阅读理解(2014贵阳)
Paul Nicklen waited patiently on a sheet of ice in the Arctic．He was there to take pictures for National Geographic．Finally，he saw something big and white．It was a polar bear，swimming towards him in the icy water．
Paul lay down on the ice to get a better photo，but the polar bear jumped out of the water and tried to attack him！Luckily for Paul，the ice cracked，or broke．and the bear fell back into the water．The polar bear wasn’t so lucky．It couldn’t get a meal and had to swim farther away to find food．
To understand the polar bear’s problem，you need to know two things about the Arctic．First，the Arctic is mostly ocean．Second，ice covers a lot of the Arctic Ocean．In winter，the ice forms a thick，white sheet，but in summer，the ice becomes thinner and breaks into pieces．Sea ice is the key to survival(幸存)for Arctic animals．However，because of global warming，Arctic temperatures are rising and polar ice is melting．
Polar bears need ice to hunt seals，their favorite meal．They stand on the ice and wait for the seals to come up for air．As Arctic ice melts，polar bears have to swim farther to find ice floes，or large pieces of floating ice．Sometimes，bears have to swim more than 200 km to find an ice floe．Some bears cannot swim that far and，sadly，they drown．
On his last trip，Paul Nicklen saw three dead bodies of polar bears．Before global warming threatened Arctic ice，a dead bear was a rare sight．Paul is sad to see the dead bodies．Wildlife experts think global warming will have a terrible effect on polar bears．In the future，polar ice will continue to shrink and endanger the bears．some scientists believe 65 percent of the world’s polar bears will disappear by 2050．In other words，polar bears are in great danger．The main idea of the passage is that________．
A．polar bears are amazing swimmers
B．Arctic temperatures are rising
C．global warming is endangering polar bearsThe polar bear that tried to attack Paul was unlucky because________．
A．Paul swam away
B．it was on an ice floe
C．it couldn’t eat PaulAccording to the passage，polar bears hunt seals by________．
A．waiting on the ice
B．waiting in the water
C．drowning the sealsFrom the passage，Paul Nicklen is maybe a________．
A．scientist
B．photographer
C．psychologistWe can infer that polar bears________．
A．won’t have any food in 2050
B．will all die before 2050
C．cannot find food easily
One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire(退休) after working for forty years. Jack said in surprise, “I’m only seven, so it means Grandpa has been…er…. A really long time!” His parents said, “Yes. That’s why we are going to have a surprise party for him.”
Jack loved his Grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position (职位) on that card, so he decided to make a new one for his grandpa.
When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn’t want to put his gift together with others. He carried it around with him the whole evening. When all the other people left, he took his grandpa’s hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift. His grandpa smiled, “Well, it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?” “Sure!” Jack said excitedly.
As Grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with his new position:________! Jack said, “Now your full-time job is my grandpa!”
“Well, how much do I get paid?” his grandpa asked, smiling. “As many hugs(拥抱) as you want!” With these words, Jack gave Grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the richest man in the world!” said Grandpa. Jack remembered _____ his grandpa had given him two years before.
| A．the birthday card | B．the business card | C．the book | D．the toy |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Jack’s parents helped him to make the gift for his grandpa. |
| B．Jack kept his secret about the gift before giving it to his grandpa. |
| C．Jack bought the business card for his grandpa. |
| D．Jack wanted his grandpa to make money for him. |
What is Jack’s grandpa’s new position?
| A．PART-TIME MANAGER | B．FULL-TIME MANAGER |
| C．PART-TIME GRANDPA | D．FULL-TIME GRANDPA |
Why were there tears in Grandpa’s eyes?
| A．Because he would lose his position. |
| B．Because he was not cared for. |
| C．Because he was moved by Jack’s gift. |
| D．Because he was unhappy. |
WONDERFUL EVENTS
| HORSE RACING ALL YEAR ROUND Races Starting at 3 p.m.. Every Sunday Racetrack Only 20 Miles Away Lots of Free Parking Space Free Presents No Children Allowed |
100 YEARS OF PICTURES THEN AND NOW (Photo Show) See the Tajin History From 1900~2000 February 1~April 30 City Art Museum 750 High Street Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. ~5 p.m. |
| WEEKEND SALES This Saturday 2~6 p.m. EVERYTHING 20%~40% OFF Visit Us at Block Grandview Mall Realize Your Dreams— Save Time and Money Fall in Love with Prices We Offer |
DANCE PARTY CELEBRATE A SPECIAL DATE Bringing Your Sweet Heart SUNDAY NIGHT, COUNTRY CLUB Live Band from 9 p.m.~1 a.m. $25 A Couple (夫妇) $15 A single (单个的) person |
Who can NOT go to the horse race?
| A．A single person. | B．A couple. |
| C．Children. | D．Free parents. |
What can you do if you only have time between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday?
| A．Go shopping. |
| B．Go to see the photo show. |
| C．Go to the dance with your sweet heart. |
| D．Go to watch the horse race. |
How much will Mr. and Mrs. Smith pay if they want to go to the dance party?
| A．15 dollars. | B．25 dollars. |
| C．20%~40% off. | D．For free. |
Where can you see the advertisements above?
| A．In a book. | B．In a magazine. |
| C．In a newspaper. | D．On TV. |
TOKYO, JAPAN--What do you do when you see a cockroach (蟑螂）？ Do you hit it with a newspaper? Do you step on it?
When researchers at Tokyo University see a cockroach, they take the remote control and make the cockroach turn around, run left or right, or go forward. These scientists are changing the cockroaches into robots. Each cockroach has a very small pack that has in it a microprocessor(微处理器）.Then researchers can send signals from the remote control to the pack. The signals control the movements of the cockroaches.
