TheothermorningonthesubwayIsat

更新 2022-09-03
科目英语
题型阅读理解
难度中等
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The other morning on the subway I sat next to an attractive young blonde woman who was reading something on her iPad. She was very well-dressed, carrying a Prada bag with tastefully applied make-up indeed, she had an unmistakable air of wealth, material success and even authority. I suspected she worked as a highly-paid Wall Street lawyer or stockbroker or something of that sort. So, I was curious to see what she was so focused on. The Wall Street Journal perhaps? The Economist?
Quite the contrary; rather, she was concentrating on a romance novel. Then I realized that I have known many women who love romance novels—smart, attractive, successful, “liberated,” modem females who nonetheless find some kind of deep satisfaction and thrill from those hyper-romantic, artificial and extremely unrealistic tales of handsome, manly heroes falling in love with virginal women, enduring a series of adventures, then no doubt having a happy ending.
These romance stories are to literature what hot dogs are to fine food. Yet, the genre(体裁) remains enormously popular. Consider some of these surprising statistics from the good folks at the Romance Writers of America (RWA):
*More than 9,000 romance titles were released last year, with sales of about $1.44 billion (more than triple the revenues generated by classic literary fiction).
*More than 90 percent of the market are women (okay, that’s not at all surprising).
* Readers are typically women between the ages 30 and 54 who are themselves involved in a romantic relationship (betraying the stereotype that only lonely women long for these tales of love and adventure).
*Almost 40 percent of romance book consumers have an annual income of between $50,000 and $99,900 (placing them firmly in the middle class).
I had thought that romance novels accounted for a very small share of the literary market, so I was quite surprised that this part has such enormous popularity. But I must wonder why so many women—forty years after the women’s liberation movement continue to indulge in the fanciful tales?
I’m not sure if it represents a kind of “rejection” of the women’s liberation movement, but clearly something is missing in the lives of contemporary ladies. A romance author named Donna Hatch who focuses on the Regency period (early 19th century Britain) explained the appeal of such books this way: “Regency men were civilized and treated women with courtesy. When a lady entered the room, gentlemen stood, doffed their hats, offered an arm, bowed, and a hundred other little things I wish men still did today. But they were also very athletic; they hunted, raced, boxed, rode horses. They were manly. Strong. Noble. Honorable. And that is why I love them!”
Mrs. Hatch may have expressed the secret desires and attitudes of untold millions of her peers---that is, in the early 21st century, have women grown tired of the burdens and expectations that the “freedoms” they have gained give them? Is this a rejection of modem feminism? Do women long for days of old when men were masculine gentlemen and women were feminine and protected as precious treasures and regarded as possessions?
Perhaps most women (even the ones who get lost in romance novels) do not want to go all the way back but it is obvious, .
What is the function of the opening paragraph?

A．To summarize the whole passage.

B．To prove the author’s argument.

C．To lead in the main topic of the passage.

D．To raise problems that will be solved later.

What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph imply?

A．Romance novels are satisfying and thrilling.

B．Romance novels are not of much “nutrition”.

C．Romance novels are as popular as hot dogs.

D．Romance novels are an essential part of contemporary life.

In the author’s opinion, what is missing in the lives of contemporary women?

A．Authority.	B．Dignity.
C．Liberty.	D．Care.

Which sentence can be put in the blank in the last paragraph?

A．they prefer tales of innocent romance to classics

B．they are unhappy with how the world has turned out

C．true love described in romance novels does exist in reality

D．romance novels provide them with an access to society

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For years I wanted a flower garden. I’d spend hours thinking of different things I could plant that would look nice together.
But then we had Matthew. And Marvin. And the twins, Alisa and Alan. And then Helen. Five children. I was too busy raising them to grow a garden.
Money was tight, as well as time. Often when my children were little, one of them would want something that cost too much, and I'd have to say, “Do you see a money tree outside? Money doesn't grow on trees, you know.”
Finally, all five got through high school and college and were off on their own. I started thinking again about having a garden.
I wasn't sure, though. I mean, gardens do cost money, and after all these years I was used to living on a pretty lean, no-frills budget.
Then, one spring morning, on Mother's Day, I was working in my kitchen. Suddenly, I realized that cars were tooting their horns as they drove by. I looked out the window and there was a new tree, planted right in my yard. I thought it must be a weeping willow, because I saw things blowing around on all its branches. Then I put my glasses on — and I couldn't believe what I saw. There was a money tree in my yard!
I went outside to look. It was true! There were dollar bills, one hundred of them, taped all over that tree. Think of all the garden flowers I could buy with one hundred dollars! There was also a note attached: “IOU eight hours of digging time. Love, Marvin.”
Marvin kept his promise, too. He dug up a nice ten-by-fifteen foot bed for me. And my other children bought me tools, ornaments, a trellis (棚架), a sunflower stepping stone and gardening books.
That was three years ago. My garden's now very pretty, just like I wanted. When I go out and weed or tend my flowers, I don't seem to miss my children as much as I once did. It feels like they're right there with me.
I live up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where winters are long and cold, and summers are too short. But every year now, when winter sets in, I look out my window and think of the flowers I'll see next spring in my little garden. I think about what my children did for me, and I get tears in my eyes — every time.
I'm still not sure that money grows on trees. But I know love does!
1．By saying “Do you see a money tree outside .….,” the mother actually means “_______”
A．Observation is the best teacher.               B．Seeing is believing.
C．The outsider sees the most of the game.       D．It is not easy to gain money
2．The best title for the passage would probably be_______.
A．My flower garden          B．Marvin helps to realize my dream
C．Love in Michigan          D．Money grows on trees
3．The underlined word “no - frills” in the fifth paragraph is similar in meaning to_______.
A．wasteful       B．tight          C．absurd         D．helpful
4．From the last two paragraphs we can infer that the mother is_______
A．divorced when she was young
B．not caring for her kids any longer
C．alone but not at all lonely
D．prouder with her garden than with her kids.

