AsWeSpeakbyPeterMeyers,ShannNi-优题课

第四部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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。
A
The food we eat seems to have far-reaching effects on our health. Although science has made great steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to diet as well, especially cancer of the colon（结肠）. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, government researchers realized that carcinogenic nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives(添加剂), caused cancer. Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed（经过加工的）food are helpful or harmful. The additives, which we eat, are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin（青酶素） to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows. Sometimes, similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial(财政的) reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration has tried repeatedly to control these behaviors, the practices continue.
41．What is the best possible title of the passage?
A．Drug and health B．Food and illness
C．food and culture D．Health and science
42．Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．Drugs are given to animals mostly for medical reasons.
B．Some of the additives in our food are added directly to the food and some are given to living animals.
C．Researchers have realized the possible dangers of food additives for over sixty years.
D．Food may cause 40% of cancer in the world.
43．How has science done something harmful to mankind?
A．Because of science, diseases caused by contaminated（被污染的）food have been actually reduced.
B．It has caused a lack of information concerning the food.
C．Because of the application of science, some potentially(潜在的) harmful substances（物质）have been added to food.
D．It causes the animals to become fatter.
44．The government tries to
A．control the market price of food
B．stop the farmers from giving drugs to animals to make more money.
C．get rid of the addictives from the packaged food.
D．use no medicine on the animals

The First of May is a Bank Holiday—the first public holiday of the year in England. Most people consider it a special day, the beginning of summer, a day when the light lasts long into the evening, and when we can look for warm weather. We don't always get it. We feel disappointed, but not surprised if there are cold winds and frosts at night in May. Winter should be over. Most people know that in the past, when farming occupied almost everyone, the changing seasons were of great importance. In that older time there was every reason to celebrate May Day. Customs of those celebrations remain.
Of these customs, the best known is the choosing of a May Queen and the dancing round Maypole. Even these customs are little more than memories now—but in the last century it was quite common in villages and small towns, and even in schools and colleges, for a pretty and popular girl to be chosen Queen of the May. It was a great honour to be chosen. For a day she wore a light and flowery dress, carried garlands（花环）, and was ceremonially crowned with flowers. She presided over a procession, as a rule with a number of attendants, and over the Maypole dancing and all kinds of entertainment. The Maypole was slender（苗条的） tree trunk, cut off its branches, with beautiful ribbons fastened to the top. The dancing was designed in such a way that the dancer's movements move the ribbons into a pattern. This, as you can imagine, required skill from the dancer, and was not achieved without practice.
It's the Celtic people who celebrated the First of May as a spring festival. Their celebration seems to have had little to do with taking pleasure in early, beautiful flowers and in warmer weather! They called it Beltane—the fire of the god Bel. They lit fires, in the expectation that their blaze would help the sun in its struggle to regain its strength. They drove their cattle between banks of flame in the expectation that the terrified beasts would be purified and protected from disease. A tree, which must have been blackened with smoke, stood in the middle of the fires, and is thought to have been the origin of the Maypole. Their priests（牧师） made sacrifices to the goods in the hope of good harvests and sufficient store of food for the winter. There was dancing certainly, but it was noisy and cheerful, since its purpose was not to weave a pattern of colored ribbons, but to drive out evil spirits from the earth and to arouse those kind spirits.
57. The main purpose of the passage is to show ________.
A. the reason why they celebrate May Day
B. the start and customs of May Day
C. the way they celebrate May Day
D. the choosing of a May Queen during May Day
58. According to the passage, which sentence is NOT true?
A. In the old days they celebrated May Day for the changing of the seasons.
B. In England summer begins at the first of May.
C. The custom of the choosing of a May Queen still exists in the present May Day celebration.D. The Celtic people celebrated the first of May as a spring festival.
59. From the surrounding words and sentences we know that the word “presided” means ____.
A. 管理 B. 越过 C. 指挥 D. 主持
60. The best title for this passage is ________.
A. The First of May B. The Beginning of Summer
C. May Queen D. The Holiday of the Year

Berlin — Germany will allow entry 20,000 foreign high-tech workers, under a plan announced on May 31st. Chancellor(总理) Gerhard Schroreder sees this as a way to keep the country from falling behind in information technology.
The plan for this so-called ‘green cards’, not like the US work permit system, came in answer to industry demands that there were not enough qualified workers to fill positions.
Workers who came to Germany under the new rules, effective from August will be given a five-year work permit after proving they have completed studies in a related field or can promise to at least 100,000 marks (US$48 000).
Family members are also allowed, though they too will receive work permits. “They are strong competition in the rest of the world for these people,” Schroreder said mentioning not only the United States but also British and France. Germany would be making a mistake if it didn’t take part in this competition.
He said employers have already offered 11,000 jobs through a “green card hotline” and some 4,700 applications emailed information requests.
The Chancellor also said the number of workers and the time limits of their stay may be extended, possibly under current German law. Allowing the workers to stay longer means they could finally become citizens. Since the beginning of this year, foreigners who have lived in the country for eight years can ask for being naturalized.
53. From the first paragraph we can get to know that Germany______.
A. is a less-developed country B. used to be a developed country
C. is short of high-tech workers D. once lost interest in information technology
54. If a high-tech worker wants to work in Germany, he or she can enter Germany______.
A. in June B. after July C. before August D. at any time
55. It is mentioned in the passage that competition in high tech______.
A. is only in America，Britain and France
B. has nothing to do with small countries
C. is weak in Asian countries
D. will affect the future of a country
56. To be naturalized as a German, according to this passage, seems______.
A. difficult B. easy C. impossible D. popular