Why does anyone want to control a cockroach? “Insects can do many things that people can’t,” says Isao Shimoyama, head of robot research at Tokyo University. In a few years, he says, these robot insects will carry very small cameras. They will be able to move through earthquake rubble(瓦砾）to look for people or move under doors to find information about someone.
This may seem strange, but the Japanese government thinks the research is very important. The government is giving the scientists $ 5 million for this research.
First, the researchers breed (培育)hundreds of cockroaches. They use only the American cockroach because it is bigger and stronger than other cockroaches. Then they choose the best cockroaches and remove their wings and antennae(触须）. They put small packs where the antennae were. The packs weigh about three grams, or about two times the weight of the cockroaches themselves. “Cockroaches are very strong,” says Ralph Holzer, who is a researcher at Tokyo University. “They can lift 20 times their own weight. ”
With a remote control, the scientists send signals to the packs. When a cockroach gets the signal, it moves. The problem is that the cockroaches don’t always move in the right direction.The scientists are changing the cockroaches into robots because ______.
| A．they want cockroaches to do things people can’t in the future |
| B．they want to control the movements of the cockroaches |
| C．they want cockroaches to take photos of the earthquakes |
| D．they want to send signals to the packs on the cockroaches |
What can cockroaches do to help people?
| A．They can lift 20 times their own weight. |
| B．They can help people to carry very small cameras. |
| C．They can breed hundreds of cockroaches. |
| D．They can search for those people in rubble after an earthquake. |
Scientists control cockroaches’ movements ______.
| A．by removing their wings |
| B．by sending signals from the remote control |
| C．by using very small cameras |
| D．by removing their antennae |
What problem do the rcscarchcrs meet with?
| A．The cockroachcs sometimes clon;t move. |
| B．The cockroachcs sometimes move in ihc wrong direction. |
| C．The cockroachcs arc too big to move through earthquake rubble. |
| D．The cockroachcs can only lift 20 times their own weight. |
In 1901, the citizens of Colorado Springs in the USA decided to collect everyday items and to seal (封住）them in a special box. The box was marked “To be opened after midnight, December 31st, AD 2000”，and was kept in the Colorado College Library.
One hundred years later, on the appointed (约定）day, 300 people gathered to watch the opening of the box. Many in the crowd were the descendants (后代）of people who had placed things inside the box.
When the box was opened after midnight, the things inside the box were in very good condition. There were newspapers, photos, diaries, name cards, family trees, books and lots of letters, including one written by Theodore Roosevelt, who became the President of the USA later that year. One of Roosevelt’s friends lived in Colorado Springs at that time.
Many of the letters were written to their descendants. They describe the hopes that the people of 1901 had for the people of the next century. At that time, Colorado Springs had just a few thousand people. Now nearly half a million people live there.
Colorado College Library has scanned the materials and put them on a website. Cecil Muller, whose grandfather had placed a collection of postcards in the box, said that the time capsule was a great treasure. “This is a wonderful educational resource(资源）. We can learn so much about our history,”he said. “I never knew my grandfather, but now I feel very close to him. ”According to the passage, “time capsule” means ______.
| A．a collection of clocks and watches |
| B．a machine for travelling through time |
| C．a collection of items for people to look at in the future |
| D．a collection of unwanted items |
Many of the letters in the time capsule talked about .
| A．the history of the town |
| B．the people who lived in the town |
| C．the politics of the USA |
| D．people’s hopes for the future |
Cecil Muller says that the time capsule ______.
| A．helps him to get to know his grandfather |
| B．is worth a lot of money |
| C．brings back his memories of his grandfather |
| D．helps him to remember his younger day |
What would you do if you found a snake in your house? Many people might be afraid or try to kill it. However, if you live in North Carolina in the USA, one thing you can do is to call the Snake Catchers.
The Snake Catchers are four men who love snakes, even poisonous ones. Their newspaper advertisement says, “Snake Catchers： free snake removal(除去）一Please do not kill them — Call us. ”
The Snake Catchers, who started their service in 1998, don’t charge anything for helping people. “We do this as a hobby,” explained Fred Johnson, one of the Snake Catchers.
Because of their love of snakes, the Snake Catchers try to keep them alive. “One man asked us to kill a python(蟒蛇), so he could make a pair of boots from the skin. We refused, because we like snakes, and we don’t want to see them killed, ” said Fred.
Some of the snakes that they catch are kept as pets; some are given to the North Carolina State University. Most, including the poisonous snakes, are set free in the wild, usually in a national park.
Fred suggests that people should treat snakes with care. “Actually snakes are very shy and gentle creatures. They only attack if they are frightened. However, you have to know how to treat a snake properly!”
According to one happy family, the Snake Catchers are good. One day, the Greenwood family found a snake skin in the kitchen. They looked very carefully and saw a snake sleeping behind a cupboard. They thought about what to do. Then Steve Greenwood remembered the advertisement for the Snake Catchers. He called them.
“The Snake Catchers arrived within an hour and they finished the job quickly too,” said Steve Greenwood. “One of them went into the kitchen, found the snake and took it out alive. The Snake Catchers did a very good job.”
Last year, the Snake Catchers removed more than seventy snakes from houses in North Carolina.The Snake Catchers catch snakes because ______.
| A．they want to kill the snakes |
| B．they like trying to catch snakes |
| C．they don’t want people to hurt snakes |
| D．they like eating snakes |
When a man asked them to kill a python, the Snake Catchers ______.
| A．made some boots from the skin | B．were very happy |
| C．gave him some old boots | D．did not agree |
The Snake Catchers set most of the snakes free ______.
| A．in a national park | B．in a university |
| C．in a garden | D．in their own houses |
According to Fred, ______.
| A．snakes are very dangerous |
| B．people should attack snakes |
| C．snakes are not usually dangerous |
| D．people should run away if they see a snake |