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第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu—Great Fiji—is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious songs. From market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So Why not join us for the experience of a lifetime?
1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?
A. In Suva.     B. In Sydney.     C. On the island of Vatoa.    D. On the island of Viti Levu.
2. One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is _______.
A. its comfortable hotels              B. its good weather all year round
C. its exciting football matches         D. its religious beliefs
3. Where can we most probably read this text?
A. In a personal diary.            B. In a science report.
C. In a travel magazine.          D. In a geography textbook.

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第二节信息匹配 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请把答案填写在答题卡上将对应题号上。(选E项，在答题卡上将A,B涂黑; 选F项，在答题卡上将C,D涂黑) 　　
　　首先，请阅读下列应用文：

A．Discover
Newsmagazine of science devoted to the wonders and stories of modern science, written for the educated general reader. Published by Disney Magazine Publishing CO., Discover tells many of the same stories professionals read in Scientific American. A truly delightful family science magazine, each issue brings to light new and newsworthy topics to make dinnertime and water-cooler conversations interesting.
　　

B． WORLD TRAVEL
This weekly magazine can bring the world to your home. Have you ever wondered what the Chinese eat for breakfast? Did you know that the Sahara Desert is getting bigger every year? This fascinating magazine, full of color photographs, is your window on the world.

C．Self
Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook devoted to women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab”, in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-models and the “Eat-Right Road Map”, with tips on how to eat properly.
　　

D．FOREIGN PARTS

The weekly magazine tells what you need to know if you’re thinking of traveling. Helpful advice on what to pack and what to buy once you’re there. Lots of colour photos to help you choose the best hotel, the cheapest flights and a special guide to different climates each week.

E. Wired
This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, design and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc, Wired often carries articles on how technology changes people’s lives.

F. EUROPE NEWS
The weekly magazine keeps you in touch with what’s happening. Filled with facts and figures about almost everything you can think of, plus articles by our regular writers on the week’s most interesting new stories. Special back page sums up the news for the busy readers.

请阅读以下读者的信息，然后匹配读者和他/她最适合的杂志：
61. Bill travels a lot when he was younger. Now that he has stopped his work, he enjoys reading about foreign people, places and customs even if he has already visited that part of the world.
62. Emi is a university student studying Italian and Politics. She doesn’t have much time to read anything very detailed but she is looking for something with plenty of news and information.
63. Ben serves as an assistant to the general manager of an American company in Los Angeles. He is very interested in management and the use of high technology.
64. Up till now Brigitte has never traveled far so this year she has decided to go abroad for the first time. The travel agent suggests that she should read about various countries first before choosing her holiday.
65. Susan likes shopping. She is interested in buying clothes and she needs to be offered advice on clothes.

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三．阅读 (共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并填写在答题卡上。
When I asked my daughter which item she would keep; the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said“the phone”. Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual. Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. “The mobile saved my life,”says Crystal Johnstone. She had an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance(救护车) to her rescue.
Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at and time of day to ask where they are , where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, “We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near——but we didn’t meet for the first two weeks!”
Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously ( 同时地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn’t know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they’re space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access(存取) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.
1.How do you understand‘Point 1 —The telephone creates the need to communicate,…’？
A. People don’t communicate without telephone.
B. People communicate because of the creating of the telephone.
C. People communicate more since telephone has been created.
D. People communicate more because of more traffic.
2.Which of the following best shows people’s attitude towards mobile phones?
A. Mobile phones help people deal with the emergency.
B. Mobile phones bring convenience as well little secret to people.
C. Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged.
D. Mobile phones are part of people’s life.
3. Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people’s life?
a. Point 1. b. Point2. c. Point3. d. Point 4. e. Point 5.
A. c, d     B. a, e        C. a, c           D. b, e
4.It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through .
A. the TV screen                          B. a fax machine
C. the phone line hooked up to the computer    D. a microphone
5.The best heading for the passage is .
A. phone Power B. Kinds of Phone
C. how to Use Phones D. Advantage of Phones

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The research carried out by the University of Bari in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.
A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly painting, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. The subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense while they were viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced response to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.
While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients, Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.
The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that beautiful surroundings could aid the healing process.
"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist. "Beauty obviously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. " "I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering."
Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by Pablo Picasso, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero. "These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso.
1.The underlined word “alleviate” in the fifth paragraph probably means “_________”.
A. cure            B. ease             C. improve           D. kill
2.How many artists have been mentioned in the passage?
A. 4.                      B. 5.                      C. 6.                             D. 7.
3.Which of the following is TURE about the view of Prof de Tommaso’s?
A. Beautiful surroundings could help to heal sufferings completely .
B. Hospitals must take their artistic aspects into consideration first.
C. Ugly surroundings will surely make the pain worse.
D. Both music and beauty can reduce pain in hospital patients.
4.Which of the following is the suitable title for the passage?
A. Beautiful surroundings can ease pain.
B. Ugly paintings could be masterpieces.
C. More research should be done in the field.
D. Latest environmental research.

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