閱讀理解

A

Unless we spend money to spot[認(rèn)出，發(fā)現(xiàn)] and prevent asteroids[小行星] now， one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it， say some scientists.

Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids[流星體] that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.

But $500 million worth of new telescopes right now， then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one， the scientists say， we’ll have a way to change its course.

Is it worth it？ Two things experts consider when judging any risk are（1） How likely the event is； （2） How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500，000 years. Sounds pretty rare but if one did fall. It would be the end of the world. “If we don’t take care of these bid asteroids， they’ll take care of us，” says one scientist. “it’s that simple.”

The cure， though， might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets[艦隊(duì)，車(chē)隊(duì)] of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth？ “the world has less fear from doomsday[毀滅性] rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them.” Said a New York Times article.

1. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids？

A. They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

B. They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C. They are more asteroids than meteoroids.

D. Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

2. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth？

A. It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B. Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C. Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.

D. It’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.

3. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids？

A. It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B. It may create more problems than it might solve.

C. It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.

D. Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

4. We can conclude from the passage that _________

A. While pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world.

B. Asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future.

C. The worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime.

D. Workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.

5.Which of the following best describes the author’s tone in this passage？

A. Optimistic[樂(lè)觀(guān)的] B.Critical[批評(píng)的]

C. Objective[客觀(guān)的] D. Arbitrary[武斷的]

B

The law says that women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them.

The reality is very different. Women lose because， 25 years after the Equal Pay Act， many of them still get paid less than men.

They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just won’t consider. And they lose they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children.

All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Government’s women’s unite.

The biggest problem isn’t equal pay in work places such as factories. It is a sort of work women do.

Make a list of low-paid of jobs then consider who does them.

Try nurses， secretaries， cleaner， clerks， teachers in primary schools， dinner ladies， and child care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group， are there？

Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers， for a start.

So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly？ There can be only one answer—because they are women.

This is not going to be put right overnight. But the Government， which employs a lot of them，， and other bosses have to make a start.

It is disgraceful[可恥的] that we have gone into the 21st Century still treating women like second-class citizens.

1. Women should have the chance of doing the same jobs and be paid equally as men ________.

A. after 25 years

B. according to the law

C. as a result of the Equal Pay Act

D. because women are as strong as men

2. We can learn from the text what the problem really matters is ____.

A. that the women interrupt a career to have children

B. what sort of work women do

C. because they are women

D. what an unfair pay women get in workplaces.

3. Which of the following best describes the writer’s idea？

A. Women should get equal pay for equal work to that of men.

B. Women should strengthen[加強(qiáng)] themselves.

C. The Government ought to protect women against getting paid less than men.

D. Some of the jobs that women do are of great importance.

4. When the writer says “This is not going to be put right overnight”， he means ____.

A. we must solve the problem very quickly.

B. there is not completely fair thing all over the world.

C. we need a long time to change the unfair reality.

D. the problem that women lose will be solved soon.

5. Which do you think would be the best title for this passage？

A. Work to give women a fair pay deal.

B. Time to change the situation.

C. Equal work， equal pay.

D. Should women be treated like second-class citizens？

C

There have never been many adventurers. You van read stories about men called adventures. But they were really businessmen. There was something they wanted—a lady， or money， or a country， or honor. And so they got it. But a true adventure is different. He starts without any special purpose. He is ready for anything he may meet.

There have been many half-adventurers. And they were great men. History is rich with their stories. But each of them had a special purpose. They were not followers of true adventure.

In the big city of New York， Romance and Adventure are always waiting.

As we walk along the street， they are watching us. We look up suddenly and see a face in a window. The face seems to interest us strangely. Or in a quiet street， we hear a cry of fear and pain coming from a house where no one lives. A car takes us to a strange door， instead of to our own. The door opens and we are asked to enter. At every corner， eyes look toward us， or hands are raised， or fingers point. Adventure is offered.

But few of us are ready to accept. We are ready to do only the things we do every day. We wish to do only the things that everyone else does. We move on； and some day we come to the end of a long quiet life. Then we begin to think. Then， when it is too late， we are sorry that we have never known true Romance and Adventure.

