英语阅读训练材料

阅读训练材料Word StudyContext CluesAlthough there is no formula that you can memorize to improve your ability to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words, you should keep the following points in mind: e the meanings of the other words in the sentence (or paragraph) and the meaningof the sentence as a whole to reduce the number of possible meanings.e grammar and punctuation clues that point to the relationships among the variousparts of the sentence.3.Be content with a general idea about the unfamiliar word; the exact definition orsynonym is not always necessary.4.Learn to recognize situations in which it is not necessary to know the meaning of thewordExample1.I removed the ____from the shelf and began to read.2.Harvey is a thief; he would ____the gold from h is grandmother's teeth and notfeel guilty.3.Our uncle was a ____, an incurable wanderer who never could stay in one place.4.Unlike his brother, who is truly a handsome person, Hogartty is quite ____.5.The Asian ____, like other apes, is specially adapted for life in trees.6.But surely everyone knows that if you step on an egg, it will ____.7.Tom got a new ____for his birthday. It is a sports model, red, with white interiorand bucket seats.Stems and AffixesPrefixescom-, con-, col-, cor-, co- together, with cooperate, connectin-, ira-, il-, ir- in, into, on invade, insertin-, im-, il-, ir- not impolite, illegalmicro- small microscope, microcomputerpre- before prepare, prehistoricre-, retro- back; again return, retrorocket Stems-audi-,-audit- hear auditorium, auditor-chron- time chronology, chronological-dic-, -dict- say, speak dictator, dictation-graph-, -gram- write, writing telegraph, telegram-log-,-ology- speech, word, study biology-phon- sound telephone-scrib-, -script- write describe, script-spect- look at inspect, spectator-vid-, -vis- see video, vision Suffixes-er, -or one who worker, ,spectator-ist one who typist, biologist-tion, -ation condition, the act of action, celebration Exercise 11. In each item, select the best definition of the italicized word.a. He lost his spectacles.____ 1. glasses ____ 3. pants____ 2. gloves ____ 4. shoesb. He drew concentric circles.____ l. OO ____ 3.____2. ____ 4.c. He inspected their work.____ 1. spoke highly of ____ 3. examined closely____ 2. did not examine ____ 4. did not like2. Circle the words where in- means not. Watch out; there are false negatives in this list.inject inside insane inspectinvaluable inflammable inactive invisibleExercise 2Word analysis can help you to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. Using context clues and what you know about word parts, write a synonym, description, or definition of the italicized words.1. __________________ The doctor asked Martin to inhale deeply and hold his breathfor 10 seconds.2. __________________ Many countries import most of the oil they use.3. __________________ Three newspaper reporters collaborated in writing this seriesof articles.4. __________________ Calling my professor by her first name seems too informal tome.5. __________________ It is Joe's prediction that by the year 2000 there will befemale president of the United States.6 .__________________ Historians use the inscriptions on the walls of ancient templesto guide them in their studies.7. __________________ You cannot sign up for a class the first day it meets in September;you must preregister in August.8. __________________ After his long illness, he didn't recognize his own reflection inthe mirror.9. _________________ I dictated the letter to my secretary over the phone.10. _________________ I'm sending a sample of my handwriting to a graphologist whosays he can use it to analyze my personality.Difficult SentenceRead the following sentences carefully. The questions that follow are designed to you‟re your comprehension of complex grammatical structures. Select the best answer.ExampleThe student revolt is not only a thorn in the side of the president's newly established government, but it has international implications as well.Whom or what does this revolt affect?____ a. the students____ b. the side of the president's body____ c. only the national government____ d. national and international affairsExplanation____ a. According to the sentence, the students are the cause of certain events, not those affected.____ b. Although you may not have been familiar with the idiom a thorn in someone‟s side, context clues should have told you that this phrase means a problem anddoes not actually refer to the side of the president's body.____ c. National government is an incomplete answer. The construction not only.., but...as well should tell you that more than one element is involved. Thepresident's newly established government (the national government) is not theonly area affected by the revolt.____ d. The revolt affects both national and international affairs.1.I disagreed then as now with many of John Smith‟s judgments, but always respectedhim, and this book is a welcome reminder of his big, honest, friendly, stubborn personality.How does the author of this sentence feel about John Smith?____ a. He dislikes him but agrees with his ideas.____ b. He considers him to be a disagreeable person.____ c. He disagrees with his ideas but respects him.____ d. He disagreed with him then but agrees with him now.2.Concepts like passivity, dependence, and aggression may need further research ifthey are to continue to be useful ways of thinking about human personalities.What might require more research?____ a. human thought processes____ b. certain concepts____ c. human personalities____ d. useful ways of thinking3.In order for you to follow the schedule set by the publisher, your paper must be lookedover over the weekend, revised, and handed in in its final form on Monday.What must you do on Saturday and Sunday?