英语阅读理解专题

阅读理解专题There are many shops in Singapore where customers still bargain, although prices are clearly shown on the goods. There is nothing out of the ordinary in haggling; some shopkeepers expect you to and will be surprised if you accept their prices immediately. We know that the prices in some stores are a bit higher than those in Change Alley, but we also realize that to keep a store likeRobinson's is by no means cheap. Besides, in such places we shop in air-condition (空调) comfort. For all these, we pay a little extra.It is not always true to say that things in Change Alley cost less. I once bought a Czechoslo- vakian glass butter-dish from Robinson's for a little under two dollars.I then went on to Change Alley and just by chance saw an article of the same shape, design and size, in one of the shops. I then asked about its price, and was surprised when the man demanded more than four dollars for it. "How much can you offer" he shouted at me. I offered him exactly the same price I paid for the article and his reply was shockingly rude (粗鲁). I opened my bag, showed him my receipt, stared at him and walked out of his shop.A buyer in England expects to find the price of goods clearly shown, or, to be told exactly what the price is. He knows this is the lowest price that will be accepted. If he thinks the price is beyond what he can afford, he shrugs ( 耸耸) his shoulders and walks away. He does not attempt to bargain with the shopkeeper. Even if he showed annoyance or surprise, he would expect to be to that if the price was unacceptable, he should try elsewhere.1. The underlined word "haggling" (line 2, Para. 1 ) in the text most probably means ________.A. accepting the prices immediatelyB. fixing the right cost for some goodsC. arguing about the price of somethingD. paying extra for comfortable shopping2. We can learn from the text that Robinson’s is a store which sellsA. expensive goodsB. air-conditionersC. Czechoslovakian goodsD. goods at a bargain price3. The writer asked about the price of a glass butter-dish in Change Alley because he wanted to ________.A. buy it at a lower priceB. change his dish for something elseC. find out if the shop assistant is politeD. compare the prices of the dish in two stores4. Which of the following words best describes tile feeling of a British customer when" he shrugs his shoulders and walks away" ( line 3, para. 3 )A. Frightened.B. Worded.C. Annoyed.D. Disappointed.5. What would probably happen if a customer does bargain with a shopkeeper in EnglandA. The customer would be advised to shop in other stores.B. The customer would get the goods at a lower price.C. They would discuss and then reach an agreement.D. They would quarrel about the price of the goods.答案：1. C2. A3. A4. D5. ASome people argue that the pressure on international sportsmen and sportswomen kills the essence of sport ---- the pursuit of personal excellence. Children kick a football around for fun. When they get older and play for local school teams, they become competitive but they still enjoy playing. The individual representing his country cannot afford to think about enjoying himself, he has to think only about winning. He is responsible for entire nation's hopes, dreams and reputation.A good example is the football World Cup. Football is third world's most important sport. Winning the World Cup is perhaps the summit of international sporting success. Mention Argentina to someone and the chances are that he' 11 think of football. In a sense, winning the World Cup put Argentina on the map.Sports fans and supporters get quite unreasonable about the World Cup. People in England felt that their country was somehow important after they won in 1966. Last year thousands of Scots sold their cars, and even their houses, and spent all their money traveling to Argentina, where the finals were played.So, am I arguing that international competition kills the idea of sport Certainly not! Do the Argentinean really believe that because eleven of their men proved the most skillful at football, their nation is in every way better than all others Not really. But it's nice to know that you won and that in one way at least your country is the best.1. What is the author' s main purpose in the passageA. To explain the role of sport.B. To compare Scotland with Argentina.C. To show that Argentina is better than all others.D. To prove that football is the world' s most important sport.2. In the second paragraph, the word "summit" means _______________ .A. awardB. summaryC. highest pointD. mountain top3. According to the passage, Argentina is world-famous because of its ______________.A. obvious position on the mapB. successes in the football World CupC. excellence at most important sportsD. large number of sports fans and supporters4. According to the passage, if a sportsman only thinks about winning, he will _____________.A. fail to succeedB. lose enjoymentC. be successfulD. be unreasonable5. What is the author's attitude towards international gamesA. Nations that meet on a football field are unlikely to meet on a battlefield.B. Nations that win the football World Cup are regarded as best in all aspects.C. Nations that win in international games prove the best on the sports field at least.D. Nations that give much attention to international competitions are world-famous in many ways.