his own hair cut. Bill saw him and tried to hide his face, but the manager found him.
“Hello, Jenkins,” the manager said, “ I see that you are having your hair cut in office time.”
“Yes, sir, I am,” admitted Bill calmly, “You see, sir, it grows in office time.”
“Not all of it,” said the manager at once, “some of it grows in your own time.”
“Yes, sir, but I’m not having it all cut off.”
52. Clerks in the office where Bill worked were ________.
A. not allowed to leave the office in office time
B. told to go to the barber’s in their free time
C. not allowed to go to the barber’s for a hair cut
D. told that only the manager could break the rules
53. Bill often went to have his hair cut during office hours because __________.
A. he didn’t have to wait long B. he had no idea of the office rule
C. he couldn’t be found by the manager
D. he just wanted to save his own time to do other things
54. When the manager saw Bill at the barber’s, he was _________.
A. unhappy B. excited C. sad D. anxious
55. The sentence “I’m not having it all cut off,” really means _________.
A. Bill wanted to have his hair cut, which grew in office time
B. Bill was just against the rule about hair cut
C. Bill would like to have his hair cut, which grew both in his office time and in his own time
D. Bill didn’t like to have his hair cut, which grew in his own time
Some years ago industries had more freedom than they have now,and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They did not have to pay much attention to the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them; often conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.
Of course sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes. Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore. At such times, there were inquiries into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries; however, the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or who became seriously ill.
Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers. In the U.S., for example, there is a department which tests new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell. A third department looks at the places where people work, and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course, new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness, but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products.
51. The main topic of the passage is ______.
A. conditions in the work place B. the freedom of industries in the past
C. changes in industrial production D. the safety and health of workers and customers
52. It can be inferred from the passage that in the past ______.
A. workers often got ill because of the poor working conditions
B. companies were free to put out any products they wanted to
C. many people were killed by dangerous products
D. industries were as careful in management as they are today
53. It is implied in the passage that ______.
A. governments and companies had different opinions about the safety of products
B. in the past no safety laws were introduced by governments
C. government officials often did not listen to scientists
D. governments paid no attention to the safety of products at all
54. From the passage, we know that some years ago safety rules ______.
A. were put forward due to scientists’ recommendations
B. came into being as a result of the workers’ demands
C. were introduced because quite a number of people were killed or seriously injured
D. were effective enough to protect workers and customers
55. The special departments protect customers and workers in many ways EXCEPT by ______.
A. testing new products B. controlling the sale of products
C. designing new products D. inspecting work places
A California family drives a car that could help protect the environment. When Jon and Sandy go to the store or to their daughters’ soccer games, they drive in high-tech style. They drive a $1 million, fuel-cell-powered car. It may be the world’s most expensive car and one of the most environmentally friendly cars. The FCX is the first fuel-cell-powered car to be used by a family anywhere in the world. The FCX uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Car makers have been working to develop vehicles that are better for the environment. They are developing cars that use fuel other than gasoline. And then what is fuel cell technology? Fuel cell technology works by changing the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water. This process produces electricity, and water vapor which comes out of the exhaust pipe. Most cars release dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Many scientists say these gases are major contributors to global warming. “The FCX is driven just like any other vehicle on the road, but without the gases which pollute the environment,” scientists say. Fuel cell technology has been around since the 1800s, but scientists have yet been to perfect it. They say it may take years before the technology is ready for widespread use. Another earth-friendly car is already on the market. Hybrid cars use both gasoline and an electric motor. They are becoming more popular with customers because they cut pollution and improve fuel efficiency.
46. Which of the following about the FCX is not true?
A. It may be the most expensive car in the world.
B. It is one of the most environmentally friendly cars.
C. It releases dangerous gases to pollute the air.
D. It uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel other than gasoline.
47. According to the passage, what is the major cause for global warming?
A. Gases from FCX. B. Water vapor from cars.
C. Hydrogen and oxygen. D. Gases from cars.
48. From the passage, we know that fuel cell technology ______.
A. works by water B. has a history for over two hundred years
C. works by electricity D. has been widely used since the 1800s
49. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. future cars will be environmentally friendly
B. there will be no gasoline for cars
C. people can’t afford to buy cars in the future
D. global warming has been stopped
50. Hybrid cars are popular because ______.
A. they are the fuel-cell-powered cars
B. they are energy-saving and cut pollution
C. they are perfect cars in the world
D. they produce no gases to pollute the environment
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A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Learning English is a great challenge, but with a little help from technology it can be as easy as a piece of cake.
As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programs can play an active role in helping learn English. The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn. This website is co-established by the British Council, the BBC World Service and Central Radio and TV University. It provides cultural information about Britain and has an example of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) that students can use for practice. Different levels of grammar tests can also be found.
Make friends online
Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is. Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.
Users have the opportunity to make friends with people who share their interests.
In the teaching and learning section, there are reading and vocabulary tips for students.
Compared with the Internet, TV programs have their own advantages: one does not have to sit at a computer and the audio and visual effects can even be relaxing.
One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses on oral English in practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.
The short dialogues and useful phrases may help students to express themselves if they go abroad or meet foreigners in China. More than 50 TV stations in about 300 cities have aired the program.
Word to World
If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". On this show Professor Wang Qiang from New Oriental School hosts "From Word to World".
He selects words with a deep cultural background and teaches useful phrases related to that word. Cartoons are also used to explain how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.
China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.