1. In the author’s opinion， there are ____ true adventures.

A. many B. few C. no D. a few

2. In what way does the author say a true adventure is different from a business man？

A. He is ready for anything he may meet.

B. He is not interested in money.

C. He enjoys excitement while a business man does not.

D. A true adventure is romantic， while a businessman is dull.

3. According to the passage， a cry of fear and pain coming from a house where no one lives in a quiet street means____.

A. a number B. a fight C. wealth D. adventure

4. The passage doesn’t mention it， but we can infer from the passage that when most people meet an offer of adventure， they will ____.

A. grow angry but curious

B. accept the offer

C. grow embarrassed and reject the offer

D. be frightened and cry for help.

5. When do most people wish that they had known romance and adventure？

A. When they are young.

B. When it involves a beautiful lady or handsome man.

C. When something interests them strangely.

D. When they reach the end of a long quiet life.

D

Around the world more and more people are taking part in dangerous sports and activities. Of course， there have always been people who have looked for adventures —those who have climbed the highest mountains， traveled into unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans. Now， however， there are people who look for an immediate excitement from a risky activity which may only last a few minutes or even seconds.

I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity. You jump from a high place （perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon） 200 metres above the ground with an elastic[有彈性的] rope tied to your ankles. You fall at up to 150 kilometres an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground. It is said that about 2 million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping include jumping from tall building and diving into the sea from the top of high cliff.

Why do people take part in such activities as these？ Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring. Not very long ago， diseases could not easily be cured， and life was a continuous battle for survival.

Nowadays， according to many people， life offers little excitement. They live and work in comparatively safe conditions； they buy food in shops； and there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill. The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping.

1. A best title for the text is ____.

A. Dangerous sports： what and why

B. The boredom of modern life

C. Bungee jumping： Is it really dangerous？

D. The need for excitement

2. More and more people today ____.

A.are trying activities such as bungee jumping

B. are climbing the highest mountains

C. are coming close to death in sports

D. are looking for adventures such as traveling into unknown places

3. In bungee jumping， you ____.

A. jump as high as you can

B. slide down a rope to the ground

C. attach[系] yourself to a rope and fall to the ground

D. fall towards the ground without a rope

4. People probably take part in dangerous sports nowadays because _____.

A. they have a lot of free time

B. they can go to hospital if they are injured

C. their life is short of excitement

D. they no longer need to hunt for food

5.The writer of the text has a ____ attitude towards dangerous sports.

A. Positive[肯定的] B. negative[否定的]

C. neutral[中立的] D. nervous[緊張的]

E

The report came to the British on May 21，1949. The German battleship Bismarck， the most powerful warship[戰(zhàn)艦] in the world， was moving out into the Atlantic Ocean. Her task： to destroy the ships supplies from the United States to war-torn England.

The British had feared such a task. No warship they had could match the Bismarck in speed or in firepower. The Bismarck had eight 15-inch guns and 81 small guns. She could move at 30 nautical[海上的] miles an hour. She was believed to be unsinkable.

However， the British had to sink her. They sent out a task force headed by their best battleship Hood to hunt down the Bismarck. On May 24， the Hood found the Bismarck.

It was a meeting that the German commander Luetjens did not want to see. His orders were to destroy the British ships that were carrying supplies， but to stay away from a fight with British warships.

The battle didn’t last long. The Bismarck’s first torpedo[魚(yú)雷] hit the Hood， which went down taking all but three of her 4，419 men with her.

But in the fight， the Bismarck was slightly damaged. Her commander decided to run for repairs to France， which had at that time been taken by the speed and the heavy fog， they lost sight of her.

For two days， every British ship in the Atlantic tried to find the Bismarck， but with no success. Finally， she was sighted by a plane from the air. The Bismarck was hit.

On the morning of May 27， the last battle was fought. Four British ships fired on the Bismarck， and she was finally sunk.

1.The Bismarck sailed into the Atlantic Ocean ____.

A. to sink the Hood

B. to gain control of France

C. to cut off American supplies to Britain

D. to stop British warships reaching Germany

2. Many people believed that the Bismarck could not be defeated because she ____.

A. was fast and powerful B. had more men on board

C. was under Luetjens’ command D. had bigger guns than other ships

3. We learn from the text that on 24 of May ____.

A. the British on the battle against the Bismarck

B. the Bismarck won the battle against the British

C. the British gunfire damaged the Bismarck seriously

D. the Bismarck succeeded in keeping away from the British

4. Luetjens tried to sail to France in order to ____.

A. have the ship repaired B. join the other Germans

C. get help from the French D. get away from the British

5. Which of the following is the immediate cause of the sinking of the Bismarck？

A. The British air strikes.

B. The damage done by the Hood.

C. Gunfire from the British warships.

D. Luetjens’ decision to run for France.

F

“I would almost rather see you dead.” Bobert S. Cassatt， a leading banker of Philadelphia， shouted when his twenty-year-old eldest daughter announced that she wanted to become an artist. In the 19th century， playing at drawing or painting on dishes was all right for a young lady， but serious work in art was not. And when the young lady’s family racked among[擠身于] the best of Philadelphia’s social[社會(huì)各界的] families， such an idea could not even be considered.

