電大英語II1閱讀理解

1、閱讀下列短文，從A、B、C、D四個選項中選出一個正確答案，并在答題紙上寫出所選的字母符號。Passage 1I was 15 when I walked into McCarley Bookstore and began to look over the titles of the books on the shelves. The man behind the counter, the owner of the bookstore, asked me if I would like a job. I needed to start saving for college, so I said

2、yes. I worked after school and during summers for minimum wages and the job helped pay for my freshman year of college. I worked at many other jobs afterwards: I made coffee in the student union during college. I made maps for the U.S Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most satisfying.

3、 One day a woman asked me for books on cancer. She seemed fearful. I showed her everything we had and found other books we could order. She left the shop less worried and Ive always remembered the pride I felt in having helped her. Years later, as a television reporter, I heard about a poor child wh

4、o was born with his fingers of the left hand linked together. His family could not afford the corrective surgery, and the boy lived in shame, hiding his left hand in his pocket. I persuaded my boss to let me do the story on TV. After my story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called, offering to p

5、erform the surgery for free. I visited the boy in the recovery room after the operation. The first thing he did was hold up his repaired hand and say, “Thank you.” I was overjoyed and filled with a strong sense of reward. At McCarley Bookstore, I always felt I was working for the customers, not just

6、 for the store. Today its the same. NBC news pays me the salary. But I feel that I work for the viewers, helping them make sense of the world. My working experience in McCarley Bookstore helped me find a good sense of the world, and most importantly, it helped me find a good sense of myself. 1. How

7、did the author get the job in McCarley Bookstore? A.       He happened to walk into the shop and got it by chance.B.       He had always wanted to have a job in that bookstore and he succeeded.C.       He liked

8、 reading books, so tried to get a job there.D.       He did not go to school, so he looked for a job when he was 15.2. According to the author, selling books was one of the most satisfying job experiences, because _.A.       he only had to

9、work after school and got good wages B.       it helped him understand the world and himselfC.       it helped him pay for his freshman year of collegeD.       he did not feel that he was working for the store3

10、. After he helped the fearful lady looking for books on cancer, the author was _.A.       worried about her B.       less worried about her C.       unable to forget her        D.&

11、#160; proud of himself4. The author decided to help the poor boy by _.A.       persuading his boss to do the story on TVB.       persuading his boss to let him do the story on TVC.       asking a doctor to perf

12、orm the operation for free D.       visiting the boy in the recovery room after the operation5. The main reason that the author thinks his present job is the same as the one in the bookstore is _.A.       it gives him salaryB.  &#

13、160;    it makes him feel excited C.       it helps people make sense of the worldD.       it enables him to work (Key: 1. A    2. B     3. D    4. B     5

14、. C) Passage 2Paper was invented by the Chinese in the first century AD. Paper was not made in southern Europe until about the year 1100. Scandinavia - which now makes a great deal of the worlds paper - did not begin to make it until 1500. Most paper is made from wood. Paper-making is an import

15、ant British industry and paper from Britain is sold to many countries such as Australia and South Africa. Some of the wood used in the British paper making industry comes from trees grown in Britain, but wood is also bought from other countries such as Norway. One tree is needed for every four hundr

16、ed copies of a forty-page newspaper. If half the adults in Britain buy one daily paper, this uses up over a thousand trees a day. All over the world, trees are being cut down faster than they are being planted, so there may be a serious need for paper at the beginning of next century. When we think

17、of paper, we think of newspaper, books, letters and writing paper. But there are many other uses. Only half of paper is used for books and newspaper, etc. Paper is very good for keeping you warm. Each year, more and more things are made of paper. Now we hear that chairs, tables, and even beds can be

18、 made of paper. But the latest in paper making seems to be paper houses.1. Where was paper invented?A. In China.                       B. In southern Europe.C. In Scandinavia.   &#

19、160;              D. In Britain.2. Scandinavia began to make paper _.A. in 1100                        B. in 1400C. in 1500 &

20、#160;                            D. in the first century3. Every four hundred copies of a forty-page newspaper will need _.A. half a tree     

21、60;              B. one treeC. two trees                            D. more than one tree4. All over the

22、world, trees are being cut down _ than they are being planted.A. more slowly                   B. much fasterC. much more slowly             

23、60; D. faster5. The latest things made of paper are _.A. chairs                        B. tablesC. clothes             &

24、#160;         D. houses(Key: 1. A    2. C     3. B      4. D      5. D)Passage 3We often use gestures to express our feelings, but the problem is that the gestures can be unde

25、rstood in different ways.It is true that a smile means the same thing in any language. So does laughter or crying . Fear is another emotion that is shown in much the same way all over the world. In Chinese and in English literature, a phrase like he went pale and began to tremble suggests that the m

