四、阅读理解
There’s a box of chocolates in the fridge. It’s been there for more than a week since I was given it as a present. I do love chocolates, but they make me fat if I eat too many! Can I control myself? If I eat one, will I have to eat all of them?
My son Harry is obsessed with playing Wii(/wi:/, 任天堂的一款游戏机) games. Sometimes, it’s difficult to get him to concentrate on his homework because he wants to play some more.
Last week I had to wake up a student in my class. I asked him why he was so tried and he said he had stayed up late to play his favourite Internet game, Farmville. He said he just couldn’t stop playing it! Now his academic work is suffering because he can’t control his urge to play games.
What my son, my student, and I myself need is simply self-control.
In the late 1960’s, American psychologist Walter Mischel launched an experiment about self-control. He left a group of four-year-olds in a room and told them that if they could wait 20 minutes, they could have two marshmallows, a kind of sweet. If they couldn’t wait, he would only give them one.
In videos of the experiment, you can see children squirming, kicking, hiding their eyes—desperately trying to control themselves. Some did wait patiently, while others couldn’t wait a single minute.
Years later, the self-controlled children turned out to get higher SAT scores and got into better colleges. The children who couldn’t wait were more likely to become bullies.
So, the chocolates are still in the fridge. My son Harry is doing his homework with a promise that he can play on the Wii later, and my student says he will try harder to control himself. We all have our own temptations. But if we can control them, we will achieve more.
56. Which of the following is different from the other three?
A. The writer. B. Harry.
C. The writer’s student. D. Walter Mischel.
57. We can know from paragraph 5 to paragraph 7 that____________.
A. all the children got two marshmallows
B. all the children waited patiently
C. self-control can help children succeed later
D. the children who lack self-control get higher SAT scores
58. Which of the following statement is true?
A. The writer is addicted to Wii.
B. The writer’s son is addicted to Farmville.
C. The writer’s student is addicted to chocolates.
D. The writer’s student is addicted to Farmville.
59. What does the underlined word mean in paragraph 5?
A. Something we can eat. B. A kind of toy.
C. A kind of mushroom. D. A kind of prize.
Our surroundings are being polluted faster than nature and man’s present efforts cannot prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man, by his desire for a modern way of life. We make “increasing industrialization”(工业化)our chief aim. So we are often ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the countryside into the cities, eager for the benefits of our modem society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn’t it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot (飞行员) who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, “I’ve some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we’re making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we’re lost and don’t know where we’re going.” The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society. Man cannot prevent the world from being polluted because___________.
| A．the population of the world is increasing fast |
| B．people use too many man-made materials |
| C．our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years |
| D．we are producing more cars, trucks and buses |
People crowd into the cities for___________.
| A．they want very much to find well-paid jobs |
| B．they are anxious to enjoy the achievements of our society |
| C．they have become tired of their homeland |
| D．they have a strong wish to become industrial workers |
The story about the airline pilot tells us that___________.
| A．man knows where the society is going |
| B．people do not welcome the rapid development of modern society |
| C．man can do little about the problem of pollution |
| D．the speaker is worried about the future of our society |
What does the writer really want to say in this passage?
| A．With tile development of technology pollution has become a serious problem. |
| B．Lower the speed of development to stop pollution. |
| C．It’s time we did something to reduce pollution. |
| D．As industry is growing fast, pollution is the natural result. |
There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have ever taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority (优先) it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities (复杂性) of spelling.
If spelling becomes the only focal (焦点的) point of his teacher’s interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to “play safe”. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That’s why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.
I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is terrible.” It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil’s technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child’s ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation (动机) to seek improvement.Teachers are different in their opinions about _________.
| A．the difficulties in teaching spelling |
| B．the role of spelling in general language development |
| C．the complexities of the basic writing skills |
| D．the necessity of teaching spelling |
The underlined expression “play safe” probably means ________.
| A．to write carefully | B．to do as teachers say |
| C．to use dictionaries frequently | D．to avoid using words one is not sure of |
Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that ____________.
| A．students will be able to express their ideas more freely |
| B．students will have more confidence in writing |
| C．students will have less trouble in correcting mistakes |
| D．students will learn to be independent of teachers |
The author seems to think that the teacher’s judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is __________.
| A．unfair | B．reasonable | C．foolish | D．careless |
The major point discussed in the passage is ___________.
| A．the importance of developing writing skills |
| B．the complexities of spelling |
| C．the correct way of marking compositions |
| D．the relationship between spelling and the content of a composition |
As De Witt Wallace lay in bed recovering from injuries that he unfortunately came by in World War I, he found there was a wealth of interesting information to read. Realizing few people would have the time to get through all this information, he knew exactly what to do. In 1920, this young American submitted a sample magazine containing shortened articles to publishers across America. However, all turned him down.