41. This passage ______.
A. introduces some new websites and TV and radio programs
B. focuses on advantages and disadvantages of different medium forms
C. recommends technological help in learning English
D. aims at advertising various English courses
42. If you want to read an English newspaper and make comments on different topics, you try_____.
A. www.in2english.com.cn. B. www.21se.com.cn.
C. Modern English D. Studio Classroom
43. One can practise oral English in everyday situations in _____.
A. Studio Classroom B. From Word to World
C. Study Abroad D. Modern English
44. According to the author, one superiority of TV programs over the Internet is that they ____.
A. offer more English learning resources
B. cost you nothing
C. have better audio and visual effects
D. have English courses available whenever you need them
45. The author wants the readers to know that learning English ______.
A. is difficult
B. is easy
C. is neither easy nor difficult
D. can be made much easier with a little help of modern technology
Botany, the study of plants, occupies a special position in the history of human knowledge. For many thousands of years it was the one field of awareness about which humans had anything more than the vaguest (含糊的) of insight. It is impossible to know today just what our Stone Age ancestors knew about plants, but from what we can observe of pre-industrial societies that still exist, a detailed learning of plants and their properties must extremely ancient. This is logical. Plants are the basis of the food pyramid for all living things, even for other plants. They have always been enormously important to the welfare of peoples, not only for food, but also for clothing, weapons, tools, eyes, medicines, shelter, and a great many other purposes. Tribes living today in the jungles of the Amazon recognized accurately hundreds of plants and know many properties of each. To them, botany, as such, has no name and is probably not even recognized as a special branch of knowledge at all.
Unfortunately, the more industrialized we become the farther away we move from direct contact with plants, and the less distinct our knowledge of botany grows. Yet everyone comes unconsciously on an amazing amount of botanical knowledge, and few people will fail to recognize a rose, an apple, or an orchid. When our Neolithic ancestors, living in the Middle East about 10,000 years ago, discovered that certain grasses could be harvested and their seeds planted for richer productions the next season, the first great step in a new association of plants and humans was taken. Grains were discovered and from them flowed the wonder of agriculture; cultivated crops. From then on, humans would increasingly take their living from the controlled production of a few plants, rather than getting a little here and a little there from many varieties that grew wild and the built up knowledge of tens of thousands of years of experience and close relationship with plants in the wild would begin fade away.
51. Which of the following statements about early humans is expressed in the passage?
A. They probably had extensive knowledge of plants.
B. They thought there was no need to cultivate crops.
C. They did not enjoy the study of botany.
D. They placed great importance on the ownership of property.
52. What does the comment “This is logical.” In the first paragraph mean?
A. There is no clear way to determine the extent of our ancestor’s knowledge of plants.
B. It is not surprising that early humans had a detailed knowledge of plants.
C. It is reasonable to assume that our ancestors behaved very much like people in pre-industrial societies.
D. Human knowledge of plants is well organized and very detailed.
53. According to the passage, why has general knowledge of botany begun to fade?
A. People no longer value plants as a useful resource.
B. Botany is not recognized as a special branch of science.
C. Research is unable to keep up with the increasing numbers of plants.
D. Direct contact with a variety of plants has decreased.
54. In the second paragraph, what is the author’s purpose in mentioning “ a rose, an apple, or an orchid”?
A. To make the passage more poetic.
B. To give an example of plant that are attractive.
C. To give botanical examples that all readers will recognize.
D. To explain the variety of botanical life.
55. According to the passage, what was the first great step toward the practice of agriculture?
A. The invention of agricultural tools and machinery.
B. The development of a system of names for plants.
C. The discovery of grasses that could be harvested and replanted.
D. The changing diets of early humans.
All her life, my mother wanted busy children. It was very important that her house should remain at all times clean and tidy. You could turn your back for a moment in my mother’s house, leave a half-written letter on the dining room table, a magazine open on the chair, and turn around to find that my mother had “put it back where it belonged,” as she explained.
My wife, one of her first visits to my mother’s house, placed a packet of biscuits on an end table and went to the kitchen to fetch a drink. When she returned, she found the packet had been removed. Confused, she set down her drink and went back to the kitchen for more biscuits, only to return to find that her drink had disappeared. Up to then she had guessed that everyone in my family held onto their drinks, so as not to make water rings on the end tables. Now she knows better.
These disappearance had a confusing effect on our family. We were all inclined to (有……的倾向) forgetfulness, and it was common for one of us, upon returning from the bathroom, to find that every sign of his work in progress had disappeared suddenly. “ Do you remember what I was doing?” was a question frequently asked, but rarely answered.
Now my sister has developed a second-hand love of cleaning windows, and my brother does the cleaning in his house, perhaps to avoid having to be the one to lift his feet. I try not to think about it too much, but I have at this later time started to dust the furniture once a week.
We have all become busy persons.
46. Which of the following is TRUE about my mother?
A. she enjoyed removing others’ drinks. B. She became more and more forgetful.
C. She preferred to do everything by herself. D. She wanted to keep her house in good order.
47. My wife could not find her biscuits and drink in my mother’s house because _______.
A. she had already finished them B. my mother had taken them away
C. she forgot where she had left them D. someone in my family was holding them
48. The underlined part suggests that my sister ______.
A. is happy to clean windows B. loves to clean used windows
C. is fond of cleaning used windows D. likes cleaning windows as my mother did
49. How many persons are mentioned in the passage?
A. Six. B. Seven. C. Five. D. Four.
50. This passage mainly tells us that ______.
A. my mother often made us confused
B. my family members had a poor memory
C. my mother helped us to form a good habit
D. my wife was surprised when she visited my mother