26、an is either very afraid or he has just got a very big shock. However, he opened his eyes wide is used to suggest anger in Chinese whereas in English it means surprise. In Chinese, surprise can be described in a phrase like they stretched out their tongues! “Stretching out your tongue” in English is

27、 an insulting gesture or expresses strong dislike.Even in the same culture, people differ in their ability to understand and express feelings. Experiments in America have shown that women are usually better than men at recognizing fear, anger, love and happiness on peoples faces. Other studies show

28、that older people usually find it easier to recognize or understand body language than younger people do.1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A.       We can easily understand what peoples gestures mean.B.       Words

29、can be better understood by older people.C.       Gestures can be understood by most people but words are not.D.       It is difficult to tell what people gestures really mean sometimes.2. Peoples facial expressions may be misunderstood in

30、different cultures because _.A.     people of different sexes may understand a gesture differentlyB.     people speaking different languages have different facial expressionsC.     people of different ages may have different interpretations

31、D.     people from different cultures have different meanings about some facial expressions3. From the passage, we can conclude that _.E.      gestures can be used to express feelingsF.      gestures can be more effectively used t

32、han words to express feelingsG.     words are often more difficult to understand than gesturesH.     gestures are used as frequently as words to express feelings4. In the same culture, people _.I.        hardly ever fail to u

33、nderstand each others ideas and feelingsJ.       are equally intelligent even if they have different backgroundsK.    almost all have the same understanding of the same thingL.      may have different abilities to understand and e

34、xpress feelings5. The best title for this passage can be _.M.   Gestures               N.    Feelings   O.    Gestures and Feelings    P.    

35、0; Culture and Understanding(Key: 1. D    2. D    3. A     4. D     5. C)Passage 4A funny thing happened on the way to the communication revolution: we stopped talking to each other.        I was walk

36、ing in the park with a friend recently, and his mobile phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and poof! I was cut off as if I had become absent from the conversation.        The park was filled with people

37、talking on their cell phones. They were passing people without looking at them, saying hello, noticing their babies or stopping to pat their dogs. It seems that the limitless electronic voice is preferred to human contact.        The telephone used to connect you to the

38、 absent. Now it makes people feel absent. Recently I was in a car with three friends. The driver hushed the rest of us because he could not hear the person on the other end of his cell phone. There we were, four friends driving down the highway, unable to talk to each other because of the small thin

39、g designed to make communication easier.        Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a setback (退步) to the closeness of human interaction. With e-mail and instant message over the Internet,

40、 we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can make entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.        As almost every contact between human beings gets

41、automatic, the emotional distance index goes up. Pumping gas at the station? Why say good-morning to the assistant when you can swipe you credit card at the pump and save yourself the bother of human contact? Making a deposit at the bank? Why talk to the clerk who lives in the neighborhood when you

42、can put your card into the ATM?       More and more, I find myself hiding behind e-mail to do a job meant for conversation or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didnt really have time to talk. The technology devoted to helping me keep in touch is making

43、me lonelier.       I own a mobile phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail telephone, and an e-mail account. Giving them up isnt a choice. They are great for what they are intended to do. Its their unintended results that make me upset. What good is all this gee-whiz technology

44、 if there is no one in the room to hear you crying out “Gee whiz”?1. The authors experience of walking in a park with a friend recently made him feel _. A.       unhappyB.       funnyC.       sunnyD.  

45、;     wonderful2. According to the author, human contact in a park means _. A. looking at each other and saying hello when passingB. noticing their babies and stopping to pat their dogsC. talking on the mobile phone and getting connected with the other people D. both A and B3. Ac

46、cording to the author, the more connected we get in communications technology, the _ we are. A. more automatic B. easier C. more disconnectedD. closer 4. What are the examples the author gives to explain his idea that every advance in communications technology is a setback to the closeness of human

47、interaction? A. With e-mail and instant message over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another.B. With voice mail, you can make entire conversations without ever reaching anyone.C. If his mom has a question, he just leaves the answer on her machine.D. All of the a

48、bove.5. What is the unintended result of communication technology, according to the author?A. It makes communication easier and conversation possible everywhere. B. It actually creates a distance between people instead of bringing them together.C. It makes every contact between human beings automati

49、c and makes people feel connected. D. It makes human contacts limitless with electronic voices everywhere.(Key: 1. A     2. D     3. C    4. D    5. B)Passage 5Who will stage the games?Preparing for the Olympics Games is a huge un

50、dertaking. Just like the athletes, the host city spends years getting ready for the event. Before deciding which city will host the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has to examine bids from all over the world. Bidding for the games begins about ten years in advance. Without p

