Aftergivingatalkatahighschool,-优题课

第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。每一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
Mary and Peter were having a picnic with some friends near a river when Mary noticed an object overhead. "Look!" she shouted to her friends. "That's a spaceship up there and it's going to land here."
Frightened by the strange silver-colored spaceship, most of the young people got in their cars and drove away quickly. Peter was fond of Mary and always stayed close to her. They, more curious than frightened, watched the spaceship land and saw a door open. When nobody came out, they went to the spaceship and entered inside. Peter followed Mary into the spaceship and did not hear the door closed behind him. The temperature fell rapidly and the two young people lost consciousness.
When they woke up, they were surprised to see that they were back by the river again. The spaceship had gone. Their car was nearby.
"What happened?" asked Mary.
Peter scratched (抓) his head, saying slowly, "Don't ask me. Perhaps we had a dream. Did you...Did you see a spaceship?"
"Yes," said Mary. "And we both went into it. Then..." she looked at her wrist. "That's funny. My watch has stopped. Oh, well, come on. It's time to go home."
Driving about fifty meters, they found their way blocked by a thick wall made of something like glass. They got out of the car and tried to find their way round the wall but discovered that they were inside a circular wall. It was like a mirror and prevented them from seeing through it.
On the other side of the wall, strange creatures walked past slowly. A few stopped to stare through the wall and read a new notice which, translated into English, said: "New arrivals at the zoo: a pair of Earthlings in their natural surroundings with their mobile house."
1. When the spaceship arrived, why didn't Peter drive away?
A. He did not like leaving Mary.
B. He knew that the spaceship was harmless.
C. He was too frightened to drive.
D. There was a wall blocking the road.
2. Why did Peter enter the spaceship?
A. He saw the food and was hungry.
B. Mary told him to enter it.
C. He just followed Mary.
D. He wanted to study it.
3. Peter scratched his head so we know that _____.
A. he had lost consciousness
B. he was puzzled and did not know what to say to Mary
C. he had lost his memory
D. he was still half asleep
4. What do the words "strange creatures" mean to tell us?
A. They were wild animals in a zoo.
B. They were robbers.
C. They had landed on Earth in a spaceship and lived there.
D. The young couple were on another planet.

The announcements by the NASA, in the form of several Web site postings and a video posted on You Tube, were in response to worries that the world will end on Dec. 21,2012.
The doomsday(末日) rumour reached a high point with the release of the new movie “2012”, directed by Roland Emmerich. In the movie, Yellowstone blows up, showering the continent with black ash. Tidal waves wah over the Himalayas, where the governments of the planet have secretly built a ship which a select 400,000 people can ride out the storm. There are hundreds of books devoted to 2012, and millions of Web sites, depending on what combination of “2012” and “doomsday” you type into Google. All of it, astronomers say, is nonsense. “Most of what’s claimed for 2012 relies on wishful thinking and ignorance of astronomy.” Ed Krupp, an expert on ancient astronomy, wrote in an article in the November issue of Sky & Telescope.
“I get angry at the way people are being influenced and frightened to make money.” Morrison said. “There is no right to frighten children to make a buck.” Suggested David Morrison, an astronomer at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. He said he had been getting about 20 letters and e – mail messages a day from people as far away as India scared out of their wits. Morrison said he did not blame the movie for all this, as much as many other supporters of the Mayan prediction .but then, he said, “my doctorate is in astronomy, not psychology.”
In an e – mail exchange, Krupp said: “We are always uncertain about the future, and we always consume representations of it. We are always attracted by the romance of the ancient past.” A NASA spokesman, Dwayne Brown, said the agency did not comment on movies, leaving that to movie critics. But when it comets to science, brown said, “we felt it was careful to provide a resource.”
If you want to worry, most scientists say, you should think about global climate change or nuclear war. But if ancient prophecies (预言) get you going, here are some things Morrison and the others think you should know.
1Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Dr. Morrison blamed the Movie “2012” for the panic it aroused in the public around the
world.
B．People who watched the movie were scared and firmly believed that the end of the world
was coming.
C．In terms of science it was better to provide evidence and theory at the same time.
D．Dr. Morrison thought it was not right to make money by frightening people.
2It can be inferred from the text that .
A．astronomers think that doomsday is likely to happen in the near future
B．the reason why the NASA posted web site postings was to make people interested in
astronomy
C．scientists think we shouldn’t worry about doomsday but show concern about environment
protection
D．most astronomers agree that the world is not ending – at least anytime soon
3Which of the following would be the best title?
A．A New Movie “2012” B．Is Doomsday Coming?
C．End – of – the – World Stories D．Astronomers Comment on Movies
4What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A．Evidence that the Mayans thought something special would happen in 2012.
B．What will really happen in 2012.
C．The reason why there is no need to worry about doomsday.
D．Ancient stories about the end of the world.

