第三部分：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。
Want to take an out-of-this-world trip? Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic plans to make that possible. Beginning in 2009, people should have the opportunity to become space tourists, traveling at about 3,000 mph to heights about 75 miles above Earth. Branson has high hopes for his latest plans. "It is just the start of what we believe will be a new age in the history of mankind-one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility," he said.
At the start, though, the trip won't be cheap. Seats aboard Virgin's first craft-VSS Enterprise-will cost about $200,000. Prices could drop after the first hundred space flights. Despite the current ticket cost, more than 30,000 people-including celebrities(名人) Sigourney Weaver and Victoria Principal-have expressed interest in getting onboard.
People who don't have an extra $200,000 still have a chance to get a seat aboard the craft. A computer game contest and a reality television show are in the works. Those who can't afford a ticket will have an opportunity to win a seat.
Virgin is expected to be the first commercial spacecraft. It will hold six passengers and two pilots. Passengers will be able to see the Earth from many different viewpoints. The cabin will include 15 floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for views that extend about 1,000 miles in any direction.
Passengers will have three days of preflight preparation. On the big day, the spacecraft will take off from the Mojave Spaceport in the California desert. The craft will rocket passengers into space at four times the speed of sound. The journey will last about 2 1.2 hours. Passengers will wear spacesuits and helmets(头盔). They will be able to float around the cabin and do somersaults(空翻) during the five minutes of weightlessness they will experience in zero gravity. At the end of the flight, the craft will land on a runway.
56. Virgin Galactic could be _____.
A. the engineer of the first commercial spacecraft B. the name of a series of spacecrafts
C. the company of the first commercial spacecraft D. a passenger aboard the first commercial spacecraft
57. The space passengers will do all the following except that _____.
A. they will receive a three-day training course B. they will wear spacesuits and helmets
C. they will take about $200,000 with them D. they will experience weightlessness
58. Which statement is true according to the passage?
A. More than 30,000 people have got to travel in spacecraft.
B. Many people signed up for space travel in spite of the high ticket cost.
C. Those without much money could also go space travel without occupying the seats.
D. The first commercial spacecraft will have six persons on board.
59. What is the text mainly about?
A. The exciting moment of the spacecraft's launching.
B. The living condition of space tourists in the craft.
C. Preparations for a space travel.
D. Plans for the first commercial space flight.
Now some women are spending a weekend at Mother’s Camp（营地）. There, husbands and children are not allowed. Why would a woman want to take a vacation without her family? Some women say they need time to be alone.
At Mother’s Camp a woman has room to herself. She can sleep, read or watch TV, and no one will bother her. No children will ask, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” No husband will say, “Oh, dear, I can’t find any clean socks.” In fact almost 50% of women in the United States work outside the home. Many of them work full-time and then come home to a second job----taking care of their homes and families. These working women say one of their biggest problems is housework.
In the United States, working wives do about 75% of the housework. Many of their husbands say they want to help. But then they burn the rice or they can’t find the pans. They ask so many questions that their wives decide it is easier to do the job themselves.
Some women go to Mother’s Camp just to get a break from housework. For two days they don’t cook, they don’t clean, they don’t look after their children and husbands. What do they do? They enjoy warm, sunny weather, walking, swimming or boating in a clear blue lake and sing songs around the campfire. They relax away from home. They have a really wonderful vacation at Mother’s Camp. From this passage we can see in the United States.
| A．women want to work outside the home |
| B．working wives do most of the housework |
| C．husbands do as much housework as their wives |
| D．women do not like to stay at home with their families |
At Mother’s Camp, women can’t .
| A．watch TV | B．read newspapers |
| C．swim in the lake | D．bring their husbands and children |
Why would some mothers like to be alone? Because .
| A． they don’t like their husbands and children |
| B． they have to work full-time |
| C． they are too busy to relax themselves |
| D． they want a new life |
is one of the biggest troubles for working wives in the United States.
| A．Housework | B． Working outside the home |
| C．When to take a vacation | D． Looking after their children |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Busy Working Mothers | B．Welcome to Mother’s Camp |
| C．Mothers Relax Away from Home | D．Mothers in the US |
All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.