51、reparing a very strong bid1, a city will not win the competition to host the games. Beijing was chosen for the 2008 games from five bidders Osaka, Paris, Toronto and Istanbul.2Why does it take so long to prepare? Building the infrastructure costs huge amounts of money. Holding the World Cup in 2002

52、in Japan and South Korea, for example, meant that ten new stadiums had to be built, as well as many hotels and an improved transport system. In Beijing, after winning the bid the government began major construction projects the extension of the underground, the improvement of the airport and the bui

53、lding of new motorways3. Each host city must also build an Olympic village for the athletes. By planting trees and creating parks, the city becomes more attractive for tourists.Why do countries want to host the Olympic Games?Hosting the games has a major effect on the economy and brings internationa

54、l prestige to the country. Thousands and thousands of visitors come to the games and the host cities are permanently improved.1. Bidding for the Olympic Games usually starts _ before the games are really held.A. two years             &

55、#160;  B.  eight years              C. one year                  D. ten years2. Beijing was one of the _ bidders  for the 2008games.A.

56、four               B. five                    C. ten              

57、;    D.  three3. The World Cup 2002 was held in _.A. Japan         B. South Korea                 C. China         

58、            D. A and B4. What construction projects did Beijing start after winning the bid?A. The extension of the underground.                 B. The improvement o

59、f the airport.C. The building of new motorways                     D. All of the above5. Why do countries want to host the Olympic Games?A. Because it has a major effect on the economy.B. Because it b

60、rings international prestige to the country.C. Because the host cities are permanently improved.D. All of the above.(Key: 1. D     2. B      3. D      4. D      5. D)Passage 6We walked in so quietly that t

61、he nurse at the desk didnt even lift her eyes from the book. Mum pointed at a big chair by the door and I knew she wanted me to sit down. While I watched, mouth open in surprise, Mum took off her hat and coat and gave them to me to hold. She walked quietly to the small room by the lift and took out

62、a wet mop. She pushed the mop past the desk and as the nurse looked up, Mum nodded and said, “Very dirty floors.”       “Yes. Im glad theyve finally decided to clean them,” the nurse answered. She looked at Mum strangely and said, “But arent you working late?” 

63、0;     Mum just pushed harder, each swipe of the mop taking her farther and farther down the hall. I watched until she was out of sight and the nurse had turned back to writing in the big book.       After a long time Mum came back. Her eyes were shi

64、ning. She quickly put the mop back and took my hand. As we turned to go out of the door, Mum nodded politely to the nurse and said, “Thank you.”       Outside, Mum told me, “Kate is fine. No fever.”       “You saw her, Mum?”  

65、0;    “Of course. I told her about the hospital rules, and she will not expect us until tomorrow. Dad will stop worrying as well. Its a fine hospital. But such floors! A mop is no good. You need a brush.”1. When she took a mop from the small room what Mum really wanted to do was _.A.

66、to clean the floor                         B. to please the nurseC. to see a patient                 

67、;           D. to surprise the story-teller2. When the nurse talked to Mum she thought Mum was a _.A. nurse                        

68、;                         B. visitorC. patient                       &

69、#160;                D. cleaner3. After reading the story what can we infer about the hospital?A.     It is a childrens hospital.B.     It has strict rules about visiting hours.C. 

70、    The nurses and doctors there dont work hard.D.     A lot of patients come to this hospital every day.4. Why did Mum go to see Kate in the hospital?E.      To give her some message about Dad.F.      To make sure

71、her room was clean.G.     To check that she was still there.H.     To find out how she was.5. Which of the following words best describes Mum?A. Polite.                  

72、                       B. Patient.C. Changeable.                       

73、0;        D. Clever.(Key: 1. C     2. D    3. B    4. D     5. D)Passage 7Did you know there are some very special dogs doing good work in our hospital wards? These are PAT 2 (Pets As Therapy) dogs. D

74、octors and nurses are recognising the benefits of pets more and more particularly for children, people with mental illnesses and elderly people who are separated from their own pets or have had to give up their pets. Stroking and playing with a pet is a calming experience and something to look forwa

75、rd to. One hospital reported that a man with a mental illness, who hadn't spoken for years, first stroked and played with a visiting dog and then started talking to it. Today, around 4,500 dogs and 50 cats and their volunteer owners are at work in the UK bringing comfort and pleasure to over 100,000 people in hospital.There are many other working dogs5.  There are guard dogs, police dogs, hunting dogs and dogs for the blind. Disabled people benefit greatly. Take the case of Alan Smythe6, who has to visit hospital every month. Some thi