答案：1. AAt the first sight the planet Mars does not appear very welcome to any kind of life. It has very little oxygen and water, the temperature at night is below -50°C and winds of 100 miles per hour cause severe dust storms. However, the surface of the planet seems to show that water flowed across it some time in the past, and it is believed that there is enough ice at the poles to cover the planet with water if it melts. Although there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists think that there may have been some form of life long time ago. At that time, the planet had active volcanoes; the atmosphere was thicker and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in some ways the Mars may have been similar to the Earth, where life exists. Some people believe that the Mars could support life in the future if the right conditions were produced. The first step would be to warm the planet using certain gases which trap the Sun's heat in the planet's atmosphere. With warmth, water and carbon dioxide(二氧化碳), simple plants could begin to grow. These plants couldslowly make the Mars more suitable for living. It is estimated that the whole process might take between 100,000 and 200,000 years. In the meantime, people could begin to live on the planet in special closed environments. They would provide a lot of useful information about conditions on the Mars and the problems connected with living there.1. Some scientists think there may have been life on the Mars in the past because _______________.A. there is no life there nowB. there is a large amount of water at the polesC. the Mars may be able to support life in the futureD. conditions may have been similar to those on the Earth2. There could be life on the Mars in the future if________________.A. it supported life in the pastB. certain gases are used to cool the planetC. the atmosphere can be heated enough to grow simple plantsD. the planet's volcanoes become as active as they were in the past3. People may be able to live on the Mars _________________.A. within the next 200,000 yearsB. only 200,000 years from nowC. only 150,000 years from nowD. as soon as the planet becomes cool enough4. The author's attitude towards the possibility of life on the Mars in the future is ____________.A. doubtfulB. positiveC. negativeD. uninterested5. Which is the best title for this passageA. The Possibility of Life on the MarsB. Future Conditions on the MarsC. The Mars and the EarthD. A Study of the Climate of the Mars答案： 1. D 2. C 3. A 4. B 4. APassage OneSport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes (运动员). Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents' and coaches' criticisms to heart and find a flaw(缺陷) in themselves.Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today's youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport.Following a game many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters' performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has agreater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout1. An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is___________________.A. to reduce their mental stressB. to increase their sense of successC. to make sports less competitiveD. to make sports more challenging2. According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that___________________.A. it can help them learn mom about societyB. it enables them to find flaws in themselvesC. it can provide them with valuable experiencesD. it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves3. Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes________________.A. believing that criticism is beneficial for their early developmentB. without realizing criticism may destroy their self-confidenceC. in order to make them remember life's lessonsD. so as to put more pressure on them4. According the passage parents and coaches should__________________.A. pay more attention to letting children enjoy sportsB. help children to win every gameC. train children to cope with stressD. enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports5. The author's purpose in writing the passage is __________________.A. to teach young athletes how to avoid burnoutB. to persuade young children not to worry about criticismC. to stress the importance of positive reinforcement to childrenD. to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement答案： 1. A 2. C 3. B 4. A 5. CMost cities and/or states in the U. S. collect a sales tax on almost everything you buy. You must ask when you move into a new community how much the local sales tax is, and what items are and are not taxable. Both taxable items and the amount of tax vary considerably from place, from one of two percent in some places up to eight or ten in others. The New York City sales tax, for examples, is currently 8%, so if you buy a pair of $ 40 shoes you will actually have to pay $ . This makes paying and getting correct change much more difficult (not to mention making everything more expensive). We say in America that only two things in life are unavoidable: one is death and the other taxes.Another thing that makes money exchanges more complicated is tipping. The Chinese people have happily put an end to tipping, but Westerners are still plagued with this indignity. Waiters and waitresses, cab drivers, hotel bellboys, barbers and hairdressers and all sorts of other people must be tipped. Their employers give them low wages because it is expected that you, the customer, will make up the difference. If you don't, the service person can't earn a living. Tipping also varies from place to place, generally in the area of 15% of your bill (before taxes), but again you should ask local residents whom to tip and how much.There is another kind of tipping as well. You are generally expected to give something (either cash or a bottle of whisky) to the mailman and to your building "super" at Christmas time. You should discuss this also with neighbors and colleagues.1. The main idea of this passage is ______________.A. shopping