____ a. meet the publisher ____ c. hand in a paper____ b. examine your paper ____ d. look over the weekend4.The real reason why prices were, and still are, too high is complicated, and no shortdiscussion can satisfactorily explain this problem.What word or phrase best describes prices?____ a. complicated ____ c. too high in the past, but low now____ b. adequately explained ____ d. too high in the past and in the present5.This is not just a sad-but-true story; the boy's experience is horrible and damaging, yeta sense of love shines through every word.How does the author of this sentence feel about the story?____ a. It transmits a sense of love.____ b. It is just sad.____ c. It is not true.____ d. It is horrible and damaging.6.In the past five years the movement has grown from unorganized groups of poorlyarmed individuals to a comparatively well-armed, well-trained army of anywhere from 10,000 to 16,000 members.What is the present condition of this movement?____ a. The members are poorly armed.____ b. There are only a few poor individuals.____ c. There are over 16,000 members.____ d. The members are organized and well armed.7.The financial situation isn't bad yet, but we believe that we have some vitalinformation and, if it is correct, unemployment will soon become a serious problem.What do we know about the financial situation?____ a. It won't change.____ b. It will become a serious problem.____ c. It is not bad now.____ d. It will improve.8.The general then added, “The only reasonable solution to the sort of problems causedby the current unstable political situation is one of diplomacy and economic measures and not the use of military force.”What type of solution does the general support?____ a. economic and diplomatic action____ b. diplomatic and economic, action if military force fails____ c. only diplomatic action____ d. military actions in response to political problems9.Because the supply of natural gas was plentiful in comparison to other choices likecoal and fuel oil, and because it burns cleaner, many people changed their heating systems to natural gas, thereby creating shortages.Why did people prefer gas?____ a. It was natural.____ b. There were no other choices.____ c. The other fuels were dirtier and less plentiful.____ d. There is, even today, a plentiful supply of it.10. My discovery of Tillie Olsen was a gift from a friend; years ago she gave me her copyof Tell Me a Riddle because she liked the stories and wanted to share the experience.What do we know about Tillie Olsen?____ a. She is a friend.____ b. She likes stories.____ c. She gives gifts.____ d. She is an author.Main IdeaExampleBy the time the first European travelers on the American continent began to record some of their observations about Indians, the Cherokee people had developed an advanced culture that probably was exceeded only by the civilized tribes of the S outhwest: Mayan and Aztec groups. The social structures of the Cherokee people consisted of a form of clan kinship in which there were seven recognized clans. All members of a clan were considered blood brothers and sisters and were bound by honor to defend any member of that clan from wrong. Each clan, the Bird, Paint, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, and Wild Potato, was represented in the civil council by a councilor or councillors. The chief of the tribe was selected from one of these clans and did not inherit his office from his kinsmen. Actually, there were two chiefs, a Peace chief and War chief. The Peace chief served when the tribe was at peace, but the minute war was declared, the War chief was in command.Select the statement that best expresses the m ain idea of the paragraph.____a. The Cherokee chief was different in war time than in peace time.____b. Before the arrival of the Europeans the Cherokees had developed a well-organized society.____c. The Mayans and the Aztecs were part of the Cherokee t ribe.____d. Several Indian cultures had developed advanced civilizations before Europeans arriveExplanation____a. This is not the main idea. Rather, it is one of several examples the author uses to support his statement that the Cherokee people had deve loped anadvanced culture.____b. This statement expresses the main idea of the paragraph. All other sentences in the paragraph are examples supporting the idea that the Cherokees haddeveloped an advanced culture by the time Europeans arrived on thecontinent.____c. This statement is false, so it cannot be the main idea.____d. This statement is too general. The paragraph describes the social structure of the Cherokee people only. Although the author names other advanced Indian cultures, he does this only to strengthen his argument that the Cherokees had developed an advanced culture.Paragraph 1The first invention of human beings was the wheel. Although no wheel forms are found in nature, undoubtedly the earliest “wheels” were smooth logs which were used for moving weights over the earth's surface. No one recorded who he or she was or when it happened, but when the “first inventor” placed a wheel on an axle, people began to roll from one place to another. Records of this type of wheel have been found among Egyptian relics dating back to 2,000 B.C. and earlier Chinese civilizations arecredited with independent invention of the same mechanism. The wheel so fascinated the human mind that people have spent centuries building machines around it; yet in over 4,000 years its basic design has remained unchanged. All about us we see the spinning shafts, gears, flywheels, pulleys, and rotors which are the descendents of the first wheel. The roaring propeller of an aircraft engine, the whirling wheel of a giant ste am turbine, and the hairspring of a tiny watch are examples of the rotary motion which characterizes our mechanical world. It is hard to conceive of continuous motion without the wheel. Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragrap h.____a. The wheel is used today in industry and transportation.____b. One of human beings' first inventions, the wheel, has remained important for years.____c. The basic design of the wheel has been changed to meet the needs of industrial society.____d. Although we don't know exactly who invented the wheel, it is evident that Egyptians and Chinese used it about 4,000 years ago.Paragraph 2At the University of Kansas art museum, investigators tested the effects of different colored walls on two groups of visitors to an exhibit of paintings. For the first group the room was painted white; for the second, dark brown. Movement of each group was followed by an electrical system under the carpet. The experiment revealed that those who entered the dark brown room walked more quickly, covered more area, and spent less time in the room than the people in the white environment. Dark brown stimulated more activity, but the activity ended sooner. Not only the choice of colors but also the genera appearance of a room communicates and influences those inside. Another experiment presented subjects with photographs of faces that were to be rated in terms of energy and well-being. Three groups of subjects were used; each was shown the same photos, but each group was in a different kind of room. One group was in an “ugly” room that resembled a messy storeroom. Another group was in an average room--a nice office. The third group was in a tastefully designed living room with carpeting and drapes. Results showed that the subjects in the beautiful room tended to give higher ratings to the faces than did those in the ugly room. Other studies suggest that students do better tests taken in comfortable, attractive rooms than in ordinary-looking ugly rooms.Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph____a. People in beautiful rooms tend to give higher ratings to photographs of faces than people in ugly rooms.____b. The color and general appearance of a room influence the behavior and attitudes of the people in it____c. The University of Kansas has studied the effects of the color of a room on people's behavior.____d. Beautifully decorated, light-colored rooms make people more comfortable than ugly, dark rooms.Paragraph 3 Teaching is supposed to be a professional activity requiring long and complicated training as well as official certification. The act of teaching is looked uponas a flow of knowledge from a higher source to an empty container. The student's role is one of receiving information; the teacher's role is one of sending it. There is a clear distinction assumed between one who is supposed to know (and therefore not capable of being wrong) and another, usually younger person who is supposed not to know. However, teaching need not be the province of a special group of people nor need it be looked upon as a technical skill. Teaching can be more like guiding and assisting than forcing information into a supposedly empty head. If you have a certain skill you should be able to share it with someone. You do not have to get certified to convey what you know to someone else or to help them in their attempt to teach themselves. All of us, from the very youngest children to the oldest members of our cultures should come to realize our own potential as teachers. We can share what we know, however little it might be, with someone who has need of that knowledge skill.Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph.____a. The author believes that it is not difficult to be a good teacher.____b. The author believes that every person has the potential to be a teacher.____c. The author believes that teaching is a professional activity requiring special training.____d. The author believes that teaching is the flow of knowledge from a higher source to an empty container.Paragraph 4Albert Einstein once attributed the creativity of a famous scientist to the fact that he "never went to school, and therefore preserved the rare gift of thinking freely." There is undoubtedly truth in Einstein's observation; many artists and geniuses seem to view their schooling a disadvantage. But such a truth is not a criticism of schools. It is function of schools to civilize, not to train explorers. The explorer is always a lonely individual whether his or her pioneering be in a music, science, or technology. The creative explorer of unmapped lands shares with the genius what William James described as the "faculty of perceiving in an unhabitual way." Insofar as schools teach perceptual patterns they tend to destroy creativity and genius. But if schools could somehow exist solely to cultivate genius, then society would break down. For the social order demands unity and widespread agreement, both traits that are destructive to creativity. There will always be conflict between the demands of society and the impulses of creativity and genius.Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph.____ a. Albert Einstein and other geniuses and artists have said that schools limit creativity a nd genius.____ b. Schools should be designed to encourage creativity.____ c. Explorers can be compared to geniuses because both groups look at the world differently from the way most people do.