In urban China，where English is almost the official second language，many Chinese people have learned to speak as professionally as native speakers. However they may have an accent and make a few minor grammatical mistakes.Years ago many people used a certain Chinese-English dictionary or a series of textbooks and accepted their teachings. Consequently，language learners developed a peculiar vocabulary. Some people call these word choices “Chinglish”. The words are not incorrect—native speakers still understand them—but they stand in the way of using standard English. Here are some common examples, both from written and spoken English:
Clever (adj.): Native speakers usually say “smart” instead. “Smart” is a broader and more common word. “Clever” suggests an ability to think your way out of a specific problem or take advantage of a specific situation. Being smart serves you for life.
Examination(n.): Use “exam”, the short form of it, or the more common word, “test”. (The verb for all three words is “take”.) Another word you may hear is “quiz”. It means a short and relatively unimportant test that the teacher often gives as a surprise.
Film: This is largely a technical word. The common term is “movie”. (Native speakers often say “short film for the movie”.)
House (n.): a stand-alone building with its own street entrance that is home to one family. A home in a building full of families is an “apartment” or a “flat”. When in doubt, just say “home”.
Puzzled (adj.): We use this word to describe mild reactions to difficult math problems, and not even very often for this purpose (we say “I’m stumped” or “I have no idea” instead). But when we’re addressing a life issue such as whether to pursue (从事) a graduate education or go straight to work, we say “confused”. This is a stronger word as well as a more common one.
49. The writer wrote this passage to______.
A. prove there are so many Chinese people learning English in a wrong way
B. teach us to choose correct and exact English words to express ourselves
C. tell people that if we want to speak English as well as native speakers we must memorize as many English words as possible
D. explain what Chinglish is
50. According to the passage, which of the following is more common?
A. Would you like to go to the film tonight?
B. He will take an examination next week.
C. Tom is cleverer than his brother.
D. He felt confused whether he would go abroad for further study.
51. This passage suggests that______.
A. native speakers say “I’m puzzled with this math problem.” more often used than they say “I’m stumped with the math problem.”
B. the word “home” is much often used than the word “house” in spoken and written English
C. the word “examination” is more common than its short form“exam”
D. we can say “do a quiz”
52. We can infer from the passage that______.
A. native speakers can understand “Chinglish”
B. saying “take a test” is more common
C. to English learners, developing more English vocabulary doesn’t mean speaking good English
D. it’s easy to learn English words well

Meat and vegetables are measured in grams and kilograms. Milk and other liquid foods are measured in liters or milliliters. These units only measure quantity; they do not measure the value of the food to the body. The unit which measures the quality or value of food is the calorie which is the amount of heat given off by food when it burns. This measurement tells how much energy a certain food has when it is completely used by the body.
Our bodies use varying amount of calories. The more exercise we take, the more calories we burn. If we eat food which contains more calories than we use up, then it is possible that we would increase in weight. In order to avoid becoming overweight, it is advisable to eat a balanced diet and not eat too many foods that have a high calorie rating. The table below gives you some idea of the number of calories in food.
A. Meats B. Fruits C. Sweets and Pastries D. Vegetables
Slice of bacon 50 Apple 70
Small chocolate bar 190 60g beans 15
Hamburger 300 Orange 60 Large chocolate bar 225 60g carrots 18
Slice of beef 100 Pear 80 Slice apple pie 300 60g potato 60
Sausage 180 Banana 80 Doughnut 200 60g onion 25
Meat pie 500 Plum 20
Scoop of ice cream 85 60g cucumber 10
Sausage roll 350 Tomato 20 Bag of potato crisps 145 60g cabbage 15
45. Which is the best title of this passage?
A. How to measure the quality of food B. Calories in foods
C. The units of measurement D. How to keep fit
46. To keep the calorie intake down, it is better to eat more ______.
A. chocolate B. meat pie C. fruit D. apple pie
47. Which word in this passage means “heavier than normal”?
A. Advisable B. Overweight C. Balanced D. Measurement
48. When do you need the most calories from your diet?
A. When we sleep. B. In working in the fields.
C. While watching a play. D. After having sports.