and tippingB. sales and shoppingC. sales taxes and tippingD. sales taxes and people2. According to the passage, if you buy a pair of $ 50 shoes in the New York City, you pay extra ____________as sales tax.A. $B. $4C. $5D. $3. Usually, cab drivers _________________.A. get high wages from the employerB. get great benefits from the employerC. get low wages from the employerD. get high bonus from the employer4. According to the passage, which of the following statements is trueA. The Chinese people have to pay tips in western countries.B. The westerners don't have to pay high tips in their own country.C. Barbers, hotel bellboys and all sorts of other people can earn a living if they are not tipped.D. Tipping varies from place to place, generally in the area of 20% of your bill.5. Usually, taxable items and the amount of tax _________________.A. have no difference from place to place in the U. S.B. are over 15% in the U. S.C. have been put an end in the U. S.D. vary from place to place in the U. S.答案：1. C 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. DIn 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (饮料) containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw materials for new products, but be- cause few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it would be buried in landfills(垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second hand plastic.Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the countrybuying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them in- to fence posts, paint brushes, etc.As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard re- mains a discard until somebody figures out how to give it a second life--and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life value. Without ad- equate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materials.Shrinking landfill space, and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste management option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and trims the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material.46. What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containersA. Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles.B. Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling.C. A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling.D. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them.47. The returned plastic bottles in New York used to_______________.A. end up somewhere undergroundB. be turned into raw materialsC. have a second life valueD. be separated from other rubbish48. The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is______________.A. to sell them at a profitable priceB. how to turn them into useful thingsC. how to reduce their recycling costsD. to lower the prices for used materials49. Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because______________.A. local governments find it easy to manageB. recycling has great appeal for the joblessC. recycling causes little pollutionD. other methods are more expensive50. It can be concluded from the passage that__________________.A. rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materialsB. local governments in the U.S. can expect big profits from recyclingC. recycling is to be recommended both economically and environmentallyD. landfills will still be widely used for waste disposal答案 1. D 2. A 3. B 4. D 5. CCrime in the cities has had more publicity(宣扬)than crime in the suburbs, but in recent years many of the suburbs have found their crime rates increasing faster than those of the cities.One crime prevention aid is the Neighborhood Watch Program started five years ago and is sponsored by the National Sheriffs' Association. The aim is to get peopleto watch out for their neighbors. They are asked to be alert for any unusual activity, such as strangers who may be bringing since out of a house to an unfamiliar waiting vehicle. Vandalism(破坏行为)is also a target of the program. Children are matchless likely to run around with spray cans if they know that neighbors are alert and that they will probably be caught.The programmer should fit the specific neighborhood and be done with the knowledge and cooperation of the sheriff's office and the police department. So far, 2 300 programs have been set up with at least one in every state in the union. In some cases, neighborhood block clubs have been established to give is instructions.A National Neighborhood Watch Program has been set up, including one and one-half to seven million citizens at a federal government cost of 5 cents to 22 cents per person. The national office supplies Sheriffs and local office departments with program materials, crime prevention literature, and ideas on making homes more secure. Statistics show that this system works and is working better all the time.1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passageA. There has been as much crime in the cities as in the suburbs.B. Crime increase at the same rate in both the cities and the suburbs.C. Crime rates increase more slowly in the cities than in the suburbs.D. There have been higher crime rates in the suburbs than in the cities.2. Which of the following activities is NOT affected by the Neighborhood Watch ProgramA. Neighbors quarrel with each other.B. Strangers take things out of a house.C. Children run everywhere with spray cans.D. Vandals walk around the neighborhood.3. What is the purpose of the Neighborhood Watch ProgramA. To replace the sheriff' and policeman's duties.B. To get the people together so they can become better friends.C. To make people less suspicious of their neighbors.D. To decrease the neighborhood crime rate.4. How far has the program