____ d. Schools can never satisfy the needs of both geniuses and society as a whole.Paragraph 5Perhaps the most startling theory to come out of kinesics, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistel He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed. In other words, we learn our looks--we are not born with them. A baby has generally unformed facial features. A baby, according to Birdwhistell,learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around --family and friends. This helps explain why the people of some regions of the United States lo0k so much alike. New Englanders or Southerners have certain common facial characteristics that cannot be explained by genetics. The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after. In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after permanent teeth are set. For many, this can be well into adolescence. A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look somewhat alike. We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country there are areas where people smile more than those in other areas. In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently. In New England they smile less, and in the western pan of New York st ate still less. Many Southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. People in densely populated urban areas also tend to smile and greet each other in public less than do people in rural areas and small towns.Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph.____a. Ray Birdwhistell can tell what region of the United States a person is from by how much he or she smiles.____ b. Ray Birdwhistell is a leader in the field of kinesics.____ c. Ray Birdwhistell says that our physical appearance is influenced by the appearance of people around us.____ d. People who live in the country are more friendly than people who live in densely populated areasParagraph 6In any archaeological study that includes a dig, the procedures are basically the same: 1) selecting a site 2) hiring local workers 3) surveying the site and dividing it into sections 4) digging trenches to locate levels and places to excavate 5) mapping architectural features 6) developing a coding system that shows the exact spot where an object is found 7) and recording, tagging, cleaning and storing excavated materials. Neilson C. Debevoise, writing on an expedition to Iraq in the early 1930's, described the typical “route” of excavated pottery. Workers reported an object to staff members before removing it from the ground. The date, level; location and other important information were written on a piece of paper and placed with the object. At noon the objects were brought in from the field to the registry room where they were given a preliminary cleaning. Registry numbers were written with waterproof India ink on a portion of the object previously painted with shellac. The shellac prevented the ink from soaking into the object, furnished a good writing surface, and made it possible to remove the number in a moment. From the registry room objects were sent to the drafting department. If a clay pot, for example, was of a new type, a scale drawing was made on graph paper Measurements of the top, greatest diameter, base, height, color of the glaze, if any, the quality and texture of the body and the quality of the workmanship were recorded on paper with the drawing. When the drafting department had completed its work the materials were placed on the storage shelves, grouped according to type for division with the Iraq government and eventually shipped to museums. Today, the steps of a dig remain basically the same, although specific techniques vary.Select the statement that best expresses the main idea of the paragraph.____ a. For a number of years, archaeologists have used basically the same procedure when conducting a dig.____b. Neilson C.Debevoise developed the commonly accepted procedure for organizing a dig._____c. Archaeologists take great care to assure that all excavated objects are properly identified.____d. A great deal of important historical and archaeological information can be provided by a dig.Restatement and InferenceSentence StudyEach sentence below is followed by five statements. The statements are of four types:1. Some of the statements are restatements of the original sentence. They give the sameinformation in a different way.2. Some of the statements are inferences (conclusions) that can be drawn from the informationgiven in the original sentence.3. Some of the statements are false based on the information given.4. Some of the statements cannot be judged true or false based on the information given in theoriginal sentence.Put a check (/) next to all restatements and inferences (types 1 and 2). Note: do not check a statement that is true of itself but cannot be inferred from the sentence given.Example Heavy smokers and drinkers run a fifteen-times greater risk ofdeveloping cancer of the. mouth and throat than nonsmokers andnondrinkers._____ a. Cancer of the mouth and throat is more likely to occur in heavy smokers and drinker than in nonsmokers and nondrinkers._____ b. People who never drink and smoke will not get mouth or throat cancer._____ c. Heavy drinkers who run have a greater risk of developing cancer than nondrinkers._____ d. People who don't smoke and drink have less chance of getting cancer of the mouth and throat than those who smoke ,and drink heavily._____ e. People would probably be healthier if they did not drink and smoke too much. Explanation_____ a. This is a restatement of the original sentence. If heavy smokers and drinkers run a greater risk of developing cancer than those who do not drink or smoke, then cancer is morelikely to occur in heavy smokers and drinkers._____ b. It is not true that people who never smoke and drink will never get mouth or throat cancer. We only know that they are less likely to get this kind of cancer._____ c. The word run in the original sentence is part of the phrase to run a risk which means to be in danger. The sentence does not tell us anything about heavy drinkers who enjoy thesport of running._____ d. This