Undeterred, De Witt and his new bride Lila Bell Acheson published the first issue of Reader’s Digest in February 1922. Working from home, the Wallaces printed 5,000 copies, which were sold by mail to 1,500 people and priced at 25 cents. From these humble beginnings grew the world’s most widely–read magazine.
The magazine became popular and, by 1935, sales topped one million. In 1938, the first international edition was published in the United Kingdom. During World War Ⅱ, editions were published for the first time in Latin America and Sweden. After the war Reader’s Digest moved into Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland. In 1950, Reader’s Digest published its shortened Books (now known as Select Editions in Australia). In 1959, music, the first non–print product line, was introduced. In 1962, Reader’s Digest revolutionized direct mail by introducing easy–to–enter Sweepstakes and a year later the first Reader’s Digest general book was published. In 1986, video was added to the Reader’s Digest product line.
In 1973, the Wallaces gave up active management of Reader’s Digest. De Witt died in 1981, aged 91; Lila in 1984, aged 94. With no heirs(继承人) to the Wallace empire to take control, Reader’s Digest became a public company in the early 1990s and is now headed by a Chief Executive Office and Chairman of the Board.What is the purpose of De Witt Wallace creating the earliest magazine?
| A．To become wealthy. | B．To offer people information. |
| C．To heal the wounds from the war. | D．To turn down uninteresting stories. |
When did De Will make his first trial of the magazine?
| A．Before World War I. | B．In 1920. | C．In 1922. | D．In 1935. |
What is mainly talked about in the first two paragraphs?
| A．The first issue of Reader’s Digest. |
| B．The first trial of De Witt Wallace’s dream. |
| C．De Witt Wallace’s character and marriage. |
| D．The humble beginnings of Reader’s Digest. |
Which of the following is the right order for the history of Reader’s Digest?
a．The Select Edition came out.
b．The Wallaces retired from the management of Reader’s Digest.
c．The magazine sold over million copies.
d．The product line was improved by means of videos.
e．Editions in other languages were published.
| A．c — e — a — b — d | B．e — a — c — b — d |
| C．c — e — a — d — b | D．a — c — e — d — b |
What can be known about Reader’s Digest from the passage?
| A．Reader’s Digest only published shortened or general books. |
| B．After World War ⅡReader’s Digest was published all over the world. |
| C．Reader’s Digest was first private–owned and later public–owned. |
| D．Reader’s Digest has always been headed by a Chief Executive Office |
Scratchy throats, stuffy noses and body aches all spell misery, but being able to tell if the cause is a cold or flu may make a difference in how long the misery lasts.
The American Lung Association (ALA) has issued new guidelines on combating colds and the flu(流感), and one of the keys is being able to quickly tell the two apart. That’s because the prescription drugs available for the flu need to be taken soon after the illness sets in. As for colds, the sooner a person starts taking over-the-counter remedy, the sooner relief will come.
The common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses. More than 200 viruses can cause cold symptoms, while the flu is caused by three viruses - flu A, B and C. There is no cure for either illness , but the flu can be prevented by the flu vaccine, which is, for most people, the best way to fight the flu, according to the ALA. But if the flu does strike, quick action can help. Although the flu and common cold have many similarities , there are some obvious signs to look for.
Cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, runny nose and scratchy throat typically develop gradually, and adults and teens often do not get a fever. On the other hand, fever is one of the characteristic features of the flu for all ages. And in general, flu symptoms including fever and chills, sore throat and body aches come on suddenly and are more severe than cold symptoms.
The ALA notes that it may be particularly difficult to tell when infants and preschool age children have the flu. It advises parents to call the doctor if their small children have flu-like symptoms.