That was how Mary Cassatt， born 1844， began her struggle as an artist. She did not tremble before her father’s anger， she opposed[反對(duì)] him with courage and at last made him change his mind. Many Cassatt gave up her social position and all thoughts of a thousand and a family， which in those times was unthinkable for a young lady. In the end， after long years of hard work and perseverance[堅(jiān)持]， she became America’s most important woman artist and the internationally recognized leading woman painter of the time.

1.How did Mr Cassatt react[反應(yīng)] when his daughter made her announcement？

A. He feared for her life. B. He was very angry.

C. He nearly killed her. D. He warned her.

2. What in fact was Mr Cassatt’s main reason in opposing his daughter’s wish？

A. Drawing and painting was simply unthinkable among ladies in those days.

B. He did not believe his daughter wanted to work seriously in art.

C. He believed an artist’s life would be too hard for his daughter.

D. Ladies of good families simply did not become artists in those times.

3. What made Mary Cassatt’s “struggle” to become a recognized artist especially hard？

A. She was a woman B. Her father opposed her.

C. She had no social position. D. She didn’t come from an artist’s family.

4. What do we know about Mary Cassatt’s marriage？

A. Her marriage failed because she never gave a thought to her husband and family.

B. She never married because she did not want to be just a wife and mother.

C. After marriage she decided to give up her husband rather than her career.

D. She did not marry because for a lady of her social position to marry below her was unthinkable.

5. What do we know about Robert Cassatt’s character from the text？

A. He was a cruel man. B. He was a stubborn[固執(zhí)的] man.

B. He knew nothing about art. D. He knew little about his daughter.

G

I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was an eccentric[怪僻的] farmer. I had never met him before although I had often heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then I could make out was that someone called Milly had had a very bad accident. I hadn’t the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.

It had been snowing heavily that I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there， waiting for me. It seemed Milly had died. “She meant more to me than anyone… even my own wife！” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place， a possible scandal[丑聞]. I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn. “I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold！” he said.

Milly had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground. “She was such a good cow！ I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her ！” he said， and burst into tears again.

1.The underlined phrase “make out” in the first paragraph means ________.

A. expect B. understand C. see clearly D. hear clearly

2. Before he arrived at the farmer’s house， the writer expected to see Milly lying ________.

A. on the ground of a barn B. on the floor of a room

C. in bed in a room D. in bed in a barn

3. What do we know about Milly from the story？

A. She had met with an accident B. She had caused a scandal.

C. She was seriously ill. D. She was hidden somewhere.

4. The farmer wished that the writer might ________.

A. look into the matter B. bring Milly back to life

C. free him from a scandal D. keep the whole thing a secret

5. The person who told the story is probably a ________.

A. armer B. policeman

C. country doctor D. newspaper reporter

Ｈ

More than 6000 children were expelled[開(kāi)除] from US schools last year for bringing guns and bombs to school， the US Department of Education said on May 8.

The department gave a report on the expulsions as saying handguns accounted for 58 per cent of the 6093 expulsions in 1996—97， against 7 per cent for rifles[步槍] or shotguns and 35 per cent for other types of firearms.

“The report is a clear sign that our nation’s public schools are cracking down[嚴(yán)懲]” on students who bring guns to school， “Education Secretry Richard Riey said in a statement. “We need to be tough-minded[堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的] about keeping guns out of our schools and do everything to keep our children safe.”

In March 1997， a 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old using hand-guns and rifles shot dead four children and a teacher at a school in Jonesboro， Arkansas. In October， two were killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a Missisippi school. Two months later， a 14-year-old boy killed three high school students and wounded five in Daducab， Kentucky.

“Most of the expulsions[開(kāi)除]， 56 per cent， were from high schools， which have students from about age 13， 34 per cent were from junior high schools and 9 per cent were from elementary schools.” The report said.

