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A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation.She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily.“I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation.The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title.“What is your occupation?” she asked.
The words simply popped out.“I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t), in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out).Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it).But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7, and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?

A.The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.
B.The recorder was impatient and rude.
C.The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.
D.Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.

How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?

A.curious B.indifferent C.puzzled D.interested

How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?

A.calm B.panic-stricken C.confident D.cool

Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?

A.Because the author cared little about rewards.
B.Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.
C.Because she thought the author did admirable work.
D.Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.

What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?

A.To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.
B.To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.
C.To show that the author had a grander job than Emily.
D.To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
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Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the children. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises.
Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation(模仿) leads on to deliberate(有意的) imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech.
It is a problem we need to get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation; and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world. Thus the use, at seven months, of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaning-less sound simply because he also uses it at another time for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however, whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.
1. Before children start speaking _______.
A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obey spoken instructions
D. they can’t understand and obey the adult’s oral instructions
2. Children who start speaking late _______.
A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly
3. A baby’s first noises are _______.
A. an expression of his moods and feelings
B. an early form of language
C. a sign that he means to tell you something
D. an imitation of the speech of adults
4. The problem of deciding at what point a baby’ imitations can be considered as speech _______.
A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
C. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
D. is one that should be completely ignored(忽略) because children’s use of words is of-ten meaningless
5. The speaker implies _______.
A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
C. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly


So long as teachers fail to distinguish (differ) between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children that which only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that “reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible”.
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to plan cleverly the most efficient(有效的) system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity: It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to understand the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the long search for knowledge? Smith has one principle rule for all teaching instructions. “Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children.”
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teacher and learner fulfill them properly, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is got rid of. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the chance to solve the problem of learning to read by learning.
1. The problem with the reading course as mentioned in the first paragraph is that_______.
A. too much time is spent in teaching about reading
B. reading tasks are given with little guidance
C. it is one of the most difficult school courses
D. students spend limited hours in reading
2. The teaching of reading will be successful if _______.
A. teachers can make their teaching activities observable
B. teachers can teach their students how to read
C. teachers can improve conditions at school for the students
D. teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading
3. The word “scrutiny” (Paragraph 3) most probably means “_______”.
A. unbelief B. control C. inquiry D. observation
4. The main idea of the passage is that_______.
A. reading is more complicated than believable
B. reading ability is something gained rather than taught
C. teachers should encourage students to read as widely as possible
D. teachers should do as little as possible in helping students learn to read


On Saturday August 12, 2000, during Northern Fleet training exercises in the Barents Sea, the Russian nuclear submarine(潜水艇) Kursk sank in about 100 meters of water with some 118 sailors aboard. It's known later that several officers were also aboard, observing the training exercises. The Kursk is lying on the ocean floor in the Barents Sea. The Russian Navy said that it was listing 30 degrees to port. Other sources reported it was listing as much 60 as degrees. According to a Russian newspaper, when the submarine Kursk failed to make contact with the naval command at the right time later that day, Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Vyachesav Popov ordered rescue ships into the area. It took hours to find the submarine, as it didn't launch(发射) a marking buoy(浮) before sinking.
Russian Navy Chief insisted that the submarine Kursk had been involved(卷入) in a major collision(碰撞), but a great deal of information shows that this is not true. Up till now, it's believed that an explosion in the torpedo compartment(鱼雷舱) in the nose of the Kursk was the likely cause. Now Russian government officially asked Norway for help in recovering of sailors' bodies first of all, and Norway has agreed to offer all help. But Russian insisted that only Russians work inside the submarine Kursk and that the work last for about 10~18 working days. It is expected to recover only 25~35 bodies from the Kursk.
It was not until October 25, when a team of Russian divers entered the submarine Kursk, some 350 feet below the surface, that truth became clear. On November 7, in the morning, owing to(由于) the icy and the cold weather, a special rescue meeting held on Murmansk decided to stop the whole bodies recovering operation.
1. From the text we can infer that _______ led to the sinking of the submarine Kursk.
A. a small fighting with another foreign submarine
B. an explosion inside the submarine Kursk
C. a great collision inside the submarine Kursk
D. an attack from another foreign submarine
2. After Kursk accident occurred, Northern Fleet Commander Popov _______.
A. decided to recover all the sailors' bodies immediately
B. went to apply to Norway for help at once
C. decided to find out the real cause of sinking at once
D. sent several rescue ships into the Barents Sea
3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A. The Norwegians were willing to offer all help.
A. If the rescue work did within 10~18 days, there would be about 30 sailors to be recovered.
B. It was not believed that there were many unclear weapons inside the Kursk.
C. A team of divers from Norway entered the submarine Kursk successfully on Oct. 25
D. It's reported that a major collision was unlikely to cause the sinking of the Kursk.
4. Why did Russia insist that only Russian divers can work inside the submarine Kursk?
A. Because the Barents Sea is very icy and the weather is too cold.
B. Because Russia feared that the top secrets inside the Kursk will be let out.
C. Because Russian divers are much more skilled than those from Norway.
D. Because Russian government wants to bring the cost down to the lowest degree.
5. The underlined words “make contact with” in the first paragraph refers to the idea that the submarine Kursk can't_______.
A. get in touch after much effort with the naval command
B. send up the nuclear weapons in the training exercises
C. get the naval officers to return to the Northern Fleet
D. get in touch after much effort with Russian government


