阅读理解专项练习：1When families gather for Christmas dinner, some will stick to formal traditions dating back to grandma's generation. Their tables will be set with the good dishes and silver, and the dress code will be Sunday best.But in many other homes, this china-and-silver elegance has given way to a stoneware (粗陶) and stainless informality, with dresses assuming an equally casual-Friday look. For hosts and guests, the change means greater simplicity and comfort. For makers of fine china in Britain, it spells economic hard times.Last week Royal Doulton, the largest employer in Stoke-on-Trent, announced that it is eliminating1,000 jobs -- one-fifth of its total workforce. That brings to more than 4, 000 the numberof positions lost in 18 months in the pottery (陶瓷) region. Wedgwood and other pottery factories made cuts earlier.Although a strong pound and weak markets in Asia play a role in the downsizing, the layoffs inStoke have their roots in earthshaking social shifts. A spokesman for Royal Doulton admitted that thecompany "has been somewhat slow in catching up with the trend" toward casual dining. Families eat togetherless often, he explained, and more people eat alone, either because they are single or they eat in front of television.Even dinner parties, if they happen at all, have gone casual. In a time of long work hours anddemanding family schedules, busy hosts insist, rightly, that it's better to share a takeout pizzaon paper plates in the family room than to wait for the perfect moment or a "real" dinner party. Too often, the perfect moment never comes. Iron a fine-patterned tablecloth? Forget it. Polish the silver? Who has time?Yet the loss of formality has its down side. The fine points of etiquette (礼节) that children might once have learned at the table by observation or instruction from parents and grandparents (" Chew with your mouth closed." "Keep your elbows off the table. ") must be picked up else- where. Some companies now offer etiquette seminars for employees who may be able professionallybut inexperienced socially.72. Why do people tend to follow the trend to casual dining?A. Family members need more time to relax.B. Busy schedules leave people no time for formality.C. People prefer to live a comfortable life.D. Young people won't follow the etiquette of the older generation.73. It can be learned from the passage that 'Royal Doulton is .A. a seller of stainless steel tablewareB. a dealer in stonewareC. a pottery chain storeD. a producer of fine China74. The main cause of the layoffs in the pottery industry is .A. the increased value of the poundB. the worsening economy in AsiaC.the change in people's way of lifeD. the fierce competition at home and abroad75. Formal table manners, though less popular than before in current Social life, .A.are still a must on certain occasionsB. are certain to return sooner or laterC. are still being taught by parents at homeD. can help improve personal relationships2When Johnny Cash sings, people listen. His big, deep voice rumbles out of radios and juke-boxes across North America. His records sell by the million. Country-music fans everywhere, knowhis big hits. They love songs like "Hey Porter", "Ring of Fire", and "Folsom Prison Blue".Johnny Cash sings about a hundred concerts a year. People like what they hear--and whatthey see, too. Rugged and big-shouldered, the singer stands six-two without his black boots on.He's a two-hundred-pound package of muscle and talent. And that scar(疤痕)on his cheek? It'sa bullet(子弹)hole, of course!In the minds of most people, Johnny Cash is "Mr Tough( violent) Guy". He's an ex-drugaddict (上瘾者)who was once put in prison. His grandmother was an Indian. To keep from starvinghe once had to live on wild rabbits killed from forty feet away with a knife. Some people say heeven killed a man.In fact, most of the Johnny Cash story is just that--a story. True, years ago he had a "drughabit "for a short time. He "popped" pills. But he never used heroin or other "hard "drugs. Some-times he'd go wild and get locked up for a few hours . But he never served a prison sentence.There's no Indian blood in his veins. He's been a killer only in song. As for the "bullet hole", it's an old scar left by a doctor who opened a cyst(囊肿).People who know Johnny Cash well say he's a "gentle guy", a "generous guy'--anything buta "tough guy". How did the stories get started? Some of them, like the story about the "Indiangrandmother", he made up long ago to add excitement to his career. Others , like the "bullet hole" , simply got started. Now there's little the singer can do to change people's minds. "Theyjust want to believe it," he says.56. Johnny Cash is a favorite of many .A. opera loversB. country music fansC. hard-rock fansD. jazz music lovers57. In truth, Johnny Cash .A. invented the "Indian grandmother"B. used to kill rabbits for a livingC. had a bullet hole on his cheekD. served a long prison sentence58. In his private life, Johnny Cash is, .A. much wilder than he looksB. much smaller than he is on stageC. much tougher than he is in publicD. much more gentle than most people suppose59. The passage shows us that many people believe .A. only what they seeB. what they are sure is trueC. only what they hearD. what they find interestingB3Do dogs understand us?Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee(黑猩猩).In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into 20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word the dog had never heard before.The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer by process of elimination(排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even more impressive.Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品种)known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names since the age of nine months.It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!60. From paragraph 2 we know that __ .A. animals are as clever as human beingsB. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzeesC. chimpanzees have very good word-learning skillsD. dogs have similar 'learning abilities as 3-year-old children61. Both experiments show that .A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands rightB. Rico can recognize different things including toysC. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematicsD. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them62. Which of the following statements is true?A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.D. Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.63. What does the writer want to tell us?A. To train your dog.B. To talk to your dog.C. To be friendly to your dog.D. To be careful with your dog.4Paynes Prairie(used)Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie? It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21 000 acres. This protected land is called a preserve. The Florida Park Service manage the preserve.The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone dissolved and the ground settled. It is covered by marsh(沼泽)and wet prairie vegetation. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it has flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10000 B. C. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest cattle ranch in Florida was on Paynes Prairie. Today, Paynes Prairie is preserved land . It is occupied by visitors and Florida Park Service employees.Willam Bartram visited Paynes Praire. Bartram was the first person who portrayed (described)nature through personal experience as well as scientific observation. He lived 200 years ago. He visited Paynes Prairie in 1774. At that time he described it. He called Paynes Prairie the "great Alachua Savannah."Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of sandhill cranes, hawks and waterfowl are here in winter. The animal diversity is increased by the presence of pine flatwoods, hammock, swamps and ponds.The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is open year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for recreation. At the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horse trails. And you can see lots of nature and wildlife. You can see Florida as it was in the early days.Paynes Prairie is a part of our Florida history. It is an example of our Florida natural resources. It is a place for recreation. Paynes Prairie is an important experience of the Real Florida.64. How was the Paynes Prairie basin formed?A. By the Seminole Indians.B. By the Florida Park Service.C. From dissolved limestone and the ground settling.D. From lots of flooding and wet prairie vegetation.65. The underlined word "diversity" means “.”A. varietyB. societyC. populationD. area66. All of the following are true EXCEPT that __ .A. Paynes Prairie has changed little through timeB. Paynes Prairie is covered by wet prairie grassesC. there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes PrairieD. William Bartram was the first person~ to visit Paynes Prairie67. The purpose of the passage is to .A. call on people to protect widlifeB. attract people to this preserved parkC. show you the formation of Paynes PrairieD. introduce the recorded history of Paynes Prairie5NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares.Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce ,or possibly erase(抹去),the effect of painful memories.In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, While others support it.Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories."Some memories can ruin people's lives . They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This could relieve a lot of that suffering."But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity (特质). They also help us all avoid themistakes of the past."All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.68. The passage is mainly about .A. a new medical inventionB. a new research on the pillC. a way of erasing painful memoriesD. an argument about the research on the pill69. The drug tested on people can .A. cause the brain to fix memoriesB. stop people remembering bad experiencesC. prevent body producing certain chemicalsD. Wipe out the emotional effects of memories70. We can infer from the passage that .A. people doubt the effects of the pillsB. the pill will stop people's bad experiencesC. taking the pill will do harm to people's healthD. the pill has probably been produced in America71. Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?A. Some memories can ruin people's lives.B. People want to get rid of bad memories.C. Experiencing bad events makes us different from others.D. The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories.6What's your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to explore the world. So we visit travel agents, compare packages and prices ,and pay our money.We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? It's true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local people more than it helps them.It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔)in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.Tourism might also cost the local people their livelihood and dignity. Local workers often find only menial(卑微的)jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the profits do not help the local economy. Instead, profits return to the tour operators in wealthier countries, When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to city slums. Others now make a little money selling souvenirs or posing for photos.Problems like these were Observed more that 20 years ago. But now some non-government organizations, tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure.The result is responsible tourism, or “ethical tourism.” Ethical tourism has people atits heart. New international agreements and codes of conduct can help protect the people's lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex.But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn reasonable wages.They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotel, restaurants and guide services. They can share profits fairly to help the local economy. And they can involve the local people in planning and managing tourism.What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local citizens. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while we're abroad, we can:Buy local foods and products, not imported ones.Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price.Avoid flaunting wealth.Ask before taking photographs of people.They are not just part of the landscape!Let's enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too.72. What is probably the best title for the article?A. Tourism Causes Bad Effects.B. Tourism Calls for Good Behavior.C. Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun.D. Vacations Cost More Than You Think73. Which of the following is not mentioned?A. Local people were well paid to leave their lands.B. Tourists may stay in hotels opened by local people.C. Local people are mainly provided with low-paying work.D. Tourists could bargain with local people for a reasonable price.74. The underlined phrase "take heart" means" ".A. pay attentionB. take careC. cheer upD. calm down75. According to the passage, the writer thinks .A. tourism is not a promising industryB. dream vacations should be spent abroadC. the problems caused by tourism are easy to settleD. tourists should respect local customs and culture7Robert Owen was born in Wales in 1771. At the age of ten he went to work. His employer had a large private library so Owen was able to educate himself. He read a lot in his spare time and at nineteen he was given the job of superintendent(监工) at a Manchester cotton mill. He was so successful there that he persuaded his employer to buy the New Lanark mill in Scotland.When he arrived at New Lanark it was a dirty little town with a population of 2,000 people. Nobody paid any attention to the workers' houses or their children's education. The conditions in the factories were very bad. There was a lot of crime and the men spent most of their wages on alcoholic drinks.Owen improved the houses. He encouraged people to be clean and save money. He opened a shop and sold the workers cheap, well-made goods to help them. He limited the sale of alcoholicdrinks. Above all, he fixed his mind on the children's education. In 1816 he opened the first free primary school in Britain.People came from all over the country to visit Owen's factory. They saw that the workers were healthier and more efficient than in other towns. Their children were better fed and better educated. Owen tried the same experiment in the United States. He bought some land there in 1825,but the community was too far away. He could not keep it under control and lost most of his money.Owen never stopped fighting for his idea. Above all he believed that people are not born good or bad. He was a practical man and his ideas were practical. "If you give people good working conditions," he thought, "they will work well and, the most important thing of all, if you give them the chance to learn, they will be better people."56. For Owen, his greatest achievement in New Lanark was _____________.A. improving worker's housesB. helping people to save moneyC. preventing men from getting drunkD. providing the children with a good education57. From the passage we may infer that Owen was born ___________.A. into a rich familyB. into a noble familyC. into a poor familyD. into a middle class family58. Owen's experiment in the United States failed because _______.A. he lost all his moneyB. he did not buy enough landC. people who visited it were not impressedD. it was too far away for him to organize it properly59. We may infer form the passage that no children in Britain could enjoy free education until ____.A. 1771B. 1816C. 1825D. 18608Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration (注意力) is their biggest problem. It seriously affects their ability to study, so do their test results.If so, use these tips to help you.Study Techniques●You should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.●Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.●Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.Test-taking Skills●All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plentyofrest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to havea long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts for a few months.●Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.●When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.65. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored.B. Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time.C. Check the time during the exam at a certain time.D. Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method.66. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?A. Your study desk or table.B. Your textbook.C. Your dictionary.D. The equipment you need.67. What can be inferred from the passage?A. You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test.B. You will have enough energy to deal with your study and exams by eating healthy diet.C. You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you.D. If you feel tired during study, you can walk around for a few minutes.9On June 17, 1774, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In a letter the next day they refused the offer as follows:We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are convinced that you mean to do us good by your proposal; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be offended if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the college of the northern provinces: they were taught all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad manners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods – they were totally good for nothing.We are, however, not the less obliged by your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them all we know, and make men of them.68. The passage is about ____.A. the talk between the Indians and the officialsB. the colleges of the northern provincesC. the educational values of the IndiansD. the problems of the Americans in the mid-eighteen century69. The Indian chief’s purpose of writing the letter seems to be to ____.A. politely refuse a friendly offerB. express their opinions on equal treatmentC. show their prideD. describe Indian customs70. According to the letter, the Indians believed that ____.A. it would be better for their boys to receive some schoolingB. they were being insulted by the offerC. they knew more about science than the officialsD. they had better way of educating young men71. Different from the officials’ view of education, the Indians thought ____.A. young women should also be educatedB. they had different goals of educationC. they taught different branches of scienceD. they should teach the sons of the officials first10Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for consumers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of ingredients(contents) on the back. Third, compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.Another suggestion for consumers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. The quality, however, is usually as good as the quality of well-known name brands. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores are n’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, well-informed consumers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, consumers can make a wise choice.72. All the following statements are true about the phrase “ordinary items” in Paragraph 2 except____.A. ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural”B. ordinary products are usually cheaper than famous brandsC. producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary itemsD. the quality of ordinary items is usually as good as that of famous brands73. What does the writer think about ads?A. They are believable.B. They are attractive.C. They are full of misinformation.D. They are helpful to consumers.74. One of the author’s suggestions t o consumers is ____.A. to make use of adsB. not to buy items with words like “New and Improved” or “All Natural”C. to buy high quality items such as famous brands after lunch。