Both cold and flu symptoms can be eased with over-the-counter medications as well. However, children and teens with a cold or flu should not take aspirin for pain relief because of the risk of Reye syndrome(综合症) ，a rare but serious condition of the liver and central nervous system.
There is, of course, no vaccine for the common cold. But frequent hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who have colds can reduce the likelihood of catching one.
According to the author, knowing the cause of the misery will help ________.
| A．shorten the duration of the illness |
| B．the patient buy medicine over the counter |
| C．the patient obtain cheaper prescription drugs |
| D．prevent people from catching colds and the flu |
We learn from the passage that ___________.
| A．one doesn’t need to take any medicine if he has a cold or the flu |
| B．aspirin should not be included in over-the-counter medicines for the flu |
| C．delayed treatment of the flu will harm the liver and central nervous system |
| D．over-the-counter drugs can be taken to ease the misery caused by a cold or the flu |
According to the passage, to combat the flu effectively, ___________.
| A．one should identify the virus which causes it |
| B．one should consult a doctor as soon as possible |
| C．one should take medicine upon catching the disease |
| D．one should remain alert when the disease is spreading |
Which of the following symptoms will distinguish the flu from a cold?
| A．A stuffy nose. | B．A high temperature. |
| C．A sore throat. | D．A dry cough. |
If children have flu-like symptoms, their parents _______________.
| A．are advised not to give them aspirin |
| B．should watch out for signs of Reye syndrome |
| C．are encouraged to take them to hospital for vaccination |
| D．should prevent them from mixing with people running a fever |
Astronauts aboard the space station celebrated a space first on Wednesday by drinking water that had been recycled from their urine(尿), sweat and water got from air. They said "cheers," clicked drinking bags and toasted NASA workers on the ground.
The urine recycling system is needed for astronaut stations on the moon and Mars. It also will have NASA money because it won’t have to ship up as much water to the station by space shuttles or cargo rockets. Besides, it’s important as the space station is about to expand from three people living on board to six.
The recycling system had been brought up to the space station last November by space shuttles Endeavour, but it couldn’t be used until samples(样品) were tested back on earth. So when it came time to actually drink up, NASA made a big deal of it. The three-man crew stood holding their drinks and congratulated engineers in two NASA centres that worked on the system.
“This is something that had been the stuff of science fiction,” American astronaut Michael Barratt said before taking a small mouthful. “The taste is worth trying.”
The new system takes the combined urine of the crew from the toilet, moves it to a big tank, where the water is boiled off, and the vapor(水蒸气) is collected. The rest of the urine is thrown away. Then the water vapor is mixed with water from air, and then it goes through filters (过滤器). When six crew members are aboard it can make about six gallons from urine in about six hours.
“Some people may find the idea of drinking recycled urine distasteful, but it is also done on earth, but with a lot longer time between urine and the tap,” said Marybeth Edeen, the space station’s national lab manager.
The technology NASA developed for this system has already been used for quick water purification after the 2004 Asian tsunami. According to the text, the recycling system is important because ___________.
| A．it makes traveling to the moon for the average person possible |
| B．with it NASA won’t need to ship any water up the space station |
| C．it can help meet the need for more water after the crew is expanded |
| D．it protects the environment in space by reducing the amount of waste |
What’s the RIGHT time order of the following events?
a. The samples of the recycled water were tested on earth.
b. Astronauts celebrated the space first of making water from urine
c. The recycling system was brought up to the space station.
d. The technology for the system was used to quickly purify water.
| A．a, d, c, b | B．a, c, b, d | C．d, a, c, b | D．d, c, a, b |
From Para. 5 we can know ____________.
| A．the theory behind the recycling system | B．the effect of the recycling system |
| C．the process of recycling urine | D．an opinion on recycling urine |
What did Edeen say about recycled urine and the recycling system?
| A．The taste of recycled urine is not as good as that of common water. |
| B．The recycling system has made a science fiction story come true. |
| C．The idea of drinking recycled urine makes astronauts feel unpleasant. |
| D．It takes a longer time on earth to make water from urine than in space. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Research of NASA Has Made Great Progress. |
| B．New Technology Is Used in the Space Station. |
| C．Drink up: Space Station Recycles Urine to Water. |
| D．Good News: Water Recycled from Urine Tastes Good |
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