Although we already know a great deal about flu, and although the World Health Organization is constantly collecting detailed information from its chain of flu reference laboratories throughout the world, it is extremely difficult for epidemiologists, who study infectious diseases, to predict when and where the next flu epidemic will occur, and how serious it will be.
There are three kinds of flu virus, known as A, B and C. flu C virus is relatively stable and causes mild infections that do not spread far through the population. The A and B types are unstable, and are responsible for the epidemics that cause frequent concern. Following any virus attack, the human body builds up antibodies（抗体）which can be changed into immunity to that type of virus but a virus with the ability to change its character is able to bypass this protection. Variability（可变性）is less developed in the flu B virus, which affects only human beings. As flu B virus may cause a widespread epidemic but will have little effect if introduced into the same community soon afterwards, since nearly everyone will have built up antibodies and will be immune. The flu A virus, which affects animals also, is extremely unstable and is responsible for some of the worst outbreaks of the disease, such as the world epidemic, of 1918&1919, when about half the world’s population were infected and about twenty million people died, some from pneumonia caused by the virus itself and some from secondary complication caused by bacteria. Accurate prediction is difficult because of the complication of the factors. A particular virus may be related to one to which some of the population have partial involved immunity. The extent to which it will spread will depend on factors such as its own strength, or virulence（病毒性）, the ease with which it can be transmitted and the strength of the opposition it encounters（遇到）. Scientists, however, have a reliable general picture of the world situation.
1．hich of the following is the most appropriate title for the passage?
A．Symptoms of Flu B．Man Vs Flu Virus
C．WHO: The Major Organization against Flu Virus D．Variability of Flu Virus
2．hat does the author say about the flu B virus?
A．B Virus is relatively stable and causes mild infections that do not spread far through the population.
B．B Virus is unstable, and is responsible for the epidemics that cause frequent concern.
C．B virus is extremely unstable and is responsible for some of the worst outbreaks of the disease.
D．B virus has a very developed variability, and it affects only human beings.
3Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor contributing to the extent to which a virus spreads?
A．The strength of the virus.
B．The ease with which the virus can be transmitted.
C．The strength of the opposition.
D．The immunity the virus can bring about.
4．his article is quite probably ________.
A．a piece of news B．a special science report
C．an introduction to a disease D．a scientific fiction

Most people agree that the direct, assertive(过分自信的) American personality is a virtue, but it sometimes surprises foreigners．In many cultures, respect for older people or those in positions of authority keeps others from expressing their true feelings．But in the U．S, children often argue with their parents, students may disagree with their teachers, and citizens may express opposition to the actions of the government．If the soup has a fly in it or the meat is too tough to chew, the diner can complain to the waiter, if the boss makes a mistake, an employee will politely point it out．
Some straight talk about the American character must include the admission that Americans have their faults．The extremely competitive nature of Americans is probably their worst fault．Of course, competition isn’t always bad．As a matter of fact, it promotes excellence by encouraging individuals and businesses to try to do their best．But the desire to get ahead of others sometimes causes people to do things that are unkind and even dishonest．Also, Americans admire what is practical, fast, efficient, and fresh．Sometimes they fail to understand and appreciate practices that have greater respect for more traditional, leisurely ways of doing things．On the other hand, people from other cultures may dislike the practical, challenging American lifestyle．
Despite culture differences, most foreigners give Americans credit for their virtues．Americans are generally viewed as friendly, adaptable, energetic, and kindhearted．Most newcomers to the U．S．like Americans, and the feeling is usually mutual．Perhaps the greatest American virtue is a deep interest in new ideas and new people．In a nation of immigrants, the foreigner does not remain an outsider for long．
1In order to show the respect for older people,．
A．people from some other cultures will always express their true feeling
B．people from some other cultures may sometimes hide their true feeling
C．Americans always show their true feelings
D．Americans usually argue with them
2Why is the extremely competitive nature considered as one of American faults?
A．Because people from other cultures fear competition．
B．Because only American people own it．
C．Because it will make people forget leisure．
D．Because it may sometimes urge people to do something bad．
3It can be inferred from the passage that ．．
A．American people are more critical of everything than people from other cultures
B．the author believes that American character has more faults than virtues
C．the author admires American virtues as they are viewed as competitive and anti
traditional
D．it is difficult for newcomers to get on with Americans
4The passage mainly talks about．．
A．American virtues B．American characters
C．American faults D．American lifestyles

A typical Chinese Internet user is a young male who prefers instant messaging to e-mail, seldom makes online purchases and favors news, music and games sites．According to a study, about two-thirds of survey participants use the Internet for news — often entertainment-related — or for online games．About half download music and movies.
They also tend to prefer instant messaging to e-mail, and they are depending on the Internet more frequently than before to communicate with others who have the same professions, hobbies and political interests．Online purchases still remain unpopular in China．Three-quarters of users surveyed have never bought anything over the Internet, and only 10 percent make purchases even once a month．Among those who do buy online, most pay for entertainment while others buy phone cards, or computer hardware or software.
“Many people don’t trust the quality of goods bought online,” Guo said Wednesday．“If they buy it in a store and don’t like it, they can easily bring it back.”
The survey was done in five major cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Changsha．Results do not necessarily project countrywide because Internet use in rural areas is lower than in cities．Guo describes the typical netizen in the five cities surveyed as young, male, richer and more highly educated．Males make up two-thirds of the Internet community, and more than 80 percent of users are under 24．Among people ages 25 to 29, 60 percent to 80 percent go online.
China has more than 100 million people online, second in the world to the United States.
1 A typical Chinese Internet user will be the one who ______.
A．likes to send e-mails B．likes to buy goods online
C．likes to pay for entertainment D．likes the games sites
2 Online purchases still remain unpopular in China mainly because ______.
A．it is more difficult for sales returns B．people haven’t computers
C．people can’t have a look at the goods D．goods bought online are of low quality
3 Which of the following words fails to describe the typical netizens in the five cities?
A．well educated B．richer C．female D．young
4 According to the text, which of the following shows the right relation between online people
and their ages?
A. B.
C. D．