goneA. The federal government assists in financing a National Neighborhood Watch Program.B. Many thousands of neighborhoods have organized them.C. It costs the government between 22 and 25 cents per person.D. Some states haven't become involved yet.5. The national office contributes a lot to Neighborhood Watch Program including all the following actions except________________.A. providing program materials to local office departmentsB. supplying crime prevention literatureC. spreading preventive ideas in order to make neighborhood more secureD. setting up clubs to give instructions答案 1. C 2. A 3. D 4. A 5. DPassage OneIn only two decades Asian American have become the fastest-growing US minority. As their children began moving up through the nation's schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation's best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by thepromise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.Both explanations for academic success worry Asian-Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.1. While making tremendous achievements at college, Asian-American students__________.A. feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of EnglishB. are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian characterC. still worry about unfair treatment in societyD. generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents2. What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian AmericansA. A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture.B. Hard work and intelligence.C. Hard help and a limited knowledge of English.D. Asian culture and the American educational system.3. Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because_______________.A. their English is not good enoughB. they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areasC. there is a wide difference between Asian and Western culturesD. they know little about American culture and society4. Why do the two "explanations" (Para. 3) worry Asian AmericansA. They are afraid that they would again be isolated from American society in general.B. People would think that Asian students rely on their parents for success.C. Asian-Americans would be a threat to other minorities.D. American academic achievements have taken on too strong at Asian character.5. The author's tone in this passage is___________________.A. sympatheticB. doubtfulC. criticalD. objective答案 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. DFor an increasing number of students at American universities, old is suddenly in. The reason is obvious: the graying of America means jobs. Coupled with the aging of the baby-boom generation, a longer life span means that the nation's elderly population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25 percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions and in law and business as well. "In addition to the doctors, we're going to need more sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers," says Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California's (USC. School of Gerontology(老年学).Lawyers can specialize in "elder law", which covers everything from trustsand estates to nursing-home abuse and age discrimination(歧视). Businessmen see huge opportunities in the eider market because the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of retirees in human history. "Any student who combines an expert knowledge in gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money," one professor says.Margarita Santos is a 21-year-old senior at USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was "really bored with bacteria". So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it. She says, "I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very satisfying."1. "Old is suddenly in" (Para. 1) most probably means__________________.A. America has suddenly become a nation o5 old peopleB. gerontology has suddenly become popularC. more elderly professors are found on American campusesD. American colleges have realized the need of enrolling older students2. With the aging of America, lawyers can benefit__________________.A. from the adoption of the "eider law"B. from rendering special services to the elderlyC. by enriching their professional knowledgeD. by winning the trust of the elderly to promote their own interests3. Why can businessmen make money in the emerging elder marketA. Retirees are more generous in spending money.B. They can employ more gerontologists.C. The elderly possess an enormous purchasing power.D. There are more elderly people working than before.4. Who can make big money in the new century according to the passageA. Retirees who are business-minded.B. The volunteer workers in retirement homes.C. College graduates with an MBA or law degree.D. Professionals with a good knowledge of gerontology.5. It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America's elderly population______________.A. will provide good job opportunities in many areasB. will impose an unbearable burden on societyC. may lead to nursing-home abuse and age discriminationD. will create new fields of study in universities答案 1. B 2. A 3. A 4. D 5. ANormally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread to period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice.For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is re- corded and available for the student to show to prospective employers. All this imposes a constant pressure and strain of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective work of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating, has to appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students, the operation of the。