1. From the first paragraph we can infer that in the US schools ________.

A. students enjoy shooting B. students are eager to be soldiers

C. safety is a problem C. students can make guns

2. The report from the US Department of Education shows that ________.

A. the number of the expulsions is now large

B. the number of the expulsions is wrong

C. there are soldiers hiding among the students

D. guns are out of control in US schools

3. The main idea of paragraph four shows us ________.

A. some examples of shootings in US schools

B. the Americans’ feeling

C. some famous schools

D. that some teachers were killed by students

4. How many students were shot dead in 1997 in US schools？

A. 10 B. 9 C. 12 D. 22

5. From this passage we know that ________.

A. every American cannot have guns

B. only soldiers and police can have guns

C. every American citizen can own guns

D. teachers have no money to buy guns

Ｉ

It helps us understand the world better if we know a little geography and have some maps at hand. But with maps in Chinese only， misunderstanding is possible in studying world events. Chinese names are long， hard to pronounce and without meaning to a foreigner. For the opening of the country maps are important and helpful and needed badly.

I wish maps various languages， such as those used in the United Nations， would come out and be sold in all bookstores open to Chinese.

1. The writer is mainly talking about ________.

A. geography B. maps

C. Chinese names D. the opening of the country

2. Knowing a little geography and having some maps in Chinese only， a foreigner ________.

A. can study world events easily

B. can study world events without misunderstanding

C. can’t study world events without misunderstanding

D. will fell joy in studying world events

3. What are the difficulties for a foreigner to use a map in Chinese？

A. A foreigner has nowhere to buy a map

B. All the bookstores only open to Chinese.

C. The names of Chinese people are long， hard to pronounce and without meaning.

D. The names of places on a map in Chinese are long， hard to pronounce and without meaning.

4. In the United Nations people use maps in ________.

A. foreign languages only B. Chinese only

C. various languages D. English only

5. According to the passage maps in foreign language are badly needed ________.

A. in a country open to other parts of the world

B. if a country is going to join the United Nations

C. when we are learning geography

D. if there are no maps in bookstores open to Chinese

Ｊ

Do animals have a culture？ What do we mean by “culture？” Lately social scientists have begun to ask if culture is found just in humans， or if some animals have a culture too. When we speak of culture， we mean a way of life a group of people have in common. Culture includes the beliefs and attitudes we learn. It is the patterns of behavior that help people to live together. It is also the patterns of behavior that make one group of people different from another group.

Our culture lets us make up for having lost out strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses. Instead we use tools， cooperate with one another， and communicate with language. But these aspects of human behavior， or “culture，” can also be found in the lives of certain animals. Animals can make tools， for example. We used to think that the ability to use tools was the dividing line between human beings and other animals. Lately， however， we have found that this is not the case. Chimpanzees[非洲小猩猩] can not only use tools but actually make tools themselves. Animals can also share knowledge with each other and use their own language to communicate. So it may be important for us to know that the line dividing us from animals is not as clear as we used to think.

1.Choose the statement that best expresses the main idea.____.

A. A chimpanzee can learn to use sign language to make sentences

B. Other animals can invent tools

C. Knowledge and communication are no longer signs of only human behavior

D. The line dividing human culture from animal culture is not as clear as we might think

2. “Culture” refers to ________.

A. book language of behavior we learn

B. the patterns of behavior we learn

C. traditional ideas

D. people’s good habits

3. A chimpanzee’s use of tools means ________.

A. animals are the same as human beings

B. animals can be as clever as human beings

C. the dividing line between culture and animal culture no longer exists

D. animals may have a culture like our own

4. Which of the following statement is true？________.

A. The ability to use language separates human beings

B. We can be certain that animals have a culture too

C. Social scientists doubt if animals have a culture too

D. Some traditional ideas about the difference between human beings and animals may be wrong

5. The first sentence of the second paragraph “Our culture lets us make up for having lost our strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses “means ________.

A. as a result of our culture， we have lost our strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses

B. our culture has enabled us even better though we have lost our strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses

C. our culture has brought back to us strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses that we have lost

D. our culture asks that we lose our strength， claws， long teeth， and other defenses which animals still have

閱讀理解答案

A. B A B D C B. B B A C A C. B A D C D

D. A A C C C E. C A B A C F. B A A B D

G. B C A B C H. C D A B C I. B C D C A

J. D B D D B