is a restatement of the original sentence. If people who drink and smoke heavily have a greater chance of getting mouth and throat cancer than those who don't, then itmust be true that those who don't smoke and drink heavily have less chance ofdeveloping this kind of cancer._____ e. This is an inference that can be drawn from the information given. If people who smoke and drink heavily run a high risk of developing cancer, then we can infer that peopleprobably would be healthier ff they didn't smoke and drink too much (heavily).1.Nine out of ten doctors responding to a survey said they recommend our product to theirpatients if they recommend anything._____ a. Nine out of ten doctors recommend the product._____ b. Of the doctors who responded to a survey, nine out of ten doctors recommend the product._____ c. If they recommend anything, nine out of ten doctors responding to a survey recommend the product._____ d. Most doctors recommend the product._____ e. We don't know how many doctors recommend the product.2. This organization may succeed marvelously at what it wants to do, but what it wants to domay not be all that important._____ a. The organization is marvelous._____ b. The organization may succeed._____ c. Although the organization may reach its goals, the goals might not be important._____ d. What the organization wants is marvelous._____ e. The author questions the goals of the organization.3. This book contains a totally new outlook that combines the wisdom of the past with scientificknowledge to solve the problems of the present._____ a. Problems of the past and present are solved in this book._____ b. In this book, current knowledge and past wisdom are combined to solve current problems._____ c. Only by using knowledge of the past and present can we solve problems._____ d. None of today's problems can be solved without scientific knowledge._____ e. This book is different because it combines the wisdom of the past with scientific knowledge.4. Like other timeless symbols, flags have accompanied mankind for thousands of years, gainingever wider meaning, yet losing none of their inherent and original force._____ a. In spite of losing some of their original force, flags are a timeless symbol that has accompanied mankind for thousands of years._____ b. Flags have existed for thousands of years._____ c. Timeless symbols typically gain wider meaning while not losing their inherent force._____ d. Thousands of years ago flags accompanied mankind but through time they have lost their force._____ e. Because flags are considered a timeless symbol, they have gained continually wider meaning without losing their inherent original force.5. When there is an absence of reliable information about drugs, the risks involved in using them are greatly increased.____ a. There is no reliable information about drugs.____ b. Using drugs is more dangerous when we don't know what effects and dangers are involved.____ c. The risks involved in using drugs have increased.____ d. People should try to find out about drugs before using them.____ e. There are no risks involved in using drugs if we have reliable information about them.6. The project of which this book is the result was first suggested in the summer of 1992, in the course of some leisurely conversations at the foot of and occasionally) on top of the Alps of western Austria.____ a. This book was written in 1992.____ b. This book was written in Austria.____ c. This book is a collection of conversations held in 1992.____ d. This book is the end result of a project.____ e. This book is about western Austria.7. Los Angeles' safety record with school buses is generally a good one, but of course this record is only as good as the school bus drivers themselves.____ a. In spite of a generally good safety record for their school buses, Los Angeles school bus drivers are not very good.____ b. If school bus drivers are not very good, the town‟s school bus safety record will not be very good either.____ c. If cities wish to maintain good safety records with school buses, they should hire good school bus drivers.____ d. With better school buses, drivers will be able to maintain better safety records.____ e. Los Angeles' safety record with school buses has improved because better bus drivers have been hired.8. Taxes being so high, the descendents of the wealthy class of the nineteenth century are being forced to rent out their estates to paying guests.____ a. In the nineteenth century, the wealthy class rented out its estates.____ b. Because of high taxes, families that were rich one hundred years ago now rent out their estates.____ c. Guests pay high taxes when they rent old estates.____ d. Some families that were once wealthy are having trouble paying their taxes.____ e. High taxes have changed the lives of some of the old wealthy families.9. According to the definition of Chinese traditional medicine, acupuncture is the treatment of disease--not just the alleviation of pain--by inserting very fine needles into the body at specific points called loci.____ a. The author believes some people do not know that acupuncture can be used to treat illness.____ b. Finely pointed needles Called loci are used in acupuncture.____ c. In Chinese traditional medicine, acupuncture is known to treat disease and alleviate pain.____ d. Those using acupuncture treat disease by placing needles into the body at specific points.____ e. Only those who practice traditional Chinese medicine use acupuncture.10. It would be difficult to overpraise this book._____ a. This is a difficult book._____ b. This book deserves much praise._____ c. It is difficult not to overpraise this book._____ d. It is difficult to praise this book._____ e. The author of this sentence thinks this is an excellent book.。