The United States will introduce a new and comprehensive(综合的) exam for students who seek to study in American and other English-speaking countries, Xinhua News Agency reported from New York.
The exam, which stands for a great change from the current English level test, was disclosed by Theresa Chang Wei Jen, associate director of the International Service of the US College Board, America’s leading educational organization.
The Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL) will be offered for the first time throughout the world on May 10, 2002, said Jen.
However, the APIEL is a strange title to most Chinese students, and it is unlikely to soon gain the similarity of other already existing exams, such as the TOEFL(Test of English as a Foreign Language), the GRE(Graduate Record Examination), or the IELTS(International English Language Testing System).
“I have never heard of such a test and I would prefer the IELTS if I need another exam,” said Xu Jingyan, a graduating student from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who wants to study in England and has already taken the TOEFL.
Most of Xu’s classmates have never heard of the APIEL. “The APIEL is designed for international students who wish to get university studies in English-speaking countries, including the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.” said Jen.
The APIEL has been adopted, said Jen, because the TOEFL can no longer accurately reflect the abilities of students of using the English language comprehensively in an academic environment. Xinhua reported that a fairly large number of foreign students who earned high scores in TOEFL exam turned out to be very ordinary educational performers after admission.
Compared with the TOEFL, the APIEL measures a student’s ability to read, write, speak and understand English through testing his or her skills in listening comprehension, speaking with accuracy(精确) and resourcefulness, and writing with clarity and fluency(流畅), Jen said.
1. The United States will introduce a new exam because _______.
A. more and more students want to get further education in the USA
B. the Chinese people pay special attention to English studies with China’s entry into the WTO
C. the already existing exam systems seem to be far from perfect
D. it will bring the US government quite a lot of money
2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the selection?
A. It will take quite a period of time for people to accept the APIEL.
B. The TOEFL is more popular with the Chinese than the IELTS.
C. A student will have to take the APIEL if he or she wants to study in English—speaking countries from 2002.
D. Chinese students will prefer the IELTS rather than the APIEL even in the future.
3. The underlined word current in the second paragraph means _______.
A. modern B. present C. standard D. formal
4. Please decide which of the following would be the best title for this news report.
A. The Key to English-speaking Countries
B. The Four Skills in Learning English
C. TOEFL, IELTS and GRE to be Out of Date
D. New Exam Designed for Students


  A senior United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children’s welfare(福利).
A. H. M. Farook, UNICEF’s operations area officer for China and Mongolia said that China “can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily.”
  China’s child population makes up one-fifth of the world’s total. “The reason behind the tremendous(巨大的) achievement is China’s long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society,” he said.
  “What’s more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need.” The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home at the Shangri-la Hotel, Beijing.
  The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks(小吃), sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a “Share the Sunshine” party, as a prelude(前奏) to celebrations to mark the Children’s Day.
  The Beijing children’s Welfare Home, set up soon after New China was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children.
  A leading official of the welfare institution said that the children live a happy life and that the agency(机构) spends 400—500 yuan a month for an average orphan. An average Chinese workers earned 440 yuan a month during the first quarter this year.
  Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary-general of the China Youth Development Foundation(CYDF), said people from all walks of life have contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children.
  She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which calls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling.
  By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuan in donations, which has helped the establishment(建立) of 2, 074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1. 25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms.
  Three “Hope Stars” also attended the party. They were model teenagers chosen among students who are economically supported by the Project Hope to further their nine-year compulsory(义务) studies in the poverty-stricken regions. They will be torchbearers(火炬接力者) for the Chinese Team for the up coming Atlanta Olympic Games this year.
1. Children can grow healthily and happily as long as _______.
A. parents take good care of them both at home and in society
B. the whole society care for children as well as their parents
C. Schools and teachers pay much attention to the growth of children
D. Chinese people always give special attention to children who are in special need
2. Every year the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home spends _______ on the orphans
A. 1, 920, 000 yuan        B. 2, 160, 000 yuan
C. Over 2, 400, 000 yuan      D. 2, 200, 000 yuan or so
3. CYDF collected 700 million yuan with the purpose of _______.
A. reducing dropouts
B. helping homeless orphans
C. supporting the Chinese Team for the coming Atlanta Olympic Games
D. establishing 2, 074 Hope primary schools all over the country
4. We can infer from the text that _______.
A. Every Chinese child has its own special need, so we should pay special attention to each.
  B. All the children in the poverty-stricken regions of China are too poor to go to school.
  C. Ever since liberation. the Chinese Communist Party has been concerned (关心) about the growth of the younger generation.
  D. With the help of UNICEF officials, there are no more dropouts in China.
5. It is possible that this passage was written in _______.
A. 1992     B. 1996     C. 1998     D. 2000

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