In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in teahouses. They prefer their tea plain with nothing else in it. Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony. It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.
Another tea drinking country is England. In England, the late afternoon is “teatime”. Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.
In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea --- “iced tea”. Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.The passage is mainly talking about _________.
A. Chinese tea B why tea is important
C. the teatime in England D. different ways of tea drinkingThe word “plain” in line 4 may mean _____________.
| A．simple | B．going | C．hard | D．drink |
The Chinese drink tea __________.
| A．for breakfast | B．in a special way |
| C．when they get together | D．only in teahouses |
Iced tea is popular _____________.
| A．in winter | B．in England | C．for lunch | D．in America |
The English like to _____________.
| A．eat something with their tea | B．drink their tea plain |
| C．have tea with dinner | D．drink their tea in teahouses |
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and—WHUMP! —it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it? ”
“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do! ” begged the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop! ” Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister” he said. “He rolled off the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. ”Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman, “ Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me. ”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE—a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car.
b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair.
e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
| A．a, c, b, e, d | B．a, c, d, b, e |
| C．b, a, c, e, d | D．b, a, e, c, d |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Josh would accept the money from the kids. |
| B．Josh was a kind-hearted man |
| C．The two kids were Josh’s neighbors. |
| D．Josh’s new car broke down easily. |
According to the passage, the last sentence means _____ .
| A．trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble |
| B．driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous |
| C．trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life |
| D．protecting oneself from being hurt |
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.
Room 1
The celebrity footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities' choice of footwear extremely interesting.
Room 2
Most of our visitors are amazed—and shocked—by the collection of “special purpose” shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much！
Room 3
As well as shoes and boots, the museum also exhibits shoeshaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that look like legs！
The Footwear Library
People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear.Where would you find a famous singer's shoes?
| A．Room 1. | B．Room 2. | C．Room 3. | D．The Footwear Library. |
All exhibits each room ________.
| A．share the same theme |
| B．have the same shape |
| C．are made of the same material |
| D．belong to the same social class |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The oldest exhibits in Room 1 were made in the 1950s. |
| B．Room 2 is the most visited place in the museum. |
| C．Room 3 has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two. |
| D．Researchers come to the Footwear Library for data. |
The purpose of the text is to get more people to ________.
| A．do research | B．design shoes | C．visit the museum | D．follow celebrities |
The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance (香气). From air fresheners to scented (有香味的) candles, we live in a world of scent.
Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies (过敏), headaches and asthma (哮喘) .
One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called “contact” allergy—where perfumes and scented products cause eczema (湿疹) when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy.
“Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy,” says Dr. Baron. “You don’t react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you.”
People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable (易受影响). “The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes,” says Dr. Baron. “But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy.” You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. “Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products –soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder—contain fragrances,” says Dr. Baron.
And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose’s nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact.
“Fragrance suggest cleanliness – yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture,” says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. “We often use them to mask one problem – as with air fresheners – but create a greater one – adding poisonous chemicals to the air.”What is the text mainly about?
| A．The world trend of using fragrance. |
| B．The benefits of using non-fragranced products. |
| C．The health problems caused by fragrance |
| D．The ways of removing allergy. |
According to Dr. Baron, .
| A．our bodies have an immediate reaction to fragrance. |
| B．seven in ten have suffered fragrance allergy. |
| C．fragrance can affect people who don’t have allergy |
| D．people can avoid contacting with fragrance easily |
Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer?
| A．Which products contain fragrance? |
| B．What’s the influence of fragrance in the air? |
| C．What are the air fresheners made up of? |
| D．How are headaches caused by fragrance? |
The following paragraph might discuss .
| A．the asthma caused by strong scents. |
| B．people’s efforts to protect fresh air. |
| C．the methods of curing eczema |
| D．the bad effects of air fresheners. |
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